[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6317260,"mediaKeyId","2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343","parentId",2374817,"title","League says state land bank could help redevelopment but warns of trade-offs for municipal budgets","audioSeconds",463,"startMs",973000,"endMs",1436000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343&start=973&end=1436","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343/thumbnail_973000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6317260/Vermont/League-says-state-land-bank-could-help-redevelopment-but-warns-of-trade-offs-for-municipal-budgets","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317260-a50f489b5ef6ae53c8e6663ab10277da/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438055&Signature=CZkGsZ58VU~nIS4mWqBhk82A6Qw90DZElKpcayqqhxu1ldnhFv1rZV79~sU1840OiFG3JvdqbXptur2aveVxSkNUl5UVGVPx5ysk5sH17OWAYEUFkxIf7IwOD6SP1kh4x9GQ8dlvvg9a3LjeaRdnBIY2xqQC1QRucfLRraVMPK-yKFPuhUegVNzFJ8XAGMA5kSjZPwoK8iA67r5~8xwm-lsdI62tfC7SEM-Wiot5-uIL9YuTfZNjoA1p8rrjN2hcoSdJrHZjn3yUsDFSjSbkAC~QzUA7RWt2Q40tyDvBNIaWkbEBC4NlR3Ifm1IS9itMvMocB7wZxkhEisED5dS~KA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-22T07:40:46.633Z","article","Samantha Sheehan and Josh Hanford testified Feb. 21 that while a statewide land bank could support redevelopment of vacant or abandoned properties, municipalities already rely on regional development corporations (RDCs), regional planning commissions (RPCs) and the state Brownfield Program to accomplish similar goals.

“I'm not saying there isn’t another tool needed,” Hanford said, but he warned that how a land bank is structured would determine whether it helps or harms municipal budgets and tax bases. He noted municipalities sometimes must wait longer under the tax-sale process and that if a land bank were given money and then acquired tax-delinquent properties, municipalities could lose tax revenue if back taxes or charges are waived.

Why it matters: committee members are considering a mandate for further study and potential legislation to address vacant and abandoned housing. Testimony urged caution in moving directly to statutory land-bank authority without clearer funding and implementation design.

Specific points from testimony:

- The league participated on a recent state report about vacant and abandoned housing and supports tools that promote redevelopment, but said a statewide land bank requires further study and clear funding strategies.

- The league highlighted the effectiveness of the Brownfield Program for enabling redevelopment and quoted developers who would not pursue downtown reuse without brownfield funding.

- The witnesses supported H.132 (as referenced in testimony) that would allow municipalities to recover cleanup costs in tax-sale processes; they said cleanup costs currently deter municipalities from initiating tax sales.

Questions and follow-up: committee members asked whether the league supported the recent extension of the tax-sale redemption period; the league said it supported protecting vulnerable property owners but suggested targeted funds might better address hardship without shifting costs to other taxpayers.

Ending: The committee and witnesses agreed further study could be productive; the league offered to share detailed survey data and referenced external analysis by an attorney who reviewed tax-sale records.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House General - 2025-02-21 - 10AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House General & Housing Committee on Feb. 21 that a statewide land bank could aid redevelopment of vacant properties but cautioned it could shift cleanup costs and tax losses onto municipalities if not carefully designed.","taxTitle","General & Housing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30954,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317265,"Municipal leaders tell House committee Vermont needs new tools, hundreds of millions for infrastructure to support housing",2080,51000,2131000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343&start=51&end=2131","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343/thumbnail_51000.jpg","/articles/6317265/Vermont/Municipal-leaders-tell-House-committee-Vermont-needs-new-tools-hundreds-of-millions-for-infrastructure-to-support-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317265-641df0195d0c1e03a9be5685c8ad0235/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438055&Signature=kPYzHFFhdO~xLpu9lA5BiQtbRsYv1s~8E2sIkVwMsagXa2jnt33a2d6iFAfLp1ekKbl89yLnLuHzWbnSeI79OvSLqcxDVtxVDORYzmgKjDTEHPhIUO7hld376A-yuIM4Q8PwfMdLBbN7KR6H7np3-WIraSMWxCjBk6Xh74rQM5geLQrkLzKbhV1lOBJ~BfBwweULLmpG-tLUIFAxunhXa2Dl3jHofV5fsunLDgtmLo6ameT4o-DpwT~LLgm6MoRF3EnzwUQkAfLfyEDSD8Umv2MKKNMyS1bgcLbSZbCwSvYWhTBN9A-sH7M1FQzxRbbflsOc8U771ajbYjgcMMzupA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Josh Hanford, director of intergovernmental relations at the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and Samantha Sheehan, the league’s municipal policy and advocacy specialist, told the House General & Housing Committee on Feb. 21 that municipalities are already planning water and wastewater projects to support housing but lack the financing to complete them.

