Friday, July 17, 2015
News to Know July 4, 2015
*
This communication
is put together and distributed on a volunteer basis by resident Corinne
Stridsberg simply in an effort to share information and build community, it is
not from the town of Berlin
Please
share this with your Berlin
*
For current news look for "Berlin , Vermont
For historical news look for "Berlin , Vermont
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NOTE: Be sure to check out the paving plans in the last article
Below you will find:
PARADE IN PERSON OR VIA ORCA
U-32 2015 GRADUATION ON LINE !
QUARRYWORKS PERFORMANCES ARE FREE !
PUBLIC HEARING RE US 302 BICYCLE / PEDESTRIAN STUDY 7/6/15
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
JULY 1ST CHANGE
DO GOOD FESTIVAL INCLUDES O.A.R.
BARRE HERITAGE FESTIVAL
TIMELY TAX BILLS, NEW PAVING ON TAP FOR BERLIN
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Today from 1pm - 4pm admission is free at the Montpelier Pool out on Elm Street
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There will 40 food and craft vendors too! Bring your family downtown for this fun community festival celebrating our Nation’s
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PARADE IN PERSON OR VIA ORCA
http://orcamedia.net - for the parade scroll through their
list to "Misc"
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U-32 2015 GRADUATION ON LINE !
ORCA Media also captured the U-32 graduation
http://orcamedia.net - "2015 Graduations"
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QUARRYWORKS PERFORMANCES ARE FREE !
Have you been to a QuarryWorks performance out in Adamant?
It's time to call and reserve your complimentary tickets! Always a fun time.
This year they present:
"Baker
Street
"Rapunzel" - Children's Production of the Brothers
Grimm Fairy Tale
"The Trip to Bountiful
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The Berlin Highway Department has a position open with an
application deadline of July 10th. Details and application: http://www.berlinvt.org/
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PUBLIC HEARING RE US 302 BICYCLE / PEDESTRIAN
STUDY 7/6/15
There will be a public hearing on the Draft Final Report of the US
302 Bicycle/Pedestrian Study on Monday, July 6 at 7:00 PM at the Berlin Elementary School . The public is urged to attend.
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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The Berlin Emergency Management Team meets on Thursday, July 9th
at the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department at 6:30pm . Are you interested in
joining this team as they plan and prepare for emergencies in our town?
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JULY 1ST CHANGE
In addition to hands free only use of phones while operating
motor vehicles, there is now no use of phones at stop lights .... it is okay to
pull off the travel portion of the road (except not on the interstate) or to be
stopped in a parking lot to use it though.
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DO GOOD FESTIVAL INCLUDES O.A.R.
The Do Good Fest has come back for a second year at National
Life. This event is sponsored by National Life, The Point, Seven Days,
Montpelier Alive and the National Life Group Foundation. This is a family
friendly event but please leave your dogs at home. Gates open at 2:30 and the festival gets under
way at 3pm with children's
activities. Music on the main stage starts at 4pm . There will be food
trucks, a beer tent, and a nonprofit village for area charitable organizations
to share their messages. The parking fee is the only admission charge
which is $10 per car before 5pm and $20 per vehicle after 5pm . All parking proceeds will benefit the Branches of Hope
Cancer Patient Fund. There is parking for 2,000 cars at National Life but
you're certainly welcome to park elsewhere and walk in.
On Stage
4-4:30 - Patti Casey and Colin McCaffrey
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BARRE HERITAGE FESTIVAL
The Barre Heritage Festival has a variety of events taking place
from July 22nd through July 26th. Saturday, July 25th is when the parade
kicks off at2pm and the fireworks
are at 9:15pm . Lots of great musical entertainment including Native
Tongue with a street dance on Saturday night from 8pm - 11pm (they'll take a break during
the fireworks). Don't miss the Bathtub Race, Fiddle Show, and Car
Show. Take the time to check out the VermontGranite Museum 7:30 -10 is the annual Barre
Rotary Breakfast and Saturday afternoon is a chili eating competition.
Much, much more... so take a moment to look at the website. http://barreheritagefestival.
