Dear Constituents-

Since the Legislature adjourned, a number of Coronavirus Relief Bills have been enacted; Assistance for Agriculture (dairy and non-dairy), Healthcare and Human Services (long-term care facilities, adult days, hospitals, independent providers, home health agencies), Housing (landlords, tenants, and homeowners) and Business have been launched. If you have any questions or concerns about this legislation or your qualifications for relief, please contact your Legislator – we are happy to assist you.

The summer road construction season is well underway, and we have been receiving updates from VTRANS on much-needed roadwork in our District that we have advocated for. Please reach out to your Selectboard for the most recent schedule for repair and repaving.

Representative Fegard and I, along with several other area Legislators, participated in a series of interviews for Northwest Access TV’s “For the Record” program, which can be viewed on YouTube at

https://youtu.be/-WkfvSdVdQ4

The discussion is an informative wrap-up of the legislative session thus far, the challenges of life as a legislator during“Stay Home, Stay Safe”, and how we feel about upcoming issues in our District. Thank you to NW Access TV and host Richard Copperthwait for the opportunity to speak about what is important to us.

Several of us also participated via Zoom in the Franklin County COVID-19 Local Solutions and Community Action Teams Forum, a function of the Governor’s Task Force for each county. Discussion groups were focused on the well-being of communities in isolation, jumpstarting struggling businesses, and expansion of broadband, to name a few. I, along with Senator Brock, was part of the breakout session on Broadband. I am happy to report that as a result of this discussion, the Town of Berkshire will be receiving an installation of a WiFi hot spot at the Town Hall in the coming days. Another exciting development is the formation of a Communications Union District (CUD) in Franklin County to streamline and expedite efforts to implement affordable access to broadband and cellular capabilities in our area. As of this writing, three towns are looking into forming, and all will be contacted with the opportunity to join. If this is something you are passionate about, please contact your Town Selectboard, Clerk, orRepresentative for more information.

Most recently, I was part of a small group to visit the Vermont National Guard at Camp Johnson and the 158th Fighter Wing. It was a humbling and exhilarating experience to learn about the Guard’s humanitarian peacetime mission and their combat readiness, to view the F-35 program, and to immediately feel the spirit of welcoming that the members portray to visitors and amongst themselves. This was an important use of my time so I can better understand and make informed decisions in my Committee work on General, Housing, and Military Affairs. I wish to extend to Guard leadership and members my gratitude for the time spent with us and for the continued service that my neighbors and all members provide as representatives of the State of Vermont in their global capacity. I am honored to be served by this distinguished and capable organization.

Please be safe as you pursue your summer activities in our beautiful State!

Stay well,

Representative Lisa A Hango – Franklin-5