This week at the WRC: 7/6 - 7/10
- July 7, 6:00 pm: Project Review Committee, remote meeting
- July 8, 8:00 am Finance Committee, remote meeting
- July 9, 5:30 pm: Community Development Committee, remote meeting
Full Meetings and Events Calendar, and Warnings | Current Newsletter | January 2020 Staff Report
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From the Chair & Director: Update for the Full Commission, 4/27/2020
At its meeting on Tuesday, April 14th the Executive Board asked that we provide you with an update on WRC operations. The remote meeting was held via Zoom, minutes are posted to the WRC website as usual, and a recording is available upon request.
From the Director, Spring 2020: WRC COVID-19 Response Update
The following is a brief summary of WRC activities related to COVID-19, and our operations during this State of Emergency. We used to develop similar summaries in the wake of Irene and they were considered helpful. I welcome your feedback. So as to make effective use of everyone’s time I’ll pull these together as there is new news to share. In between summaries you can assume we’re in the same operational situation and performing the same or similar tasks. If you use Facebook I encourage you to follow us at https://www.facebook.com/windhamregional. Please let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to share this with anyone you think would be interested.
Broadband Feasibility Study Approved & Webinar Scheduled for June 24
The Windham Region Broadband Project reached an important milestone last week. The Feasibility Study was approved by the Vermont Public Service Department. This approval was required before the project can move forward with business plan development.
WRC will host a live online webinar to share the findings and recommendations of the Feasibility Study. Click here for a meeting agenda.
When: Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 at 6:00 PM
Where: Zoom Virtual Meeting
Addressing COVID-19 Restrictions with Interim Bylaws: WRC Can Help
The WRC is available to assist towns interested in addressing issues in their zoning that may hinder re-opening of businesses under COVID-10 restrictions. If there are solutions not currently permissible, such as facilitating outdoor dining areas, you may be able to address them through short-term or temporary amendments to the zoning bylaws.
Collaborating with numerous partners, the WRC helped to develop a brief guidance document on how towns may address COVID-19 pandemic restrictions through the use of Interim Bylaws. You can access that guidance document here.
WRC Welcomes Abby Touchet as Summer GIS/Transportation Technician
Abby Touchet’s grandfather was the longtime highway superintendent of Westhampton, Massachusetts. That seems fitting, as Abby will be spending time this summer walking the roads of the Windham Region doing culvert inventories and working on a host of other GIS and transportation projects. Currently she’s focusing on Guilford’s culvert inventory.
COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Team Forms
The WRC has been involved with the formation of a multi-sector team focused on the response and recovery needs of residents in the Windham Region. This team, called the Windham Region COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Committee (CCRRC), is led by Sue Graff with the local Vermont Agency of Human Services district, and meets regularly to share updates, identify gaps and needs, and allocate resources appropriately. It functions as an ad hoc committee of the Southern Windham Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SWCOAD).
From the Chair & Director: WRC Operations During COVID-19 Social Distancing
The Windham Regional Commission stands ready to assist the towns of the Windham Region with their needs during this time of global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the immediate term we have provided the town contacts that we have to the local Department of Health districts so they have a direct line of communication with you, and we have sent towns information about continuity of operations planning. The following is an update.
COVID-19 Information and Support for the Businesses & Economy of the Windham Region
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, the regional development corporation for the Windham Region, is coordinating the regional response to the economic impacts of the pandemic. The BDCC has formed the COVID-19 Windham Economic Resiliency Team, which includes the WRC, and is serving as a conduit of information to and from the region’s business community.
For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/covid-19/.
Coordination of Volunteers in Response to COVID-19
Volunteer coorination in response to COVID-19 is happening at the state level and regionally. The State of Vermont is looking for volunteers in a variety of areas and professions to help in communities across the State that have been affected by COVID-19. The state's volunteer website directs residents with health care training to register with regional Medical Reserve Corps units. Those teams can supplement local health care providers if hospitals get overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. Volunteers are also being sought with other skills, among them drivers, food service workers and construction workers. To sign up go to: https://www.vermont.gov/volunteer
Internet Connectivity Resources During COVID-19 State of Emergency
The Vermont Department of Public Service has developed a map of libraries, local and state buildings, and schools offering free, open Wi-Fi internet access. They also have information about what cable, telephone, and mobile carriers are doing to assist consumers, including those with low income, and places where consumers can find internet access and be updated as new information becomes available. Here’s the link:
Take a Hike, Off the Trails
During Southeastern Vermont’s school spring break, each day WRC is offering some suggestions for hitting the trails safely this week during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Friday, we’re actually suggesting taking a walk someplace other than a trail where social distancing might be easier.
How about an in-town walk? Villages like Bellows Falls and Brattleboro have large street networks with sidewalks, and in low traffic areas you may be able to safely step into the street to keep your distance from others. (In fact, many larger cities have been converting a travel lane or an entire street to pedestrian use because there are more people on the sidewalk and fewer cars on the streets.)
Skip the Views and Skip the Crowds: Seek Out the Lesser Known Paths
During Southeastern Vermont’s school spring break, each day WRC is offering some suggestions for hitting the trails safely this week during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Wednesday, we suggest that you skip those popular trails that lead to viewpoints, and instead seek out those lesser known woodland paths. And this is a great time of year to do just that. With the leaves off the trees, you can see much more in the woods and still get some limited views here and there. You can also enjoy the spring wildflower display and watch our forests transition from winter into spring. Here are some sugggestions on where you can do this.
Avoid the Crowds on the Trails: Go Early, Go Late
During Southeastern Vermont’s school spring break, each day WRC is offering some suggestions for hitting the trails safely this week during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Tuesday, we suggest that you GO EARLY, GO LATE. You’re likely to encounter far fewer people early in the morning or late in the day, helping you to practice good social distancing. Early risers will experience bird songs filling the air, while late-day enthusiasts will enjoy beautiful evening light. (But unless you’re familiar with the trail and have a good handle on when it get’s dark, it’s best to leave late day walks to those in the know.)
Regional Broadband Project Begins; Kick-off Meeting Presentation Available
The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) held a region-wide meeting on Thursday, January 9th, 2020 to kick-off the new Windham Region Broadband Project. The presentation from that meeting, which describes the elements of this project in detail, is available here. A video of the meeting is available here.
The next meeting will be held February 6th (February 13th snow date) at 6 p.m. at the Newbrook Fire Department in Newfane and will focus on the administration of the broadband survey.
