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Sign up to help with MAPLE plan development, workshop planning, and neighborhood organizing
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Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
October Update - November 8, 2024
Contact: Jon Copans, jon@montpelierstrong.org
Thanks to Linda Young of Montpelier for sharing with us a transcription of a letter written by Beatrice Lowe Haskins, a Montpelier resident who survived the 1927 flood. For a detailed picture of what it was like to live through that catastrophic event and the aftermath, we’ve posted the full letter to our webpage here.
The letter by Mrs. Haskins was also the basis for our monthly “Resilience Matters” commentary by member of the Commission Aly Richards. Read it here.
Speaking of stories about flooding in our city…. Reporting for a national online publication called “Grist,” Zoya Teirstein did an in-depth story focused on Montpelier that draws the connection between climate disasters and the housing crisis. It’s definitely worth reading here.
Work continues on the Montpelier Action Plan for Local Emergency (MAPLE). MCRR has continued working with the city and other partners on a new emergency response plan for the community. A draft plan was released in the beginning of October and a well-attended public forum was hosted at the High School on October 10. Recordings of the forum can be found here and a WAMC radio story can be heard here.
Our work on MAPLE continues next week. As we look to strengthen Montpelier’s Emergency Management Plan, we are inviting interested volunteers to assist with two different projects:
Neighborhood-level organizations. This isn’t a new concept in Montpelier but it is time for a new approach. Help us consider the value of organizing at the neighborhood level and the best way that we can make it work. Join this conversation at the Unitarian Church Thursday November 14 at 6:30.
Emergency Preparedness Workshops - What can we do at the household level to be more prepared? How do we share some of the best strategies with others in our community? Join us at City Hall at 39 Main St. in the Council Chambers at 1:00 on Tuesday November 12 to help plan emergency preparedness workshops. Note - this particular meeting will be focused on residents. A separate meeting will focus on businesses.
Can’t make these meetings but want to be involved? Sign up here or just email me at jon@montpelierstrong.org
Regional Watershed Convening
Addressing a key community priority that emerged from community forums last summer, a planning group led by Commission Director Jon Copans is organizing a gathering of all the communities that make up the Winooski River Watershed. A key goal is to grow cultural and political momentum towards community and collective action to avoid flood damage and increase resilience in the watershed expectation. The first event has a name - the Winooski Flood Resilience Roundtable and will take place in early December. Invitations have been sent to all of the towns that make-up the Winooski River Watershed. Each town has been invited to send a delegation of 1 to 3 participants. Know someone who might be interested in this effort? Reach out to any city or town in the watershed to help spread the word and encourage participation.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Opportunity
In coordination with the City of Montpelier and Vermont Emergency Management, Roy Schiff and his team from SLR consulting have been working to identify potential floodplain restoration and other flood mitigation projects in the Barre-Montpelier area of the Winooski watershed. Most urgently the top projects will be submitted for a Hazard Mitigation Grant. Others will be developed and funded over a longer horizon. The Commission has been working with the City and the consultants to refine this list with the goal of identifying achievable and impactful projects. An example of one project likely to be on the list is a floodplain restoration effort at the 5 Home Farm Way parcel behind Agway. This list of projects is likely to be on the agenda for the City Council meeting coming up on December 11.
Upcoming events
Celebrate Montpelier’s Bridges
On November 16th, Montpelier will light up the town! For the first time in history, seven of Montpelier’s downtown bridges will be illuminated. To mark this historic event, Montpelier Alive will host a community bridge lighting ceremony and lantern parade, with music, refreshments, and a special performance by Cirque de Fuego.The lighting ceremony will begin on the Langdon Street bridge on November 16th at 4:30 pm. Those wishing to participate in the parade are encouraged to bring lanterns or lights.
Meteorologist Roger Hill
Join 350VT and the Climate Action Team of the Montpelier Unitarian Church as they present Meteorologist Roger Hill who will speak about the latest weather hazard climatology with a focus on Vermont. November 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Unitarian Church in Montpelier.
