HARDWICK – The May 15 regular select board meeting had a mixed agenda that looked at final preparations to move forward with the pedestrian bridge project, emergency response preparations and the board approving several tobacco and liquor licenses.
The meeting began with Town Manager David Upson’s report. “There’s a lot going on in town, all good,” began Upson. The town is currently working to get the final documents necessary to begin work on the pedestrian bridge project. Upson shared that the project will not fall under the Buy America, Build America requirements, being that the funds were obligated prior to the law’s passing.
The town has received quotes for Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) trailhead construction, but they are waiting for a few more.
Upson shared they have been discussing options for moving fire station with FEMA, and met with an engineer last week on the sewer upgrade in Hideaway Acres. Upson said they also discussed the wastewater upgrade, and it appears USDA will be able to fund a substantial portion of the town’s wastewater plant. FEMA has until July 14 to present the town an offer.
Chair Eric Remick acknowledged the current climate for grants may impact some projects future decision. The Rescue Squad has yet to decide whether they want to purchase the property where they hope to construct a new facility near the town garage, or lease it from the town. Upson said next steps will be taken after receiving their conceptual plans. Upson said public messaging and public engagement will be critical in the coming months. After several exchanges, board members agreed to add an additional agenda item for next month to continue discussions.
Road Foreman Tom Fadden said grading-wise, the Mackville and Hopkins Hill area is completed, as are Hardwick Farms and Porter Brook. They’ve been working in their own pit, to prepare for the arrival of the crusher, he said. They will start with the stone, then move onto gravel before making some mud season material.
Fadden said a broken water main has since been repaired on Main Street. Water access was only shut off for fifteen minutes, making it a quick repair job.
Next week, banners and flags will be hung and downtown painting will begin. Fadden said they faced some delays on painting the crosswalks due to weather. One crosswalk, located near the village parking lot remains. East Hardwick crosswalks will also be painted using the same color scheme, he said.
Fadden said the sweeper has been through, but the crew will do some regular clean-up in the meantime if necessary.
The board discussed flood resiliency and preparation with Helen Beatty, representing Hardwick’s Neighbor to Neighbor (NtN) organization. NtN has helped supply and shelter impacted community members. Upson said the town has very limited shelter supplies, donated from St. Johnsbury after the 2024 flood. “As we move forward with disaster response and recovery, we are seeing that there’s less and less disaster relief at higher levels of government. So we’re going to have to be able to do this stuff on our own,” he said.
Upson requested a designated storage unit for emergency supplies, a 20-foot cargo box that would be located in the parking lot of the public safety building. Remick suggested a mobile storage solution, to which Upson agreed. After some discussion the board approved the allocation of $20,000 to be used for emergency response equipment, utilizing a portion of the $75,000 granted to the town from the governor’s office. The emergency relief and assistance fund (ERAF) provides state funding to match federal public assistance after federally-declared disasters, providing funding opportunities for small municipalities like Hardwick.
Hardwick Electric Department manager Sarah Braese was present to provide some updates to the board. She said five months in, things are extremely busy and there is a lot of activity. HED has filed their integrated resource plant, which is a long-term planning document that encompasses project improvement and system improvement analysis. Braese said this was somewhat of a challenge, because they had just begun their power system engineering study.
The department expects to receive a comprehensive report in November that will help identify and prioritize system improvement projects.
Braese said the 13.24% rate increase, filed in April, was largely due to increased costs, in particular, power supply and transmission costs. Labor and personnel costs have increased, as well as healthcare across the board.
In the meantime, progress continues on the Wolcott Hydro Dam feasibility study. Braese said ideally once the study is complete, they will know the best path forward for future operations and what makes economic sense. Construction and design will follow.
The board moved on to approve tobacco and liquor licenses, for the Kwik Stop and Buffalo Mountain Co-Op. The approval passed unanimously. The board then approved renewal of the operating license for Gates Salvage Yard, necessary every five years.
In other business, the board discussed selecting an engineering firm for the design and engineering work for Fisher Folly bridge, and funding for repairing damaged lift stations at the sewage treatment plant.
The board signed the FY26 letter of intent for the municipal roads grant and aid program.
Remick was appointed as town health officer, a state requirement.
The June 19 meeting was rescheduled for June 26, as Juneteenth is a federal holiday.
The board continued to discuss the job description for a public works director, agreeing to authorize the town to post the offer and organize the hiring.
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.
