DUMMERSTON — Selectmen on March 5, fresh from the previous day's Representative Town Meeting, promptly reorganized the board, agreed to maintain its rules of procedure, and voted to let ride its every-other-week-at-6 p.m. meeting schedule.
They also heard an update on the town's direction toward working with a solar energy provider, agreed to write a letter in support of Vermont Local Roads, and divvied up a long list of folks to touch base with on their interest in continuing to serve on town boards and committees.
Retained as board chair and vice chair are Zeke Goodband and Lewis White, respectively. Replacing Bill Holiday as board clerk is Joe Cook. Also returned to the board is Steve Glabach.
New to the board, and attending his first meeting March 5, was Gurudharm Khalsa, who defeated Beverly Kenney March 4 for a two-year term. Holiday had declined to run.
Khalsa's first regular meeting lasted 35 minutes and consisted largely of housekeeping, though it was followed by an executive session to discuss personnel and a legal issue.
Energy Committee yanks solar services agreement endorsement
In unfinished business, Goodband explained the town's Energy Committee had rescinded its letter of support for a proposed solar services agreement: a 500-kilowatt solar project in Westminster with Waterbury-based Green Lantern Capital.
“[The committee] did more research and felt it wasn't the right project for Dummerston. They're speaking with a couple of other groups that might have proposals that might be more advantageous to town residents,” Goodband said.
He added he would write to Green Lantern Capital “that we're not going to participate in that program.” There was no discussion, and the motion passed unanimously
Letter in support of Vermont Local Roads
On a motion by Glabach, Goodband will draft a letter on behalf of a unanimous Selectboard in support of the Vermont Local Roads Program at Saint Michael's College, part of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), a national non-profit effort financed by the Federal Highway Administration and individual state departments of transportation.
Its purpose is to provide road and bridge know-how to municipal workers involved with highways.
A component of the transportation bill now with the House Transportation Committee would absorb Vermont Local Roads into the Vermont Agency of Transportation Training Center, a move Vermont Local Roads and many stakeholders - including towns - have testified they object to, citing the need for further study.
The committee expected to hear further testimony when it returned to the Statehouse on Monday.
“They've been great at helping us with grant administration and training ... they've been great to us when we've asked them,” Glabach said.
Copies of the letter will go to the Vermont Local Roads Program assistant who has been helping Dummerston, as well as State Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham and Reps. Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, David Deen, D-Westminster, John Moran, D-Wardsboro, and Jeannette White, D-Windham.
Appointments made; slots open
By unanimous vote Frechette stays on as selectboard assistant; Godfrey Renaud stays on as tree warden; Lee Chamberlin stays as road foreman; Glaback stays as liaison to the Police Advisory Board; and Goodband and Wayne Emery carry on as the town's animal control officers.
Skunk and raccoon reports after 10 p.m. should go to Emery (who was not present), Goodband joked.
Selectboard members and Frechette then set out to decide which of them would call whom in town to retain and otherwise fill positions. There is an opening on the Planning Commission, they noted.