Northeastern Vermont Development Association Annual Report 2012.pdf · · 2018-01-23Looking...
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Northeastern Vermont Development Association Annual Report 2012 36 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 630, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 • 802.748.5181 • www.nvda.net NVDA is an equal opportunity employer, lender, and provider.
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Transcript of Northeastern Vermont Development Association Annual Report 2012.pdf · · 2018-01-23Looking...
Northeastern
Vermont
Development
Association
Annual Report 2012
36 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 630, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 • 802.748.5181 • www.nvda.net
NVDA is an equal opportunity employer, lender, and provider.
NVDA has rightly boasted
about its efforts in the
value-added agricultural
sector. A report on the
Northeast Kingdom, conducted
by economist Jeffrey Carr, noted this economic sector contained more than 700 jobs, paying in excess of $30,000 a
year. We were surprised and very pleased with this number and believe it has
increased significantly since that benchmark was
established.
The Vermont Food Venture Center is one of the
primary engines driving this success. NVDA is
proud to serve as one of the main organizers of the
Center and to have it located at our Industrial Park
in Hardwick. Ripples from the VFVC have turned
into waves, with growth in value-added agricultural
efforts ranging from a smoked fish operation in
Greensboro, to a major Tasting Center in Newport.
But it isn’t the Tasting Center alone that is turning
heads in Newport. We anticipate that AnC Bio will
begin the manufacture of high-tech medical devices by
the end of 2012, eventually adding 200 jobs to the
region. (The incubator “tower” that is planned is already
attracting interest from small research firms.) In this
same economic sector, Numia Technologies recently
moved its Lyndonville operation to Newport, partially to be nearer
the Canadian market as well as AnC Bio. Numia is expected to
increase its current staff of 30 during the coming months.
Looking downtown, we find plans for two hotels on the drawing
board and a complete redo of a significant section of the
waterfront. Add to that an expansion of the airport facility and a
newly proposed foreign trade zone and a formula is coming
together that will result in a major upsurge of economic activity
for this City.
Clearly, the most dramatic economic development activity emanates
from Jay Peak, which under the guiding hand of Bill Stenger, has become the
recreational centerpiece for the Northeast Kingdom. The expansion at the facility,
which now includes a world-class ice arena, major swimming park,
new gondola, hotel and world-class dining opportunities, is resulting in
the creation of hundreds of new jobs in the region.
Not to be outdone by its neighbors, St. Johnsbury is building
momentum on a variety of fronts to stabilize and expand economic
development opportunities. While no longer in direct local ownership,
NSA Industries, a major metal fabricator, has purchased the former
Economic
Development:
Keeping it local and
sustainable
Top to bottom: Senator Patrick Leahy opens the
Vermont Food Venture Center; Two of NVDA’s
tenants in the Charlie Carter Business Center, David
Thomas and Bob Baker of River Garden; and Black
River Produce.
Lydall building and is moving its operations to that facility.
The decision to purchase, rather than lease a building
indicates the company intends to stay in the St. Johnsbury
area for the foreseeable future.
We also saw significant advances being made at EHV
Weidmann, a manufacturer of electrical transformers. The
company recently took advantage of the New Markets Tax
Credit Program and purchased a large printing press,
which allows them to stay competitive in the world
market. Other success stories include Mobil Medical,
which continues to produce Mobil operating
rooms. The company gained national attention
early last year when President Rick Cochran was
named U.S. Small Business Person of the Year.
The above is just a snapshot of highlighted
activities in the Northeast Kingdom. Specific details on
companies and referrals that were made can be obtained by
reviewing our entries in the Web Cats system. Following is
an update on some of NVDA’s other programs and projects:
Status of Parks: The Hardwick Park is sold out. We are
doing engineering on the St. Johnsbury-Lyndon Industrial
Park to expand infrastructure there and make some of the
lots more suitable for sale. We have also appropriated
money to do more marketing at the Park. We have had
some initial interest from Appalachian Flooring about
purchasing the rest of the North Troy Park. No interest
has been expressed in land at the Orleans Park.
Job Training: We continue to work with Lyndon State
College and key manufacturers on machinists training at
the Charles Carter Center. To date, six persons have
graduated from the program and another session is
scheduled to start this fall.
