Online Town Meeting features projects, local candidates

Route 4 in Woodstock Village, shown here by The Green, is due to be re-paved this summer. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

For two hours on Saturday, the town of Woodstock conducted its annual Town Meeting discussion on Zoom for the first time, covering a number of projects on the horizon. Three Select Board candidates also spoke to voters, a little more than a week out from the March 2 election.

A giant paving project in the village, a new Emergency Services Building and planning for Town Hall renovations were among the meeting’s major topics, as about 50 people showed up at the online gathering. Starting off, Moderator Matt Maxham explained the rules, including that no amendments would be taken and all voting is by Australian ballot this year due to the pandemic. One more informational meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m., also on Zoom.

The polls are open on Tuesday, March 2, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and registered voters can request an absentee ballot from the town clerk to vote early. This coming Friday is the last day absentee ballots can be returned to the clerk’s office, but they can also be turned in during the voting on March 2. 

Turning to the projects, Fire Chief David Green said the town hopes to break ground on the new Emergency Services Building on April 1, and DEW Construction of Williston has been selected as the contractor. A bond was previously approved by voters to pay for the new building. 

This year, the state is paving Route 4 in Woodstock Village during the summer. Part of Route 12 and also Route 106 from the village to the Woodstock Country Club will be paved as well. Two informational Zoom meetings will be held to discuss the Route 4 project. The first is for residents on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m., and a meeting for businesses is on March 3 at 7 p.m. 

Over the past year, Woodstock’s highway crew got as much work done as possible in the areas where the paving project will occur, according to Select Board member L.D. “Butch” Sutherland, Jr. This year, the town hopes to do some work near the East End and Maplefields before the paving starts. This past year, given the lack of funds, contractors and time, the town focused more on getting curbs re-set, Sutherland explained. 

“We’re looking at the worst areas and moving forward with those,” he said. 

Some other local roads are on the list for blacktopping this year, and work on the Pleasant Street sidewalk is also in the plans. In all, Sutherland said, the town is planning on $128,000 in paving this year. 

As for the Town Hall, Select Board member Jill Davies said the town is assessing the needed work, which is extensive.

“There is quite a lot of repair and renovation that needs to happen,” she said. 

Some work was done on the side of the building during the past year. Now, the town is working with architects to draw up some plans for the first and second floors, including interior and exterior work, town office renovation, upgrading the theater and sorting out ADA access, Davies said. They’re also examining options for the old addition on the back of the building; the addition was built in 1928. For the overall Town Hall project, the town is hoping to fund it with significant private donations and grants, using a smaller amount of taxpayer money. The project already has $2 million in private donations and pledges, Davies said.

Also at Saturday’s online meeting, Select Board candidates addressed the public. Davies faces a challenge from Joe Swanson for a three-year seat. Ray Bourgeois is running unopposed for a two-year term on the Select Board.

Davies has served on the board for four years and is seeking her third term. She has many years of experience as a management consultant and has served on the boards of several local nonprofits. Davies said we all want to see Woodstock succeed, but we have to take steps to make sure the town has a sustainable future. “We’re reaching a critical moment,” she said.

Speaking after Saturday’s meeting, Davies said that work includes taking on issues like local housing, keeping taxes at a reasonable level, and good capital planning. She’s been involved in addressing the town’s infrastructure needs, including energy audits on all town buildings, and would like to continue her work as a Select Board member at this important time in the town’s history.

Swanson is currently a sergeant with the Woodstock Police. He served in the Vermont National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, where he rose to the rank of sergeant in the Guard. At Saturday’s Zoom meeting, Swanson emphasized the work he did during the recovery from Tropical Storm Irene, and his service as a town auditor. He wrote the grant for the EV charging station at the East End Park, to bring more electric-vehicle drivers into town. He is the son of the late Phil Swanson, Woodstock’s longtime municipal manager. Joe Swanson noted his own civic involvement in the community and the importance of communication.

“I want to foster a culture of cooperation and communication between Select Board members and members of the town administration, and community stakeholders,” Swanson said.    

Bourgeois, a retired Boston University grounds manager, was appointed to the Select Board and served for part of last year after Sonya Stover stepped down. He wrote budgets, managed equipment purchases and supervised staff during his 22 years at BU, and is looking to put his expertise to work for the town. For Bourgeois, the road infrastructure is a particular concern and he noted Woodstock will have to be ready for when the economy opens up.

“We’ll need to hit the ground running, with a capital plan in place,” he said in an interview Saturday afternoon. 

At the town’s online meeting, capital planning also came up. Woodstock Municipal Manager William Kerbin said the town has been working on updating its financial process. He said this doesn’t reflect any prior bad management. Rather, the town is bringing a renewed focus to transparency and managing future obligations, especially given the number of projects on the horizon. Kerbin said this will create a system that will be easier for the public to understand and easier for the town to work with. He said the current system “is not a sustainable system for municipal financial management.” 

Because of that, the town has been looking at possible changes in-depth for the past four months, Kerbin confirmed. The plan is to have a proposed Capital Budget for fiscal years 2023-2027 ready for Select Board review in November. 

