Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy

AGENDA

Zoom

January 18, 2022 - January 21, 2022

Last Updated 1/21/2022 7:53 AM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-natural-resources-and-energy.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

-After the Floor                    S. 225 - An act relating to the Vermont Climate Corps

Introduction

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Sponsor

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

11:00 AM                   S. 234 - An act relating to changes to Act 250

Committee Discussion

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

8:30 AM                   S. 234 - An act relating to changes to Act 250

Part I: How Much Housing Do We Need and How Soon Do We Need it ( including near-term pressures such as ARPA timeline requirements versus long-term requirements, such as sustained funding and development)

Josh Hanford, Commissioner, Department of Housing and Community Development

Seth Leonard, Managing Director Community Development, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Jennifer Hollar, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Chris Cochran, Director of Community Planning & Revitalization, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

10:00 AM                   Break

10:30 AM                   S. 234 - An act relating to changes to Act 250

What are the impacts of planning and permitting -Act 250, regional  and municipal on development, particularly housing development, including affordable housing?

Josh Hanford, Commissioner, Department of Housing and Community Development

Seth Leonard, Managing Director Community Development, Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Jennifer Hollar, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Chris Cochran, Director of Community Planning & Revitalization, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Jacob Hemmerick, Planning and Policy Manager, Department of Housing and Community Development

11:30 AM                   Committee Discussion

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

Thursday, January 20, 2022

9:00 AM                   S. 234 - An act relating to changes to Act 250

Day Two of Testimony Oriented to Problem Definition

Part 1: How Much Housing Do We Need and How Soon Do We Need It ( including near-term pressures such as ARPA timeline requirements versus long-term requirements, such as sustained funding and development)

Sabina Haskell, Chair, Natural Resources Board

Alison Stone, Associate General Counsel, Natural Resources Board

Maggie Gendron, Deputy Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

Billy Coster, Director of Policy and Planning, Agency of Natural Resources, Co-Chair, Agriculture and Ecosystems Subcommittee

10:00 AM                   Break

10:30 AM                   S. 234 - An act relating to changes to Act 250

What are the impacts of planning and permitting- Act 250, regional and municipal on development, particularly housing development, including affordable housing?

Sabina Haskell, Chair, Natural Resources Board

Maggie Gendron, Deputy Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

Billy Coster, Director of Policy and Planning, Agency of Natural Resources, Co-Chair, Agriculture and Ecosystems Subcommittee

11:30 AM                   Committee  Discussion

Michele Boomhower, Director, Policy, Planning & Intermodal Development Division, Agency of Transportation

Andrea Wright, Environmental Program Manager, Agency of Transportation

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

Friday, January 21, 2022

8:30 AM                   S. 148 - An act relating to environmental justice in Vermont

Kiah Morris, Movement Politics Director, Rights and Democracy Vermont

Jennifer Byrne, Environmental Justice Clinic Fellow, Vermont Law School

Bindu Panikkar, Assistant Professor, Gund Institute for Environment

Sandrine Kibuey, Director, VT Tenants & Mobile Home Program/CVOEO

Hayley Jones, Director VT and NH, Community Action Works

Sebbi Wu, Climate and Equity Advocate, VPIRG

Elena Mihaly, Vice President, Conservation Law Foundation

Peter Walke, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation

Maggie Gendron, Deputy Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

10:00 AM                   Break

10:30 AM                   Resume Testimony

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Jude Newman at jnewman@leg.state.vt.us