Other quick points:
We continue to work on brownfield programs in
St. Johnsbury and Barton.
We are working with a company that wants to
start a major fish farming operation.
NVDA held a very successful training session on
how to identify and avoid fraud and
embezzlement in small businesses.
Our 4th Energy Expo drew several hundred people, but
because of the increased cost of the event we cannot sponsor
another year.
We have put together a draft of our Economic Development
Plan for inclusion in the Regional Plan and a committee will
be named in the near future to review the document.
We are pleased with the progress made and look forward to building upon those successes in the coming months.
Top to bottom: Reconstruction of Pete’s Greens barn
in Craftsbury, completed with a low-interest loan
administered by NVDA; Metruk’s Solar Power demo,
one the many exhibitors at NVDA’s Energy fair;
Barton Motors, site of an NVDA brownfield project.
Local planning and zoning enable communities to respond to change in ways that reflect their own goals,
needs, priorities, and values. It’s all about empowering communities to make sound decisions about their
own futures. Planning can allow communities to designate key growth and rural areas to attract new
business, or to preserve the rural character that is so critical to quality of life in the Northeast Kingdom.
In FY12, our staff continued to stay abreast of the latest issues in land use and transportation planning.
This year, 32 of our 50 member municipalities are considered “confirmed,” which, according to statute,
means that they are involved in a continuous planning practice, commit local dollars to municipal and
regional planning efforts, and have a current town plan that has been reviewed and approved by NVDA’s
board. Of the remaining communities, some are in the process of adopting new plans. Our staff regularly
fields requests for assistance with interpretation of statute, and administration of local land use regulations.
We’ve also provided customized training sessions in some of our towns.
Our staff is now offering an enhanced consultation to every municipality that is engaged in planning. This
service reviews the local plan against each statewide
planning goal. The consultations, which are free and
on-site, can energize local committees with new ideas
and strategies for achieving long-range goals.
Fortunately, many of our communities avoided the
brunt of tropical storm Irene’s destruction. Earlier in
the year, however, a series of intense slow-moving
storms caused significant damage from high winds and
flooding. The two events together have underscored the
need for greater resiliency and preparedness
throughout the Northeast Kingdom. In FY2012 staff
reached out to each member community to assess its
enrollment in the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP). NFIP is a voluntary program that is
administered locally through building and land use
regulations. Participation allows the community’s
residents to purchase flood insurance, apply for
federally-insured loans, and receive flood disaster
assistance. To date, we have contacted more than a
dozen communities who currently do not participate. Some
communities are moving forward to develop better flood hazard
regulations and we fully expect our enrollment rate to increase.
Planning Assistance:
Empowerment to local land use, transportation,
and resiliency initiatives
NVDA staff also helps communities manage and
improve their public facilities. We recently
administered grant funds to make the Groton
Town Offices ADA accessible.
Ph
oto
: Be
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ny D
un
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r
GIS mapping remains a
critical component of
NVDA’s service offering.
In FY12, staff created
flood map overlays for
towns not currently
enrolled in the NFIP.
Other mapping efforts
included creation of town
plan maps and natural
habitat. Staff also
conducted a build-out
analysis of existing
conditions. A build-out
analysis allows a
community to test its
existing regulations by
mapping out the full
potential for develop-
ment, as currently
allowed. It can provide a
glimpse into the
unforeseen consequences
of regulation (or lack
thereof) and help local
officials make more
informed decisions going forward.
Resilience has been on the mind of our region’s business community. Earlier this summer, NVDA co-
presented an emergency readiness workshop for business owners and employees. The training was hosted by
the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce. NVDA’s emergency management staff also helped to facilitate a
tabletop exercise to improve preparedness in response to a critical incident at the Sheffield Wind Tower,
should one occur. The six-hour exercise reviewed communication and on-site management strategies. The
Sheffield-Wheelock Fire Department, Newark Fire Department, West Burke Fire Department, Lyndonville
Fire Department, Vermont State Police, Lyndon Rescue, and the Vermont Department of Forests and Parks
all participated.
