Implementation
Putting the Regional Plan Into Action
MUNICIPAL PLANNING ASSISTANCE
The established municipal plans of member towns provide important vehicles to further Regional Plan policies. The Regional Plan also provides a framework to guide member towns when developing or amending their own town plans, pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4349a. The WRC will consult with member towns prior to the expiration of their town plans, or at any other time when requested. This consultation includes a review of the municipalities’ planning efforts, understanding the municipalities’ planning needs, and identifying assistance that can be provided by the WRC. In addition, the WRC will review the current town plan and provides recommendations on necessary updates to the plan to ensure compliance with the required plan elements under 24 V.S.A. §4382 and consistency with Statewide planning goals under 24 V.S.A. §4302.
After a town plan has been adopted, a municipality may request that the WRC approve the plan and confirm the local planning process under §24 V.S.A. 4350. The approval and confirmation process is completed by the Planning Coordination Committee. Currently, all member towns with an adopted town plan have received approval of their plans and confirmation of the planning process from the WRC. This has the benefit of making towns eligible for funding under the State Municipal Planning Grant program.
The WRC will provide towns with technical assistances in terms of planning, zoning and subdivision bylaw adoption and revisions, ordinances, and other implementation tools, such as capital budgeting and programming. It is the policy of the WRC to offer the maximum level of basic services to all of its town under the core funding received from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Municipalities may also obtain special technical assistance services to meet local needs beyond these basic services. Furthermore, the WRC can assist member towns with inter-municipal coordination efforts to address regional issues and pooling resources for services such as administrative assistance and for purchasing equipment and materials.
The WRC will organize and provide regular trainings for town officials on topics related to land use planning and regulations as well as other relevant topics that would be beneficial for municipalities in the region. The WRC will continue to maintain a website that serves as a forum for distributing news and information and providing access to Town Plans and maps. The Commission maintains a Geographic Information System (GIS) Service Center to offer data and mapping analysis to support our member towns, our own programs, and other projects.
The WRC will assist municipalities in identifying grant opportunities and preparing grant applications for projects that support planning efforts, housing and economic development projects, and transportation and other public infrastructure improvements projects. As requested, the WRC will also provide project management services to administer grants and contract with towns to complete grants for projects such as town plan and bylaw updates.
The WRC manages several regional programs that implement a variety of goals and policies in the Regional Plan. These programs are discussed in greater detail throughout the Plan. Regional programs benefit our whole region and also can provide additional technical support and assistance to member towns that supplements the general municipal planning assistance described above. Funding is received from various state and federal grant sources and programs are dependent on the continuation of these funding streams. The WRC also regularly manages and implements other special projects that may be funded by the State to support different priorities and initiatives. These are usually shorter term, running for up to several years, and entail coordinating with municipalities.
BROWNFIELD PROGRAM
The WRC manages the Windham Region Brownfields Reuse Initiative (WRBRI) with funding from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate brownfields redevelopment in the region’s towns. The program conducts site assessments, cleanups, and related activities at brownfield sites. The WRBRI also provides landowners with a better understanding of the funding sources, benefits, and tax incentives available to redevelop such sites.
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
The Transportation Planning Initiative (TPI) is a partnership between VTrans and WRC that provides transportation planning support and resources to the region’s towns. Local communities are represented through a regional Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC prioritizes projects, identifies local and regional transportation needs, and provides a platform for public involvement in the planning and development of the state’s transportation system in the Windham Region. The WRC serves as the point of delivery for the statewide transportation planning process to support local, regional, state, and federal transportation network advancement. Specific tasks completed by WRC staff include assisting towns with transportation-related grants, conducting transportation inventories, assisting with the transportation element for town plan updates, conducting road erosion inventories, and serving as a Municipal Project Manager for transportation projects.
