Federal Funds to Fuel 'Healthy' Planning Initiative

Federal funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act have trickled down to North Kingstown, according to Planning Director Jon Reiner. 

North Kingstown was awarded $225,000 from the Rhode Island Department of Health's Healthy Places by Design Project — a project funded by ARRA's Communities Putting Prevention to Work grants.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health website, Communities Putting Prevention to Work is a nationwide grant program that endeavors to help communities implement policy changes that foster health and wellness — specifically those related to obesity and tobacco prevention.

"We actually haven't gotten [the funds] yet," said Reiner. "That's what we're waiting for to kick off the project. We have a signed grant agreement between the town and the state and we're still waiting for the authorization to proceed."

Once authorized, town planners will partner with the West Bay YMCA to jumpstart the program's health-and-wellness campaign. 

"We're getting $225,000; $100,000 is going to a community partner, which is the YMCA; the other $125,000 is paying for staff for the town," Reiner said, adding he's hired an additional planner to work specifically on the Healthy Places by Design project.

"The remaining money—I think we put aside about $70,000 to hire a planning consultant to assist us with outreach and the rewriting of the comprehensive plan," said Reiner. 

According to Reiner, the initiative will help determine how health relates to the structural makeup of the town. "How can we do things through our planning looking at how the town develops as a whole?," asked Reiner. "Is it bike paths, is it more pedestrian friendly types of developments like Wickford? It's about learning how to put more recreation into our everyday activities.".

Figuring out how it all "links together" will be crucial, Reiner said. "That's what I see as the big push, and then getting people to understand those linkages so then when we're doing those types of policies and trying to move things forward — whether it's through the Planning Commission or the council — people see the connection and there'll be support instead of, a lot of times, there's a lack of understanding," he said. 

The initiative will include a five-day "charrette" — an event hosted by the Planning Department, the West Bay YMCA and the project consultant to encourage community involvement in the planning process, said Reiner.

"If people get involved in a project before it starts, they can help us shape it so it best fits North Kingstown," he said.

And though changes won't happen overnight, said Reiner, the initiative will help implement policies that will form "a better mold for a healthy community," he said. 

"I hope that just a lot of people come out and get involved in the process."