PLYMOUTH, Vt. – The first order of business at Monday’s Selectboard meeting was the appointment of a Town Office Project Manager to supervise the weatherization and renovation project approved by voters for the town municipal building. Since Selectman Rick Kaminski has been heading up this project since it began, he said he would be willing to continue doing the work for free. Hiring someone at this point could cost the town as much as $20,000, Kaminiski stated. The board felt it was important to stay on schedule and honor their vendor contracts, thereby deciding to officially appoint Kaminski as Project Manager.
With voters approving the appointment of a town clerk, the board discussed whether the position should be full or part time or include a benefits package. They decided to regroup to firm up those details, and Kullman would rewrite the current ad that’s been running in the Vermont Journal, adding a mention of flexible hours, salary based on experience, and that there was no longer a requirement for the candidate to be a Plymouth resident. The board considered listing the position on job boards and websites as well.
Kullman announced that last November the town had voted overwhelmingly to approve an article on the ballot proposing Plymouth adopt a Declaration of Inclusion, officially condemning racism, and welcoming all persons “to live freely and express their opinions as stated in the proposed language of the Article.” Kullman signed and approved the adoption of the inclusion statement for the town.
Thomas Battista and Tyler Trombly from the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department were in attendance to follow up on the presentation given by Sheriff-Elect Ryan Palmer at the Jan. 9 selectboard meeting, detailing his plan to overhaul the department. Battista said the proposed contract would be “fluid,” changing with the needs of each town they cover, with more efficient use of manpower, and an overall goal of gathering input from residents, and adjusting services accordingly. Battista said speed enforcement will still be part of the program, but no longer as incentive for ticket revenues.
The department will generate quarterly reports, detailing what the initial goals and objectives were, where things stand currently, whether goals have been met, and where they face challenges.
Battista stated that the department’s future objective will be, “Community policing, spreading the services over neighboring communities by sharing resources and officers. Ultimately, our goal is 24-hour coverage for the whole county, ideally split between a northern and southern sector. Once we have more manpower, and have worked within this system for a bit, that’s where we hope to be.” He told the board the department wants to hear from the community about what police services are important to them and start there.
“Emergency response is number one for me,” Kullman said.
Battista explained that with more hours, and dissemination of deputies, response time to emergencies would be cut down. The philosophy, Battista said, is, “Regular policing, answering calls, community enforcement, and getting to know people. Being a presence in the town. This sends a message, ‘don’t mess with this town, the police are here and aware of what’s going on.’”
The Sheriff’s department will be using funding from several grants to hire five-six new trainees, upgrade radios to improve communication, purchase new cruisers, computers, other equipment, and system updates. He said they were bringing in a few veteran officers from other departments to help train younger recruits, and more experienced officers will take some refresher training.
“Overall, we’re going in the right direction,” Battista reported.
Trombly said, “Goals and objectives will expand or change over time, and that is why we want to keep things fluid, redefine what we do, and adjust as we go along based on evolving needs.”
The department will present a monthly, flat fee, and how that breaks out over 40 hours per week. The changes will be implemented at the end of June, so the selectboard has time to put together their budget, a list of goals and needs, and revisit with the Sheriff’s department. The board said they would put the topic on the agenda for next month and organize a town meeting to get input from the community.
Town Fire Chief Kirk Turner walked into the meeting at 6:45 p.m. with two members of his department, to continue discussion about their Jan. 16 request for financing for a new fire truck. Kullman said they’d agreed to put on the ballot a proposal to take $200,000 out of the reserve account. The decision would be made by residents at a town meeting, by floor vote, via a show of hands.
Chief Turner explained the pumper truck was the first of several pieces of equipment that would need to be replaced soon. Restating that the rescue truck, purchased in 1997, will be next on the list, and the tanker, purchased in 2002 is over 20-years old.
They discussed finance options, potentially purchasing used equipment from larger towns with a healthier budget, and the board agreed the issue would need to be settled via a vote, details to be worked out prior to the next town meeting.
Turner also requested they consider new signage for the municipal building, and for the fire department especially. “We are an all-volunteer department, and our biggest issue is recruitment,” Turner said. “There is no signage for Plymouth fire dept, except for tiny signs above the door, so people don’t know where we are.” He suggested larger, more prominently placed signage might be included as part of the renovation of the municipal building, and Kaminiski agreed that could be something to consider, budget permitting.
Plymouth Short-Term Rental (STR) administrators Mike Scomillio and Steve Radonis were in attendance to discuss the town’s STR regulations, specifically speaking of the requirement each rental unit purchase a Knox Rapid Access System known as a Knox box, that helps first responders gain quick entry to a building in case of emergency.
After a lengthy and at times heated discussion, it was determined better coordination between fire marshall, listers, landlords, and renters was needed, and it would be beneficial to find ways to streamline the inspection process. Ultimately, the board decided to meet separately with Scomillio and Radonis, review the ordinance, and further discuss and address any concerns. The board will present a conclusion to Plymouth residents at the town meeting.
Kullman concluded, “We all agree there should be some regulation, but to what extent?”
The next selectboard meeting will be Feb. 20, and Kaminski said they would plan to meet between now and then and print a warning regarding an emergency meeting to review the ordinance for short term rentals.