CHESTER, Vt. – The Chester Selectboard meeting Feb. 3 was short and sweet, coming in at just over half an hour, covering details on how the town’s upcoming informational meeting will work, along with other mostly “housekeeping” items.
According to Chester’s Assistant Town Clerk Amie O’Brien, postcards have been mailed out to the town’s registered voters. The postcards includes reminders for the town’s informational meeting to be held Monday, March 1 at 6 p.m. and only available via Zoom. The meeting ID information along with a meeting passcode were provided on the card and are also available on the town’s website.
Ballots will be printed and ready by Wednesday, Feb. 10 and the town report will be available Friday, Feb. 12. If residents prefer to mail in their ballots, they can pick them up at the town office or they can be mailed. The town report will also be available on the town website.
Town Manager Julie Hance will prepare a PowerPoint presentation to help guide meeting participants through the budget and the many town articles up for vote. Town Moderator Bill Dakin will lead the discussion, as he would normally.
Hance cautioned that meeting participants “will need to be patient.” As questions arise, residents will need to electronically raise their hands, be recognized, and given a chance to speak, which will take longer than holding the meeting in-person.
Polls will be open at the Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2021 for voting on all town meeting articles and electing town officers. The Green Mountain Unified School District ballot for voting on the budget and school directors will be included, as well as the River Valley Technical Center ballot. Same day registration will also be available.
Public safety building is now about 60% complete with the walls roughed in and sheet rock going up.
The fund balance policy and reserve fund policy updates will be delayed while Hance pursues information on capital reserve funds. Based on her research, the town may decide to establish a Capital Reserve Fund versus a Reserve Fund.
The board provided the Chester Community Greenhouse Project Committee a letter of support to help them in their efforts to attract funding and become eligible for grants.
In “housekeeping” efforts, the board approved the Certificate of Highway Mileage and the Tax Map Maintenance Proposal.
Chester Selectboard’s next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. via Zoom or at the Town Hall.