In the end, the Norwich Selectboard did not see the regional energy coordinator as an important project. That is my impression from the July 22 Selectboard meeting, as viewed on CATV. Dumped from the project by the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC), the Board decided to accept the decision and “move on” from the episode. My original blog post on the topic is here.
The decision to move on seems a disservice to Norwich voters who approved a specific article at Town Meeting allocating money for the project. I wonder why the Selectboard chose that option, rather than advocate for the Town or look for solutions. Too busy? One solution was to simply sign the flawed agreement.
I am not suggesting a war with TRORC. But, shouldn’t the Town stand up for itself? Is TRORC telling others that Norwich elected to drop out, as suggested by the TRORC minutes discussed below?
Moreover, it is not the first time that the Town suffered at the hands of TRORC. About two years ago, that regional planning commission rejected the Norwich Town Plan, based on amorphous standards. As a result, the Norwich Planning Commission spent a year redrafting the plan from scratch. The new Town Plan is a better product overall. But, the Planning Commission lost a year that might have been spent on other projects. Two examples of lost opportunities are: bringing affordable housing to Norwich and revising out-of-date zoning regulations.
Did TRORC act on incomplete information?
Did TRORC dump Norwich from the regional energy coordinator project on incomplete information? Selectboard member John Langhus asked that the Steering Committee have more than an advisory role.
However, in an emergency meeting before the TRORC Executive Committee, Executive Director Peter Gregory reported something seemingly different. “It was learned that the Town of Norwich’s Selectboard had decided not to sign the agreement, leaving fewer towns to share the cost of the Regional Energy Coordinator,” say the July 14 Executive Committee meeting minutes. “TRORC would make up any budget shortfalls by drawing down on some of its investment funds.”
The minutes read like Norwich chose to drop out of the project at the last minute, leaving a gap in funding. Not true. Perhaps, I am reading too much into a few lines of text. Do the six other towns participating in the project know the whole story or just the TRORC version?
Too late with comments?
Was Norwich way too late in making comments on the agreement? The Thetford Selectboard approved the agreement on June 1, according to Thetford Selectboard Minutes.The Norwich Selectboard did not take the matter up until a month later on July 8 and provided feedback to TRORC on July 13.
Norwich was tardy, but only in the abstract. I don’t know when Town officials received the agreement or were asked to comment.
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