This week at the WRC: 06/05 - 06/09
- June 6, 6:00 pm: Project Review Committee, via Zoom
- June 7, 6:30 pm: Planning Coordination Committee, via Zoom
- June 8, 5:30 pm: Community Development Committee, via Zoom
Full Meetings and Events Calendar, and Warnings | Current Newsletter | April 2023 Staff Report
From the Director, Spring 2023: Time to Act
It’s normal to feel a bit of trepidation, fear even, when asked to do something you’ve never done before, or to raise a question when you don’t know how its very subject might be received. But that’s a part of life, both personal and civic. Towns are being asked to raise hard questions about their future, and act on things they have little or no history dealing with. These are questions about housing, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure to support housing, public health, and community vitality, readiness for the storms and floods to come, and transitioning to a future with dramatically reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
WRC Host's Natural Resources Board Staff for a “Getting to know Act 250” Presentation
On the evening of May 1st 2023, WRC hosted Vermont Natural Resources Board staff for a “Getting to Know Act 250” presentation. In attendance from the NRB were: Sabina Haskell, Chair; Peter Gill, Executive Director; Aaron Brondyke, State Coordinator; Stephanie Gile, District 2 Coordinator; and Quin Mann, District Coordinator. It was a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about such things as: the structure and workings of Act 250; how to effectively field questions from the public regarding the need for an Act 250 permit; how to engage in the process; and how to look projects up on the Act 250 database. If you ever have specific questions about Act 250, you can reach out to either Alyssa Sabetto at WRC or to Act 250 District Coordinator, Stephanie Gile at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
WRC Hosted Informational Session on Floodplain Map Update Starting Soon
On the evening of May 8th 2023, WRC hosted Ned Swanberg, Vermont Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator with the VT DEC Rivers Program, for a “NFIP Map Update Informational Session”. The Session provided region specific detail about the coming FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map update process. This update process will be taking place for all Vermont counties and information is available here. The Session was a great opportunity to learn more about: the map update process, the timing of the updates for each county in the region, basics of the data behind the map update and how the new maps will alter the Special Flood Hazard Area. Many town flood hazard bylaws will need to be updated in conjunction with the new FEMA maps going effective. If you’d like to get that process started, reach out to Alyssa Sabetto. Questions about the map update process can be directed to either Ned Swanberg via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or John Broker-Campbell via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. A copy of the presentation is here, an informational flyer for the region is here, and the link to the recording is here.
WRC Hosts Webinar on Regional Plan Update Project
WRC staff hosted a webinar on the Windham Regional Plan update project on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023. WRC Committees have spent the last several months working with staff to review the current Regional Plan and identify sections and policies that need to be updated based on issues and challenges the region is facing and future areas of concern. This webinar provided towns, local organizations, and members of the public with an overview of the purpose of the Regional Plan, updated demographic data for the region, and some of the priority areas the update will focus on. The presentation slides can be downloaded here and the link to the recording is here.
WRC Collaborates with State RPCs and Vermont Department on Health Equity Planning Toolkit
WRC and the other State Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) have collaborated with the Vermont Department of Health to create a Health Equity Planning Toolkit for municipalities. The toolkit will help towns incorporate health equity goals into town plans and policies and highlight examples from across the state.
RFP: Development of 100% Gully Stabilization and Restoration Design
The Windham Regional Commission invites qualified firms to submit proposals for the development of 100% stormwater gully restoration and stabilization design documents to cover a stormwater gully off of lmtec Lane in Rockingham, VT. The design plans will include integrating current designs for portions of the gully and creating designs for areas not included in current designs into one 100% design document for the entire gully and three side gullies.
WRC Hires New Senior Planner!
Hello! My name is Mike McConnell, a new Senior Planner with the WRC. I began in earnest on December 12, 2022 after previous stops in Colorado Springs, CO, Benton County AR and most recently Helena, Montana. My primary tasks in those locations were site plan, subdivision and annexation review, specialized reviews in hillside development projects, and all manner of comprehensive planning projects. Fairly typical for a municipal planner. I hope that this next challenge with the WRC is as rewarding for our member towns as it will be for me.
John Bennett to Retire After More than 20 Years of Service to Region
Associate Director John Bennett will be retiring on September 30th after more than 20 years of service to the region. John first started working for the WRC in 1996 as a Special Projects Planner. His responsibilities then included managing the update of the Windham Regional Plan, developing a Strategic Plan for the Economy of the Windham Region, conducting regional Act 250 review for Mount Snow development projects, and aiding region towns with land use planning and regulation and assorted other general issues.
WRC Proposed Intermunicipal Services Bylaw Amendments & Public Hearing Notice
The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) is considering the adoption of bylaw amendments that would enable us to support intermunicipal service agreements among towns. An annotated copy of the proposed bylaw amendments can be found here. This is a service many towns have asked us to provide, however, statute requires regional planning commissions to amend their bylaws to support this service and we must hold a public hearing to get formal comments on the proposed bylaw amendments. The hearing will be held on Thursday, October 13th at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom, the Public Hearing Notice can be found here. The Zoom login and call in information is below.
Newfane Studies Sidewalk and Crosswalk Improvements for Village Center
The Town of Newfane is studying potential changes to create a safer and more walkable village center. This summer and fall, the town will be working with the Windham Regional Commission and the engineering firm DuBois & King to assess potential sidewalk improvements and pedestrian crossings along Route 30 in the Village of Newfane. Please visit the project website to learn more about this project and how you can get involved!
Grants in Aid Program Continues to Benefit Towns, and Their Roads
Just about every town road crew in the Windham Region (or their contractors) are busy this summer working on road drainage projects funded through the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Stone or grass ditching and new, larger culverts are just some of the practices being put in place. The ultimate goal is to improve water quality under the direction of Vermont’s Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP), but many towns acknowledge these practices are also making their roads more resilient. With these improvements to their drainage systems, roads are washing out less often during intense rainstorms.
Windham Region Electricity Resiliency Zone Project – A Partnership With Green Mountain Power
The WRC has received Congressionally Directed Spending (earmark) through Senator Sanders to work in partnership with Green Mountain Power to develop resiliency zones. These zones are community-scale custom energy storage projects that pair clean power generation with utility-scale batteries to provide community resilience in the face of increasing storm-related grid outages. The WRC’s role is to work with towns to discuss community needs and work with them to develop resiliency zone plans.
Updated Guidance on the American Rescue Plan Act and First Reporting Deadline
The Treasury Department recently issued the Final Rule for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds by municipalities, with some important new guidelines that towns should be aware of. The deadline for the first ARPA Project and Expenditure Report is April 30th and towns should begin preparing to submit the required information to the Treasury Department. Please contact us at the Windham Regional Commission if you have questions or need support.
TrailFinder Can Help You Plan Your Next Hike
The Windham Region is blessed with many hard-working organizations that build and maintain non-motorized trails. With so many organizations though, it means you have so many different places to look when you want information about local trails. Enter TrailFinder, which can serve as a one-stop portal for trail information.
Road Foremen Meet After Two Year Hiatus
Representatives from 19 towns met the last week in October 2021 at the Dover Town Garage to discuss issues relevant to their road crews. Whether their title is - road foreman, road commissioner, highway superintendent, or public works director - the folks who take care of your roads came together for what WRC calls a Road Foremen’s meeting—the first one in over two years. The meeting featured a packed agenda, with topics including the current and upcoming funding rounds for Grants in Aid, the Better Roads grant program, equipment grants, attendee’s experiences with leaf blowers and hydro seeders, how towns are using tables and smartphones for mapping, stone lined ditches, and salt and sand availability issues.
