Good evening and Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate,

A few updates from November and December and a beginning look at some of the issues I expect the legislature to take up in the 2024 Session. Please don’t miss an important public hearing on Act 250 this week and three reports that would shake up Act 250 and land use as we know it. This will be a major focus in my committee this year.

The Renewable Energy Standard Working Group has continued to meet with legislators, looking at how to update Vermont’s existing Renewable Energy Standard. This standard has been in place for a number of years, and was intended to increase the amount of renewable and clean electricity powering our homes and businesses. The work is tightly balanced between:

• regulated distribution utilities need to keep the lights on and keep downward pressure on rates as our energy policies and climate goals are incentivizing greater electrification of heating and transportation
• the renewable energy and battery storage industry need to retain workforce and market in order to install equipment needed to electrify.
• state, regional and national environmental advocates efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The requirements on utilities and procurement programs are all under consideration and negotiation amongst the parties. A facilitator has been engaged in helping to mediate the off session meetings. Polling from the Department of Public Service, showed that reliability and affordability of services were the highest priority for Vermonters.

I’m optimistic that a modest modernization effort will keep our utilities and industry in better sync in the coming years.

The Joint Infrastructure Oversight Committee which I sit on has also been meeting to hear updates on Vermont’s major IT projects that are underway as well as projects that are needed. This work is led by the Vermont Agency of Digital Services which has liaisons within every agency of state government. The legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office employs and IT professional to help legislators conduct the job of oversight on the administration and use of tax dollars. Here are some of the key projects we have been hearing about:

• Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles: COMPLETED: 50+ year old mainframe as system of record for vehicle registration and title information, point of sale, Image retrieval, Point-of-Sale, Microsoft Access 97 databases NEXT: VT Photo Identification Credentialing System (VT PICS), Appointment scheduling and customer queuing, 50+ year old mainframe as system of record for driver license suspension/reinstatements & parking placard information, Microsoft Access 97 databases
• Unemployment Insurance: This project is expected to beginning early this Spring and replacement will take place in two phases: Phase 1: Tax and Phase 2: Benefits. Each phase will be completed in approximately 12 – 18 months.
• Integrated Eligibility: Vermonters access to health care and economic assistance benefits – this system relies on federal funding and oversight and has a plan for modernization for the next decade.
• Enterprise Resource Planning: This system handles a number of business processes for state government: Financial: The financial systems manage, track and report on the State’s finances, Budget, and compliance and Human Capital Management: Human Resource systems that manage employee information, benefits, payroll, learning, and resource recruitment. This system is expected to be operational in late winter of 2025, Grants Management: Grants Management are tools used by Agencies and Departments for fiscally managing, tracking, and reporting on State grants.

Education Finance

In case you missed my latest opinion piece on the real challenges and unhelpful political commentary from Montpelier that school boards across Vermont are facing : Rep. Sibilia: About that December 1 Letter from the Tax Commissioner…

Many factors are coming together to make this a difficult year across the state for property taxes. One of these issues is the roll in of the corrected pupil weights, a calculation that balances statewide need with statewide funding. Many schools in our region were GROSSLY underfunded while taxpayers in some instances were GROSSLY overpaying because of a flaw since inception in the formula. As those corrected weights finally roll in, we should be seeing some property tax relief and headroom for investment. However, large wealthy districts that have benefitted from this flaw for decades are being protected from shocks in their budgets, with only a 5% decrease in their equalized pupil counts – this will have the effect of raising statewide spending this year. It is important to note, those who benefitted from this flaw, did so through no fault of their own. The extraordinary confidence of a handful of powerful policymakers, who would not acknowledge the flaw in their creation, kept adjustment and relief at bay for more than a decade. As a long time school board member myself, I believe most boards do the best they can for kids with the resources that are available to them, being careful of the aspect of the budget and tax rates that they have control over. The property tax issues we are facing this year are heavily state and national issue related.

Expect to hear more on this issue during this session from Montpelier and your school boards.

All Legislative Briefing

This briefing happens in early December each year to update the legislature on current economic and revenue trends, budget performance and other key topics – this year the status of federal aid and a housing panel. Click the links for the presentations made to House and Senate.

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Upcoming Office Hours with Laura:

• Thursday December 14, 6-7 pm at the Jamaica Town Office
• Thursday December 21, 6-7 pm at the Wardsboro Library (virtual only)
• Thursday January 18, 6-7 pm Wardsboro Library (I’ll be virtual and anyone in the district can join virtually or at the library)
• Saturday February 3, 11-noon Dover Library

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Heating Fuel Costs and Fuel Assistance

HERE is information about Vermont Fuel and Energy Assistance programs if you need assistance and meet income guidelines (approximately 65,000 for a family of 4 which equates to expected income for two FT jobs at $15 per hour)

Federal and state data shows that heating fuel prices in Vermont are at $4.16, down from $4.83 one year ago. These prices are still almost a dollar per gallon higher then two Decembers ago when prices hovered around 3.12. This despite record profits in 2022.

