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CONTENTS
EDUCATION INITIATIVES:

LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) Workshop
Green Homes Workshop Series - Vermont Builds Greener LEED Homes (VBG/LEED-H)
Film Library and Series
Green Building In Vermont CD
Conference Presence

VGBN Green Pages
Shopper's Guide to Green Building in Vermont
Online Member Directory, Email Lists, Events Calendar, and Web Site

Board Openings

School Construction Standards Green Building Initiative
Burlington Zoning Green Building Initiative
Federal Green Building Legislation
Provide feedback for updates to LEED

EDUCATION INITIATIVES

LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) Workshop
In May 2006, VGBN hosted a LEED for Existing Buildings Workshop. The workshop was held in conjunction with Vermont Chapter of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Green and Sustainable in Vermont Conference at Basin Harbor.

Vermont Builds Greener LEED Homes
VGBN invites you to learn the latest experience in building green homes in Vermont. VGBN in conjunction with Building for Social Responsibility (BSR) are once again co-presenting a series of workshops during the Fall and Winter of 2007-08 at various sites around the state. These professional level workshops will focus on advanced green home building strategies. As the local USGBC Chapter (the parent organization for LEED), VGBN is proud to join BSR in advancing the importance of incorporating regional criteria in the VBG/LEED-H rating system. For designers and builders interested in VBG/LEED-H rating system and certification being administered locally by Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), these workshops are essential.

Keep posted to www.VGBN.org or www.BSR-VT.org for information about times, locations, and registration. You can also join VGBN and BSR in supporting regional criteria and review.

Film Library and Series
VGBN has recently added to the VGBN Film Library of green building related films on DVD. We will be showing these at a series of locations to be determined around Vermont. Complete details on our What’s New page.

VGBN members may also borrow these films for office or home party showing by contacting Jesse Robbins at jrobbins@fffinc.com.

Green Building In Vermont CD
Introduction:
VGBN is proud to distribute our self-produced informational CD to all paying VGBN members. The CD provides an introduction to green building in our state, and includes case studies and resources to help people make ‘greener’ buildings. We hope our members will find it a useful tool in educating potential building owners by taking the mystery out of green building. The CD is also available at VGBN attended events for $3 and by mail for $5. See the details at http://www.vgbn.org/whatsnew.php?rec=658.

Road Shows:
VGBN will be hosting a series of “road shows” to show the CD to civic groups and the public. Keep posted to www.VGBN.org for upcoming show locations or contact Jesse Robbins at jrobbins@fffinc.com if you would like to schedule a showing for your group.

Library Circulation:
VGBN will be distributing the CD in a recycled plastic library quality case to 225 academic and public libraries throughout Vermont. These will be provide a locally focused resource available for general library patrons interested in green building.

Conference Presence
VGBN continues to bring a face to and promote green building while representing our members at various shows and conferences. These include, Better Building by Design, SolarFest, Greening Up Your Bottom Line Conference, various Home Shows, and the Vermont Statehouse Card Room in 2008. This year, we have a new booth thanks to the efforts of our past board member David Martin.

COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING INITIATIVES

VGBN Green Pages
The VGBN Green Pages continues to grow as a comprehensive source of regional contacts to both consumers and professionals seeking local green building products and services available in Vermont. The Green Pages are searchable by Vermont county, type of business, environmental benefits, LEED NC 2.1 potential, and CSI MasterFormat Section.

VGBN members should take advantage of being able to make multiple listings in the Green Pages.

Shopper's Guide to Green Building in Vermont
As part of out wider effort to inform about green building, VGBN is providing online introductory information to homeowners and the public about what to ask for when seeking green building products and services. The guide has a focus on Vermont issues and informs people in setting their own environmental criteria in making design decisions. Check it out at http://www.vgbn.org/guide.php.

VGBN members and partnership organizations may submit information which shoppers in Vermont might find helpful in selecting green products and services. So please share some of your tips or questions shoppers should ask and we will credit you and your companies submission to the guide.

Online Member Directory, Email Lists, Events Calendar, and Web Site
VGBN continues to network with our Online Member Directory; VGBNNEWS email list for announcements and VGBNTALK email list for discussion; our online green building Events Calendar; and other information resources on our web site.

Paying VGBN members may wish to be listed on our directory. Anyone can post events on our calendar by sending an email with all the details and contact information to our events calendar administrator at events@VGBN.org. And, as always, subscription to our email lists is free.

DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION INITIATIVES

Every Janaury, the Vermont Green Building Network has openings on our Board of Directors. More information at http://www.vgbn.org/boardofdirectors.php

ADVOCACY INITIATIVES

School Construction Standards for Green Building Initiative
Legislative Committee Formed:
In the 2005 Vermont legislative session, an amendment to the 2006 capital bill proposed implementation of a green high performance building standard to be required in order to receive state construction aid for K-12 school building new construction and major renovation projects. The amendment was not passed, however the bill mandated the creation of a School Construction Standards Committee to review and make recommendation regarding high performance school standards for use in Vermont.
The legislation created the committee, named the six members, and indicated that the Education Commissioner's designee Catherine Hilgendorf would chair. The committee will meet throughout the summer and fall and make recommendation to the legislature by January 15, 2007.

VGBN Contact:
Jan Harris, Vice President of VGBN, member of the Vermont High Performance Schools Initiative, The Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships Inc. (NEEP) High Performance Schools Exchange and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) Energy Efficient Schools working group will represent the committee for Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC).

Burlington Zoning Green Building Initiative
Introduction:
THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE of VGBN has been asked by the City of Burlington Department of Planning & Zoning to provide expert assistance with the development of an incentive program for green building projects, as part of its Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance revision.

How it Works:
The proposed mechanism to stimulate green building in Burlington is a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonus. Developers are offered an opportunity to increase the density of development on their site, if they agree to register and certify the building with USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating Programs. The amount of increased density allowed is tied on a scale to the level of achievement attained in the LEED program (Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum). The developer is required to post a bond to ensure follow-through with the agreement, and penalties are assessed against the bond for points not achieved in the LEED rating system. Currently there are two proposed density bonus scales: one for the dense urban core of the Central Business District and Transition Zone, and the other for medium density Urban Enterprise Zones, such as the North Street business district.

Other Ordinances:
Numerous other cities in the U.S. have enacted ordinances to encourage green building, such as:
1. Arlington, VA – Arlington allows commercial projects earning LEED Silver to develop sites at a higher density than conventional projects. All site plan applications for commercial projects are required to include a LEED scorecard and have a LEED accredited professional on the project. All projects must contribute to a green building fund for education and outreach activities. The contribution is refunded if projects earn LEED certification.
2. Dallas, TX – The City of Dallas issued a resolution requiring all city buildings larger than 10,000 square feet to have at least LEED Silver certification. The city is exploring ways to encourage LEED buildings in the private sector.
3. Gainesville, FL – The city passed Ordinance #1835 requiring all government buildings be LEED certified. Additionally, the county is providing fast-track building permit incentive and a 50% reduction in the cost of building permit fees for private builders who use LEED.
4. Issaquah, WA – Developers intending to use LEED may receive free professional consultation and projects achieving LEED certification are placed at the head of the building permit review line.
5. San Diego, CA – The city has adopted LEED for all public projects. The city has also developed a sustainable building expedite program that uses LEED criteria and provides significant plan review and construction incentives.
6. Santa Monica, CA – All city projects must achieve LEED Silver. A grant program is available that provides financial incentives for private developers who achieve LEED certification. An ordinance gives LEED registered projects expedited permitting.
7. Seattle, WA – Seattle requires LEED Silver for all city projects over 5,000 square feet. The city is encouraging the private sector to incorporate LEED standards into new and existing buildings by providing economic incentives.
Participation:
This initiative is a work in progress, and currently members of the Advocacy Committee are meeting with the Planning Staff to work through the technical and financial aspects of the idea. If you have specific input you would like to provide, or would like to become involved in this initiative, please contact the Advocacy Committee at info@VGBN.org

Federal Green Building Legislation
Senator Jim Jeffords, has introduced the High-Performance Green Building Act of 2006 to authorize the use of $50 million over five years to encourage the development and use of energy-efficient, environmentally sound, and safe "green buildings." This bill requires the federal government to establish green building standards for all federal facilities; expands research and development of green building technology; and encourages schools to improve the environmental conditions of their facilities. More information at http://jeffords.senate.gov/~jeffords/press/06/06/062806greenbuilding.html

For VGBN and our interested members, there is grant funding included to qualified nonprofit organization to assist in community and public education on healthy school environments. Our members may also wish to join VGBN in writing letters of support for this important initiative.

Provide feedback for updates to LEED
You have the opportunity to make your voice heard in the LEED-NC Version 3 major revision through a special process set up by USGBC for chapter feedback. Anyone who is interested in may contact info@VGBN.org.

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