Guilford talks trash
GUILFORD — GUILFORD - At the May 27 Guilford regular Selectboard meeting, Cheryl Franklin spoke about some of the changes coming with Vermont's Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) and how it will affect the town.
Franklin serves as Guilford's representative on the Windham Solid Waste Management District's Board of Supervisors.
She said as of July 1, all trash haulers must collect recycling at no extra charge, and “food-scrap generators of 52 tons per year or one ton per week must start diverting compost."
Franklin said she is not sure what else Guilford can do to comply with and prepare for Act 148.
Selectboard member Sheila Morse asked if it is “worth putting something about this on the [town] website or the Front Porch Forum."
Troy Revis, who also serves on the Selectboard, said, “we have beat this to death,” notifying townspeople “if you have a hauler pick up your trash, they will start picking up your recycling."
The Selectboard reminded Guilford residents if they haul their own trash, Windham Solid Waste Management and Triple-T will take their recyclables. Other than that, the board decided no other action was warranted.
Town Plan review planned
GUILFORD - At the May 27 Guilford regular Selectboard meeting, Planning Commission Chair Michelle Frehsee reported on the April 29 public review of the Town Plan.
She said the meeting, held at the Broad Brook Grange, was well-attended and “extremely positive.”
One hindrance to the town approving the plan is in the language. There has been a disagreement on the difference between “will,” “shall,” and “should” in the Town Plan, and the debate continued at the Selectboard meeting.
Frehsee reminded the board they can not officially review the Town Plan at the May 27 meeting because it was not warned as a hearing with the requisite 15-day notice.
The next public review of the Town Plan will occur at the June 8 regular Selectboard meeting at the Guilford town office, beginning at 6 p.m.
Board briefed on emergency training
GUILFORD - Ron Lenker, Guilford's Emergency Management Director, suggested the town participate in the 2016 Vigilant Guard training session in Montpelier. He presented his request at the May 27 regular Selectboard meeting.
Although Lenker said the costs associated with the training are not covered through the Vermont Radiological Emergency Response Plan (RERP) Program, he said there is no fee for participating, and the only cost to the town may be mileage to and from Montpelier.
“I think it's valuable for the town to attend,” Lenker said, noting previous Vigilant Guard training “helped during Irene, and Guilford was prepared and was commended state-wide."
Former Emergency Management Director Herb Meyer also attended the Selectboard meeting to offer his support for the training.
The Selectboard approved “appropriate personnel,” including the Guilford Fire Department and the Emergency Management Director, attending the drill, and meetings leading up to the exercise.
Lenker also reported on the May 13 Emergency Drill. Because the town is within the 10-mile Vermont Yankee Emergency Planning Zone, and is one of six towns in the Plume Exposure Pathway Zone, it receives assistance with drills through the federally-mandated Vermont Radiological Emergency Response Plan (RERP) Program.
Lenker said the Federal Emergency Management Agency monitored the drill, and the town was commended for having “no deficiencies."
“To me, that speaks loads to what [the Selectboard] has already put into place,” Lenker said.
Selectboard Chair Anne Rider mentioned board member Dick Clark's contributions to the drill and the town's emergency planning, as well as Herb Meyer's work in his former role as Emergency Management Director.
To Lenker, Rider said, “You have really been stepping up, and we're grateful."
Progress report on Green River Covered Bridge
GUILFORD - Selectboard Chair Anne Rider reported the town's progress on repairing the Green River Covered Bridge at the regular May 27 board meeting.
The town will receive a $175,000 structures grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), she said.
Between the grant, and the money Guilford set aside for the project, Rider said, “we feel in pretty good shape towards the funding of the rehab repair of the Green River covered bridge."
As of May 27, the required permanent easement deed with the Green River Preservation Trust was signed and sent to the state, Rider said.
“The state is still working on the the categorical exclusion process,” she said, noting the office is short-staffed right now, so the process is slow.
The Selectboard decided to postpone beginning the work on the bridge until the summer of 2016 because it is still too early to request bids.
“Construction can't begin this summer because we're not done jumping through the state hoops,” Rider said.
Bylaws, ordinances, and policies review continues
GUILFORD - A draft of Guilford's Capitalization Policy was presented for review at the May 27 regular Selectboard meeting.
This policy was recommended during the last few town audits, and Selectboard Chair Anne Rider noted “the auditors would be really happy” if the board approved the policy. “We would be in a position to do a list of all of our structures,” she said.
“Right now, the town has nothing to show how we're depreciating our equipment, our land improvements, [or] our infrastructure at all,” Town Administrator Rebecca Stone said, adding, “this will help go forward to what was outlined in the Town Plan."
Stone also noted the Capitalization Policy can be changed, and the auditors are more concerned that the town has one, than what they put in it.
After amending the Building Improvement line item threshold from $25,000 to $15,000, the Selectboard approved the policy.
Highway and traffic ordinances will be reviewed next month.