“These are infrastructure that housing will be built on,” Hanford said, describing a recent league survey of 35 municipalities that reported planned projects totaling an average cost of about $14,000,000 per project and a median of $10,000,000. The league estimated an unmet funding need of roughly $240,000,000 to complete those projects.

The survey entries, Hanford said, represent projects that have voter action to start planning or construction; they include expansions of existing systems and new systems. “These are essentially projects where there's been a voter action, initiating the project,” Sheehan added.

Why it matters: committee members and municipal advocates said municipal water and wastewater capacity is now closely linked to the ability to site higher-density housing under recent state land-use changes, and that without upfront capital municipalities cannot scale infrastructure to meet housing goals.

What the league recommended: Hanford and Sheehan urged the committee to pursue multiple financing tools rather than a single approach. They discussed three main options under consideration statewide:

- A tax-increment financing (TIF)-like instrument (the governor’s SPARK proposal) to channel future tax increments into infrastructure for new neighborhoods; the Vermont League said a SPARK-style approach could be broadened to serve more communities.

- A focused HIT-like program, designed for housing and mixed-use developments, but broadened to allow resiliency and flood-recovery projects to qualify, which the league said would increase uptake in flood-prone valleys such as the Winooski.

- Expanded use of special assessment districts, which in other states limit assessments to property owners within a specific project area (the league noted Vermont’s current statewide practice requires townwide bond votes and that limiting voting to affected property owners is common elsewhere).

The witnesses said tax abatements can also play a role for discrete deals in small communities and that different tools suit different scales.

Questions and constraints: committee members pressed on details the league did not have at the hearing — for example, whether the 35 survey projects included upgrades like wastewater plant expansions that towns have not yet planned. Hanford and Sheehan confirmed the survey captured only projects already initiated through voter action and that other needs (for example, preplanning or major wastewater upgrades that have not yet been planned) were not included in the $240 million figure.

Municipal capacity: the witnesses recommended allowing eligible loan or grant programs to fund not only planning and design but also project and grants management because local governments frequently need help assembling complex funding stacks that combine multiple grants and debt sources.

Funding scale: when asked for a rough funding number, Hanford said the level of need across the state was “north of several hundred million” to address broader infrastructure demand beyond the 35 projects identified.

What the committee is likely to do next: committee members noted the financing language and exact program mechanics will be shaped in Commerce and Appropriations, and asked the witnesses to coordinate with the Commerce Committee staff.

Ending: Committee members thanked the league for testimony and asked staff to seek draft language that would expand eligible activities and consider geography (villages, settlement areas, fire districts) when finalizing program criteria.","Josh Hanford, director of intergovernmental relations at the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and Samantha Sheehan, the league’s municipal policy and advocacy specialist, told the House General & Housing Committee on Feb. 21 that 35 municipal water and wastewater projects already planned face a roughly $240 million funding gap.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317251,"Municipal league backs limiting appeals, supports options for adopting state preemptions and record-based review",232,2394000,2626000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343&start=2394&end=2626","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343/thumbnail_2394000.jpg","/articles/6317251/Vermont/Municipal-league-backs-limiting-appeals-supports-options-for-adopting-state-preemptions-and-record-based-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317251-5b6e2bcc69a27fcceed8aea34e02ac00/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438055&Signature=T3--mdEWw~N8jZw36mqWflHO6VJqIOS8t4014O1cI9AwyOMUwqNG-i-7lsVkOYWH2YXCWRJM9wOQk~~xEhFKvpJYS4En~UopWKDbtgnzBZPvZrxrYn~hBnAHArawhC2B-P4u0SVt-udnAWYlV2eximq6B96z6ZNHmarxGDj2ZN0iNqeSwjbtT-8oHyoHTlAP-wnW3jbh~VBx2AQaAkMde8eo99DFKcJ9QF2RcJYjyc4XA09rcLB3hHG9iwjNQX7cfHVA82TkgvXIuUM8EE~POaayz~jmbRV3tRXI7huz6FTCWmyuLUnEQKE5QNOvDSGe7eNBlHXSyOzH5LVCuF96JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House General & Housing Committee on Feb. 21 that streamlining appeal processes under Act 250 and municipal permitting would speed housing projects, reduce costs and help municipalities realize locally adopted plans.

The witnesses supported raising the threshold to file appeals (testimony referenced a proposed 20% threshold of population and related limits), tightening standing by requiring appellants to be an aggrieved party, and ensuring exhaustion of local administrative remedies before a case is appealed. The league cited a 2017 Department of Housing and Community Development study that found Act 250 exemptions saved two priority-housing projects roughly $50,000 in permit fees and about seven months in their timelines.