NVDA’s transportation planners assisted with tropical storm
Irene Initial Damage Assessments. We also completed 18
classification counts and 96 volume traffic counts, assisted
with High Risk Rural Roads prioritization, and facilitated
outreach on accelerated bridge construction projects. Looking
to build on the success of the Connecticut River Scenic
Byway, our staff has been collaborating with the Northeast
Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association to establish a
Kingdom-based travel corridor for inclusion in Vermont’s
byway program. There are currently nine byways in
Vermont, but none in the Northeast Kingdom. Once
designated, a byway can help to establish a viable
management strategy to protect local and scenic assets. It
can also become a significant draw for travel and tourism
dollars.
The bottom line: There is no dearth of opportunities for assistance. Our planning staff looks forward to
collaborating with each community over the coming year. Call us!
Status of Planning and Zoning
in the Northeast Kingdom
LEGEND: Current Plan: Expired Plan: No Plan: Confirmed Municipalities*
Municipality & Status Plan
Expires(d)
Zoning
Subdivision
Regulation
Development
Review Board
Flood Hazard
Regulation**
Albany
Barnet 9/22/2013
Z
Barton 11/4/2013
Z
Bloomfield
Brighton 7/8/2013
Z
Brownington 4/11/2012
Brunswick 5/16/2007 Z
Burke 7/11/2016
Z
Canaan 3/6/2017 Z
Charleston
Concord 9/17/2014
Z
Coventry 10/5/2014
Craftsbury 5/10/2016
Danville 6/2/2016
Z
Derby 3/3/2014
Z
East Haven
Glover 10/20/2016
Granby 6/16/2014
Z
Greensboro 2/11/2012 Z
Groton 8/6/2014
Z
Guildhall 3/1/2010 Z
Hardwick 8/11/2013
Z
Holland 2/20/2017
Irasburg
Jay 12/20/2015
Z
Kirby 3/7/2011 Z
Lemington 1/16/2000 Z
Lowell 4/14/2014
Z
Status of Planning and Zoning
in the Northeast Kingdom
LEGEND: Current Plan: Expired Plan: No Plan: Confirmed Municipalities*
Municipality & Status Plan
Expires(d)
Zoning
Subdivision
Regulation
Development
Review Board
Flood Hazard
Regulation**
Lunenburg
Lyndon 12/22/2013
Z
Maidstone 4/19/2012
Z
Morgan 10/25/2009 Z
Newark 12/7/2016
Newport City 10/19/2014
Z
Newport 9/10/2014
Z
Norton 7/6/2011 Z
Peacham 3/1/2017
Z
Ryegate 4/9/2017
Z
Sheffield 3/2/2015
St Johnsbury 9/12/2016
Z
Stannard 2/14/2016
Z
Sutton 9/23/2016
Z
Troy 3/20/2013
Z
Victory
Unified Towns & Gores 9/12/2016
Z
Walden
Waterford 6/9/2013
Z
Westfield 11/16/2014
Z
Westmore 6/9/2013
Z
Wheelock 8/13/2013
* “Confirmed” municipalities (in yellow highlight), according to statute, are municipalities that are engaged in a
continuing planning process, provide local funds for municipal and regional planning purposes, and have a current town
plan that has been approved by the regional planning commission.
**Not all towns with flood hazard regulations are enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Towns not in
the NFIP are Sutton, Westmore, Norton, Albany & Albany Village, and Granby. (Granby’s application to the NFIP is
pending.)
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NVDA at Work: Fiscal Year 2012
Unaudited Financials for FY 2012*
*Audited figures will be available in January 2013.
NVDA is supported by annual appropriations from
member towns, a share of the state’s property tax
funds, and by private, state, and federal grants.
Our state and federal funding sources for FY2012:
USDA Rural Development – US Dept. of Agriculture
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community
Development
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources – US
Environmental Protection Agency
Vermont Agency of Transportation – US Dept. of
Transportation
Vermont Center for Geographic Information – US
Dept. of Commerce – National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration
Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation – US
Environmental Protection Agency
Vermont Dept. of Labor, US Dept. of Labor
Vermont Dept. of Public Safety – US Dept. of
Homeland Security
Vermont Dept. of Public Service, Clean Energy
Development Fund – US Dept. of Energy
Vermont Small Business Development Center – US
Small Business Administration
NVDA also has two Intermediary Relending
Programs from USDA Rural Development, and a
Nonprofit Community Development Organization
relending program capitalized by loan repayments
from Community Development Block grants. There
was no new lending activity to report in FY2012.
