Water Matters, Part 5 discussion to take place

Please join Lewis Creek Association and friends Thursday, April 12, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Hinesburg Town Hall to learn more about the cost of clean water and who pays when rivers and streams become impaired. 

Prevention is less costly than remediation. We will investigate how towns and villages can avoid tax increases and plan ahead to avoid water pollution in our rivers and streams. Shelburne has recently incurred a $7 million fee to fix stormwater-related problems, according to Shelburne Town Manager Joe Colangelo. How can our rural watershed towns avoid a similar fate? 

One answer is to collect and use pertinent information about our villages and towns. Consulting engineers and scientists Jessica Louisos and Roy Schiff, from Milone and MacBroom, have conducted Hinesburg hydrology studies and have created a build-out scenario especially for Hinesburg Village. They will present strategies and opportunities to avoid costly impairment fees. Krista Hoffsis of the Lewis Creek Association and Shannon Kelly of the Lake Iroquois Association will share water-quality sampling results for the LaPlatte River and Patrick Brook regarding the Hinesburg Village area. They will offer their assistance to help keep track of Hinesburg Village’s water-quality conditions over time. 

Lewis Creek Association is excited to be collaborating on “Water Matters, Part 5” with the Hinesburg Planning Commission. Alex Weinhagen, Hinesburg town planner, will share three planning priorities: tighter regulations, education outreach such as this event, and implementation of state-of-the-art stormwater treatment practices such as LCA’s “Ahead of the Storm” optimal conservation practices. 

Additional “Water Matters, Part 5” sponsors and participants are Responsible Growth Hinesburg, Lake Iroquois Association, New England Grassroots Environment Fund and the Vermont Natural Resources Council. 

Like previous Water Matters events, this program is designed for rural town boards and commissions in the middle Lake Champlain region and for all interested community members and community service groups. After the talks, attendees are invited to enjoy homemade desserts, peruse table-top materials and share conversations with folks from other towns.

Contact Info: email or phone at (802) 425 2002.