BY WILL ROSS
GOSHEN—On Monday evening, residents of Goshen gathered for the annual Town Meeting. There was a large turnout, and citizens came prepared to air their concerns. Moderator William Mathis made it clear from the start that the discussion at the meeting would remain civil. After a brief presentation from representative Peter Conlon, the Selectboard jumped right in and went over the items contained in the annual Selectboard report. These included a new permitting process to use the town hall, proposed resolutions to public-technology issues, the removal of a security camera in the town office, a new vault for the town treasurer, emergency shelters in the town, and a new website.
David McKinnon felt that the Selectboard report was inaccurate in a number of areas. The first was a discrepancy between the dates that were included in the report. Additionally, he brought up other “mistruths,” stating that the computer network is working fine. He also raised concerns about the removal of the security camera, noting that the board removed the camera due to its administrative password being in the hands of a private citizen. Board member Thomasina Magoon stated that their research indicated that it was not appropriate to have control of the security camera in the hands of a private citizen due to the potential to delete incriminating footage. Former board member Jeff Cathcart echoed McKinnon’s concerns with the removal of the security camera, stating that there is a precedent of illegal activities within the town office. The town seemed to agree that a security camera should be installed and that they need to work together to place control of the camera in the hands of an external party. Despite these concerns, the board’s annual report was accepted by a majority vote.
There was an article brought forward to determine if residents would appropriate $4,000 to be raised by taxes for town hall renovations. The two primary goals of these renovations are to repair the roof of the building and give the upstairs a new layer of paint. The board will also be looking for grants to install a ramp to meet ADA requirements. David Sabatini pointed out that in previous years the $4,000 had been earned by interest income and that this would be the first year it would be raised by taxes. Vickee Whiting explained that at last year’s meeting, there was a vote that determined the funds would be raised by taxes. The article passed with a majority vote.
The next article was to see if the town would appropriate the sum of $244,163 to defray the general expenses. McKinnon informed the board that the $4,000 that was passed in the previous article would affect this number, making the total appropriated sum $248,163. The article passed by a majority vote.
Carol Fjeld gave a presentation on the renovations that are planned for the Brandon Free Public Library. There was a brief debate about whether the town of Goshen would appropriate $1,500 to contribute to these renovations. McKinnon pointed out that the budget had already been passed and that the board could not go on to add additional budget items. It was brought up that the funds could instead be raised on a donation basis by only those who wished to contribute to the library. The town passed the initial article; the sum will be raised by taxes, and the budget will be amended to reflect this.
The next issue up for debate was whether the town of Goshen would offer garbage recycling and food-waste collection. Jeff Cathcart noted that Goshen is the only town in Vermont that has curbside pickup, which is paid for by taxpayer money. Curbside pickup will be a one-year contract that is up for renewal annually. The town voted in favor of maintaining curbside pickup, paid for by taxes.
The next item on the agenda was highway expenses, specifically deciding whether or not the town would appropriate a sum of $176,500 for road maintenance. Diane O’Classen wondered why the town is reducing costs in certain sectors. Whiting explained that the decision was based on the previous discrepancy between actual spending and budgeted spending. Cathcall mentioned that it is wise to have some extra money in the budget as a cushion in case some kind of natural disaster occurs that may present unanticipated expenses. Magoon agreed that having extra money is important but stated that they are still looking to cut down on expenses for taxpayers. The article passed by a majority vote.
Other Decisions:
- The final budget after amendments totaled to $264,743.
- The Town Office Report was passed.
- The cemetery commission position has been changed from appointed to elected.
- The town authorized collection of taxes on real and personal property by its treasurer payable in three equal installments.
- The town will assess delinquent taxes on one percent interest per month for the first three months, and thereafter one and a half percent per month.
- The town will use a portion of the interest earned in the Goshen town forest timber sale to help pay for renovations for town buildings.
