Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

11/1/21

A new month is upon us!  So glad to see the sun (Monday), after a damp and gloomy weekend.  Hoping to get my outdoor items under cover now that they can dry out a bit!  My wind-chimes are playing loudly today with this brisk wind.  The possibility of snow and the changing of the clocks (fall back) next weekend  will surely bring winter into focus.  

So glad to be able to pass on news about the grange turkey supper that will be take out only on Saturday 11/13.  Many of us think this is the best turkey dinner around! To place your order call Alice at 672-6223 by 11/11. The cost is $12 and orders can be picked up starting at 4:30 PM.

Schuyler Hagge rides again and wins!  The final Northern New England Mountain Bike series was held at the Vermont Academy in Saxtons River on October 30.  Of the 16 teams in the league, Woodstock is the only public school.  The Woodstock placed third overall and Schuyler took first place for the A girls. Apparently she could handle the muddy conditions!  I wish I had more news about our young people, so consider contacting me.

Don’t forget the special town meeting at 7:00 PM on Monday, 12/6 when these three articles will be discussed:  Article 1 To see if the voters will authorize the Select Board to assign fund balances in accordance with 24 V.S.A. § 2804.  Article 2 To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of $950,000.00 for repair of the town hall roof, completing deferred maintenance, performing energy/weatherization upgrades, and the addition of solar.  Article 3  To see if the Town will approve a short-term rental ordinance.  Check the town website for instructions regarding attending via Zoom.  The polls will be open for voting by Australian Ballot on 12/7 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Many folks have been expressing interest in the articles to be voted in December and the Select Board is anxious to provide some clarification, so I am including a message from our Selectmen:

“Article One is to approve money for deferred maintenance, structural repairs, insulation, alternative energy/heating sources, and a new roof for the Town Hall.  With an ongoing problem of roof leaks at the Town hall, independent contractors had advised the current and prior Selectboard that Town hall needs a new roof.  It was also recognized that a lack of insulation was contributing to ice dams causing the leaks.” 

“The Selectboard discussed several options and decided that we should have a more comprehensive look at the building to make sure we were looking at both the capital expenditure for a big project and the ongoing operating costs of the building (the Plymouth Town Hall uses approximately twice the energy of the average municipal building in Vermont).  Additionally, improved insulation to combat ice dams would leave much more snow on the roof potentially exceeding the design loads of the building.”

“The Selectboard hired an architect and their consulting engineer to do a full-envelope analysis, the results of which are posted on the Town website. The subsequent report notes that significant structural upgrades should be made to prevent a building failure.  Upon closer examination, roughly $400,000 in deferred maintenance should be completed.  We were advised that the current propane boiler serving the offices is at the end of its useful life, as are the heaters in the Fire department bay and Garage.  The overhead doors are also showing significant wear, and daylight is visible from the inside.” “Voting 2-1, the Selectboard chose option D, as designated in the aforementioned report. The two Selectmen voting for option D thought it made the most sense when looking at the project from the angles of capital expenditure and long-term operating costs.”