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TIMELY TAX BILLS, NEW PAVING ON TAP FOR BERLIN
Times Argus Pub. 7/1/15 by David Delcore
The Select Board, which was unable to set the tax rate until the end of August last year, took care of that bit of business during a special meeting this week, putting the town on track to return to a familiar quarterly billing schedule that was abandoned out of necessity a year ago.
A backlog inherited by the company that now handles assessing duties for the town prevented the board from setting the tax rate until after the first installment would have been due on Aug. 15 last year. That one-time problem has been resolved and the town’s growing Grand List was lodged in time for the board to set the tax rate when it met on Monday for the fiscal year that starts today.
Though the town is still awaiting school tax information from the state, bills are expected to be in the mail well before July 15.
Thanks to growth in the Grand List — a figure equal to 1 percent of the value of all the property in town — the municipal portion of the tax rate will actually drop slightly, from 47.06 cents to 46.295 cents per $100 assessed property value.
The Grand List increased from $4,751,687 to $4,841,761. That $90,074 bump reflects the addition of more than $9 million in assessed property value in the past year.
In addition to setting the tax rate, board members opened and awarded recently solicited bids for paving.
S.T. Paving Inc. of
All or parts of six roads — most of them in Riverton — will be paved as part of a project estimated to cost roughly $57,000.
Due to the favorable bids, Road Commissioner Tim Davis said he would recommend the board consider adding all or parts of three streets — Evergreen Drive, Highland Avenue and Partridge Farm Road — off the Barre-Montpelier Road, to the newly awarded contract.
@Tagline:david.delcore@
News to Know June 11, 2015
*
This communication
is put together and distributed on a volunteer basis by resident Corinne
Stridsberg simply in an effort to share information and build community, it is
not from the town of Berlin
Please
share this with your Berlin
***********************
Nothing is as constant as change - to
keep on top of it, check out "Berlin , Vermont
For historical news look for "Berlin , Vermont
***********************
Below you will find:
TOUCH A
TRUCK AT MHS ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13
BUS STOP ARTICLE ON STEVE BARROWS (long
time U-32 Teacher)
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The rain has delayed the Scott Hill Road Scott Hill Road
The Road will be closed starting at 7am and will be open to through traffic by 5pm. Work will be concentrated at Dodge Farm Road.
Traffic will be able to accessScott
Hill Road East
Road
The Road will be closed starting at 7am and will be open to through traffic by 5pm. Work will be concentrated at Dodge Farm Road.
Traffic will be able to access
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Look
for the details on FREE access this
weekend to fishing, state parks, and historic culture including the Vermont
History Museum in Montpelier and the Vermont History Center in Barre - some of
this is limited to just Saturday, June 13th!
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TOUCH A TRUCK AT MHS ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13
If you like
trucks and cars, come to Montpelier High School (MHS) on Saturday. It’s time
for their annual Touch a Truck Day where kids young and old can touch, honk,
and climb on the many vehicles they will have on display. Examples of some
vehicles that may be there are a fire truck, ambulance, backhoe, snow plow,
dump truck, garbage truck, and semi. Concessions and other activities will
be available. Along with your entry fee, you will get a free day pass to the Montpelier
Recreation Department Pool. $8 per family or $3 adult, $2 child.
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BUS STOP ARTICLE ON
STEVE BARROWS (long time U-32 Teacher)
Bus Stop Conversations is online!
U-32 Journalism teacher Steve Barrows
is retiring from his full-time position after 38 years. Read about that and
view pictures of the recent physics museum at U-32 and seventh grade reading
buddies in the current issue of Bus Stop. Also you can see pictures
of Doty fifth and sixth graders placing flags on the graves of
veterans at the Worcester Cemetery
If you’d like to subscribe to Bus Stop
Conversations and receive it in your in box every two weeks during the school
year, please send us an email. Send to: dwolf@u32.org with
“subscribe Bus Stop” in the subject.
