Cavendish Update: 9/16/16 SB Mtg/Energy/Swap/News

IF YOU COUNT ON CAVENDISH CONNECTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU.

                                          SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Follow Cavendish VT Facebook Page for up to date information.

 9/16/16 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting

2. Cavendish Related News

3. When you Don’t Want to Drive: Bus Plane Train Service Near Cavendish

4. Town Energy Fair-Oct. 1

  5. Swap Instead of Shop: Winter Clothing Swap-October 1

  6. GM School Board Member Needed/Change in CTES School Board Mtg

1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 9/12/16: Select board (SB) meetings are recorded by LPC-TV and are available at their website and on Comcast Television.  Written minutes are available at the town’s website.  Among items discussed/voted on at Monday night’s meeting were:

• Telecommunications-TDS new system should be in place by November

• Hazardous Flood Regulations still being reviewed and will continue at next meeting-Concern about impact of regs on those owning property in the flood plain. Not passing regs will result in a 5% reduction of state funding in the event of another flood.

• Denied 4 Event Liquor Permits for Glimmerstone due to inaccuracies in two applications and the owner’s unwillingness to comply with state regulations regarding fireworks and ignoring neighbors concerns about noise. The SB met with the owner at a special two-hour meeting on Sept. 14. By a vote of 3 to 1, the owner was givenpermits for the next 3 events. Based on how these events go, they will decide at a later date whether to approve the 4th.

• Accepted Dan Churchill’s resignation as Town Agent, which is due to a conflict with his position on the Board of Civil Authority.

• Town Projects-Gulf Rd repair, selling of property on Heald Rd and Depot St, and Transfer Station changes are going according to schedule. In six weeks, anyone showing up at the Transfer Station without the appropriate vehicle sticker will be denied access.

• Adjustment for Municipal Cavendish Wastewater base fee schedule has reduced the quarterly fee from $87.46 to $86.46.

• Town manager search has been expanded along with an extended filing date of Sept. 26.

• Proposed policy regarding “Objects Placed in the Town Highway Right-of-Way. Discussion will continue at Oct. meeting

• First draft of Noise Ordinances for the town was distributed and will be discussed at Oct. Meeting.

For a more in-depth report on the Select Board Meeting go to The Dish. 

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Joan Carlisle: It is with sadness that we report the passing of Joan M. Carlisle, 82, who died Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Funeral services will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, at the Church of the Annunciation in Ludlow. Calling hours will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, at Adams Funeral Home, 12 Meadow St., Ludlow. A complete obituary will be published in a future edition of the Rutland Herald. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association , 77 Hegeman Ave., Colchester, VT 05446.  Our condolences to Joan’s husband, family and friends.

Shower for Belle McKnight: Belle’s birthday is Saturday Sept. 17 and her family is planning a "card shower" for her. Please send your cards to Belle McKnight, 253 Meadowbrook Farm Road, Proctorsville, VT 05153. Happy Birthday Belle!!

Jill’s Place is Now on Facebook: Wondering what’s for breakfast or the hot specials for the day, to say nothing of what’s being canned? Just bookmark Jill’s Place on Facebook and enjoy.

Cavendish Baptist Newsletter: The Cavendish Baptist Church now has a newsletter about upcoming activities, which is available at their website. 

Do you Struggle with Utilities?: For an upcoming episode of Brave Little State, VPR is trying to answer a question about utility bills in Vermont. (Electricity and natural gas.) Brave Little State is a podcast that’s all about Vermonters, so VPR wants to hear your stories: How do you manage if you have a hard time paying a bill? What do you do to keep your bills low, and what else should be done? Please email Alex Keefe, the reporter on this story, at akeefe@vpr.net, and put “utility bills” in the subject line.

GMP& SunCommon Launch 1st VT Solar Storage Partnership: Green Mountain Power and SunCommon have announced a partnership that will allow customers to store their solar power for security during a power outage.  The first of its kind program in Vermont partners a utility with a solar company to offer home storage that both strengthens the grid and allows homes to power from solar during outages. Through the program, Vermonters can add a SunCommon solar system and the Tesla Powerwall to their homes with no upfront cost and a fixed monthly payment.  Press Release 

Arrest for Sale and Distribution of Heroin in Ludlow: Beginning in February of 2016 the Ludlow Police Department began to conduct formal surveillance of 32 Soapstone in response to information developed from multiple sources. During the investigation detectives observed, amongst other things, a significant amount of vehicular traffic and foot traffic indicative of drug dealing. In the spring of 2016 Ludlow Police and the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force conducted a joint investigation, which resulted in the issuance of a search warrant for the residence. On September 14, 2016 Ludlow Police and members of the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force executed the search warrant and recovered the following items: Over 100 bags of Heroin; Over 2 ounces of processed marijuana; Possession of Narcotics without a prescription; 2 long rifles; 1 small caliber handgun; Over 500 rounds of ammunition. Richard Taylor was incarcerated at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Lieu of $25,000 bail. Kimberly Ashley was incarcerated in lieu of $5,000 bail. Both will be arraigned in Windsor County Superior Court, Criminal division on September 15, 2016 at 12:30PM. Ludlow Police Dept.

3. WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO DRIVE: BUS/PLANE/TRAIN NEAR TOWN : In response to the question,  “How can I get to Boston or New York City with out driving?” below are options to consider

Air: Cape Air flies out of Lebanon and Rutland Airports.  Rutland only flies to Logan while Lebanon offers trips to Boston ($49 one way) or NYC ($99 one way). 

Train: Amtrak has trains that travel once a day from Bellows Falls  ($63 one way or $93 for a flexible seat to NYC) and from Rutland ($79 for reserved seat one way to NYC) No direct service to Boston though you can take trains to Springfield, MA or New Haven, CT and transfer to another train.

Dartmouth Coach Price varies based on whether you are going from Hanover, Lebanon or New London. Round Trip day to Boson depending on departure point and whether your going to South Station or Logan is going to generally be less than flying one way. Same is true for trips to NYC. 

Bus: Mega Bus  has departure points from Brattleboro, Montpelier and Burlington. This bus does not go directly to Boston but will take you to NYC for $39 one way. By far the cheapest way to get to NYC.

4. TOWN ENERGY FAIR-OCT 1: The Cavendish Town Energy Committee will hold an Energy Fair on October 1, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Cavendish Town Elementary School on Main Street (Route 131) in Cavendish. Get all of your questions answered on weatherization, solar energy, energy efficient homes, heat pumps, composting and other money saving ways to help the planet.

Many people don’t realize that the biggest home money saving is not in new technologies to produce energy, but in simple weatherization such as stopping air leaks. By increasing insulation, adding weather stripping to doors and windows, sealing around foundations and attics, and similar measures, you can save money and be much more comfortable in summer and in winter. Come to the energy fair and talk to the experts. You can learn about the latest energy saving technologies from professionals, and you can learn about the simple ways to make living cheaper and more comfortable.

The fair is free and open to the public. Exhibitors from many companies and organizations will have representatives on hand. Whether you own or rent, there are many ways for you to save money.

5. SWAP INSTEAD OF SHOP: WINTER CLOTHING SWAP-OCT. 1 : Get ready for colder weather!  Inspired by the December Abundance Swap, (Dec. 3 this year), and targeting kids, who seem to outgrow clothes overnight, this event is open to the public.  Bring winter items (coats, snow pants, boots, mittens, hats, sweaters, tops, pants etc.) in good condition to share with others and take the items your family will need for the coming months. 

Do not bring skies or snowboarding equipment. If you have such equipment and/or are looking for it, check out the Okemo Mountain School’s annual Ski Swap, which takes place Nov. 18-20 this year. 

The Winter Clothes Swap, sponsored by the Cavendish Baptist Church, will be open from 10am to noon in the Arts Room at the Cavendish Town Elementary School.  Any items left will be donated to either the school or Black River Good Neighbor Services. 

This is a good excuse to clean out the closets and dressers. If you need help in this area, check out Using the KonMari Approach for Abundance Swap Preparation. 

6. GM BOARD MEMBER NEEDED/CHANGE IN CTES BOARD MEETING: There is an opening for a representative from Cavendish on the Green Mountain School Board.  The term is available immediately and will expire with Town Meeting day at which point a new board member will be elected.  This is a wonderful opportunity for an interested citizen to serve the community for a short term and then decide if they wish to run for a full term at Town Meeting, March 7, 2017.  Anyone interested should submit a letter to Meg Powden, the Superintendent of Schools, 609 Vt Route 103, Ludlow, VT 05149. FMI:  Superintendent's Office at 875-3365

Please note that the CTES School Board meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 pm at the school.

7. EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 17 (Saturday): Household Hazardous Waste Day

SEPTEMBER 21 (Wednesday): September School Board Meeting 5:30 pm at the school

SEPTEMBER 23 (Friday): Black River Good Neighbor Rummage Sale begins at 10 am at Fletcher Farm

 For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar.  For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar. 

