Calendar
Annual Meeting
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.
*This event was originally May 9th and has been rescheduled to May 23rd*
A mediator guides difficult discussions, encouraging people to find a satisfactory outcome. Mediation can help resolve disputes among co-workers, neighbors, landlords and tenants, business partners, or business owners and clients.
All Town Officials are invited to join Julian Portilla from Champlain College to learn and practice skills in:
-Identifying and framing issues
-Listening for interests
-Controlling the process
-Helping disputants solve problems
-Finalizing agreements
-Handling special problems in mediation
This free event includes dinner catered by Hotel Coolidge! Dinner will begin being served at 5:30
RSVPs are required, and space is limited, so please register soon at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/regional-mediation-workshop-tickets-58650789089
Do you have trouble finding volunteers to serve on boards or assist with projects? Do you suffer from a lack of quorum? Are the same two people showing up to public hearings? You are not alone. Join Rebecca Sanborn Stone of Community Workshop to learn about creative ways to increase more diverse and meaningful public engagement. All Chairs, Commissioners, and Town Officials are invited. Topics include:
-Focusing your available time more effectively to expand feedback.
-Using gathering locations and social networks to magnify your time.
-Telling stories to frame messages that are meaningful to your audience.
-Thinking differently about what success means.
Come share your triumphs and challenges, exchange ideas, and launch your work.
This free event will include light refreshments. Space is limited, so RSVPs are required. Please register by 6/10/19 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-engagement-training-tickets-58655143112
How do your local responders work with Emergency Directors, Selectboards, and Treasurers on managing incidents?
GO 191 Incident Command System/Emergency Operations Center Interface
August 14, 08:30-15:30, Norwich Police Department
Technical description
This course will enable the participants to develop an effective interface between the Incident Command and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by applying Incident Command System (ICS) principles. This 1 day course will introduce you to the roles of the Incident Command System (ICS) and Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) during emergency operations, and discuss ways to develop an ICS/EOC interface implementation strategy or action plan for your community. The target audience includes personnel associated with on-scene Incident Command, and EOCs and Multiagency Coordination (MAC) System entities.
Registrations must be done through the state’s Learning Management System website: https://vermont.csod.com
If you need assistance with that system, please contact Brittany Marquette at [email protected]
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:
- Working to encourage the formation of new energy committees and enhancing the impact of existing energy committees
- Facilitating regional meetings and roundtables of energy committees
- Coordinating local Button Up and other events to promote thermal efficiency
- Use data resources such as the EAN Dashboard, and provide training to local energy groups
- Organize residential weatherization and home heating workshops
- Develop and distribute model zoning and subdivision regulations to support energy efficient building and design
- Organize regional workshops on electrical efficiency programs for commercial applications
- Distribute information on energy efficiency incentives
TRORC has scheduled the first regional energy committee meeting for
Thursday, September 5th 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
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
Our region is participating in a housing study called Keys to the Valley. The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, and Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission are partnering to better understand the housing challenges facing our communities and to develop strategies for tackling those challenges. Please join us to learn more about the project and share your experiences with housing issues in the region.
Following this talk, Deanna Jones will present on the Homeshare Project. The Thompson Center is training to be a Homeshare satellite office. Homesharing can be a rewarding way to find housing and connect people who are living alone and willing to share a home as long as they meet the basic requirements. Come to this talk to learn more on the benefits of homesharing.
Learn some best practices on how to develop a Municipal Enhanced Energy Plan and how these adopted plans work in the Section 248 Process.
Register for this FREE webinar here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/0978dc4feb3b9918c5b9141539e44ee6
Did you know that Efficiency Vermont has a whole host of rebates and financing solutions for you to weatherize your home and upgrade your heating sources to more renewable fuels?
If not, then you are invited to attend a short informational session, hosted by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission and Efficiency Vermont to learn more about the programs that are out there! This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about these rebates and about home heating options from contractors.
When
Monday, March 16, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Where
The Space on Main
174 Main Street
Bradford, VT 05033
This informational session is ideal for homeowners, renters, landlords, businesses and town officials. Please spread the word on this informational session!
Light refreshments will be provided
For any questions, please contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected].