The legislative transportation committees are honing in on targets for revenue generation, and the Senate and House are taking different approaches.

The Senate Transportation Committee is recommending a reduction in the pennies per gallon tax on gasoline by 7.5 cents (from 19 cents to 11.5 cents) beginning May 1, 2013 while adding a four percent assessment on the retail price of gas as soon as May 1, 2013, which implements the revenue generation immediately. Additionally, the Senate bill raises the tax on diesel fuel by two cents per gallon in both FY14 and FY15.  The Senate bill also adds $1.74 million in toll credits - for a grand total of $20.3 million targeted by the Senate and $21.8 million targeted by the House.

The House Transportation Committee version phases the increases in gas taxes in over a few years.  Both Committees are supporting $10.4 million in transportation infrastructure bonding.  As the bills hit the floor of the House and Senate expect significant discussion on these details.

The Robert Wood Johnson's County Health Rankings and Roadmaps has been released, and compares each county to others in the State, as well as the National average. We rank first of the 14 Vermont counties in all but two areas: Morbidity (we're in 2nd) and Physical Environment (we're 10th!)
See the full rankings here.

Go! Chittenden County on TV 
CCRPC Staff Member Bryan Davis appears on WCAX morning news to talk about the Go! Chittenden County initiative. Check it out here.

Take the Park-It Pledge! with CarShare Vermont
Sign-up for the challenge by May 18th, and you'll get a FREE membership to CarShare and driving credits with CarShare Vermont, generous monthly driving credits, free CCTA bus passes, bike commuter perks, and other great transportation resources to help make getting around a breeze.  Learn more and sign-up at http://www.parkitpledge.org/

 
It Takes a Village... 

New Application Guidelines Available for Village Center Designations - The Vermont Village Center Designation program supports local revitalization efforts by providing technical assistance, tax credits and state funding to help designated municipalities build strong communities. Applicants must first contact Richard Amore, Planning Coordinator with the Vermont Downtown Program: richard.amore@state.vt.us (802) 828-5229 to discuss the application process. 

 

Atlas of Rural & Small-Town America
Looking for data to help with a grant? Need to update town plans? Visit the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America, from USDA's Economic Research Service department! See how your community compares to others in the county, state, and country. This online mapping tool is easy-to-use and shows trends in four main areas:
♦ People (using demographics from the American
Community Survey),
♦ Jobs (using economic and job data from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics),
♦ Agriculture (using data from the Census of Agriculture),
and
♦ County classifications (rural-urban continuum,
poverty, population change, etc.).  

 

Click here for the online Atlas of Rural & Small Town America 

 

Emergency Response Guidebook Free App!

 

Emergency responders take note: The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a free, mobile webapp of its Emergency Response Guidebook 2012 (ERG). The new safety tool will provide emergency responders with fast, easily accessible information to help manage hazardous material incidents.  The 2012 version of the ERG includes new evacuation tables for large toxic gas spills and standard response procedures for gas and liquid pipeline incidents.

Visit http://phmsa.dot.gov for links to download this

software from Apple iTunes and Google Play websites.

Paul Luciano is the CCRPC lead on Emergency Management issues, including LEPC, so if you have any questions, he's the man. pluciano@ccrpcvt.org. 

Blood Donors Needed

If you are now eligible please consider giving blood at the Red Cross Center at 32 No. Prospect St in Burlington. All blood types are needed at this time. Walk in or by appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS or online at redcrossblood.org. Open Monday - Friday, 9 am to 6 pm and 7:30 - 1 on Saturday. Enter to win a pair of Red Sox tickets & FREE  $5 Coupon for Freihofer's outlet store.  

Lake Champlain International Recognized for BLUE Certification Program

Lake Champlain International's BLUE Certification Program was recognized by  (LCI) was recognized by the Water Environment Federation as one of five innovative programs to motivate people to implement green infrastructure practices in a nationally circulated publication they host. The BLUE Certification Program recognizes homeowners who implement watershed-friendly enhancements to their properties. More motivators a the WEF website.   

Make Money by Saving Energy

Have you been thinking about looking into energy efficiency improvements in your home but just haven't gotten around to it? With the Home Energy Efficiency Challenge going on, now's the time!     

There's LOTS of things you can do, with different financial investments and outcomes.  

Click here to take the pledge to do something to improve the energy efficiency of your home!   

Senior Planner Melanie Needle is our go-to gal for climate change and energy issues, as also works a lot with visualizing data and mapping.  Please contact her if you and your neighbors would like support setting up an Energy Challenge in your town. mneedle@ccrpcvt.org

Congratulations to Colchester, Williston and Essex Junction for Transportation Alternatives Grants from VTrans!

Three of our towns are advancing our Transportation Demand Management (TDM) goals while encouraging physical activity. Colchester, Essex Junction and Williston were all awarded $250,000 grants for work on alternative transportation and safety projects: 

The Forgotten 20 Percent: Land Use Development and Conservation Challenges in Rural America

A symposium presented by the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law Friday, April 19th, 2013 at Vermont Law School 

This symposium will address a wide range of cutting-edge topics facing rural America, including:

• Demographic trends in Vermont and in other rural areas across the country and the world
• Alternative strategies for effective conservation of rural back country areas
• Approaches for providing affordable, high quality internet, transportation and other public services
• Exploring the state of the rural housing stock and rural economy
• Examining the benefits and burdens of use-value taxation, such as the widely used "current use" tax programs

Vermont Foodbank Hunger Action Conference 

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, Sheraton Burlington Conference Center   

What new questions will help us create innovative solutions to complex challenges, like hunger in our community? The 2013 Vermont Foodbank Hunger Action Conference has been designed to help us discover "what works" to create positive change around complex social issues. Featured presenters will lead a day of experiential learning using some of the latest and best practices for creating positive change. Visit www.vtfoodbank.org for a detailed agenda and registration form.  

Spring Planning and Zoning Forum

Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

co-sponsored by the VLCT Municipal Assistance Center and the

Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association

The Spring Planning and Zoning Forum offers participants a chance to discuss pressing issues in municipal planning and zoning with officials from across the state. This workshop is designed for all local officials involved in the local planning and development review process. Zoning administrators, planning commissioners, DRB/ZBA members, town administrators and managers, municipal planners, and regional planning commission staff are all encouraged to attend.

Registration fees $60-$150. For more info and to register, visit VLCT online.  

Senior Planner Regina Mahony [rmahony@ccrcpvt.org] in the CCRPC office is our resident expert on Form Based Codes, and numerous planning and zoning- related issues, like Act 250 permitting. We're thinking about putting together a self-study primer on Form Based Codes (perhaps as a PPT presentation)...if this is something you would find helpful for your Committees or communicating with residents, please let us know by contacting Communication Manager Andrea Grayson agrayson@ccrpcvt.org.  

2013 3SquaresVT Outreach Conference

Thursday, May 30, 2013, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM 

Summer Course Opportunity:

UVM School and Workplace Emergency Planning and Response

1 Credit Hour

The course foundation is built upon the use of FEMA incident command and communication system protocols.   School, business, and organization leaders and  emergency responders will receive practical, activity-based information and resources, all designed to prevent, prepare for,and respond effectively to all types of school and community emergencies.  Secret Service analysis of student shooters in U.S.schools will set the stage for the importance of implementing harassment and bullying prevention policies,integral to comprehensive school and organization crisis prevention.

Who Should Enroll: School administrators, business and organization leaders, facility/operations managers,law enforcement, and fire,hazmat, rescue and related emergency responders.

Meeting Dates June 18 July 11 - 5:00 to 7:30 PM

Location:University of Vermont, Lafayette L408

Register: http://learn.uvm.edu/register/

For further information please contact: Winton Goodrich 802-652-7256 (office) / wgoodrich@sbschools.net

Start Planning Your Fun Now!  

Way to Go! Commuter Challenge will be May 13-18    

This annual event encourages Vermonters to try a new way of getting to work. Save some cash, have some fun! Each year more and more businesses, towns, and neighborhoods create teams to out-do their counterparts. Will Shelburne beat out Essex? Will VT Teddy Bear beat out IBM? Who will win the Carbon Cup?  For details and to sign-up, visit www.waytogovt.org.  

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires, to the fullest extent possible, that the policies, regulations, and laws of the Federal Government be interpreted and administered in accordance with Federal environmental protection goals. NEPA also requires Federal agencies to use an interdisciplinary approach in planning and decisionmaking for any action that adversely impacts the environment.