Proctor's Town Hall was constructed in 1836.

In Saturday’s Rutland Herald, Stephanie M. Peters wrote about the Commission’s Public Building Energy Program. Using funds from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Vermont Department of Public Service, the RRPC is organizing comprehensive energy audits for one public building in every town around the region.

The article pictures a laptop-controlled blower door in action at Proctor Town Hall.  Read the article, or learn more about the RRPC’s energy programs.

The beauty of Vermont Route 30 as it winds through the Taconic Mountains is unmatched: in Rupert and Pawlet, the road bisects flat valley farms extending to the edges of steep forested hillsides; through Wells the road follows the eastern shore of Lake St. Catherine before reaching Poultney’s classic Main Street. All along the route, small villages compliment the working landscape.

Despite the corridor’s pastoral nature, its sights unseen—buried by time and soil—that lend their name to the new Stone Valley Byway. The nation’s finest marble and slate quarries sent thousands of tons of ancient rock beyond Vermont to build grand edifices—including the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress’ Jefferson Building—and to roof millions of homes.

Prominent legacies remain. Premium slate is still quarried for roofing and flooring needs, and colored slates create intricate designs on the roofs of many old barns. Descendants of the skilled Welsh, Polish, and Italian immigrants employed to extract, handle, and detail marble and slate contribute greatly to the region’s contemporary cultural diversity.

In March 2010, signs recognizing the Stone Valley Byway were installed in Manchester, Dorset, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells, and Poultney. The town of Castleton is considering joining the byway designation. The route is one of six designated scenic byways drawing tourists to Vermont’s finest travel corridors.

Learn more about the Stone Valley Byway

RRPC Senior Planner Susan Schreibman offers the following updates:

Schedule

• Stafford forestry students have begun clearing and grubbing behind Northwest School.
• Construction is estimated to begin in 2011.

Engineering & Design

• VTrans has approved the project design plans.
• All design and permits (state and local) for segments 1 through 4 have been obtained.
• Draft right-of-way plans for segments 2 through 4 are under development.

Funding

• The $300,000 VTrans Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant was awarded this spring for construction of Segment 1 - from Giorgetti Park to State Street.
• Entire path is estimated to cost $1.8 m from Giorgetti Park to Dorr Drive; we need to raise $360,000 for local match for future grants.
• Over $125,000 from grants and private sector have been spent for topographical survey, design engineering and right-of-way plans.
• The $30,000 VTrans TE grant received in 2007 is available for use during the construction phase.
• Grants, cash, and in-kind services have been received from City of Rutland, GE, local contractors, organizations and attorneys.

Due to the anticipated downgrades in state revenues, the Municipal Planning Grant Program has been put on hold.  It is our hope that there will be adequate revenues to fund these important municipal planning projects, however, the uncertain economic future makes it prudent for us to wait until later in this fiscal year before we can make a decision to issue new grants.

If we are able to move ahead with these grants later on, we will notify municipalities  4-6 weeks in advance of any future application deadline.  In the meantime, the MPG application training sessions that had been scheduled over the next month have been cancelled, but will be rescheduled if we are able to move ahead with this Program later in the year.

Please pass this information on to other members of your Municipal Planning Commission.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Planning Coordinators: Sue Minter (828-3119) or Faith Ingulsrud (828-5228).

• To connect an economically viable and diverse agricultural industry with local communities and consumers,
• To promote a diverse agricultural industry which supports dynamic communities, and
• To connect all people in Rutland county area to local agriculture resulting in viable farms and communities.

RAFFL’s two major project are characterized by big vision and an inclusive, regional outlook. The Locally Grown Guide is a popular annual publication listing farms, farmstands, farmers markets, value-added processors and restaurants / grocers selling local food.

RAFFL is also working to assess and identify needed processing and storage facilities to serve the region’s farmers. These facilities will allow for year-round access to local food, additional value-added marketing options and improved ability to serve the volume needs of institutional cafeterias.

To better understand the need of processing infrastructure in our region, RAFFL has partnered with the City of Rutland on a Vermont Community Devemopment Program planning grant that will allow them to determine the market feasibility of a processing facility. This work will enable them to plan for an economically sustainable facility that would serve the needs of the region’s farmers, specialty food processors and institutional kitchens such as schools and the hospitals.

You can find out more about RAFFL and their working by visiting www.rutlandfarmandfood.org or by sending an email to rutlandfarmandfood@gmail.com.

Overview

For fiscal year 2010, the Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development (DEHCD, formerly DHCA), will grant approximately $400,000 to municipalities to promote community planning, revitalization and development activities that maintain Vermont’s land use goal of compact settlements separated by rural lands.

The Municipal Planning Grant Program funds a wide range of municipal planning projects as allowed by 24 V.S.A. Section 4306 (b). This year, due to reduced funding, priority will be given to: bylaw updates that bring them into conformance with the municipal plan (a 2011 statutory requirement); municipal plans and updates that are addressing a demonstrated need; and application for growth center and Vermont neighborhood designations.

Grant funds are regionally apportioned, based on the percentage of municipalities with confirmed planning processes within each of the 11 Regional Planning Commission (RPC) regions. Eligible municipalities compete within their region for grant funding. Funding decisions are made by the DEHCD Commissioner, based on the competitive criteria listed under Grant Selection Process below.

Grant-Related Dates

• RPC Confirmation of Municipal Planning Process: by September 30, 2009.
• Application Deadline: September 30, 2009.
• Award Decisions: End of November 2009.
• Mid-project Report Due: September 21, 2010.
• Project Completion and All Funds Spent: May 9, 2011.
• Final Report and Products Submitted: postmarked by June 14, 2011.

