Duxbury residents focus on their own

Duxbury’s town meeting featured lively, polite discussion about local nonprofits, library use, gravel grumblings, and the sweet reward of hands-on democracy — plus decadent doughnuts doused in Vermont maple syrup.

More than 100 residents turned out, about average, said Moderator Mark Morse, who hasn’t missed a town meeting “since before I was old enough to vote.”

After Morse was officially voted in as moderator, he laid out a few ground rules and said, “Let’s remember that we are all neighbors and treat each other with courtesy and respect.”

Sweet charity

Three requests totaling $950 drew substantial discussion — two $300 requests and one of $350 for nonprofit service agencies.

Community giving has long been part of the town budget, said select board member Amy Scharf. A number of groups request town help, and the three seeking $950 separately likely missed the November deadline of submitting a letter and materials to the board.

Nobody from the organizations was at the meeting, but several residents spoke to the strengths and importance of the programs. Others wanted to know if the charities really help Duxbury residents, and where exactly the money will go.

“Any debate here is on principle, not money,” Lars Dickson said. “If you feel it’s worthwhile, write the check yourself.”

After a half-hour of back-and-forth, all three requests were passed. Residents also approved $2,500 for the Waterbury Area Senior Center and $625 for the Duxbury Elf’s Shelf. Ruth Haskins thanked the community on behalf of the Elf’s Shelf, a Vermont Foodbank partner in its 13th year, housed in the basement of the town clerk’s office.

The space will be retaken for town duties effective July 1. Haskins said the basement has water damage and mold, with cobwebs and open wires, and drafty windows and doors that snow blows through. Voters expressed concern that food was stored there.

The building was constructed by Harwood students in the 1970s, said former select board member Dick Charland. It’s “sound,” he said, but basic.

Scharf said no money is earmarked specifically for fixing up the space; the town maintenance budget totals $3,000.

“Here we go, Duxbury; many of you are stinkin’ talented with a hammer,” Scharf said, urging residents to volunteer to improve the space.

Help came instantaneously: Emmett Hughlett announced, to applause, that the Green Mountain Community Alliance Church is already working with the Elf’s Shelf and is “very happy, very pleased” to help it move to a new home.

Reading material

Asked if they still want the Duxbury town report mailed to them every year, residents indicated that, while they’re happy to skim the report online, there’s still value in receiving a paper copy in the mailbox.

Town Clerk Maureen Harvey said the total cost for printing and mailing the report this year was about $1,900, down from $3,500, with money saved by not outsourcing printing, reviewing and cleaning up addresses, and printing fewer copies.

Digging deeper

It wouldn’t be a Vermont town meeting without discussion about machinery and the earth it moves.

The crowd voted to approve $8,000 to buy a culvert thawer, which clears frozen channels that can get backed up when it rains.

One resident said the culverts were just fine on her road, and wondered why everyone should shoulder the cost.

It’s not that the road crew hasn’t needed to clear the culverts, said town treasurer Anne Wilson; “it’s the way they’ve been doing it.”

“I’ve seen the road crew standing on nearly vertical surfaces trying to chainsaw the ice” out of culverts, one resident said, “ and I seem to recall Adam muttering, ‘I love my job.’”

Adam — that’s Duxbury highway foreman Adam Magee — said the machine can also be used to steam-clean salt and grime off other equipment, cutting down on rust.

Also approved was $14,000 to buy a roller to help compact gravel and silt after a dirt road is graded. It makes roads easier to drive on, especially hills, and helps control erosion and runoff, Magee said.

Some organic discussion arose on the town’s former gravel pit. The town needs a plan to finish closing the pit, former select board member Maurice LaVanway said, but “if there was gravel up there worth pulling out, the town of Duxbury and the select board would have done it.”

Residents asked why $43,000 is being budgeted for fuel when only $23,248 was used out of the $48,000 earmarked in 2016.

Scharf said town officials aren’t trying to “connive” by setting the budget higher; that $23,000 had already been used as of March 6, with several months to go.

“It wasn’t a shot in the dark,” Scharf said; the budget committee added five more members and “worked hard” to make accurate estimates.

The library

One of the longer discussions involved Duxbury residents’ use of the Waterbury Public Library.

Scharf said Dan DeSanto, chair of the library commission, had approached her about the $3,000 Duxbury pays to the library, which hasn’t changed in several years.

Duxbury residents don’t pay for a Waterbury library card, while residents of other towns, such Bolton, pay $10 for a card, which is then reimbursed at their town office.

Scharf said DeSanto noted 561 Duxbury residents have library cards, but the library’s system was unable to show which cards were recently or often used. He thought $5,000 would be a fairer amount if Duxbury residents chose to pay a flat “fee.”

“They’re playing hardball,” muttered one voter in the crowd.

Ultimately, the budget was left at $3,000; Duxbury residents who use the library will begin paying an annual fee of $10 as of April 1 and can get reimbursed at the town clerk’s office. Residents hope this will also help figure out exactly how many Duxbury residents actually use the library.

“I never go; now you can get everything online,” one resident said to her friend.

The total town budget approved by voters was $930,338, with an increase of $105,000 for the capital reserve fund.

Selecting officials

Three seats were open on the select board; incumbents Patty Delaney, Eric Ladensack and John Murphy didn’t seek re-election.

Stacy Gibson-Grandfield won a three-year term, and Erin Lander, a manager at SunCommon, and Tamatha Thomas-Haase, former board president of Revitalizing Waterbury, won one-year terms.

Morse, the moderator, announced he won’t run again after 17 years at the post. He received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I’m at retirement age so I’m going to enjoy my retirement, hopefully,” Morse said later.

“It’s time to get some newer blood in there, I guess.”

In between votes, lunch happened — a delicious potluck spread presented by the Duxbury Historical Society.

Some wanted to power through the final few articles, but a parade of children chanting “we want lunch” may have helped sway the popular vote.

• New people elected to offices: Ken Scott and Nathan Isham, listers; Carl Lander, budget committee.

• Re-elected without opposition: Maureen Harvey, town clerk; Anne Wilson, town treasurer; Zeb Towne, dogcatcher; Bob Magee, auditor; Nathan Isham, first constable; Rachel Bolduc, second constable and collector of delinquent taxes; Gloria Rapalee, cemetery commission, agent to prosecute and defend suits and grand juror; Matt Schrag, Duxbury school district (until Dec. 31, 2017); Garrett MacCurtain, Harwood school board (until Dec. 31, 2017).