BY ANGELO LYNN
PROCTOR — Rutland County Sheriff David Fox made an appearance at the Proctor Selectboard Monday night to review his department’s plans for serving the Proctor community for the upcoming year.
Earlier this summer, the selectboard approved an $87,360 contract with the Sheriff’s Department to provide police protection and coverage. Fox said he would be able to provide an average of 40 hours of service per week for the town, adding that a suspect in a spate of thefts from unlocked autos in town had been identified and arrested. Since then, the incidents of thefts have declined.
The sheriff also noted that there were no smashed windows during those thefts, so it was primarily theft of valuables inside unlocked vehicles — adding that residents should lock their cars anytime they are out of sight for any length of time.
The Sheriff’s Department provides law enforcement protection for the county’s smaller towns, including monitoring areas where there is frequent speeding and cracking down on any crime sprees that might arise.
After the sheriff assured the board his officer staffing was “holding steady” and would be able to serve Proctor with good coverage in the upcoming year, he took notes on events in which the town would need extra coverage — like monitoring traffic on Route 3 after the first few days of school when school kids typically walk home — and invited them to let his department know of other events in which patrols would be helpful.
Rep. Butch Shaw, R-Pittsford, also briefly addressed the selectboard and community. Rep. Shaw has been the state representative for Brandon-Pittsford-Sudbury, but with redistricting, he is now running for state representative of Pittsford and Proctor. He briefly reviewed his political history over the past 20-plus years and his various roles in the Legislature and asked for the community’s support in the upcoming election.
The selectboard dealt with several routine matters, as well as hiring McCullough Brothers Inc. as the low bidder at $8,000 to remove dead and nuisance trees along the town’s right of ways. Trees Inc. came in at 8,940.00, and Vailancourt at $10,700.
In other town business, Town Manager Michael Ramsey noted that:
• Milling and paving would begin on Aug. 8 on Gibb, Taylor Hill, Bluff, and Florence streets.
• Progress was made on collecting delinquent water bills, with $10,000 collected in recent weeks and another $19,000 filed through VHAP grants, in which state aid will help residents pay down their overdue debt. “It’s great news,” Ramsey said, “but I don’t know how sustainable that is for the long term.” Ramsey said he would work with residents on “structured payment schedules” to reduce their arrearage.
• Noted that he had applicants for the interim zoning administrator duties and the town’s clerk/treasurer’s office and that they were conducting five interviews for the latter position.
• The Proctor Pool has been receiving nothing but stellar reviews for its performance this summer, and they were already talking about starting swim lessons again next year.
• Discussed town complaints about 18-wheelers operated by SWIFT trucking running on town roads where they are not allowed. Ramsey said he would contact OMYA about the problem and see what he could get resolved with them.
Under the topic ‘Good News,’ Chair Judy Frazier noted a good attendance at the first Concerts in the Park event featuring The Whisper Band. Three more concerts are scheduled for Aug. 3, Aug. 31, and September 24. Music starts at 7 p.m. and goes until sundown.
