SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – At the Monday, June 3, Springfield Selectboard meeting, the board approved a proposal from Jessica Martin, director of Springfield on the Move, (SOM) for the second annual Springfield Street Festival, scheduled for July 13, from 3:30-8 p.m., at Comtu Cascade Park.
“This went well last year,” Chair Kristi Morris commented.
Martin concurred. She said she was excited for the return of the Donut Dash, a big hit last year, and hoped to have 20-30 vendors participating, more than double last year’s amount.
“Battle of the Badges – Springfield Fire vs. Springfield Police” is a new event this year, a three-point basketball shooting contest between the departments.
Police Chief Burnham was on hand to present his public safety update and address any questions or concerns. Burnham reported that the department is in the middle of another hiring process, and said they had four candidates expected to attend the Vermont Police Academy in August.
Burnham told the board that “one of the candidates we are looking to send to the police academy is female,” and that he’d “stepped up [his] efforts” to add a women’s locker room to the police department facility. All Seasons construction company drew up a design and presented it to Burnham, along with an estimate for the work. “A formal presentation and request will be forthcoming,” stated Burnham.
The chief’s update on body cameras, which have been utilized by officers for several months, was that the “video quality is excellent,” and “officers are accepting [the body cameras] as part of their responses more and more. We’re working on that, and it’s getting better.”
Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC) Executive Director Bob Flynn presented to the board “a range of local businesses and situations” the SRDC assists with, stating that “these are some of the things just over the last few days that I jotted down.”
Flynn ran through a short list ranging from a request for “a little more space,” to one asking for help connecting “to our [federal delegates],” and “another business preparing for a funding opportunity in a few months.”
The organizations, Flynn stated, range from a two-person company, to “some of the larger employers in town. We facilitate access to resources.”
“Money, obviously, is a big thing,” Flynn commented. “So, we have our own revolving loan fund.”
Flynn spoke a bit about flood recovery, and said it was important to support businesses, help them prepare for other, future disasters, as well as expand, and encourage sustainability.
“We just did two loans recently, one for Meditrina in Chester’s expansion to a wine bar and cafe, and another to Blake Hills in Windsor, which will be doing significant expansion.”
When Flynn asked the board if they had any questions, Vice Chair Michael Martin spoke up. He wanted to know what kind of businesses the SRDC was interested in working with, and how they set their criteria. Flynn hesitated to answer in a public forum, but admitted that they were not interested in “high-end retail, for example,” or businesses who were not paying employees a living wage.
The board approved a request from the Springfield Area Parent Child Center (SAPCC) to hold their annual duck race fundraiser on July 6, from 4-7 p.m. The event will feature food, music, raffles, a bounce house, and a water slide, with all proceeds benefiting SAPCC.
Mobus and the board discussed the sidewalk improvements underway along the portion of Wall Street from Summer Hill to Reed Street. Mobus relayed that, after looking at options and infrastructure improvements needed in this area, it was determined that this section of Wall Street is a good candidate to be designated as one-way.
Mobus explained, “If the board does wish to start the work to turn this section of Wall Street into a one-way, the board would need to refer this to the ordinance committee.”
Morris asked when the residents on Wall Street, and all those affected by this change, would be afforded the opportunity to voice their opinions.
Mobus commented, “I will tell you right now, the people who live there think it’s great.”
The board agreed to pass the proposed ordinance along to the ordinance committee for consideration, which would then be presented in a public hearing.
Mobus asked the board to sign the latest local hazard mitigation report, which they had reviewed several months ago. “It is now finalized, and requires a majority of the board to sign,” stated Mobus. An updated version of the 2018 plan, the report includes the Great Vermont Flood of July 2023, the Canadian wildfires that affected Vermont’s air quality, and the Covid-19 pandemic. “These events emphasize the importance of hazard mitigation planning,” states the certificate of local adoption. A copy of the report can be found on the Springfield town website, www.springfieldvt.gov.
Mobus updated the meeting on the Cheshire Bridge Project, announcing that, after hearing feedback from residents and business owners about the negative impact a 34-week bridge closure would have on them, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) delayed the project and designed an alternative. The new plan, which may not begin until 2027, would require a 34-week period of alternating one-way traffic, and an eight-week closure of the bridge.
The selectboard will meet next on Monday June 17, following a 6 p.m. public hearing for the purpose of discussing the 2025 Springfield water and wastewater budget.