Atkins Neighborhood Conversations – Flood Insurance

 in Community / Uncategorized / Zoning

Residents gathered Monday evening for the latest Atkins Neighborhood Conversation to discuss flood insurance with Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.

Hosted by the Town of Hardwick in partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), the evening gave residents an opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting after a community meal. Rather than a formal presentation, the conversation focused on the questions and concerns that people brought with them, including flood insurance coverage, homeowners’ policies, claims following disasters, and preparing before the next flood.

We appreciate Mary taking the time to visit Hardwick and share her knowledge with residents. Insurance can be a complicated topic, and having the opportunity to ask questions directly to someone with her experience was valuable for everyone who attended.

The Atkins Neighborhood Conversations are intended to complement other community outreach efforts by creating opportunities for residents to connect with experts in a relaxed, conversational setting. The series has covered a variety of resilience-related topics this summer, each with its own format and approach.

There is one remaining Atkins Neighborhood Conversation scheduled this season:

Monday, July 27, Update from the Resilience and Adaptation Coordinator (at the Atkins Field Pavilion).

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this year’s conversations and to the Center for an Agricultural Economy for partnering with the Town to make the series possible.

Request for Proposals (RFP) – Owner’s Representative/Construction Manager

 in Community / Uncategorized / Zoning

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Owner’s Representative / Construction Manager

Utility Elevation Assistance Program

The Town of Hardwick is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals to provide Owner’s Representative/Construction Management services for the Town’s Utility Elevation Assistance Program.

This project is funded through the State of Vermont Community Resilience and Disaster Mitigation Fund (CRDMF) and will assist approximately eleven residential properties by elevating or relocating critical building utilities above the Base Flood Elevation. The selected consultant will serve as the Town’s representative during construction, providing oversight and coordination to help ensure the project is completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable project requirements.

Important Dates

  • RFP Issued: July 16, 2026
  • Proposal Deadline: Monday, August 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM
  • Consultant Selection: August 2026
  • Anticipated Contract Execution: August/September 2026

Proposal Submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format no later than 3:00 PM on Monday, August 10, 2026.

Questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to:

Kristen Leahy
Resilience & Adaptation Coordinator
Town of Hardwick
zoning.administrator@hardwickvt.gov
(802) 472-1686

Request for Proposals

The complete Request for Proposals may be downloaded below:

Owner’s Representative / Construction Manager – Utility Elevation Assistance Program (PDF)

Request for Proposals – Pdf

Map of Impacted properties – Pdf

The Town of Hardwick is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages proposals from qualified small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and disadvantaged business enterprises.

Atkins Neighborhood Conversations – Flood Insurance

 in Zoning

Coming Up Next: Flood Insurance

Join us on Monday, July 20, at 6:00 p.m. at the Atkins Field Pavilion, 140 Granite Street, Hardwick, for a conversation about flood insurance. We’ll share practical information about understanding flood insurance, navigating the claims process, and answer your questions.

A free community meal begins at 5:00 p.m., followed by the presentation at 6:00 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Atkins Neighborhood Conversations series is hosted by the Town of Hardwick in partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy.

Questions? Please contact Kristen Leahy, Resilience & Adaptation Coordinator, at 802-472-1686.

Emergency Preparedness, One Conversation at a Time

 in Zoning

Atkins Neighborhood Conversations Welcome Vermont Emergency Management

The Atkins Neighborhood Conversations are built around a simple idea: give people the opportunity to ask the questions that matter most to them.

For the third conversation in the series, Emily Harris from Vermont Emergency Management joined community members during the Center for an Agricultural Economy’s Community Meal to talk about emergency preparedness.

Rather than offering a formal presentation, Emily was available throughout the meal for individual and small-group conversations. Community members could stop by for a few minutes or stay longer, depending on the questions they wanted to discuss.

People stopped by with practical questions. What should be in a “go bag”? Which important documents should they keep together? How much food, water, or medication should households have on hand? What should families do before an extended power outage or a flood? Emily was able to tailor each conversation to the questions people brought with them, making the information immediately relevant and useful.

This “choose your own adventure” format allowed each conversation to reflect the needs and concerns of the individual or family. There was no set agenda – just practical discussions about the steps people can take before an emergency happens.

Thank you to Emily Harris and Vermont Emergency Management for sharing your expertise in such an approachable way, and to the Center for an Agricultural Economy for once again providing a welcoming setting for the Atkins Neighborhood Conversations.

The response has been so positive that planning is already underway to bring this format back next year.

Coming Up Next: Flood Insurance

The Atkins Neighborhood Conversations continue on Monday, July 20, at 6:00 p.m. with a presentation on flood insurance. The July 20 program will be a more structured presentation covering how flood insurance works, what it covers, who should consider purchasing a policy, recent changes affecting property owners, and an opportunity to ask questions.

Everyone is welcome to attend.