Marking the anniversary of the catastrophic floods of 2023 and 2024, Sen. Peter Welch has been barnstorming across Vermont to unveil his new FEMA reform legislation, the “Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act.” On Monday, Welch appeared at the Barre Social Club on Main Street where he delivered brief remarks on the legislation and answered Vermonters’ questions.

Speaking to a packed venue, Welch mentioned the current flooding crisis unfolding in Texas, expressing Vermont’s sympathies for those affected by that tragedy. He then said “There’s actual talk in Washington about abolishing FEMA. That’s wrong. Reforming FEMA is necessary.” He went on to discuss his FEMA reform legislation. 

The legislation, Welch said, is based on feedback from Vermonters about problems with long-term flood recovery efforts, such as federal regulation stifling the wishes of local officials, high turnover of project managers (most are retirees who can only work for a year before pension implications kick in), and hassles surrounding FEMA property buyouts, among other challenges.  The legislation, he said, is designed to put more decision-making power in the hands of local officials when dealing with disaster recovery. 

“What I was hearing from everyone, and have foreseen, is that FEMA did a good job in the immediate aftermath, in the immediate clean-up. But when it came to actually restoring the community, the people who are best in the position to do it, and most committed to do it, and under the most pressure from the people they represented to do it, are local officials … there has to be much more, basically, local control and local decision-making about how best to proceed,” said Welch.

“You’ve got to have the folks who are getting to live with the decisions be in a position to make the decisions,” he added. 

Other speakers included Barre City Mayor Thom Lauzon, Friends of the Winooski Executive Director Michelle Braun, and Pat Moulton, central Vermont recovery officer. 

Lauzon, a real estate developer, spoke about the city’s focus on housing, questioning why, when taking a FEMA buyout, the property in question then has to remain vacant “forever.” Lauzon also mentioned various rehabilitation projects and an upcoming meeting to discuss how to rebuild a more resilient North End. 

“One of the things that’s also struck me is the incredible, phenomenal volunteer response in all the communities, and the fact that communities are recognizing you can’t just rebuild the way we were. We’ve got to move away from the rivers,” noted Patricia Moulton, central Vermont recovery officer.

Braun discussed the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, saying the program is of “critical” importance in Vermont with its higher elevations and river valleys. “Every dollar that is invested in hazard mitigation yields thirteen dollars in future damages avoided,” she said. As examples of these mitigation dollars at work, Braun mentioned the project to remove the Berlin Street bridge and three dam removal projects on the Stevens Branch of the river. 

“What happens when the next storm comes and we don’t qualify for federal disaster (relief)?” said Liz Sharp, chair of the Middlesex Select Board, during the question-and-answer session, noting that the board has discussed setting aside local money to rebuild in the event of future floods but acknowledges the likely tax implications of creating such a fund.

Welch acknowledged the struggles small towns face in Vermont, but said Vermont’s small towns are not realistically going to be able to set aside the amounts necessary for disaster rehabilitation and recovery. Welch said his legislation provides more flexibility for towns to work with regional planning commissions in disaster relief and also that more money would be spent on rehabilitation and recovery than administration. 

Peter Youngbear, a member of the Plainfield Selectboard, questioned why debris and the remnants of flood-destroyed buildings have to sit while the buyout process proceeds, noting that this not only makes the town more dangerous and visibly unappealing but is also a deterrence to visitors and investors. “Why can’t we clean that up while we’re waiting for the buyout process?” he said. 

“That’s my point,” Welch replied. “You should be able to clean that up. My view, the local authorities should be able to clean up and mitigate the harm.” 

Welch said he plans to propose the legislation upon his return to Washington, D.C. A summary of the legislation can be found on Sen. Welch’s website.

Story Written by Matthew Thomas, The Montpelier Bridge

Story Link: https://montpelierbridge.org/2025/07/welch-unveils-fema-reform-bill-in-barre-citing-need-for-local-control/