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Vermont agriculture agency says H.167 workable but flags staffing, reporting needs
Summary
Officials from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets told lawmakers they support H.167in concept but said routing funds through the agency could require extra administrative capacity, clear reporting responsibilities, and possible administrative funding.
Nicole Dubuque, chief operating officer of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and Trevor Lowell, assistant director of the agency's Agricultural Development Division, told state legislators that they "conceptually agree with the bill" but want clearer language on who will perform reporting and how administrative work will be funded.
The conversation at a state legislative committee meeting focused on H.167, the bill that would establish the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant program and appropriate funds to support local food purchases distributed through the Vermont Food Bank. Dubuque and Lowell described two operational models: (1) the agency as a funding conduit with the Vermont Food Bank responsible for collecting and providing data, which would create a low administrative burden for the agency; or (2) the agency taking a hands-on role in monitoring subgrants, which would demand substantially more staff time.
"We at the agency, conceptually agree with the bill," Dubuque said, while noting capacity constraints in the grants and contracts team and the…
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