[{"_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",6307244,"mediaKeyId","2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992","parentId",2433840,"title","Hinesburg town manager: July storm caused major road damage; towns strained by stagnant state highway aid","audioSeconds",624,"startMs",4436000,"endMs",5060000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992&start=4436&end=5060","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992/thumbnail_4436000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307244/Vermont/Hinesburg-town-manager-July-storm-caused-major-road-damage-towns-strained-by-stagnant-state-highway-aid","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307244-e7aaf13c38f12d77dd17481827052312/orig.mp4?Expires=1777643481&Signature=jZPeNRiKH41tLUIxYe1WuyRd5QuwLD9CjjvJq7O7yS8U3XvoNd0uNI9H8Coob0vwM70ChN4cBEG~YCwfGUBFE08G4aUsRadjnqGEgK0y7dAALnWaLvpSSjFBK1tVjunonjqjiahMhF6GtiGmWQP40K~N1AmHxkDevZyJ6MMq2WX5vNrcabdv8nBALHP2CXHCjcAkxtEEezYojbfgdBw0NkFiq606gCl4a3I-ZLbDTMhUf~KtOW9nI9th0XjZbbKsWR7W3aojkdkGcNbnnCSkzRkBdGVXP1gEeqJe~gcuoKYVW0seBW6-NS1d2ocarAYOFQkhhxXL3EJPkvrUzhd0KA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-27T20:59:30.43Z","article","Hinesburg’s town manager told a legislative panel that a July storm caused extensive road damage in the town and that local capacity and state highway aid have not kept pace with rising costs.

\"We are doing less with the same amount of money,\" the town manager told legislators, summarizing fiscal pressure on municipal highway budgets. He said Hinesburg has about 4,700 residents and roughly 50 miles of road; the town’s total highway budget (operating, capital and debt service) is about $1.5 million, while recent state highway aid to the town was roughly $152,000.

The manager said storm response so far has cost the town approximately $600,000 in repairs and mitigation, and he estimated total repair needs could reach about $1.5 million depending on decisions about two badly damaged bridge/culvert sites. He said the town used an available fund balance to accelerate work—replacing about 35 culverts in a six-week period—but that FEMA reimbursements have lagged; only one project had been obligated by FEMA at the time of testimony.

The manager described two major sites on Beecher Hill Road. One concrete box culvert near the highway garage will likely need to be replaced with a larger span (presenter cited a hydraulics-driven upsizing to approximately 22 feet) and could cost on the order of a half‑million dollars. At the other end of the road, a 7‑foot pipe gave way and left a large collapse; replacing that crossing and upsizing to a box culvert may exceed $1 million given site conditions and bedrock.

The manager said the town has struggled with rising unit costs: paving prices have risen since 2019 (a presenter cited a roughly 25% increase) and salt costs also rose (cited about 13%). He said Hinesburg’s paving budget has not increased in that period, forcing towns to stretch limited funds.

On grant eligibility, he said Hinesburg has sought structure program and culvert construction grants for problem locations since 2021 but remained ineligible for construction funding; that eligibility gap can delay necessary repairs and increase costs.

Speakers suggested several responses for the legislature to consider: steadying and increasing town highway aid (the town manager recommended regular increases so towns can budget with greater predictability); examining whether state bonding or a one-time resiliency fund could accelerate priority resiliency projects; and streamlining administration of state and federal disaster reimbursement so towns do not exhaust fund balances while awaiting FEMA decisions.

