COmmunity Economic Resilience Fund
The Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) is a statewide program that was created to promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress of COVID-19 by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.
SBC has been selected by state leaders to serve as the convener and fiscal agent for the Eastern Sierra region, which includes Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Alpine, Inyo, and Mono counties.
This critical grant will shape our future industries, diversify our economy, and provide for a better quality of life for all who call this region home. We’re looking forward to working together on both the challenges and opportunities presented by CERF.
Next Steps: HRTC Application
Our top priority is to form the High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) that will help Sierra Business Council guide this process.
If you would like to sit on the HRTC or an HRTC subcommittee, please fill out the application linked below. We are reviewing applications as they come in, and will notify everyone when we have received our contract from the state. In order to construct a diverse governing body, SBC will appoint applicants based on this application. The application will remain open until all positions are filled.
We hosted a listening session on Wednesday January 25th at 12 p.m. with CERF coordinator Eric Robins for those who wish to know more about the various subcommittees, their roles, and suggested memberships. Please watch the recording below .
To stay up to date on all things Eastern Sierra CERF, please sign up for our Eastern Sierra CERF listserve (click here to sign up!) and contact us at cerf@sierrabusiness.org with any questions or comments.
HRTC Application: 1/25 Listening Session
Tribal Information Listening Session 1/17 (Hosted by OPR)
What is the HRTC?
The High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) is composed of 21 voting members, and will include representation from the large geography of our Eastern Sierra region and all of the required and suggested stakeholders. A non-voting participant will chair the HRTC meetings. The Collaborative will conduct all of its meetings in a transparent public forum, in a hybrid-meeting format, with each stakeholder enjoying equal status and authority. They will be held alternately (depending upon weather) on the east side and west side of the Sierra crest. In-person attendance at a majority of the meetings (depending upon CDC guidelines and severity of COVID cases within the region) is expected.
Goals and Objectives: The HRTC Collaborative’s primary task is to review and vote on batches of projects as forwarded by the Project Identification Subcommittee. (See this committee’s charter for more details.) Batches of projects will be voted on as a block. Approved projects will be included in the final CERF Plan, also to be reviewed and approved by the Council. This plan will serve as the basis for all strategies and investments for the CERF Implementation Phase.
The Collaborative will also review other information as submitted by the subcommittees, potentially including but not limited to: analyses on industry sectors, public health, and climate, project vetting criteria, stakeholder feedback, and climate and equity principles.
Approximate Expected Time Commitments: Collaborative members will be expected to participate in one 1.5 hour-long hybrid meeting per month for 18-24 months, to commit to approximately 3 hours per month for document review and comment, and occasionally meet with community stakeholders.
- Approximate Time Commitment: 6-8 hours per month or 70-90 hours per year
- Proposed Number of Council Members: 21
Please Note: Stipends will be available to voting members who are non-elected officials (and allowed to accept payment for meetings and committee obligations). Stipends are discretionary and intended to increase participation from stakeholders with lower resources or capacity to engage in the CERF process. Mileage and lodging costs will be reimbursed for all participating voting members if approved in advance.
Thank you!
SBC would like to thank all of our esteemed partners and the community stakeholders that supported our CERF application.
The application process was extensive and we’re grateful for the time, expertise, and feedback we received from each of you. We’re looking forward to working together on both the challenges and opportunities presented by CERF. We appreciate your hard work, critical feedback, engagement, collaboration, and commitment to promoting a sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress of COVID-19.
Please follow the link below to read our formal press release.
2022 Listening Sessions:
The following listening sessions were conducted during the Summer of 2022 as part of SBC’s CERF application process.
CERF Listening Session, 7/13:
Comments or questions? Contact the Sierra Business Council CERF team by emailing: cerf@sierrabusiness.org
CERF Listening Session, 6/15:
Comments or questions? Contact the Sierra Business Council CERF team by emailing: cerf@sierrabusiness.org
CERF Listening Session, 6/1:
Comments or questions? Contact the Sierra Business Council CERF team by emailing: cerf@sierrabusiness.org
- Presentation Slides
- Are you a CERF Stakeholder? Please fill out this form to stay in the loop and provide any comments as this program continues to develop.
- We’re looking for feedback on what Eastern and Central Sierra stakeholders to engage, ongoing projects, and regional goals for CERF. Please submit your thoughts here. (Padlet)
- 6/1 Recording (below)
Join Us In Creating A More Resilient Sierra.
To learn more about this program, contact:
cerf@sierrabusiness.org
530.582.4800