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Regional commission approves amended energy plan, affirms Montgomery town plan and adopts 3% municipal assessment
Summary
The commission voted to remove an outdated appendix from the regional energy plan and forward the amendment to the Department of Public Service; it also approved Montgomery's town plan and set a FY2026 municipal assessment increase of 3% to give towns timely budget information.
The Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously by roll call to approve an amended regional plan that removes an outdated appendix to the regional energy plan and to forward the amended plan to the Vermont Department of Public Service for official approval.
Commission staff said the amendment does not change the substance of the plan considered in July other than deleting the outdated appendix and re-warning a final public hearing. "We'll now submit it to the Department of Public Service for their approval officially," staff said after the vote.
The commission also approved the Montgomery town plan after staff and the municipal plan review committee reported that Montgomery's plan met required criteria under the commission's new review process. The panel took two separate votes: first to approve the plan and then to confirm the planning process used.
On finance, the commission accepted the finance committee's recommendation to set the FY2026 municipal assessment increase at 3% (the lesser of the 3% policy cap or the New England employment cost index); staff said the change will be circulated to select boards so town budgeting can proceed on schedule. The packet cited a $173 annual increase for the example town of Georgia.
The votes were procedural and administrative in nature; staff will submit the amended regional plan to the Department of Public Service and record the Montgomery approval and assessment schedule in commission records.
Next steps: staff will submit the amended regional plan to the Department of Public Service, notify Montgomery officials of the plan approval and distribute the updated municipal assessment schedules to towns.
