[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6365666,"mediaKeyId","2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16","parentId",2159884,"title","Corrections funding focuses on HVAC, ADA and safety upgrades; no new money proposed yet for a new women's facility","audioSeconds",264,"startMs",2856000,"endMs",3120000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16&start=2856&end=3120","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16/thumbnail_2856000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6365666/Vermont/Corrections-funding-focuses-on-HVAC-ADA-and-safety-upgrades-no-new-money-proposed-yet-for-a-new-womens-facility","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365666-88fa06fc9de00abeeb00a36abf185259/orig.mp4?Expires=1775895270&Signature=DGKlS5tKYSpXRvaFPB3DKBzdjXRgnsmHqwa9W70ojMWhkCHoLZMDDs7KfWc6ow-dHIbG0nmZqoo0jjA5w4xHL9iqPnVJDXzk4GoWhgUXqg3bvpHeCUQ8vxOqxhuPVfCHVG-BRi45SiE9LvMS2gYuzDtzjgv21fXL-EuH1NeqLFcM6j5cuuMSikEHIc6URKU9oB0Q6C0wveTF5~Q5~GarjTeWbhuGyRrZLftgZW180l53-PGnlDXU0Yiac7-F~8rLfEhaJpsLY9je3N5FslueTMa2JRs8mLjmblzmofC-efghGK3tqp3z8kQO24L0sEPZwcTkh7xpLYK2LDCgOgc0qQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-29T09:16:14Z","article","Nick Kramer, chief operating officer at the Agency of Administration, told the House Committee on Corrections & Institutions that the proposed FY26–27 capital bill includes continuing investments in correctional infrastructure and that the administration did not recommend new appropriations for a new women’s correctional facility in this biennium.

Kramer said the package would fully fund construction of modern HVAC and air‑conditioning systems at state correctional facilities except for the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, which carries a larger price tag and ongoing design work. He said the appropriation would complete systems at facilities where the work has been staged across prior bills.

Kramer told the committee the Department of Corrections has an ongoing settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding ADA compliance and that \"that settlement agreement has been extended, I believe, through October 31st, FY25,\" language he used in his presentation to explain the timing of some required accessibility work. He said funds in the bill would complete the items needed to meet the settlement terms as understood by the administration.

Other line items Kramer highlighted include security‑related projects such as door control system replacements, sprinkler upgrades, roof replacements at the Northwest facility and related life‑safety investments. Kramer said some work — for example the St. Johnsbury door control replacement and Newport Northern State sprinkler work — represents cost true‑ups to prior appropriations.

On the women’s correctional facility, Kramer said the administration has appropriated about $16 million in prior bills and that those unspent prior appropriations are intended to carry the site‑selection and planning process through the current biennium. He said the administration did not recommend additional new funding in this capital bill; if the project accelerates the administration would return with a capital adjustment request.

Committee members pressed for clarity about whether general appropriations or line‑item HVAC funding would address immediate needs at the current women’s facility. Kramer and Commissioner Rhonda Manoli (Department of Buildings and General Services) indicated some general corrections HVAC funding could be applied to existing buildings, but committee members repeatedly requested more detailed line‑by‑line testimony, schedules and projected cash‑flow for projects that might affect operations in the near term.

Kramer and Commissioner Rhonda Manoli offered that the committee would receive department testimony and a prior‑year appropriations list during the upcoming hearings so the committee could track authorized but unissued balances and decide whether to reallocate funds during markup.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HCI-2025-01-28-2:20 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The administration told the House Committee on Corrections & Institutions on Jan. 28 that the FY26–27 capital proposal emphasizes HVAC, ADA and facility safety upgrades at state correctional facilities and does not include new appropriations for a replacement women’s correctional facility this biennium.","taxTitle","Corrections & Institutions, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30574,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6365671,"Administration outlines FY26–27 capital budget, highlights cash-fund formula and declining bonding capacity",1127,77000,1204000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16&start=77&end=1204","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16/thumbnail_77000.jpg","/articles/6365671/Vermont/Administration-outlines-FY2627-capital-budget-highlights-cash-fund-formula-and-declining-bonding-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365671-1f896f9b39c00ef712d39a9ce1f22c6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775895270&Signature=APwjIQeR8nYH25ogeisS0MaYJjK5ooASBe1EeMb1x-jPMC4zkOJDS0a3sobnawcoVxHs5qKly27i3Q0~llDLL054olaz7-Y7aGAflZIx8Azqny2DRuG1f-kGZ70LarV86NB-EQwexPUfEUTUExaNEFIW8jqC0UBI0K6mgakcc5TllLMpeQ1RNiJtFhr4AEeuOYWb3ifwxCXf12xtob8N4sP1RXGvFuaFmQG3E8Pti-M9uxVAV5VEK5bKbY0gbEJ88PCm77MQAvKnWCTqoIfC5p3CuS0m7WUm9FKmRmDQq4tF42dEFHrKNzeHz1NfEZ8Y4TRrxid0PwT4kIclG2UAzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nick Kramer, chief operating officer at the Agency of Administration, told the House Committee on Corrections & Institutions on Jan. 28 that the governor’s proposed FY26–27 capital budget pairs a $100 million Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee (CDAC) bonding authorization with smaller cash and prior‑year balances.

Kramer said the administration’s package includes $50 million of bonding in each fiscal year, $6.8 million in bond premium from a recent issuance and roughly $3.1 million in prior‑year reallocations, producing about $60 million available in FY26 and a $50 million authorization in FY27. He also said the statutory cash fund transfer for this cycle calculates to $14.8 million.

