Good evening,
A few updates on flood recovery and debris removal opportunities. Tomorrow night, Thursday August 17th, I will be at the Wardsboro Library from 6-7 for monthly office hours. This is a great time for voters from Jamaica, Dover, Wardsboro or Stratton to chat in person about your questions or ideas. Next office hours are September 2nd at 11 am at the Dover Free Library.
In addition to work on flood recovery, this summer I have been working to better understand the conditions which led to multi year delays permitting for rural electric line infrastructure in parts of East Dover, Wardsboro and Jamaica and adjacent communities. As changes in weather patterns increase the stress on our electric infrastructure, it’s imperative to encourage/help/insist our utilities move lines out of the woods or floodplains into the right of way or underground. With the temporary exemption to the Act 250 permitting process the legislature passed this year, our utility, Green Mountain Power, has been working to move lines that have seen frequent outages. This is great news. But I’m also concerned with how long these projects were delayed by state permitting and the Act 250 process. I’m digging in to ensure we appropriately consider the critical infrastructure needs of humans in our land use planning processes. Stay tuned.
The Speaker has appointed me to a committee that will be looking at Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard and the review that the Vermont Department of Public Service is undertaking and considering what if any changes are necessary to update that program.
I’ve also had the pleasure of continuing to work with my colleagues on the legislative Rural Caucus, including attending the Council on Rural Development’s Conference in Randolph and explaining the work we led with support from the Speaker and the Governor to increase our smallest communities capacity to access one time federal funds. We also discussed the ongoing issues with telecommunications repair time. If your land line OR internet service is down, contact your service provider. If they are telling you it will be more then 48 hours, consider contacting me and filing a complaint with the Vermont Department of Public Service at 800-622-4496 Toll Free – Consumer Affairs Hotline.
On the road this summer…so far
DV Fiber’s latest Newsletter
STATEWIDE CLEAN UP DAY
On Saturday, August 26, Green Up Vermont, with support from the State and other partners, will hold a statewide Clean Up Day, which will operate very similarly to the annual May Green Up Day. Additionally, the State is finalizing a plan to assist those living in mobile homes that were destroyed by flooding to safely deconstruct and remove the condemned structures, at no cost to the flood victim. Support of these efforts is being made possible in part from a $250,000 contribution from Subaru of New England, which has a long history of philanthropic support in Vermont.
For Clean Up Day, orange bags instead of the iconic Green will be distributed around Vermont for this Recovery Clean Up. A special webpage has been set up on greenupvermont.org to help towns communicate their needs and for volunteers to find various efforts around the state. Green Up Vermont is also encouraging the use of their app so that coordinators can communicate broadly the specific details and needs for each area. The Green Up Vermont app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android platforms.
BEGAP Application is Now Live
The Department of Economic Development (DED) officially opened the application for the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP). The $20M BEGAP grant program is to help Vermont businesses, nonprofits, and landlords that suffered physical damage in the flood that began July 7, 2023. The money is to be used to help businesses reopen their doors, bring employees back, and help displaced Vermonters return to their rental housing.
The program website includes a recorded webinar (that includes screenshots of a sample application) and program FAQs. There are also additional resources for non-English speakers and technical assistance advisors for those needing help in applying. Learn More About BEGAP
Work in Vermont. Lose Some of Your Student Loans.
The State of Vermont, in collaboration with UVM and VSAC, is offering a $5000 loan repayment program to incentivize and retain new graduates from Vermont colleges and universities. Any graduate during the spring 2023 academic year with a Bachelor’s degree can apply! Recipients will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis based on regional, employer, and institutional distribution criteria, as long as funding is available. Applicants must submit proof of employment when applying. Employment will need to be verified with a required submission of an HR letter. Click HERE to find out more and apply.
As always, if you have suggestions, concerns or critiques please be in touch so we can schedule time to discuss. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance navigating government services at (802) 384-0233 or lsibilia@leg.state.vt.us. Follow my regular posts online at http://www.laurasibiliavt.com
It is an honor to represent our district in the legislature. Thank you!
Rep. Laura Sibilia – Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro
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Vermont State Representative Laura Sibilia 