This week at the WRC: 9/17 - 9/21
- September 17, 5:30 pm: Planning Coordination Committee, WRC Conference Room
- September 18, 6:00 pm: Westminster Public Hearing Determination of Energy Compliance, Westminster Town Hall
Full Meetings and Events Calendar, and Warnings | Current Newsletter | July & August Staff Report
From the Director, Summer 2018 - Growing Interest in Community Wastewater and Water Systems for Villages
The region seems poised to turn a corner on recognition of what the absence of community wastewater and water systems means for the long-term sustainability of our villages. Engagement this month by town planning commission and Selectboard members has prompted the creation of a "Village Wastewater and Water Cohort" that will support a group of peers as they work to explore village needs related to wastewater and water.
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. ).
LEPC-6 Transitions Away from WRC
You may have heard that the Local Emergency Planning Commission 6 (LEPC-6) is in transition. That is true, and here is some information about what's new.
The June 19th LEPC-6 meeting was the last meeting organized with WRC involvement. For a number of reasons, WRC felt it was the right time to transition away from LEPC-6 involvement and towards creating our own method of involving the public and our emergency management partners going forward. June 30th is the last day that WRC will serve in the Secretary and Treasurer roles. Additionally, Paul Fraser is stepping down as Chair on June 30th. We want to thank him for his dedicated, enthusiastic and entertaining service throughout the last three and a half years.
From the Director, June 2018 - What's the Big Idea?
In my last article I explained that we are beginning the update of the Windham Regional Plan. We'd like to hear from you about what ideas - big and small - the Commission should consider as it plans for the region's future. We'd also like to hear ideas about engaging with a broader cross-section of those who live and work within the region. We particularly want to engage with youth. What is their vision for life and living in the Windham Region in 2040? What would it take for that vision to be realized?
Here are some ideas I'm pondering.
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.
Lisa Donnelly and Andrew Starace Join WRC Staff This Summer
Armed with a digital level and a tablet, and sporting orange safety vests, two new WRC staff will be walking the back roads this summer conducting road erosion inventories. Lisa Donnelly and Andrew Starace are WRC's GIS/Transporatation Technicians for 2018. Besides road erosion inventories, they'll be doing a host of other field work including helping with traffic counts and bike/ped counts, and doing some GIS tasks in the office as well.
Green Mountain Power Representatives Presented to WRC Committees- Slides Available for View
The Energy and Natural Resources Committees hosted speakers from Green Mountain Power on June 7th to present to the committees and interested members of the public on the intricacies of the grid, grid resilience, and planning for increased electrification and distributed generation. The speakers, Robert Dostis VP, Stakeholder Relations and New Product and Mike Burke, Chief Field Operations Executive, gave a very informative and accessible presentation which engaged the committee members on the details, upkeep, and planning of our electrical grid. The presentation is accessible here.
The Green River Watershed Alliance rolls out the Confluence Project
In 2017, the Green River Watershed Alliance (GRWA) was formed with the support of the WRC and through a Watershed Resilience grant from the High Meadows Fund, to be a "community-led voice for the stewardship and protection of the Green River and its surrounding landscape." It aims to bring together residents from Marlboro, Halifax, and Guilford so they may establish the importance of their river, learn about its systems, and create watershed identity and a sense of place. One of the ways it plans to do this is through the Confluence Project, a collaborative effort between the WRC, Vermont Performance Lab, and three area schools.
WRC Formalizes the Clean Water Advisory Committee
Since the passing of Act 64, Vermont's Clean Water Act (VCWA), in 2015, the State as a whole has effectively adopted its "all-in" approach to water quality efforts. Directly relevant to regional planning commissions, the VCWA states that, "...if funding is available, ANR shall contract with regional planning commissions to produce or assist in producing basin plans." While this assistance is mandated with the passing of this legislation, the WRC has independently enjoyed a long-standing working relationship with its respective DEC Basin Planner, Marie Caduto. In partnership with the DEC, the WRC's Natural Resources Committee has led efforts to assist in drafting the Tactical Basin Plans (or, a large watershed-scale planning document that identifies priority water quality projects in a basin), providing outreach to affected municipalities, and help prioritize projects based in part on local needs and interests. All this work related to Basin Planning, water quality outreach, and project implementation had been done through the existing Clean Water Advisory Committee (CWAC), which is an extension of the Natural Resources Committee.
WRC Offers Lidar and Ortho Viewer
Have you heard about all this new lidar data and wondered what it is and how to view it? WRC has created an on-line viewer that lets anyone explore not just lidar data, but also orthophotos (air photos) and USGS topographic maps.
New Year, New Renewable Energy Installations
The Windham Regional Commission received funding from the Clean Energy Development Fund in 2017 to run another round of the successful Windham County Renewable Grant Program. The last round yielded five projects ranging from combined heat and power units to rooftop solar arrays, experimental agriculture in solar fields, to a feasibility study for an anaerobic digester. The projects began their construction last May and have taken great strides since (project details below).
A Heated Event: The Annual Wood Energy Users Conference hosted in Windham County a Success!
Windham Wood Heat co-hosted the State Wood Energy Team’s Annual Wood Energy Users Conference in November 2017. The event was held in Brattleboro with over 60 attendees. The day consisted of an informative morning session including presentations from the BERC on the basics of modern wood heat, the Northern Forest Center on promoting wood heat, Windham Wood Heat Initiative on lessons learned and opportunities, and a panel from state program leaders.
