Rethink Local working with Randolph, VT!
In a new partnership through Rethink Local, I'm serving as Director of Planning, Zoning, and Regional Partnerships on a part-time, multi-year contract with the Town of Randolph
See below from the Town of Randolph:
The Town of Randolph is excited to announce a new partnership that will help continue to improve and make zoning operations more modern and accessible.
Alex Torpey, a Tunbridge resident, veteran of municipal government service, and the founder of Rethink Local, will serve as the Town’s Zoning Administrator under the title of Director of Planning and Zoning and Regional Partnerships. Alex will be responsible for managing the zoning office and operations, finding efficiencies by bringing various processes online, supporting economic and community development projects, and working with the Planning Commission. Longer-term, one of the goals of this initiative is to explore opportunities for neigh boring communities to contract directly with the Town of Randolph or Rethink Local for services like zoning, helping to build on what organizations Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission has done to improve regional collaboration.
The partnership was formally approved by the Selectboard earlier this month, when it agreed to a two-year contract with Rethink Local.
“In addition to providing continuity with access to zoning-related services, this is a step towards reorganizing and improving how community development and planning and zoning operations work in Randolph,” said Randolph Town Manager Trevor Lashua. “We’re committed to making government systems not only more efficient, but more effective as well.”
Torpey commented, “As large challenges and financial pressures continue to mount in Vermont and we see how much of that burden is shifting to local communities and taxpayers, we have to think outside the box, and we have to think longer term. Part of what that means is to explore solutions like this that take advantage of what I've come to learn is one of Vermont’s biggest strengths - local cooperation in the face of challenges. Vermonters will grab their tractor to pull a neighbor’s car out of the mud without a second thought. We’re much stronger and more resilient working together, especially when it comes to challenges around land use and housing.”
Before starting Rethink Local, Torpey served as the Town Manager of Hanover, New Hampshire. He has extensive experience in supporting and developing local government policies and programs, especially in areas of community development, public engagement, financial forecasting, staffing, and shared services from his time as the mayor of his hometown, a graduate professor, consultant, and municipal management.
Rethink Local is a public benefit corporation and nonprofit that aims to bring together expertise from passionate public leaders to help improve how our local civic and decision-making environment works. Rethink Local has worked with several towns doing executive recruitments, with the Chandler Center for the Arts for strategic planning, and with a number of other towns and nonprofits, such as the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
Office hours and more information will be posted online on Randolph’s website at:
https://randolphvt.org/ and shared as the project progresses. Alex can be reached with any Town related questions at: alex@randolphvt.org and will typically be available in the office in Town Hall Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am – 6pm. To learn more or stay up to date with Rethink Local or Alex’s work, you can visit rethinklocal.us or Alex’s Substack at alextorpey.substack.com.