WRC staff said most of the region remains rural but the update expands downtown and village centers and maps planned growth areas so towns can access state designation benefits such as tax credits, grants and permit fee reductions.

At a public hearing, Windham Regional Commission staff explained statutory changes under Act 1 81, how the 2026 regional plan remaps future land-use categories and incorporates regional housing targets, and set a schedule for adoption and Land Use Review Board review.

The commission's director said his top priorities are helping towns collaborate to reduce costs, supporting volunteer select boards and staff, promoting flood adaptation and encouraging capital planning; he announced a Bennington forum with regional partners to help towns plan financing strategies.

The Windham Regional Commission's director told commissioners the region should prepare to facilitate discussions about possible reuse of the Vermont Yankee site — including small modular nuclear reactors or battery storage — but stressed site reuse depends on NRC decommissioning and release and that the commission has no formal position.

At a WRC workshop, senior planner Matt Bachler and associate director Sue Westa advised towns to prioritize infrastructure, update zoning, pursue state financing tools (including CHIP), and use local revolving funds and intermunicipal cooperation to help meet regional housing targets set under Act 181.

The Senate Committee on Government Operations voted to pass S.255, a five-year pilot to create a law enforcement governance council in Windham County. State police and local chiefs supported a regional model while urging clear accountability, replicability and funding clarity.

Witnesses told the Senate Committee S.255 would create a five-year Windham County pilot to let a council set and collect special assessments to fund regional sheriff-provided policing; testimony highlighted potential response-time benefits, modest per-household tax impacts, governance and oversight concerns, and the need to clarify town approval and exit mechanics.

A bill to create a Windham County Law Enforcement Governance Council — a five‑or‑more‑municipality pilot to coordinate sheriff‑provided policing — received testimony showing broad town support but also raised oversight and funding questions; committee will continue hearings next week.