It was great to see so many of you at Reading and Woodstock’s Town Meetings last Saturday. While I know that in Reading the discussion of the elementary school and its budget brought a large number of people out - my guess is that Tropical Storm Irene played a part as well. As a result of working so closely together in the last six months, I think we are all re-engaged in our communities and clearer on the value of the Town Meeting tradition.

Hurricane Irene has had a significant impact on our legislative agenda. In many cases, Irene has called the question on issues we’ve been wrestling with for years. To date, we have passed several measures to address Irene related challenges – from redesigning our acute mental health care delivery system to providing an opportunity to abate the state-wide education property tax. Town Meeting marks the half way point for the Legislative Session. Here a few updates:

The 2013 Budget: The good news is that we have the smallest budget gap in five years. The economy is recovering but growing slowly. This means the Legislature is still wrestling with a gap of $61 million which must be closed. The cumulative effect of five years of cuts has had an impact on public services. The challenge of meeting the needs of Vermonters within our budget has been made even more difficult given the cost of rebuilding Vermont in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.

The pressures on the budget include increased caseloads in human services, a higher General Fund contribution to the Education Fund that will relieve pressure on the property tax, funding for more state troopers and public safety, responsible payments to retirement funds, and the need to make up for reduced federal contributions to Medicaid and long term care.  We have set aside $11 million in reserves to address some of the upcoming challenges.  Better management of Medicaid services is estimated to save $5 million while improving health outcomes.

Though we have been through very difficult economic times, we can be proud that Vermont has maintained a AAA financial rating.  This demonstrates our fiscal responsibility and lowers interest rates for our long-term borrowing.  This year alone, State Treasurer Beth Pearce saved the state nearly $5 million by renegotiating our debt service.

Rivers, Lakes and Flooding: Flooding from Irene has not only changed our landscape but also caused us to re-examine river management in the context of more frequent and extreme weather conditions. Bills are pending in the House and the Senate to help us prepare for and respond to weather events, erosion, and pollution in ways that protect our water resources and control future flooding.

Working Landscapes: Our working landscape – our farms, forests, and value-added products that come from them - hold tremendous opportunity for job creation and rural revitalization.  The Vermont Council on Rural Development recently released a report entitled “Invest in our Farm and Forest Future.” It describes Vermont’s preeminence in the local foods movement, due in large part to our skilled and dedicated farmers, creative entrepreneurs, and strategic investments of private and public funds to strengthen our agricultural economy.

The Working Lands Enterprise Bill (H.496) addresses technical, regulatory and financial challenges for new and expanding businesses and creates a fund to provide grants and loans to land-based and value-added businesses, wrap-around services for new and expanding working lands enterprises, and infrastructure to support cluster development and spur rural prosperity. A new Working Landscape Enterprise Board will oversee and administer the fund and will coordinate all economic development efforts related to working lands enterprises. Find more information here.

I always appreciate hearing from you. I can be reached by email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or by phone (Sat-Mon) 457-4627 or at the Statehouse (Tues-Fri) 828-2228. To get more information on the Vermont Legislature, and the bills that have been proposed and passed, visit the legislative website.

[Note: This report was written for the Woodstock Town Report, January 2012]

On Sunday August 28^th Hurricane Irene’s rains overwhelmed our rivers and streams and ravaged central and southern Vermont. Woodstock sustained significant damage to its roads, bridges, homes, businesses, aqueduct and sewer systems. The power was out - for several days in some spots. Within a day Woodstock had moved quickly to organize an effective and centralized response effort. Anchored first at the Woodstock Elementary School and later at the West Woodstock Emergency Building, we created an Emergency Volunteer and Services Coordination Center, from which we managed our recovery work. With a team of impressive volunteers, we went into high gear distributing drinking and flushing water, dispatching volunteers to muck out basements, houses and businesses, collecting damage data from residents, collecting and distributing clothing and food, feeding flood victims, volunteers and the community on the Green, and working to house our displaced friends and neighbors.

