Milton residents will come together next week to help shape the town’s future, choosing three projects for the town to pursue in the coming years.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development, a nonprofit organization that encourages local residents’ engagement, will guide discussions and a nonbinding vote by residents on town priorities.
This is all part of the council’s “community visit” program, in which it works with municipalities to bring residents together, set and achieve common goals, and help them accomplish their objectives.
The council offers its community visit services to Vermont communities at no charge, and so far has worked with 82 towns across the state.
“We hold a three-month series of public meetings with the community to bring in as many voices as we can to weigh in on the action they should take today to ensure a vibrant and thriving future for their community,” said Jenna Kolinski, the council’s community engagement and policy director.
Milton had planned to start the process in 2019, before the pandemic in 2019, but Town Manager Don Turner said he’s pleased that it didn’t turn out that way, as so much has changed in the past two years.
Turner hopes the program will help the town to create a plan that aligns with residents’ aspirations.
“What I’m hoping to get is a clear indication of what the residents want to see for the future of the town so I can use that, along with elected officials’ goals, to chart a path forward,” he said.
So far, according to Kolinski, residents have discussed establishing a core downtown area, building a community center that could be used for recreational activities, and finding a way to improve communications between the town government and the town’s residents.
The next “Milton on the move” meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Milton High School library and virtually via Zoom.