***
News to Know June 9, 2015
*
This communication
is put together and distributed on a volunteer basis by resident Corinne
Stridsberg simply in an effort to share information and build community, it is
not from the town of Berlin
Please
share this with your Berlin
*
For current news look for "Berlin , Vermont
For historical news look for "Berlin , Vermont
***********************
NOTE: Deadline to sign up for the "Forest
Pest First Detector Training" to be held on Saturday (6/13/15 ) is TODAY (6/9/15 ).
Be sure to check out what was said at a recent Selectboard
meeting regarding a Community Garden
Below you will find:
FORREND 50TH!
BACK IN TIME
BURELLI FARM
STRAWBERRIES
FINAL DAYS OF SCHOOL
PLANNING COMMISSION / ZONING REGULATIONS UPDATE
HIKING OPPORTUNITIES
VENTURE VERMONT
SWEET
POTATO SLIPS SALE (and burlap coffee bags too)
ATTORNEY: PANHANDLING PERMIT BAD IDEA
WELCOME, KOHL'S?
FROM BERLIN
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The Road will be closed starting at 7am and will be open to through traffic by 5pm. Work will be concentrated at Dodge Farm Road.
Traffic will be able to access
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FORREND 50TH!
Card Shower this month for Berlin Langdon Street 32 Main Street #172 Montpelier , VT 05602
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BACK IN TIME
I've been having a fascinating time looking back at the general
history of Berlin Vermont and specifically my family and a business they operated.
Whether you have a general interest in Berlin History, are curious about a
particular topic, your family roots are in Berlin, you like to research, or
you're trying to find your niche of how to help out in the community, the
Berlin Historical Society might be the perfect place. Do you have any old
photos to share of Berlin 7pm at the Town office. All
are welcome. Feel free to ask to be on the email list to be
notified of upcoming meetings and other events.
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BURELLI FARM
The Burelli Farm address has officially changed from Muzzy Road Burelli Farm Drive
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Large & extra large eggs available at the Wicked Bines Farm
on Marvin Road Berlin
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STRAWBERRIES
Strawberries start being available at Dog River Farm on 6/9/15 . There will be limited
Pick Your Own strawberries this year.
Best place to check for updates is: www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-
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FINAL DAYS OF SCHOOL
June 11th 6:30 p.m. Berlin Elementary
School 6th Grade Graduation - Gym
June 12th6:30 p.m. U32 Graduation
June 16th Last day of school for the year
June 12th
June 16th Last day of school for the year
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From Berlin 37 Elm Street Montpelier . Call 223-7611.
Note from Corinne: If you're looking for a hair stylist, I
certainly recommend Angie. She has appointment times available both
during the week and on Saturdays.
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PLANNING COMMISSION / ZONING REGULATIONS
UPDATE UNDERWAY
At the Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday June 10th there
will be discussion of the Comprehensive Revision and Unification of Town of
Berlin Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. The meeting is scheduled for 7pm at the Berlin Town office.
Any questions or comments regarding the Zoning Regulations can
be submitted to zoning@berlinvt.org.
Visit http://placesense.com/current/
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HIKING OPPORTUNITIES
The Green Mountain Club has some great hiking opportunities,
check out their website or facebook page. They also have their annual meeting
June 13th. This "will be a lively weekend for hikers, paddlers, families
and friends. The weekend will include the long awaited opening celebration of
the Winooski Valley Long Trail Relocation and its centerpiece, our new 224-foot
hiker footbridge!"http://www.
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VENTURE VERMONT
Have you participated in Venture Vermont Challenge yet? A brand
new season has started for this Vermont State Parks program. What a fabulous
way to spend some time between now and this fall. Awesome incentive (see #5)
How to Do the Challenge:
1. Download a score sheet
2. Do fun outdoor activities listed on the score sheet betweenApril 01, 2015 - October 15, 2015 .
3. Take photos of your activities
4. When you reach 250 points, submit your score sheet and photos to us
5. Receive aVIP gold coin, good
for free state park entry for rest of this year and all of next!
6. Have a blast!
If you are doing the challenge as a family, you can take group photos, but each family member needs their own score sheet.http://www.vtstateparks.
