CRAFTSBURY — Craftsbury’s three-member select board heard updates about several issues in depth, leaving many items on the agenda for future meetings. Gina Campoli and Kris Coville updated the board about the Hardwick Area Food Pantry, with Campoli saying they applied for funding for both dry and cold storage and received a $60,000 ARPA grant. They are now looking for a long-term space, which she says has been a struggle for them.
The board then heard from Melissa Jacobs, who provided an update on the Craftsbury Saplings expansion project.
According to Jacobs, project funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and Community Development Block grants have been immensely helpful. “We’ve been able to make leaps and bounds because of that funding.”
Jacobs said a site has been chosen and they are awaiting feasibility findings. They are still working on plans for the water system.
Craftsbury Saplings’ proposal for a new building adjacent to the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church is depicted in an artist’s rendering.
Saplings is expanding because their current site no longer meets their needs. Since 2017, Saplings has been based in the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church. In 2021, an additional modular classroom enabled the program’s first expansion. However, with their Act 250 waiver expiring in 2026, the modular classroom can no longer support the growing program.
Saplings was established through a community visit process facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development in 2015, during which the pressing need for accessible childcare in the area was recognized.
In 2021, in collaboration with a consulting team, Saplings set out to evaluate the unmet need for childcare, determine community support for an expansion and potential site and program configurations.
The final report in 2021 found 57.2% of children in Orleans County, where Saplings is located, did not have access to a regulated child care program. The report was based on community feedback and local childcare needs in a six town area. It determined there were approximately 85 toddlers needing care, with just 34 spaces available and 161 infants needing care, with only 23 spaces available. The report showed there was an overwhelming deficit of 189 childcare slots in Saplings service area.
The report also determined meeting the need would require building a new facility, as no existing structure would meet the program’s needs.
A 54-child program housed in a new facility was found to be the most feasible program for long-term sustainability if it could be done without a heavy debt burden.
Saplings projects that 77% of the funding for construction will come from state and federal grants, with the Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee approving their request for $3 million. The Northern Border Regional Commission has approved their application for another $1 million.
The planning phase of the project was funded by Make Way for Kids (Vermont’s Children Finance), the Vermont Community Development Program, Craftsbury ARPA Funds and NEK Collaborative.
In other business, for the road foreman’s report, Steve Perkins put it simply, saying, “We’re ditching.”
The board also approved spending $1,000 for a memorial bench honoring Jim Moffat. The meeting concluded with the board going into an executive session regarding personnel, after which no decisions were made.