Irene hit Woodstock hard. Over 100 Woodstock homes were damaged, many were rendered uninhabitable. 9 out of our 39 homes at the Riverside Mobile Home Park were destroyed with 15 seriously damaged. Many businesses suffered severe damage and were closed for quite a while. Some are still closed and rebuilding, and a few have had to relocate. Woodstock residents and businesses filed about 200 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) applications. Windsor County led Vermont in number of FEMA applications (1,915), dollars to individuals ($6,332,132) and loans to businesses ($2,985,300). For the details on Hurricane Irene’s full impact on Vermont I urge you to read the “Irene Recovery Report – A Stronger Future.”

Residents, seasonal residents and visitors, young and old, worked together volunteering their time, skills, money, muscle power, ingenuity and resources to help their neighbors and friends get back on their feet. Well over 1,600 volunteered over 7,000 hours to help recover, restore and rebuild our community. The outpouring of care for each other, coupled with the talent and resources our community brought to bear on our recovery challenge has been impressive.

The silver lining to Irene is that our community became closer. We made new friends, got to know each other better, and worked together in different capacities. As a result of damage to businesses many people were left unemployed for several months. In our Woodstock supervisory union area, unemployment went from 41 (pre-Irene) to 311 (post-Irene). 32% of those unemployed were between the ages of 20-29. On the other hand, many construction, excavation and engineering businesses benefited from the needs created by Irene. In many cases homes have been better insulated and weatherized.

As we begin 2012 most of our flood victims are back in their homes. Over $425,000 has been raised by the Woodstock Area Flood Relief Fund through its non-profit partner, Sustainable Woodstock, to help provide financial assistance to our residents in need. Most of our damaged businesses have reopened. In addition, substantial grants from the Vermont Irene Fund, Farm Disaster Relief Fund have been secured and a number of our businesses have received loans from VEDA, Vermont Economic Development Authority. It is a testament to the indomitable spirit of our community, the good work of FEMA, SBA, the many agencies of the state of Vermont (Transportation, Human Services and many others), and the generosity of Vermonters and their friends. Our quick recovery has been a triumph of the human spirit.

What began as an emergency response to our community’s need in late August 2011, has evolved into a long term recovery effort. Woodstock’s “Irene Team” continues to work with its many partners on: rebuilding, housing, furnishing new homes, financial needs, banking and mortgage issues, accessing FEMA’s ‘Hazard Mitigation Grant Program’, mental health needs, unemployment issues, debris removal and helping plan for future disasters.

We are so grateful to so many. Any list of thanks will be incomplete. But here’s a start – a group of people who helped organize and mobilize. Thank you to: Bob Pear, Chip Kendall, Karen White, Alison Clarkson, Hasse Halley, Jackie Fischer, Sally and Chris Miller, Charlie Kimbell, Ken Howe, Ward Goodenough, Maureen and Sally Garmon, Rik and Laurel Tobiason, Heather Rubenstein, Mike Skuro, Bev Kinne, Sari White, Tambrey Vutech, Beth Finlayson, Kathy Avellino, Deb Bassett, Steve Thomas, Brian Garvison, Missy Cunningham, Mary Corrigan, Lauren Wilder, Rich Windish, Tom Hayes, Alina Bloomgarden, Tom Young, Richard Williams, Allison Wade, Al Pristaw, Brennan Jillson, Joanne Boyle, Ann Boyd, Julia Carlisle and the Woodstock Early Bird, Bev Regan and everyone at the Woodstock Area Food Shelf, the Woodstock Community Trust and Grange Hill Community Center, Liz Nickerson, Marian Koetsier, Meg Seely, Laurie Chester, Jim Bryant, Judy Williamson, Daniel and Susan Jantos, Denise Lyons, Jed Dickinson and Woodstock Recycling and Refuse Co., the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, Christina Marts and The Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park, Phil Camp and The Vermont Standard, the Red Cross, SEVCA, Upper Valley Strong, St. Paul’s Church in WRJ, Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel, Dale’s Mobile Homes, Kevin Geiger and Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission, and Sustainable Woodstock.

