Rutland RPC updates FY25 budget, board committee recommends revised $2.2 million plan to full board

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RPC) executive committee reviewed November 2024 financials and a proposed update to the FY25 budget at its Jan. 13 meeting and voted to recommend the revised budget to the full board.

The committee heard the commission’s November financial report and an update on receivables before discussing a budget amendment that increases the fiscal-year revenues and expenses from the approved $2,035,000 to roughly $2,200,000. Committee members then moved and seconded a recommendation that the full board adopt the updated budget.

Why it matters: the update folds in new and revised grant awards, adjusts staffing and fringe projections, and allocates newly identified special-project revenues and expenses. Approving the update will allow staff to begin hiring and contract work already planned for the fiscal year.

During the financial report staff said November net income was “almost $35,000,” and that November and December historically show lighter billing because of holidays. Accounts receivable were reported at about $290,000 as of Nov. 30 and about $217,000 as of Jan. 13; one long-aged receivable item noted was work for Brandon BMG that cannot be invoiced until agreed work is complete.

On the revenue side, the committee heard that a key state grant (described in the packet as an ACCB property transfer tax grant) came in with more than $85,000 above original expectations because of additional Act 2018/Act 250-related funds tied to a flood mapping effort. Other increases include a new Work6-related award (about $65,000) tied to workforce projects and an additional neighborhood development-area planning grant from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). The packet and presentation also reflect timing-related reductions for some federal and state grants (for example, EMPG and certain DEC QISP line items) where award amounts or project phases changed.

On the expense side staff proposed and the committee reviewed several line-item increases: salaries up $76,608 to account for raises, a new senior planner already onboard and a proposed part-time finance support position; fringe benefits up $20,445 (the report noted a plan change from Blue Cross Blue Shield to MVP that reduced some health-insurance costs by about $8,500 while other plan-type changes raised costs elsewhere); contracted services increased by $87,378 to cover consultant work for TOD, MTAP and other agreements; and special projects were increased by $47,896 to reflect new agreements (including a Fair Haven LHMP agreement and a health-equity grant). Equipment purchases were increased by $6,000 to cover replacement computers, and marketing and other small lines were adjusted to match recent actuals. The net income line moved slightly in the proposed update (approved budget net income $3,325; proposed $4,430).

Staff explained contingency planning for comp-time and potential payouts: comp time will be budgeted and, per current policy, can be cashed out on a quarterly basis subject to limits; vacation cash-out and carryover rules were presented as background to justify the fringe and salary projections. Staff also told the committee they had consulted auditors about budgeting comp-time payouts for the first time.

The committee voted to recommend the budget update to the full board. The committee’s recommendation was recorded by voice vote; the motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice (tally not specified in the transcript). Earlier routine actions taken at the meeting included approval of the meeting agenda (with an addition to go into executive session) and approval of the Dec. 19 minutes by voice vote.

The packet and discussion cited a number of grant programs and funding sources that drove the proposed changes, including: ACCB/ACCD grants, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation QISP program, the federal EECBG and EMPG programs, FEMA HMGP work, Vermont State Brownfields funding, and the Work6 grant. Staff said some revenue lines remain timing-dependent until agreements are fully executed.

What’s next: the committee’s recommendation sends the proposed FY25 update to the full RPC board for final action at a future meeting. Staff said hiring for a part-time finance support position would proceed if the board approves the updated budget and that contracts for consultant work would be executed as the funding agreements are finalized.