We do our best to keep our webpage up to date with details on our work and other resources of interest. We also ask that anyone interested in the Commission’s work to sign up at the bottom of our homepage. And as always, please feel free to reach out via email if you have any suggestions or concerns - jon@montpelierstrong.org
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
August Update - Sept. 6, 2024
Contact: Jon Copans, jon@montpelierstrong.org
The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience works to initiate and collaborate on projects that strengthen our community in the face of floods and other challenges. In these monthly updates we aim to make our work more visible and provide opportunities for community engagement. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign-up for these updates on our website here - www.montpelierstrong.org.
It’s River Clean Up Time!
For over 25 years the Friends of the Winooski has been hosting an annual river clean-up event in Montpelier. It typically takes place on the Saturday after labor day with volunteers meeting at City Hall at 8:30 AM. As you might guess, flooding this year and last has washed all sorts of debris into our rivers. Come on out this Saturday (tomorrow!) to join with others to pull all the garbage we can out of the Winooski. Details here (https://winooskiriver.org/river-clean-up).
Coming October 10th - the next Commission Public Forum focused on MAPLE - a new emergency response plan for Montpelier.
This forum is happening on Thursday, October 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Montpelier High School. We’ll be sharing details and gathering input on the draft of our Montpelier Action Plan for Local Emergency (MAPLE). Expect that draft plan to be released as part of our next monthly update in early October.
Luck Favors The Prepared
Speaking of the MAPLE plan, last month’s Resilience Matters commentary was crafted by Commissioner Marc Gwinn and focused on this important aspect of our work. Read the full commentary here (https://www.timesargus.com/opinion/commentary/gwinn-luck-favors-the-prepared/article_2f2f6d06-5975-11ef-b101-9b44c43c4bb8.html)
USPS in Montpelier
The continuing failure of the United States Postal Service to bring full retail service back to our Capital City is deeply frustrating. Montpelier has now been 424 days without a functioning post office. Last week we took two steps - engaging Vermont’s Attorney General and submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the Postal Service - both as strategies to generate some action or at least some response from the USPS. We also met with staff members of the full Congressional Delegation who are continuing to advocate as well. Until there is a USPS employee staffing a counter at the City Center location, we’ll keep fighting on this one.
Engaging in Regional Conversations
A key project for the Commission is to engage the communities that make up the Upper Winooski Watershed with the goal of finding opportunities to collaborate on projects that restore flood plains and help to reduce flooding. In partnership with the State of Vermont Recovery Office and Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, the Commission is helping organize a regional convening. More to come on this priority over the course of this fall and winter.
Hazard Mitigation Projects Update
As mentioned in our last update, the Commission has been reviewing different potential projects for the upcoming round of Vermont’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. At a meeting in August the Commission selected a set of projects to elevate as priorities for further review. These include the evaluation of the confluence of the Dog River and the Winooski, a review of both the Bailey Avenue Bridge and the Railroad Bridge by the heating plant, and a possible hydraulic and hydrologic study of all of our waterways in Montpelier to better understand where we should focus our efforts. While its unlikely that all of these proposed projects will receive HMGP funding, the Commission will continue to advocate for projects that have the greatest potential for lessening the impacts of future flooding.
Appearance on Vermont Viewpoint on WDEV
On Thursday Commissioner Richarda Ericson and Executive Director Jon Copans discussed the work of the Commission with host Kevin Ellis on the Vermont Viewpoint radio show on WDEV. Listen in here: https://blubrry.com/vermontviewpoint/135876530/kevin-ellis-talks-flooding-politics-and-more/
Reminder - Downtown Walking Tours
Taking place on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 and running through September 26. Join Montpelier Alive for a series of walking tours to learn about the history of Montpelier’s built environment and its relationship to the Winooski River. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and will cover no more than one mile in distance. All tours meet at Guertin Park (the grass lot on Main Street between Shaw’s and The Drawing Board). Tours are presented by Montpelier Alive in collaboration with Montpelier’s Commission for Recovery and Resilience, the Montpelier and Vermont Historical Societies, Friends of the Winooski River and Vermont River Conservancy. For a full listing of the tours and topics, click here.
