[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6269569,"mediaKeyId","3042280-734d7e3db380649aa132bd6aec31972b","parentId",3042280,"title","State librarian warns federal grant uncertainty could slow Vermont library capital projects and services","audioSeconds",632,"startMs",2013000,"endMs",1381000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3042280-734d7e3db380649aa132bd6aec31972b&start=2013&end=1381","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3042280-734d7e3db380649aa132bd6aec31972b/thumbnail_2013000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6269569/Vermont/State-librarian-warns-federal-grant-uncertainty-could-slow-Vermont-library-capital-projects-and-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269569-5a7c6688ef601e677f8edc1f134348e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775520884&Signature=c6ufIn-YV99LL~dct7JsKt~2uBFbYYd51vIOUQuQHMInZSSAZFGWpt8Sk03BgMA4x3XHDexFeMnbdLOAk~HPQxB1fde2cAflkvJm7I7UC~WckDTXJqdEkWGOfaMq1JcC9E4Ul1PM~vurClQ2XOkK93votTl78xkvHzzeO5vaoVcKHdBjx3EbU-SNOQMv6BEkxDcpLGmmTzGBMtnss2nZQ8myg47ClxTVvD4jTrvKnnr9Y8Rcoo2EAVSJCKDvaWTIGOQcARYoiqwsXYMbqboMfeUdgfmPo-rpMSsICRKWTvicdz9EKpd1VLzzXCaIQP2DM9XEkD4h7pyn4ad1CWTHeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-17T19:23:38Z","article","Catherine Delnow, Vermont State Librarian and commissioner of the Department of Libraries, told the House Appropriations Committee on April 17 that her department is administering two federally funded capital programs—$16,400,000 from the U.S. Treasury and $10,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—and that ongoing uncertainty at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) threatens program continuity and core services.

Delnow said the Treasury-funded grants have been awarded to 14 public libraries around Vermont and that some projects have already completed construction and received reimbursement. “Brandon Public Library and the Judithan Public Library…have completed their projects and have received their full base award and have now moved on to contingency reimbursements,” she said. She added that the HUD-funded program has not yet launched its application or selected subrecipients.

The department is proposing two full-time limited-service positions to administer the capital projects; Delnow said those positions will be fully federally funded. She stressed the staffing importance for ongoing services: “IMLS funding makes up about 34% of our staff salaries. Only two of us at the Department of Libraries who are in permanent positions…are myself and my executive staff assistant, Jess,” Delnow said.

Why it matters: The IMLS provides formula grants to states that fund a substantial portion of Vermont’s library staff, shared databases and interlibrary loan services, and small capital awards for repairs and accessibility work. Delnow told lawmakers the department would likely prioritize statutorily required services if federal support were reduced, but that many supplemental programs and statewide services could be cut.

Delnow described the kinds of capital work the grants are intended to support and the program design constraints. “The projects will need to be able to be fully completed with no more than $499,000,” she said, and listed likely eligible work including roof repairs, water-damage remediation, structural repairs, furnace/HVAC replacement or upgrades, and limited ADA work such as ramps where feasible. She noted historic-preservation rules could limit ramp additions if an exemption is granted to fast-track projects.

Delnow described an example project under way: Johnson Public Library, whose building flooded in July 2023, is scheduled to be lifted and moved to higher ground and re-sited adjacent to the elementary school. She said most awarded projects must be completed by Dec. 30, 2026.

Delnow also recounted disruptions at IMLS that are complicating planning. She said Vermont has already drawn down its fiscal 2024 IMLS allocation of $1,240,000, but that the state has not received a formal award notice for the fiscal 2025 allotment. “After the continuing resolution was passed…we received an email from an IMLS staff member, Terri DeVoe,” she said. Delnow told the committee she later learned some IMLS staff were placed on leave and that at least one program manager had been terminated; she said three states (California, Connecticut and Washington) received grant-to-states termination notices while Vermont had not.

Delnow described attempts to obtain additional information from IMLS and said FOIA requests have not produced the federal plan she referenced: “They haven't actually delivered the plan to any of us upon request. FOIA requests have been denied.” She said that makes it hard for states to plan and that some discretionary federal programs have already been terminated.

Delnow warned of operational effects if federal formula funding were reduced or delayed. The Department of Libraries manages statewide electronic resources (Vermont Online Library and other databases), which Delnow said total about $286,000 in contract costs, two-thirds covered by IMLS; she calculated Vermont’s remaining share would be roughly $97,240 if IMLS support were removed. She also noted Vermont has 187 public libraries and that many rely on department services for trustee training, interlibrary loans and technical support.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about project types and federal timelines. Delnow said the department is attempting to fast-track some projects by seeking environmental-review exemptions for limited-scope repairs, but that HUD environmental review rules can be complex. On timing, she said IMLS staff had indicated states might hear allocation details by April 22, but that subsequent staff changes at IMLS have delayed answers.

