HARDWICK – The first regular February select board meeting, began with Ann Gilcris of Hardwick, saying, “I saw something the other day that kind of disturbed me, and I finally decided I’d come here and speak to you about it.” She said, “Now, what made you decide that the Town House was the ideal place to hold town meeting? Was it the ample spacing, that people could run in easily to vote, or did you have extra money to spend to heat that place for two days so that we’d have a warm building to have meeting businesses in? Or did you want to un a bus around town to pick up people that can’t find a parking place but want to be able to come to the meeting or not able to walk to the meeting for different reasons …”
Gilcris continued, “Or did you just decide that there didn’t need to be so many booths with different things that you had at Hardwick Elementary School, or the food, because I don’t see how that’s going to be available. Or did you just want most of us not to vote because we’re not going to be able to, a lot of the older ones, and I’ve been talking with them. They’re not going to be able to go to the meeting. There’s others I know that just go in to vote, and they’re parking outside. Well, they’re going to go and see there’s no parking places, and they’re not going to come into vote.”
Gilcris concluded by saying, at the previous town meeting, a vote took place about moving town meeting to the town house. She says this was met with “a resounding no.”
Chair Eric Remick was first to respond, saying there is access and while the Town House is smaller than the elementary school gymnasium, there is parking and is a large enough space for the usual amount of attendees.
Remick added the townhouse has better acoustics, making it easier to hear everyone.
Gilcris asked when the last town meeting was held in the town house, which the board determined was 2006.
Ceilidh Galloway-Kane interjected, saying she recently spoke to Hardwick Town Clerk Tonia Chase about being set up at the townhouse. According to Galloway-Kane, Maya McCoy of the NEKarts board has put together a ton of volunteers to help with parking.
“There are going to be people actually out there helping with parking, helping to make sure people can get inside, providing different directions. I think there’s been a lot of thought on how to make it accessible to people,” she said.
Continuing, Galloway-Kane said obviously it’s winter, it’s tricky, but similarly in downtown Hardwick there is no guaranteed parking on Main Street for people going into the school.
She continued, “So I think we’re going to encourage people to park on Creamery Road, which is a pretty short walk. Probably the same distance from the school parking lot down . . . So what we decided as a select board is to try it this year. There’s a vote again, there’s a vote on the ballot to decide whether or not we want to continue to have it at the townhouse or at the school.”
Gilcris asked if the space would be as warm as the elementary school. Board member Shari Cornish responded, “So it’ll be heated from March 1 to the end of the season, which is November 1. NEKarts pays for the heat.”
Galloway-Kane emphasized these questions are important to hear before town meeting.
Chair Remick added, “And it may not end up working well, which is why we added a question to the warning about where to hold it next year.”
Town Manager David Upson then spoke, saying having looked through the minutes, the board determined it was 2023 that the topic of location last came up.
Ceilidh Galloway Kane said, “I think your idea of having a bus, or at least volunteers who are willing to pick people up, whether or not town meeting is at the school is a really good one. To me it doesn’t matter where it is, but that should be an option for folks because it’s not always easy.”
Gilcris responded, saying “Perhaps policemen should be around for help with the parking or for people just coming in to vote. That’s another thing that bothers me, that for those who do not go to the meeting, but they come in to vote for the selectmen . . . and if they don’t find an easy parking place like they do in front of the school, then they’re not gonna vote . . . you’re going to cut off a lot of votes.”
Anne Galloway was present, asking the board if they had considered moving town meetings to Saturday. Chair Remick said the board had previously discussed this, with Remick looking into the matter, “What I found reported was that towns that had changed town meeting date or time didn’t necessarily see an increase in attendance.”
Remick said he hasn’t looked into the matter recently, and polls still need to be open on town meeting day.
Upson said, “So he’s right, town meetings that have moved to Saturdays, or the evenings, have been less attended when the polls aren’t open.
“That’s not to say we shouldn’t consider it,” said Remick. “I think anything we can do to increase participation, should be considered.”
Galloway asked if she could bring it to the floor, to which the board said yes but it would not be on the warning. The board said they could warn it for next year, or potentially put it on a ballot during the primary election. After some discussion, the board directed Galloway to Town Clerk Tonia Chase for further information.
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.
