Calendar

Beginning in 2018, Vermont’s Act 171 requires that municipalities and regions that are updating their municipal and regional plans identify areas that are important as “forest blocks” and “habitat connectors” and plan for development in those areas to minimize forest fragmentation. As town and regional plans come up for revision, many communities are now attempting to create the required maps and write appropriate language. This webinar will provide background, tools, and samples for this implementation process.

We will cover:

• What Act 171 requires of towns and regional planning commissions
• Sample town and regional plan language
• Guidance on finding, interpreting, and creating the required maps using the VT Agency of Natural Resources’ BioFinder website
• Case studies of policies that maintain and protect forests and connectivity

We’ll also leave time to respond to questions. The panel of presenters includes: Jens Hilke or Monica Przyperhart, VT Fish & Wildlife; Jamey Fidel, VT Natural Resources Council; Clare Rock, Central VT RPC.

The webinar will be offered on the following dates and times:

• January 29, 2018, 6-7:30 pm
• February 12, 2017, 2-3:30pm
• March 1, 2018, noon – 1:30 pm

To register please visit: https://vcgi.vermont.gov/events/list

The Agency of Natural Resources has just released the new Draft Tactical Basin Plan for the Black and Ottauquechee Rivers and the Connecticut Riverand tributaries for public review. Many partners in the region, public and private, have contributed to the development of this Plan and thanks are due for their contributions. Public Comments are due by February 16, 2018. Link to the draft plan here.  Comments can be submitted to Marie Caduto.

There will also be three public comment meetings:

• January 23, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – West Windsor Town Office, 22 Brownsville-Hartland Road, Brownsville
• January 29, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Woodstock Town Office, 31 The Green, Woodstock
• January 30, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. 2018, Cavendish Town Office, 37 High St., Cavendish

The Agency of Natural Resources has just released the new Draft Tactical Basin Plan for the Black and Ottauquechee Rivers and the Connecticut Riverand tributaries for public review. Many partners in the region, public and private, have contributed to the development of this Plan and thanks are due for their contributions. Public Comments are due by February 16, 2018. Link to the draft plan here.  Comments can be submitted to Marie Caduto.

There will also be three public comment meetings:

• January 23, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – West Windsor Town Office, 22 Brownsville-Hartland Road, Brownsville
• January 29, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Woodstock Town Office, 31 The Green, Woodstock
• January 30, 2018 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. 2018, Cavendish Town Office, 37 High St., Cavendish

VTrans will be holding their annual hearing on the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) a staged, multi-year, statewide, intermodal program of transportation projects this Thursday Feb. 1, 2018 @ 2pm at VTrans Montpelier Office. TRORC will be hosting the hearing via Skype at our offices at the King Farm. To view the draft STIP document, click here:  https://vtrans.vermont.gov/about/stip

Please RSVP to Rita Seto ([email protected]) if you plan to attend at TRORC offices.

  Course Objectives:

Prepare the local Emergency Management Director to perform his/her duties through all phases of a local emergency: Preparation, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation.

Topics covered will include, but are not limited to:

• Desired Attributes of an Emergency Management Director
• Local Emergency Operations Planning
• Animal Response
• EMD-Responder Relationship
• Models for Mobilizing Community
• Designing an Emergency Operation Center
• Public Information and Communications
• The Disaster “Process”
• State Resources
• Interaction with FEMA

To register for this course, please log into the States LMS via the following link:

https://vermont.csod.com

If you do not already have an account, you can register via the following link:

https://vermont.csod.com/selfreg/register

For registration assistance or questions, please contact Brittany Marquette, [email protected], 802.241.5414

For EMD course or certification questions, please contact Todd Sears, [email protected], 802.241.5527

Beginning in 2018, Vermont’s Act 171 requires that municipalities and regions that are updating their municipal and regional plans identify areas that are important as “forest blocks” and “habitat connectors” and plan for development in those areas to minimize forest fragmentation. As town and regional plans come up for revision, many communities are now attempting to create the required maps and write appropriate language. This webinar will provide background, tools, and samples for this implementation process.

We will cover:

• What Act 171 requires of towns and regional planning commissions
• Sample town and regional plan language
• Guidance on finding, interpreting, and creating the required maps using the VT Agency of Natural Resources’ BioFinder website
• Case studies of policies that maintain and protect forests and connectivity

We’ll also leave time to respond to questions. The panel of presenters includes: Jens Hilke or Monica Przyperhart, VT Fish & Wildlife; Jamey Fidel, VT Natural Resources Council; Clare Rock, Central VT RPC.

The webinar will be offered on the following dates and times:

• January 29, 2018, 6-7:30 pm
• February 12, 2017, 2-3:30pm
• March 1, 2018, noon – 1:30 pm

To register please visit: https://vcgi.vermont.gov/events/list

For a copy of the agenda, please click here:Executive Committee Agenda 2-14-18

Town energy committees are invited to attend an informational workshop on Vermont Climate Action Communities (VCAC). The workshop is being held as part of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ Local Government Day on February 15^th.  VCAC is designed to engage Vermont municipalities to make and fulfill commitments under the Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition – a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions levels from 2005 by 26-28% by 2025.  Under the program, municipalities are encouraged to achieve deep energy efficiency savings, reduce local emissions, improve resilience in the face of climate change, and provide locally supported renewable energy generation for municipalities and the communities they serve.  The workshop will include an overview on how municipalities can participate, along with presentations from municipalities who are implementing creative solutions. The workshop will be held on Thursday, February 15^th from 1:30-3:00 pm at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier.  Click here to register for the workshop.   Questions: feel free to contact Lisa Goodell, VLCT at (802) 229-9111 or [email protected].

TRORC Road Foreman Regional Meeting

Meeting agenda for Tues. February 27, 2018 (snow date Wed. Mar. 14)

VTrans District 4 Garage

9:30am-11:00am

1. Introductions (930am)
2. Tier 2 – Hazardous Materials Reporting – Todd Cosgrove, Hazardous Materials Tram Chief, VT Dept. of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (45 minutes)
   Todd will give a brief overview of Tier2 compliance for Towns, especially road crews. Towns must report hazardous materials (such as sand and salt) on a yearly basis if they meet the state threshold. This will also include a training on how to use the free Tier2 Submit software to electronically submit your reports.
3. NUTS (not up to standard) and other nuggets (brief final MRGP overview) – Pete Fellows
4. Other Stuff:
   Better Roads 2018 awards
   Municipal Grants in Aid (Year 1 and 2)
   2018 VT Walk Bike Summit – May 4, 2018, WRJ
5. Meeting Adjourn

Please RSVP To Rita

[email protected] or call 457-3188

Location:
VTrans District 4 Garage – 221 Beswick Drive, WRJ, VT
Phone: (802) 295-8888

Directions:
From Exit 11 of I-91 (WRJ), go north on US5, right onto Sykes Mountain Ave, right onto Beswick Drive (McDonald’s corner).