Village Center Designation is renewed
PUTNEY — PUTNEY - The Selectboard unanimously voted to instruct Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard to apply to the Vermont Downtown Development Board to renew the town's Village Center Designation.
Stoddard told the board their approval of the renewal is part of the application process.
According to the state's website, a designated village center “receives priority consideration for state grants... and other resources,” and “commercial property owners are eligible for tax credits to support building improvements.”
Listers, Selectboard, Town Manager work out work dispute
PUTNEY - Prompted by the Listers officers asking for an increase in hours in the fiscal year 2017 budget, and “working complications,” the Listers, the Town Manager, and the Selectboard worked out how to work together.
Citing not enough hours in her budgeted week to complete her tasks, Lister Kathleen O'Reilly-Lawrence asked for an increase.
Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard and board member Josh Laughlin suggested adding more hours to the schedules of the town's other two listers, Christopher Landin and Jonathan Johnson.
This would ensure O'Reilly-Lawrence's hours did not bump her up to the status of full-time employee and require the town to increase her benefits package. Also, because O'Reilly-Lawrence is considered the Head Lister, her salary is higher than those of her colleagues. If they work more hours, instead of O'Reilly-Lawrence, the town will save money.
Droning on...
PUTNEY - In response to resident Robert Stromberg's letter to the Selectboard expressing his concern about privacy issues and drones, the board and Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard continue to research and discuss what, if anything, the town can do.
At the Dec. 2 board meeting, Stoddard said she had contacted the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT), and will continue to check in with their online forums, to see if and how other towns are dealing with this issue.
“It's fairly new” for many people, Stoddard noted. Those present at the meeting discussed the positive uses of drones, such as agricultural, wildlife, and watershed mapping, as well as assisting in rescue operations.
Board member Josh Laughlin speculated drone statutes would be handled on the state level, not the local level, but “it's absolutely a real thing that we're going to have to be considering” in the near future, because drones are available for sale to the public.
Ann Kerrey, director of the town's Conservation Commission, said she believed local people could make a difference. “I see no reason why things can't rise from the municipal level to the state level to the federal level,” she said.
Laughlin recommended Stromberg write an article expressing his concerns for inclusion at Town Meeting.