The nut of the administration’s recommendation is the cash‑fund concept: rather than relying solely on general obligation bonds, the state would lock a statutory transfer equal to 4% of the last completed fiscal year’s general fund appropriations minus estimated current debt service, and use that difference as up‑front cash for capital projects. Kramer said the formula is codified in statute (identified in the committee materials as “32 BSA 1,000 and 1 B is the cash fund statute”) and that the transfer this year is $14,800,000.

Kramer walked members through the spreadsheet columns that underlie the proposal — bonded appropriations for FY26 and FY27, cash fund appropriations, and totals. He described bond premium (extra investor payments that do not count against authorized bonding) and prior‑year reallocations as additional near‑term resources. Kramer said the treasurer’s office was able to generate $6.8 million in premium on the latest issuance, and that about $3.1 million of prior appropriations were available for reallocation.

Kramer and staff stressed why the mix matters: CDAC analyzes how much debt the state can responsibly carry while protecting its credit ratings; over the past decade CDAC’s recommended authorizations have declined (Kramer noted a historical peak in the early 2010s and the current authorization of $100 million for the biennium). At the same time, inflation and higher construction costs have increased the real price of projects, producing a gap that the cash fund aims to address.

Kramer said using cash can reduce interest costs (he offered a market example that issuing $1 in bonds could cost $1.50 over 20 years at current rates) and that the administration favors a diversified portfolio of funding sources. He emphasized the administration’s intent to place the cash appropriations in the capital bill to preserve committee jurisdiction while the statutory transfer would continue to be made in the general fund process.

The committee and administration staff agreed the spreadsheet and accompanying capital booklet contain line‑by‑line narratives for each project and that members should use those materials when asking questions in upcoming hearings. Kramer and fiscal staff offered to provide a short history showing past years’ proposed cash usage, actual appropriations, and bonding to help the committee track the interplay of cash and debt over time.

At the end of the session Kramer said the administration would return with department‑level testimony and that the committee should expect line‑by‑line discussions and potential reallocations during markup as project readiness and federal matches become clearer.","Nick Kramer, chief operating officer at the Agency of Administration, told the House Committee on Corrections & Institutions on Jan. 28 that the governor’s proposed FY26–27 capital budget pairs a $100 million CDAC bonding authorization with $14.8 million calculated under the statutory cash‑fund formula and several prior‑year balances.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6365661,"Administration proposes state infrastructure grants to finish three housing projects in Bennington, Barre and Brattleboro",105,3695000,3800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16&start=3695&end=3800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159884-083835acde2bebff68214fa7d9b74e16/thumbnail_3695000.jpg","/articles/6365661/Vermont/Administration-proposes-state-infrastructure-grants-to-finish-three-housing-projects-in-Bennington-Barre-and-Brattleboro","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365661-221ecd48d6bce3566e2498921eaafa81/orig.mp4?Expires=1775895270&Signature=MqaKuNio7x3WFrsfVQQC0EfSamv5DDirRgsQmonyLLY50Em~LDOznINSfzqq4ewUo5NRF8prp0RDSF6BF6eSqJxAFls30~HLXqS2mJVE4cpi7TMptvDVGfIj1MoVsL0Kg8jXWCnJ6OQwgDGClEE7680K4j7HvbeumuadXbl33sdFzWdG1GlOeIirrWW6GXu4kwqzMgmjk3I6G4gnfGplkWUyDkmX8RvAPYV0LoF3nC0057Qn3U2yb7qcn2ntxLSpU7fjk8OXnLhJyI4hAfqNLybwqLKvRt1IsYFlc8SEMJScRqwYVm7AP8XjGUYsBkXtyO4gP59eTV4VirzrcKLqfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nick Kramer, chief operating officer at the Agency of Administration, told the House Committee on Corrections & Institutions that the capital package includes three new, targeted appropriations to support housing projects in Bennington, Barre and Brattleboro.

Kramer said the projects \"rose to the top in terms of their readiness and the amount of non state funding that has already been brought into the capital funding stack for these projects.\" The three appropriations Kramer named in the presentation are: $1.1 million for the Bennington High School redevelopment housing infrastructure project, an infrastructure gap for the Prospects Heights housing development in Barre, and funding for the Winston Prouty Center in Brattleboro.

Kramer said the Bennington project is a public‑private effort approaching a roughly $40 million total development, including about 30 housing units, mixed commercial space, a child‑care center and an estimated 103 new child‑care slots that proponents argue will support jobs and local services. The administration described the state appropriation as targeted infrastructure support to close identified gaps and leverage federal and private financing already in place.

Kramer and committee members acknowledged that including non‑state buildings in the capital bill is not unprecedented but does represent a broader use of capital dollars to support housing projects that are not state‑owned. Kramer said the administration expects continued discussion of criteria and parameters with the committee and cautioned that adding these projects to the capital bill could open the door for similar requests in future sessions.

Committee members and staff asked for agency testimony explaining selection criteria and the specific infrastructure work the funds would pay for; Kramer and staff said ACCD (Agency of Commerce and Community Development) and local project representatives would be asked to testify in upcoming hearings.","The FY26–27 capital proposal includes new appropriations routed through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to fill infrastructure gaps on three housing developments the administration says are 'ready' and already have substantial non‑state leverage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Corrections funding focuses on HVAC, ADA and safety upgrades; no new money proposed yet for a new women's facility

Administration outlines FY26–27 capital budget, highlights cash-fund formula and declining bonding capacity

Administration proposes state infrastructure grants to finish three housing projects in Bennington, Barre and Brattleboro