Select Board Meeting 9/12/16

Select board (SB) meetings are recorded by LPC-TV and are available at their website and on Comcast Television.  Written minutes are available at the town’s website.  Among items discussed/voted on at Monday night’s meeting were:

1. Cavendish Flood Hazard Area Regulations: After a lengthy and page-by-page discussion of the proposed Flood Hazard Regulations (FHR), Selectmen Mike Ripley said that even though he understands why a third of his property is in the flood plain, he doesn’t want people telling him what to do with it. Further, he believes that the adoption of FHR, will cause property values in the flood plain area to decrease, thereby increasing taxes. Therefore he was not in favor of voting for FHR. George Timko thought the regulations were too stringent and did not seem to favor the proposed regs.

If the Town issues a building variance in a flood hazard area, chances are insurance costs would significantly increase for those in these areas.

According to Etienne Ting, the Chairman of the Cavendish Planning Commission, the state wants new FHR to protect towns from the type of flooding experienced following Irene. The Flood Management Division determined that rivers need a wider corridor in which to meander over time. The new flood hazard area regulations discourage new development and rebuilding after flood events in these corridors. All activities within the river corridors and stream setback areas would be limited, including adding fill, new construction, and stream bank stabilization to prevent erosion damage to existing structures.

Towns that do not choose to adopt the FHR will be penalized. In the event of another flood disaster, available funding would be reduced by 5%. In terms of Irene, that would have resulted in a net loss of $210,000 in state funding, which the town would have to pay for through taxes. It’s important to note that careful planning by the town manager, Rich Svec, and his staff repaired the town with FEMA and State funds resulting in the town accruing no debt.

Following Irene, FEMA was very clear that if flood plain property owners rebuilt in the same spot, they would not provide any funding if the property is again damaged by floods.

The SB will continue the discussion at the October meeting, which be held Oct 17. To read more on the Flood Hazard Regulations, check out SB Minutes 5/23/16.  For a copy of the proposed regulations, call the town office 802-226-7292

2. Telecommunications: The Telecommunications Communication Committee (TCC) has been meeting with Comcast to discuss the feasibility of their expanding services in under served parts of town and is putting together data to help highlight areas for expansion.

In Oct 2015, TDS meet with the TCC and explained that they would be installing with in the next 30 days a 10G “ring” for those being served from the Proctorsville Central Office (PCO)-Main Street in Proctorsville (about 350 customers). This is a Calix E7 fiber system,  similar to the one being used in NH, where 1G service is now available to homes.

 TDS’ 10G network is the “backbone network” that connects TDS markets to each other, to data centers, and to the Internet.  The infrastructure was installed in order to facilitate fiber to the home down the road, as well as to increase current connectivity to those being served by the PCO.

Over the last year, date after date has been given when the system would be operational and each time there has been a glitch. According to the TDS representative for VT, the latest problem has been faulty Calix cards. In a phone conversation with them on 9/12/16, they said the appropriate cards have been received and will be installed by Sept. 23. TDS in Wisconsin will need to prepare “cut sheets” which will be used to connect the junction boxes to the system (estimated 15 business days.) These will then be shipped to Vermont where it will take another two weeks for installation. In short, the anticipated date for significantly improved Internet service from TDS is November.

There will be five junction boxes: Perkinsville, Proctorsville, Cavendish Pointe Hotel,  Twenty Mile Stream, and Tarbell Hill. Those within 18,000 feet  (3.4 miles) of the junction will have 25 Mbps service, those further should have 5 Mbps. Those farthest from the areas should still see improved service due to improvements in the “back haul.”

If things significantly improve for TDS customers, the one remaining area that is either un served or under served will be those on Fair Point, the Northeast corner of town (Knapp Pond).

The Committee is working with all current and potential customers in order to see that high speed Internet is available throughout the town.

3. Event Liquor License/Issues with Glimmerstone: At the August SB  meeting there was considerable discussion with the owner of Glimmerstone, Mary Jane Abbate, about the noise coming from events, including fireworks, at the Mansion late into the night. Three suggestions were given to her: put up some type of fencing; send a letter to neighbors letting them know of upcoming events; and closing the door of the barn. Abbate’s response was basically “I’d rather pay the fine than impact my business.”

There was considerable concern about the discharging of fireworks. After the August SB meeting, Abbate held another event where fireworks were discharged, ignoring Cavendish Fire Chief Shane Turco’s written letter denying her a permit for multiple reasons, most importantly  the current drought.

Bruce McEnaney, Asst. Town Manager, provided information from the Vermont Division of Fire Safety, which states “..it shall be unlawful for any person, firm corporation to ..use, possess or explode any fireworks unless the person has been issued a permit to display fireworks....Applications for permits shall be made to the chief of the fire department, or in municipalities with no fire department, the select board, in writing, at least 15 days in advance of the date of the display.”

