Calendar

You are invited to attend the annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable to take place Wednesday, April 30, 5:30 – 8:30pm at the Bugbee Senior Center in White River Jct. The Roundtable is free and a light buffet dinner will be provided. If you intend to join us, please Click Here to RSVP by April 30.

Feel free to share this invitation with other members of your committee. Attached is our map of active Energy Committees in the Upper Valley from last year. Please think of anyone you know who lives in towns without a committee and invite them to join us if they are interested in learning more about and possibly forming an energy committee. We hope all UV ECs and towns will be represented by at least one person.

The Roundtable is intended to promote networking and information sharing to assist energy committees in carrying out their work.  This year everyone will be encouraged to discuss your challenges, barriers and paths to success – a discussion we’ll kick off with a panel of three Upper Valley energy committees. See more in the evening’s agenda below.

We have also sent a link to our annual Upper Valley Energy Committee survey to our contact for your energy committee. Please make sure one representative from your group fills out the survey by April 4, even if no one can attend the roundtable. If no one from your committee has received the survey link, please contact Sarah Simonds at [email protected].

Thanks again for all your continuing great work and we hope you can join us April 30.

Roundtable Organizing Committee

Dan Potter, Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission

Chris Sargent, Two Rivers Ottaquechee Regional Commission

Mike McCrory, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission

Sarah Simonds, Vital Communities

Bob Walker, Sustainable Energy Resource Group and VECAN

April 30, 2014 Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable Agenda

5:30-6pm: Registration, Refreshments, & Informal Networking

6-6:10pm: Welcome and Brief Introductions

• 5 second introduction by all attendees: name, town, and energy affiliation

6:10-6:15: Quick Overview of Interesting Survey Results

6:15-7pm: Energy Committee Updates

• Brief 2 minute update from each energy committee represented.  Focus on the most recent and exciting project or challenge.

7-8:15pm: Panel and Break-Out Discussions

• 7-7:20pm: Panel: Reflections by representatives from 3 Upper Valley energy committees on starting and maintaining a successful local energy committee
• 7:20-8:00pm: Break-out groups – come prepared to discuss challenges, barriers, successes and failures your committee has faced.
• 8:00-8:15pm: Report back to the large group

8:15-8:30pm: Wrap Up and Adjourn

• Review “Resources” handouts to encourage next steps

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission has initiated a process to update several sections of the TRORC Regional Plan. Currently, we are looking to adopt the following changes to the Plan in late June:

• The Housing Resources element: Incorporated new Census 2010 data to reflect new housing trends, incorporated data from the “Housing Needs in East Central Vermont” study, and generally expanded upon and extensively edited the element throughout.
• A new Child Care Services element: Expanded upon the pre-existing discussion of childcare provisions in our region that was previously found within the Economic Development element.
• A new Flood Resilience element: Meets the new statutory requirement for a Flood Resilience chapter, as required under 24 V.S.A. § 4302(c)(14) beginning July 2014.
• The Relationship of Regional Plan to Neighboring and Agency Plans element: Economic, housing and transportation relationships between the TRORC region and its neighboring RPC’s were analyzed and discussed, including the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee RPC and other organizations within the Vermont/New Hampshire area.  The Enhanced Consultation process was added into the chapter’s ‘Municipal Plans within the TRORC Region’ section.
• Updates to the Definitions section of the Regional Plan are also included, per the element updates noted above.

The TRORC Board reviewed these updates at their meeting on February 26^th and March 26^th,  and subsequently approved going to public hearing. The Board encourages your participation in these hearings, and welcomes written comments at—or prior to—the hearings.

The documents may be downloaded here:
Child Care In Our Region_3.27.14
Draft Defintions Section_3.27.14
Flood Resiliencev Chapter_3.27.14
Housing Chapter Draft_3-27-14
How Our Plan Relates Draft_3.27.14

Please contact Peter Gregory at: [email protected] or call 457-3188 if you have any questions.

The meeting minutes may be downloaded here: Minutes.4.30.2014.Bethel

Join the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation staff, and guests for a day of engaging presentations and hands-on workshops on shoreland management.

To learn more about the event click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Rita Seto at [email protected] or 457-3188

For any questions, please contact Rita Seto at: [email protected]

There has been an applicant briefing scheduled in Berlin at the Agency of Transportation Training Center.

The date for the applicant briefing is Friday, June 20^th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.  It is EXTREMELY important that if you had damages, that someone from your town attends!

At the briefing you will be required to fill out a Request for Public Assistance (RPA).  Please make sure that you bring your DUNS number with you as it is necessary information for the RPA.

The Vermont Watershed Management Division will be hosting an informational meeting at the Fairlee Town Hall to discuss the upcoming Shorelands Protection Act. This will be a good opportunity to better understand the impacts this Act will have on property owners.

To learn more about the Act, please click here.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation announces a Public Informational Meeting will be held to share the findings of the recent in-depth bridge inspection of the East Thetford Road Bridge over the Connecticut River between Lyme, New Hampshire and Thetford, Vermont.  The meeting will also gathering public input on a proposed project that will involve the rehabilitation and painting of the Red Listed bridge.

This public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, 2014.  A formal presentation will begin at 7:00 pm at the Lyme Town Office Building, 1 High Street, in Lyme, NH.  Doors will open at 6:30 pm for informal viewing and discussions of the project information.

Historical properties may exist within the project area.

The purpose of this meeting is to present citizens and public officials with information regarding the proposed project, and to solicit public input in order to ensure that project decisions meet public transportation needs, community goals, and protect and enhance the environment.  Accordingly, NHDOT assures that this project will be administered according to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related statutes to ensure nondiscrimination.

Any individuals needing assistance or auxiliary communication equipment due to sensory impairment or other disability, should contact the Bureau of Right-of-Way, NHDOT, PO Box 483, Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0483 or call 603-271-3222 – TDD Access: Relay NH   1-800-735-2964.  Notification for the need of assistance should be made at the earliest convenience.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) announces a Public Informational meeting has been scheduled to discuss the proposed rehabilitation/replacement and widening of the Interstate 89 bridges over the Connecticut River in the City of Lebanon, New Hampshire and the Town of Hartford, Vermont.

This public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm at the Kilton Library, 80 Main Street in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. Plans will be displayed at 6:30 pm for all interested participants.

The purpose of this meeting is to present citizens and public officials with information regarding the proposed project, and to solicit public input in order to ensure that project decisions meet public transportation needs, community goals, and protect and enhance the environment. Accordingly, the NHDOT assures that this project will be administered according to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related statutes to ensure nondiscrimination.

Historic properties may exist within the project area.

Any individuals needing assistance or auxiliary communications aides due to sensory impairment or other disability, should contact the Bureau of Right-of-Way, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, PO Box 483, Concord, NH 03302-0483. TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964.

Associated Industries of Vermont will host a special Environmental and Regulatory Seminar on August 19.  The seminar will feature presentations, commentary, and audience Q&A with expert panelists from ANR and legal, engineering, and related private sector firms, and cover issues impacting private and public sector members of the regulated community and the professionals who serve them.

Both members and non-members are welcome to register by faxing or mailing a registration form by August 15.

You can register online or download a printable agenda and registration form on the homepage of the AIV website at www.aivt.org.

Contact AIV at (802) 223-3441 or [email protected] for more information.