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RPC staff promote countywide disaster cooperative; subregion meetings underway
Summary
RPC staff and planners described an initiative to create subregional disaster‑cooperative groups to coordinate preparedness, response and recovery across Rutland County. Early meetings in Chittenden and Castleton included several small towns.
Devin Newry said on Oct. 21 that RPC planners, led by Maggie O’Brien in partnership with Eric Polber of the Vermont Department of Health, have begun facilitating subregion discussions for a Rutland County disaster cooperative.
Newry said the effort is intended to build a "homegrown" framework for mutual aid and recovery among towns that might operate without a formal state recovery framework or during uncertainty around federal programs such as FEMA. The RPC held one subregion meeting in Chittenden and another in Castleton; the Castleton meeting included five or six towns, all of which participated in facilitated discussion about preparedness, response and recovery.
RPC staff said the initiative is in early stages and that they plan quarterly subregion meetings across the county until all subregions have met. Newry praised the planners' outreach and said the meetings drew participation even from very small towns; he described the effort as intended to strengthen inter‑town assistance after disasters.
No formal action or vote was taken; staff asked municipal representatives to watch for upcoming facilitation dates and follow‑up materials.