MPG projects must be completed within 18 months. No time extensions are granted.

Who Can Apply?

Municipalities with a local planning process that has been confirmed by September 30, 2009 are eligible to apply for grants of up to $15,000. Municipal confirmation includes formal plan approval by the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) as required by 24 V.S.A. Section 4350. Municipalities without a confirmed local planning process may apply but only to create a municipal plan intended for regional confirmation. Municipal organizations other than the planning commission (such ast the conservation commission or the downtown revitalization organization) may apply for a grant, but only with prior approval of the planning commission and selectboard. Each municipality may submit only one application per year. Consortia are also eligible to apply for up to $25,000, with a confirmed planning process for every town.

Funding Available

Municipalities may apply for between $1,500 and $15,000; consortia may apply for up to $25,000.

Eligible Activities

The Municipal Planning Grant Program supports a range of project relating to planning and land use and promotes cooperation, collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Eligible projects must have a clear connection to planning and implementation of the municipal plan.

Funds may be used (but are not limited) to:

• Underwrite expenses for public meetings and hearings, information workshops, citizen surveys, outreach and notification costs;
• Support research, data collection, capacity studies, inventories and mapping;
• Pay planning and zoning staff for work on grant project if beyond their normal duties;
• Pay consultants, administrative staff, interns, regional planning commission staff, or legal fees associated with the project;
• Purchase development rights, easements, and titles of properties for housing and conservation purposed identified in the municipal plan; and
• Purchase materials needed to produce a plan, bylaw, or implement or administer the project, like writing supplies, maps and copies.

Funds may not be used to:

• Support political activities;
• Pay Regional Planning Commission dues;
• Reimburse expenses made before the grant is awarded;
• Subsidize tax mapping;
• Pay planning commission members or staff for performance of their normal duties;
• Capitalize a “reserve” fund for use beyond the grant period; or
• Purchase computer hardware or other equipment.

Grant Selection Process

DEHCD uses competitive criteria and statewide priorities to score and rank applications. The statewide priorities are updated annually to comply with policy initiatives or legislation. Grants are awarded based on the application scores and the amount of grant funds available within the respective regions. Competitive criteria are listed briefly below; see the project description for more detailed explanation.

Applications are scored using the following statewide priorities and criteria:

1. Application quality - up to 15 points
2. Realistic work plan and budget - up to 20 points
3. Clear linkage of proposed project to the municipal plan/Demonstrated need for municipal plan update - up to 20 points
4. Citizen participation/Partnerships and outreach - up to 15 points
5. Statewide priorities - up to 30 points.

Bonus points: Projects within and related to a designated downtown, village center, or new town center are eligible for bonus points.

For more information or to apply:

Vermont Department of Housing & Community Affairs Online Application

Additional funding for energy projects is available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program for a variety of efficiency and renewable energy initiatives (as outlined in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007).  Approximately $9.5 million will come through the state, and the rest directly to Vermont cities and towns.  Money has been directly allocated by DOE to the ten highest-population towns in each state. In Rutland County, the City of Rutland was allocated $78,900.

Of the $9.5 million of EECBG money coming through the State of Vermont, 40% ($3.8 million) is allocated by the DOE to the State Energy Program and 60% ($5.7 million) is allocated to cities and towns not receiving a direct allocation from DOE. The Department of Public Service submitted an application in June to the DOE for the funds coming to the state.

The ten Regional Planning Commissions in Vermont will each receive $80,000 for energy issues through EECBG.  The funding is very broad; eligible activities include everything from developing pedestrian paths to updating energy plans to weatherizing government buildings. More information is available at www.recovery.vermont.gov/energy.

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission will hold a special meeting of its Energy Committee to discuss plans for the money on July 21, 2009  at 6:00 pm in the Asa Bloomer Building in Rutland City. Contact Sara Gilbert at sgilbert@rutlandrpc.org or (802) 775-0871 extension 205 for more information.

The Rutland Redevelopment Authority is continuing its participation in the RRBRP to transform the former Hour Mart gas station site on West Street into a pocket park with gateway feature announcing the entrance to Downtown Rutland.  Site design has been completed and a Corrective Action Plan developed. The site will undergo remediation later this summer.

The redevelopment will not only improve the visual aesthetics of the immediate area, but it is projected to spur redevelopment of surrounding properties.  It will also address a city-wide goal of improving the city’s image and brand by sprucing a gateway into the historic downtown.

Similar projects in the region will be completed with Brownfields funding, administered through the Regional Planning Commission.  Abandoned or underused properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or perceived presence of contamination have a tool in the RRBRP to get redevelopment and community revitalization off the ground.

The RRBRP is constantly looking for new sites to enter into the program.  If you are aware of property that may be a candidate for Brownfields funding and further redevelopment, please contact Ed Bove at the Rutland Regional Planning Commission at ebove@rutlandrpc.org or (802) 775-0871 extension 208.

This is an art contest and exhibit of durable art of any size made from found objects, surplus materials, used items, recyclables, garbage or anything else that might find its way into our landfills.

All submissions will be judged and exhibited during Friday Night Live, 6:00pm - 10pm on Friday August 14, 2009 in Downtown Rutland. This is an outdoor, rain or shine event with tents and some indoor locations provided for submissions.

Sustainable Rutland is a committee of the Rutland Creative Economy. For more information : www.sustainablerutland.org or info@sustainablerutland.org.