VLCT wins regional grant to help towns apply for CHIP; cohort and calculator planned

John Canford of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns told a Jan. 9 joint House hearing that VLCT members have expressed strong interest in CHIP and that VLCT received a Northern Border Regional grant to provide technical assistance to municipalities.

Canford said the grant will support a three-year program of trainings, a resource library with templates and a CHIP increment calculator so municipalities can evaluate early whether CHIP will fit a proposed project. The cohort model will pair municipalities so communities with less capacity can receive hand-holding through application and compliance steps. Canford said the earliest cohort assistance could begin is mid-February subject to final grant agreements.

Panelists and lawmakers cited strong early interest in training: presenters said more than 260 people registered for a training webinar and that roughly 80% of attendees were from government or nonprofits. VLCT staff said the resources will be available to all municipalities, but the intensive cohort assistance will be limited by capacity and likely require selection if demand exceeds available slots.

Canford also noted that municipalities may still need to work with developers and lenders to resolve finance or mortgage-market questions for for-sale projects; VLCT will coordinate with RPCs/RDCs and other partners to develop practical templates and support.