How to Do the Challenge:
1. Download a score sheet
2. Do fun outdoor activities listed on the score sheet between
3. Take photos of your activities
4. When you reach 250 points, submit your score sheet and photos to us
5. Receive a
6. Have a blast!
If you are doing the challenge as a family, you can take group photos, but each family member needs their own score sheet.http://www.vtstateparks.
***
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SWEET POTATO SLIPS SALE (and burlap coffee
bags too)
Perhaps some Berlin
Sweet
potatoes
are ideal for gardeners with sandy, silty, or loam soil. Each slip can produce
up to five pounds of delicious Orleans Bailey North Carolina , and are approved for use in certified organic production by
Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC. One pot of three slips costs $6.
Pre-order your slips today and pick up at Red Wagon Plants on June 13 or
14. The sale is at 2408 Shelburne Falls Road
(I've never seen sweet potato slips available, if you know of a
source in central Vermont
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ATTORNEY: PANHANDLING PERMIT BAD IDEA
Pub. 6/3/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
Town Administrator Dana Hadley delivered that message to the Berlin Select Board this week, along with Halpert’s heavily edited version of the draft ordinance it proposed amid concerns over “aggressive panhandling” earlier this year.
Though complaints continue to trickle in, board members were told that proposed regulations on “public soliciting” that aren’t unconstitutional are largely redundant in Halpert’s view.
“There’s a very fine line of what we can do without infringing on people’s rights,” Hadley said, providing the board with an executive summary of the suggestions made by Halpert and indicating there were probably more where that came from.
“This was by no means the end of his (Halpert’s) suggestions,” Hadley told board members who agreed to “proceed cautiously.”
“We should tread lightly,” Selectman Pete Kelly said after listening to Hadley and reviewing Halpert’s revisions and some of the issues he raised.
Among other things, the proposed ordinance would have required “all solicitors” to obtain and display permits from the town’s police department that would be valid for 15 days. Halpert suggested that entire provision be deleted.
“Provisions requiring a permit here are vague, and don’t set forth any required procedures to obtain the permit, much less a purpose for obtaining a permit,” he wrote, noting that a comparable ordinance in Burlington only requires permits for those selling goods or services in public.
“(That) is quite different from requiring permits for the simple act of soliciting/begging for funds, which is recognized by the courts as a protected form of free speech under the First Amendment,” he added.
Halpert also proposed other changes to a proposed ordinance that board members have been careful to say was drafted to address complaints that some who routinely ask for cash from passing motorists are more forceful than they should be.
The complaints have ranged from threats and intimidation to property damage, and prompted the board to craft an ordinance that would give police the ability to crack down on that bad behavior.
However, Halpert hinted police already have the power to regulate “aggressive” behavior through criminal statutes that cover everything from harassment and disorderly conduct to trespassing.
“As a general comment to all the activities sought to be prohibited by this ordinance, we should be asking the question: ‘Is this conduct otherwise prohibited by existing statutes or ordinances?’” Halpert wrote, adding: “If so, we should not seek to regulate/prohibit this conduct by this ordinance.”
A simple tap on the shoulder, or a knock on a window or door might be unwelcome, but Halpert indicated prohibiting those acts probably isn’t legal. He recommended language to the contrary be dropped.
What remains is a draft that is arguably redundant and needs work, because among other things, it puzzlingly contains a prohibition on soliciting and converting funds for “private use.”
“I do not understand the meaning or what conduct is sought to be prohibited,” Halpert wrote, also singling out a separate element of the proposal prohibiting any form of soliciting within 15 feet of any vehicle or the entrance of any business without the owner’s consent.
“Without aggressive behavior the provision likely infringes on the constitutionally protected right to beg/panhandle in a public place,” he wrote.
Hadley suggested it might be useful to invite Police Chief Bill Wolfe in to discuss the issue from a law enforcement perspective given Halpert’s opinion that the behavior most troubling to the board could already be dealt with through criminal citations. The difference, he said, is that those affected would have to provide police with sworn statements of the alleged offenses.
