Vermont’s local government employees and volunteers have a lot on their plate as they work to effectively manage daily municipal concerns as well as preparing for their community’s future. The Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP)’s Municipal Leader Network provides an opportunity for these leaders to meet, talk through shared problems, get access to expert help, and learn from peers.
SVEP plans to offer several of these in-person gatherings per year for municipal leaders, hoping the gatherings will serve as an invaluable resource, helping aggregate needs and provide practical, actionable solutions to issues that are shared across towns.
The first gathering of the group was a ‘Town Building Symposium’ that took place on Thursday, August 28th at the Wardsboro Town Hall.
Town administrators, planning Commission Chairs, and Select Board members from 15 different towns across Southern Vermont attended the event, with attendees coming from every corner of Southern Vermont, from Pownal to Westminster.
The group opened with a poll that showed that most towns own 3 or more buildings, many of which are underutilized. In addition, many if not most of those buildings have unmet needs (accessibility, energy efficiency, and deferred maintenance).
Presentations from expert presenters as well as fellow town administrators showed how towns can start addressing some of those needs and achieve generational stability for Town assets, both through major renovation projects as well as ongoing work on capital planning.
Attendees then moved to breakout sessions that covered activating and repurposing buildings for community use, help with accessibility and energy efficiency projects, and resources and ideas for supporting long term capital planning.
Representatives from Windham shared a timeline of their school reuse project and resources they had found helpful, including a feasibility study and engagement supported by VCRD. Architect Jon Saccocio of Stevens and Associates helped provide some insights based on his firm’s work with multiple towns (including Windham). He shared the need for community engagement, and demonstrated how experts like architects can help constituents get clarity on what is possible for a project, presenting options at multiple cost points. Saccoccio emphasized the need for project champions, as well as broad community support, in order to see these generational renovation and reuse projects across the finish line.
In the capital planning breakout, towns got clarity around how capital planning can dovetail with or emerge from other planning processes that are regularly undertaken, like Local Hazard Mitigation Plans and Town Plans. Matt Bachler, a senior planner from Windham Regional Commission, pointed out that the engagement required for those processes can also be a good opportunity to pull in volunteers and also to increase communication needed for long term capital planning. Martha Cornwell, Special Projects Coordinator from Shaftsbury, VT, shared some good process tips and tricks to keep capital projects and planning manageable for Select Boards. The ultimate goal is to allow the Select Board to be aware of project progress, budget management, and upcoming decision points, without getting overwhelmed by all the project details.
In the energy/accessibility breakout, towns dug into specific projects they were working on and got in touch directly with a roster of services they could use, including learning about a new program from the VT Bond Bank (EERP) that can provide flexible financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Representatives from VT’s Department of Buildings and General Services, Efficiency Vermont, and Preservation Trust of VT shared how their organizations can work together with towns to find support, savings, and funding sources to help complete projects.
Participants left with practical tips and resources they could put into place immediately. All attendees immensely benefited from the chance to meet with peers and left feeling supported and empowered to carry out their work!
If you’d like to receive slides and presentations from the Town Building Symposium, please contact SVEP program manager Meg Staloff at mstaloff@brattleborodevelopment.com.
About Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP)
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Southern Vermont Economy Project provides training and technical assistance to increase local capacity, skills, and resources in the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone (encompassing Bennington and Windham counties, and the town of Weston) in order to advance local projects critical to Southern Vermont achieving regional community, economic, and workforce development goals. SVEP is funded in part through the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/svep/
