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[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Goodbye. Okay. Welcome, everybody. After a very long floor session, we are in Senate Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs, where we are turning our attention first briefly to a piece of our housing bill, which has just been recommitted from this committee, which is s three twenty eight. And we're gonna have the commissioner of housing and community development go through one of the sections section one for to begin that conversation. And then at about seven of twelve, we are gonna shift to the redrafted resolution and we need to vote on j r s 37, which we have a redraft from my model, and we will be able to vote out so that it can get to the floor and then to the house in time for the Olympics because it it pertains to the Olympics, and it's moved once the Olympics start. So that is the hope for the brief time we have together. And I think we thank all our colleagues here for a thoughtful discussion on the senate floor. Lengthy but thoughtful. So, Alex, we welcome you to the table. Do you need some help, David? No. Alright. Welcome. So we will begin with section one and three twenty eight.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: Thank you, madam chair. For the record, Alex Farrell, Metro Department of Housing and Community Development. Starting with section one, I'll cover it at a high level and if there are questions, we can either dive into more today or what I can back and borrow.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Right. And just remind us if you
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: would. Section one is? The the housing targets. And so, specifically, this this brings the work of the housing targets into the municipal plan. So maybe I'll talk about what this section seeks to accomplish as I believe it's brought over from the administration's housing bill S-two 67. I don't believe there are any modifications. Okay. So the objective of this is to align state, regional, and municipal planning. This can make it very aware because of your work on it that the housing needs assessment feeds into what are now the housing targets that were established in the HOME Act. Act 181 established that DHCT is responsible for measuring progress towards those, and that targets will be distributed by region and then further distributed to the municipality by the regional planning commissions. Since that work has been done, there's great interest in State's Park, RV State's Park in seeing those housing targets now appropriated in the municipal plan. So what this section seeks to accomplish is to have municipalities analyze the targets, so really just understand the targets that have been delivered to them by the regional planning commission. The RPC does the work, has already done over. And then determine whether or not their current regulatory scheme or municipal plan can accommodate those hazard targets. If they can't, they just need to catalog the constraints. So, basically demonstrate to us why they cannot meet those. It could be that there's a regulatory constraint that may not be a billable area, or what I suspect will be the feedback we'll hear most often when somebody can't That's three twenty eight. When somebody
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: can't That's our show we just sent back.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: I suspect it'll be because there's in school water and wastewater constraints. I think the infrastructure can be one of the big constraints. So, because we have that release valve, where we're not saying change your regulatory scheme right now to ensure that you can accommodate them in this moment because you can tell us why you can't say it, you can't. Now we're creating a feedback loop so the department and the RPCs can essentially catalog what the state needs to advance and what the state needs to do to support these communities, including it may be plan grant from my department and updating this update. So that's really at a high level what we're achieving here. Both choose to testify for VLCT, but I can just say because of their sort of equity style, the catalog why, you can't. VLCT has been supportive of this, or if they see something to accommodate this. I'll stop there. So
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: go on
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: that. Yep. Thomas.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: I'm glad to hear the LCT because I just raised the question about whether or not this would mandate a if they already have a comprehensive plan on a cycle within a five, eight years, whatever it is, this wouldn't force them to do that just the next time they have to submit an update. Great. And that's your intent.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Try to sort of on schedule incorporate these targets. And
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: so it's
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: it's just just incorporated into the sort of natural rhythm of our planning commissions. Right. And it I I think I also would say it's RPCs have done this work in conjunction with their planning commissions. I mean, this was very important to us that as the town set their housing targets, that people really weigh in. Many of us have been to a number of these rollouts. Yes, the RVCs took the rollout, but the towns have really had a lot of say in many of these targets sets, believe.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: They they have. In many Except my understanding. In many cases. And I I I think every RVC did those slightly differently, but largely have similar methodologies.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: And they're not all done as we know. These are done and do finish December 26.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: That's
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: right, regional plans. So any questions on this section in terms of the housing targets? I think it's pretty straightforward and one we would to me, this is a piece of the next step. Right.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: This is the next step. In alignment thing.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Right. Any other section you'd like to chat about? Actually have another whole five minutes.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: I better not because bigger discussions, but what I plan to discuss when we come back with a section of the story, I believe you all wanted to hear about, which and I'll let you all know right off the bat, this was placeholder language that was in the event that there was substantial one time funding available, what could have happened, and so
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Section three, just to remind everybody, is the off-site construction accelerator That's right.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: And the concept would have been to do a large demonstration project with a one time attraction of funds to essentially operate a pilot project comparable to middle income homeowners who developed a program, but with a particular site, a particular municipality demonstrating how off-site could work, and then creating some lessons learned out of that. Because there isn't a plan for that one time investment, there are aspects of this we can undertake, and I can dive into more details on that when I come back, but I I I think it this section has dramatically changed from how it was originally drafted, given the circumstances.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: So this committee, as you you do represent the administration, but we represent the legislature. And I think that we have to that I think what we'd all appreciate understanding is the value of this pilot. We are gonna be given a sandbox to work in, how much that pilot would cost us. And if it's we can be asking for a piece of that in our sandbox conceivably. So I don't think if you feel strongly about this pilot, I would ask you not to give up on that and to see if we can, a, do pieces of it and b, depending on the cost, what we might accomplish, looking at what you were hoping for, looking at what we could conceivably do with less. But that's up to us to ask for appropriations. And so I think the value of this, we need to understand and appreciate.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: I feel strongly about elements of it that do not require a demonstration project to move forward. And so that's what I