@Tagline:david.delcore @timesargus.com
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Pub 5/29/15 Times Argus by David Delcore
During a special meeting Wednesday, four of the board’s five members — Jeremy Hansen was absent — unanimously authorized Town Administrator Dana Hadley to send a letter to the commission endorsing plans to build a 55,000-square-foot Kohl’s.
Though the brief letter may not sway the quasi-judicial commission, the mere suggestion that it be drafted and sent gave board members an opportunity to vent about everything from the Act 250 review process to what some lamented are limited shopping options in central Vermont.
The board covered a lot of ground during a 10-minute meeting that was hastily arranged despite the fact the members are scheduled to meet again Monday.
This one couldn’t wait, according to Chairman Ture Nelson, who noted the mall’s lawyer, Charles Storrow, has indicated that if the commission doesn’t issue a state land use permit for the Kohl’s project soon, plans to open the store next spring will be set back six months.
Nelson told board members he had spoken with Storrow and concluded that although a letter of support from the town might not expedite matters, it couldn’t hurt.
Due to the quasi-judicial nature of the review process, it is unclear how far along the commission is in its deliberations, but Nelson and others suggested a permit should have been issued by now.
“It shouldn’t take this long,” Nelson said of a process that technically began when the application was filed in August.
A prehearing conference was held in November, and the application was deemed complete in January, setting the stage for the one — and probably only — hearing on the project, which was held Feb. 3.
Nearly four months later, the commission is said to be deliberating. That private process could end abruptly even though the three-member panel hasn’t yet taken the procedural step — formally adjourning the hearing — that would require it to render a decision in 20 days.
The commission did add more than a month to the process by accepting its former coordinator’s unsolicited assistance. The commission’s mid-March decision to treat Ed Stanak as a “friend of the commission” came over the objection of the mall’s owners and was a source of consternation for officials in Berlin, who viewed it as an attempt to delay if not derail the Kohl’s project.
That sentiment was expressed again Wednesday as board members scoffed at the notion that an intersection that is in the process of being upgraded can’t handle the traffic generated by an area the town has specifically targeted for development.
“That intersection is not that challenging,” said Pete Kelly, referring to the intersection of Route 62 and Fisher and Airport roads.
Board member Roberta Haskin, who drives through the intersection as part of her daily commute, agreed.
“That intersection is busy twice a day and that’s it,” she said.
Haskin predicted the improvements that are now underway — including the creation of a designated left turn lane on
Haskin went on to give voice to folks who are, she said, “frustrated with shopping options in central Vermont” and frequently travel to Chittenden County for choice.
Kelly said he was concerned
Kelly noted past projects — including two proposed on the same spot where Kohl’s would be built — were abandoned due to a regulatory process he claimed was unpredictable, time-consuming and costly.
“Over the years we’ve seen people come, (eventually) throw up their hands and walk away,” Kelly said. “We can’t have that as a town.”
In an era when online shopping is increasingly popular, Kelly said a store that will create local jobs, both during and after construction, deserved support.
“If someone is knocking on our door to put a brick-and-mortar store in our town, that’s a good thing,” he said, struggling to understand why the commission hasn’t already issued a permit.
“It’s a department store, not a nuclear plant,” he said.
Hadley, who drafted a letter that reflected the board’s support for the Kohl’s project, noted the town’s Development Review Board has approved what he viewed as a sensible application.
“It seems like an excellent place to put a store,” Hadley said with more than a hint of sarcasm. “In a shopping center.”
A fully developed mall complex would add to the town’s tax base and is consistent with a long-range plan to encourage development in the Berlin Four Corners area. The town is constructing a municipal water system in that area to eliminate what has been viewed as an impediment to future development, while resolving a long-standing problem with water quality produced by private wells.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
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WELCOME, KOHL'S?
Pub. 5/25/15 Times Argus
Welcome, Kohl’s!?
Not so fast.
The assembly welcoming Kohl’s may have been scheduled immediately following “home room,” but it has been postponed until sometime after “recess.”
Kohl’s Act 250 hearing was held in February. Rather than being “closed” at the end of the hearing, it was “recessed,” and it has been in “recess” ever since.
