The Northwest Regional Planning Commission Board of Commissioners elected new officers at their June meeting, held at the Swanton Village municipal building. Kirk Waite of Georgia was elected Chair of the Board of Commissioners and William Irwin of Bakersfield was elected as Vice-Chair. NRPC bylaws have a three year term limit for all officers except Treasurer. Commissioners extended thanks to outgoing Chair Robert Buermann of South Hero, and to all other outgoing officers. Congratulations to those who were elected to serve as officers, and thank you to all Commissioners who volunteer their time for NRPC! The full slate of officers elected include:
Chair:
Kirk Waite, Georgia
Vice-Chair:
Bill Irwin, Bakersfield
Secretary:
Rowena Brown, Richford
Treasurer:
Harold Garrett, Swanton
Chair-Personnel:
Joe Farnham, South Hero
Chair- Project Review:
Alisha Larocque, Fairfield
Chair- Regional Plan and Policy Committee:
Lynn Douglas, Fletcher
At-Large Member on Executive Committee:
Laz Scangas, St. Albans City
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FY2019 Municipal Planning Grant
Information Available
Information about FY2019 Municipal Planning Grants (MPGs) is now available. For 30 years, MPGs from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development have empowered local leaders to plan and implement projects in their communities. Projects like developing a village economic development plan, mapping and marketing trail networks, tuning-up land use regulations, and building consensus on town plans are all examples of projects that communities throughout Vermont have implemented in the past few years through the MPG program. A wide range of other municipal planning activities are eligible for funding through this flexible grant program.
Grant applications are due October 1, 2018.
If your community is interested in applying for a FY2019 MPG, it is highly encouraged that you sign up for a GoToWebinar training on Wednesday, August 8 from 12:15 - 12:45 PM. The webinar will focus on using on using Vermont Grant Electronic Application and Reporting System (GEARS) and preparing a competitive MPG application. For more information about this webinar, please contact
DHCD staff for more information and to register.
Space is limited.
For additional information about the MPG program, please see the
Program Description. This document contains information about grant eligibility and the competitive criteria. Program changes for this year include a 10% cash match for all grants and a simplified consultant selection process for small towns and multi-town projects. The maximum individual grant amount is now $22,000. Communities are encouraged to submit applications that will address a recognized concern in the community that furthers statewide priorities such as planning for housing, vibrant centers and necessary infrastructure.
Grant Application Schedule for FY2019:
- Online application available: August 1, 2018
- Webinar on preparing a successful application: August 8, 2018 at 12:15 PM
- Application Deadline: October 1, 2018 @ 6:00 PM
- Award Decisions: Early December
NRPC staff can assist your municipality with developing a project and drafting a grant application. Please contact Taylor Newton by email or at (802) 524-5958.
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2018 Legislative Changes:
Electronic Notice, Group Homes, On-Farm Business
 This year's legislative session resulted in several changes to statutes governing local planning and zoning. Electronic notices can now be used for bylaw and plan adoption, group homes no longer need to be 1,000 feet apart to be allowed by right as part of a single-family dwelling, and on-farm businesses cannot be prohibited under local zoning.
The Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development released its
2018 planning legislation update which summarizes these changes and more. Past DHCD updates are also available
here.
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Municipalities Must Now Allow Certain
On-Farm Businesses
 Effective July 1st, municipal land use regulations cannot prohibit "accessory on-farm business" at the same location as a farm subject to the Required Agricultural Practices rules operated by the farmer, farm resident, or farm lessee.
The Act allows municipalities to regulate an "accessory on-farm business" through site plan review and performance standards equal to similarly regulated commercial uses. The accessory on-farm business may take place in a new or existing structure, or on the land. The Act defines "accessory on-farm business" to include:
- Storage, preparation and sale of products, provided that half of the sales are from qualifying products principally produced on the farm using farm commodities.
- Educational, recreational, and social events that feature agricultural practices and/or qualifying products.
If municipal regulations are stricter than Act 143, this new law may supercede local requirements. Please call NRPC if you have questions. (source: DCHD planning legislation update)
The full text of Act 143 as enacted can be found here.
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The Commission on Act 250 Launches
Public Engagement Phase
The Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 has been established
to gather public input on the vision of Vermont's future landscape
The Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 is seeking public input through a series of forums and through social media outreach engagements to envision Vermont's future landscape. The public input will inform the Legislative Commission's report and any potential legislation to modernize the state statute.
The
Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 will be conducting six forums to engage Vermonters on their priorities for the future of Vermont's landscape and how to maintain Vermont's environment and sense of place. The events will be held in Springfield, Manchester, Randolph, Island Pond, Rutland, and Burlington. The Burlington forum is the closest one for the NRPC region:
Forum 6:
Date: September 12, 2018
Time:
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Location: Burlington Elks Lodge, Burlington, VT
Representatives and/or Senators from the Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 will be present at all forums and a report of findings will be made available after public engagement initiatives have ended. Each forum is designed to generate rich dialogue to capture the wisdom of Vermonters. All of the feedback received will then be considered in preparing the Commission's report and any recommended legislation. All questions about the public engagement forums should be directed to Cope and Associates, Inc ((802) 951-4200), the facilitator of the forums.