“We support the raise to 20% of the population,” Samantha Sheehan said, and the league said it has previously urged that standing be limited so that only aggrieved parties may appeal municipal permits. Witnesses also recommended expanding interim Act 250 exemptions that have produced housing while a broader study of Act 250 reforms continues.

On local adoption of state preemptions: the committee bill would allow municipalities to adopt state-prescribed preemptions into their zoning and bylaws without requiring a full local charter process; the league supported offering municipalities the option to adopt the state changes directly and suggested clarifying that regional planning commissions (RPCs) can be contracted to prepare required ordinance language and provide planning technical assistance.

On record-based review: committee members asked about options to reduce de novo review where a record exists at the local level. The league indicated support, saying developers and municipalities waste time when there is no record and suggested an option to produce a record (for example, by paying for a reporter) could be useful in limiting duplicative review.

Why it matters: witnesses argued that predictable, timely permitting and appeals reduces project costs and the administrative burden on municipal volunteers and staff, enabling projects that meet community plans to move forward.

Ending: The league asked the committee to align interim exemptions with longer-term study recommendations and to consider including standing and appeal-cost analyses in the Act 250 study scope.","The Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House General & Housing Committee Feb. 21 that tightening who may appeal permits and allowing municipalities to adopt certain state preemptions directly would help speed housing projects and reduce costs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6317255,"Municipal leaders urge state to explicitly give towns taxing authority over short-term rentals",209,1690000,1899000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343&start=1690&end=1899","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374817-0e2679cd88f7e36c3a1094af75e4a343/thumbnail_1690000.jpg","/articles/6317255/Vermont/Municipal-leaders-urge-state-to-explicitly-give-towns-taxing-authority-over-short-term-rentals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317255-17e3986fff5346633fd493b2cc1e9fcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438055&Signature=WiwS0eK4ntgFZMSizYuB1jpKytwAPM2VO-b9AT2jFAfAJxVLLFoj0tL9sqzabs0jAQv8e3zRXhiZT-T9kqWZ3M5AQpRl-fRmM19IMqHfMt3VwQ7ADi163dKqW3SsCBhFPTQEdPE4BiyC3r-5VbttmB8JPQScaryf-ta9IKLHD3TnMM5jRDTRe1WdjrY-kRfJR4XVL~mjFREcpjA-3PncSWCDoXiUlPoSJ0frmV8gjoxthjoFv7yAjkArDgr5cbixrH0RJhT0FmaOuCiDDh0~hz4cnBjQyPDhyAFzK62yJKoovNwFACIADVL2nEsWDT9yZZf8n1zi2P4Yt4OBoOV2Eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Samantha Sheehan and Josh Hanford told the House General & Housing Committee on Feb. 21 that, except for Burlington, most Vermont municipalities do not have explicit authority in state law or charter to levy targeted taxes or surcharges on short-term rental platforms and therefore lack a consistent mechanism to recover enforcement costs or impose lodging-type levies.

“The short answer is no. They do not have that authority unless they've achieved it through a unique charter process,” Sheehan said, noting Burlington’s special charter authority as an exception. She added that municipalities can sometimes regulate short-term rentals through local code, but enforcement requires staff capacity and, frequently, third-party monitoring because many rural and resort towns face challenges identifying listings and enforcing safety or registration rules.

The league recommended that the committee consider adding explicit state authority to allow towns to impose local-option surcharges (for example, a 1% local option applied to short-term rental receipts or a meals-and-rooms surcharge applicable to short-term rentals but not to traditional lodging) and to permit registration and targeted enforcement mechanisms.

Why it matters: committee members said towns that do not have charter-granted authority need a clear statutory pathway to tax and regulate short-term rentals if local voters choose to do so, and that the revenue could help cover enforcement and registration costs.

Operational challenges: witnesses described enforcement difficulties in condo complexes and ski towns where listings share common addresses and photos, complicating local identification and inspection without vendor cooperation or third-party services.

Next steps: committee members asked the league to draft language to grant towns authority to levy surcharges and enable registration; committee staff indicated Josh Hanford would work on a short-term-rental taxing authorization proposal.","The Vermont League of Cities and Towns told the House General & Housing Committee that most municipalities lack explicit authority to tax or levy surcharges on short-term rentals and asked the legislature to grant local options so towns can register, tax and enforce rules locally.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

League says state land bank could help redevelopment but warns of trade-offs for municipal budgets

Municipal leaders tell House committee Vermont needs new tools, hundreds of millions for infrastructure to support housing

Municipal league backs limiting appeals, supports options for adopting state preemptions and record-based review

Municipal leaders urge state to explicitly give towns taxing authority over short-term rentals