The manager said the storm illustrates the challenge many Vermont towns face: limited local revenues, aging infrastructure and rising unit costs, combined with irregular disaster timing. He urged legislative consideration of more predictable, responsive state support so towns can repair and harden infrastructure before the next major event.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Transportation - 2025-02-27 - 1:00PM","oneSentenceSummary","Hinesburg's town manager told legislators the July storm caused extensive road and culvert damage, with initial repairs costing roughly $600,000 and total repairs likely to reach $1.5 million; he warned towns have limited fiscal capacity and said state highway aid has not kept pace with rising costs.","taxTitle","Transportation, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",35155,"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},6307249,"RPCs, lawmakers call for study of barriers to bike-ped projects and clarity on payback language in T bill",1421,2447000,3868000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992&start=2447&end=3868","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992/thumbnail_2447000.jpg","/articles/6307249/Vermont/RPCs-lawmakers-call-for-study-of-barriers-to-bike-ped-projects-and-clarity-on-payback-language-in-T-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307249-da973f079a10cf7e58249878b3c77720/orig.mp4?Expires=1777643481&Signature=Uc5TNMzIY2bV6GqJN8LGQVJy1x5ZeOORrPGKX1iPrbWnTIZK5pCr7xAjm57Hu2K~Z158euaPGlvOu36kaz1fsk7jolfS~CuYZHMKPC2~tIcGLpVdeNDFfnRJcFR9uDuO6jshcmWsUcpRzFLssk5UXBhQA7t0B8dgBdBCHzQ5NK3KPTlDkCyfAmPt9nD9szPkXwf7ASo4sZdqQtAfpq7jSymlxKMaSlUI~5n~vW3ncwJyc~8wa3kVJGAU3AJCxCVdZSQZRqWbWoQ1Yenrqeu0M1VnUkyGW3ng-CJ2F0nmeqMubxvzMM7aQ3tgXCUVXdvA-35MDrgz36xZRwJLZk1~bQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Regional planning commission representatives told legislators they want a short, focused legislative study on the regulatory and administrative barriers that make bicycle and pedestrian projects costly and delay construction, and they asked lawmakers to clarify a proposed T bill payback provision they say could discourage towns from pursuing federal grants.

RPC presenters and several legislators cited examples they said illustrate the problem: one presenter described a town completing 550 linear feet of sidewalk for about $39,000 using state funds, while a federally funded estimate for the same length was quoted at roughly $550,000. \"Something is not right here,\" an RPC presenter said, adding that regulatory and federal requirements are a leading cause of cost escalation.

Representative Ollie told the panel the town faced what he called \"the world's most expensive pedestrian bridge,\" citing NEPA timing during the pandemic as an example of how regulatory requirements and external events can multiply project costs. Representative Casey told the panel, \"I think we kinda over regulated ourselves,\" in a discussion about whether some reviews and historic-preservation screenings are necessary for routine sidewalk work.

RPC presenters said the proposed change in T bill payback language—removing explicit reference to federal payback rules—could give agencies more discretion to require towns to repay state or federal funds after they cancel a project. RPCs asked for a pause on that change or a study to define clear criteria under which payback is required, arguing that towns sometimes cancel projects for reasons beyond \"cold feet,\" such as cost escalation between scoping and construction.

Speakers described funding shortfalls for bike-ped projects: panel members said requests for bicycle and pedestrian funds have risen to tens of millions of dollars while annual available funding is only a fraction of the need. RPCs asked for clearer, simpler state funding streams and noted that small towns sometimes decline to apply for federal grants because of cost and complexity or inability to meet local matches.

Catherine, one of the speakers, urged a \"step back\" to add guardrails and predictability to the payback decision process so municipalities would not face uncertain financial obligations if they cancel projects. RPCs said they will work with VTrans, VLCT and legislative staff to draft clearer criteria and proposed language and to convene stakeholders before any final change is enacted.

