Scheuermann: Legislative coming to rapid end as budget, ARPA, housing issues persist

Submitted by tim on Wed, 05/19/2021 - 06:45

by Representative Heidi Scheuermann (R-Stowe) While the current legislature has been in session only since January 2021, legislative work throughout these last 14 very challenging, sometimes exhausting, months has been nearly full-time, so I am pleased to report that this is expected to be our final week.

That excitement, however, is tempered by very significant concerns about some of the legislation moving forward, and hope that other important initiatives will move forward.

On the budget front, I am hopeful that an agreement will be reached by Governor Phil Scott and the democratic leadership of the legislature, but I am especially hopeful that that agreement will result in the vast majority of the $1.3 billion allocated to Vermont in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be invested in long-term one-time investments in transformational infrastructure efforts.

Those efforts would include water and sewer infrastructure projects, COVID-19 economic recovery, and universal broadband/fiber build-out to all Vermonters, including funding to help get service immediately to those Vermonters who have access to service but cannot afford such service.

As the Chair of the Legislative Tourism Caucus, I have also been fighting diligently for numerous items on behalf of our still-struggling tourism and hospitality industry, and am hopeful they will come to fruition by adjournment.

While there have been unfortunate efforts on the part of some in the House to tax any Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that were forgiven in 2021, I am pleased to report that the Senate has passed a tax bill that includes an exclusion from tax liability of PPP funds received by Vermont businesses and forgiven in 2021. I am hopeful that this provision remains in the tax bill so to ensure both the equitable treatment of all PPP funds regardless of the year in which the loan was forgiven, and the intention of the federal PPP program – which is to help business survive this pandemic.

Another issue of importance to our hospitality industry is access to additional Economic Recovery Grants. Governor Scott has proposed using $50 million of ARPA funds for additional grants, and I am hopeful that that amount will be allocated.

It has become clear that there remains $500 million of unmet need for 2020. While $50 million will not cover that amount of need, I believe strongly that the inclusion of this amount in the budget is a critical next step as we try to address the continued financial stress felt by our state’s small businesses as a result of this pandemic.

In addition to including the Governor’s proposal of using $50 million in ARPA funds for the Economic Recovery Grants, there are important provisions that the Tourism Caucus has also asked be included in the final budget in order to ensure our small businesses are able to emerge from this pandemic successfully.

Specifically, the Caucus asked for the following:

Expand the grant program to include employers who can demonstrate a loss beyond the year 2020 to those who can demonstrate a loss until May 1, 2021;
Give authority to the Joint Fiscal Committee, after the legislature adjourns, to make additional appropriations to the grant program should the reports from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) indicate the grant program is oversubscribed; and
Provide flexibility to ACCD to provide additional support to particular small businesses on the basis of unique circumstances that are severely inhibiting their ability to recover from this pandemic.

Finally, I am hopeful that the additional $2.5 million in one-time funds that was approved by the House to supplement our base tourism marketing efforts is also included in the final budget. After all, in order to ensure we are able to compete with our neighboring states and other destinations for the growing global tourism dollars, it is critical that our 2021 marketing efforts are strong, consistent, and well-funded.

STATEWIDE RENTAL HOUSING REGISTRY

On another front, I have concerns about the impact on the availability and affordability of housing in Vermont a new, mandatory, state rental housing registry might have.

The bill that creates this registry (which is expected to pass this week) requires that all rental units – short and long term – be registered with the state. Along with that registration is a $35/unit registration fee that will fund 7.5 new positions in the Division of Fire Safety to conduct inspections of rental housing units.

To be clear, I believe the institution of a registry for short-term rental properties is appropriate. By and large, short-term rentals are not housing for Vermonters. They are properties people rent when they visit a destination, much like lodging. And, like lodging, it is important that the state is aware of these properties.

With regard to long-term rentals of housing for Vermonters, however, I am concerned that this initiative could create the unintended consequence of actually reducing the already scarce inventory.

Now, as a landlord myself, I am well aware of some of the awful conditions of some rental units in Vermont. And, I am certainly in favor of doing all we can to ensure the health and safety of such units. After all, unhealthy and unsafe rental properties maintained by negligent landlords give all landlords a bad name – me included.

My concern is that with a state program such as this, we will find that many Vermonters will be reluctant to invest in building new rental units or maintain their properties as long-term rental units. This is especially the case, I fear, with Vermonters who own and manage just a few units.

I have been in meeting after meeting and call after call with housing providers and housing advocates in this region, all of whom express their frustration at the lack of housing available for low-income and working Vermonters. My consistent two questions are simple: “What are we doing as a region and as a state to encourage people to invest in building and/or maintaining housing for Vermonters? And what are we doing as a region and state to discourage such investment?”

