CVRPC seeks Senior Land Use Planner

CVRPC is looking for a full-time senior planner with broad life experience, the capacity to pair municipal needs with available resources, and a commitment to helping Central Vermont plan for the future. The strongest candidates will have a minimum of 5 years of experience working in a planning-related field, including zoning, development, and town and city planning and have experience drafting planning and regulatory documents (such as comprehensive plans and land use regulations). This planner will work with municipalities to identify and achieve their goals in addressing the housing shortage, protecting forests, water and farmlands, adapting to climate change, mitigating flood impacts, and revitalizing village centers. Exceptional organizational and communication skills are a must. A review of applications will begin January 2, 2024. For more details about this position and how to apply please visit our web site https://centralvtplanning.org.

Cross Vermont Trail - 2023 Wrap Up

Read about the year in review for Cross Vermont Trail. It was quite the year, especially when you take into consideration the July flood. Read all the details here and opportunity to help them grow as a sustainable trail organization, ready to meet the challenges of weather events, new trail construction and existing trail maintenance.

Water Quality Project Updates

The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) received grant funding from the Water Quality Division of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) via a 604b grant administered by the Rutland Regional Planning Commission. The funding was used to review sector-based assessments (e.g. Stormwater Master Plans) to: 1) ensure projects identified in the assessment process are both included and accurately represented (e.g. up to date information regarding project phase) in the Department of Environmental Conservation Watershed Projects Database; and 2) identify potential projects that align with the goals, strategies and actions of the town plans of CVRPC member municipalities. This project was conducted to support the water quality restoration efforts of a variety of stakeholders, including the municipalities served by the CVRPC, watershed groups, the Agency of Natural Resources, the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, the Winooski Clean Water Service Provider and the Winooski Basin Water Quality Council.

In coordination with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Winooski River Basin Planner, Keith Fritschie, CVRPC staff reviewed four sector-based assessments and identified 100 water quality improvement projects that have not been entered into the Watershed Projects Database. In addition, in collaboration with Friends of the Winooski River, the details of 14 projects were updated in the database to reflect their current status. A review of town plans for thirteen of CVRPC’s member municipalities identified water quality restoration projects that may prove more feasible to implement due to municipal support was also conducted. Staff developed a spreadsheet to align municipal priorities with potential projects. This spreadsheet will be shared with watershed partners and municipal boards and commissions to build awareness of opportunities for water quality restoration efforts. Assessments of the remaining towns will be completed in the next fiscal year. With sufficient financial support, this review may be expanded to include Local Hazard Mitigation Plans and Emergency Management Plans to expand the list of potential projects.

Information gleaned during this effort will help support tactical basin planning and implementation, and serve as a useful resource for identifying projects for advancement through the Winooski River Basin Clean Water Service Provider Formula Grant and / or Water Quality Enhancement Grants. For more information regarding this effort or water quality restoration efforts in the Winooski River Basin, please contact Brian Voigt, Program Manager (voigt@cvregion.com).

Vermont Community Geothermal Alliance

CVRPC’s Climate and Energy Planner Sam Lash has been part of the working group that is building some of the resources and tools outlined below and the upcoming municipal toolkit. Check it out!

Vermont Community Geothermal Alliance is excited to share a new resource for exploring the potential for a Thermal Energy Network in your community.

We’ve been talking with people from many towns across Vermont who are motivated by the economic, social, and environmental benefits of capturing and sharing existing heat. Local leaders, business owners, energy planners, and residents are organizing and investigating how to get started on a project.

Because TENs are designed to respond to local thermal energy needs and opportunities, moving forward looks different in each town:

One town could share heat between an ice arena and a nearby municipal auditorium. 

Another town is looking at how a TEN can reduce oil and propane use as part of a downtown revitalization project. 

A group of local clean energy advocates are engaging owners of a hotel and a grocery store in conversations about how they can share thermal resources to benefit both businesses.

As local knowledge about TENs grows, so does the need for guidance on initial steps. We’ve created Getting Started with Thermal Energy Networks to help you see where heat exists, where it can be repurposed, and how you can work with others to advance this clean energy solution in your community.

You can access this resource online or as a printable PDF.

We view this resource as a living document and welcome your input. Please share what you find is most helpful, what could be added, and what additional questions emerge as you use it. You can reach us at info@vcga.net.