We do our best to keep our webpage up to date with details on our work and other resources of interest. We also ask that anyone interested in the Commission’s work to sign up at the bottom of our homepage. And as always, please feel free to reach out via email if you have any suggestions or concerns - jon@montpelierstrong.org
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
July Update - August 12, 2024
Contact: Jon Copans, jon@montpelierstrong.org
Reflection on July Weather
While Montpelier wasn’t left unscathed by the heavy rains of July 10 and 11th, it has been particularly heart-wrenching to see what other communities are going through this summer. What seemed clear after last summer’s floods is now an unavoidable truth - our weather patterns have shifted in a way that increases the likelihood of intense and sustained rainfall. This means more flooding, both flash floods that cause damage through erosion, and inundation flooding like Montpelier experienced last summer. Based on the shifting forecasts for July 10/11, it seems clear that weather forecasters are struggling to keep up with these new conditions.
Some level of discouragement and anxiety is a natural response to these trends. At the same time the resilience-focused work of the Commission, the City, and others in Montpelier and surrounding communities is increasing in urgency. Below you will find some updates on our list of ongoing projects. Please sign up to receive Commission updates and visit our website here for the most updated information about our work and upcoming events.
Highlight - The RIVER Program and HMGP Funding Opportunity
As a result of the federally declared disaster from last summer’s floods, about $90 million will be distributed as part of the state’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Unlike a typical year, the State of Vermont is covering the local match for successful applications. Vermont Emergency Management has engaged a group of consultants to assist the hardest hit areas with the development of potential projects. Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission is assisting as well, engaging the community and gathering project ideas through their Resilience Initiative for Vermont Empowerment and Recovery (RIVER) program.
For Montpelier, Berlin and Barre, Roy Schiff of the consulting firm SLR is evaluating a list of potential HMGP projects for Central Vermont. The Commission hosted Roy and his co-worker Alex Marcucci at a meeting in July to review potential projects and to consider how the Commission might weigh in most effectively to support projects that will have the greatest community benefit for Montpelier.
On a related front, Roy and the SLR team have also been hired by Preservation Trust of Vermont to develop a plan for the 18 acre 5 Home Farm Way site behind the Agway in Montpelier. Ownership complexity around the site has been resolved and there are plans to remove the historic home on the site. This will clear the way for ownership of the parcel to be transferred to the City and for implementation of a significant floodplain restoration project that will help reduce flood levels in Montpelier. PTV Executive Director and Commission Chair Ben Doyle along with Commission Director Jon Copans and Montpelier’s Community and Economic Development Specialist Josh Jerome had a project kick-off meeting with SLR and walked the site. The implementation of this floodplain restoration project at the confluence of the Main and Stevens Branch of the Winooski is likely to be one of the HMGP applications to be submitted from Montpelier. You can read more about this project in a Bridge article here.
Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning
The Commission has engaged a team of emergency management experts to assist with developing a more robust and inclusive emergency plan for Montpelier. A series of stakeholder interviews has taken place and a task force of the Commission is providing guidance on a draft outline and gap analysis. A draft plan will be available for review and feedback in September, which will include a community forum focused on the topic. Do you have specific thoughts about what a plan should contain? Please be in touch with Jon Copans at jon@montpelierstrong.org.
