Calendar
Annual Meeting
1. Introductions.
2. Approval of May 10 Minutes.
3. VTrans Long Range Plan update – Dave Pelletier, VTrans (45 mins)
4. DEC MRGP and Municipal Grants in Aid Year 2 update – Rita
5. Other business
• VTrans Bike Ped Grant application recap
• 2018 VTrans Construction Spec Book
• Road Foreman meeting with Jim Barlow – legal questions on MRGP
Future meeting topics? Next meeting on Thursday Sept. 13, 2018 – Woodstock Town Office
1) Introductions (9:30am)
2) Vermont Local Government Law – Jim Barlow PLC (1.5hrs) Issues with abutting landowners are anticipated as towns begin implementing projects under the new Municipal Roads General Permit. This session will address some of the challenges road foremen, and other town officials, are likely to face, including identifying the location and width of town highway rights-of-way, obtaining necessary easements for construction and discharge of water, and following required processes for tree removal. The session will focus on identifying and anticipating issues to avoid unnecessary conflicts and delays to MRGP projects. Bring your burning “what if” scenario questions for discussion.
3) DEC Municipal Grants in Aid Year 2 – Rita (15 mins)
4) Meeting Adjourn
Stay for lunch!
Please RSVP to Rita ([email protected] or call 457-3188)
Location:
Chelsea Town Garage – 25 East Randolph Road, Chelsea, VT. Phone: (802) 685-4302
Directions:
From Exit 2 of I-89 (Sharon) or Exit 3 (Royalton), go north on VT110 to Chelsea (11.5 miles). Take left on East Randolph Road. Garage on left.
The third forum will be held in South Royalton, VT on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Chase Community Center at Vermont Law School.
Unlike typical town hall style forums, this one is designed to invite conversation and engage citizens in small group discussions with facilitators. After a brief presentation highlighting the key points of Act 250, community members will have a chance to talk about what matters most to them. The public input will inform the Legislative Commission’s report and any potential legislation to modernize the statutes. Act 250 grew out of citizen involvement fifty years ago and it will be strengthened through citizen involvement now.
To register and for more information, click HERE.
For a copy of the agenda, please click here: Executive Committee Agenda 8-8-18
For a copy of the agenda, please click here: Executive Committee Agenda 9-12-18
1.Introductions.
2. Approval of May 10 and July 12 minutes
3. VTrans Accelerated Bridge Construction Woodstock Village Bridge 51 – Rob Young, VTrans (45 mins)
4. VTrans Royalton/Sharon I-89 bridges 2020 construction recap
5. Other business
• VTrans Transportation Alternatives application (water quality improvement focused projects) – due Oct. 17
• Class 2 Transfer Process and Dates for Towns to VTrans Districts
Future meeting topics? Next meeting on Thursday Nov. 8, 2018 – Bethel Town Hall
For a copy of the agenda, please click here: TRORC Board Meeting Agenda 9-26-18
PRESS RELEASE: Public Forums on a Cost and Benefit Analysis of Policies to
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Vermont.
The Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) has finalized a contract for independent professional assistance to
complete a study of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont, per Act 11 of 2018.
That contract is with Resources for the Future (RFF), an independent, nonprofit research institution
whose mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decision making through
impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF has decades of experience delivering
solutions to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance a reliable and clean
energy system.
Two public forums are scheduled to gain an understanding of Vermonters’ interests and concerns
regarding policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont. RFF will use the information
from these public forums to help inform their study. The general public is invited to participate in
these two public forums. The Forums are scheduled from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and details are as
follows:
Wednesday September 26, Room 11,Vermont State House, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT.
Thursday, September 27, Theater room, Billings Farm, 69 Old River Road, Woodstock, VT.
The Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) has finalized a contract for independent professional assistance to
complete a study of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont, per Act 11 of 2018.
That contract is with Resources for the Future (RFF), an independent, nonprofit research institution
whose mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decision making through
impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF has decades of experience delivering
solutions to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance a reliable and clean
energy system.
Two public forums are scheduled to gain an understanding of Vermonters’ interests and concerns
regarding policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont. RFF will use the information
from these public forums to help inform their study. The general public is invited to participate in
these two public forums. The Forums are scheduled from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and details are as
follows:
Wednesday September 26, Room 11,Vermont State House, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT.
Thursday, September 27, Theater room, Billings Farm, 69 Old River Road, Woodstock, VT.
Please RSVP here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XF98YTJ
RFF will examine 4 decarbonization policy approaches and will provide qualitative analysis for
other options to reduce carbon. Currently, the plan is to investigate the following policy scenarios:
1. Carbon fee-and-rebate, as in H.791 or S.284 (2018) – The ESSEX Plan;
2. Expanding cap-and-trade if Vermont joined the Western Climate Initiative (WCI);
3. Expanding cap-and-trade if the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) covered
transportation fuels as considered in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI); and
4. A carbon pricing policy based on further research and input from stakeholders.
People attending the forum are asked to address the following questions:
A. What do you think are two or three things that a study of policies to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in Vermont ought to take into consideration, in order to be helpful in answering
your questions and in advancing the climate and energy policy dialogue in Vermont?
B. Starting by considering the policy approaches listed above, which approaches do you think
RFF ought to focus on?
RFF will be represented by Marc Hafstead and Wesley Look. They will attend both public forums
and will be available to answer questions about the study, as appropriate, during the times outlined
above.
For those unable to attend, please feel free to email comments by September 28, 2018 to
[email protected].
Writing good land use decisions is not easy. This training is for members of Development Review Boards, Planning Commissions, and Boards of Adjustment, as well as Zoning Administrators who also can make these decisions. We will look in depth at all of the basic steps and especially at the parts of a good written decision. There will also be time for questions and answers about any thorny issues you may have run into.