This week at the WRC: 4/22 - 4/26
- April 22, 5:30 pm: NDCAP Issues Committee, WRC Conference Room
- April 25, 5:00 pm: Natural Resources Committee, WRC Conference Room
Full Meetings and Events Calendar, and Warnings | Current Newsletter | February 2019 Staff Report
From the Director, Winter 2019 - Staff Changes at the WRC
We've had some staffing changes at the Windham Regional Commission. We welcome Susan Westa to our team as a Senior Planner, and are glad to have Lisa Donnelly, who joined us as a transportation field work intern this past summer, now transition into a full-time Planning Technician. We've also shifted some responsibilities among current staff. Here's an update on who is serving as staff lead on our different programmatic areas of work. Note that these are broad categories. Most staff oversee one or more special projects, and they collaborate on work in different programmatic areas.
Funding Available for Dry Hydrant Projects, Other Rural Water Supplies
Are you a town or fire department looking to improve fire suppression capabilities? If so, you may want to check out grant funding opportunities from the Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force (formerly the Dry Hydrant Grant Program).
The 2019 program offers grants up to $5000 for installation of new dry hydrants and other types of water supplies, along with repair, upgrade, replacement, or relocation of existing rural water supplies. New this year is funding for drafting site development.
The next round of applications deadlines are June 1st and August 1st, 2019. More information can be found at https://www.vacd.org/programs/rural-fire-protection/
WRC Welcomes Susan Westa as New Senior Planner
Susan Westa, AICP, joined the Windham Regional Commission in January 2019. Susan will be the new Community Development lead at WRC, including the Brownfields program and the regional plan update. Susan comes to WRC from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in western MA where she was working with Planning Boards reviewing large scale solar applications and helping develop marijuana zoning bylaws. She also led the development of a Joint Land Use Study with the Westover Airbase and surrounding communities.
WRC Commissioners Visit Rich Earth Institute, Windham County SWMD
On November 15, 2018, the WRC's Energy and Natural Resources Committees attended a field trip to the Brattleboro-based Rich Earth Institute (REI), and the Windham County Solid Waste Management District (WCSWMD). The theme of the trip was energy-efficiency, resource recovery, and closed-loop systems, or sustainable processes that intentionally convert "waste" products into resources. This field trip was especially relevant to the Committees following the approval of the Windham Regional Energy Plan, which contains policies that encourage resource-conscious practices and industries.
People Are Hitting The Trails This Winter
What were people in Brattleboro doing on Christmas Day? How about New Year’s Eve? Would you believe that dozens of people each day were out on the West River Trail? Windham Regional Commission has expanded its pedestrian count program to the winter months, and recent data both surprised and pleased us.
WRC Hosts Successful Emergency Management Director / Fire Chief Roundtables
Windham Regional Commission has held two of our first Emergency Management Director (EMD) and Fire Chief Roundtables. This began after WRC ceased work with the Local Emergency Planning Commission 6 in Summer 2018. WRC's Emergency Planner felt there was a need to engage EMDs as a group and the first quarterly roundtable was held in Fall 2018. The idea was to host an event that was casual enough to promote open discussion, while also bringing up topics to keep the conversations productive.
WRC Continues to Assist With Town Enhanced Energy Planning
The Windham Regional Commission is working with member towns to develop enhanced energy elements for town plans. These enhanced elements meet state standards therefore making the town plan eligible for Substantial Deference in Section 248 proceedings. So far, WRC has assisted nine towns in the development of these plans.
Statewide Parcel Mapping Project Moving Forward
Imagine having up-to-date information on ownership and generalized boundaries for every parcel in Vermont, at your fingertips. This is well on its way to becoming reality, as we found out at a recent Statewide Parcel Mapping Project update meeting. WRC hosted the meeting in January 2019 for town officials in conjunction with the Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI). The goal of the project is to create current, standardized parcel data across the state that is linked to each town’s grand list.
Feel Good Heat Campaign Asks "Are You Stoked?" WRC Is!
The Windham Wood Heat Initiative through the Windham Regional Commission has officially become a supporter of the Feel Good Heat campaign. The campaign is a collaborative effort by environmental and community development non-profits, wood pellet producers, and automated (or "self-stoking") wood heat systems distributors across New England and New York. Together, the collaborative is growing energy independence here at home, creating local jobs and supporting our forested landscape. WRC signing onto this campaign was a natural fit with the Regional Plan because of policy supporting modern wood heating and the emphasis on supporting the local forestry industry.
WRC Awards Grant to Red Clover Commons for Rooftop Solar
The Windham Regional Commission awarded the third round of competitive funding totaling $66,000 from the Windham County Renewable Energy Program to the development of rooftop solar on the Red Clover Commons. The Energy Committee received three strong applications and chose this project as it met the program priorities best as the solar will serve the vulnerable population residents, the applicant is a nonprofit, the installation will not only include the solar array but also an educational component displaying the generation and consumption on a screen in the public lobby, and the housing development itself is on a brownfields redeveloped site. The development will be completed before May 2019.
Materials from the Forum on Wastewater Solutions for Unsewered Villages
Thank you to everyone who came out for the village wastewater forum on August 2nd. The following are links for materials presented at the meeting:
Wastewater Solutions for Villages in the Windham Region (Department of Environmental Conservation);
Organizing Wastewater Solutions - A Workbook for Local Leaders (Department of Housing and Community Development).
We are currently scheduling a follow-up meeting for interested towns. For more information please contact Emily Davis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
West Dummerston and Westminster West Selected for Village Sanitation Pilot Study
On May 25th, community representatives from both West Dummerston and Westminster West submitted, on behalf of participating homeowners in each of their respective neighborhoods, a Letter of Interest to the Windham Regional Commission and the Rich Earth Institute for the Village Sanitation Pilot Study (VSPS). The VSPS is an innovative partnership project that provides a feasibility study to a community that is challenged by septic or wastewater limitations in our historic community centers. The feasibility study will provide a pathway for innovative wastewater solutions which can help address aging septic systems that may impact ground and/or surface water quality, human health, and the financial ability of home and business owners to properly maintain and update these on-site systems.
WRC Receives Determination of Energy Compliance from the State of Vermont
The WRC is pleased to announce the Regional Energy Plan has received a certificate of energy compliance from the Public Service Department. This certificate enables the WRC to review town enhanced energy plans for the town’s determination of energy compliance. With an affirmative determination, the town will receive substantial deference from the Public Utilities Commission during section 248 proceedings. We’d once again like to thank everyone who contributed to the plan.
A copy of the certificate can be viewed here, while Commissioner Tierney's comments can be viewed here.