Big Oil more than doubled its profits in 2022 to $219 billion, smashing previous records in a year of volatile energy prices where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshaped global energy markets and, in some cases, the industry’s climate ambitions.

Reuters: Big Oil doubles profits in blockbuster 2022

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Rep. Sibilia, Secretary Natural Resources Julie Moore and Jared Duval of the Energy Action Network talk about energy transition in Manchester

https://gnat-tv.org/sunderland-energy-committee-forum-10-26-23/

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VTDigger: Private Christian school sues over state policy on transgender athletes

Mid Vermont Christian School in Quechee is challenging Vermont’s rules on transgender athletes in high school sports, and is asking the court to take action to prevent the school from being excluded from a taxpayer funded tuition program.

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NRB to host online public meeting on Act 250 Legislative study

The Natural Resources Board will host an online public meeting to present its draft legislative report “Necessary Updates to the Act 250 Program.” The online public meeting will be held Thursday, December 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. EST. A link to participate in the online meeting can be accessed here. 

Act 182 of 2022 and Act 47 of 2023 directed the Natural Resources Board with reporting to the House Committees on Environment and Energy and Ways and Means and the Senate Committees on Finance and Natural Resources and Energy on “necessary updates to the Act 250 program,” on or before December 31, 2023.

In June, the NRB and its facilitation team convened a stakeholder Steering Committee to help the NRB design and implement a robust process for stakeholder input and build consensus among stakeholders with divergent perspectives.

Under the terms of Act 182 and Act 47, the NRB’s report to the legislature shall include:

1. How to transition to a system in which Act 250 jurisdiction is based on location, which shall encourage development in designated areas, the maintenance of intact rural working lands, and the protection of natural resources of statewide significance, including biodiversity. Location-based jurisdiction would adjust the threshold for Act 250 jurisdiction based on the characteristics of the location. This section of the report shall consider whether to develop thresholds and tiers of jurisdiction as recommended in the Commission on Act 250: the Next 50 Years Report.
2. How to use the Capability and Development Plan to meet the statewide planning goals.
3. An assessment of the current level of staffing of the Board and District Commissions, including whether there should be a district coordinator located in every district.
4. Whether the permit fees are sufficient to cover the costs of the program and, if not, a recommendation for a source of revenue to supplement the fees.
5. Whether the permit fees are effective in providing appropriate incentives.
6. Whether the Board should be able to assess its costs on applicants.
7. Whether increasing jurisdictional thresholds for housing development to 25 units would affect housing affordability, especially for primary homeownership, and what the potential impact of increasing those thresholds to 25 units would have on natural and community resources addressed under existing Act 250 criteria.
8. A proposed framework for delegating administration of Act 250 permits to municipalities.
9. Public input and feedback on draft recommendations will be incorporated into the report.

More information on the report can be found at Necessary Updates to the Act 250 Program on the NRB website.  Questions or comments may be submitted to the NRB General inbox. Deadline for submission is December 15, 2023.

RPC report on the concept of Municipal Delegation of Act 250

A draft report on the Municipal Delegation Framework by the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA), dated November 14, 2023. The report was submitted to the Vermont Legislature as per their request in Act 47 of 2023. The report discusses the concept of Municipal Delegation in the Act 250 Process and its relation to other Act 47 studies. The report also provides a draft Act 250 Criteria and Municipal Regulation Crosswalk, Possible Permits Related to Act 250 Permitting, and a Technical Memo on Proposed Delegation of Act 250. You can access the report directly from here.

 Vermont Designation Program Study

Designation 2050 Design Summit event that took place on September 12, 2023. The event was organized by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and aimed to bring together local officials, planners, business and property owners, and statewide leaders to discuss the future of Vermont’s designation programs. The draft report is here

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Welcoming our New American Neighbors

The attack on three Palestinian students in Burlington has heightened concerns among Vermont’s New American neighbors. The Executive Director of the region’s refugee resettlement agency recently informed the Windham County Legislative Delegation that some of our Southern Vermont New American neighbors are worried about safety and acceptance in wearing traditional attire. Collectively we can all help dispel anxieties, ensuring everyone feels welcome and safe to share their cultures openly. If you see New Americans out with their families or at work in our region, remember that a smile is a nearly universal sign of friendliness.

The paragraph above can be translated to Dari, Pashtu and Arabic here
پورته پاراګراف په پښتو او دری ژباړل کیدی شی دلته
بند فوق را می توانید به دری و دری و در اینجا ترجمه کنید
يمكن ترجمة الفقرة أعلاه إلى الدارية والبشتو والعربية هنا

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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