Upcoming Events

Extreme Weather Preparedness Workshop

CVRPC is notifying our member municipalities about a planning workshop for extreme temperature events on Friday December 13th at 11am. We will offer both an in-person and hybrid option. The Vermont Department of Health is providing funding to support development of local hot/ cold weather emergency plans. Please let us know if you are interested in attending a workshop to develop extreme temperature emergency planning in your community by December 11th, 2024. We expect that most plans will address strategies such as: 

·                    Public outreach about risks and safety tips 

·                    Opening and advertising heating/cooling centers or shelters 

·                    Working with partners to check in on and assist community members at highest risk for experiencing a heat illness 

·                    Mobilizing extra emergency response personnel for standby assignments or safety checks 

Increasingly hot weather is already taking a toll in Vermont, including at least four heat-related deaths during a 6-day heat wave in 2018. While that heat wave was severe for Vermont, we expect more frequent and harmful hot weather episodes in the future. Well over 1,000 people were killed during a 2021 heat wave in the Northwestern US and Western Canada, an area with a similar summer climate to Vermont. It’s important to plan now for similarly extreme heat in Vermont, as many heat-related deaths are preventable with proper planning. 

We are still aware that cold weather conditions can impact our region especially in combination with power outages. These combined temperature extremes pose a risk to our communities and proper planning can go a long way in how we address these issues and develop our response. 

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/6mHWcQYvFqfzFRqXA  

FIND RESOURCES HERE: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LxN1BHbDwf3XKxgDNaivR_R3jKWwo2UP?usp=sharing

Read more about Central Vermont's Regional Heat Vulnerability Profile here >>

Join CVRPC for a Land Use Reform Municipal Training on December 19th @ 6:00 pm. Zoom link available here.

RFPs & Grant Information

2025 Downtown Transportation Fund Grants Available

The Department of Housing and Community Development is pleased to announce the availability of the Downtown Transportation Fund https://accd.vermont.gov/community-development/funding-incentives/downtown-transportation-fund (DTF) to support revitalization efforts in Designated Downtowns and eligible Designated Village Centers. Since 1999, the DTF program has invested over $16 million in public infrastructure and helped municipalities update streetscaping, parking, rail, and bus facilities, bicycle and pedestrian safety, utilities, street lighting, and wayfinding signage. These vital infrastructural improvements to civic center’s directly contribute to healthier and happier communities.

Eligibility for Designated Village Centers

The Downtown Transportation Fund has expanded eligibility to Designated Village Centers that have participated in the Better Connections Program and Designated Village Centers within Chittenden County that have completed a comprehensive downtown/village center/community area planning process with public input, comparable to the Better Connections Program. See the program application for a full list of eligible municipalities.

Application Deadline: February 17, 2025 @ 5:00 p.m.

Please note that the application includes a preliminary project review by Historic Preservation, which must be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the application deadline. 

See the 2025 Downtown Transportation Fund Guidance and Application for complete details of the program. The maximum grant amount is $200,000 with a 20% match requirement. 

Please contact Natalie Elvidge at Natalie.Elvidge@vermont.gov if you have questions or need assistance. Applicants are strongly encouraged to set up a pre-application meeting to discuss project ideas.