Ironically, it was a week after Kohl’s hearing that area developers addressed the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce annual meeting to discuss the motivation and challenges of creating space to do business in centralVermont
Kohl’s has been in the permit abyss ever since.
Since Kohl’s’ last hearing, the plastic wrap has come off the new Northfield Savings Bank building, windows have been installed, and the façade has been completed. In another 30 to 60 days, bank personnel will begin the transition to their new home, and the end of the construction season will loom on the horizon.
Will Kohl’s have broken ground? Will it have a permit? Will recess have ended?
Since Kohl’s last hearing, the Vermont Legislature has appropriated funds to lure employers fromCanada
Will Kohl’s have a permit before they leave?
Closing the hearing is the trigger for a decision from the Act 250 commission. A component of the law requires the commission to act expeditiously on permit applications. Decisions must flow in a timely manner from the close of the hearing.
But hearings are closed by the Act 250 commission. So much for “expeditious.”
Perhaps theVermont Canada
They certainly won’t tell them that Kohl’s’ February hearing for an uncontested permit on an out lot of an existing mall remains in recess.
When the commission took the unusual action of allowing late-arriving input from a local citizen without party status, the applicant quickly announced the willingness to pay an additional $21,000 toward highway improvements that the agency of transportation had not requested at the February hearing.
Getting construction underway this season was critical to opening in 2016. It may be key to opening, period.
Area residents would like employment. The town ofBerlin
Everyone would like to see less retail leakage and less fossil fuel consumed by area shoppers going elsewhere.
It’s well past time for the district commission to join the rest of centralVermont
Ending the recess, closing the hearing, and rendering a decision should have taken about six weeks, not six months.
Not so fast.
The assembly welcoming Kohl’s may have been scheduled immediately following “home room,” but it has been postponed until sometime after “recess.”
Kohl’s Act 250 hearing was held in February. Rather than being “closed” at the end of the hearing, it was “recessed,” and it has been in “recess” ever since.
Ironically, it was a week after Kohl’s hearing that area developers addressed the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce annual meeting to discuss the motivation and challenges of creating space to do business in central
Kohl’s has been in the permit abyss ever since.
Since Kohl’s’ last hearing, the plastic wrap has come off the new Northfield Savings Bank building, windows have been installed, and the façade has been completed. In another 30 to 60 days, bank personnel will begin the transition to their new home, and the end of the construction season will loom on the horizon.
Will Kohl’s have broken ground? Will it have a permit? Will recess have ended?
Since Kohl’s last hearing, the Vermont Legislature has appropriated funds to lure employers from
Will Kohl’s have a permit before they leave?
Closing the hearing is the trigger for a decision from the Act 250 commission. A component of the law requires the commission to act expeditiously on permit applications. Decisions must flow in a timely manner from the close of the hearing.
But hearings are closed by the Act 250 commission. So much for “expeditious.”
Perhaps the
They certainly won’t tell them that Kohl’s’ February hearing for an uncontested permit on an out lot of an existing mall remains in recess.
When the commission took the unusual action of allowing late-arriving input from a local citizen without party status, the applicant quickly announced the willingness to pay an additional $21,000 toward highway improvements that the agency of transportation had not requested at the February hearing.
Getting construction underway this season was critical to opening in 2016. It may be key to opening, period.
Area residents would like employment. The town of
Everyone would like to see less retail leakage and less fossil fuel consumed by area shoppers going elsewhere.
It’s well past time for the district commission to join the rest of central
Ending the recess, closing the hearing, and rendering a decision should have taken about six weeks, not six months.
***
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FROM BERLIN
Below are a few recent postings ....
there have been many more about a variety of topics, looking for services,
garage sales, meeting announcements, events, etc. Membership is free - to
join go to: http://frontporchforum.com
Saturday, June 13th,
Enjoy spending time outdoors? Concerned about the health of Vermonts
First Detector volunteers are our front-line defense against
invasive tree pest infestations. The Vermont Forest Pest First Detector Program
is hosting a FREE volunteer training session on Saturday
June 13th, 2015 .