In this case, my fear is that while this legislation is attempting to ensure safe and healthy rental housing, the unintended consequence will, in fact, be less availability of affordable rental housing for Vermonters.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you have as well.

VERMONT FORWARD - ALMOST THERE!

I am pleased to report that because we have exceeded the vaccination targets put into place by the experts, Governor Scott announced the acceleration of our entry into Step 3 of the Vermont Forward Plan. Step 3 had been intended to go into effect on June 1st, but because we met the vaccination targets early, it went into effect on May 14th.

We have the opportunity now to continue down this road, and, ultimately, reopening fully prior to the July 4th target date. We just need to get vaccinated!!

I urge all those not yet vaccinated to take the first opportunity they can to get vaccinated.

Clinics are available all over the state, and can be found here.

VERMONT FORWARD STEP 3 - NOW

Cross State Travel

No quarantine or testing requirements

Gatherings and Events

Indoor: 1 unvaccinated person per 50 sq ft up to 300, plus any number of vaccinated people

Outdoor: 900, plus any number of vaccinated people

Masks and Physical Distancing

Not required when fully vaccinated

Required if not fully vaccinated

JULY 4TH - HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Business Operations

Universal guidance encouraged for all sectors

Gatherings and Events

No capacity restrictions

Masks and Physical Distancing

Encouraged if unvaccinated

EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

PURSUIT OF ACCURACY AND TRANSPARENCY IN PERFORMANCE DATA

In May 2020, it was discovered that there was a change in how our local school assessment/student performance data was being reported that resulted in a significant lack of accessibility to complete and accurate data by our parents or other members of the public (including policymakers). When it came to my attention then - when both Stowe High School and People's Academy were no longer ranked in the US News and World Report - I began investigating what had happened, and shared my concerns with the Secretary of Education, Dan French.

At the same time, another Stowe community member (and SHS parent at the time), John Pelletier, was also doing significant research in the issue.

As most would probably assume, many in our community were surprised and frustrated at this development. What could have happened that would cause the Stowe High School to not only not be rated the # 1 High School in Vermont after many years of such designation, but to not be ranked at all in the report?

After all, our community has spent decades doing all we can to ensure high quality education for our community’s students, and our education is, arguably, the reason families move to Stowe and why our school enrollments continues to increase.

After my communications with the Secretary did not lead to any progress on resolving the issue, the State Board of Education was made aware of the issues and put it on its agenda on August 2020.

At that August 19, 2020 meeting of the Vermont State Board of Education, I gave this very brief statement.

My statement was followed by this excellent presentation from John Pelletier to the SBOE.

Following John’s presentation, the Secretary of Education was given time to respond, during which many questions and concerns were raised by Board members. It was clear from the meeting itself and the Board comments and questions, that many of them were not satisfied with the response from the Secretary, and that they are concerned about the current system in place.

The lack of accurate data reporting, and accessibility to full and complete data by the public, is especially disturbing given the recent declines in Vermont student performance in reading and math (as measured by SBAC and NAEP).

I asked the Board to do whatever is necessary to ensure the Agency fixes this ASAP, so that our local school data is accurate and full, and is accessible to our school officials, parents, and community. I also offered my assistance if it was needed.

Unfortunately, a year has now passed, and nothing has changed. The Agency has not fixed the problem.

Complete and accurate data is still not available to the general public. Teachers and local school administrators cannot see the results of all of their work. Families cannot examine how well or how poorly our schools and students are performing. Taxpayers cannot see their return on investment. And, potential new arrivals cannot see our schools' performance to determine if this is the place they would like to call home.

Thankfully, the State Board of Education has decided it is important to bring their attention back to this issue and will be discussing it today, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Because I am in the final week of our legislative session, I may not be able to attend the meeting. But, I have sent this letter to the Board to ensure they understand clearly my continued frustration about this, and my request that this be resolved by the next time school data must be presented to the Agency.

"As my local communities have now experienced two years of this data suppression – two years of our communities and members of the public not being able to access our local school assessment and student performance data – I respectfully request that the State Board instruct the Agency, and the entire Administration if necessary, to resolve this issue immediately. There has been presented a way to do this, so the Agency should be able to do so.

"I look forward to hearing from the Secretary and Agency that this situation will be resolved by the next time school performance data is reported to the state. After all, given the changes to our education and delivery as a result of COVID-19, it will be more important than ever to have access to this data so that all of our communities can understand the impact the pandemic has had on our students’ education."

Rest assured, I will continue my fierce advocacy for the release and accessibility by all of our full and accurate school assessment and student performance data. And, as importantly, I will continue my long pursuit for educational excellence all around.

As always, please be in touch if you have any questions or concerns.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I can be reached at 253-9314 or [email protected].