Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Celebrate Meridian -- Green Grant

It is great when a business in our community sees a need and acts on it; it is especially rewarding when it is one of Meridian’s small businesses that steps up to meet that need. Recently, VengaWorks did just that when they spearheaded the Smart Business Ecosystem (SBE) initiative. The SBE was launched to address critical business issues and provide growth opportunities for the community in a public/private partnership.

One of the first initiatives of the SBE the that the City was able to take a lead in was to promote ‘green’ startups and ‘green’ workspace solutions through the City of Meridian Green Grant Fund. The Green Grant Fund is an effort to reward new green jobs, new businesses that locate in a high-performance building, and Meridian businesses working to make their existing building more energy efficient. The primary goal of the program is to develop new jobs in our community and the second goal is to recognize the importance of energy efficiency and conservation.

The Green Grant Fund resulted from a decision made three years ago with the decision to build our City Hall to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System standards. This decision netted the City a $100,000 rebate for the commitment to energy efficiency that saves significant amounts of electricity. We wanted to pass this forward to carry on the message of efficiency and sustainability – and economic growth!

The City set aside $40,000 for this grant program and VengaWorks has offered $20,000 in the form of discounted rent to grant recipients that seek to use the VengaWorks ‘green’ office space.

Grants are being awarded in three categories, and to date three awards have been made. If you are a ‘green’ small business looking to add new jobs, a new business looking for a place to open your doors, or an existing business who wants to make energy improvements to your building; this is an opportunity for you to make that step. Click here to view more information about the Green Grants program or to download an application, but hurry as all applications are due by September 30, 2009.

Celebrating a Meridian business who is working to provide positive opportunities is what Meridian is all about. If you get a chance to see what VengaWorks is doing in their unique office space and design, stop by and check out their facility on Overland just down the street from Wahooz! I guarantee you it will have you thinking green and thinking positively about our amazing community.

In the mean time, I look forward to hearing your story and encourage you to share it with me at MayorTammy@meridiancity.org. Together we can Celebrate Meridian with examples of the many people and events that make our community a premier city to live, work, and raise a family.