WOODBURY – “Election, election, election,” said Town Clerk Robin Durkee, to begin the August 12 select board meeting.
Durkee instructed the board on election day procedures and emphasized the importance of citizens’ ballots remaining facedown for privacy when turning in their votes.
Road Commissioner Alfred Larrabee (from left), FEMA Recovery Officer Skip Lindsay and Select Board Assistant Michael Gray give reports to Woodbury select board members Diana Peduzzi, Chair Chris Casey and Lizzy Higgins at the August 12 meeting.
A plan to upgrade the IT system has many moving parts, according to Skip Marchesani. The costs and benefits were presented to the select board by Marchesani, who recently met with RB Technologies to further revise their proposal. The goal is to make the town as hacker proof as possible, including in the library, town clerk’s office, garage and town hall. RB Technologies would install remote monitoring software, but Marchesani expressed that an IT expert should remain as the first line of inquiry. Marchesani stated the one-time cost of installation would be $6,000, with $6,350 for new network equipment. The monthly cost for total coverage is $700.
Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Paul Cerutti told the board, after much back and forth with FEMA, their outdoor cleanup work, amounting to around $20,000, would not be covered because the labor was donated.
Cerutti expressed his frustration, saying “We’ve always taken care of each other in the town anyway, we were going to clean up the mess. I would have cleaned up the yard without doing hundreds of hours of paperwork.” Cerutti said he was told throughout the process the reimbursement would be matched at 100%
Cerutti plans to meet with a new FEMA Program Delivery Manager in the near future, in hopes of clarifying some of these discrepancies.
Cerutti said call volumes have been similar to last year, with less flood-related emergency calls in comparison.
Michael Gray presented information about the Emergency Watershed Program, to assist people with flooding issues. It’s a fund from the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The program is for both municipalities and private landowners, for flood protection and mitigation work. They cover issues like debris clogged waterways, unusable stream banks, erosion and jeopardized public infrastructure.
There would be a funding match, with a number of steps needed to put the program in place. Towns or landowners would have to designate a sponsor, then submit a request for assistance within 60 days of the watershed event. The initial request would then be made public to see if there are others in town who may be affected.
That information would be submitted to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, who then conduct a site visit to determine what projects will be covered. Design work would then follow, which would be matched 100%. For implementation, work would be funded 75%, with a 25% match. Front Porch Forum would be used as a means of advertising.
The select board decided to dedicate a larger portion of their next meeting to identify possible town projects for the projects.
Alfred Larabee delivered the road commissioners report, saying the crew put in two new four foot culverts on East Hill Road, and closed Cabot Road on Wednesday to put in another three-foot culvert.
Larabee said they haven’t had much time for grading, due to the weather and lack of manpower. Areas of the rail trail are closed and Nichols Ledge Road is impassable by car. The damage, however, will not require nearly as much repair work as last year’s flooding. A three-foot culvert will be ordered in the future. Larabee said getting the smaller roads passable is his focus.
Skip Lindsay delivered the Recovery Officer’s Report, explaining to the board that they lost their FEMA Program Delivery Manager last week, with no replacement assigned yet. Lindsay said projects on County Road, Cabot Road, North Hovey Road, Bell Road and Nichols Pond Road should expect delays.
Lindsay reported he signed one FEMA sub-grant application and one Vermont State Department of Public Safety financial report for the Town Highway 23 bridge replacement project. He said there are now five projects to repair 2023 flooding, totaling about $83,500 that made it through the FEMA approval process and can now be paid. They are Cabot Road, Town Highway 24, Bridgemont Hill, Oak Quarry, Blake Hill Road and East Hill Road. In the next two or three weeks, Lindsay expects that payment.
In other business, the board approved the appointment of Cacky Peltz and August Elliot to the library board of trustees.
Brandy Smith delivered both the town treasurer’s and delinquent tax report, saying the town took in cash receipts for $19,855.86 and was reimbursed for $12,569 school insurance. Prepaid taxes were $633 total.
Property tax adjustments were set at $3,708. Swensen Granite’s final fourth quarter payment totaled $8, 166.28. Payroll totaled $14,695.56. Accounts payable totaled $67,029.
Smith has chosen an attorney, Monoghan Safar, for delinquent tax collection, which required the select board signatures for approval. Smith stated there are $62,887.97 in total delinquent taxes remaining.
Smith also reported that the town received three deposits, totaling $58,920.93. The funds were disbursed by the State of Vermont, to ensure towns can maintain their Class 2 and 3 roads. The state just passed a fiscal year budget adjustment act, which now has its own fund for the roads. It’s not grant-approved, but spending must be tracked in order to report to the state. This funding, $30,000, is also designated for roads.
An earlier version of this story misidentified Select Board Chair Chris Casey as former Chair Chris Koteas in the photo.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