Next steps, presenters said, include finalizing a draft study or guidance, coordinating with VTrans on the details, and presenting proposed language to the committee before crossover if possible.","Regional planning commission speakers and several legislators urged a legislative study into regulatory and administrative barriers—including NEPA-related costs—that inflate the price of bicycle and pedestrian projects, and asked for clearer language in the T bill about when towns must repay transportation funds for canceled projects.",{"_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},6307254,"Regional planning commissions tell lawmakers they are 'our towns,' with transportation central to many programs",2236,103000,2339000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992&start=103&end=2339","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433840-ed71ca9d5ae90a6a1cc96ced33032992/thumbnail_103000.jpg","/articles/6307254/Vermont/Regional-planning-commissions-tell-lawmakers-they-are-our-towns-with-transportation-central-to-many-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307254-d70066cc51e71b8ad8b5b8fb752bf177/orig.mp4?Expires=1777643481&Signature=CmxUTkknqV01EjsE9uose5q7jUcbsBi7A4AS92Fo0u~CsnMH9ZVqoPsVxP9nZmqnWGuM6Sgzp8oXeWRMKyBasOnJud6RPumm0LtyPBBzEsEUXOaD3qq-1C~j-N-BZT4fb2rVZwlxviFfNoQ9RCvRBTButooi8LDyfa6nHga8rElR7j2EArMwBtgno4yU9WUtSIiJNOzFxq7yOqmkmKsN28eeCR-AR8RW84lbHnd~2500z8bBIFWGsopLsYjQpwYcmrMXxVifcx1mDqUQXRVotsrgvC2au~C1ZuzhqfDX~FBUjPJ6Vkui61e~NWIHCWrusCdULXbcMe2B6PHHW1W0IQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of Vermont’s regional planning commissions told a legislative panel that RPCs act as a link between state government and towns and provide one-on-one technical assistance, with transportation woven into many of their programs.

\"We are our towns,\" an RPC presenter said, describing the commissions as political subdivisions of the state and noting that their boards are appointed by municipal officials so every town has a voice. That governance structure, presenters said, makes the commissions accountable to local officials.

The commissions highlighted the Transportation Planning Initiative (TPI) as a long-running core program that funds local technical assistance for road, bridge and multimodal planning. RPC speakers told lawmakers TPI funds daily work such as traffic counts, grant-writing, culvert inventories and transportation chapters of town plans. Collectively RPCs said 73% of their budgets are spent on local technical assistance; last year they said they helped 113 communities with grant work and provided planning or zoning assistance to about 88 towns.

RPC presenters described a braided funding mix: base grants from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) funded from the property transfer tax; VTrans funding through TPI; targeted grants and contracts from agencies including the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), VEM and others; and town dues that typically make up 1–3% of an RPC budget. Presenters said the TPI relationship with VTrans is a significant partnership that includes monthly coordination between VTrans staff and RPC planners.

Speakers sketched several program areas that intersect with transportation: brownfields redevelopment, housing and transit-oriented development planning, the Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP) and culvert inventories, clean water grants administered for towns, energy and EV planning, and emergency planning and local liaison work for disaster damage reporting.

On brownfields, RPC presenters urged more state funding to supplement federal EPA assessment and cleanup funds. Presenters said RPCs and regions apply for federal EPA grants and also rely on state brownfields appropriations; they described assessment grants and, in some regions, revolving loan funds to support cleanup and redevelopment efforts.

Presenters pointed to data RPCs track with VTrans: dozens of inventories completed last year, grant assistance for dozens of towns, and long-term time-tracking that RPCs said allows them to show consistent performance measures over decades.

RPCs also described work required by recent legislation (Act 181) to update regional and town plans, noting that Act 181’s requirements for future land-use maps overlap with transportation issues such as sidewalks, transit, water and sewer infrastructure and complete-streets planning.

Speakers asked the legislature to consider sustained, predictable funding and simplified administrative flows, particularly for programs that towns access repeatedly. They noted that many towns lack staffing capacity and that RPCs often act as municipal staff augmentation on projects from scoping through construction and grant administration.

The presentation closed with RPCs reiterating support for clearer funding flows, streamlined administration for grant programs and continued partnership with VTrans to deliver local technical assistance.","Representatives of Vermont's regional planning commissions told a legislative panel that RPCs serve every town as state political subdivisions, provide one-on-one technical assistance and rely on a braided mix of state, federal and local funding—with the Transportation Planning Initiative (TPI) central to their work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hinesburg town manager: July storm caused major road damage; towns strained by stagnant state highway aid

RPCs, lawmakers call for study of barriers to bike-ped projects and clarity on payback language in T bill

Regional planning commissions tell lawmakers they are 'our towns,' with transportation central to many programs