Selectboard roundup: New canine control officer, progress on West Village Wastewater

 

Selectboad and all other town board and committee meetings will be held on Zoom indefinitely due to the Vermont state directive that persons from different households not gather together in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Charlotte Selectboard meetings are available to stream or watch any time after on the VCAM website; meeting sections are marked on the recording to make it easy to watch only the parts of the meeting that are of interest to you.

Canine Control Officer
Dale Knowles, local business owner and Charlotte resident, was approved at the Nov. 30 Selectboard meeting as the new canine control officer; the previous officer is moving. One priority for the Selectboard for the new CCO is the ability to give extra attention to the Thompson’s Point area when seasonal residents are in town—controversy continued throughout this summer over leash laws and poop pickup. Knowles said that he has the availability to patrol that area regularly, which Selectboard Chair Matt Krasnow said he thought would greatly improve the problem of out-of-control canines and owners who are less than diligent about waste pickup.

West Village Wastewater
During work sessions over the course of two meetings on Nov. 23 and Nov. 30, West Charlotte Village Wastewater Committee Chair Dave Marshall outlined the recommendations the committee developed regarding potential private use of the municipal wastewater system. The issue came about initially because the Charlotte Family Health Center is interested in building a facility nearby that would need to use the town’s wastewater capacity since there is none on the property where they would construct their new building.

Among the many details that emerged over the course of his presentation, Marshall pointed out that a main priority for the committee was that any potential use of the system would not cost the town or taxpayers any money, and that enough capacity was reserved for potential future projects, such as a recreation center, which would need to use town septic.

Marshall also address potential connection and usage and how they would be calculated and applied. The discussion will continue for another hour on Dec. 7.

Budgets
Town entities continued to present their preliminary FY21-22 budgets to the Selectboard with the understanding in mind that due to economic uncertainties relating to the coronavirus pandemic, the board suggested lowering expenses town-wide for the coming fiscal year.

During the Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 meetings, the Selectboard heard from Charlotte Little League, the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge Oversight Committee, Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, the Energy Committee, Lewis Creek Association, the Conservation Commission, Town Constable Josh Flore, the Cemetery Commission, and the Trails Committee.

After they receive all the budget requests, the Selectboard will tally up the total amount requested across all departments and figure out from that point what, if anything, will need an adjustment.

Two facts of note to come out of the budget presentations: Constable Flore has only one item in his budget—the Halloween floodlights on Ferry and Greenbush Roads. Of his own design, he does not accept any payment from the town for his services as constable.

Jim Laberge, the newest member of the Cemetery Commission, presented their budget. He said he has limited experience with technology but extensive experience working with cemetery stones, which he said need constant care. He once worked on the gravestone of Winston Churchill’s grandfather in southern Vermont.