Calendar

Efficiency Vermont has provided grant funding to Regional Planning Commissions to support local energy committees and municipalities and to connect regional and local energy plan implementation efforts to Efficiency Vermont and Comprehensive Energy Plan goals. The funding will allow RPCs to provide technical assistance in the formation and development of local energy committees and to support the work of established local energy committees in specified areas tied to objectives for promoting energy efficiency and driving action.  Supported activities of this grant funding include:

1. Working to encourage the formation of new energy committees and enhancing the impact of existing energy committees
2. Facilitating regional meetings and roundtables of energy committees
3. Coordinating local Button Up and other events to promote thermal efficiency
4. Use data resources such as the EAN Dashboard, and provide training to local energy groups
5. Organize residential weatherization and home heating workshops
6. Develop and distribute model zoning and subdivision regulations to support energy efficient building and design
7. Organize regional workshops on electrical efficiency programs for commercial applications
8. Distribute information on energy efficiency incentives

TRORC has scheduled the first regional energy committee meeting for

Thursday, September 5^th at 6:30 pm at the Bethel Town Hall, 318 Main Street 

TRORC will outline the new Efficiency Vermont grant, opportunities, projects and schedule.  Please come with your calendars and ideas about how TRORC can help implement your town’s energy efficiency and conservation projects.

Light refreshments will be provided. 

 Please RSVP and direct questions to Dee Gish at [email protected] or 802-457-3188

A copy of the agenda can be found here: Executive Committee Agenda 9-11-19

Mark your calendars for the 5th Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo. It will take place Saturday, September 14 from 11 am to 3pm, (rain or shine) at the Dothan Brook School on Route 5 in Whit River Junction, VT, as part of National Drive Electric Week. The Expo is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register online at UVEVExpo.org for a chance to win a $250 charger and other prizes.

Electric car, bicycle, motorcycle and lawn equipment dealers and owners from across the region will bring the latest all-electric and plug-in hybrid models for visitors to explore, with some offering free test rides. Vehicles will include the popular Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt, as well as the Tesla Models 3 and S, BMW i3, Jaguar I-Pace and others. The Dartmouth Racing Team will also bring their electric race car.

View the Agenda here.

View the Complete Hearing Notice Here

Hearings for the Randolph Town Plan and the Regional Plan

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES
TWO RIVERS-OTTAUQUECHEE REGIONAL COMMISSION
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 beginning at 6:30PM
Thompson Senior Center, 99 Senior Lane, Woodstock, VT

Notice is hereby given by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission of a Public Hearing for the purpose of hearing comments regarding review and approval of the Randolph Town Plan pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Section 4350. The Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 6:30 p.m., at the Thompson Senior Center, Woodstock, Vermont.

In addition, Per Title 24, Chapter 117, Section 4350 Regional Planning Commissions are required to “review and confirm the planning process of its member municipalities at least twice during an eight year period…. and shall so confirm when a member municipality:
1. is engaged in a continuing process that, within a reasonable time, will result in a plan which is consistent with the goals contained in Section 4302 of this Title; and
2. is maintaining its efforts to provide local funds for municipal and regional planning purposes.”

The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission has deemed that the Town of Randolph has met these tests and shall be confirmed. A Public Hearing will be held immediately following the above mentioned hearing on Wednesday September 25, 2019 at the Thompson Senior Center, Woodstock, Vermont for the purpose of hearing comments regarding the review and confirmation of the planning efforts for this municipality.

Notice is hereby given by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission of a Public Hearing to be held for the purpose of hearing comments on the proposed amendments to the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Plan. It will be held immediately following the above mentioned hearings on Wednesday September 25, 2019 at the Thompson Senior Center, Woodstock, Vermont. The Regional Plan covers all lands within the towns of Barnard, Bethel, Bradford, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Chelsea, Corinth, Fairlee, Granville, Hancock, Hartford, Hartland, Newbury, Norwich, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Pomfret, Randolph, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, Stockbridge, Strafford, Thetford, Topsham, Tunbridge, Vershire, West Fairlee, and Woodstock. A copy of the proposed amendments to the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Plan are available for review at the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission’s office during normal business hours and on the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission’s website: www.trorc.org. Comments may be given in person at the hearing, or prior to the hearing by 4 p.m. on September 25, 2019 in writing to TRORC, 128 King Farm Road, Woodstock VT; or via email to [email protected].

Outlined below is a list of section headings of the Regional Plan chapters that have amendments
proposed:
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
3. Energy
4. Healthy Communities
5. Homes in the Region
6. Land Use
7. Transportation
8. Utilities, Facilities and Services
9. Natural Resources
10. Implementation Matrix

The meeting will be held in an accessible location. Requests for accommodations or modifications made will be honored to the maximum extent feasible, but it may not be possible to fulfill them.

Dated this August 23, 2019, Woodstock, Vermont
Gerald Fredrickson, Chair
Peter G. Gregory, AICP, Executive Director

A copy of the agenda can be found here: Executive Committee Agenda 10-9-19

The TRORF Strategic Planning meeting for Wednesday, October 16 has been cancelled.  It will be rescheduled.

Join us at the next Green Drinks event to meet the staff at the Two Rivers – Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) and learn how TRORC works for you! TRORC serves 30 towns in east- central Vermont and provides planning, mapping, grant writing, facilitation, and project management services to its member towns. TRORC staff will be discussing how their work advances sustainability in the TRO-region including areas such as energy, water quality, forestry, buyouts, and more. Each area of discussion will also be followed by a short Q&A session. Complimentary snacks will be provided.

Green Drinks are hosted on the 3rd Thursday of every month by the non-profit Sustainable Woodstock. Green Drinks are social events meant to keep our community informed about local sustainability group and initiatives in a fun and relaxed environment. Green Drinks are Free and open to all. Visit https://www.sustainablewoodstock.org/get-involved/green-drinks/ to learn about upcoming Green Drinks. Contact Zach@sustainablewoodstock, 802-457-2911 to learn more or for inquiries.

See the Facebook Event and RSVP Here 

October 17, 2019

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

VA Hospital, White River Junction

Agenda

1. Call to order and introductions– Bruce Martin, Chair
2. Approval of minutes for 8/22/2019 (attached)
3. Action on TRORC Invoice.
4. Treasurer’s report – Brad Salzmann, Treasurer
5. Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) – Mariah Whitcomb
6. Action and discussion on LEPC12 schedule change from bi-monthly to quarterly meetings.
7. Other Business/Upcoming Trainings
   1. SERC meeting – LEPC consolidation update
   2. LEPC12 website
   3. LEPC plan template

LEPC12 Next meeting – December 19, 2019 at TBD

This double-header training will first review (5:30-6:30) how local land use bodies (DRBs, Planning Commissions, ZBAs) should be making decisions, and then will follow up (6:45-7:45) with a review of the powers of subdivision bylaws and the useful concepts of density and conservation subdivisions.

For many rural areas with little development, the subdividing of land is much more of a land use issue than types of uses. Creation of roads, house placement, strange lot lines and shapes, and protection of natural areas can all better be addressed in subdivision bylaws than usually under zoning.

Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP here by 10/11