$520,328.59
$408,714.42
$65,104.06
$27,692.00
$299,806.80
Total Revenues:
$1,321,645.87
Federal: 39%
State: 31%
Rental: 5%
Annual Appropriations: 2%
Other: 23%
$304,320.60
$267,815.74
$614,830.15
$409,503.68
$267,815.74
$644,326.45
$0 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000
Ec
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Program Revenues: $1,321.645.87
Program Expenditures: $1,186,966.49
Programs
Our Board:
Caledonia County
Barnet: Leigh Larocque
Burke: Howard Crawford
Groton: Paul Berlejung
Hardwick: David Upson
Kirby: Timothy Peters
Lyndon: Martha Feltus
Newark: Kim Fried,
Mark Whitworth
Peacham: Tom Joyce, Les Morrison
Ryegate: Albert Sponheimer
St. Johnsbury: Bryon Quatrini,
James Rust
Stannard: John Moffatt
Sutton: Paul Brouha,
Michael Morrow
Walden: Peter Clark
Waterford: Brent Beck,
Frederick Saar
Wheelock: Tim Hooker,
Charles Rice
Essex County
Brighton: Joel Cope
Canaan: Daniel Wade
Concord: George Morehouse
East Haven: Raymond Richard
Granby: Reginald Bunnell,
Fredrick Hodgdon
Lunenburg: James Peyton
Norton: Kenneth Stransky,
Patricia Whitney
Unified Towns & Gores:
Peter Rodin
Victory: Walter Mitchell
Orleans County
Albany: Frank Coulter,
S. Christopher Jacobs
Barton: Robert Croteau,
William Davies
Brownington: Laurence Thompson,
Robert Walker
Charleston: Tom Jensen, Bill
McMaster
Coventry: Jeanne Desrochers,
Michael Marcotte
Craftsbury: David Stoner,
Elizabeth Thomas
Derby: Stephen Gendreau,
Beula-Jean Shattuck
Greensboro: Kristen Leahy,
Michael Metcalf
Jay: Fred Cushing
Lowell: Alden Warner
Morgan: Robert Guyer
Newport City Paul Monette,
John Ward
Newport Town: Real Lanoue,
Sherry Norris
Troy: Roland Mayhew, Robert
Starr
Westfield: Jacques Couture,
Scott Dunn
Westmore: Louisa Dotoli
At large
Conrad Doyon
Dena Gray
Richard Hoffman
Stephen Marsh
Andrew Meyer
John Morley
Gregg Noble
NVDA PEOPLE
Former board president and longtime friend of
NVDA Art Sanborn passed away this summer.
Art spent most of his professional life in public
service. He was devoted to improving the quality
of life for Vermonters by creating a positive
economic development climate that allowed
companies to flourish and create quality job
opportunities. Countless Vermonters benefitted
from his work, and he will be sorely missed.
Our Legislators: Rep. Lynn Batchelor
Senator Joe Benning
Rep. Howard Crawford
Rep. Mark Higley
Senator Vincent Illuzzi
Rep. William Johnson
Rep. Duncan Kilmartin
Senator Jane Kitchel
Rep. Leigh Larocque
Rep. Richard Lawrence
Rep. Lucy Leriche
Rep. Robert Lewis
Rep. Michael Marcotte
Rep. Janice Peaslee
Rep. Gary Reis
Rep. Robert South
Senator Robert Starr
Rep. Vicki Strong
Rep. Kitty Beattie Toll
Rep. Sam Young
Our Staff:
Steve Patterson
Executive Director
spatterson@nvda. net
Gail Aloisio
Planner
Shannon Bedor
Administrative Assistant/
Property Manager
Judy Butson
Business Manager
Jim Greenwood
Economic Development
Coordinator
Lorna Higgs
Project Manager
Alison Low
Senior Planner
Tracy McIntyre
GIS Specialist
Bruce Melendy
Emergency
Management
Coordinator
Doug Morton
Transportation
Planner
David Snedeker
Planning Manager
Laurie Stillwell
Senior Planner
Dave, Laurie and Lorna
Judy and Shannon
Alison
Tracy
Bruce
Doug
Jim and Steve
Gail
