Vermont

VCLN Reflections on Flood Resilience and Recovery Workshop 05/01/2024

From the Vermont Council on Rural Development:

After 10 months of recovery: how are our communities doing, what resources are serving us well, what opportunities are opening up? A panel of local, state, and federal leaders dealing with the daily ins and outs of Flood Recovery in Vermont will help us reflect on what we’ve been able to accomplish, what best practices and resources we can draw on at this point, and what the next phase of recovery and rebuilding may look like

Panelists include: Pat Moulton, Central Vermont Recovery Officer, State of Vermont; Eric Peterson, Program Manager, Disaster Case Management Program, Capstone Community Action; Sarah Henshaw, Lamoille Area Recovery Network (LeARN); Julie Hance, Chester Town Manager; and, Bonnie Waninger Federal Funding Assistance Program Specialist, Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

Secretary of State Virtual Forum on Ranked Choice Voting 05/01/2024

From the Secretary of State's Office:

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced a two-part series of virtual forums which her office will co-host with the League of Women Voters of Vermont (LWVVT) to discuss Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). As interest has grown in RCV, in the state legislature and among municipalities, interest groups and voters, the Secretary and LWVVT hope these discussions will inform the debate and raise the profile of this system of voting.

The first forum is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1st, from 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom. This session will offer an overview of Ranked Choice Voting, covering key concepts and presenting a simulation for participants to engage in to better understand what RCV is and how it works. Experts from the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center will guide the session.

The Vermont Secretary of State and the League of Women Voters will be promoting the forums in the coming weeks.

Don MacDonald Talks: Local History and Transportation 05/01/2024

Bobby Lussier, CCTV's Development Director, interviews community producer Don MacDonald about local history and transportation.

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Republican Caucus - Discussion of S.55 Update to Open Meeting Law 04/30/2024

Discussion of S.55 Update to Open Meeting Law at the House Republican Caucus.

On Tuesday, Representative Higley presented an update on the bill to the House Republican Caucus. Representative Higley said the committee was considering an amendment to allow CUDs not to comply with open meeting law requirements due to their vast geographic jurisdiction

S.55: Draft 1.3, 4-11-2024:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.55/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20and%20Legal%20Documents/S.55~Tim%20Devlin~%20Draft%201.3,%204-11-2024~5-1-2024.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Committee of Conference - Approval of VAN FY25 Request 04/30/2024

Approval of VAN FY25 Request at the Committee of Conference.

Later on Tuesday, in a blink-and-you-missed it moment, the CoC closed (approved) the language about VAN in Section E.232 of the budget:

Sec. E.232 SECRETARY OF STATE; VERMONT ACCESS NETWORK BUDGET (a) The Office of the Secretary of State shall request that Vermont Access Network submit a proposed operating budget required to maintain its current level of operation and programming. The Office of the Secretary of State shall include the proposed operating budget as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget presentation. (Line 102 in the Document linked below).

The CoC uses a document to track items they have to resolve - differences between the House and Senate versions of the FY25 budget as passed. The VAN appropriation difference can be found on Line 19 of this document, which can be found here:
https://ljfo.vermont.gov/assets/Uploads/de4906780b/GENERAL-376517-v1-H_883_-_FY_2025_Budget_Committee_of_Conference_-_Gray_Out_Document.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Committee of Conference - Discussion of VAN FY25 Request 04/30/2024

Discussion of VAN FY25 Request at the Committee of Conference.

On Tuesday, at its first meeting, the Committee of Conference (CoC) on the FY25 Budget discussed the VAN appropriation, as one of the differences in the House/Senate versions of the FY25 Budget that they will have to resolve. As you know, the House appropriated $1 million in one-time funds, and the Senate $1 million in base funding. Rep. Lanpher related this issue to S.181, saying she understood the Senate’s position relied on that bill, which currently sits in the House Energy and Environment Committee. Sen. Kitchel had been under the impression the bill was in the House Ways & Means Committee. Rep. Scheu said she thought “the bill would move soon” (we don’t believe it will). Rep. Lanpher also said “the commitment to the Vermont Access Network” is there, so it’s something of a technicality to resolve exactly how the appropriation will be made. The Committee left this item open for further discussion.

Mercy Connections: Group Visit and Program Reflections 04/30/2024

Mercy Connections, a Chittenden County (Vermont) nonprofit, offers a safe and welcoming place where all are invited to learn, grow, and make positive changes. Mercy Connections’ classes and programs help people identify and achieve their own goals within community support.

The Vermont Community Leadership Training builds the skills, knowledge, and confidence that enables participants to become effective advocates/agents of positive change. Through their participation in the eleven-week program, individuals gain confidence and find their voice to engage in community issues affecting themselves and their families.

In this program, leadership training participants share their work.

Senator Leahy Visits CCTV - RAW 04/29/2024

Former Senator Patrick Leahy visits CCTV to record an acceptance speech for an award he received.

Archive of raw recording.

Under the Dome: Housing - Emergency Shelter, Affordable Housing, and Act 250 Reform 04/29/2024

Host Bobby Lussier, CCTV's Development Director, speaks with Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Representative Emilie Krasnow about housing.

To contact your local representative, you can find their contact information on the State's website.

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Finance - Testimony of H.657 Modernize Vermont’s Communications Taxes and Fees 04/26/2024

Testimony of H.657 a bill meant to modernize Vermont's communications taxes and fees at the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Friday, the Cmte returned to H.657, looking at a new draft from Leg Counsel, and also heard testimony from John Adams at the Vermont Center for Geographic Information. Adams testified that they have a lot of data on state rights of way and pole locations, but the data is not consistent. Given that there are several hundred thousand utility poles in Vermont, and 14,000 miles of right of way, it would be a significant undertaking to complete a thorough and accurate inventory of all of that data. H.657 as drafted contemplates this inventory, and the Cmte debated for some time how much time to give the Agency of Transportation to complete it before settling on 2026. The Cmte then voted out the bill favorably as amended (version 1.4) on a vote of 7-0-0.

H.657 draft 2.1 (as amended by Senate Finance in draft) :
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/Senate%20Finance/Bills/H.657/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/H.657~Maria%20Royle~%20Draft%201.2,%204-23-2024~4-23-2024.pdf

Featured Story

CCTV Receives NEH Grant to Support Community Archives

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is pleased to announce receipt of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant alongside 32 peer archival institutions across the country. This $49,927 grant award will support efforts to preserve and expand access to audio/visual community history materials in the CCTV Archives. Read more about this opportunity here!