[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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",[32,76],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6311611,"mediaKeyId","2395025-d8d67d1cca4e1f455299696a0c98924a","parentId",2395025,"title","State water funds: DEC outlines SRF pipeline, matching needs and municipal pollution grant request","audioSeconds",7208,"startMs",1102000,"endMs",8310000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2395025-d8d67d1cca4e1f455299696a0c98924a&start=1102&end=8310","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2395025-d8d67d1cca4e1f455299696a0c98924a/thumbnail_1102000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6311611/Vermont/State-water-funds-DEC-outlines-SRF-pipeline-matching-needs-and-municipal-pollution-grant-request","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6311611-5866c0c57e725dec7cb528c0a6902eeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171635&Signature=RC-wi4dR9bPHMa3xZ6RLmIcsH1jz4s5-6844jK5~us2ZdAs6I~EdZ9O1G4A-PsDY4SCogj6h1dBoNHWeMyCD85IWDbke4Qe~EiBuve4n4CID3TAbtuTdfsBq0fgpyoJa32JQ3DrGfVGmUWJg2bv9C3i6A1ZWflGfRgcUbPuWy80~66uxh6u1NiYKTOp9l0B3AauJbbnaa8w7zvFHydWBfQEmqD4PTKf5aOrrwy6wA1JfmhsrC9FpFvfszjVKw-JQfZQjLKjvJPECK1Zep3FBVMDYjyJJMizZP77Bt7KkNazaMtCs-G-bwvLSS53Cv76NgOEmx6q2BHf590MwUk7sVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vermont Committee on Corrections and Institutions","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff told the South Corrections and Strategic Committee on Feb. 25 that Vermont’s drinking‑water and clean‑water state revolving funds (SRFs) remain active but that timing, federal allotments and contractor capacity shape how much state match will be needed and when projects can proceed.

Eric Flatt, director of engineering with the Water Investment Division at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, and Patrick Muntz, water infrastructure finance program manager, outlined how state capital appropriations serve as the required match to federal SRF grants, summarized recent projects and asked the committee to include targeted appropriations as the committee prepares the capital bill.

Why it matters: DEC testimony affects whether the state can draw federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and base SRF funds, and how quickly municipalities and special districts can move projects from planning into construction. DEC staff said state match dollars in the capital bill unlock a substantially larger federal grant pool (staff described a 5:1 federal‑to‑state leverage on some federal funds).

Key points from testimony and committee discussion:
- Match request for drinking water: DEC staff said the FY27 drinking‑water match request in the governor’s recommendation is $590,000; staff told the committee there is roughly $390,000 left from prior appropriations that can be applied to the FY26/FY27 cycle.
- Municipal pollution control grants: DEC staff reviewed the municipal pollution control grants line (the testimony referenced roughly $3.3–$4.0 million in recent appropriation lines) and said the Clean Water SRF program and pollution grants are separate line items; municipal pollution grants are state dollars and do not require federal match.
- Lump sum for section 10 (FY27): DEC noted that one FY27 line item is a $10,000,000 lump sum in section 10; staff said specific suballocations will be managed through the Clean Water Board process next year.
- Applications and pipeline: staff reported about 883 drinking‑water priority list applications and roughly 100 clean‑water applications have been submitted and are in the ranking and vetting process; many projects remain at preliminary design or bond planning stages.
- Examples of ongoing or large anticipated projects: Waterbury wastewater phosphorus removal; a Milton manufactured‑home park upgrade (about a $5 million project covering a roughly 100‑unit park); major anticipated projects in Burlington (roughly $124 million estimated), South Burlington (roughly $26 million), Shelburne (multi‑contract work within a larger bond) and Colchester (phased sewer main projects) were discussed as large items that could appear on future priority lists.
- Program details: DEC described the SRF “revolving” process, set‑aside categories (technical assistance, operator training, source protection) and said the federal IIJA/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money created several new grant categories for drinking water, including lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants (PFAS) funding; staff said some IIJA grants do not require a state match.
- Delivery constraints: DEC staff and committee members discussed contractor and material shortages, and limited local consulting capacity; DEC said delays have slowed some projects and that funding availability does not always translate into immediate shovel‑ready capacity.

What DEC asked the committee to include in the capital bill: staff and committee chair summarized that, for the immediate capital cycle, the DEC is asking for the state match amounts in the governor’s recommendation (including $590,000 for the FY27 drinking‑water match) and for $3.3–4.0 million in municipal pollution control grants for the fiscal year noted in the packet; staff emphasized that the FY27 consolidated line item will be specified via the Clean Water Board process before suballocations are finalized.

No formal committee vote on these appropriations was recorded during the presentation. DEC staff said they will circulate the draft priority lists and intended use plans (IUPs) in March–April and hold public hearings; the committee said it wants a copy of draft lists once available so members can track which large projects may require multi‑year appropriations.

