This week at the WRC: 01/26 - 01/30
- January 26, 12:00 pm: Public Policy & Legislative Committee, WRC Conference Room
- January 27, 7:00 pm: Full Commission, Location TBD
Full Meetings and Events Calendar | Current Newsletter | December Staff Report ← new!
From the Director, January 2015 -Who Is Responsible for the Economy of the Windham Region? All of Us.
Jeff Potter, editor of the local weekly independent newspaper The Commons, penned an editorial titled "It Better Damn Well Be Possible" in which he asks if it's possible for the different sides that have evolved around the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station to step up and work together on building the region's economy. His response is, it better damn well be possible. I couldn't agree more. We - the people of the Windham Region and, I would argue, the people of the adjoining counties in New Hampshire and Massachusetts - are our solution. No one is going to do the work of pulling our region out of the economic doldrums for us. We have to figure this out for ourselves.
A Roadmap to Energy Efficiency: A Regional Energy Roundtable – January 20
Financial consultants frequently advise that “A penny saved is (better than) a penny earned.” Energy efficiency is one of the best ways to save a penny—or even thousands of dollars. Please join us for a Windham Regional Energy Roundtable entitled A Roadmap to Energy Efficiency, which will focus on tools and resources available to guide you through the process of reducing your energy consumption on an individual level as well as a community level.
Upcoming Grant Opportunities
Upcoming Grant Opportunities will be a regular column in WRC Newbriefs. For additional information about grant possibilities for your projects please contact Susan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . And remember, many of these grants are offered on a regular cycle. If you miss a deadline this year, now is the time to begin planning your project for the next round.
Study of Economic Impacts to Tri-County Area Due to Vermont Yankee Closure is Released
On December 29, 2014, the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY) will no longer operate as an energy production facility. When fully operational, the facility had over 600 workers, most living in Windham County, VT; Cheshire County, NH; and Franklin County, MA. For over 40 years, VY has been an important component of this region’s economy. So what is the magnitude of economic impact to our tri-state region due to the discontinuing of operations and decommissioning of VY, especially the loss of local income? This is a question that four regional economic development planning organizations are seeking to answer. These organizations are: the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, the Southwest Regional Planning Commission, and the Windham Regional Commission. A study completed by the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute that begins to provide some insight can be found here: UMDI Study of Economic Impacts of VY Closure.
From the Director, October 2014 - Do I Really Need a Permit?
If a project seems inherently good or even benign, does it really need a permit? I first asked myself this question when I was about 10 years old and wanted to build a playhouse in our backyard on Main Street in Abingdon, Virginia. My folks informed me that I’d have to take it before the town’s board of historical review. So I drew up a plan.
WRC Engages with the Clean Energy Development Fund
The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) will distribute half of the funds in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Program Plan in or for the benefit of Windham County (equal to roughly $2.6 million of the $5.3 million available statewide). The Windham Regional Commission has been actively engaging with the CEDF Board to support a program plan for Windham County that will provide the greatest benefit to the region.
Vermont Economic Resiliency Initiative Brattleboro Community: Building Flood Resiliency
By some estimates, at least a quarter of businesses never reopen after a disaster. The Vermont Economic Resiliency Initiative, or VERI, is hoping to lower that number, by working with five towns in Vermont, including Brattleboro. The goal is to help businesses affected by a future disaster to “bounce back, not break.” The first public forum for Brattleboro was held October 15, 2014. We'll be posting a summary of that forum soon.
The Windham Regional Plan is Approved!
We are pleased to announce that the Windham Regional Plan was approved by a unanimous vote on September 30, 2014 during the meeting of the Windham Regional Commission. This concludes our regional plan update process that began in October 2012. We wish to extend our gratitude to everyone who participated in this effort.
Downtown and Village Revitalization Website is Launched!
A new website has been launched to assist southern Vermont communities with downtown and village center revitalization. This website provides a toolkit of information and resources to help communities build vibrancy and economic resiliency. Among the resources are links to useful guides and information, implementation strategies, funding sources, case studies, and government and non-profit entities that offer additional information
Shared Municipal Services
This past summer thanks to our wonderful intern, Emily Wilson, the WRC began to explore potential shared municipal services and inter-municipal cooperation opportunities among our towns, and what role the WRC might play.
WRC Awards Brownfields Funding to Deerfield Valley Transit Association
In June, Windham Regional Commission signed an agreement with Deerfield Valley Transit Association (DVTA) for a loan/grant combination for $171,500 for brownfields clean up at the former Barnboard site in Wilmington. DVTA is the operator of a community transit system for the area around the Deerfield Valley and is known for their trademark buses with a Holstein motif. The grant is being used for the remediation of the Barnboard site as part of the construction of their new facility.
Recent Regional Highway Safety Forum a Success
On May 12, 2014, Chip Sterns, Town Manager, Rockingham, welcomed 50 attendees to the Rockingham Town Hall and the first Regional Highway Safety Forum in the Windham region. The all day event was presented by the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance (http://highwaysafety.vermont.gov/ ) and hosted by WRC and Southern Windsor County RPC. It provided an opportunity to learn about the resources and partners available to individuals and communities as they strive towards safety for all highway users.
EPA Awards Brownfields Funds for Two Windham Region Projects
EPA recently announced the award of more than $17.48 million in Brownfield grants to municipalities and organizations working to protect people’s health by assessing and cleaning up contaminated parcels in New England communities. In the Windham Region, EPA is awarding $475,000 clean up grants were awarded for two projects in Rockingham.
Main Street Arts Receives Brownfields Clean Up Grant from WRC
In April 2014 Windham Regional Commission signed an agreement with Main Street Arts (MSA), a non-profit community arts center located in Saxtons River, to grant the organization $133,658 for Brownfields clean up. The grant is being used for the remediation of their adjoining site (33 Main Street) to allow them to make their existing building handicapped accessible.
Energy Code Requirements: What Towns Need to Know
On March 20, 2014, town representatives from throughout the Windham Region met in the Townshend Town Hall to receive information on recent legislative changes related to the Vermont Energy Code (Act 89) and municipal requirements and opportunities to promote energy efficient construction in their communities. The event was sponsored by Efficiency Vermont in collaboration with the Windham Regional Commission.
