Town of Highgate Studies Wastewater and Water Supply Solutions for Highgate Center
The Town of Highgate has received a Vermont Wastewater Planning Advance and a 2020 Municipal Planning Grant to study wastewater and water supply solutions for the Highgate Center area. The Town has contracted with NRPC and Otter Creek Engineering to identify and prioritize cost effective and appropriately scaled solutions to serve the vision for development and growth in Highgate Center. NRPC will be assisting the Town by surveying residents in the survey area, conducting planning and archaeological analysis, and providing public outreach.
An informational meeting on the study will be held on
March 24, 2020 at 6:00 PM at the Highgate Town Offices.
Please contact Greta Brunswick via
email
or phone at 524-5958 with any questions or for more information.
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Northern Border Regional Commission 2020 Economic and Infrastructure Development (EID) Grants Now Available
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) will award approximately $4.5 million in EID monies to eligible municipalities, public and non-for-profit entities to support economic development in the following areas:
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Transportation infrastructure
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Critical infrastructure / Construction
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Workforce, businesses, entrepreneurial and technology development
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Resources and open space conservation, tourism and recreation
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Renewable and alternative energy
NBRC is coordinating the following information sessions to inform prospective applicants. Each session will run from 10:30 AM- 12 noon:
March 12- Randolph at Vermont Technical College
March 18- Hyde Park at Green Mountain Technical Center
Letters of intent are due
March 31, 2020 and applications are due
May 15, 2020. For more information see the
NBRC website or contact
Kristie Farnham at the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (phone: 398-5268).
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Connecting Sheldon: The Heart of Franklin County
The Town of Sheldon is prioritizing accessibility, learning how they can make walking and biking safer within and between their village centers, while
capitalizing on the recreational and economic opportunities of the Lamoille and Missisquoi Valley Rail Trails.
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission, working in collaboration with the Sheldon Planning Commission, Historical Society, R
iseVT, Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, and town residents, will draft a plan that proposes safe, realistic, and viable routes for pedestrians and bicyclists both within Sheldon Springs and Sheldon Creek, and between them.
The planning process will last from March to August 2020, and will consist of village walk audits, community meetings, public visioning events, temporary quick-build demonstrations, resident surveys, a draft Plan, public comment, and final Selectboard acceptance.
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Municipal Highway Innovation Showcase
Date: September 9, 2020
Location: Dill Building, Berlin, VT
T
he Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) is partnering with Vermont Local Roads (VLR) to bring you a full day event focused on sharing innovations in municipal highway construction and maintenance. The day will include a plenary talk and follow-up breakout session about the FHWA EDC5 Initiative 'Focus on Reducing Rural Road Departures'. There will be additional presenters from VTrans, vendors, state agencies, and municipalities. It will be an opportunity to network with municipal staff and highway crews from around the state, share ideas, and learn from each other. Additional details, agendas and registration information will be forthcoming. Please contact
Linda Blasch
at NRPC if you have questions about this event.
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Fairfield Envisions the Future of the Town with Town Plan Update
Fairfield, with the assistance of NRPC, is in the process of updating its Town Plan. The update process is funded by a 2020 Municipal Planning Grant and will feature data infographics, revised maps, and a new community vision to guide the plan.
The Planning Commission will be meeting on
March 9th and March 30th at 5:30 PM
to discuss the plans key themes and vision. Additionally, the Planning Commission will be hosting three public events in April, dates and locations to be determined. All Town residents are encouraged to attend these events and share their
perspective
on the future of Fairfield.
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| A new data infographic created for the Plan. |
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| A new map created for the Plan. |
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Addressing Non-Regulatory Clean Water Projects
In 2019, the Legislature passed the Clean Water Service Delivery Act, Act 76, that establishes a system for distributing clean water funds to local partners for non-regulatory projects in each basin. Implementation on non-regulatory projects encompasses natural resource restoration projects such as floodplain reconnections, wetlands restoration, forestland best management practices, and forested riparian buffer restoration as well as non-regulatory stormwater management.
This spring NRPC participated in meetings with partners in all three of the region's watersheds (Missisquoi Bay, Lamoille River, and Northern Lake Champlain) to identify opportunities for coordination to meet this new requirement. This legislation will establish a regional entity for each basin, a Clean Water Service Provider, with the responsibility to identify, implement and maintain non-regulatory water quality projects. A Provider's work will be guided by an advisory board, the Basin Water Quality Councils, made up of clean water stakeholder as defined in statue. The NRPC Board voted to apply to be the provider in the Lamoille & Missisquoi watersheds. NRPC will work with municipalities and clean water stakeholders on implementation of this program in the region's basins.
More information on Act 76 is available on DEC's website.
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Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Health Department expects, and are prepared for, more cases in Vermont, and are taking every action to limit the spread of illness. In addition to protecting a patient's personal health information, state health and public safety officials are committed to ensuring that Vermonters are aware of any risk to themselves and their community. They will contact anyone identified as at-risk as part of any case investigation, and recommend they stay home for 14 days or follow other restrictions as needed.
The Vermont Department of Health website contains guidance and answers to frequently asked questions, including:
Actionable information for individuals, schools, organizations, municipalities, businesses and others will be shared quickly to protect the health of Vermonters and prevent the spread of disease.
Continuity of Operations Planning
Staff shortages are a day-to-day reality for most rural communities in Vermont. One staff person out due to illness for a few days to a week can impact the operations of a department.
Some municipalities have taken steps to address impacts from all hazards by developing Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP). Typical COOPs include items such as: essential functions, essential support activities, lines of succession, delegations of authority, identification of alternate facilities or work locations, communication procedures to stakeholders and staff, essential records and IT networks, and procedures how the plan is tested and exercised.
If you would like more information about Continuity of Operations Planning for a pandemic, please consider reviewing the Federal Emergency Management Agency Course
also describes strategies for resolving continuity challenges presented in a pandemic situation. Additionally, VEM has a template that municipalities may use/modify as appropriate (available:
https://vem.vermont.gov/plans/local Appendix B, B-8 Continuity of Operations Plan).
If you would like more information or assistance in developing a COOP, please contact Shaun Coleman at the NRPC office at 524-5958 or
[email protected]
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