LTRG Training
The Montpelier Disaster Recovery Network (MoDRN), our City’s new long term recovery group (LTRG) led by Suzanne Legare Belcher, gathered at Kellogg Hubbard Library with Commission members and Shawna Trader from Barre Up for a training arranged by AARP Vermont about how to organize an effective and sustainable LTRG. It is increasingly apparent that LTRG’s have a critical role to play in community response to disasters. This training provided tremendous value, not only because of the expertise of the presenter, but also because it provided a venue for Montpelier and Barre to learn from each other’s experiences. Suzanne and the LTRG recently hosted Senator Peter Welch for a visit with some of the Montpelier residents whose homes were flooded last summer and still are awaiting a determination about home elevation or buy-out options. These visits play an important role as the Senator proposes reforms to how FEMA support is distributed to local communities. Learn more about MoDRN and get involved here.
Introducing the “Resilience Matters” series with the Times-Argus
The Commission is excited to collaborate with the Times-Argus on a monthly commentary highlighting the opportunities and challenges of becoming a more resilient community. We’re calling it Resilience Matters. Here’s the July column authored by Commission Chair Ben Doyle. The next submission will come later this week focused on the importance of emergency planning.
Upcoming Event: A series of walking tours focused on Montpelier’s Bridges and the Winooski Watershed
Taking place on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30, starting August 29 and running through September 26. Join Montpelier Alive for a series of walking tours to learn about the history of Montpelier’s built environment and its relationship to the Winooski River. Each tour will last approximately 45 minutes and will cover no more than one mile in distance. All tours meet at Guertin Park (the grass lot on Main Street between Shaw’s and The Drawing Board). Tours are presented by Montpelier Alive in collaboration with Montpelier’s Commission for Recovery and Resilience, the Montpelier and Vermont Historical Societies, Friends of the Winooski River and Vermont River Conservancy. For a full listing of the tours and topics, click here.
Other Recent News Stories
At the one-year anniversary of last summer’s floods, the Times Argus provided an overview of the work of the Commission - https://www.timesargus.com/news/local/montpelier-focused-on-resiliency-a-year-after-historic-flooding/article_771a2428-3e1b-11ef-9e12-93d5c7038305.html
Dredging our rivers is a persistent topic here in Vermont. Read or listen to a recent Vermont Public story on dredging here. The Friends of the Winooski also has a very helpful blog post on dredging that you can read here.
We do our best to keep our webpage up to date with details on our work and other resources of interest. We also ask that anyone interested in the Commission’s work to sign up at the bottom of our homepage. And as always, please feel free to reach out via email if you have any suggestions or concerns - jon@montpelierstrong.org
On the Events of July 2024
July 12, 2024
For Immediate Release
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
Contact: Ben Doyle, Commission Chair
802-839-9914
The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience grieves with our neighbors over the destructive flooding events in our region this week. While Montpelier escaped the kind of devastation that it experienced last summer, we know many in our region did not and need our help.
Floods and climate related disasters like the ones experienced this week and last year are not singular events. Sadly, they are the new normal. The Commission has been working diligently this year to prioritize the vision for recovery and resilience articulated by our community. That work continues (and you can find out more about it on our website). This week serves as a reminder that complacency is not an option and that we can’t do this work alone. Please join us in supporting those in need today and in shaping a more resilient Montpelier for the future.
Donate & Volunteer
We encourage those who are able to donate to, or volunteer with, one of the organizations identified below (we recognize that this is not an exhaustive list):
Green Mountain United Way:
Capstone:
Vermont Community Foundation:
Barre Up:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/barreup/
https://barreup.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9b2ffd4a5d77714f0d19755a4&id=b48d97f1b9
Barre Community Relief Fund:
https://www.barrecommunityrelief.org/
Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area (CReW)
Plainfield Flood Response
https://sites.google.com/view/plainfieldfloodresponse
Northeast Kingdom Flood Response
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B084DADAB28AB9-50314626-flood#/
Mental Health
We also acknowledge for many of our neighbors in Montpelier, repeated “close calls” can be traumatizing. Mental health resources can be found here:
https://mentalhealth.vermont.gov/sosvt
Rivers and watersheds know no boundaries. We shouldn’t either. In times like this one, and on the long road to resilience, we need to reach out to support our neighbors near and far.
