It finally feels like Fall, although I hope we get some sunny Autumn days soon! Read on for an update about events and resources in the Addison District.
Community Engagement for Hospital Transformation
In 2022, we passed Act 167 to further the process of transforming Vermont’s 14 hospitals to better serve patients and their community. One aspect of Act 167 that I especially advocated for was a process to hear directly from Vermonters about experiences with the healthcare system and what needs improvement. A statewide listening tour, led by the Green Mountain Care Board, begins this week. There are two meetings in each hospital region and several statewide meetings. Most people in the Addison District are in the Porter Hospital region, but you can attend meetings for whatever location or time works for you. Here is the schedule of meetings across the state with links to register. All meetings are via zoom. If you can’t make it to a meeting, you can also fill out a public comment form to tell the Board what you think. I plan to attend the Porter region meetings and hope to see some of you there!
Elections Policy Discussion
Next year is a big presidential election year so election officials all over the country, including Vermont’s town clerks, will be extremely busy running elections in highly charged and polarized times. Because it’s an election year, we won’t be making changes to election laws during the upcoming session, so elections policy discussions from last year will be put on hold. But there’s a lot state legislators can do to support local elections officials in their work of running fair, accessible, transparent, and accurate elections. This past summer at the National Conference of State Legislatures Summit, I participated in a live recording of the podcast High Turnout, Wide Margins where hosts Missouri county clerks Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey, Arkansas Rep. Carlton Wing, and I talked about how state legislators and local election administrators can work together to foster trust and confidence in American elections. It was great fun to compare notes with folks from other states, so have a listen to the discussion. If you’re a local town clerk whom I haven’t met or talked with recently, please reach out to me and let’s find a time to chat, and thanks for all you’re doing to make our democracy work!
Housing News
It was wonderful to join newly renamed Addison Housing Works and its many project partners, including the Town of Bristol, for the ribbon cutting at the new Firehouse Apartments in Bristol. This beautiful new housing development, which was financed by public and private partners, will be forever affordable for people with low-incomes. Its first residents include individuals, families with children, and seniors, and 20% of the occupants were formerly unhoused. It was wonderful to visit with residents, hear their stories, and see their lovely new homes.
Vergennes is also engaged in diverse housing planning and development. The Little City is one of five communities chosen to be a case study location for the Homes for All Program, which aims to create small-scale, “missing middle” housing units on modest lots that can be found within existing neighborhoods. Through site visits and assessments with the case study communities, the Agency of Commerce & Community Development plans to create tool kits for builders, investors, and communities to use to develop this type of housing. In addition, the senior housing project, Vergennes Grand Senior Living project received its final financing piece and broke ground this month. The project should be complete in about a year and house over 80 seniors in new and renovated assisted living housing. Go Vergennes!
Finally, after tense community conversations about the complex relationship between ongoing vandalism and crime, and unhoused residents in downtown Middlebury, I was glad to read that Middlebury plans to restart its Community Task Force on Homelessness which has been dormant for the past several years. It takes concerted and ongoing effort to ensure that residents in a community are safe and housed. Research shows that increased short-term housing options, such as supported homeless shelters, result in sizable declines in homeless encampments, overall crime, and homeless-related crimes. So, creating more supported short-term and affordable permanent housing in Middlebury too will need to be a major part of the solution.
Flood Relief
Most of the flood relief resources will be ending soon, so if you endured flood damage, be sure to apply for assistance soon. Rebates for Damaged Appliances: If your home flooded and you lost a furnace, hot water heater, washer/dryer, or other appliances, you may qualify for a grant from Efficiency Vermont. Qualifying low- and moderate-income Vermont homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $10,000 per household. Grants for Addison County residents who experienced flood damage: This is a low-barrier, flexible fund providing small grants up to $1,500, available through the United Way of Addison County. Small Business Administration Loans: Low-interest loans for small businesses, individuals, and certain agriculture operations and non-profit organizations in our area do qualify for these federal loans. Apply online here. Let me know if you need assistance and I’ll do my best to help you.
African-American History in Middlebury
Last month Middlebury College hosted the 2023 Clifford Symposium, led by history Professor Emeritus Bill Hart, honoring the 200th anniversary of the graduation of Alexander Twilight, the first Black man to receive a college degree, from Middlebury College. Twilight was also the first African-American state representative and his portrait now hangs in the VT State House, painted by local artist Katie Runde. Be sure to read the excellent Seven Days cover story about Twilight, the symposium and portrait. During the Symposium, a new historic marker was unveiled on Court Square, commemorating the 180th anniversary of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ lecture in Middlebury, where he was met with hostility and racism. In my remarks at the unveiling, I said that I hoped the marker would remind the residents and visitors of our town that we must do better to make our town and college ones that would live up to the good-hearted, open-minded, anti-racist people that Douglass had hoped to find here.
The crisis in the Middle East is heart-breaking, and I know many constituents with personal and cultural ties there are angry, sad, and worried. My thoughts are with you. I hope for compassion and safety, especially for the millions of civilians, so many of them children, caught in the conflict. May peace and justice prevail.
Thank you for reading and take care.
Ruth for Vermont 