We are training volunteers to (1) inform the public about the
tangible threat Vermonts Vermont Vermont
Questions or to register, contact Gwen
Kozlowski at gwen.kozlowski@uvm.edu or 802-656-6646 by June 9.
*
A Correction and Notes from June 1 Selectboard Meeting -
posted FPF #635 6/3/15
Posted to: Berlin
I need to correct something I posted in my last
"notes": the water system "loop" on Comstock Road
Here are my notes from Monday's meeting:
1) Berlin
Fire Chief Miles Silk introduced Shawn Silk (his brother) as the
new President of the BVFD Corporation and Jean Pratt as the new Treasurer. The
Chief also reported that Berlin Berlin
In other news, the Riverton station is being renovated to be
used as a training facility, and the Department will be receiving their new air
packs in July or August to replace those that are currently expired.
There is a spot on the BVFD Board of Directors open to any
resident of Berlin
2) Panhandling Ordinance
We discussed some revised language from the Town Attorney, who
still seems wary of Constitutional challenges to the Town regulating behavior
that has been found by courts to be protected speech under the First Amendment.
This means that panhandling cannot itself be prohibited, but aggressive
behavior can. We were advised that the best bet right now is for people who
feel harassed or otherwise on the receiving end of aggressive behavior to
submit a formal, signed complaint (it cannot be anonymous) to the Berlin Police
Department. This gives the Police Department the ability to pursue enforcement
actions in the event an officer doesn't witness the behavior.
3) Water Project
The water project is still working on Airport Road Airport Road Scott Hill Road
4) Route 62 Project
Crews have started (and are still as of Wednesday) milling the
existing pavement. All this week, expect delays due to lane closures on Fisher Road Airport Road Berlin State
Highway
It was a record-short regular meeting for me--we were adjourned
by 8PM ! Have a great
week and enjoy the clearing weather!
Jeremy
279-6054
279-6054
*
Notes from May 18 Selectboard Meeting (posted
FPF #633 5/13/15)
Posted to: Berlin
Here are my notes from the last Selectboard meeting:
1) VT Alert
We met with Randy Bronson, who works for the Department of
Public Safety and manages a program called VT Alert. VT Alert lets Vermonters
get notifications via phone, email, or text message about important events like
weather advisories, road closures, amber alerts, natural disasters, and the
like. These can be broadcasts to the public or they can be used to notify
smaller groups of people. Randy told us that the Emergency Management Director
for the town of Pawlet Berlin
2) Route 62 project
Patti Colburn from VTrans explained to us what's happening with
Route 62. She said that the majority of the earth work would be done by August,
and during the construction, there would be at most one lane closed at a time
on only one side of the road. The project will proceed roughly according to
this sequence:
a) Extend the westbound left turn lane from Berlin State Highway
(BSH ) onto Airport Road
b) Add a left-turn-only lane toAirport Road
c) Rebuild the roadway whereBSH merges with Route 62 westbound. (This doesn't really
change how things work right now, it just moves the merging back a bit to the
east.)
d) Rework how the traffic signal works at the intersection by the hospital
e) Change the signs on the eastbound approach to the intersection to indicate earlier that the left lane is for Barre and the right lane is forMontpelier
f) Repaving of the whole stretch, from the Interstate to Barre.
b) Add a left-turn-only lane to
c) Rebuild the roadway where
d) Rework how the traffic signal works at the intersection by the hospital
e) Change the signs on the eastbound approach to the intersection to indicate earlier that the left lane is for Barre and the right lane is for
f) Repaving of the whole stretch, from the Interstate to Barre.
3) Water system update
The water system is under construction. The project has been
modified somewhat (with an increase in price of about $10,000) to add a loop
within the system along Comstock Road
4) Community garden
We have been awarded a grant to develop a community
garden/park/trails/green space on the property that the Town acquired through a
FEMA buyout on Muzzy Road
5) Bike lane/sidewalk study
While the "road diet" won't have its trial until next
year, the study that was presented at the Elementary School last year has been
modified to incorporate changes, and the updates will be presented on July 6th.
Our next meeting is on Monday the 1st, and I'll be posting the
agenda for it soon.
Jeremy
279-6054
279-6054
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