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: can And I think agree we're on. All eager to hear that. Great. And then you will also be weighing in on a couple other sections, I think.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: You may have asked about tax credits. Sounds like this maybe contemplates an increase.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yes. The downtown tax credits are in our Economic Development Building. That really serves the entire economic development, not just housing, as our our ground fields money. Those are all in our economic development bill. So we are are asking you to come back and testify about that.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: Oh, great.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: So That may be what we're asking for for tomorrow because we are looking at the economic development bill tomorrow. I think that's what you're talking about.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: Yes. Yep.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: True. Great. Terrific. Thank you. That tees us up for that section. Very helpful to get one section done. Thank you very much, and thanks for your patience while we course our way through one of the most important nominations that we have in grads for the Supreme Court. Michael Chernick, would you join? Thank you. Good morning, Senators. Thanks, Alex.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: I'm Michael Chernick, Legislative Counsel. I am here regarding the ARS 37 SD Olympic resolution that you discuss. We value copies for everyone. I can give one of the committee assistance. I think I'm more than I do, but I just play it safe.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Okay, great. Thanks.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: To go over this, the Committee on Economic Development and Housing General Appearance, which was referred to JRH 37, and the original number of the resolution. And there are some changes here. You made requests for changes. And what all the changes are so incorporated? They were primarily at the end. See, whereas Nordic, the first clause is the same. The second clause, the historic clause, I think there's a slight change. The second historic clause is the same. And I talked about the century. And then, whereas women have the exhibit combined performances in non electric competition. And it mentions Tara Garrity Mokes. Then on to the next. And then I say that unfortunately, the exclusion of women from Olympic Nordic competitions persuaded Tara Gary Moats who's the Nordic Olympic field to be a badminton athlete. And then Ron's proud of many outstanding women Olympians. I've got a slight change for our medal winners in sports other than DORD combined. And whereas initially, ironically, I know the IOC initially welcomed the political declaration, the UN declaration, that it continued to exclude Nordic Combined for the twenty six Olympics on a gender equality basis. And then we're going to have twenty twenty six Nordic Combined competition may be in peril as the IOC may decide to eliminate. And then this gets Chad, where is the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, all those groups that are supporting this? And then where is it the General Assembly supports in solidarity with national and international ski organizations and numerous skiers across the globe? The introduction of long overdue gender equality in New York combined, and then this new clause, whereas at the General Assembly urges the IOC only to introduce this as new, only to introduce the new Olympic sports. And I did say winter or summer, because my understanding was it was meant to be generic that practiced gender equality, and then the transmission clause, and then the title gets changed slightly. Joint resolution supporting in solidarity with national and international ski organizations and numerous skiers across the globe, the introduction of long overdue gender equality in order to combine Olympic competition and urging that the International Olympic Committee, IOC, only introduce new Olympic sports that practice gender equality. Two comments on that. Number one, as I said, I did mention summer versus winter as I was instructed. And secondly, as a techy point, the IOC abbreviation is now moving down in the title, so therefore, I didn't have to write it out every time. That requires a chance to read.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Thank you, Michael. I think you did what we asked and incorporated both how proud Vermont is of its Olympics and asking for gender equality and wonderful sports and small competitions. Yes, ma'am.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: I don't mean to split hairs. I I was gonna ask about the IOC, but I don't see
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: It's in the I don't see the title.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: I don't see it at bottom. International Olympic. I don't see it.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: It's in the title. Where? Oh, no. I'm not asking. Yeah. Remember, this is gonna be the title now, Seth.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Oh, I gotcha. The title
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: is And
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: when we a change and when we make a change in title by way of an amendment, the title goes at the end. But when it's published, it's gonna be at the top. Your original title will be just gone.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Okay. Are you okay?
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: I'm good.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: David and Randy? I'm fine. Okay. I think Michael, thank you. I think you've done what we asked, and I would ask for a motion to move the amended JRS 37 draft 1.1. And who might be kind enough to move that? David, thank you. And I don't believe you need a second, but I would ask that the clerk then hold the role.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: Yes, ma'am. So Senator Brock? Yes. Senator Chittenden? Yes. Senator Ram Hinsdale? Senator Weeks, yes. Senator Clarkson? Yes.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Warmer, zero public. Thank you. And who would be interested in in reporting this, Thomas, as the father of daughters? Would you say that you're the father of daughters? And and Randy, all of you are the father of daughters, and I am not. So I am not a father nor do I have daughters. So I who would like to
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: I know both of
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: our daughters.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: She didn't even I mean, she wasn't here to vote. I don't think it's fair to add. I mean, we we could if we wanted. It will take
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: If you if you want me to, I just I don't have I don't mean to chuckle. I just I don't ski.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: I'm a terrible watcher, and
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: so I don't know this
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Maybe that makes you the perfect person to
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Unless Senator Meets wants some floor time.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: Lovely. Okay. Thomas,
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: you'll do an excellent job.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Wait. Is there little louder? Is there a background on this?
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Yes. Morley, you can get it from Morley. Okay. Okay? Yeah. I think you can get double thick for Farley.
[Michael Chernick (Legislative Counsel)]: Sam Worley has a complete That
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: would be great. I ask him about that.
[Alex Farrell (Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development)]: Thank you.
[Senator Alison Clarkson (Chair)]: Great. Thank you very much. Again, that, we will be here starting again at 09:00 tomorrow morning when we will be taking up our economic development bills. Thank you very much. All fine.
[Senator Thomas Chittenden (Member)]: Is there any precedent for just punting to Senator Worley's for me to since I'm on the committee, to have him speak to it?