CHESTER, Vt. – New Chester Selectboard Chair Lee Gustafson called the board’s March 19 meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., with the Pledge of Allegiance. Gustafson was appointed board chair at the previous meeting on March 5, nominated by former Chair Arne Jonynas, who now serves as vice chair. Jonynas had served in the role since 2017, and Gustafson thanked him for his service and dedication over his eight years leading the board.
The board then heard from county forester Hannah Dallas, who spoke on forthcoming forestry work she would like to carry out in Chester’s town forest, based on the forestry management plan written in 2013 by her predecessor and current Southern-Region Lead Forester Sam Schneski. Jonynas noted that the plan encompassed “over 500 acres of land,” and told Dallas that he would like to see the Chester Conservation Committee involved in planning the work, in order to take the opportunity to not only harvest timber and manage invasive species, but improve trails and recreational opportunities in the area.
Noting that the land is owned by the Chester Water Department – originally purchased as a buffer around the Chester Reservoir – board member Peter Hudkins expressed that he would like to see some of the funds generated by timber sales used to offset increases of water and sewer rates. “As much as I’d love to do a lot of trails,” Hudkins said, “it would be nice to get some income to try to help [water and sewer ratepayers].”
Gustafson agreed with Hudkins, but also felt that a balance could be struck between the goals of recreation and finance. “While I do think we need to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayer…we want to make sure that what we get out of this is a piece of property that we can use, and people can enjoy, for a long time,” Gustafson told the board.
The work was tentatively scheduled to be carried out in the winter of 2026-2027, with the board generally in favor of engaging the public for their views on the priorities for the project in the interim.
Moving on, the board heard from candidates for several town boards and commissions, including the planning commission, development review board, and housing commission. A full list of appointments can be found on the town’s website, www.chestervt.gov.
Jonynas then spoke to the board regarding the possible development of a townwide Class 4 road policy, noting that he had compiled research on the topic, and that the current set of regulations is largely a patchwork found throughout other documents, laws, and precedents. There have recently been several issues regarding Class 4 roads in Chester, and Jonynas felt that a consistent policy, easily accessed by town officials, board members, and residents, would help to alleviate the confusion and ensure a consistent approach to any future problems.
The policy would detail, among other things, issues of maintenance, access, and inventory, and provide maps showing the locations of all Class 4 roads. “If somebody was interested in asking about these roads…there would be a resource we could use to say, ‘Here is the story with our Class 4 roads,’” Jonynas explained. Jonynas, as well as other board members, felt that Class 4 roads provided important access to outdoor recreation, and should be preserved, and the public educated on their uses and locations.
The Chester Selectboard will next meet on Wednesday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m., at the Chester Town Hall.