Focusing on Solutions
Although the Legislature is not in session I have exciting news to share with you. As the current elected Representative for our district, I spent my time this week focused on working to solve the real issues facing our state and our towns. I also spent time every day the previous week at the Addison County Fair. I enjoyed maple milkshakes, tractor pulls, demolition derbies, the new animal barns, and talking with so many people, old friends and new. The number 1 concern on everyone’s mind: Affordability. “Vermont has just gotten too expensive. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be able to stay here” shared one fair-goer.
This week Monday I spent time with Kara Bradford & Kathy Dorman of Addison Housing Works (AHW) touring the great work being done in Vergennes and around Addison County to provide truly permanent affordable housing. This amazing organization is boots-on-the-ground buying, building, renting, supporting, preserving, and managing approximately 800 housing units in a myriad of forms and formats across our county. Joe Baker and I toured the two 25 unit buildings they own on Armory Lane in Vergennes. Each has a different emphasis. One houses a full spectrum community with units ranging from 1-3 bedrooms, with a children's playground, picnic shelter, and resident vegetable gardens out back. The other is more oriented toward the elderly and disabled with a large community room, cozy common living room with a fireplace, and a part-time on-site nurse. Both are within walking distance of downtown, schools, police station, pharmacy, and the grocery store.
AHW manages nine mobile home parks, some net-zero energy efficient duplex developments, aids with down payments for home buyers, and is actively preparing to expand into new properties in Vergennes and Middlebury. Behind all of this help with affordable housing is a care net of help with other issues their residents may be facing via the SASH and Family Support programs. Kara, Kathy, Joe and I discussed the funding sources, income requirements and waiting lists for their units and were pleased to hear that while some lists are long, the shear number and variety of units and income level requirements make it very likely that if you’re struggling to find affordable housing in our area, AHW can likely help. Their process ensures that this is truly a hand-up, not just a hand-out. I encourage anyone experiencing housing issues to contact them. I am so proud of the work AHW is doing in our area and am happy to be able to help. This work is in direct alignment with the housing affordability work emphasized by Governor Scott.
Monday evening I hosted the second meeting of the Addison County chapter of Rural Vermont Rising (RVR) at our home in Ferrisburgh. At this important organizational meeting, we reviewed and approved the RVR charter and started our official membership list. The group that gathered enjoyed a beautiful summer evening and confirmed our mission as “a citizen coalition to protect our land, our work, and our families… As true stewards of Vermont’s landscape we live and work on the land itself, respecting and relying on the natural environment, with responsible ecological conservation and landowner property rights reinforcing each other.” Those wanting to be involved in our local Addison County chapter, please watch Front Porch Forum for announcements of details for our next meeting on August 31st. It will be wonderful to meet with more of Vermont’s local land stewards.
Wednesday I joined Alison Despathy and Elizabeth Brown for a radio interview on WDEV’s “Hot Off The Press”. You can listen HERE to our conversation about the Primary results, Acts 181 and 59, the Renewable Energy Standard, the highs and lows of the legislative session, and the Republican’s “Vermont Promise”. Very enlightening!
Thursday, I drove to Montpelier to meet with Department of Public Service (DPS) Commissioner Kerrick Johnson, along with his Deputy Brittney Wilson, and Director TJ Poor. Senator Terry Williams and Representative Chris Howland, both of Rutland County, and I met with the DPS team to discuss the rising costs of energy in Vermont and the need to achieve affordable reliable power under the mandate to reduce carbon emissions. TJ shared with us that no matter how you measure it, Vermont already has the cleanest electrical energy in the country and we already have the highest in-state renewable generation percentage in the country. We’re #1! He also shared some results from the most comprehensive scientific study of Vermonter’s concerns regarding energy. It showed affordability and reliability as the people’s clear priorities.
After a deep dive into the details, we left DPS encouraged that the department is actively engaged working on a plan to more efficiently and effectively reduce Vermonter’s “energy burden” (percentage of income spent on energy) while making incremental progress on emissions. This starts with clearly taking stock of the programs we have and seeing how they can be improved to better deliver benefits to Vermonters. Key elements of this include:
Low Income Weatherization of Vermont’s housing stock remains the top priority supporting the most vulnerable Vermonters.
Make common sense changes to our Renewable Energy Standard to reduce costs while maintaining the emissions profile of the portfolio.
Leverage key existing infrastructure assets in Vernon (old Vermont Yankee) for the benefit of Vermonters.
Enlarge the Highgate converter to create opportunities for the delivery of existing and new Canadian resources, including existing hydro and new offshore wind. Governor Scott touched on this at the recent New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference he hosted here in VT last week.
We left with clear action items for DPS and us in the Legislature to work toward these goals.
Friday I met with the Deputy Commissioner of the Dept of Environmental Conservation (DEC) which is part of the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to review status. Being on the House Environment committee, he and I worked closely together this past biennium on a variety of topics. I am thrilled to report that he confirmed the rule-making process to comply with new laws we passed requiring simplification of the permitting processes for stormwater, wastewater, and wetlands are all moving ahead on schedule. He also shared that ANR’s rules to implement the Governor’s Executive Order on Housing in designated housing areas have been officially adopted. Both of these are huge wins for affordable housing and land use rights for Vermonters.
While some purport to have ideas and feelings about our state, I am actively in the trenches helping to solve our real problems, bring affordability to Vermonters, and keep you informed.
Stay tuned and stay engaged.
I remain honored to be your Representative,
Rob North
Addison, Ferrisburgh, New Haven, Panton, Vergennes, and Waltham
Winners of the wooden American flag raffle at the Addison County Fair Republican booth.
