SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Springfield Selectboard held meetings on two consecutive Mondays this month, Dec. 11 and 18, to conduct the third and fourth town budget workshops. The board has been clocking three to four hours on meeting nights, committed to finalizing the budget for fiscal year 2024-2025, while continuing with regular selectboard meetings and executive sessions.
On Monday, Dec. 11, after Board Chair Kristi Morris called the regular meeting to order, he announced that the board had reviewed three candidates applying to fill the selectboard seat recently vacated by Crissy Webster. Morris reported that after much discussion, the board voted to appoint Heather Frahm to the position. Frahm was sworn in by Springfield town clerk Barbara A. Courchesne before taking her seat with the board.
Town manager Jeff Mobus requested that Frahm relinquish her position on the budget advisory committee upon accepting her seat on the selectboard, stating that to hold both positions presents a conflict of interest.
Kathy Urffer joined the meeting via Zoom to offer a presentation on the licensing of three dams on the Connecticut River – the Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon hydro facilities. A River Steward with the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), Urffer detailed the CRC’s proposal for Vermont and New Hampshire to federally license the dams for the next 40 years. The license is issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the last time it was updated for the three dams, all owned by Great River Hydro, was in 1979.
Urffer explained that the push for the relicensing program began in October 2012, experienced several delays, and the final revised license application was submitted in June 2023. She said the owner is required to mitigate for impacts of those facilities on the river, such as enhancements to recreation, while monitoring banks that are eroding, taking into consideration the protection of endangered species and migrating groups of “critters.” She wanted the board to be aware that there will be an opportunity for the town to comment on the licensing sometime next spring or early summer.
Springfield town planner and zoning administrator Charles Wise was appointed as a second deputy health officer, to work with the health officer and fire chief Paul Stagner, and deputy health officer and deputy fire chief John Claflin.
Mobus announced that the community center was now equipped with heat, after having chimney work completed and a new pump installed. A new boiler is needed to operate the system properly, and Mobus discussed that the cost of the boiler, $47,750, is included in the capital plan for next year.
Advisory notices were sent to all Springfield town water users to warn of low levels of PFAS that were detected in one of the three wells that provide water to the town. Mobus and water system superintendent Roy Farrar led the discussion about what the town might do to remedy the concern, although they pointed out the two readings conducted showed the contamination was well below the Sate of Vermont allowable limit.
One option would be to shut down the one well, which would put some strain on the two remaining. Farrar mentioned the town would go back to annual sampling now that the chemicals had been found.
The state is currently requiring all water systems to complete a lead inventory, and residents received a notice asking them to look at their connection and verify the material used. If possible, the town is asking users to take pictures and send them to the water department. Mobus reported that 30% of users have replied, and stated that they’d really like to have as many people respond as possible, as that lowers the cost of doing the inventory. He invited anyone unsure of the material of the connection, or with any questions, to contact the water department directly at 802-886-2208.
Finally, Mobus wanted to thank two town employees who were retiring, David Tewksbury and Dan Farrar. Tewksbury worked for nearly 20 years in the public works department, and Farrar was the manager of the town transfer station for 18 years. “On behalf of the town, I’d like to wish them well as they step into retirement,” said Mobus. “Congratulations!”
The evening concluded with a budget workshop focused on town administration, parks and recreation, the town library, and senior center.