CHESTER, Vt. – The Chester Selectboard held the first of its two regularly scheduled September meetings on Wednesday, Sept. 3, beginning by again hearing from Matt Bissell, of Dufresne Group, concerning the replacement of sewer mains and a sewer pump station. The sewer main to be replaced is located along Depot Street, from First Avenue to the town office on Elm Street, and the pump station to be replaced is located on the north side of Flamstead Road.
The board heard at their previous meeting that the State of Vermont intended to issue a finding of no significant impact for one portion of the project, and Bissell informed the board that now the same was true for the remainder of the project.
The board then moved on to discuss the possibility of a 1% local options tax on rooms, meals, and on-premises alcohol sales in Chester. Town manager Julie Hance told the board that the intention is for the tax money collected to be placed in the Housing Reserve Fund, which is to be used for the development of housing in Chester.
While several board members, including Tim Roper and Vice Chair Arne Jonynas, voiced tentative support, Board Chair Lee Gustafson expressed his general opposition to attempting to solve problems through taxation. “My view of [taxes],” Gustafson said, “is [not to] add [to them] without serious consideration.”
During the discussion it was noted that the selectboard does not have the authority to unilaterally enact the tax by itself; final approval will be given by the voters of Chester. However, the board must decide what, if anything, to present to the voters with regard to the tax.
The board opted to continue the discussion moving forward, suggesting that it would likely be ongoing over several months.
Next, the board turned to the proposed Class 4 road policy, which Jonynas told the board was drafted primarily by the Chester Conservation Committee (CCC), of which he is a part. In response to a question from Knapp, Jonynas noted that much of the document is aspirational, and that the more legalistic sections are in general “based on state policy.”
“We’re only allowed to do, on a local level, what the state lets us do,” Jonynas said.
Paul Bidgood, a Chester landowner who has an ongoing dispute regarding a Class 4 road abutting his property, and who is also a member of the CCC, spoke to the board about several of his concerns with the current draft of the policy. Among them was his feeling that the policy should include a stipulation that road work be handled only by contractors with verified insurance, and that anyone doing road work indemnify the town against possible death. “Road construction is a hazardous activity, fraught with peril and danger,” Bidgood said.
Chester resident Derek Suursoo also addressed several of his concerns with the board, claiming that other selectboards have encountered issues at the state level when attempting to enact Class 4 road policies. Suursoo felt it was unfair to adjacent landowners that the policy stated that the town will not be maintaining Class 4 roads, but nonetheless wants access to the roads. He also felt that motor vehicle use should not be allowed. “If I had a policy,” Suursoo stated, “I’d have a policy of hooves, paws, and boots.”
Jonynas encouraged Suursoo to attend CCC meetings, to present his concerns there, and to observe the spirit in which the policy is being crafted by its members.
The board will continue discussion of the policy at a future meeting.
Finally, the board discussed potential withdrawal and investment of the Cyprus Mineral Funds, in the amount of $223,000. These funds were generated when, in 1997, the Chester Selectboard sold mineral rights on a piece of town property, and the money was then placed in public funds. “Over time, the funds have grown,” Hance told the board, saying that, since 1997, the town now has mechanisms in place to be able to invest the funds, which could then be used in other ways.
One possibility discussed was to use the funds as a revolving loan fund within the town departments. However, Suursoo noted that any such use would need to be carefully monitored to ensure that the funds are not depleted. “It’s very easy to take and not put back…and you’re just going to have to stay all over it,” Suursoo said.
The board was generally in agreement that the funds should not be depleted, and felt that the best way to ensure this did not happen was to craft a policy for their use prior to withdrawal of the funds. Hance told the board she would bring a draft policy to the board at a future meeting.
The Chester Selectboard will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m., at the Chester Town Hall.