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
May 2024 Update
Contact: Jon Copans, Commission Executive Director
(802) 272-0162 or jon@montpelierstrong.org
In the past month the Montpelier Commission on Recovery and Resilience has continued to develop and implement projects prioritized as important for the City’s resiliency. We also welcomed its new Executive Director, Jon Copans, who assumed the role full-time in June.
Public Forum Report - On May 23 at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center, the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience hosted a public forum where we announced the specific projects that will be the focus of Commission work in the coming months. We then split into a set of small discussions where community members asked questions and shared suggestions about how best to pursue these priorities.
Thanks to ORCA Media you can view a full video of the event here.
The forum was brought to a melodious finish with a song performed by Commission Members Marc Gwinn and Katie Trautz. Check it out here.
Finally, at the forum we asked two questions of participants.
What does a resilient Montpelier look like to you?
Education topic ideas - what topics are you hungry to learn more about?
Click here to contribute your own answers to these questions.
Click here to read some of the responses gathered at the forum.
The Commission announces a refined list of priorities - Based on community input at the series of public forums last fall, the Commission has focused efforts on developing better emergency response and preparedness, making a more adaptive downtown, and working at the watershed level to implement flood reduction projects. Within those broad categories there were a multitude of ideas about where best to target efforts. The Commission has now developed a specific list of priority projects that will be the primary areas of work in the months to come. This list represents a starting point and will be adjusted over time depending on progress and other opportunities. Check out the full list here.
Spotlight on Emergency Plan Development - Since last July, a persistent area of discussion in our community has been about the immediate response to the disaster and the short-term recovery that took place in the days and weeks afterwards. While there were many aspects of the response that worked well, many feel that there are opportunities to strengthen communications and coordination. In response the Commission has launched an effort to craft a robust and inclusive Montpelier Action Plan for Local Emergency (MAPLE). The result of this effort will be a plan that integrates municipal response with the response carried forward at organizations, businesses, and households. The role of “the hub” and volunteer coordination will be better defined and planned for. A key goal of this plan is to supplement the Local Emergency Management Plan drafted by the city. MAPLE must integrate with city emergency response operations, but must also provide clarity to residents and business owners looking for guidance in times of disaster. It should also be noted - while flooding is top-of-mind for us, this plan will be inclusive of other types of disasters.
The Commission has brought in some expertise to assist with drafting this plan. Former Director of Vermont Emergency Management Erica Bornemann and her team of consultants will be providing direct support and lending their expertise as we work together to draft the best possible plan. Please stay tuned - there will be opportunities to review a draft plan and contribute to the conversation in the coming months. Our goal is to have a draft plan ready by August. Learn more about this priority by clicking here.
News Items:
Vermont Public Story - Charting the waters: AI is changing how Vermont maps flood risks - https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-05-14/ai-vermont-flooding-maps
Bordertown Podcast - Interview with new Commission Director Jon Copans - https://www.bordertownonline.com/1049725/15102904-jon-copans-the-commission-for-recovery-and-resilience
Announce email address and solicit sign-ups for Commission e-mail list.
Our new Director Jon Copans is settling in to the role and now has an official email address. Please feel free to be in touch with him at jon@montpelierstrong.org. We are building our contact list for direct communications about our work. Scroll down at our main page here to sign-up for that list.
Jon Copans to become Executive Director of MCRR
The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience announces that Jon Copans has been hired as its new Executive Director. The Commission was formed to coordinate and drive forward flood recovery and resilience work in the wake of the July 2023 floods. The Commission serves as a convening and resource partner for the municipality and its citizens and working groups advancing flood recovery and resilience projects in the city. Jon rose to the top of a large pool of highly qualified candidates. Commission members are delighted that his vision, experience with climate and resilience issues, and commitment to Montpelier will soon be at work making the community stronger.
