Tuesday forum asks: What do you love about Waterbury?

April 8, 2023  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

People of all ages enjoy Waterbury Arts Fest in July 2022. File photo by Gordon Miller

It’s a question many of us may not actively ask ourselves or each other very often, but answers to it are probably not far from top of mind: 

What do you love about Waterbury? 

This Tuesday night, that question and people’s answers to it will be discussed at a special community workshop organized by the Waterbury Conservation Commission with a second session planned as an online discussion on April 20. 

Rush hour on a summertime Thursday. July 2022 file photo by Gordon Miller

The volunteer Conservation Commission has teamed up with the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife to conduct a Community Values Mapping project that will rely on local residents to dig into the reasons they love their community. The exercise will lay some groundwork to assess what people value about living, working and spending time here to help inform community planning that could shape the future. At the in-person session, participants will break into groups with a facilitator who will dig in, asking people to come up with a list of the community values that are most important to them. The online event will have a similar process.

Staff from the Fish & Wildlife Department will collect the information, turn it into a report and share it with the town.

Conservation Commission Chair Billy Vigdor stopped by the Waterbury Select Board meeting on Monday to remind the board about the upcoming workshop and to encourage people with a wide range of answers to that question to attend. 

He elaborated in a letter to the Waterbury Roundabout: “It is important that as many people as possible participate to truly understand what is valued.  None of this works if we do not know what Waterbury thinks.  Residents therefore need to show up on April 11 and engage with each other to share their views so we paint an accurate picture of what we want” Vigdor explained.  “As a group we will discuss valuable historic and recreation locations, places to grow our economy and build housing, where we cherish the scenic views, and where to protect remaining farmlands, working lands, and wildlife habitat, among others.  The results will be broadly disseminated.” 

People get out to enjoy recreation on, in and near the Winooski River year-round. Photo by Gordon Miller

Although organized by the Conservation Commission, the project is not just about conservation. The aim is to hear what the public considers important community values and priorities from recreation and activities to scenic views, wildlife and natural resources, to jobs, housing, commercial activity. The goal is to gather input on issues important to people of all ages and viewpoints, Vidor said. 

Describing and listing the things people consider to be positive qualities of the community can help focus decisions, planning and investments for the future. 

The two meetings will be run similarly. The public is encouraged to attend one of the sessions that works best for them.  The first is Tuesday, April 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Leo’s Hall (the church hall behind St. Andrew’s Catholic Church on South Main Street). Snacks and beverages will be provided.

The second meeting on Thursday, April 20, will be held via zoom from 6 to 8 p.m. with a similar exercise (attendees will have to supply their own snacks and beverages). 

Organizers would appreciate if attendees register ahead of time if possible for them to estimate materials and snacks. Vigdor noted that registering isn’t required, however. To sign up and for more information, visit the mapping project section on the Conservation Commission’s website. The spot also has a link to a report from a similar mapping project already completed for the town of Cornwall. 

Some additional remarks from Vigdor on the value of this community exercise: 

“Waterbury, like the rest of Vermont and the country, is going through a great deal of change… When hit by Irene, the town, residents, and our leaders responded with a clear vision of where to go and worked through to get us where we are today.  As we emerge from the pandemic, we are facing opportunities and challenges.  Opportunities include smartly using the town’s ARPA [federal American Rescue Plan Act] funds and taking advantage of our unique location, our dedicated and talented residents, great town leaders and our wonderful natural and recreation resources. Challenges that we face include inequity, labor and housing shortages, effects of climate change (such as flooding risks, reducing our carbon footprint and energy use), managing economic growth and protecting our natural resources. We can choose to react and see where that leads us, or we can take the reins and steer our own course. But we cannot do that unless we know what it is that we really value about Waterbury.”

A busy winter day at Dac Rowe Park. Photo by Gordon Miller