News & Notes
New “Planners Web” to be Launched
For a number of years, the BCRC received a subscription to the Planning Commissioner’s Journal which we passed along to the planning commission in each of the towns and villages in our region. The Journal has now ceased as a print publication, but the same organization will be producing an online resource for planning commissions that will include past articles and periodic updates and bulletins (read more). If there is sufficient interest on the part of municipal planning commissions, BCRC will purchase a membership that will allow each of you access to the plannersweb.com site. Planning Commission chairs should contact Jim Sullivan (jsullivan@bcrcvt.org) with questions or expressions of interest.
Electronic Recylcing Day at The Dorset School
The fourth Electronic Recycling Day is being held at The Dorset School on Saturday, May 19th from 9am – 12 noon. The Dorset Teachers’ Association and the Dorset Energy Committee are co-hosting this event for the local community to raise money for the school’s technology fund. See the flyer for more information.
BCRC Annual Dinner Meeting – May 10
We will be holding our annual meeting this year at Manchester’s historic Wilburton Inn on River Road. The Commissioner of the Department of Public Service, Elizabeth Miller, will be our featured speaker. With the release of the State’s new Comprehensive Energy Plan, developments with Vermont Yankee, the proposed GMP/CVPS merger, the long-range electricity transmission plan, and interest in a range of renewable energy projects, there will be plenty to cover! Of course, there will be a social hour, a great dinner, elections, and the naming of this year’s Bongartz Award winner.
Download the Agenda & Invitation
Economic Development Initiatives Underway
The Town of Bennington received a municipal planning grant to fund preparation of an economic development strategy. Local officials have been working with several organizations in the Bennington area, including the BCRC, as part of an economic development task force and that group’s work, along with findings from the Council on Rural Development’s “Community Visit” program (see below), are expected to help inform the strategy. The BCRC will be working with Mullin Associates to help the community understand and develop its unique assets and to identify needs and opportunities most likely to lead to significant economic progress.
Local communities and the BCRC realize that success in economic development requires regional cooperation. The BCRC has started to work with the Windham Regional Commission to pursue funds for long-term economic development across southern Vermont. Our neighbor to the south, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, recently completed a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (“CEDS”). The BCRC will be hosting a meeting at 5:00 PM on June 14 at the Prospect Mountain Base Lodge in Woodford where Nat Karns, Executive Director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, will present information on their CEDS and how it might relate to economic development efforts in our region. At that meeting, we’ll also hear from people about regional and statewide economic planning efforts supported by the federal Economic Development Administration and how we can take advantage of those resources. The meeting is free, open to everyone, and we will be providing a light dinner.
BCRC staff also have been meeting with local officials in the Northshire to discuss their economic development needs and opportunities. We will be working with the Town of Peru on an local economic development/village center plan and will support economic development efforts underway in Manchester and surrounding communities. The parallel economic planning efforts in the Northshire and Southshire should facilitate creation of a truly regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy that will benefit all of the municipalities in our region.
Next Round of Bennington Community Visits
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s next round of public meetings to discuss and plan for Bennington’s future will be held this Thursday (April 12) from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Bennington Fire House on River Street. The meeting will build on ideas, challenges, and opportunities presented at the March Community Visit public forums.
“Way to Go” Statewide Commuter Challenge Scheduled for May 14 to 18
There’s more than one way to get to work! Consider carpooling, walking, biking, taking a bus, telecommuting, or using some other method that will save you money, conserve energy, and reduce air pollution. Visit the Way to Go Challenge website for more information and to register (you will find out how much you will save and be entered into a prize drawing).
Solid Waste News
This is the first full year of Vermont’s electronic waste law which prohibits the disposal of many electronic devices in landfills. Instead, free collection of the following items is available:
- Computers (such as desktops, all-in-one computers, laptops, notebooks, netbooks, and tablets)
- Computer monitors (any type, i.e., CRTs, flat panel displays, LCD displays, plasma displays)
- Printers (most types including multifunctional machines but not floor-standing models)
- Televisions (any type, i.e., CRTs, flat panel displays, LCD displays, plasma displays)
- Computer Peripherals (items sold exclusively for external use which connect to a computer such as a mouse, keyboard, scanner, external hard drive, modem, Universal Power Supply, computer speakers, etc.)
