Big Opportunities for Small Towns

Did you know that small towns in North Carolina may receive up to $13 Million in grants and federal stimulus money? While this may seem like a lot at first, it ends up amounting to just under $20,000, if all funding was dispersed equally. Since the grants are competitive, let’s make certain your town is ready to get as much funding help as they can! And to use it in the most environmental friendly way that they can!

Tonight, I will be traveling to New Bern to discuss how the Energy Efficiency Block Grants (EECBG) will work for small towns. For these grants, a small town is defined as having a population of less than 35,000. Since Eastern NC is chalked full of itty-bitty towns, the Craven County Democrats teamed up with the Cypress Group to ask if I could come explain opportunities from the EECBG Program for small towns and how Cool City New Bern might earn a few more bucks.

You are welcome to join me tonight at the Golden Coral on Martin Luther King Boulevard in New Bern. We will be eating dinner at 5:30 and discussing the EECBG Program at 6:30.

In the meantime, here are some tips to get the ARRA funding optimized in your own town:
a. Start talking with your government leaders—meet with key partners/mayor/city council (they will get a vote!)
i. Reach out to your contact and get that relationship going
ii. Have the conversation—
1. what are they planning on using,
2. what have they have applied for,
3. how do they plan to use it,
4. offer to get or give them the information that they need,
5. and small nudges here and there
a. Consult Sierra Club’s Talking Points for more ideas
b. Play to America’s Entrepreneurial spirit
iii. Ask the large towns to post their EECBG applications online—Winston-Salem did!