Calendar
Annual Meeting
TRORC will host a Button Up table on October 27, 2018 from 9:30 till 12:00 at the Gory Daze 5K (benefiting Hartford Dismas House) with coffee, cider, donuts, Efficiency Vermont rebate and DIY weatherization information, and free products to help you get ready for the home heating season. Button up, weatherize, save money and be more comfortable in your home this season!
Click here for more information: https://buttonupvermont.org/events
The Bradford Planning Commission, with assistance from the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, is revising the town’s 2005 zoning bylaw. The zoning bylaw is a regulation that covers what, how, and where development can take place in town. In most of the rural parts of town it is quite simple, and in the more developed areas the rules are more complex. The revisions are meant to make the rules more consistent with the Town Plan, more understandable, enable more development aligned with residents’ views in a recent survey, and to better reflect the actual development already in town.
On your way to vote, stop by and see staff from TRORC at the Bradford Academy and learn more about the town’s zoning and the effect of any changes.
1. Introductions.
2. Approval of September 13 minutes
3. Stagecoach’s new routes and services – Nick D’Agostino Stagecoach has been undergoing organization restructuring with Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) forming the umbrella organization Tri-Valley Transit. Nick will present some of the commuter routes that have been re-configured as well as new service routes being offered in the region.
E&D services – Nick and Rita
Discussion about E&D transportation services available in the region, what’s covered, who’s eligible, etc. Discussion of the region’s E&D Transportation Partner’s group.
VTrans Public Transit Policy Plan update and regional forum outreach – Rita
4. Other business
• VTrans TAP grants submitted
• VTrans Better Roads submitted
• VTrans/ACCD Better Connections Grant – Nov. 2 announcement
Future meeting topics? Next meeting on Thursday January 10, 2019
Please join us for a new outreach effort to foster a collaborative relationship with the environmental community. A handful of Brownfields staff and ACCD partner will present information about Vermont brownfields program, and we will hear about past or ongoing projects in each region. Topics include liability, the site investigation and remediation process, and funding sources. Questions and open discussion are encouraged throughout. This event is beneficial to realtors, lenders, developers, municipal officials, and anyone curious about brownfields.
Agenda
Welcome/Introductions
Introduction/Overview of Brownfields
• Benefits to Brownfields Redevelopment
• Roles of major stakeholders
Vermont Brownfields Information
• Liability and BRELLA Program
• VTDEC’s Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup Process
• Liability Exemptions for Lenders, RPCs/RDCs, Municipalities
Financial Assistance Opportunities
• VT DEC Brownfields Funding
• ACCD Revolving Loan Fund
• EPA Grants
• Regional Assessment Program
Regional Brownfields Sites
• Success Stories or Lessons Learned
• Current and Upcoming Projects
Questions and Open Discussion
Wrap Up/Closing
To RSVP, please email [email protected]
Vermont Energy and Climate Action Conference – December 1st: Do you want to help Vermonters lower their energy bills? Help mobilize Vermont to make bold progress on climate? Come join us at the 11th annual Community Energy and Climate Action Conference! Panels, networking, and discussions will focus on empowering Vermonters to take the lead on climate and energy issues. Workshops will explore a wide range of topics, from The Path to a Green Transportation System, Making Solar Accessible to Vermonters with Low Incomes, Using Digital Tools to Reach the Public, Beneficial Electrification, and many more. We will have two keynote speakers, including Bill McKibben and Michael Shank. Bill McKibben is a world-renowned author, environmental activist, and founder of 350.org, the first planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement. Michael Shank, Ph.D., is the Communications Director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.
Held on December 1st at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT from 9:00am – 4:30pm, this is one event you won’t want to miss!
Register Today and find out more info by visiting: www.regonline.com/VTEnergy2018
Vermont Community Development Association’s Fall Conference
Workforce Development: Community-Based Strategies
Many Vermont businesses, agencies, organizations, and communities are actively exploring strategies at all levels to support Vermont’s workforce. Join VCDA on December 5th in White River Junction to:
- Learn about Vermont’s workforce today: What are the challenges and opportunities in ensuring a new generation can work to build tomorrow’s economy?
- Hear about key statewide workforce development initiatives and how your community can connect and partner.
- Engage in discussions on practical strategies and community case studies around fostering a workforce-friendly community— including housing, transportation, childcare, and advancing training and career development.
When it comes to supporting, growing, and training the Vermont workforce, we all have a role to play—join us to learn practical community-based strategies for how your town can lead!
Complete Registration packet will follow soon.
For more information contact Theresa Bachand at 802-229-9111 or [email protected]
Click here for the agenda pdf
Two Rivers-Ottauquechee RPC Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday March 14, 2019 Hartford Town Hall, Rm 312, 171 Bridge St, WRJ, 9:30AM – 11:00AM
Agenda
1. Introductions.
2. Approval of November 8 minutes
3. FY2021 Project Prioritization / Pre-Candidate Bridges presentation/discussion and TAC final ranking – Rita
4. Review and Comment on draft Town Road and Bridge Standards 2019 (incorporated with MRGP standards) – Rita
5. Better Road awards / upcoming field season
6. Other business
Future meeting topics? Next meeting on Thursday May 9, 2019
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a destructive and invasive forest pest that feeds on and eventually kills all species of ash trees. EAB is now confirmed in Orange, Washington, Caledonia, Grand Isle, and Bennington Counties and communities statewide are encouraged to prepare for the impacts of the pest.
This training, led by staff from the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, is intended to teach participants about EAB, introduce planning and management strategies, and to give an overview of the resources available to help towns assess risk and establish a plan.
This event is free but registration is required. Space is limited; sign up here by April 9th. To read more about the event, visit here.
Are you a new Selectboard member? A town manager or Administrative Assistant?
The staff at your regional planning commission, TRORC, provides a wide variety of services for your town. Come meet us, hear about your roles and our assistance with roads, regulations, emergencies, water quality, conservation, mapping and more.
This free event includes a full catered breakfast and refreshments!
RSVPs are highly encouraged, so please register by 4/11/19.
Agenda
1. Introductions.
2. Approval of Mar. 14 minutes
3. Emerald Ash Borer: Impacts to Ash Trees and to Municipalities – Mike Parisio, Forest Health Specialist, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation
Dead and dying ash trees along the public right-of-way and in public places, such as parks and schools, pose a significant risk to public safety. Municipalities will bear the responsibility and costs of removing and/or treating public ash trees, as well as any replanting efforts. Mike will present on signs & symptoms and information on how to identify these, municipal planning for EAB and some management options for municipalities, with some info on budgeting and infested wood disposal and some case studies of communities already working on or implementing response plans here in VT.
4. Emergency Relief Assistance Funds refresher/Federal Aid Secondary Roads – Rita
5. Other business
• Better Road awards (anticipate announcement early May hopefully)
• Municipal Roads Grants in Aid Year 3 & Equipment Grants
• VTrans Bike Ped Grant
• VTrans Municipal Highway & Stormwater Mitigation Grant
Future meeting topics? Next meeting on Thursday July 11, 2019
Municipal Bridge Maintenance & Management
o A town’s legal management responsibilities
o An explanation of the state’s inspection program, process and reports. vtculverts.org
o Safety related to bridge maintenance, working over water, dust, lead, and paint
o Routine maintenance practices, cleaning, deck and structure
o Weight limits, posting, enforcement, signage
View the official pdf agenda here