LONDONDERRY, Vt. – At the Feb. 17 meeting, the Londonderry Selectboard received a request from Pamela Spaulding to hire a transcriptionist for the planning commission meetings. The board agreed there is money in the budget for the position.
The board then heard from Peter Lerner, a resident of Brophy Lane, who is disappointed with the large orange sign at the end of the road that disrupts the otherwise natural scenery. The sign sits behind large boulders, indicating that the road ends. The board clarified that the bridge that was there was an illegal footbridge that the Green Mountain National Forest wanted removed. Since the bridge brought attention to the area, and is now on Google Maps as if there is a drivable road, the town is required by the state to have this signage. Town administrator Shane O’Keefe has requested this bridge be removed from GPS maps, but has not been successful. Board member Taylor Prouty agreed to look into the next steps that need to be taken to see if the sign can be removed.
Board Chair Tom Cavanagh moved on to river projects updates, and stated that Cobble Ridge Bridge replacement “is not going to happen.” He recommended looking into the alternate access option for Cobble Ridge Road, terming it “the most reasonable.”
Prouty stated he had heard from one resident already, representing three of the landowners, who said they understand the issue, and are willing to help during an emergency, but don’t support the alternate access being a primary and permanent access. There was a meeting with the landowners on Feb. 25 to see if there’s any support for the project.
Prouty stated they need to be clear about what their intentions are, and understand the limitations with funding. If they pay to put in an alternate route, then Cobble Ridge Bridge has to be removed. Though he felt as though they would not get support on the alternate route project, Prouty did not want to miss out on any sort of funding the town can obtain, and expressed they should move forward with a project that makes the most sense for the most people.
The board then approved two change orders for the town hall renovation: $8,285 for structural updates to the east basement entrance, and $24,453 for underground wiring from the pole to the building. O’Keefe added there was a credit back for $4,294 for data wiring savings.
O’Keefe then discussed the transition during which he would be phasing out of his current role, and the board would be working through a 20-day period of time until new town administrator Eileen Tulloch fills the position on March 24. After the annual Town Meeting, O’Keefe will take a vacation period, and return to working part time 10 hours per week, assisting Tulloch and working as a project coordinator.
“I want to be efficient with my time,” explained O’Keefe, emphasizing that, per their contract, he cannot work more than those 10 hours. He felt that one of the most important things was to bring in Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) funding. Other priority projects would be overseeing the completion of the town hall renovation, Spring Hill Road culvert, and Reinhart Road culvert. The board agreed that attending meetings and overseeing emails may not be a best use of his time, and some of his duties could be passed on to others.
Vice Chair Martha Dale thanked O’Keefe for walking them through that timeline and conversation. Prouty expressed his gratitude, “I certainly appreciate the time you’ve spent over the years,” saying they will all feel the gap without O’Keefe, “There will be a noticeable change.”
The Londonderry Selectboard will meet Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m. Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 4, with business transacted from the floor starting at 9:30 a.m.