Share Your Voice at Upcoming Community Conversation on Housing

Housing For All is developing strategies to create and improve housing for everyone in our region. Share your experiences and ideas on how we can help on Thursday, November 17, 5:30 – 7:30P at City Hall in St. Albans and remotely on Zoom. We will have food and kids activities available.

AGENDA

• 2022 Housing Needs Assessment - Learn what the data says about housing needs in Franklin and Grand Isle counties;
• Bylaw Modernization - Hear how communities are planning for more homes;
• Regional Plan - Provide your thoughts on the Northwest Regional Planning Commission's draft Plan housing goals;
• Public Discussion - Share your housing experiences and ideas on strategies for creating and improving housing.

Register Here

NOTE: Registration is OPTIONAL for the in-person meeting, but REQUIRED for participating by Zoom.

Transportation Planner

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission is hiring a Transportation Planner. The Planner will help our region with a coordinated approach to transportation planning and project implementation. The Planner will coordinate with local, regional and state officials and serve as staff support for the region’s Transportation Advisory Committee and various modal or project-based committees. The Planner will provide technical assistance to municipalities, help to administer local transportation construction projects, and complete traffic counts, and bike and pedestrian plans.

The ideal candidate has 4+ years of professional, educational or volunteer planning experience in multi-modal transportation or a related field. They will be a self-starter with skills in collaboration, project management and communication. A college degree in a related field is preferred but not required if lived experiences, education and/or professional experience demonstrate an ability to succeed at this position.

For more information is on this job position click here. Please send a cover letter explaining your interest in transportation planning, a resume and three references to Catherine Dimitruk, Executive Director at jobs@nrpcvt.com, or 75 Fairfield Street, St. Albans, VT, 05478. This position will remain open until filled; interviews will begin in early December, 2022.



Regional Emergency Management Committees

Regional Emergency Management Committees (REMCs) were launched in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties this past year to replace the long-standing Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) established by the EPA and VT Department of Public Safety. In July 2021, the thirteen statewide LEPCs were merged into one statewide LEPC to ensure the federal EPA requirements regarding emergency planning around hazardous materials are met on a state-wide consistent basis.  

REMCs were established in state statutes to coordinate and support regional all-hazards emergency management activities, including planning, training & exercising. For our region, the REMCs essentially continue where the LEPCs left off but with new state guidance and potential future funding opportunities. They provide a forum for municipal officials to come together and network on all phases of emergency management (planning, mitigation, response and recovery) and offer an opportunity to engage directly with state EM leadership.

To learn more about the REMCs contact Shaun Coleman. 



Hazard Mitigation Grant Opportunities

There are several funding opportunities still available through Vermont Emergency Management/FEMA including: 

Flood Resilient Communities Fund – Established by the Vermont Legislature under Act 74 with the intent of improving landscape and community resilience and reducing the future public safety and water quality impacts of flood hazards in Vermont, focusing on buyouts of flood-vulnerable properties. This program will prioritize projects that are not eligible for FEMA funding.

Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities – Grant program to states and local communities for mitigation activities. The funding available in 2022 is $2 million for federal share set-aside for Vermont with up to $1 million available for planning activities.

Flood Mitigation Assistance – To reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program – Typical hazard mitigation projects include: mitigation of local roads and bridges, home acquisition (buyout), structural elevations or relocations, replacement of undersized culverts, mitigation outreach and education, etc. Project proposals do not need to be directly connected to damages incurred from the most recent declared disaster.  

Video Recording Available:

"How Homeowners Can Create New Homes with Accessory Dwelling Units"

On Wednesday, October 26, the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) and Housing For All, the Working Communities Challenge, hosted a Zoom workshop, “How Homeowners Can Create New Homes with Accessory Dwelling Units.” The workshop featured a panel of experts who shared the basics of creating an apartment in a home or on a homeowner’s property.

Mobile Home Park Aboveground Storage Tank Flood Resiliency Project

Financial assistance remains available for mobile homeowners with aboveground storage tanks needing to be replaced due to “red-tagging” or other deficiencies through DEC’s Residential AST Removal/Replacement Program. Rental/Multi-Family Dwellings may be considered. Application are valid through June 30, 2023.​ Visit this website for more information.

Annual Effort to Supplement

Watershed Database Concludes

Staff at NRPC recently concluded an effort to increase the number of projects included in the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) statewide Watershed Project Database (WPD). The focus of the effort was to compile data relating to projects located within the Vermont portion of the Pike River watershed.

The WPD is a publicly accessible platform that shows projects in various stages of development together in one place. Many projects in the database will need to be implemented as part of efforts to meet goals contained in Lake Champlain’s Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL. Projects in the WPD also can be searched using the Clean Water Project Explorer, a sophisticated mapping tool.

NRPC staff coordinated their efforts with DEC’s Watershed Planner for the area. Watershed Planners provide support for Tactical Basin Planning, which includes preparing and updating documents known as Tactical Basin Plans. As a result, they are familiar with local water quality issues and opportunities.

This is the fourth time planners in the northwest region have contributed to the WPD. In the first year NRPC participates, it added 21 new projects and updated 141 existing project records in the database. In its second year, NRPC added another 21 records and updated 19. This year, NRPC proposed adding 21 projects to the database (although the number ultimately accepted could be less).

Funding for the initiative was provided by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) using monies from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 604B program.

More information about the project can be requested by emailing Dean Pierce.