January 6, 2022
(Passcode @hb#0o?s)
Minutes
Representative Kimbell called the meeting to order at 8:03am.
Brian Lowe & Nick Kramer from the Vermont Council on Rural Development introduced themselves, and caucus leadership gave an overview of a proposal for VCRD to provide logistical and administrative support to the cucus during the 2022 Legislative Session. VCRD staff would help take minutes, send reminder emails to caucus members, develop and maintain a caucus website in which to compile bills, testimony, meeting information and other relevant materials. Since VCRD is a non-partisan private non-profit, it is important that they have a letter signed broadly by caucus members demonstrating tri-partisan support for their involvement with the group. Representative Sims has shared and will re-share a letter requesting support; members are encouraged to respond directly to her by the end of the day Friday, 1/7 if they would like their name added to the list. In addition to potential support from VCRD, the caucus will be receiving a legislative intern again this year.
Although the group will continue to meet virtually for the next several weeks, it is hoped that at some point during the session they will be able to reconvene in person. Identifying a meeting space and implementing a hybrid option to allow geographically distant members easy participation will likely be topics of discussion at future meetings.
Rural Omnibus Bill: Based on a number of information gathering initiatives over the summer and fall, including the Forest Products Sector tour organized by Representative Sims and the caucus’ public hearing in November to gather testimony from the public. Caucus leadership compiled a draft bill based on the input received and prioritization votes from caucus members. They’ve been working closely with The Office of Legislative Council to determine the most effective channels for implementation, and have been in touch with the Speaker of the House and Cabinet members to share the bill’s essential goals. In the case of the members of the Governor’s Cabinet (Secretary Kurle, Deputy Secretary Brooks, Secretary Moore and others), the conversation seemed to spur interest and led several of them to reach out to specific stakeholders to learn more about specific pieces. Although it is likely that pieces of the bill will be separated from the whole to facilitate their passage through committee, caucus leaders feel that broad caucus support will be important to demonstrate unity and clarity around this important slate of issues for rural Vermont, and are hoping to gather as many co-sponsors as the can by January 12th, the deadline for submission. Members interested in co-sponsoring the Omnibus Dill are encouraged to email Representative Sims by Friday 1/7 by the close to indicate their support.
Other Bills of Interest:
Representative Jerome highlighted a bill to support Vermont’s Creative Economy, which has struggled through the pandemic, and one to support non-competition in rural areas.
Representative Dolan is forwarding a bill to support low-income individuals in participating in ECOAmeriCorps, a program that places recent college grads and other interested individuals in water-quality jobs across the state, by allowing the program to access the Clean Water Fund to cover ECOAmeriCorps member stipends. Representative Dolan is also advancing a bill to support the growth of in-state language services jobs, for which there is a growing demand and very little local capacity, modeled after the Farm Viability Program.
Representative Rogers is indrocuting a bill that asks the Department of Environmental Conservation to revisit rules pertaining to alternative greywater systems, in the hopes of increasing flexibility for low-usage individuals interested in living alternatively in ways that maintain the safety of public drinking water.
Representative Campbell is introducing a bill that would require the installation of renewable heating technologies and use of embodied carbon materials in the construction of all new State buildings, modeled on S.146 introduced by Senator Perchlik last session.
Representative Kimbell highlighted a bill that will pass through House Commerce related to the creation of a more consistent system for storing land records at municipal offices, on which the committee has worked closely with the Vermont Association of Realtors and the Municipal Clerks Association.
On the Horizon: As there is more clarity on the Governor’s Budget adjustment act, the group may want to formulate and issue a position on it. This can be a topic of conversation for future meetings.
The next meeting will be Thursday, January 13th, at 8:00am on Zoom. Representative Sims will be in touch with the link and an agenda early next week.