HARDWICK – The Thursday, July 10 select board meeting consisted of a slew of appointments and approvals. Most notably, the select board officially began the process to acquire lands for a town forest after much discussion. The Hardwick Conservation Commission stated they are willing to assist with fundraising efforts, with Rachel Kane offering a $1,000 personal contribution. Other contributions would come from public funds and private fundraising, with the total funds not due until closing. Hannah Redmon of the Trust for Public Lands, stated the board would first need to acquire the land, then there should be a steering committee set up to get public input. There will be an appraisal and title work, followed by an environmental review of the property.
Chair Eric Remick noted the town will lose $5,000 a year in tax revenue. Board member Ceilidh Galloway Kane expressed support for the plan’s flexibility, while Danny Hale expressed hesitation, citing a need for more time to prepare and seek input from the community.
Jack Travelstead of Northern Rivers Land Trust said the town of Wolcott just underwent a similar process, and public engagement was necessary throughout. Wolcott had a public hearing, set up a committee and also sent out surveys.
Ultimately, the board voted four to one to accept the 319 acre Buffalo Mountain property off of Wright Farm Road in order to convert it to a community forest, authorizing the Trust for Public Lands and the Northern Rivers Land Trust to start negotiations with the current landowner.
Hardwick Electric Department’s (HED) Roger Prevot was present to provide the department’s regular update. In an effort to improve the customer experience, HED has revised their engagement process with potential customers. Staff are now permitted to provide preliminary information and a project “scope,” prior to paying a $250 application fee. This will be an informal, non-binding one time site visit to help customers better assess whether they wish to proceed. This replaces the previous policy that required the application and fee upfront.
Town manager David Upson reported that the hiring committee for the Public Works Director position had two interviews that week, and he hopes to line up a second round of interviews for the end of the month. Upson is continuing to work with FEMA in the wastewater treatment facility, lift stations, and fire department. Negotiations are currently underway between FEMA, the Town of Hardwick and engineering firm Aldrich & Elliott.
The contract for the pedestrian bridge is still being worked on. CCS Construction has the contract for the retaining wall.
The road foreman’s report, delivered by Upson noted the crew has been ditching on Mackville Road with new stone produced from the town gravel pit. They have also been working on sidewalks, the Cottage St. bridge and fixing water lines.
In other business, the board approved several licenses including a second class liquor license for Agri – Mark, Inc., the Yellow Barn, a Manufacturers Tier 3 renewal for Green Mountain Scientific Corp., and a Manufacturers Tier 1 small cultivator renewal for Vitality Cannabis LLC.
Tyler Buswell was reappointed for a two year term to the Hardwick Conservation Commission, as was Kathleen Hemmens for a three year term.
Michael Ambrosino was reappointed to the HED board for a two year term, as was Jake Lester. Lester is an East Hardwick resident, sharing that he has been involved in the community for many years, bringing a background of power and utilities which he hopes will contribute to the board’s work.
Larry Fliegelman and David Gross were both reappointed for three year terms to the Hardwick Planning Commission.
The Select Board voted to approve J. Merrill Construction for a total of $76,900 as the contractor for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) stabilization project in East Hardwick, authorizing the town manager to sign the contract with them. The board approved Horizons Engineering for the EWP 2024 properties for a total of $96,000.
The board voted to approve the AWARE banner for their fall craft fair in September.
The town received seven coin-drop requests for 2026. To accommodate all interested organizations, and to ensure fairness, the board opted to draw names at random and schedule accordingly. More information can be found at hardwickvt.gov.HARDWICK – The Thursday, July 10 select board meeting consisted of a slew of appointments and approvals. Most notably, the select board officially began the process to acquire lands for a town forest after much discussion. The Hardwick Conservation Commission stated they are willing to assist with fundraising efforts, with Rachel Kane offering a $1,000 personal contribution. Other contributions would come from public funds and private fundraising, with the total funds not due until closing. Hannah Redmon of the Trust for Public Lands, stated the board would first need to acquire the land, then there should be a steering committee set up to get public input. There will be an appraisal and title work, followed by an environmental review of the property.
Chair Eric Remick noted the town will lose $5,000 a year in tax revenue. Board member Ceilidh Galloway Kane expressed support for the plan’s flexibility, while Danny Hale expressed hesitation, citing a need for more time to prepare and seek input from the community.
Jack Travelstead of Northern Rivers Land Trust said the town of Wolcott just underwent a similar process, and public engagement was necessary throughout. Wolcott had a public hearing, set up a committee and also sent out surveys.
Ultimately, the board voted four to one to accept the 319 acre Buffalo Mountain property off of Wright Farm Road in order to convert it to a community forest, authorizing the Trust for Public Lands and the Northern Rivers Land Trust to start negotiations with the current landowner.
Hardwick Electric Department’s (HED) Roger Prevot was present to provide the department’s regular update. In an effort to improve the customer experience, HED has revised their engagement process with potential customers. Staff are now permitted to provide preliminary information and a project “scope,” prior to paying a $250 application fee. This will be an informal, non-binding one time site visit to help customers better assess whether they wish to proceed. This replaces the previous policy that required the application and fee upfront.
Town manager David Upson reported that the hiring committee for the Public Works Director position had two interviews that week, and he hopes to line up a second round of interviews for the end of the month. Upson is continuing to work with FEMA in the wastewater treatment facility, lift stations, and fire department. Negotiations are currently underway between FEMA, the Town of Hardwick and engineering firm Aldrich & Elliott.
The contract for the pedestrian bridge is still being worked on. CCS Construction has the contract for the retaining wall.
The road foreman’s report, delivered by Upson noted the crew has been ditching on Mackville Road with new stone produced from the town gravel pit. They have also been working on sidewalks, the Cottage St. bridge and fixing water lines.
In other business, the board approved several licenses including a second class liquor license for Agri – Mark, Inc., the Yellow Barn, a Manufacturers Tier 3 renewal for Green Mountain Scientific Corp., and a Manufacturers Tier 1 small cultivator renewal for Vitality Cannabis LLC.
Tyler Buswell was reappointed for a two year term to the Hardwick Conservation Commission, as was Kathleen Hemmens for a three year term.
Michael Ambrosino was reappointed to the HED board for a two year term, as was Jake Lester. Lester is an East Hardwick resident, sharing that he has been involved in the community for many years, bringing a background of power and utilities which he hopes will contribute to the board’s work.
Larry Fliegelman and David Gross were both reappointed for three year terms to the Hardwick Planning Commission.
The Select Board voted to approve J. Merrill Construction for a total of $76,900 as the contractor for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) stabilization project in East Hardwick, authorizing the town manager to sign the contract with them. The board approved Horizons Engineering for the EWP 2024 properties for a total of $96,000.
The board voted to approve the AWARE banner for their fall craft fair in September.
The town received seven coin-drop requests for 2026. To accommodate all interested organizations, and to ensure fairness, the board opted to draw names at random and schedule accordingly. More information can be found at hardwickvt.gov.
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.
