John Snyder

Special Town Meeeting to take up tax-exempt status for fire department

Voters are warned to meet at Evening Star Grange on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. to decide whether Dummerston should grant tax-exempt status to the West Dummerston Volunteer Fire Department.

According to the text of this special town meeting's warning, posted at www.dummerston.org, the proposal is for five years pursuant to the provisions of Title 32, section 3840.

Arrive by 6 to catch the Selectboard at its Sept. 3 meeting, also at the Grange.

The Selectboard put in approximately 70 minutes of work at its Aug. 20 meeting, confirming that during prior negotiations the Learning Collaborative offered to give the town $3,338 annually in lieu of property taxes, meeting minutes show.

Read More

Giddy-up! Townshend plans Holiday of Horses parade in December

The Selectboard threw its support behind a planned second annual Holiday of Horses Parade, tentatively set for the second Sunday after Thanksgiving Resident Laura Richardson asked the board at its Aug. 18 meeting for permission to organize the event and for logcal support - particularly traffic control and parking.

Read More

No bucket loaders for ice-bucket challenge

Insurer cautions municipal governments about social-media craze

The town's insurer isn't saying not to dump ice water on your head. It's just saying be smart about it. And not to use the town's heavy equipment to further the fun. Noting the viral spread of this summer's Ice Bucket Challenge - which sees dared participants either write...

Read More

More

Town waives state penalties for late homestead rebate form filing

Backing a request from the Board of Listers, the Selectboard on Aug. 21 joined a reported dozen other Vermont municipalities in waiving penalties for residents hit with state penalties over late homestead rebate forms. Calling for the change were Doris Knechtel and Town Treasurer Maureen Albert-Piascik, who said they had proof of state errors “left and right” that saw some residents tagged with 3 percent penalties for missing the April 15 filing deadline. Knechtel said elderly residents in particular were...

Read More

Board takes cautious stand about endorsing solar initiative

The Selectboard declined to go so far as to endorse his presence, but they welcomed him to town. Tad Montgomery, principal of Home Energy Advocates, appeared before the Selectboard Aug. 18 to sell the board on backing Solarize Windham, an intiative committed to rolling out bulk purchasing on solar panels and their installation to homes and businesses. Solarize Windham aims to install a megawatt of solar in homes across Windham County before federal solar tax rebates expire at the end...

Read More

Deal falls through for town parcel

A prospective buyer for a parcel that's languished off the tax rolls for nearly two decades has withdrawn his purchase offer, saying a petition opposing the sale was grossly incorrect but not worth fighting. Brad Boucher told the Selectboard Aug. 18 that he was withdrawing his offer of $2,500 for a two-acre parcel at 67 Higgins Lane, Townshend Acres, and would now be unable to build here and start paying property tax. Townshend bought the land at tax auction in...

Read More

Putney explores sharing municipal services to save money

The town is exploring, with many other municipalities, how sharing certain services might trim budgets here and regionally. Speaking at the Aug. 13 Selectboard meeting, Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard reported that she had attended a session hosted by the Windham Regional Commission aimed at sparking ideas on how towns can leverage each other's experience and strength in numbers. “Everything from leasing a street sweeper, roadside mowing, group-purchasing dog tags, IT [information technology] services: a gamut,” she said. Selectboard members at...

Read More

Dummerston discusses ways to keep public informed

The public can keep abreast of official notices at several locations around town, the Selectboard established at its Aug. 6 meeting. Meeting warnings and agendas and the like will be on view at the Town Office, the West Dummerston post office on West Street, and Dummerston Elementary School. At the meeting, Town Clerk Pam McFadden updated the group on the state's newly revised open meeting law, which sets out requirements for posting agendas and meeting minutes digitally and otherwise. Among...

Read More