Running a small Vermont town isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone! The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) offers hands-on help for the daily challenges facing local officials. At the forefront of this mission is Kathleen Ramsay, VLCT’s Municipal Operations Support Specialist, who brings over 35 years of experience in town management in Hinesburg, Pittsford, Killington, and Middlebury to support your work.
Kathleen’s Role: Your Expert Partner in Municipal Operations
Kathleen is here to help your town uncomplicate local government operations. With her deep background in Vermont municipal management, she provides tailored, one-on-one support to governing bodies and local officials. Here’s just a sample of how Kathleen can assist your community:
- Analyzing and Building Administrative Capacity
- Project & Issue Tracking for Selectboards
If your town is grappling with stretched resources or considering its first Town Administrator or Administrative Assistant to the Selectboard, Kathleen can guide you step by step. She has developed a practical toolkit specifically for towns looking to create these positions for the first time, helping you evaluate needs, draft job descriptions, and navigate hiring.
Overwhelmed by competing priorities? Kathleen works directly with selectboards to develop “What’s on Our Plate?” Gantt charts – a simple, visual tool to map out projects and issues for the coming year, so everyone knows what’s coming up when.
Expanding the Toolkit
Kathleen has also developed additional toolkits on a variety of topics important to local governance, including:
- Hiring for Summer Recreation Programs
- Preparing for Summer Storms
- Highway Hiring
- Onboarding New Selectboard Members and Your Selectboard's Organizational Meeting
Upcoming Resources and Events
Kathleen is currently collaborating with VLCT's Government Finance Specialist, Marguerite Ladd, to develop toolkits for budgeting and capital budgeting. These valuable resources will be launched during the upcoming Muni Mornings with Kathleen + Money Matters with Marguerite webinar on Thursday, August 28. Don't miss this chance to gain insights into your town's financial planning!
How Does This Support Work?
VLCT’s Municipal Operations Support team, funded in part by the USDA Rural Development’s Disaster Assistance Fund, is your complimentary arm for technical, non-legal questions related to municipal operations. Kathleen’s focus includes:
- Assessing your town’s operational strengths and vulnerabilities
- Coaching and mentoring local officials
- Offering live and on-demand trainings on best practices in local government
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today
- Contact Kathleen to talk through your ideas and/or challenges: email kramsay@vlct.org or call 802-262-1912.
- Book a consultation to discuss a project, issue, or initiative. No topic is too small! Book time with Kathleen Ramsay
- Access VLCT’s Resource Library for online toolkits that contain templates and guidance.
- Join the upcoming webinar for insights into budgeting and capital planning.
- Suggest a training topic or request a project planning session for your board or staff.
A Free Extension of Your Own Team
While Kathleen’s expertise is especially valuable for towns facing capacity shortages, any Vermont municipality can benefit from her support – whether you’d like to refine/improve daily operations or just want a quick check-in. Some larger communities may have in-house resources for these tasks, but for most small towns, Kathleen’s assistance is a valuable, free extension of your own team.
Have questions about building administrative capacity in your town? Would you like to explore how Kathleen could help tackle it together? Reach out to Kathleen today!