2022 has been a year of navigating challenging waters, as we worked to assist our client communities through many changes. After several years of near constant uncertainty in the world, our team was able to jump into many new communities this year and provide our expertise as we all emerge into a new “normal”. Our team’s strength this past year, as it does every year, came from our conviction in the value of our work, and its impact on communities across New England.
Without water communities would fail to thrive and life would cease to exist…
The year began in familiar territory working with several communities with stormwater pollution prevention education as part of their Municipal Small Separate Sewer System (MS4) Permit. By sharing resources through the Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition, The Plainville Department of Public Works, and the Westminster Department of Public Works Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter social media platforms, our team is constantly working to provide information and tips to consumers on how their activities impact stormwater. Whether it be winter deicing tips, lawn care, yard waste, pet waste, or septic system, we offer best management practices for residents, businesses, developers, and contractors to be the solution to stormwater pollution.
Along a similar vein, we provided support to the Towns of Plainville, Easton, Westminster, and the Dedham Westwood Water District with impacts related to water quality, temporary disruptions of service and provided support through water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. As each of these communities faced different challenges, our team was able to jump in and develop customized customer service plans to address each situation as it evolved. Our team implemented virtual communications hubs to streamline information and address the concerns of community stakeholders building trust through transparency. We are extremely proud that our support services provide an open line of communications, insights into the necessity for repairs, and provided support to the men and women on the frontlines performing the work to ensure safe drinking water.
Investing in community driven solutions…
While many communities started the year trying to develop a plan for the influx of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, our team jumped in with Mayor Jared Nicholson days after he was sworn into office in the City of Lynn. Mayor Nicholson and the City Council initiated a robust and inclusive outreach plan across the city, to inform decisions for ARPA spending. Our team became immersed in the City of Lynn, knocking on doors and visiting with local businesses for several weeks to engage the community and gather their feedback. Almost immediately, we were able to tap into the city’s passion and enthusiasm for what the future holds for the residents and businesses alike.
ARPA presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city to invest approximately $75 million dollars towards a variety of categories, all of which were affected by the pandemic. During our rigorous outreach efforts with Mayor Nicholson’s office and the City Council, CSS was able to put on over 14 community forums and 3 project submittal workshops; and gathered additional feedback from over 1,600 completed surveys on where the city should invest ARPA funds. During the first phase of ARPA funding over 200 project submissions were received and the City allocated $35.1 million dollars to community driven investments including parks, infrastructure, housing, early childhood education, upgrades to public buildings, public health initiatives, economic development projects, non-profits and workforce development planning.
Through inclusion, open dialogue, transparency and sustained engagement, a participatory culture was developed where community stakeholders both contributed to the process by sharing information about ARPA but also produced projects, ideas, and suggestions on how best to utilize funds to best benefit the City as a whole. The streamlined events in the first phase allowed for a smooth transition into the second phase offering community members a seat at the table for the second phase of investment that provided an additional $22 million allocation into community driven investments into additional housing, infrastructure, public health, food security, non-profit, workforce development and city projects.
Experts leading the way to opportunities through grant funding…
The expansion of our team with the additions of Blythe Robinson and Tim Goddard, increased our ability to serve communities in grant writing and management has spread our work across New England. CSS provides assistance for CARES, FEMA, ARPA, and other state and federal grants in a variety of capacities. Jennifer, Blythe, and Tim currently serve the cities of Gloucester and Lynn, as well as the towns of Acushnet, Barre, Bernardston, Conway, Concord, Dunstable, Fairhaven, Franklin, Grafton, Groton, Hanson, Holden, Hudson, Lunenburg, North Brookfield, North Attleboro, Oakham, Pepperell, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Sturbridge, and Townsend. Their steadfast commitment and experience in navigating compliance at the state and federal level have made them extremely useful to communities looking for the right opportunity for their projects. Our grant team’s hands on experience in municipal government can assure watertight compliance to all requirements, no matter the grant.
Providing support at every level …
No industry is immune to staffing shortages, municipal government especially. Its no surprise that the pandemic saw a record wave of retirements from local government, leaving most communities without the critical staff needed for day-to-day operations. The decades of experience our team has in municipal government has been able to lend a hand to communities trying to stay on top of all their tasks. This has included assistance with finance, coaching new administrators, general human resource support services, public works and infrastructure operations, emergency management and public safety services, and guiding communities through capital planning. Larger industry trends and staffing shortages may continue in 2023, but our team is ready to jump in and assist whenever is necessary.
Creating a path forward through open dialogue…
In a broad sense, navigating change skillfully has always been our forte at CSS. We pride ourselves on assisting community through the change of growth, as they evolve to meet the challenges that face their community. Our team was recently tapped to assist the communities of Holden and Weymouth as they moved forward with construction projects designed to ease transportation for their residents. During these projects we were able to engage the community stakeholders in the early design stages of the projects that would enhance safety. We use multiple pathways of communication to engage in this conversation throughout the construction process. One integral part of this process is to remove technical jargon, and open dialogue in the simplest terms so that the logic behind each project is well understood. We opened a door for two-way communication and provide prompt response to any and all questions, so as to reinforce the trust with stakeholders in the community. Both the Columbian Square Improvement Project in Weymouth and the Shrewsbury Street Doyle Road Improvement Project have moved beyond the design phase and we at CSS look forward to their progress in the upcoming construction season.
Simplifying and streamlining information…
In 2022 we were able to share our expertise in graphic and web design with our clients to act as a strong foundation for their communications. Over these past few years, we’ve successfully helped our clients to streamline their online communication, particularly with a website and social media presence. One’s website platform is usually our starting line, where we enact our push-pull method using social and traditional media to build online algorithms to enhance one’s searchability to become a credible source listed in online forums. An example of this can be seen in our work this year with the Framingham Housing Authority as their website required some behind the scenes clean up and maintenance. Having worked with Paul Landers and his team in the past to build their website, it made sense for our team to make these updates for them. We were also able to assist The Dedham-Westwood Water District this year, as they too wanted an online presence to enhance their customer relations and outreach. Though these two clients have differing functions, the basics of a strong website and online presence carry over no matter the business or organization. Streamlining the flow of operations and communication is always easier with a clear and comprehensive website as a base.
Always putting public safety first…
This year we welcomed Tom Impey to our team, who is an expert in Fire and EMS having served for decades in the field. Tom immersed himself into the study of EMS Provisions of the Lower Cape Cod Region, specifically for Truro, Wellfleet, and Provincetown. The specific nature of this study can be found in our project spotlight of the project, but the findings align with what we have already seen across the commonwealth, that many small communities may be feeling stretched thin in terms of resources. This very need is what fuels our dedication to providing well rounded expertise to communities across New England. With so much pressure placed upon municipalities, cities, and towns, we’ve been proud of the work we’ve done this year to share our knowledge in times of need.
Looking forward to 2023…
With so much growth for our team in 2022, we look forward to this new year. With every addition to our team, our collective expertise increases exponentially. As new challenges lay, we are steadfast in our commitment to building stronger communities in 2023.