LONDONDERRY, Vt. – At their Dec. 15 meeting, the Lonodonderry Selectboard approved the village wastewater committee connection recommendations for the North Village. The properties start with main connections on North Main Street, and thereafter, spaces will be filled starting from the top of the list and working to the bottom as remaining capacity is available within the system.
The list includes properties on Middletown Road, Edge Hill Road, then additional connections on Middletown and Edge Hill roads, Hells Peak Road, High Street, and Pond Street. Gary Hedman, chair of the village wastewater committee, reported that the list is prioritized to best benefit the town, with cost-effectiveness in mind as well. Complete addresses can be found on Page 22 of the meeting packet.
Town administrator Aileen Tulloch announced that none of the three Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) applications were approved for funding.
The board then needed to determine if the town highway department would take on the snow removal of the parks, in addition to the town hall and town office buildings. Board member Taylor Prouty explained that there was previously a contract for the parks, which the town allowed to lapse. Furthermore, after the renovations and upgrades at the town office, snow removal from that lot is more complex than it had previously been.
Road foreman Josh Dryden confirmed that the highway department could plow the town buildings, after prioritizing the roads. Dryden added that they could plow the parks, but they do not have a sander on the small pickup truck, so the lots could become slippery, and therefore a liability.
Parks and recreation director Liam Elio reported that the recreation department already voted to close the parks, and the gates have been closed for the season. Elio added that the parks can still be used, but the parking area is not currently being cleared or available.
The board determined that, since the parks are closed and the town does not have a way to ensure a safe lot, they would not remove snow from the parks.
Tulloch then proposed that each committee be responsible for properly posting and warning their own meetings. “I feel strongly that it is the responsibility of the committees themselves to abide by open meeting law…and to make sure their meetings are properly warned.” She added that herself, town clerk Allison Marino, and treasurer Tina Labeau are the only three paid staff at the town office, and each have their own tasks that need to be done. “We don’t have the capacity” to make sure everyone’s agendas and minutes are posted properly.
She further expressed that, at times, the committees are not giving her enough time to perform the tasks, or that some of the information is not accurate and needs to be updated multiple times, and it has become a tedious task for her to continue.
Tulloch said agendas need to be posted at the Londonderry Post Office, South Londonderry Post Office, and town office, as well as on the town’s website. She also felt that one person posting to all of the physical locations seems more consistent. Labeau added that the copy room is available for everyone to use, and she would be happy to make copies.
Board member Martha Dale recognized that these individuals are volunteering their time, and felt this task may be a big step for them to have to do. Prouty agreed in the sense that, “The harder we make it for people to volunteer, the less volunteerism will survive.” Board Chair Tom Cavanagh reminded the board that open meeting laws fall on the committees, not the town.
The board agreed that if they were to hire another paid staff member in the future, assisting the town’s committees might be a beneficial task to the town. They will use this feedback and information to deliberate on how to proceed with open meeting law posting requirements for all of the town committees.
Labeau had some final edits to make to the fiscal year 2027 budget, which will be discussed and approved at the next meeting on Monday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. Following, the board moved their next regularly scheduled meeting to Tuesday, Jan. 20, in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.