Ending: Delnow urged lawmakers to consider the staffing and statewide-equity implications if federal funds are reduced. She said the department would meet its statutory obligations but would need to prioritize core services if federal support declines. “We would be going in and looking at what we must do, what says ‘shall’ next to it versus what we may do,” she said.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - 2025-04-17 - 3:25PM","oneSentenceSummary","Catherine Delnow, Vermont State Librarian and commissioner of the Department of Libraries, told the House Appropriations Committee on April 17 that two federally funded capital programs—$16.4 million from the U.S. Treasury and $10 million from HUD—are underway, but that uncertainty at the Institute of Museum and Library Services could threaten staffing and program support.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30573,"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},6269564,"Victim services director warns cuts to federal grants could close Vermont’s victim services hub and jeopardize subgrantee programs",1495,1398000,2893000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3042280-734d7e3db380649aa132bd6aec31972b&start=1398&end=2893","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3042280-734d7e3db380649aa132bd6aec31972b/thumbnail_1398000.jpg","/articles/6269564/Vermont/Victim-services-director-warns-cuts-to-federal-grants-could-close-Vermonts-victim-services-hub-and-jeopardize-subgrantee-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269564-207525305e119a9cf36490a467bb1f15/orig.mp4?Expires=1775520885&Signature=I5YN027lnLP4V~XPGchz-tGq0NTmQ7YlRn81GL1aA-WuZfEKL0NtYcF6flY0flhJamImg9gqWB3yr7NpTxcKLPayjweDP~ptmvLXSnBQwyvXUT4J~5xhxFyVg4W~CdJ52fAphSHBMAo0ygViSg0DO7-bV76Y50m2~cd~Tc7FuoCryaJ5DdRjVN4KI6Y45dpJVPrUTM5YLOXVTXUths4KQAgWg~r60ZUWgStiHkoZ~UXCseXzPtKRIHzhZi0ki09V9d3-8Iwma9saiYwpgkQaHTT0ZTc0U4R~8CwV7kwhPuCXGWm2MXouJZkX9OC3c1f4E7bnbvxZxFkldsEZPu2-qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jennifer Pullman, director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, and Carol Brochu, the center’s director of finance and administration, told the House Appropriations Committee on April 17 that the center depends on federal funding for a majority of its operations and that further reductions or termination of federal grants would severely curtail victim services across Vermont.

“Other than the military, we are an outlier in terms of how much we rely on federal funds,” Pullman said, summarizing materials the center provided to the committee and a Joint Fiscal Office report. She said federal funding makes up about 55% of the center’s budget and that the agency receives less than $2 million in state general funds, most of which are pass-through.

Pullman and Brochu said the center serves as the state’s primary pass-through and administrator for federal victim services grants. Pullman told lawmakers the center issues over 200 grants annually and supports 57 subgrantees or network programs that deliver services such as child advocacy, legal assistance, restorative justice, and programs for underserved communities. “If we were to lose federal funding, the center would close its doors,” she said.

Brochu summarized financial trends and program reliance. She said the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding that supports many programs has declined from roughly $6.7 million in 2018 to about $1.9 million currently. Brochu said the center is already managing a $1.1 million VOCA funding deficit this year. She cautioned that this reduction translates into lost positions and fewer services: “This supports almost 28 full-time positions,” she said of one major grant’s funding impact.

The directors described other specific budget issues. Brochu noted that the Violence Against and Services Protection (VISPA) line included roughly $600,000 in ARPA funds that will expire, reducing the VISPA allocation in State Fiscal Year 2026; she said FY24 VISPA funding was $1,437,000 and the FY26 projected budgeted amount is $997,000, with a non-ARPA baseline closer to $763,000.

The center also administers the statutorily required victim compensation program, Brochu said, and cited $268,000 in federal dollars budgeted this year for compensation payments. The center uses federal funds to pay a portion of its staff who administer and monitor subgrants; Brochu said those administrative portions have been sharply reduced over time and now account for a much smaller share of overhead support.

Pullman and Brochu described operational risks from federal scrutiny during the recent federal grant freeze and subsequent reviews. They said federal grant administrators, including staff from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), have requested subgrantee materials and that the requests have placed a heavy administrative burden on small providers: “They would like to see all the presentations and PowerPoints provided by all of our subgrantees during the past couple of years,” Brochu said, adding that could be more than 100 items to collect.

Committee members asked what would happen to programs if the center could not distribute federal funds. Brochu said Vermont statute designates the center as the pass-through for federal victim services grants and that no alternative, statutory entity exists to assume that role quickly. She stressed that the center provides monitoring, technical assistance, and grant-management support the subgrantees rely on, including site visits and audits performed on federal schedules.

Ending: Pullman and Brochu urged lawmakers to recognize the statewide coverage of the center’s grants and the short-term impacts of cuts on front-line providers. “These are programs that have relied on those (federal funds) to support the amount of FTEs…Those positions would be eliminated,” Brochu said. The committee thanked the presenters and indicated staff follow-up and continued monitoring would be appropriate.","Jennifer Pullman, director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, told the House Appropriations Committee that the center relies on federal funding for about 55% of its operations and that further cuts—especially to VOCA and related DOJ grants—could force program eliminations and potentially close the center.","actionData","errors"]

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State librarian warns federal grant uncertainty could slow Vermont library capital projects and services

Victim services director warns cuts to federal grants could close Vermont’s victim services hub and jeopardize subgrantee programs