Health Equity & Planning Survey

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission is conducting a survey of municipal officials & staff on health equity in planning. The goal of the survey is to determine how to best train and support municipal officials & staff who want to address this topic in their local planning efforts. Please click below to take the survey. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and we appreciate your responses!

The survey is part of a statewide Health Equity project being conducted by Vermont’s RPCs. The results of this survey will be used to inform a municipal training opportunity to be held this fall, as well as a written Health Equity and Planning Toolkit which will be available next year. This project is funded by the Vermont Department of Health. 

Missisquoi and Lamoille Basin Water Quality Councils Move Forward

Two new “Basin Water Quality Councils”—which will play an important role in the implementation of Vermont’s Clean Water Service Delivery Act—have been organized and are now laying the foundation for future work. 

According to Senior Planner Dean Pierce, the Councils have each elected officers and adopted Bylaws. Their members are now learning how they will help prioritize state funding to complete voluntary water quality projects in the Lamoille and Missisquoi River Basins. The funding available for these projects is in the vicinity of $2 million, Pierce notes.

Staff support for the Councils is provided by the Northwest Regional Planning Commission in its role as the Clean Water Service Provider. NRPC was selected for this role as a result of a call for proposals issued by Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation in 2020.

More information about the Basin Water Quality Councils can be found on NRPC’s website.

Free Outdoor Movie Night

Hosted by Franklin County Stormwater Collaborative 

Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, the Franklin County Stormwater Collaborative and the Saint Albans Museum invite all Lake Champlain enthusiasts to join us for a viewing of “No Other Lake,” a film created by Vermonters Jordan Rowell and Duane Peterson. After the film, the film creators will lead a Q&A session, and there will be an opportunity to connect with local organizations who contribute to the important work of improving the lake's water quality!

Bring your family! Bring a camp chair! Bring yourself! There will be some snacks but feel free to bring your own as well!

Time & Place: Friday, July 22, from 5:45 to 8:00pm. St. Albans Bay Park at the Stone Building.

To find out more information about the film and watch a trailer, please click here.

More details can be found on our Facebook event!

New Funding Resource Tool

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission and our colleagues in Northern Vermont Economic Development District (NVEDD) have created a new website that includes a Funding Resource Tool. Looking to leverage ARPA money? Need funding for a new initiative? Take advantage of this new web-based resource.

The new funding resource tool includes the ability to search for funding opportunities based upon: Category (ex. Brownfields, Water Quality, etc.), by Eligible Recipient (ex. Municipality, Non-Profit, etc.), by Funding Agency or Organization (ex. USDA, Vtrans, etc.). OR download the entire list alphabetically through Excel. The list will be updated annually in July, but will also be maintained as things change. If you know of other opportunities, please let us know.

AND, Please Share the Link!!

Reach out directly to funders with questions, but remember that the NRPC Team is here to support your work in community and economic development.

NRPC Officers Re-elected for Another Term

At the June meeting of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission Board members re-elected current officers and committee chairs to serve another term. Congratulations and thanks to everyone. Fiscal Year 2023 officers, committee chairs and representatives:

Chair

Bill Irwin

Vice-Chair

Lynn Douglas

Secretary

Andy Alling

Treasurer

Harold Garrett

Chair-Personnel

Lori Ruple

Chair-Project Review

Bob Buermann

Chair-Regional Plan & Policy Committee

Elisabeth Nance

At-large member on Executive Committee

Rowena Brown

Vermont Economic Progress Council

Albin Voegele

Green Mountain Transit

Catherine Dimitruk (Franklin County)

Bob Buermann (Grand Isle County)

Elisabeth Nance (alt. for both counties)

Youth Representative for Grand Isle County

NRPC has an opening on our Board of Commissioners for a youth member representing Grand Isle County. It only takes a few hours a month, and no special knowledge or qualifications are needed! We are looking for a Junior or Senior in High School who would like to get more involved in public service. And, it looks great on your resume and/or college applications! Please contact Catherine Dimitruk if you or someone you know is interested.