WATER QUALITY PLANNING
The WRC works with the Agency of Natural Resources to implement the State’s Clean Water Initiative through basin planning and assistance to towns to meet statutory and regulatory requirements. This work includes engaging with municipalities to develop tactical basin plans, providing technical assistance and data collection activities, assisting with prioritizing water quality improvement projects, and supporting municipal planning and adoption of regulations to better meet State water quality policies.
EMERGENCY PLANNING
The WRC works with its member towns, Vermont Emergency Management, local emergency responders and emergency management directors (EMDs), mutual aid organizations, the Red Cross, Vermont Agency of Transportation, and the State Emergency Response Commission to promote better emergency planning and disaster resilient communities. One example is holding regular Roundtables with EMDs and Fire Chiefs that cover relevant topics. The WRC also works or has worked with the vast majority of member towns to develop or update Local Hazard Mitigation Plans.
ENERGY PLANNING
The WRC works with its member towns on a variety of energy-related projects. Following the passage of Act 174 in 2016, the WRC received funding from the State to support towns in developing Enhanced Energy Plans that give municipal plans greater weight in the Section 248 process. Currently, the WRC is working with the State Agency of Administration on the Municipal Energy Resilience Program. This program provides staff support, technical assistance, and funding to increase energy resilience, reduce energy use and costs, and curb greenhouse gas emissions by promoting weatherization, fuel switching, renewable energy, and other improvements in municipal buildings.
The WRC will complete studies or projects with regional interest that will be beneficial for member towns. In some cases, these studies will be undertaken because there are efficiencies in the WRC managing a project that includes specific plans and recommendations for individual municipalities versus separate towns completing projects on their own. For example, a recommendation in this Plan is for the WRC to hire a consultant to complete a regional village water and wastewater needs assessment and feasibility plan.
Other studies will focus more on issues that span municipal boundaries and benefit from taking a regional approach, such as the recommendation of completing a regional open space and recreation plan and a region-wide housing needs assessment. Specific studies or projects identified in the Regional Plan are listed out in the Implementation Matrix. The WRC may identify and pursue other priority regional projects before completing the next update to this Regional Plan. The WRC’s ability to complete these types of regional planning studies and projects is limited by the availability of funding.
COORDINATION WITH STATE, REGIONAL, AND PRIVATE/NON-PROFIT ENTITIES
Much of the work to implement the Regional Plan needs to be done in collaboration with state agencies, regional organizations, and private and non-profit entities. An important role that WRC plays is to coordinate efforts between these groups and local municipalities to help carry out common goals and priorities. There are also efficiencies in these partnerships that can secure more resources for the region. The core funding received from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development is the main revenue source for supporting the WRC’s staff time on these efforts.
At the state level, the WRC regularly works with the Department of Transportation, Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Health, and Department of Housing and Community Development on a variety of efforts and projects that impact and benefit member towns and the region. The WRC also participates in the state legislative policy process when requested to provide expert opinion on deficiencies and possible improvements to existing state laws, in particular related to land use, development, natural resources, and municipal governance. The WRC is an active participant in the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies, the statewide association of regional planning commissions.
Under state law, towns are able to create agreements, compacts, and districts amongst themselves to undertake certain types of projects or provide services to residents that address goals and policies in the Regional Plan. Examples in the Windham Region include solid waste districts, union school districts, and fire and water districts. WRC staff also regularly collaborates and participates in regional groups and initiatives that help further the Plan’s goals and policies, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies, Southeast Vermont Transit, and the Housing Coalition of Southeast Vermont.
Finally, the non-profit and private sectors play an important role in the implementation of the Plan. There are numerous non-profit organization that provide social services, health care, and affordable housing for Windham Region residents and WRC staff will coordinate with these different entities as needed. Conservation groups, such as the Vermont Land Trust and the Putney Mountain Association, work on preserving lands in the region with important natural resources and often provide recreational opportunities as well. The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and Vermont Preservation Trust also provide funding for farmland preservation, land conservation, and historic property preservation and rehabilitation.