Let me make special mention of Hasse Halley. She was a major energy force in our Irene recovery work – organizing and coordinating our volunteers. While en route to another day of service, she died in a tragic accident. Her death is a huge loss to us all.

Our volunteer efforts were well complemented by the work of our municipal team. They tackled rebuilding our severely wounded infrastructure. They enabled the volunteer effort in large measure, and for that we are grateful. Our town manager, Phil Swanson, along with Mary Riley, Michael Brands and Renee Vondle, the Woodstock Selectboard and Village Trustees, our chief of police, Robbie Blish, fire chief, Butch Sutherland, our superintendent of roads, David Green, and our ambulance coordinator, Pat Cassidy were invaluable municipal partners.

We look forward to celebrating Woodstock’s full recovery in August 2012.

The Woodstock Area Flood Relief Fund

The Woodstock VT Area Flood Relief Fund is a group of volunteers working under the auspices of Sustainable Woodstock, a non-profit community action group. The fund was designed to give financial assistance to residents of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock affected by Hurricane Irene. The fund raised $425,000 from all over the country, from seasonal and full-time residents, from a benefit concert in September, an event in New York City organized by Woodstock’s recent college graduates, and many other fundraising efforts by individuals and businesses.

We had two phases of grant making. Phase 1 provided immediate relief in the aftermath of the storm with grants up to $1,000. We were able to quickly help almost 100 households with food, gas, fuel, medical bills, clothing or clean-up. We disbursed $51,000 in Phase 1.

Phase 2, with grants of up to $5,000, was aimed to provide more significant assistance and help people get back into their homes. Through the end of 2011, we awarded 90 families $303,000 in this phase. These grants primarily financed home repairs including insulation and utilities and site work such as foundation and driveway repairs. Over $175,000 was awarded to 66 households in Woodstock alone. We identified at least a dozen area families with significant needs and in 2012 we will distribute additional funds to them. Additionally we have started the “Building Hope” project that will help find a home for a family that lost both their house and the land it stood on.

The fund received over 700 donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. We received donations from 28 states, including Woodstock, Illinois and Woodstock, Washington, and three foreign countries. Second homeowners, local organizations and family foundations were especially supportive. The Ottauquechee Health Foundation allocated $28,000 for health related needs. Through the generosity of community volunteers and Sustainable Woodstock overhead expenses for the relief fund have been kept to less than 1% of the total funds collected.

Relief fund volunteers worked with other local organizations including Upper Valley Strong to contact all area households that applied for FEMA assistance in an effort to ascertain that they no longer had any flood related needs. We will be coordinating with the Woodstock Irene Team to find volunteers to do yard work and clean up in the spring. Our goal is to have all households back to their new normal before the one-year anniversary of Irene.

Alison Clarkson

On behalf of Woodstock’s Irene Team

The 2010 census data has a big impact on our lives. It provides critically important data for everything from federal funding for housing, education and social services to determining the size of our legislative districts. Between 2000 and 2010 Vermont gained 16,914 residents, about 2.8% of its population. We went from 608,827 residents to a population of 625,741. However, there was a significant residential shift north and west to Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille counties. Rutland and Windsor counties lost enough population to force Rutland to shed one of its state representatives and for Burlington to add one. With more residents, each state representative will be representing more people. The perfect number for a single member district is 4,172 and 8,344 for a two-member district.

Needless to say, the possibility that this reapportionment process could devolve into unpleasant partisan politics was very real. Look at Texas. Their proposed redistricting has ended up in the Supreme Court because of the divisive political nature of their reapportionment work. However, Vermont’s House Government Operations Committee, the committee charged with doing this work every ten years, made it a priority to work constructively to come to a multi-party solution to this challenging puzzle. The Committee’s proposal passed the House last week on a vote of 138 to 4 - a triumph in many ways.

The goals of the Committee were to keep current districts as much as possible, keep towns whole, keep district deviations within 10%, and to take into account the patterns of geology, social and commercial life, contiguousness and supervisory union borders. These goals were met in the proposal which was presented to us last week. The Committee voted to allow an overall deviation of 18.90% to avoid a court challenge. This meant that as they redrew the map, no district could have more than -9.86% or more than +8.99% deviation from the perfect number.