Representative Sheldon of Addison-1, Chair of the Commission on Act 250, states: "Vermonters are united in our love of the Vermont landscape. Act 250 has done a lot to protect our water, air, wildlife, and historic resources. The law was forward thinking in many ways, but today we have more information available and our experience to guide us in improving the process, both for environmental protection as well as economic vibrancy. The fiftieth anniversary is a great time to evaluate what's worked and what needs improvement and to address issues like climate change. I hope Vermonters young and old will take some time to learn about Act 250 and give us their input this summer and fall. This information will give the Commission direction on possible recommendations for future changes." In addition to the public forums, a survey will be launched in July to gather additional public input.
The Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 encourages Vermonters to be informed about the Commission's progress. Please visit the following links for more information.
The Vermont Legislative Commission on Act 250 consists of six state legislators. They are Representative Amy Sheldon, Senator Chris Pearson, Senator Brian Campion, Representative David L. Dean, Representative Paul Lefebvre, and Senator Dick McCormack
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 Franklin & Grand Isle County
Drop-In
Summer Meal Sites
It has been a busy summer at the drop-in meal sites, and there are still a couple of weeks left in the program! Each summer, Hunger Free Vermont compiles regional lists of drop-in meal sites where anyone 18 and under can access free meals. Please visit their website
where the
lists will be updated throughout the summer as new sites are added.
Site lists will also be available from Vermont 2-1-1, by texting FOOD to 877-877. Here is what is available in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties!
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Location
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Dates*
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Meal Times
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Contact
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Montgomery Rec Center
204 North Main St, Montgomery
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Tues-Thurs
6/26-8/9
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Breakfast 9:00-9:30
Lunch 11:00-12:30
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Joanne Foote
(802) 326-4713
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Berkshire Elementary School
4850 Water Tower Rd, Richford
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Mon-Fri
7/9-8/10
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PM Snack 1:30-1:45
Supper 4:00-5:00
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Deborah Boocock
(802) 933-2290
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Richford Playground
100 Playground Rd, Richford
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Mon-Fri
7/2-8/10
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Breakfast 8:30-9:00
Lunch 11:45-12:00
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Kathy Benoit
(802) 255-5562
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Barlow St Rec Department
39 Barlow St, St. Albans
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Mon-Fri
6/25-8/17
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Breakfast 8:30-9:30
Lunch 11:30-12:30
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Margaret Jehle
(802) 527-7050
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Community Action Center
5 Lemnah Dr, St. Albans
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Mon-Fri
6/25-8/17
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Breakfast 8:30-11:00
Lunch 11:00-4:00
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Jo-Ann Julien
(802) 527-7392
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St. Albans City Elementary School
29 Bellows St, St. Albans
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Mon-Fri
6/25-8/17
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Breakfast 7:45-9:15
Lunch 11:30-1:00
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Margaret Jehle
(802) 527-0565
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St. Albans City Hall
100 North Main St, St. Albans
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Mon-Fri
6/25-8/17
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Lunch 11:00-1:00
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Kristen Smith
(802) 524-1500
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St. Albans City Pool
99 Aldis St, St. Albans
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Mon-Fri
6/25-8/17
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Lunch 12:30-3:30
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Andrew Gratton
(802) 524-1500
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Swanton Recreation Center
16 Jewett St, Swanton
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Mon-Fri
7/30-8/10
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Breakfast 8:30-9:00
Lunch 11:45-12:00
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Kathy Benoit
(802) 255-5562
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Summer has just begun and we're already talking about Button Up?! Efficiency Vermont's Button Up Vermont program is a great way to help members of your community plan for and weatherize their homes. Citizens can sign up to bring Button Up Vermont to their community this fall and by filling out this
30 second form
(no firm commitment needed yet).
You can find
more details on the Button Up Vermont website
, but here's a summary.
There are two levels of Button Up Vermont participation in 2018:
- Be a Button Up Vermont Champ: Host two community engagement activities, just like over thirty energy committees did last year. Anything creative to help your neighbors to button up. Efficiency Vermont will provide advertising, educational materials, and efficient products to give away.
- Be a Button Up Vermont Hero: New this year (!!!) is the opportunity to bring the Weatherize program to your town. Building upon the success of the Weatherize program in the Upper Valley, homeowners get a free energy saving assessment and work estimate in exchange for completing an on-line survey about their home energy use.
You can le
arn more about Button Up Vermont at this
website
or
contact Paul Markowitz at Efficiency Vermont by email or at
(802) 540-7608 with questions
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"Making It Happen!"
Local Leadership for the
Future of Vermont Communities
October 1, 2018 | Castleton University
Join local leaders working to improve life in their communities at the Vermont Council on Rural Development's VT Community Leadership Summit!
- Skills Workshops for Community Initiatives
- Community Success Story Panels
- Leadership Resource Fair
- Group Dialogues on the "Future of Community Leadership i
 n Vermont"
In democracy, ALL citizens are called upon to lead - where leaders
st
ep up, towns achieve great things. Local Citizens Make It Happen!
Registration will open in August. For more information or to sign up for event updates visit this website or contact the Vermont Council on Rural Development by email or at (802) 223-6091.
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