PLANNING FORUM #2
Meeting Type: Special Meeting
Date: Wednesday,
March 29, 2017
Time: 6:00
p.m.
Place: Municipal
Building Community Room
Address: 43
Bombardier Road Milton, VT 05468
Contact: (802) 893-1186
Website: www.miltonvt.org
DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting
was called to order at approximately 6:05 p.m.
2. ATTENDANCE
Members Present:
Henry Bonges, Julie Rutz, Tony Micklus, Louis Mossey, Bruce Jenkins, Bob
Brisson, Tony Micklus, Bonnie Pease, Judy Kinner.
Members Absent:
Lori Donna, Jessica Groeling, John Lindsay, Ann Bradshaw, Bob Lombard, Jaime
Parent, Dan Gaherty, Laurie DiCesare, Nathaniel Carner.
Staff Present:
Jacob Hemmerick, Planning Director; Sarah Macy, Director of Finance
& Administration; Kym Duchesneau, Recreation Director; Jeff Castle, Town
Planner; Kristen Treanor, Planning Assistant.
Guest Speakers:
Bob Henneberger & Marie Houghton of AARP; Katelin Brewer-Colie of
Local Motion; Brendan Atwood of the Chittenden Area Transportation Management
Association (CATMA); Jason Charest of the Chittenden County Regional Planning
Commission (CCRPC).
Public Present:
David Armstrong, Joe Duquette, Chuck Spear, John Sharrow, Amy Cook.
3. AGENDA REVIEW
None.
4. PUBLIC FORUM
None.
5. FORUM #2
The theme
of Planning Forum #2 was “Transportation:
Principles, Process and Funding.”
The goal was to understand the why, how, and how much of planning and
funding transportation projects. Following
is a summary of the presentations the Guest Speakers shared with the
group:
·
AARP:
Henneberger gave an introduction to AARP. Henneberger and Houghton shared their
experience(s) conducting “walk audits” in nearby communities. The walk audit is a simple but effective tool
to determine where deficits in transportation infrastructure exist. By taking a walk through town, one can learn: where sidewalks abruptly end or a crosswalk
is needed, areas of excessive speeding, or the appropriateness of signage (among
many other things). These observations
can shine a light on both big and small problems. Houghton emphasized that there are small
fixes (such as adjusting the timing on a crosswalk) that are easy, inexpensive,
and provide immediate results. Some Q&A
followed regarding how AARP got in to the business of Urban Planning, and the
importance of planning for senior needs.
·
Local
Motion: Brewer-Colie presented an overview of Local
Motion, a local bike-walk advocacy group that merged with the Vermont Bicycle
and Pedestrian Coalition approximately 2 years ago. Though many locals may know of Local Motion
because of the Bike Ferry or Bike Rental programs, they do much more than
that. Brewer-Colie explained some of the
other offerings Local Motion has:
o Bike Smart: a school program aimed at teaching children
how to safely ride a bike.
o Everyday Bicycling: a program aimed at adults wishing to
incorporate bicycling into their everyday activities.
o Family Bike Workshop: a program aimed at making families comfortable
biking together.
o Tool Kits: Local Motion has a set of tool kits
available, ranging from their “Get Spotted” program to increase visibility to
“Sidewalk Safety Messages” consisting of stencils and materials to create a
temporary safety message on a sidewalk.
o Pop Up Demonstration Trailer: The
organization can also help set road calming demonstration projects to
temporarily demonstrate streetscape improvements that make walking and biking
safe.
o They have also collaborated with the
communities of St. Johnsbury and Lyndon to conduct community assessments and
walk/bike safety action plans.
Brewer-Colie
then spoke of the educational work Local Motion does with community groups such
as the Police Department, and their awareness campaigns. Questions were asked and answered.
·
CATMA:
Atwood gave an overview of the Chittenden Area Transportation Management
Association (formerly the Campus Area Transportation Management Association). The group started out started serving several
hill campuses in Burlington, for example:
the University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Hospital. Over the years, the group expanded its
offerings to the Chittenden Area. CATMA
works with employers to lessen the costs of commuting and parking, for both
their employees and the business. For
example, CATMA can obtain a 28% discount on bus passes, offers a Guaranteed
Ride Home program, and has an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC)
Network. These programs encourage and
support alternative modes of transportation to work (Atwood quoted a 20%
reduction in drive-alone trips to work in the group’s early work with hill
campuses). The group utilizes
Transportation Data Management (TDM) consisting of four main points:
o Data Collection & Analysis
o Marketing & Education
o Strategy, Policy & Planning
Support
o Programmatic
Questions/Answers
included:
o Q:
Do you work only with large employers?
A: No, CATMA is currently working
with an employer of less than 40 employees.
o Q:
Are shift workers being considered?
A: Yes! CATMA will work with any interested party.
o Q:
How much do your services cost?
A: There is a per-employee fee of
$10-20 per year. CATMA is a non-profit
so the cost is very modest.
·
CCRPC:
Charest shared information on the role the CCRPC plays in getting
projects planned and funded. The CCRPC
is the only designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the state of
Vermont, and as such wields significant influence in transportation planning,
as they are responsible for producing a Transportation Improvement Plan
(TIP). The process of getting on to the
CCPRC’s Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) was reviewed. Corridor Studies (which are used to study a
wide area and develop a Vision & Goals statement) versus Scoping Studies
(which are used to address a specific, detailed problem and develop a Purpose
& Need statement) were discussed.
Strauss noted that the takeaway from this presentation should be that the
CCRPC helps set up municipalities for success to achieve funding for
projects.
An open
discussion followed the presentations.
It was clear that all present want to see things happening “on the
ground,” as opposed to just being planned and discussed. There were several questions about how to
fund improvements, which prompted Macy to explain the Tax Increment Financing
(TIF) program. This is one way that the
Town hopes to build infrastructure, including the types being talked about at
the meeting. TIF is a complicated
process, and Macy stressed the importance of arming one’s self with knowledge,
not being afraid to ask questions about TIF, and getting the word out about how
the Town can use it to its advantage and make some of these ideas happen within
the limited time remaining to issue bonds.
Cook suggested educational outreach at community centers such as the
Eagles Club, the Senior Center, etc. Hemmerick briefly spoke about the role
planning development regulations can play in leveraging private investment
through the development review process as a way to incrementally build
infrastructure.
Hemmerick
closed, noting that the information presented will be useful in considering
choices as the Town tackles infrastructure standards and the Town Plan 2018
update.
6. ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:05 p.m.
Filed with the Town Clerk this _____31st______ day of ___March__________,
2017.
