In the wake of flooding events this summer, members of the Barre community came together on Sept 13 at the Barre Opera House for a community gathering to connect with fellow residents, listen, share, and form early thoughts about next steps and ideas for the future of Barre.

The next community gathering will be held Wed Oct 18, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Barre Opera House. This second gathering will build on the discussions from Sept 13 and from responses to the online survey. The evening will start with FREE pizza in the Opera House lobby at 5:30pm followed by an overview of the key themes at 5:45pm and then breakout into focus groups on the three critical areas that have emerged so far including Housing; Social and Community Wellbeing; and Infrastructure and Planning. Attend the topic area most important to you. ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend!

At the meeting on Oct 18, participants will hear about the current status of work being done and resources available in each focus area, identify what gaps remain, and think together about what could be done to address those gaps in the short-term and long-term. This input and discussion will inform the focus points, next steps, and actions of the Barre Up Flood Recovery Committee and other area organizations for the immediate and long-term future of the city.

The goal of this effort is to bring together the full diversity of Barre residents, organizations, and partners in an open, inclusive dialogue to build understanding around flooding experiences and recovery and resilience efforts and create ideas for action for the immediate and long-term future of the city. These sessions will be facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development—a neutral convener of public process.

Childcare will be provided on site at the Barre Opera House.

For information about accessibility and live captions, visit: https://www.vtrural.org/barre-up/.

Can't join in person? There will be an option to join a separate focus group via Zoom. Visit https://www.vtrural.org/barre-up for the link.

There's still time to share your experiences and ideas for the future of Barre through the online Community Survey. Take the survey by Oct 15: https://forms.gle/j3kaiyBqNzTPQjLS6. Notes from the Sept 13 session and from survey responses will be shared with the community at the Oct 18 meeting.

Questions? Feel free to contact Laura@vtrural.org or (802) 234-1646.

Event Info

Oct 12, 2024

Oct 12, 2024, 9 AM to 3 PM

Oct 12, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM