VT Community Energy and Climate Action Conference

The University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) invite you to attend the second annual Vermont Community Energy and Climate Action Conference. The conference will take place at the Lake Morey Inn in Fairlee Vermont on Saturday, December 5th from 8:00-4:00. Conference registration is now open! For complete information and to register on-line, go to: http://www.regonline.com/VTEnergy.

Building on a very successful first conference last year (over 220 attendees), this conference is for those interested in how Vermont communities can take action to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy for municipal government, businesses, and residents. The conference is geared toward town energy committee members, selectboard and city council members, conservation commissioners, professional and citizen planners, town public works staff, environmental business professionals, state government officials, academics, and concerned citizens.

The day will include concurrent workshop presentations, regional break-out meetings, and general sessions. The goal for the day is to provide strategies communities can implement to reduce energy costs and reduce the damaging greenhouse gasses released into the environment. Participants will gain an increased understanding of a wide range of local opportunities for tackling energy and climate change at the local level, while also having an opportunity to network with other Vermont communities.

The opening address will be delivered by Patrick Parenteau, Professor of Law and Senior Counsel, Environmental & Natural Resources Law Clinic at the Vermont Law School and the afternoon keynote will be delivered by Senator Bernie Sanders (invited) who will discuss progress on the climate change bill currently making its way through Congress.

Workshop topics include:

- Community Wind: Has Its Time Come for Vermont?
- Bio-Energy: Behind Every Good Community Project is Good Resource Planning
- Local Energy Projects in Vermont: A Smorgasbord of Opportunities
- Locating the Money and Resources Needed to Move Energy Projects Forward
- Community-Based Energy Efficiency Teams
- Building Resilient Energy Committees and Cultivating Partners
- Communities Go Solar!
- Local Energy Planning: A Powerful Climate Action Tool
- Transportation and Energy Link: Tools and Approaches to Promoting Alternative - Transportation in Your Community
- Improving Efficiency in Municipal and School Facilities and Operations
- Beyond Local: State, National and International Efforts to Tackle Climate Change
- Amplifying Your Message and Leveraging New Media and Social Marketing Opportunities

Central Vermont Housing Menu now online

The Central Vermont Housing Menu is a housing-related planning and zoning tool kit for local communities. The publication includes definitions of a variety of housing strategies, how the strategies can be applied in Vermont, the benefits or outcomes of implementing the strategies, suggestions or companion strategies and examples of where they have been implemented in Vermont. To check it out visit the "Publications" web page and scroll down to the 'Housing' section or simply copy and paste the following address into your web browser http://www.centralvtplanning.org/PDF%20copy%20housing%20menu%20july%2009.pdf

We are interested to hear what you think about the publication, please send comments to clarerock@cvregion.com.

Introducing CVRPC

WHAT IS CVRPC?

CVRPC is a regional planning organization working with and for twenty-three municipalities in Central Vermont, including all the towns in Washington County and three towns in Orange County; Orange, Washington, and Williamstown. Our mission is to assist member municipalities in providing effective local government and to work cooperatively with them to address regional issues. We also work with area non-profits, other regional organizations, State and Federal agencies, and the general public.

Formed in 1967, CVRPC is one of Vermont's eleven regional commissions. Local representatives to the Commission are appointed by the legislative bodies of each municipality. The Commission meets monthly with topics covering a broad range of Central Vermont concerns: regional land use issues, local growth center identification and evaluation, economic development, natural resource issues, public/private sector cooperation, and review of Act 250 projects. CVRPC is uniquely positioned to coordinate and guide activities between state and local governments.

Additional information about CVRPC’s services, as well as the Central Vermont Regional Plan, can be found on our web site at www.centralvtplanning.org.

COMMISSION PROGRAMS

Technical Assistance

CVRPC provides direct hands-on help to local officials on a range of activities:

development and review of municipal plans, zoning bylaws, subdivision regulations,
impact fee ordinances, capital budget plans, and other local planning tools;
regional data collection, analysis and interpretation through our roles as a GIS Service Center and a U.S. Census Data Center;
professional assistance and opinions on local ordinances and bylaw administration;
obtaining and administering grant funds for community development, housing, economic development, capital improvements, recreation, conservation, and infrastructure improvements.

GIS Service Center

CVRPC is designated as an official Geographic Information System (GIS) Service Center. We provide a variety of maps to municipalities, and develop and maintain computerized regional databases that are compatible with GIS data standards. . Hundreds of data sets are now included on the system. This information helps select boards, planning commissioners, listers, and other municipal officials to better fulfill their duties and responsibilities.

Regional Planning

CVRPC's comprehensive Regional Plan is used to guide growth and development in the Region. The Plan is useful to local communities as a resource in the preparation of local plans, and is also used in the Act 250 review process to evaluate major land use developments and subdivisions.

Transportation Planning

CVRPC is also an active player in Vermont=s Transportation Planning Initiative (TPI). This program is designed to include all segments of the public in planning improvements to the transportation system. It expands local decision making and planning of transportation priorities, projects, and long range plans. CVRPC has an active Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) to address transportation issues in Central Vermont.

Intergovernmental Planning and Coordination

One of CVRPC's primary functions is to help communities work together to solve problems. Our work with union municipal districts exemplifies this mission.

Taking advantage of a provision in Vermont Statutes which allows municipalities to pool their resources to serve their common needs, CVRPC helped facilitate the formation of the Mad River Valley Planning District (Fayston, Waitsfield, and Warren) and the Wrightsville Beach Recreation District (Montpelier, East Montpelier, Worcester, and Middlesex) over a decade ago, and more recently, the Mad River Resource Management Alliance. We have been providing technical and administrative support to these organizations ever since, thereby ensuring that they continue to provide the benefits for which they were created.

In addition, CVRPC serves State agencies and the Executive branch of government. We often sponsor various public forums on behalf of State agencies, and serve as a conduit for the exchange of information and technical support to our member municipalities. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.centralvtplanning.org. You will find links to Central Vermont municipalities that have web sites, as well as links to other planning resources.


Central VT Regional Planning Commission, 29 Main Street, Suite 4, Montpelier VT 05602
Phone: (802) 229-0389 FAX (802) 223-1977; cvrpc@cvregion.com