Rutland RPC elects officers and adopts FY27 work plan focused on resilience, brownfields and housing data

At its June 16 annual meeting the Rutland Regional Planning Commission elected a slate of officers and approved a fiscal year 2027 work plan that prioritizes strategic planning, emergency management capacity and several planning and environmental initiatives.

Andrea (nominating committee) presented a recommended slate: Laura Black for chair; Andrea for vice chair; Larry Corsel for treasurer; Erica Bernup for the regional committee seat; Bob Gibbs for the community committee; and Dave Aair as the at-large member. "All in favor to elect the officers as Andrea described," the board said before approving the slate.

Devin, who presented the FY26 work-plan assessment and FY27 priorities, told commissioners the commission faced two primary challenges in FY26: significant staff turnover (three departures within a month) and missing grant awards that reduced capacity. "We were faced with two primary challenges this year. One was staffing... and then funding," Devin said. Despite the constraints, staff highlighted accomplishments including adoption of the 2026 regional plan, completion of multiple town planning projects and progress on road erosion inventories.

For FY27, staff proposed a strategic planning process with consultant support, a communications and public-participation plan, doubling municipal training offerings, a housing data dashboard to track new units by town, continued brownfields work and mapping of water and wastewater systems. Devin also announced the commission received $50,000 from the Land Access and Opportunity Board to help stand up the Rutland Region Disaster Cooperative to improve local disaster response capacity.

The board moved and unanimously approved the FY27 work plan. The commission will pursue grant applications (including federal brownfields opportunities) and ask staff to return with updates as initiatives develop.