I know many Vermonters are struggling after this past week’s flooding. Parts of the Addison District were hit hard, from Addison along the Lake, to New Haven & Monkton in the Valley, and especially Starksboro & Huntington in the Mountains. There have also been pockets of flooding elsewhere throughout the week, including today in Ripton.
If your home or business was damaged, please report it ASAP to Vermont211.org. Vermont has not yet been approved for federal disaster assistance, so reporting any and all damage is crucial in helping our community meet the necessary threshold for federal assistance. I have created a list of Flood Safety & Recovery Resources and Ways to Help. You can also check out this comprehensive state website Vermont Flood Resources, Assistance, and Referrals that lists flood recovery resources. Please reach out to me if you are having trouble getting the help you need.
Most roads are now open, but check New England 511 for the latest state road closures and town websites for local road closures, including Huntington, Starksboro, Ripton, and Monkton. I’ve heard from some folks with concerns (pro & con) about dredging in rivers and the impact on flooding. This is a helpful article, “Officials warn against excessive dredging during flood recovery,” as is this ANR press release about flood recovery work in rivers and streams. This past session, we passed two major bills related to flooding, including the Flood Safety Act which will improve the planning and management of river corridors over the next several years.
NON-FLOOD SUMMER WORK
There’s a lot of work going on this summer to address some of the other major challenges facing Vermont. Two years ago, we passed Act 167 on Hospital Sustainability & Transformation, which tasked the Green Mountain Care Board with a significant public engagement and research component. That work is now almost complete and will form the basis of next steps for hospitals, the Agency of Human Services, and the Legislature, with the goal of making health care more accessible and affordable for Vermonters. Over the next few weeks, there will be a series of public meetings around the state. The Porter Hospital meeting is July 30 at 6:00pm at the Ilsley Public Library, but you are welcome to attend any of the meetings.
The Commission on the Future of Public Education met for the first time this week. This Commission is tasked with making recommendations about the sustainability and stability of Vermont’s public school system, including how we fund local schools. We created the Commission in order to help address multiple challenges faced by our local schools and the unsustainable property tax increases we saw this year. Later this summer, the County and Regional Governance Study Committee will begin its work. Created this session under Act 118, the Committee will examine and make recommendations about local government capacity challenges and the provision of public services for individuals and municipalities.
As Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee, I will co-chair the County Government Committee. Rep. Peter Conlon of Cornwall serves on the Education Commission and Rep. Diane Lanpher of Vergennes, Rep. Theresa Wood of Waterbury, and I are involved in the hospital sustainability project. I will keep you updated on all of this work as it moves forward.
Next month, there is a primary election on August 13, with early voting already underway. You can register to vote online, in person, or by mail. You can request a mail ballot and check the status of your ballot at your My Voter Page. Remember to vote!
Finally, I’m grateful that nobody was seriously injured on Monday during the dramatic truck explosion on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. Thank you to all of the first responders who controlled the scene and kept everyone safe! This is a lot of information – thank you for reading it. Please reach out if you have questions or need help. Take care and stay safe.
Photo Note: Flood Recovery work along Pond Road in Huntington
Ruth for Vermont 