Select Board Chair Mary Riley said the financial reporting process is being revamped so it reflects that the town is not a profit-and-loss organization. She emphasized that profit is not the focus. 

“We’re here to make our budget work for what we need and what we need to do,” Riley said.  

Speaking of that, there was a brief discussion on the town’s proposed $6,731,068 budget, which includes about $5 million to be raised by taxes. The budget reflects a 2.9% increase, which includes this year’s bond payment for Emergency Services Building project, Kerbin said.  

Near the close of the meeting, the Maxham, the town moderator, recognized two individuals who were recognized in the Town Report this year: Michael Brands, who retired as town planner and zoning administrator after over 30 years of service; and Paul Wildasin, who served as lister for 15 years and also retired in 2020.

“If we were all here in person, we would give them a big round of applause,” Maxham said. Sutherland, who is not running for reelection this year, was also recognized for his many years of service to Woodstock on Saturday, marking his last Town Meeting as a board member.

Through chat messages and vocally, a number of people praised the town for bringing Town Meeting online without a glitch. 

“I really applaud the Select Board for what’s been done here today,” said Jeff Kahn, who is also chair of the Village Trustees. 

One feature of Town Meeting that isn’t happening this year, is the annual update from state legislators. Rep. Charlie Kimbell said he and Sen. Alison Clarkson will hold a Zoom meeting for local residents next Saturday for that purpose. Stay tuned for details.

— Gareth Henderson

For more information about voting and Monday’s informational meeting, visit the town website at townofwoodstock.org or read Omni Reporter’s Guide to 2021 Woodstock Town Meeting.

Correction: The original version of this article had the incorrect date for the addition on the back of Woodstock Town Hall. The addition was built in 1928.

Guide to 2021 Woodstock Town Meeting

Woodstock Town Hall is shown above. This year, Woodstock is holding two informational meetings instead of the traditional, in-person Annual Town Meeting. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

A lively debate and a community lunch are cherished parts of Woodstock's annual town meeting, but things have a different look for 2021. Instead, all discussion is on Zoom, voting is by Australian ballot and lunch is at home. It's the latest example of important local traditions adjusting to life in a pandemic.

This year, the town will hold two public informational meetings on Zoom. They are this Saturday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m. and on Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. Connection information is online at townofwoodstock.org in the "Upcoming Meetings" section near the top of the home page.

On Friday morning, Select Board Chair Mary Riley said the town has been trying to get the word out about the 2021 Town Meeting arrangements as much as possible. The Town Warning has been posted on the website for over a week.

"It's different for all of us, so it's going to be a learning experience from the first word," Riley said.

No amendments on ballot items will be allowed at either meeting, and all items will be decided by Australian ballot. Polls are open on Tuesday, March 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Woodstock Town Hall. Like last November, early voting options are available. Registered voters can request an absentee ballot, and for that, Town Clerk Charlie Degener said "the sooner the better." Friday, Feb. 26, is the last day to return absentee ballots directly to the clerk's office, but they can also be turned in at the polls on March 2. Any mailed absentee ballots must be received by the time the polls close.

Degener said the biggest difference under these circumstances is the amount of absentee ballots coming in. But that isn't as new as it used to be.

"We had practice with that last year with the August primary and November election, so I think that should go smoothly," he said.

Degener said some voters have called in to ask about the details of the town meeting plan this year, but he noted that Woodstock always does some of its town meeting business at the voting booth.

"Unlike some towns who do everything from the floor, with our hybrid model, people are accustomed to voting on some issues by Australian ballot," Degener said.

When they head to the polls, Woodstock town voters will decide a pair of races this year. Select Board incumbent Jill Davies faces a challenge from Joe Swanson for a three-year seat. Vying for first constable are incumbent Kelly Linton and Devon Kurtz. Ray Bourgeois is running unopposed for a two-year term on the Select Board. Also on March 2, voters will decide on the proposed town budget of $6,731,068 — that includes about $5 million to be raised by taxes.

The 2020 Town Report can be viewed online, or request a physical copy by emailing Nikki Nourse at nnourse@townofwoodstock.org. The clerk's office is reachable at 802-457-3611 and will be closed on March 1 and March 2 for the election.

As for Woodstock Village, the Village Trustees will soon be getting the word out about their annual meeting, which will also be an informational meeting on Zoom. That will be held on March 9 at 7 p.m. The same rules apply — no amendments, and all voting is by Australian ballot. Village residents can vote absentee, including the mail-in option. The village polls will be open on March 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Printed copies of the 2020 Village Report will be available at town hall and other locations. Three Village trustees — Board Chair Jeff Kahn, Brenda Blakeman and William Corson — are running unopposed for reelection.

Speaking on Friday, Kahn said he hadn't heard from many village residents about the new arrangement, as much of the focus is currently on the town. He acknowledged the in-person element will be missed this year.

"We like looking at people and having questions answered and motions made from the floor, but that's not happening this year, and we'll carry on the best we can," Kahn said.

— Gareth Henderson