NRPC Board Elects Officers at Annual Meeting

The NRPC Board of Commissioners held their annual meeting in June, adopting the fiscal year 2027 budget and electing officers for the coming year. Nominating Committee Chair Yvon Dandurand presented the slate of nominees. Except for the Vice-Chair position, all officers were nominated and re-elected for another term. Andy Alling of North Hero had reached his term limit as Vice Chair so was unable to be nominated for re-election. The Board elected Elisabeth Nance of St. Albans City as the next Vice-Chair. Officers for FY 2027 include:

Chair: Peter Zamore

Vice-Chair: Elisabeth Nance 

Secretary: Barclay Morris

Treasurer and Chair of Finance/Operations: Kirk Waite

Chair-Personnel: Bob Buermann           

Chair-Project Review: William Irwin

Chair-Plan/Policy Committee: Lori Ruple

At-Large Member: Barbara Murphy

The Board of Commissioners extended appreciation to the returning officers and welcomed Elisabeth Nance as Vice-Chair. Andy Alling was thanked for his many years of service on the Executive Committee, starting with Secretary in 2021, and Vice-Chair in 2023. Andy remains an active Board member representing North Hero.

Franklin & Grand Isle Counties Selectboard Meet-Up

DATE: Thursday, August 20, 2026

TIME: 5:30pm – 7:00pm

PLACE: St. Albans Town Office, 398 Georgia Shore Rd., St. Albans

Selectboard members, city councilors, and village trustees from the 23 municipalities across Franklin & Grand Isle Counties are invited to meet each other, network, and share successes and challenges in their municipalities. The Northwest Regional Planning Commission and VLCT are hosting this informal gathering at the St. Albans Town Hall. Complimentary pizza and soft drinks will be served starting at 5:30pm.

Northwest Regional Planning Commission Executive Director, Catherine Dimitruk, and VLCT Municipal Assistance Director, Abby Friedman, will be on hand to facilitate discussion, answer questions, and provide updates.

This event is free, and registration is encouraged to plan for space and refreshments.



As a training and networking event, this is not a meeting of the majority of governing board members from individual towns and villages, so Open Meeting Law notice isn’t required. Regardless, attendees understand the Open Meeting Law dictates if a majority of its board members attend, they will not discuss specific business of the board that “at the time of the exchange, participating members expect to be business of the board at a later time," per 1 V.S.A. § 310(5)(C).

FY 2027 Municipal Planning Grant Applications

Due: November 2, 2026

Does your community have a planning project that could use the services and support of NRPC, a consultant, engineer or other professional?

The Vermont Municipal Planning Program provides funds for municipal plans and plan implementation projects, such as development regulation updates, feasibility or capacity studies, master plans or special area plans, capital plans and budgets, and other projects that further a project or policy in the municipal plan. Projects that promote Vermont’s historic pattern of compact settlements surrounded by working farms, forest, and open space are given priority. 

Up to $50,000 is available for single municipality applications (or $65,000 for consortium applications with a 10% match required. For more information see the 2027 Grant Guide.

If your municipality would like assistance with a grant application please contact Greta Brunswick, or Emily Klofft.

Housing Dashboard Update:

New Ways to Track Housing Growth

NRPC has updated our Housing Dashboard to show areas mapped in our 2026 Regional Plan. Visit the dashboard to see how recent trends in housing development relate to the new designated downtowns and villages, and Act 250 housing exemption areas established in the regional plan. You can view this information by clicking the buttons shown below:

Soon, NRPC will begin collecting data from our municipalities to update the dashboard with data from 2025 and 2026. Stay tuned!