By Katy Savage
In a county still reeling from economic hardship and the aftermath of devastating floods, Gov. Phil Scott and his cabinet came face to face with frustration and hope during a tour of Windsor County on April 7—part of a statewide effort to bring government closer to Vermont’s most vulnerable communities.
Scott and cabinet members from every state agency visited Windsor County as part of the governor’s “Capitol for a Day” 14-county tour, a program he launched in 2018.
“We’re really only going to be successful if we actually see the places, see the people who we represent,” Scott told a gathering of residents and cabinet members at Murdock’s on the Green in Proctorsville, where he started the day.
Cabinet members later split up and visited sites throughout the county, including Hartness Airport in North Springfield to see a $23.5 million rehabilitation project of the runway, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. They also toured local farms and businesses like Black Hill Preserves in Windsor and a distillery in Que-chee, while engaging with residents on topics like housing development, taxes, public safety, and small business recovery.
However, during a one-hour meeting in Proctorsville, residents voiced frustrations about feeling neglected, particularly following a devastating flood two years ago. At least two local businesses, including a bakery and distillery, remain closed due to extensive flood damage.
Trevor Barlow, co-owner of the former Crows Bakery building now known as Super Roasted, shared his struggles with the ongoing recovery process.
“We got wiped out, it killed our economy down here,” Barlow said.
He said delays in federal FEMA funding, the complexities of securing contractors, and complying with state inspections added to the problem.
Barlow said the bakery building was valued at around $280,000 but suffered nearly $700,000 in damage.
“As a person with a background in business, it does not make economic sense [to reopen],” he said. “But it makes a heck of a lot of sense for the community in an area where we’re already struggling to maintain population.”
Rep. V.L. Coffin, R-Cavendish, echoed Barlow’s sentiments, expressing frustration with the lack of follow-through after promises of help. He said people in the tiny village of Proctorsville feel abandoned by the government.
Doug Farnham, the state’s chief recovery officer, said while FEMA is efficient in initial response, its structure is not geared toward helping businesses recover fully. He said the flood was a billion dollar disaster.
“I think we need to go back out and bring more attention,” he said. “It’s partly a resource [problem]. The gap between the damages and what we’re able to afford and tackle ourselves is huge … We’re still trying to work it though and we need to be faster.”
Some also had concerns about the future of education.
Lisa Sanders, a member of the Cavendish Town Elementary School Board, voiced concern about the Trump administration’s directive to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in schools. Sanders pointed out that Cavendish Elementary has become a haven for children with special needs, largely due to its inclusive approach.
“Children with special needs have very close knit groups,” she said. “They talked to each other and they learned this is a school where you can really access the services you need for children to thrive and get the best education they can.”
Sanders’ concerns come as Education Secretary Zoie Saunders told school district leaders to submit a letter certifying that they are complying with federal law, known as Title XI, to her office within 10 days.
Jill Briggs Campbell, the deputy secretary of education, reassured the community that DEI initiatives remain vital in Vermont and their position with the Trump Administration is that school districts in the state are following federal law.
“[The Trump Administration] is trying to get communities and schools to start making changes to schools that may not be required,” Campbell said. “We don’t think there’s any illegal DEI, which doesn’t actually happen anyway.”
Rocket, a Hartland resident, videomaker and social media personality with a large following, praised the governor for visiting Windsor County, but urged him to do more, explaining some feel the administration is inaccessible and people don’t feel they can speak up.
“People feel they won’t be heard,” he said, adding the state feels divided at times.
“It really feels sometimes when I go through different communities that people are living in different worlds,” he said.
