Jasper team advances to first round of America’s Best Communities contest

ByMatthew Crane Reading Time: 4 minutes

Frontier Communications announced the City of Jasper has made it through the first round of qualifications to be in the running for up to $3 million to be awarded in 2017.

Along with the quarter finalist announcement, Frontier awarded the city with $35,000 and a GoPro camera to use to develop a plan for the city’s growth and revitalization as part of the America’s Best Communities contest. The city will have to provide $15,000 in matching funds as part of the award, according to the contest’s website. Those funds can be raised through donations or grants.

The $50,000 will be used to continue to develop the plan and the GoPro is for the city to document its progress.

After hearing about the contest in January, the city formed a team comprised of city employees and members of several community organizations as well as area businesses. The group worked together to submit the application for the contest by March 25.

The Downtown/Riverfront Master Plan provided the basis for the group’s application.

The city will now compete with 49 other communities across the country to potentially be chosen as one of the 15 semifinalists. The $50,000 award is for communities to develop their plans and proposals through the summer then submit them September 2015.

Up to 15 semifinalists will be selected in November 2015 and will attend an America’s Best Communities summit in January 2016 to present their proposals. After the presentations, eight finalists will be selected, and each will be awarded $100,000 to implement their plans. The top three contestants will be awarded a total of $6 million in grand prizes in October 2017 — $3 million, $2 million and $1 million respectively.

The America’s Best Communities contest is sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank and the Weather Channel.

The promotion provides a total of $10 million in prize money and support for growth and revitalization plans in small towns and cities across 27 states served by Frontier. More than 135 communities applied for the designation.

The Jasper team includes members from the City Office of Community Development and Planning, Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition (ROJAC), Jasper Chamber of Commerce, Dubois Strong, Dubois County Community Foundation, and Vincennes University Jasper Campus. Five area businesses have also agreed to lend their support to the effort. They are: Kimball International, Finishing Touches, Matrix Integration, Jasper Engines & Transmissions and German American.[hr]

From the contest page:

QUARTER FINALISTS

  • $35,000 and support to define their vision and to develop a plan to put into motion
  • A GoPro camera to share their stories along the way

REQUIREMENTS

  • Complete a Community Revitalization Plan focused on economic development
  • Obtain $15,000 of community matching funds
  • Present a 7-month budget outlining the use of cash award and community matching funds
  • Create a budget proposal of $100,000 for possible 11-month implementation of the Community Revitalization Plan
  • Provide video and blog submissions to report progress
  • Complete a Winner’s Agreement that meets the requirements for this round of competition

In addition, to the extent possible, at least half of the selected Quarter-Finalists will represent rural communities across the Frontier Communications Service Area.

SEMI-FINALIST ROUND 

PRIZES

Up to 15 Semi-Finalists will receive:

  • Invitation to the America’s Best Communities Summit where the strongest plans will be presented to the judges
  • Airfare and accommodation for up to three Applicant Team members to present their plans

REQUIREMENTS

  • Attend America’s Best Communities Summit
  • Provide a public 15-minute presentation of their Community Revitalization Plan to a panel of esteemed judges
  • Complete a Winner’s Agreement that meets the requirements for this round of competition

In addition, to the extent possible, based on the submissions, at least half of the 15 Semi-Finalists will come from rural communities.

FINALIST ROUND

PRIZES

  • Up to 8 Finalists will be awarded $100,000 to bring their plans to life
  • In-kind awards from the ABC Prize sponsors
  • 11 months to implement the tactics outlined in the Community Revitalization Plan

REQUIREMENTS

  • 10 unedited, raw GoPro video content uploads documenting project progress
  • 3 quarterly updates indicating progress on their plan, including metrics and expenditures
  • Final report capturing progress made during the 11-month time frame
  • Commit to storytelling over the implementation period of 11 months, including press releases, press events, and more
  • Complete a Winner’s Agreement that meets the requirements for this round of competition

WINNER ROUND

PRIZES

  • 3 Grand Prize winners will receive the following cash awards:
    • First Place: $3 million
    • Second Place: $2 million
    • Third Place: $1 million
  • An original outdoor mural depicting the vibrancy and resiliency of their community painted by a locally identified artist
  • A sign identifying the city as an America’s Best Communities winner

REQUIREMENTS

  • Commit to 12 additional months of storytelling, including press releases, press events, and participation in other PR opportunities, and to share best practices with other US communities
  • Complete a Winner’s Agreement that meets the requirements for this round of competition
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