Chester Town Meeting Warning for March 5 & 6, 2018

Below is the warning for the Chester Town Meeting and vote taking place next week. All take place at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. in Chester.

About 100 Chester voters turned out for Town Meeting in March 2016. Telegraph file photo.

The Legal Voters of the TOWN OF CHESTER are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Chester Town Hall, Second Floor in said Town of Chester on Monday, March 5, 2018, at 6:00 pm., to act on the following Articles. Voting on Article 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be by Australian ballot on March 6, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Chester Town Hall Second Floor.

ARTICLE 1: To elect Town Officials for the ensuing year as provided by the Public Laws of Vermont. (Australian Ballot).

ARTICLE 2: Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Chester in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Thirty Six Thousand Dollars ($236,000.00), subject to reduction from the receipt of available state and federal grants-in-aid, be issued for the purpose of purchasing the following capital items: $110,000.00 to purchase a Compaction Roller for the highway department; $115,000.00 to purchase a new Sidewalk Plow for the highway department; $11,000.00 to purchase a hazmat trailer for the fire department. (Australian Ballot)

ARTICLE 3: Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Chester, subject to reduction from the receipt of available state and federal grants-in-aid, be issued for the purpose of restoring the Town Hall building, the estimated cost of such improvements being Four Hundred Eight Thousand Dollars ($408,000). (Australian Ballot)

ARTICLE 4: Shall general obligation bonds of the Town of Chester in an amount not to exceed Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), subject to reduction from the receipt of available state and federal grants-in-aid, be issued for the purpose of constructing a pocket park on School Street. (Australian Ballot)

ARTICLE 5: To see if the Town will vote to accept gifts and trust funds for perpetual care of cemetery lots in accordance with conditions of said gifts and trusts as follows: Leona and Wendell Brown, $500.00; Russel and Jacquelyn Farrar, $250.00; Virginia Carol Stowell, $250.00.

ARTICLE 6: To see if the Town will vote to raise $3,038,539.63 to be paid to the Chester Town Treasurer on September 17, 2018, to pay current expenses and any part of the Town’s indebtedness.

ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to expend from the Capital Budget Reserve Fund, $447,051.38 to be allocated as follows: $125,000.00 for the purchase of a new dump truck for the highway department; $45,500.00 for the Excavator lease for the highway department; $35,000.00 for sidewalk improvements; $20,000.00 for the purchase of new signage; $48,000.00 for the purchase of a new police cruiser; $20,000.00 for the payment of library loan; $15,000.00 for renovations to Town Hall; $8,000.00 for the tree management; $60,000.00 for improvements to Route 35; $34,500.00 for the purchase of emergency equipment to include air paks, a new portable water pump and refurbishing the rescue truck; and $36,051.38 as a transfer to the Bond Plan; all as indicated on the Capital Budget Program schedule and less any grant funds that may be received.

ARTICLE 8: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of $2500 (two thousand five hundred dollars) to support the Chester Fireworks for Labor Day weekend, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. § 2691.

ARTICLE 9: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of THIRTEEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SEVEN DOLLARS ($13,807) to help support the home health, maternal and child health, and hospice care provided in patients’ homes and in community settings by the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of VT and NH, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 10: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of THREE THOUSAND AND FORTY FOUR DOLLARS ($3,044) to help support outpatient, mental health and substance abuse services by the staff of Health Care and Rehabilitation Services, Inc, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 11: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of THREE THOUSAND FORTY DOLLARS ($3,040) to Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) to assist Chester in responding to the emergency needs of the community and providing all available and applicable services to families and individuals in need, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 12: Shall the Town of Chester appropriate the sum of NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($900) to the Women’s Freedom Center for general budget support to provide services to women and their children who are experiencing emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse and are residents of the Town, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 13: Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1,200.00) for the support of Senior Solutions (formerly Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont) for help to support seniors and their families who are trying to remain at home and not be placed in a nursing home, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 14: Shall the Town of Chester appropriate the sum of $2,700 (two thousand seven hundred dollars) to assist with the cost of operating the Meals on Wheels Program of Greater Springfield that provides daily hot and cold congregate and

home delivered meals and other nutritional needs to the qualified residents of Chester, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 15: Shall the Town of Chester appropriate the sum of $2,250 (two thousand two hundred fifty dollars) for the support of the Current operated by Connecticut River Transit, Inc., to provide transit services to the residents of the Town of Chester, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 16: Shall the Town of Chester appropriate the sum of $800 (eight hundred dollars) to support Windsor County Partners, for youth mentoring services provided to children in Windsor County, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 17: Shall the Town of Chester appropriate the sum of $400 (four hundred dollars) to Green Mountain RSVP & Volunteer Center of Windsor County to develop opportunities for people age 55 and older to positively impact the quality of life in the community of Chester through volunteer service, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 18: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1,800.00) toward the support of the Community Cares Network of Chester and Andover, Inc. a non-profit organization which provides services to senior citizens, helping them to stay in their homes longer safely, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 19: To see if the Town of Chester will appropriate the sum of THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($3,000) to assist in the services of the Chester-Andover Family Center for individuals and families in need, in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691.

ARTICLE 20: To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500) to Neighborhood Connections to cover the cost of providing services in Chester in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §2691. (This article is by petition)

ARTICLE 21: To see if the Town will authorize the Selectboard to borrow money in anticipation of taxes to pay current expenses and any part of the Town’s indebtedness.

ARTICLE 22: To act on the reports of the Town Officers for the year ending December 31, 2017.

ARTICLE 23: To transact any other business deemed proper when met, not including the expenditures of Town Funds or other business acted upon in the preceding Articles.

Dated at Chester, Vermont on this 19^th day of January, 2018.

________________________________/s/ Arne Jonynas, Chairman

_______________________________________ s/ Heather Chase

___________________________________________/s/ Dan Cote

_________________________________________/s/ Ben Whalen

_______________________________________/s/ Lee Gustafson