Emily Klofft

The meeting began with opening remarks and an introduction of the new regional transit provider, Rural Community Transit (RCT), by its Executive Director, Caleb Grant. Discussions covered RCT's services, including the micro-transit option called RCT Rides, and coordination with other transit providers like CIDER. The board accepted the minutes from the December 2025 meeting. Commission reports highlighted updates on the FY25 audit, personnel changes, the approval of a brownfields loan restructuring by the Executive Committee, and loan restructuring for Champlain Transmission/Golden Junk by the Brownfields Committee. The Transportation Program Highlights presentation outlined guiding principles, program essentials like the Transportation Planning Initiative (TPI), and challenges such as level state funding. The board ratified the final FY25 audit with no negative findings. Furthermore, they approved draft updates to the Reserve Fund Policy, specifically maintaining three months of operating costs in reserve and increasing the building reserve by $10,000. Finally, the board received the final draft of the Regional Plan update for comments before the final public hearing scheduled for March 25.

The St. Albans City Plan outlines comprehensive strategies for urban development, focusing on downtown revitalization, future housing needs, and public transportation enhancements. It details the operational framework for downtown economic development and community engagement, sets housing growth targets for 2030 and 2050, and addresses existing and future transit services, including bus routes and passenger rail. The plan integrates extensive geographic data through various maps covering land use, infrastructure, and environmental considerations to guide planned growth and preservation.

Key discussions included the acceptance of the Treasurer's Report, which noted an ending balance of $62,464.64 and two recently paid invoices for dispatching services and a radar base site. Updates were provided regarding the Vermont Emergency Management Agency (VEMA), noting that LEMPs are due on June 1st and the FEMA Planning Grant is on hold. The group discussed the Public Safety Communications Task Force report, outlining proposed statewide system development, funding mechanisms including dispatch fees and cannabis tax revenue, and the recommendation to establish an independent Governance Board. Concerns were voiced about potential funding sources impacting property taxes. Further discussion covered tracking Congressionally designated funds from the Chittenden County Public Safety Authority. Preparations for severe cold and winter storm impacts were reviewed, including warming centers, shelter training coordination with the Red Cross, and distribution of emergency assistance information. Department updates covered the North Hero groundbreaking ceremony, ongoing maintenance and training schedules for Grand Isle Fire (including Lithium-Ion Battery Awareness and Ice Rescue Training), and HazMat/Mental Health training for Alburgh VFD. The need for better coordination of ice rescue trainings county-wide was agreed upon.

The meeting addressed a briefing on Vermont Act 43 Section 15, concerning Municipal Transportation Assets, Assessment, and Funding Needs, where preliminary scope of work details were presented pending consultant selection. The committee chose to table activity related to a previous motion regarding summarizing municipal transportation needs until more information and a clearer scope of work are available. Updates included a note about an encouraging presentation on the transfer of public transit services in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, and reports on recent NRPC grant support for regionally important projects, as well as NRPC's recent testimony to the Vermont House Transportation Committee.

The meeting featured a biennial regional transportation roundtable with local legislators. Key discussions focused on Transportation Funding (Federal and Local), Regional Transportation Priorities, and Cross-border and International Travel. Topics included the impacts of declining gas tax revenues due to improved fuel efficiency, the effect of inflation on state and municipal budgets, and concerns that Town Highway and Town Bridge funding is insufficient to meet rising costs. The committee also discussed indexing motor vehicle fees to the Consumer Price Index and concerns regarding bicycle safety in Grand Isle County. A motion was carried for the TAC to prepare a summary of anticipated municipal-level transportation needs and projects for the next five years.