Aside from a few scattered power outages, Town Meeting Day in Windham County on Tuesday was relatively tranquil.
Here's a look at some of the highlights in a number of Windham County towns as reported by press time on Tuesday night.
School budgets approved without much debate
• In Dummerston, voters approved a $3,475,661 school budget in under an hour, and gave the School Board a round of applause for decreasing education spending by under 5 percent.
The drama instead was over Act 46, a new law that requires schools to consider school consolidation - and the elimination of local school boards - in the interest of saving money.
“It will dissolve this school community,” said Read Miller. “This building - which we paid for - will belong to someone else. We will go to a more central system without ownership. We choose to rescind this.”
• Guilford unanimously approved a $3,086,456 school budget. According to town School Board member Beth Bristol, this year's increase is 1.2 percent. The town's per-pupil spending of $15,281 per equalized pupil is the lowest in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union.
• The $2,734,921 school budget in Marlboro was passed on an unanimous voice vote. According to the meeting warning, the budget reflected education spending of $16,676 per equalized pupil. This amount was 3.7 percent higher than spending for the current year.
School Board members explained, however, that the projected tax rate would decrease to $1.66.
Chair Jen Carr said that the legislature recently adjusted the spending threshold for Marlboro which had the knock-on effect of lowering the tax rate.
Police matters
• A rash of break-ins and arsons in Londonderry prompted voters to approve signing an $86,000, 25-hour-a-week patrol contract with the Vermont State Police.
A standing-room-only crowd debated, then voted, 95-67 in favor of the contract.
With no police force, the town is fighting drug dealing. In one incident last summer, two residents were caught with 480 bags of heroin and 65 grams of crack and powder cocaine.
The town is also coping with numerous burglaries of homes and businesses, schools, the post and town offices, and transfer station.
In addition, the town reports more than a dozen unsolved arsons in the past decade - most recently, a fire that destroyed a house last spring.
• Police protection was the biggest item for discussion in Newfane was over the $1,328,587 town and highway budget. Residents expressed concern with law-enforcement - namely, is the town getting enough of it?
Some asked why the town switched law-enforcement services, and if it would benefit the town to have more policing along main roads where speeding is a common occurrence and a real threat to public safety
• Vernon, after a considerable amount of debate, elected to continue 20-hour-per-day policing by the Windham County Sheriff's Department, at a cost of $225,720.
During the lengthy debate, some residents asked why Vernon needs such extensive coverage, especially considering neighboring towns with a similar population contract for far fewer hours per week.
Steven Zaluzny noted other municipalities spend $40,000-$60,000 per year, and “we don't have a tremendous crime rate.”
Sheriff Keith Clark responded with data showing the large number of arrests for DUI and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, noting the statistics are “significantly high for a small community.”
Other residents spoke in favor of retaining round-the-clock law enforcement coverage from the sheriff's department, mentioning officers' rapid response time, assistance with fire department and ambulance calls, and support for elderly residents living alone.
• Wilmington approved adding a sixth full-time position to the police department by a 64-28 vote. Wilmington Police Chief Joe Szarejko said having a sixth officer would reduce overtime and spread the workload in his department.
• Whitingham resident Dwight E. Williams stood at the mic and quizzed the Selectboard about its plans for providing police coverage for the town.
Board member Gregory S. Brown said the board had no plan. Conversations with the State Police, Wilmington Police, and Sheriff's Departments in Windham and Bennington counties have not gone far.
“It was a pretty costly endeavor for a little bit of service,” said Brown of contracting with the county sheriffs. Williams urged the board to consider approaching Wilmington again to help provide service.
Historic preservation wins in Rockingham
• The TLR complex on Mill Street won a temporary reprieve from the wrecking ball when voters on Monday night rejected appropriating $100,000 to have the structures demolished.
The former paper mill buildings have been sitting fallow for several years, but a majority of voters believed the history of the now-town-owned buildings warranted their preservation.
Voters also authorized the Selectboard to borrow up to $250,000 for a period of five years to make repairs to Town Hall, and up to $500,000 to replace fire engines at the Rockingham and Saxtons River volunteer fire departments.
Where the pavement ends
• Putney unanimously passed its $825,950 highway budget. One resident asked why the town was paving River Road, because “some of us like it the way it is.”
Selectboard member Josh Laughlin assured residents “we're repaving” and “not paving anything that's not already paved” on River Road.
Townspeople also asked for an update on the sidewalk project, especially the portion running south from River Road. One attendee urged concern for Landmark College students who may not be familiar with the area and who walk along the road, unaware of the traffic along Route 5.
Elected, or appointed?
• The big debate in Dover involved whether to disband the elected board of listers in favor of an appointed part-time assessor. Voters ultimately approved the change.
According to Selectboard Chair Randall Terk, the board of listers has had multiple vacancies for multiple terms. This meant the listers' duties were not being fully met.
No one wants to run because the job has become too complex and requires too much training for little compensation, commented multiple Selectboard members.
Instead, the Selectboard told voters, it wanted to appoint long-serving lister board chair Linda Sherman to the new part-time position. This would also guarantee her a salary and town benefits.
Audience members questioned whether the move would save the town money. Other residents questioned if the move would take power from the voters and give more power to the Selectboard. Still, other residents commented that the listers office had not fulfilled the duties voters expected.
Hail and farewell
• Retiring Dummerston Town Clerk Pamela McFadden received a standing ovation and flowers. And in an emotional speech, the family of Larry Lynch, who died last fall and whose picture graces the cover of the Town Report, thanked the town for its recognition of the former assistant fire chief and longtime town volunteer.
• Outgoing Guilford School Board member Tim Redmond was given a certificate of appreciation for his three years of service by Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Ron Stahley.
Anne Rider, a longtime Selectboard member, was honored for her many years of service to not only the town but also the school by a chorus of 12 who recited a poem written in her honor by Verandah Porche.
• Pamela Cubbage and Daniel Hoviss were named the Persons of the Year in Putney.
Cubbage has chaired the Conservation Commission for 11 years. She is a Master Gardener who was instrumental in creating the triangle garden near Rod's Mobil, and works to improve elders' lives at Putney Cares.
Hoviss wrote the energy section of the Town Plan and worked on many town projects, including the town Energy Committee, green buildings tours and solar energy tours, educational film series, the town's anti-idling resolution, the Green Bike project, Solarize Putney, town building weatherization, LED streetlamps, and Transition Town Putney.