LONDONDERRY, Vt. – A site visit at Monet Lane and public hearing were held on Monday, June 15, regarding discontinuing the road spanning from Windham to Londonderry.
Londonderry and Windham selectboard members met at Monet Lane, and once they found the location of the site, they found some residual concrete from an old bridge, which is no longer in place.
“I think we can all agree there’s not really a road here,” Londonderry Town Administrator Aileen Tulloch stated.
Windham Selectboard Chair Michael Pelton agreed, “I’m convinced that there’s nothing here.”
The site visit was then recessed and brought to the Windham Schoolhouse for a public hearing. The biggest concern presented at the public hearing, by Pelton, was that there was a small culvert under the stream area at the site of the old road. Tulloch reported that the ownership of and responsibility for the culvert would revert back to the landowner whose land surrounded the road.
Londonderry Selectboard Chair Tom Cavanagh agreed, saying that owner David Chaves owns an excavating company and could fix the issue if one arises. Board member Taylor Prouty suggested relaying the information to the Chaves so he can make a decision on what to do with the culvert if towns discontinue the road.
There were no public comments or concerns presented, and the public hearing was adjourned. A written decision will be presented by each selectboard within 60 days, and reviewed by Bob Fisher, who represents both Windham and Londonderry. Each board will present the overall decision separately, likely at their July 6 selectboard meetings.
Following the Monet Lane public hearing, the Londonderry Selectboard held their regularly scheduled meeting.
Tulloch announced that Music Mondays will begin on June 22, and will run from 6-8 p.m. every other Monday, at Pingree Park, with the rain location at Walker Farm. Construction on the South Village wastewater project began June 16. The town did not receive funding from Northern Border Regional Commission, so Tulloch is looking for other means to fund Phase 2 of the wastewater project.
Town Clerk Allison Marino also announced that the town office will be closed on Tuesday, June 23, for mandatory elections training, with primaries coming up in August.
The board then approved a bid from SavATree, a company based in Jamaica, Vt., in the amount of $9,700, to complete tree-removal work on Boynton Road. Prouty reported that the second half of this project would be excavation work, which he suggested putting out to bid.
Similarly, after an access permit on Chaves Road was granted, Prouty made a motion to have a dead ash tree removed at that location, with a bid from SavATree for $6,610. Prouty added that this would prepare the site for paving and improving the overall area.
Andy Dahlstrom, short-term rental (STR) administrator, then presented an STR appeals form to the board, which was approved, pending the town attorney’s review. The makeup of the STR appeals board will be further discussed at the next meeting, but was generally outlined as having five members: the town clerk, a representative of the development review board, one member of the selectboard, one justice of the peace, and a representative from an emergency service. Furthermore, no member of the STR board should be part of the appeals board.
The selectboard noted that the South Londonderry Post Office had closed, and they were unsure how temporary the closure would be. Therefore, the board needed another physical location to post their meeting warnings. They discussed the town hall, library, fire station, and corner store, trying to keep the location in South Londonderry. Generally, the board agreed to continue to use the South Londonderry Post Office until they have permission to post elsewhere.
Marino then moved to warn a special town meeting for the purpose of reconsidering Article 1 of the previous special town meeting that was held on May 11. Article 1 reads, “Shall the town raise and appropriate a sum not to exceed $81,000 for the purpose of funding, in part, the salary and benefits of the general office manager.”
Marino reported that a resident had come forth with all of the necessary documentation to bring this article back to the town for a revote. The special town meeting will be warned, and will take place on Wednesday, July 22, at 6 p.m.
The Londonderry Selectboard meets on the first and third Mondays, at 6 p.m., at the town office.