Chittenden County MS4 Subcommittee approves revised FY23 program budget, defers new creative until after survey

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s MS4 Subcommittee approved a revised FY23 MS4 program budget at its Aug. 24, 2022, online meeting, agreeing to cuts to staff hours, advertising and vendor fees and to move significant creative production into FY24 pending survey results.

Dan Albrecht, CCRPC staff, presented revised draft budget numbers that reduced planned expenses (including a $5,000 reduction to Pluck and other vendor costs) and showed projected expenses of roughly $107,429 against projected revenue that initially included $6,600 in dues plus a $30,295 FY22 carryover. Milton representative Dave Allerton said he had budgeted $6,000 for dues and "could come up with the extra $600 but he would have to take it from something else," prompting members to model the budget at a $6,000 dues level.

Modeling dues at $6,000 produced a revenue shortfall of about $5,000. Albrecht noted the subscriber survey is not technically required; Essex Junction co-chair Chelsea Mandigo and others said the survey yields behavioral and media-use data that inform creative strategy. Members agreed to delay production of new creative until after a proposed January survey so that results can be incorporated into messaging.

Pluck consultant Dave Barron offered to do concepting in FY23 (up to 50 hours) and to push production and ad-creative costs of about $7,000 into FY24. The Subcommittee agreed that if survey costs exceed $18,000, the excess would be taken from the spring 2023 advertising allocation; members also agreed to reallocate fall, winter and spring ad budgets as needed to balance the year.

After discussion, Williston representative Christine Dougherty moved to approve the revised FY23 Rethink Runoff budget; Shelburne representative Chris Robinson seconded the motion and the Subcommittee approved the budget unanimously.

The minutes include a detailed line-item budget labeled "RETHINK RUNOFF," showing lead-agency CCRPC staffing, vendor fees, advertising allocations (July–mid-Sept 2022; Jan–Feb 2023; Apr–June 2023), Pluck hourly fees and WNRCD Stream Team costs, with the document reporting a total budget near $102,029 and projected income of $102,295 (dues recorded as 12 × $6,000 with a $30,295 carryover).

Next steps: Albrecht will implement the agreed reallocations, coordinate the proposed January survey and, per members' agreement, advance production work only after survey results are available to guide creative. The Subcommittee adjourned after closing business.