Northwest RPC outlines budget, fund sources and new clean‑water role for Missisquoi and Lamoille basins

At an orientation for new board members, Catherine, director of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, walked commissioners through the RPC’s budget and funding model and described an expanded role on water-quality projects.

Catherine said the RPC’s core funding comes from three stable sources: municipal assessments (about $1 per person in a municipality and roughly 2% of the RPC’s budget), state regional planning funds (a portion of property transfer taxes distributed to the 11 regional planning commissions) and Vermont Agency of Transportation funding for transportation planning work. She noted municipal assessments are small in proportion to the budget but critical because they provide flexible match for state and federal grants.

On larger program funding, Catherine said the RPC has “brought about $5,000,000 into the region to do assessments and cleanup for formerly contaminated properties to allow them to be redeveloped,” citing brownfields projects in Swanton and St. Albans City. She added that Brownfields grants account for a sizeable line item (about 17% of the RPC’s budget) but that only about 5% of those funds are used to pay RPC staff (the rest pays consultants and cleanup costs).

Catherine described the RPC’s cash‑flow practice: most grants operate on a reimbursement basis and the RPC maintains a $400,000–$500,000 fund balance to bridge invoices and avoid short‑term borrowing. The commission’s fiscal year runs July 1–June 30.

On natural resources, Catherine said the RPC has been selected under a new state program to serve as a Clean Water Service Provider for the Missisquoi and Lamoille basins and that the RPC could manage "anywhere from $1 to $2,000,000 of water quality projects annually" through that program; she cited pilot projects such as private‑roads work in the Lake Carmi watershed and culvert replacements with US Fish and Wildlife.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about natural resources work and committee openings; Catherine said the Clean Water Service Provider work is currently part of the natural resources budget but will become a separate line item in future years. She said staff would follow up with written details and post updated budget and staff information on the RPC website.

The orientation ended with Catherine encouraging commissioners to contact staff for help navigating grant eligibility and ARPA spending decisions and offering to email committee‑opening lists to those interested.