Derry emergency alert system readied; board adopts Town Plan

By Bruce Frauman
©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Kevin Beattie, town Emergency Management director, told the Londonderry Select Board at its Monday, Oct. 2 meeting that four people have been trained to use the VT Alert system and are “ready to go.” In case of an emergency, an alert will go out using one or more of several modes such as text, cell phone voicemail, email and landline voice messages.

Beattie added that 400 Londonderry residents have signed up to receive alerts, and he is planning an outreach to encourage more to sign up. In “a month or two,” Beattie said he will conduct a test of the system.

Beattie also plans to establish user groups such as shelter volunteers, town officials, each fire department and the rescue squad, so each could “self dispatch” if their primary dispatch system fails.

Also on Monday night, the board adopted a new Town Plan after a hearing with much discussion but only minor changes proposed. The Planning Commission had revised the plan after a hearing on June 26.

Board member Tom Cavanagh said that the first day for use of punch cards to pay for solid waste at the Transfer Station, which was Monday, “went pretty well,” with about half the users with punch cards and half who had forgotten or didn’t know about the new system.

Resident Dick Dale had high praise for Candy Bliss, who has been volunteering for several months to sort the returnable cans and bottles taken to the Transfer Station. Money from the returnables goes to the town Parks Board and to Flood Brook Athletic Association. Dale added that she “crossed over 18,000” on Sept. 29 for all of September.

Road Foreman Mathew Rawson said the town did receive its rental tractor and mower combination and had finished with its mowing for the season.

Gordon said attorneys are “still ironing out a couple of differences” in the contract with All Season Contractors to build the new salt and sand shed. Construction, he said, is expected to begin next week.

Gordon said that Vermont State Trooper Tyler Noyse has submitted paperwork to the State’s Attorney regarding the unauthorized painting of the retaining wall on Route 100. Gordon said that the Windham County State’s Attorney “will be looking at that and see where it goes.” But as of Tuesday, the Windham County State’s Attorney’s office said that it had not received the paperwork.

Resident Kelly Capen asked for more support for her request to have the shrubbery along Route 11 cut back so drivers can see bears as they cross the road, adding that she has been talking with VTrans.

Rawson said, “Six guys work for VTrans and they have their route.” Rawson said a private firm mows along the highways for the whole state of Vermont and their timing cannot be changed.

Parson Lane resident and professional photographer Hubert Schriebl told the board that “certain views are disappearing” such as of the 1st Congregational Church steeple from South Londonderry. Gordon said that this is all private property and the town cannot tell them what to do with their trees. Schriebl was amenable to Gordon’s suggestion that he talk with the town Beautification Committee about the matter.