Published to the Deerfield Valley News in October 2021 and printed in their October 7th edition

WINDHAM COUNTY – Legislators met with Windham County residents via Zoom on Tuesday September 28, to receive community input that will direct a “once in a lifetime” investment opportunity using existing and upcoming federal funds.
As Vermont continues to receive large amounts of federal stimulus and recovery funds, including ARPA, and experiences a surge in state revenues, Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint and House Speaker Jill Krowinski are taking the opportunity to make key investments in Vermont’s future.
Joined by Rep. Emilie Kornheiser and Balint’s chief of staff Carolyn Wesley, the Windham County conversation was the first of several county-specific and regional discussions to be held throughout the next month and a half.
“Over the next year we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make significant investments that will transform and shape the future of our state,” said Krowinski. “The Vermont Legislature is positioned to make historic investments in Vermont’s pandemic recovery, address critical infrastructure needs, support Vermonters’ health and well-being, and strengthen Vermont’s communities, businesses, environment, and climate.”
In order to make sure those investments are well intentioned, the process will be centered around the voices of Vermonters themselves. “We’re here because we want to know what matters to you and what you hope for,” emphasized Balint.
“They wanted to do this differently from a typical legislative process and have it grounded in the lived experiences of Vermonters,” explained consultant Molly Loomis, who helped come up with the community engagement process and will be analyzing all the information gathered. To stay true to that vision and make sure every Vermonter has a chance to make their voice heard, Balint, Krowinski, Kornheiser, and Wesley will receive responses from an online questionnaire and are conducting intentional outreach to groups or communities historically under-represented in the Legislature, in addition to the virtual regional conversations.
“We’re committed to hearing from voices that are often missing from the table,” said Wesley.
Within the Windham County conversation, participants were sent into four breakout rooms and asked to discuss what they thought Vermont was doing well, what were some of its biggest challenges, and an example of one investment that could lead to positive change.
The conversations and questionnaire responses will be used to inform the policy and budgetary work when the Legislature reconvenes in January. Loomis, who is trained in systematic analysis, will code the information using two different approaches: emergent, in which relevant and popular categories will start to emerge from the data, and deductive, in which already existing categories will be used to make sure the language is conducive to legislative interpretation.
“It’s unusual in a legislative process for them to be so reflective and intentional in understanding,” said Loomis. “I’ve never seen anything quite this in-depth.”
Already, many popular themes have begun to emerge including housing, mental health, workforce, child care, broadband access, climate change, and education. However, when talking about investments, residents often emphasized that rather than one single investment addressing one challenge, they wanted to see a systems approach that nested all the challenges together. Each issue is related and intertwined with one another, residents said.
The identity of participants was kept private by the organizers so everyone would feel comfortable sharing their opinions. Some of the ideas brought up included an effort to attract and retain young people in the state with tuition assistance, housing support, and green jobs, which would improve housing options, increase the workforce, and tackle climate change. On a similar note, a climate-savvy workforce could be developed while simultaneously creating energy-efficient housing options by combining low-interest loans and training.
Legislators could get creative with housing in ways that support a variety of demographics including a range of incomes, seniors, those with children and in need of child care, or those reentering a community from incarceration. Finding ways to attract families to Vermont to make sure its aging population has generations to follow would tie into workforce, child care, housing, and education. Improving transit and incorporating public transit would help the environment, allow more access to education, help families afford housing if they don’t need as many vehicles, and could connect young people to cities via Amtrak.
All of these ideas and more will be included in an analysis and will be brought to the Statehouse for the chance to be turned into real policy. “The note-takers are trying to capture exactly what people are saying,” said Loomis, “so we will be able to say, ‘Here is the big picture, and here are all the ways people are talking about it.’”
Although the Windham conversation has already taken place, there are many opportunities for Windham County residents to provide input and participate in this unique community-driven investment plan. Links to the online questionnaire and registration for further conversations can be found by visiting https://protem.vermont.gov or by calling Sen. Balint at (802) 365-1060.