Intermunicipal Agreements
Several municipalities have expressed an interest in learning more about the potential for sharing services and equipment. Some towns may see opportunities to share professional administrative services (to either reduce costs or to obtain such services that would otherwise be unaffordable). Other towns might realize a benefit by sharing one or more pieces of heavy equipment with a neighboring community. And Irene made us all realize that it is important to have intermunicipal agreements in place so that costs can be recovered when time and equipment are donated to help neighboring communities in an emergency. The regular July meeting of the BCRC will focus on this topic, with an expert from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns Municipal Assistance Center on hand to present information and answer questions. The meeting will be held on July 26 at the Landgrove Inn – well worth the trip, both for the meeting and to visit one of southern Vermont’s most beautiful places. More details will be provided prior to the meeting.
Woodford Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Town of Woodford has prepared a hazard mitigation plan (PDF, 3Mb) to identify potential natural hazards and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of those hazards. The plan is under review by Vermont Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Administration. We are soliciting comments from agencies and members of the public. Please provide comments by April 30, 2012 to Michael S. Batcher at mbatcher@bcrcvt.org or via phone at 802-442-0713 ext 2.
Vermont Emergency Management has reminded us that it is extremely important for all towns to have up-to-date Basic Emergency Operations Plans. A standard template is available to simplify the process of preparing the plan and to ensure that all critical areas of concern are covered. Please contact the BCRC with any questions or for assistance in preparing your plan.
“Function Junction” Project in Manchester to Begin Construction
The BCRC’s first regional transportation plan included a special section focusing on Manchester’s downtown, and included a recommendation for considering a roundabout at the congested intersection of Routes 7A, 11, and 30. After being identified as a priority project by the BCRC’s Transportation Advisory Committee, a scoping study focusing on improvements at the intersection led to approval of funding for just such a project. The town has worked to ensure that the project became more than a traditional highway and intersection improvement project; as designed, it is a full-fledged downtown improvement project that includes two roundabouts, new sidewalks and curbing, more visible and textured crosswalks, bridge railings that include traditional design details, attractive lighting, relocation of overhead utilities, and landscaping. The town also has integrated other needed infrastructure improvements – replacing aging water and sewer lines in the affected area at the same time. For more information, go the town’s website.
Bennington Municipal Energy Plan
The BCRC and the Bennington Planning Commission have completed work on a draft Municipal Energy Plan (PDF, 8.4Mb) for the town. The document covers energy use and potential for conservation and efficiency in all sectors: residential, commercial and industrial, transportation, government, schools, and institutions, as well as the energy-related implications of the current food system. An interesting finding is that approximately $100 million dollars is spent on energy every year - just in the town of Bennington; the plan explores the potential benefits of keeping more of that money in the local economy through conservation and development of local sources of energy.
Hazard Mitigation Planning
The BCRC has continued to work closely with towns on post-Irene hazard mitigation planning. A draft Hazard Mitigation Plan has been completed for the Town of Woodford; once adopted and approved, that document will allow the town to access hazard mitigation grant funds. The BCRC will be using the knowledge gained from development that plan, the hazard mitigation plan being developed with Rupert, and the previously approved Arlington plan to support development of similar plans throughout the region. It is critical to have hazard mitigation plans and local basic emergency operations plans in place in every town so that communities are fully prepared for future emergencies. In addition, the county-wide Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) has started a comprehensive review and rewrite of its Emergency Response Plan. For further information on emergency management planning, contact Michael Batcher at the BCRC (mbatcher@bcrcvt.org).
Regional Broadband Plan
The BCRC has been working with a group of stakeholders throughout the region to develop a regional broadband and communication plan. The purpose of the plan is to engage the region’s residents, local governments and schools, organizations, businesses, and institutions in a process to individually and collectively promote and expand broadband and communication technologies. The plan identifies goals, strengths and weaknesses by sector, and strategies to improve access to and value derived from those technologies. Download the first draft (PDF, 960Kb). For more information, contact Bill Colvin at the BCRC (bcolvin@bcrcvt.org).
Catalog of Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects
The BCRC has developed a detailed catalog of bicycle and pedestrian needs and potential projects throughout the region (download: PDF, 7.2Mb). The catalog was developed from information on previous planning studies, pre-engineering studies, and input from communities and the Commission’s Transportation Advisory Committee. The catalog will be updated periodically and will be used to identify specific implementation measures and funding sources to advance priority projects. Similar catalogs will be developed for projects in all other transportation modes. For more information on this project, contact Mark Anders at the BCRC (manders@bcrcvt.org).