PLYMOUTH, Vt. – During regularly scheduled November and December selectboard meetings, the Plymouth Selectboard reviewed, discussed, and approved general topics at hand.
At the Nov. 25 meeting, the board reviewed a bid from fire tech and safety for new self-contained breathing apparatuses and a compressor, totaling $266,193, which would be funded by a grant shared with the Bridgewater Fire Department. The board accepted and approved the bid.
At the Dec. 2 meeting, chair Jay Kullman stated that they expect taxes to go down an estimated amount of $70,000. The overall proposed town budget of $1,201,383.55 was approved by the board.
There was then a lengthy discussion on the purchase and use of a short-term rental (STR) software, as well as the overall STR ordinance. It was noted that there were 112 STR properties in town, and only 60 were in compliance. Board member Rick Kaminski made a motion to approve the software, for an estimated annual cost of $10,500. The board also approved an increase to the STR registration fee of $200 per bedroom, noting that fees for those who have already registered and are in compliance would remain the same.
At the Dec. 16 meeting, the board appointed Beth Graves-Lombard as the new delinquent tax collector. She previously served as the interim town clerk, and Kullman added that she had a lot of experience in the field. The board also promoted Dave Olster from emergency management coordinator to emergency management director.
Kaminski made the recommendation to table the energy conservation project bids for the following meeting, to allow more time for bids to come in.
At a special meeting on Dec. 20, the board reviewed the sole bid from VMS Construction, for $706,900, to complete Phase 2 of the energy conservation project. The scope of the proposed project included the installation of heat pumps in the municipal offices and fire department, as well as radiant heat in a new concrete slab in the highway department building. Board member Rick Kaminski recommended they table the approval, and meet with the contractor to discuss the details further.
The Jan. 6 meeting was postponed to Jan. 13. The Plymouth Selectboard regularly meets the first and third Monday, at 6 p.m.