Copans comes to the Commission from Old Spokes Home, a nonprofit bike shop centered around transportation equity programs where he served as Executive Director. Previously, he worked at the Vermont Council on Rural Development directing climate and leadership programs, as Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, as Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Environmental Conservation, and he served for eight years in the Vermont Office of (then) Congressman Peter Welch. He lives in Montpelier.
“We were stunned by and grateful for the quality of candidates who responded to our search,” said Nathan Suter, who led the hiring process. “Jon’s collaborative leadership style, attention to inclusive process, experience guiding complex decisions, and creative intellect attracted the Commission to him.”
“In the aftermath of last summer’s flood, we came together to support each other in recovery and to talk about the steps we need to take to mitigate future disasters,” noted Copans. “I am humbled to take on this role of supporting the Commission and my community as we transform those conversations into actions.”
“As we shift from deliberation to action, Jon’s experience navigating policy and bringing communities together to drive toward solutions will be a critical foundation to carry the Commission's work forward,” said Commission Chair Ben Doyle.
The next public forum hosted by the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience is May 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Montpelier Senior Center. Community members are invited to connect with Copans and the Commissioners, as well as share ideas and give feedback on Commission priorities for action.
More information on the Commission, its activities and related resources is available at
https://www.montpelierstrong.org/
March Update
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
March 2024 Update (04.11.2024)
Contact: Ben Doyle, Commission Chair
802-839-9914
Late in March, the Commission (MCRR) was informed by the United States Postal Service that it will restore retail and post office box services in downtown Montpelier. The USPS signed a lease for space in the City Center at 89 Main Street and is in the process of fitting it up with a goal of opening before the summer months. This news marks an important step in the community’s recovery from the flooding of July 2023. It comes after months of advocacy by the MCRR in coordination with the congressional delegation and city leadership.
Also in late March, the MCRR concluded its hiring process with an agreement with Jon Copans who will become its Executive Director. Jon’s experience in community engagement, leadership, knowledge of federal, state and local policy and programs, understanding of issues related to climate and resilience and deep commitment to Montpelier will soon be at work full time making Montpelier stronger.
Other work over the past month included:
Contacting members of the Vermont House Appropriations Committee in support of funding requested by the cities Montpelier and Barre to elevate damaged homes. The funding was included in the House version of the FY2025 Budget and is now under consideration in the Senate.
Continued work to advance the flood plain restoration project at 5 Home Farm Way along the Winooski.
Meeting with subject area experts as part of process of developing an enhanced local emergency operations plan.
More information about the Commission, its activities or related resources can be found at www.montpelierstrong.org
Post Office Update
March 30, 2024
For Immediate Release
Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience
Contact: Ben Doyle, Commission Chair
802-839-9914
The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience has been informed by the United States Postal Service (‘USPS’) that it has signed a lease for space to house a post office in downtown Montpelier. The Commission welcomes the news that a post office will return downtown marking a key step in the city’s ongoing recovery from the flooding of July 2023. The USPS has agreed to site retail and P.O. Box services in the City Center building, 89 Main Street. While an opening date is not yet established, USPS’s goal is to open the facility before the summer months. It has been a priority of the Commission to ensure the restoration of the community’s local post office in a downtown location. The Commission worked for months to secure its return including by organizing a public rally, coordinating efforts with the congressional delegation, and steady communication with the USPS calling on it to meet its responsibilities under federal regulations.
Montpelier has been without a post office for 262 days impacting citizens, businesses, our valued letter carriers and neighboring communities. The USPS decision likely would not have come without the combined efforts of U.S. Senators Welch and Sanders and Representative Balint, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the City’s state legislators and municipal leaders, and the many, many Montpelier residents who contacted the USPS directly. All are to be thanked and applauded for standing up for Montpelier.