Because most of our towns in this area lost full time population, our districts have had to be redrawn. As a result, Hartland, Windsor and West Windsor are combing to become a two-person district. The district I currently represent (Reading and Woodstock) will have Plymouth added to it – resulting in a +3.86% deviation which equals 4,333 people. And, the Barnard, Pomfret, West Hartford district will have a new eastern boundary. No changes were made to the district Bridgewater is in. It is one of the 50 districts that remain unchanged.

The House proposal on Legislative re-districting will now go on to the Senate and the Governor. Once he signs it the Board of Civil Authorities of TWO MEMBER districts ONLY will be able to divide the lines to make it two single member districts. Their deadline to return comments is March 15th.

I always appreciate hearing from you. I can be reached by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone (Sat-Mon) 457-4627 or at the Statehouse (Tues-Fri) 828-2228. To get more information on the Vermont Legislature, and the bills which have been proposed and passed, visit the legislative website: www.leg.state.vt.us

One of the first challenges the Vermont Legislature faces in our 2012 Session is how to replace the Vermont State Hospital which was devastated in Hurricane Irene. VSH was designed in the 19^th century as Vermont’s acute mental health care facility. This is not a new issue. We have been talking about replacing this antiquated facility in Waterbury for a long time. Irene’s flooding required the evacuation of the patients to other facilities around the state and has made it imperative that we take action instead of continuing to talk indefinitely about possible options. Irene has given us a mandate and an opportunity.

Our House Human Services and House Institutions Committees are working on a draft plan presented by the Governor and the Department of Mental Health (DMH). The plan is to replace the services traditionally provided by VSH while enhancing mental health services in the community. It is a vision of “a recovery-oriented and community based system of care”, which “will create a balanced and effective system of services for today and the future.”

This plan gives us a starting point. It includes expanding and improving community services, developing more peer services (i.e. services offered and run by those who have “lived experience” as a person with a mental illness), enhancing community hospitals at Rutland Regional Medical Center and the Brattleboro Retreat, and developing a new state managed in-patient facility in Central Vermont on the campus of the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin. We are getting a great deal of input on every aspect of the issue including learning about the interface of the mental health system and the corrections system and how an individual comes to be in the custody of the Commissioner of DMH. The Committee is hearing from consumers and their families, consumer advocates, DMH, in-patient and out-patient service providers, residential service providers, staff from VSH, VSEA, Department of Corrections, mental health professionals from other states, and our fellow legislators. This week there will be a public hearing and it is expected that a bill will result by the end of January. A preliminary draft is available here. More information is available here.

Over the fall the newly constituted Green Mountain Care Board (GMC) has been meeting. For those of you following the development of Vermont’s Health Care Reform initiative you may want to explore the GMC Board’s initial work plan. Their plan and the bios of this impressive group are available on their web site. This plan was presented to the Legislature on Jan. 17. The website also includes many other reports and related documents.

There is on-going concern around issues involved with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). So, I thought I’d include an update on how our Ignition Interlock program is going. Two years ago we passed a DUI bill allowing offenders to opt for a program that would continue to let them drive legally while ensuring the public that they were unimpaired while doing so. The Ignition Interlock bill passed in the House 131-0.

The program was enacted last summer by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and currently has 88 enrollees. Over 300 people have made inquiries about enrolling, and 25 have been denied. The DMV is very enthusiastic about these results, and would like to expand it. The House Judiciary is exploring that option. It appears that the Ignition Interlock program is an effective addition to our continuing efforts towards increased highway safety. They will be spending some time evaluating the suggestions from DMV with an eye towards legislation. We are all encouraged by the enthusiasm of the DMV and the early results of the program.

I always appreciate hearing from you. I can be reached This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone (Sat-Mon) 457-4627 or at the Statehouse (Tues-Fri) 828-2228. To get more information on the Vermont Legislature, and the bills which have been proposed and passed, visit the legislative website.