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BRS, Inc. Newsletter, June 2020
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As a country and a company we are confronting the painful realities of institutional racism, disinvestment in Black communities, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and injustice. Our work with Environmental Justice communities has taught us the roles that planning, environmental policy, and advocacy play in oppression. We haven’t done enough individually, as a company, or as a country to fight against the injustice that we haven’t been directly impacted by, as white people in positions of privilege. That is now over.

We commit to raising up the voices of our client communities and supporting communities that could benefit from our technical expertise. We plan to do more pro bono projects and highlight work that communities are doing that we should be learning from.

Projects that impact the public and environment must include meaningful involvement of all people to identify environmental issues, and the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental policies, regulations, and laws (EPA Model for Public Involvement). However, communities most impacted by development are often not involved in the decision making. COVID-19 has further impeded the ability to conduct inclusive public participation.

There is an opportunity in digital public education and outreach. Engagement activities can be proactive, engaging, and inclusive of a wide variety of stakeholders. Zoom, Webex, Facebook, YouTube and other video-conferencing technology can provide an appropriate forum for public meetings with added flexibility with scheduling and recording.

Tips for Public Outreach in the Digital Age

Adequate public notice.
The public meeting notices should be texted, emailed, posted, and announced in advance with a clear description of the process and topics to be discussed. Public notices should state the conference call access or web-meeting access information. Dial-in information should be provided to individuals without computer access or mobile device. Not everyone has access to the internet or a mobile device, plan for this and provide multiple participation tools.

Ensure access.
Public notice should also identify the websites on which plans are posted, contact information for the meeting organizers, and all available means of achieving public access to all documents and the meeting itself. The notice should state that individuals lacking the resources or know-how for technological access can received assistance in accessing the plans and the meeting.

Plan for public comment and input.
Meeting organizers should facilitate public comment and other opportunities for input during digital meetings. At the beginning of a digital public meeting, the meeting facilitator should announce opportunities for public comment during the meeting and set the parameters. For example, detailing how individuals will be able to provide input, what part of the agenda it is in, the time limits or length of comments permitted, and how comments will be recorded in the public record and addressed in the planning process.

Document meeting proceedings for the public record
It is important to document meeting minutes for both participants and those unable to participate in the meeting but impacted by or interested in the meeting content.  This may include recording a video of the meeting as well as supplementing it with the written script and/or meeting notes and making these recordings easily available online. 
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
U.S. Department of Treasury—FY 2020 Capital Magnet Fund Program
Funds are given to support the development, preservation, rehabilitation, or purchase of affordable housing for primarily extremely low-, very low-, and low-income families; AND economic development activities or community service facilities, such as day care centers, workforce development centers, and health care clinics, which in conjunction with affordable housing activities implement a concerted strategy to stabilize or revitalize a low-income area or under-served rural area. 

Eligible Entities: Certified CDFI’s or non-profit organizations operating with a principal purpose of developing or managing affordable housing solutions.

The application deadline is June 26, 2020. More Information.

Reinvestment Fund—American's Health Food Financing Initiative Targeted Small Grants Program
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), a public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund on behalf of USDA Rural Development, seeks to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas. Funded projects must 1) plan to expand or preserve the availability of staple and perishable foods in underserved areas with low- and moderate-income populations, and 2) accept or plan to accept benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP).

Eligible Entities: Non-profit organizations, for-profit business enterprises, cooperatively-owned businesses, institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and tribal governmental agencies.

The deadline for letters of interest is July 10, 2020.  More Information.

National Science Foundation—Civic Innovation Challenge
CIVIC is organized as a two-stage competition with two tracks centered around the following topic areas: Track A:Communities and Mobility: Offering Better Mobility Options to Solve the Spatial Mismatch Between Housing Affordability and Jobs; and Track B. Resilience to Natural Disasters: Equipping Communities for Greater Preparedness and Resilience to Natural Disasters.

Eligible Entities: Communities in partnership with local, state, or tribal government officials; non-profit representatives; community organizers or advocates; community service providers; and/or others working to improve their communities

Stage 1 proposals are due July 1, 2020. More Information.
BRS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Juneteenth

Today we think about the pain and journey that Black people have experienced in this country and reflect on what we could be doing. The Covid-19 economic shutdown has hurt Black businesses the most among racial and ethnic groups in U.S., with a 41% decline of Black owners from February to April (Source). We will work to partner with more Black businesses and seek them out in our personal purchases and service needs.  

What we are reading to learn more about Juneteenth today: 

What Is Juneteenth? By  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 

Why celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever - www.vox.com 

Facts You Might Not Know About Juneteenth - www.mentalfloss.com

 Engaging Vulnerable Populations in Resilience Planning

Date and time: Monday, June 22, 2020 12:00 pm
Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Change time zone
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Description:
Engaging Vulnerable Populations in Resilience Planning

While climate change is likely to affect everyone, some populations and communities will be disproportionately affected. Join Jeanne Herb, Co-Director of the NJ Climate Change Resource Center; Lisa Auermuller, Assistant Manager for the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve; and staff from the Bureau of Climate Resilience Planning in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a presentation on strategies to effectively engage the most vulnerable populations in climate resilience planning.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT.
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