Upcoming Events

Vermont Municipal Officials and Staff Boat Trip 2025

Tuesday, July 15th, 2025, from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Please arrive by 12:45 PM. 

On Lake Champlain aboard the R/V Marcelle Melosira. Please meet at the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab (3 College Street, Burlington, VT).

Lake Champlain Sea Grant at the University of Vermont invite Vermont municipal officials and staff aboard the University of Vermont research and education vessel, the R/V Marcelle Melosira for an educational boat trip. This includes, but not limited to, town managers and members of municipal governing boards (e.g., department heads, planning, zoning, and conservation boards). Municipal officials will see the region from a different angle and learn about flood resiliency and water quality impacts on Lake Champlain. Pre-registration is required for this event.

Register Online Here

Trip Description: During this excursion on Lake Champlain, participants will board the Marcelle Melosira, a state-of-the-art hybrid-electric research vessel. They will have an opportunity to share their flood response & resilience efforts and build relationships across communities within watersheds. Participants will learn more about Lake Champlain, its tributaries, and ways to improve resilience to flooding and water-related hazards. 

Free Event: There is no registration cost for Vermont municipal officials and staff. 

Additional Information: All participants must be in close-toed shoes to board the boat. Paid parking is available on site.  

Regional Selectboard Meet-Up

July 17, 2025 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm | Montpelier Senior Activity Center, 58 Barre St, Montpelier, VT 05602

Selectboard members, city councilors, and village trustees from across the Central Vermont region are invited to meet each other, network, and share successes and challenges in their municipalities. The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) and Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) are hosting this informal gathering at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center – 58 Barre Street in Montpelier. Complimentary pizza and soft drinks will be served starting at 5:30 pm

Christian Meyer, Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission Executive Director, and Abby Friedman, VLCT Municipal Assistance Center Director, will be on hand to facilitate discussion, answer questions, and provide updates. This event is free, but registration is necessary to plan for space and refreshments.

Registration link – Central Vermont Selectboard Meet-Up  (Anyone who needs help with online registration can contact 802-262-1926 or afriedman@vlct.org)

2025 VCRD Leadership Summit

The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has announced their 2025 Vermont Community Leadership Summit: Communities in Action! The event will take place on Monday, August 11th at Vermont State University in Randolph, Vermont.

Join hundreds of community builders from across the state to gain skills and cultivate connections for a vibrant future. Workshops, panels, and networking sessions will explore how we work together to get things done, even when times are tough and resources are limited. There will be many topics to choose from including this year’s optional Participation Pathways: Community Leadership Skills; Arts and Culture: Building Community, Solving Problems; From Idea to Action; or Navigating Change and Uncertainty.

All who want to support their community and the future of the state are welcome and encouraged to attend! Visit vtrural.org/summit to learn more.

Community News

Join the CVRPC Team

CVRPC is looking for a full-time planner with broad life experience, and a commitment to helping Central Vermont municipalities. The strongest candidates will have experience working with municipalities & volunteer committees, delivering projects on schedule, working in teams, and experience with transportation safety planning and municipal planning. Experience with GIS and geospatial analysis preferred. The selected candidate will work with our community planning team supporting the development of several central Vermont municipalities as they updated their municipal plans, as well as supporting our transportation department as it develops a regional safety action plan. Candidates with all levels of experience are encouraged to apply. The salary range for this position is $46,000 to $66,000 dependent on qualifications. Funding for this position is guaranteed for one year. A review of applications will begin July 22, 2025. Further details and job descriptions are available at: https://centralvtplanning.org/news/job-postings/ 

Regional Future Land Use Mapping - Municipal Meetings

In 2024 the Vermont Legislature passed Act 181 which updated Act 250 (Vermont’s statewide land use permitting) to create a tiered framework for location-based jurisdiction. Act 181 requires Regional Planning Commissions to develop future land use maps as part of the regional planning process. The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission is currently working on a draft future land use map and updates to the Regional Plan. Our Land Use Planning Team would like to schedule a time to meet with your Selectboard, Planning Commission, representatives of other municipal Boards and Commissions and the public to discuss Act 181’s tiered framework, future land use areas and the draft Regional Future Land Use Map. We are asking for 30 minutes of time on an upcoming Selectboard or Planning Commission agenda to engage your community on this topic. We aim to visit with all 23 of our member municipalities by November 2025 and anticipate submitting the Regional Future Land Use Map for state approval by January 2026. For more information or to schedule a meeting in your community please contact Brian Voigt (voigt@cvregion.com) and Niki Sabado (sabado@cvregion.com). We look forward to meeting with you!

Homes For All

Later this summer DHCD expects to launch an effort to train and support small-scale builders who use the Homes for All Toolkit. If you are interested in helping solve Vermont’s housing crisis by building or rehabbing an apartment, please sign up to receive Homes for All updates.

NBRC Announces Grant Awards

On June 23^rd, the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) announced $53.9 million in new awards as part of the Commission’s Spring Round competition across its Catalyst and Timber for Transit programs. The 69 awards will benefit communities throughout the Commission’s member states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

In the Central Vermont region, Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary Project in Orange, received NBRC funds to be used to conduct a feasibility study for expanding childcare facilities and outdoor recreation infrastructure, addressing critical service gaps in rural Vermont. This initiative will enhance workforce participation by increasing licensed after-school care and boost local tourism through improved nature trails and eco-tourism programs. By integrating childcare with conservation education and outdoor recreation, SMBS aims to strengthen economic resilience, promote environmental sustainability, and support community well-being. Grant Amount: $100,000.00 Total Project Amount: $294,000.00

Legacy Designation Applications/Amendments

Community Investment Board (formerly Downtown Board) meetings for legacy designation for the remainder of the year will take place in September and October. As such, CP+R encourages all applicants for the legacy designation programs to set up a pre-application meeting by August 2025 to ensure adequate lead time before final submission to the Board. It is common -- especially with the Neighborhood Development Area designation -- that changes to the draft application and bylaw amendments are needed by the municipality to be ready and eligible for designation. Municipalities considering legacy designation are encouraged to work with local officials and the regional planning commission to understand the amount of lead time required for potential bylaw revisions, etc. The time needed may exceed the timeframe available, in which case, interested municipalities should focus on the new designation framework with their regional planning commission.

NEW DESIGNATION

Approval of the new regional plan future land use maps will transition legacy designations and establish the new designated centers and neighborhoods. This option provides a pathway for designation that may or may not be possible under the legacy programs.

MORE INFORMATION

More detail about the legacy and new designation framework is available here.