Quotes (selected):
“On the drinking water side, their current estimate is about $400,000,000 in terms of what we need to do.” — Richard Cate (context: discussing university deferred maintenance; UVM testimony preceded DEC presentation)

“We’re revolving in the order of $818,000,000 a year [on the clean water side], and on the drinking water side we’re revolving $10,000,000 a year.” — Eric Flatt, Director of Engineering, Water Investment Division

“The projects can take a year to two years before they actually go to construction. Now they’re into active construction; it’ll be another two years before they start repaying.” — Eric Flatt, describing the approximate four‑year lag between grant award and loan repayments.

The committee and DEC staff agreed to follow up: DEC will provide the draft priority lists and the unspent capital funds report for committee review; the committee intends to consider the testimony and the draft IUPs as it prepares capital‑bill recommendations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HCI-2025-02-25-1:05 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Department of Environmental Conservation staff told the committee on Feb. 25 that state match dollars and municipal pollution grants will determine how quickly municipalities can draw federal SRF dollars, and that committee support is needed to match upcoming federal grants.","taxTitle","Corrections & Institutions, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30574,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6311616,"University of Vermont seeks $1.6 million annually for campus major maintenance",1043,0,1043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2395025-d8d67d1cca4e1f455299696a0c98924a&start=0&end=1043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2395025-d8d67d1cca4e1f455299696a0c98924a/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6311616/Vermont/University-of-Vermont-seeks-16-million-annually-for-campus-major-maintenance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6311616-b6e27759b6f100489ab16f46583e481f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171635&Signature=VR5EcuqAasDhs8vfWD3dFYQ6VTeErGfuXgAw4IdFegGtSnyiQ04qxgAEEY1rdVO79avnzqsTgCZ3PwFFHi54RERFfDMuljP8ZKvoT6D5lYbI7NJ-Zvohyoj3jbr-4u2~kCPewkuilHGekoVGWkFs2kCrNs2UpX~AeYbyu3gInvpu6wFVHm6dzMvtlq5XXt-9L912ub2NvDYtSNemQ2rRkQgdKiSxq8hOsJEuCk-hx1H~-9IGtJNSq30ExbpDhcrlGQLg9XLutHsZ2sLLIm-8NGlaxRmYe-i4WEBpbM7bgXhsrFPjS0TDu9I~fQOuHxigg8-M1JPLi72swirEOtA2rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University of Vermont officials told the South Corrections and Strategic Committee on Feb. 25 that the university is requesting $1.6 million for fiscal 2026 and $1.6 million for fiscal 2027 to fund major maintenance and targeted renovation projects.

The request matters because UVM officials said the university faces a significant deferred maintenance backlog and limited internal resources to address large envelope and historic‑building projects. Richard Cate, vice president for finance and administration at the University of Vermont, gave the committee a campus overview and described how state capital allocations are used.

Cate said UVM’s current estimate of deferred maintenance is about $400 million, and that the university manages nearly 5.5 million square feet of space. “We have buildings ranging from the Civil War and before, up to some more modern ones,” Cate said. He told the committee the maintenance program prioritizes life‑safety work and the building envelope — roofs and windows — because “you don’t know what happens if the water ever gets in.”

Cate and Wendy Koenig, identified as executive director of government relations for the University, described specific projects that would be candidates for state capital money. Examples cited in testimony:
- Howe Library: an exterior facade/brick work project Cate estimated would cost about $2.5 million.
- Dewey Hall: identified as the original home of UVM’s College of Medicine, with roughly $40 million of deferred maintenance on the building; Cate said the university hopes eventually to move a department out and explore a ground lease with a private developer who could access historic tax credits the university cannot.
- Windows and roofs: officials said window replacement on historic buildings can be expensive — Cate described examples of $1.5 million for grouped window projects — and roof projects ranging from roughly $500,000 to $2 million each.

Committee members pressed officials on how UVM prioritizes projects and what happens if the governor’s recommendation is lower than the university’s request. Cate said the university would stretch remaining funds, patch roofs, stagger multi‑year window projects and use operating budget and one‑time funds where possible. He said the university has closed or sold some peripheral, high‑upkeep properties to reduce footprint and costs and has pursued a mix of operating dollars, bond financing and occasional donor support for capital work.

Officials also discussed labor and contractor constraints. Cate said the university does some in‑house trade work but finds it difficult to hire and retain skilled tradespeople; the university also relies on ongoing contracts with construction firms, which can face delays because of workforce and supply constraints.

No formal committee vote was recorded on the UVM request during the hearing. Committee members indicated they would take the testimony into account as they prepare markup on the capital bill.

The committee hearing continued with the department of environmental conservation’s presentation on clean and drinking water funds.","UVM officials told the South Corrections and Strategic Committee that the university is requesting $1.6 million in fiscal 2026 and $1.6 million in fiscal 2027 for major maintenance, citing about $400 million in deferred maintenance across campus and high repair costs for historic buildings such as Dewey Hall and Howe Library.","actionData","errors"]

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State water funds: DEC outlines SRF pipeline, matching needs and municipal pollution grant request

University of Vermont seeks $1.6 million annually for campus major maintenance