On 9/12, Abbate submitted four more applications for events where liquor would be served. The SB unanimously voted to deny all of the permits not only because two of the applications didn’t make sense (no date on one and another had an event date of Sept.7) but more importantly, she was perceived as unwilling to cooperate with the town or her neighbors. The board did say that if she would like to further discuss this, they would meet with her on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 pm. Note: This meeting has been scheduled and will take place at the Town Office.

4. Municipal Wastewater System Rates: There was an error on the calculations for the base Waste Water System Rate. The new rate will be a dollar less $86.46 quarterly versus $87.46.

5. Recruitment of New Town Manager: This activity is being done with the Vermont City of Leagues and Towns (VCLT). To date 15 applications have been received but the VCLT staff doesn’t think that these are strong applicants and the search should be widened. The new filing date has been extended to Sept. 26. The advertisement for the position is available on-line. 

6. Proposed Policy on Objects Placed in the Town Right-of-way: This pertains to mail boxes and other items on the side of the road. The SB discussed various aspects of the draft and will take the matter up at the Oct meeting.

7. Noise Ordinance: A first draft of a proposed noise ordinance, based on a model from VCLT, was given to the SB for their review. It will be discussed at the next meeting.

8. Town Projects

• Cavendish Gulf Rd: Work is proceeding according to plan with the road closed from 7 am to 7 pm.

• Transfer Station: The news fees are in effect and all cars are being checked for transfer station stickers. This cuts down on illegal dumping and makes things easier for the attendants. For the next six weeks, those who show up without a sticker are given a warning. After that they will be denied entry. If you need a sticker, stop by the town office-they’re open until 6 pm on Wednesday night-or you can arrange to receive one by mail by calling 226-7292. The cost is $5 per sticker.

• Real Estate: The town has two properties that they are selling for back taxes. The property on Heald Rd is almost at the end of its “warning period,” where anyone with a legal claim to the property needs to come forward. The SB voted to approve the “warning” process for a second property, a condo on Depot Street. Once it has been determined that there is no legal claim, the town will then sell the properties.

8. October SB Meeting: Due to Columbus Day, the monthly meeting, will take place on the third Monday Oct. 17. 

When you Don’t Want to Drive: Bus Plane Train Service Near Cavendish

In response to the question,  “How can I get to Boston or New York City with out driving?” below are options to consider

Air: Cape Air flies out of Lebanon and Rutland Airports.  Rutland only flies to Logan while Lebanon offers trips to Boston ($49 one way) or NYC ($99 one way). 

Train: Amtrak has trains that travel once a day from Bellows Falls ($63 one way or $93 for a flexible seat to NYC) and from Rutland ($79 for reserved seat one way to NYC)  No direct service to Boston though you can take trains to Springfield, MA or New Haven, CT and transfer to another train.

Dartmouth Coach Price varies based on whether you are going from Hanover, Lebanon or New London. Round Trip day to Boson depending on departure point and whether your going to South Station or Logan is going to generally be less than flying one way. Same is true for trips to NYC. More parking options are available at New London and prices are cheaper, particularly if you book on-line. 

Bus: Mega Bus  has departure points from Brattleboro, Montpelier and Burlington. This bus does not go directly to Boston but will take you to NYC for $39 one way. By far the cheapest way to get to NYC.

Cavendish Select Board Agenda 9/12/16

Select Board Meeting, Monday, September 12th, 2016 in the Cavendish Town Office Meeting Room at 6:30 pm

................................................................ AGENDA ................................................................

1. Call the meeting to order

2. Continue public hearing on the adoption of the Cavendish Flood Hazard Area Regulations (FHAR) update. The draft of the FHARs update were reviewed by the Board of Selectmen with the Chair of the Cavendish Planning Commission on May 23rd and with John Broker-Campbell, Flood Plain Manager for Southern Vermont, on June 28th and were also discussed at Select Board meetings on October 13th & November 9th, 2015 and May 9th, June 13th & July 11th, 2016. The Public Hearing was initiated on August 15th and recessed until September 12th.

3. Review/approve minutes of the meetings of August 15th, August 29th and September 1st, 2016

4. Sign Orders

5. Review Correspondence

6. Adjust agenda

7. Hear Citizens

8. Update on the VTrans railroad bank stabilization project on Cavendish Gulf Road [Vtrans Cavendish RREW12K] which is in progress

9. Update on the status of conveyance of town parcel #1R06-059 on Heald Road

10. Progress report on the fee schedule changes and activities at the Cavendish Transfer Station

11. Town Manager to discuss a minor (favorable) change in the FY 2017 Cavendish Municipal Wastewater System rate schedule for approval

12. Update on the work plan for hiring of a new town manager

13. Review of proposed Policy on Objects Placed in the Town Highway Right-of-way

14. Discuss the idea of a noise ordinance

15. Updates on other town activities

16. Other business