By RUSSELL JONES
On March 25, Proctor Selectboard member Bob Protivansky resigned his position due to health issues. Over the past two weeks, the town has been accepting letters of interest to fill Protivansky’s seat for the remainder of his term. The board appointed Carrie Dougherty to fill the position.
The selectboard received letters from Robert Oberg, Carrie Dougherty, and Blithe Milks, who all said they were willing to contribute their time and energy to help manage the town.
Dougherty, who moved to Proctor in 2011, is currently the clerk for the Town of Mount Holly Selectboard, and has represented that town for transportation, solid waste and planning. She is a member of the board for the Dodge House/VAO and the BROC Community Action.
Dougherty has two college degrees and said she feels that becoming an active board member will further enrich her life while assisting in supporting those on the board and the community. She said she has administrative and leadership skills that could be put to use and has taken two grant writing classes that would be valuable to the board.
Milks, who moved to Proctor with her family in 2015, said her experience as a mother, wife and daughter has taught her to be able to see others points of view and help them to see hers.
As a bookkeeper, Milks said she is well versed at keeping an eye on the flow of money and finding weak spots in budgets. She said she was a quick study and usually can wrap her head around complicated concepts the first time they are presented.
Milks said it was time she gave back to the community that has welcomed her family and served them so well.
Robert Oberg simply said he believed he could be a valuable addition to the board as well as the town. Oberg could not be reached for further comment.
Special meeting set
Wednesday on water
system improvements
The town will be making water system improvements on Upper Park Street, Chatterton Park and Larson Street this summer, and the work will affect residents of these areas.
In 2010, voters approved a bond for $6 million to upgrade the water system in the town and this is the final piece of that project. The old water lines are more than 100 years old and run through backyards and under some homes.
The work will entail installing new 8-inch water mains, abandoning the existing 4-inch water mains and connecting existing water service lines to the new main.
Town Manager Stan Wilbur said that many homes in the area will need new connections to the new line because of the location of the old pipe versus where the new pipe will be installed. The project will cover the costs of connecting to the new lines, including any new internal plumbing that is required. According to Wilbur, there will be no cost to the individual homeowners.
The selectboard will be holding a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at the Proctor Free Library to describe the project, explain the impact on abutting property owners, receive comments and respond to questions. Project engineers will also be at the meeting to answer detailed questions.If you have any questions before the meeting or are unable to make the meeting, Wilbur encouraged residents to reach out to him at the town office or contact selectboard Chairman Bruce Baccei.
