Good morning. For the record, Damian Leonard, community office of legislative council, opened the Senate Transportation Committee’s organizational meeting and introduced staff who will support the committee this session.

The meeting served largely as staff and member introductions and an outline of topics the committee expects to address this session. Committee members and agency staff emphasized transportation funding uncertainty, town highway aid for municipal roads, electric vehicle (EV) policy and planned reports the committee will review.

"This will be my 11th session," said Damian Leonard, noting he started the role in 2014. Leonard said he covers transportation, administrative rules and building and energy codes for Legislative Council and is "looking forward to working with all of you."

State Rep. Becca White, who said she was elected to the House and will serve as vice chair of the committee, said she intends to prioritize nonvehicle transportation and municipal road aid. "Town highway aid funding is a major conversation topic that I'm hoping we can delve into over the next two years, because I think our towns are hurting," she said, adding concern about climate impacts on roads and bridges.

Logan Zuberi, a transportation fiscal analyst with the Joint Fiscal Office, introduced himself as a resource for budget and fiscal questions. "If there's any questions that you'll have, I'm sure you'll have to let me know," Zuberi said, describing this as his second year covering transportation at JFO.

Michelle Boomhower, policy planning and intermodal development director at the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), explained her office’s role in rail, aviation and public transit and said AOT staff will support the committee’s information needs. "One of my principal duties was to work at the State House between January and the end of May usually, and to be at your service and provide support for the committees," Boomhower said.

Patrick Murphy, who identified himself as an AOT staffer working on climate-related policy and electrification, said mileage-based funding approaches and EV infrastructure will be on the committee’s agenda. "One of the reports is focused on that," Murphy said of mileage and how vehicles contribute to roads and bridges funding.

Committee members also discussed a list of statutorily required reports and other briefings the committee will receive this session. Murphy and other agency staff noted a report the legislature asked for last term on mileage or vehicle fees; Zuberi and staff said the committee will receive a staggered set of deliverables with different due dates.

Senators and staff identified an immediate operational task: a budget adjustment that will be part of early work. The chair requested an email from the Agency of Transportation summarizing what will be in the budget adjustment "sometime this afternoon before the weekend," to help members begin review. Agency staff agreed to provide that information.

Committee assistant Maggie Panella said she will supervise committee operations and manage schedules and logistics, and members asked staff to share contact lists for committee members, agency liaisons and analysts.

No formal motions, votes or decisions were taken at the meeting; the session was organizational and informational. Members repeatedly framed transportation as intertwined with broader issues — budgets, climate impacts and municipal needs — and indicated the committee will prioritize reviewing funding reports, EV policy and town highway aid in the coming weeks.

Looking ahead, staff and members said they will provide the committee with the inventory of reports and a short timeline for near-term deliverables so members can schedule hearings and fiscal briefings.