MONTPELIER – Individual members of the Vermont tri-partisan Rural Caucus met in the Vermont Statehouse Cedar Creek Room to call for passage of H.730, which would extend the implementation timeline for Act 181, aligning local and regional mapping with the Land Use Review Board (LURB) rulemaking process.
“While Act 181 moves forward, rural homeowners, taxpayers, town officials and planners must have the opportunity to engage and to understand the draft rules for Tier 3 and the Road Rule before new Act 250 jurisdiction takes effect,” their announcement said. Speakers planned to emphasize the need for clarity, fairness and timely legislative action.
The gathering emphasized support for a February 6 letter addressed to Speaker Krowinski and Chair Sheldon.
Representatives Greg Burtt, Leanne Harple and Dan Noyes in The Gazette’s coverage area
signed in support of the initiative.
“We are writing as individual members of the Rural Caucus regarding the recently introduced bill H.730 which addresses process, implementation timelines and notice provisions related to Act 181 of 2024,” they wrote.
“As things stand, Vermont risks implementing consequential regulatory changes without the foundational mapping that communities, landowners, and municipalities were told would guide those decisions.”
The letter suggests provisions in H.730 are reasonable, not rolling back or undoing Act 181, but better aligning notice, valuation and implementation timelines with where the process actually is today.
It will ensure affected Vermonters understand what is coming “and that regulatory triggers follow, rather than precede, the completion of the regional planning work the statute relies upon.”
Others signing the letter are Representatives Sibilia, Hango, Priestley, Boyden, Charlton, Feltus, Greer, Higley, Lipsky, Lueders, Masland, Morrow, Nelson, North, O’Brien, Olson, Page, Sweeney, Tagliavia and White.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
