Join MARC staff on Wednesday, June 29 at 6:00pm to hear a presentation from Jim Ryan, Municipal Roads Program Coordinator at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, regarding a number of topics pertaining to the MRGP, including:

• MRGP overview and overall timeframe (2015 – 2036)
• Overview of MRGP requirements
• First 5-year permit cycle (ending 1/23)
• New permit cycle (starting 1/23-1/28)
• Draft MRGP out for public meetings and public comments (late September to late October 2022)
• New Road Erosion Inventory (REI) due by fall of 2027
• New Road Erosion Inventory (REI) scoring and prioritization 
• Minor change to the permit standardsRequired annual compliance benchmarks
• Question and answer period

The presentation will last for about 30 minutes. We will leave up to 15 minutes at the end for Q&A. The presentation will be held virtually via Zoom (see the link below). 

 Join Meeting:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81625730016?pwd=TytQZklaQVVkb2ZMZDRvSzNxRSthUT09

Meeting ID: 816 2573 0016

Passcode: 065466

All are welcome to attend; however, the intended audience is TAC membership, Public Works personnel, Town Managers/Administrators, Road Commissioners, RPC staff, and Conservation District staff. 

Leadership Summit! The event will take place on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vermont.

In 2018 and 2019, hundreds of Vermonters joined together at  VCRD’s Community Leadership Summits to explore ways to support local leadership and democracy. We have seen tremendous challenges and change since our 2019 Summit, and VCRD has heard from thousands of Vermonters the need to come back together to renew, connect, and continue to lead positive change as we transition into a post-pandemic world. VCRD has convened a diverse planning committee of experts from across the state to bring a broad and inclusive event to present Vermont leaders with the 2022 Community Leadership Summit.

The Summit agenda will include skills workshops, networking opportunities, community project panels, and forum discussions. Leaders of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences will come together to:

• Reflect on challenges, opportunities, and successes of the past two years;
• Share highlights of local leadership, community initiatives, and civic engagement;
• Network and connect with leaders across Vermont;
• Learn critical community engagement and project development skills;
• Identify strategies to support and advance a diversity of local leaders to renew civic engagement, trust, civility, and community connection.

This event will be an all-inclusive summit aiming to bring new and established voices together from across Vermont. Anyone who is serving on local commissions, taking the lead or taking a stand in their community, or who is engaged in advancing a positive future for their town, city, or state is encouraged to join the conversation. Speakers and participants will represent the full diversity of Vermont community members and leaders including youth, municipal leaders, community organizers and volunteers, people with lived experience with critical challenges facing our communities, experts and technical assistance providers, regional leaders, and more.

Stay tuned for more information on presenters, awards, and how to register!

Mount Ascutney Regional Commission is pleased to announce the release of Round 6 Request for Applications for the Clean Water Design and Implementation Block Grant. Application deadline is July 7th. Please refer to our  webpage for more information and application documents.

Please take this brief survey and be part of the Springfield Area Community Health Needs Assessment!

Survey:   https://survey.jsi.com/s3/Springfield-Area-Health-Needs

Ten minutes can win you $25! Click on the link above to tell us what’s important to YOU when you think about a Healthy Springfield area. We’d love to learn about what you think makes a community healthy for you and your family! And FIVE chances to win a $25 gift card!

A new policy to clarify how MARC will handle future requests for preferred site designations was adopted by the Board of Commissioners at our December 6, 2021 meeting. Developers ask town planning commissions and selectboards, and regional planning commissions for a preferred site letter for solar projects that are subject to Vermont’s net-metering rules [Public Utility Commission Rule 5.100]. The process to do so is not laid out in statute nor the rules. This new policy documents our process and criteria for reviewing such request to make it easier and clearer for all involved in or affected by the process.  Click here to read our Preferred Site Policy.

The Mt. Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC) is partnering again with the Springfield Regional Development Corp. and our towns to develop a list of Priority Projects with an economic development nexus for state and federal fund eligibility. The Priority Project process is going on in each region in the state and the final product is provided to the Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD), who will share with other funders for consideration in making decisions on grant programs. For more information, see an  overview, project form, and  scoring matrix.

Our  Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund has been awarded $350,000 in supplemental funding from the EPA for clean-up of contaminated sites for redevelopment.

The findings and resources from the Keys to the Valley housing initiative are now publicly available on the new   Keys to the Valley website. We are glad to share these resources for your contemplation, conversation, and active use when considering the many challenges facing our region’s homes.

To learn more, visit  https://www.keystothevalley.com.

Mount Ascutney Regional Commission’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provided environmental cleanup financing and technical assistance to initiate the redevelopment of this blighted site which now produces 500 kilowatts of solar energy for the region.