The Addison County Regional Planning Commission on Wednesday accepted a final audit, approved Waltham’s municipal plan and received progress reports on regional transportation and water-quality projects.

The commission voted to accept the fiscal-year audit and to approve the treasurer’s report from staff; both measures carried with no recorded opposition. Commissioners also approved a motion confirming Waltham’s planning process and adopting its municipal plan after a joint public hearing and staff review.

Why it matters: The audit’s findings and the budget figures shape how the commission bills grants and pursues projects, while the Vergennes planning work and clean-water funds have direct implications for local infrastructure, transportation patterns and lake-water quality across Addison County.

Arabella, the commission staff member who presented the financial materials, said the audit was “a fair audit in accordance with GAAP” and that auditors reported no instances of fraud or material noncompliance. Arabella told commissioners the materials show about $410,000 in total income and roughly $38,000 in net income year-to-date through October; the audit also shows the commission’s net position increased by $77,807 in the most recent fiscal year and assets exceeded liabilities by about $416,000 at the fiscal-year close.

The commission’s acceptance of the audit means staff will post the final report on the RPC website and proceed with routine grant billing and budget work. The treasurer’s report was accepted “as presented.” (The meeting record contains a garbled figure for total expenses; the presenter’s summary and the auditor’s report were clear on the income, net position change and that the audit was clean.)

Vergennes truck-routing study moves toward NEPA

Staff summarized a multi-year planning and environmental linkage (PEL) study addressing excessive truck traffic in downtown Vergennes. The consultant narrowed about 17 initial alternatives to five and the policy committee recommended advancing two western-route alternatives to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for further federal review. The committee also recommended keeping an existing-roadway alternative that routes northbound traffic via Routes 17 and 7 as a possible option.

According to staff, the western alternatives would build new roadways on the west side of Vergennes to route trucks around the city; the in-town/alignment and Route 17/7 options were kept for further consideration. Staff said the recommendation will be forwarded to the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for NEPA-level review and funding consideration; the final PEL report is expected within a few months, followed by a public meeting in Vergennes.

Clean Water Service Provider reports activity, reappointment

Staff updated the commission on work funded through the Clean Water Service Provider program administered by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The program provides roughly $1 million a year for projects that reduce phosphorus entering Lake Champlain, staff said. Most funding flows to consultants and implementing partners for projects such as floodplain reconnection, riparian plantings, gully-remediation and legacy forestry-road fixes; program rules exclude municipal roads, regulated stormwater sites and agricultural lands that are covered by separate permitting programs.

Staff said the commission was reappointed for a new five-year term as a clean-water service provider and expects to present three applications to the Basin Water Quality Council this month, primarily for forest-road projects. Arabella credited partners — including the Vermont Land Trust and the Lewis Creek Association — for implementation capacity.

Maple Broadband, staff hires and other items

Maple Broadband reported more than 500 active subscribers and that build activity is in a slower construction phase. Staff noted the Bridport selectboard approved a $50,000 allocation of ARPA funds to Maple Broadband to support build-out. In personnel updates, the commission introduced two new planners who began Jan. 6: Danelle Birong, who will work on housing and other planning areas, and Jolien Larson, who will serve as an energy planner and work on Act 174 updates and related grants.

Waltham municipal plan approved

Following a joint public hearing and staff review, the local government committee recommended the full commission confirm Waltham’s planning process and approve its municipal plan. Commissioners voted to approve that recommendation; committee members noted Waltham’s enhanced energy plan is included as an appendix and was not changed in the current review.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept the treasurer’s report as presented — outcome: approved (no recorded opposition).
- Motion to accept the final audit for the most recent fiscal year — outcome: approved (no recorded opposition). Staff said auditors reported no instances of fraud or material noncompliance.
- Motion to confirm Waltham’s planning process and approve the Waltham municipal plan — outcome: approved unanimously.

What’s next

Staff will post the final audit on the RPC website and follow up with towns on annual town-report materials. The final Vergennes PEL report is expected within months before VTrans/FHWA review and a public meeting in Vergennes; the Basin Water Quality Council will review the applications staff plans to submit for forest-road work.

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