Swimming hole conditions cause of concern
DUMMERSTON — DUMMERSTON - Selectboard Clerk Gurudharm Khalsa raised his concerns about the town's covered bridge swimming hole at the Aug. 19 regular Board meeting.
Khalsa told the Board he is worried that two lengths of “inch-thick steel cable” buried under the stairs could pose a hazard to those using the beach area.
Road Foreman Lee Chamberlin agreed the cable was a problem. “You can avoid them, but they're easily tripped upon,” he said.
But, Chamberlin told the Board, when he approached the state to ask about cutting the cables, officials told him that would make them more jagged.
“It's hard to get the ends,” he said, noting that even if his crew were to bury the ends, “you get a heavy rain” and they are sure to pop up again.
Chamberlin said he did not “want to make it worse,” and assured the Board he would “take a look.”
He also reminded the Board it had discussed the issue “at length” about three years ago, and they came up with no real solution.
State changes town reimbursement program
DUMMERSTON - Treasurer and Selectboard Assistant Laurie Frechette told the Board the state recently changed how it reimbursed towns for a number of programs.
At the Sept. 2 regular Board meeting, Frechette said the town must now apply for grants to get paid for things like Current Use, the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) Program, and the Reappraisals Fund.
Formerly, she said, “they just sent us the checks."
Now, Frechette said, the town also needs to designate a municipal official who will apply for the grants and act as a contact person.
The Selectboard unanimously voted Frechette to assume that role.
Town considers revising curb-cut permit
DUMMERSTON - After receiving correspondence from a concerned resident, the Selectboard, and Road Foreman Lee Chamberlin, may revise Dummerston's curb-cut permit application.
At the Aug. 19 regular Board meeting, Chamberlin told the Board he would review other towns' permit applications.
Flood plains and change-of-use were mentioned as considerations prompting the possible revision.
Poor visibility discussed
DUMMERSTON - After resident Jonathan Flaccus voiced his concerns to the Selectboard at a recent meeting about poor visibility at the intersection of Schoolhouse and Miller Roads, the board and Road Foreman Lee Chamberlin studied the issue and reported his findings.
At the Aug. 19 regular Board meeting, Chamberlin told the Board he contacted Green Mountain Power about cutting the brush on the portion of road they maintain in order to increase visibility at the intersection.
Flaccus's concerns included some stumps blocking the view. Chamberlin said once the utility trims the trees, he will try to remove the stumps.
Otherwise, he said, he will keep on Green Mountain Power to keep the brush trimmed.
Regardless of the outcome, “it's always going to be a bad spot,” Chamberlin said.
One trashy corner
DUMMERSTON - “There's a pretty good living room set” on the corner of Route 5 and Johnson's Curve Road, Selectboard member Steve Glabach told his colleagues at the Sept. 2 regular Board meeting.
Glabach's comments came after Board Chair Zeke Goodband announced the Board had received a letter of complaint about the collection of trash that has recently accumulated on that corner.
“It seems to grow quite often,” Glabach said.
“Then it disappears,” Goodband said, adding, then “it starts growing again.”
After a discussion ensued on whether the “little patch of dirt” was someone's outdoor living area, Goodband surmised, “given the quality of some of these appliances, it may just be a dumping area.”
The state owns most of the patch as the Route 5 right-of-way, and Goodband assured the Board that Road Foreman Lee Chamberlin has contacted officials at the county garage to work on the problem.
The Board brainstormed ideas for how to dissuade dumpers, such as a sign declaring dumping illegal, a security camera to catch scofflaws, and guard rails to prevent access.
Board member Jerelyn Wilson's suggestion: “A big rock.”