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Legislature honors communications union districts for bringing fiber to rural Vermont
Summary
The General Assembly adopted House Concurrent Resolution 18 honoring Vermont’s communications union districts (CUDs) and recognized CUD leaders on the House floor.
The Vermont General Assembly adopted House Concurrent Resolution 18 in a consent-calendar action read on the House floor Feb. 4, 2025, honoring communications union districts for their role in expanding fiber-optic broadband to rural communities.
The resolution cites the statutory framework for CUDs, including the codification of the formation process in 30 V.S.A., chapter 82 (established in 2015), and notes subsequent legislative steps taken in 2019 (Act 78) and 2021 (Act 71) to support community-led broadband efforts. The resolution also states the buildout reduced the number of Vermont internet addresses with no or subpar broadband service from 100,000 to 20,000.
On the floor, the member from Dover introduced several CUD leaders who were seated in the House gallery and asked members to welcome them. The guests named during the recognition included former Representative Anne Mann Waring of Wilmington; Steven John and Bronice Lochaber of DV Fiber; Ellie DeVilliers of Maple Broadband; Laura Black and Larry Corsell of Otter Creek CUD; FX Flynn of EC Fiber; Tanya Ozone, Eric Townsend, Kitty Oferchase, Donna Ransmeier, Daniel Suka, and Krista Schute of NEK Community Broadband; and Andrew Tarley of the Vermont Communications Union District Association.
The resolution directs the secretary of state to send a copy to the Vermont Communications Union District Association, the Vermont Community Development Board, and Governor Philip B. Scott.
Ending: The floor recognition followed the consent-calendar adoption; the resolution is a formal expression of the legislature’s appreciation rather than a statutory change.
