This commentary is by Jon Copans of Montpelier. He is executive director of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience.
As Vermont prepares its plan for utilizing Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds, it is crucial that we invest wisely in projects that will serve as catalysts for long-term resilience. While traditionally these funds are distributed town-by-town, the state should consider a regional approach as it decides what to include in a final plan.
The CDBG-DR program provides flexibility in supporting a wide array of potential projects that help communities recover from major disasters and become more resilient to future ones. Thanks to the fierce advocacy of our Congressional delegation, nearly $68 million in federal CDBG-DR funds were committed to Vermont late in 2024. Because these funds flow specifically from the 2023 floods, $54 million will be dedicated to Washington County and the town of Johnson.
Montpelier was devastated by the 2023 floods. Our downtown core was inundated, leaving our business district and the heart of our community in shambles. The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience emerged from that tragedy — an organization dedicated to ensuring that our little state capitol would not only recover but also become more resilient.
The agenda for MCRR was set at a series of public forums by residents who experienced firsthand the destructive power of these events. One message that was delivered with clarity — collaboration with neighboring communities throughout the Winooski River watershed and across Vermont is critical for our future resilience. It is with this in mind that we encourage the state to make strategic investments with CDBG-DR funds, investments that will bring communities together to solve common threats from extreme weather.
The nature of Vermont’s settlement patterns in valleys and along rivers means that it is often our most densely settled and historic areas that are most vulnerable to flooding. In Montpelier alone, city staff estimate that about 100 buildings in our designated downtown were damaged in the 2023 floods. Given the inevitability of future floods, there is the critical need to assess and retrofit our historic downtown buildings to increase flood resilience.
Vermont should invest CDBG-DR funds in a comprehensive assessment of flood-vulnerable buildings, providing expert recommendations to building owners on flood mitigation measures. Retrofitting measures can range from moving utilities out of harm’s way to dry proofing, wet proofing, and even filling in basements. Expert guidance is essential to help owners make informed decisions about what investments will be most impactful.
Why deploy this as a comprehensive project? Bundling assessments as a single project allows for economies of scale. There is also value in having a consistent and comparable data set, for the building owners, for potential contractors and for potential funders interested in helping our communities become more resilient. Furthermore, the data gathered through these assessments could inform the development of a guidebook, sharing best practices with communities and building owners across Vermont.
Beyond individual buildings, we must consider the watershed as a whole. The need for a deeper understanding of our rivers and what happens during big storms binds us together — to guide our shared work towards greater flood resilience, we need a shared and detailed model of the Winooski River.
Current decision-making regarding flood mitigation projects must be guided by more comprehensive data. Better data will serve all communities as we strive to be strategic in allocating scarce resources, focusing on projects that will have the greatest benefit, and developing in areas that are safe from future flooding. Advanced modeling is essential to inform these priorities.
Not only do we need better modelling — we need to develop the practice of “working as a watershed.” No single town can address flood resilience alone. The good news – there is a strong appetite for multi-town collaboration.
With leadership from MCRR, late last year 25 towns from the length of the Winooski watershed got together on a snowy evening to share their experiences and aspirations around flood resilience. Next steps are underway, but this effort needs investment to thrive. By fostering a sense of common direction and building collaborative strategies, we can create a more cohesive and resilient watershed community.
When a funding opportunity like this one is announced, we understand the inclination to ask primarily about how it can be applied to eligible local projects that benefit particular communities. It is imperative that we step back and consider the larger picture. The work of increasing flood resilience will take decades. Let’s put in place a strong foundation to guide that work in the most efficient and effective way possible.
The CDBG-DR funds offer a unique opportunity to not only recover from the 2023 floods but to build a more resilient Vermont for the future. By directing a relatively small proportion of the funds to these regional approaches, the state can make strategic investments that will protect our downtowns, strengthen our watersheds and foster collaboration among communities. Let us not simply rebuild what was lost, but build a stronger, more resilient Vermont for generations to come.
