BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The Rockingham Selectboard met on Tuesday, June 10, in the lower theater meeting room. A group from VTrans was in attendance to give a presentation of the Bridge 38 replacement project, on Route 5. The VTrans report detailed the structural deficiency of the bridge, which was originally constructed in 1929. In addition to repairing and replacing existing portions that have deteriorated, the width of the roadway will be increased to 10-foot lanes, 4-foot shoulders, and 3 feet of additional space per side.
The maximum full closure duration is expected to be 28 days. The detour utilizes I-91, between exits 6 and 7. Preclosure work begins on site on June 16. The anticipated bridge closure will be between July 14 and Aug. 11, with the target completion date of Oct. 15. Natalie Boyle from VTrans shared her email with the meeting, nboyle@eivtech.com, for anyone who wanted to contact her with questions. Boyle said she would be sending out weekly construction updates.
Municipal manager Scott Pickup updated the board on redevelopment and construction projects. Pickup reported that the town had received grant funds to install six new lampposts in the downtown, and they are starting to replace lightbulbs with new, higher-wattage bulbs on the Bridge Street Bridge.
Pickup also told the board that much of the federal funding for improvement projects will no longer be available, including a Thriving Communities grant applied for by development director Gary Fox. Pickup said the grant “was to help us with education and public engagement, specifically around brownfields. That entire program has been canceled. We had originally applied for a few hundred thousand dollars.”
The board approved a motion, at Fox’s suggestion, to move forward with cleanup and future use opportunities for 66 Atkinson Street. Pickup told the board the town was considering median-income housing, and Fox said they were hoping a regional development corporation (RDC) would purchase the property.
Board Chair Peter Golec asked that the board recognize the appointment of Rockingham Volunteer Fire Department Chief (RVFD) Kevin Kingsbury. When previous Chief Denis Jeffrey retired, Kingsbury stepped in to take over the role, but he had not been officially appointed by the selectboard at that time. Board member Bonnie North moved to resolve the confirmation, with Rick Cowan seconding the motion.
The board voted to award a contract for the digital photography of town cemetery monuments to Tricia Suriani, a photographer and graphic designer based in Grafton. Pickup stated that they posted a request for proposal and received three bids for the project, which would not only document cemetery monuments for historical purposes, but begin to create a searchable database of gravesites to be shared with the public via the historical society and the town website. Pickup said the cost of $19,220 would come from the perpetual care funds.
The selectboard heard public comments on the town flag policy for the last time before finally making their decision. Board member John Dunbar read from the recently updated flag policy for the city of Montpelier, and suggested that the selectboard adopt certain criteria from the Montpelier policy regarding flying a “special flag,” or one other than the U.S. flag, and the state flag, to help guide them as to what can be approved.
The Montpelier policy for flying special flags states that the flag must meet one or more of these requirements: be officially recognized by the U.S. or the State of Vermont; represent an organization dedicated to the public good; represent a national, state, or city interest; is a historic American flag that has or continues to have a primary positive message of American history and unity; promote unity and community with another city, state, or country; or represent a positive interest or value worthy of public recognition.
Golec recommended the board adopt the Vermont League of Cities and Towns policy, striking the portion that requires town ownership of flags, and adding the wording from Montpelier’s special flag policy as shared by Dunbar. The motion carried 4-0, to be ratified at the next board meeting on July 22.
Dunbar then moved that the Pride banner be flown at the town-owned train station during the remainder of the month of June. The board approved the motion.