Weston resident seeks formal name for driveway Select Board also discusses First Constable duties

By Bruce Frauman
©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Weston resident David Chioffi sought permission from the Weston Select Board last Tuesday night to name his driveway, which lead to a 20-minute discussion and a promise to do more research.

Chioffi told The Telegraph that his house, built in 1834, has always been known as Cascade Farm. He would like his driveway, which is a fifth of a mile from Route 155 at Route 100, to be a private road named Cascade Farm Road. 

According to Section 4 of Vermont’s 911 Addressing Standards, the state allows for naming of private roads and driveways.

Chioffi said the name change would comply with enhanced 911 regulations, although the street number might have to be changed. Chioffi thought someone would have to measure the distance from Route 100 to the house to determine the new address, which currently is listed as 1433 Route 100. Street numbers are determined by the distance from a specific intersection to the driveway in 1/1000 mile increments, or 5.28 feet.

Donald Hart confirmed board member Jim Linville’s assertion that street numbers along Route 100 in Weston are based on the distance from the Londonderry town line in 50-foot increments. Hart’s brother, Norman Hart, started designating street numbers early in the E911 process and was granted a waiver by the state to use 50 foot increments in Weston.

Goodwin said a conversation with 911 coordinator Almon Crandall and Londonderry Rescue would not be a bad idea. If the name is added, Select Board Administrator Cheryl Barker said, 911 maps would need to be updated and FedEx and United Parcel Service would have to be informed.

Barker said she will make copies of the relevant ordinances for the board to review.  Chioffi said the only state requirements he saw specified that the street name sign must be out of the Route 100 right of way, or 33 feet from the center of the road, which he said was no problem.

The board did not vote on Chioffi’s request.

First Constable duties; impact of state bills

The Select Board voted to table member Annie Fuji’i’s motion to appoint Almon Crandall as the First Constable. Town Clerk Kim Seymour told The Telegraph that no one was nominated as First Constable during Town Meeting. Fuji’i said she thought the Select Board could appoint Crandall to the post but Linville read in a state statute that an incumbent will remain in office until a successor is chosen, so no appointment was necessary.

Linville said the other issue is what his powers are. Fuji’i said Weston constables have never had law enforcement authority but this has never been voted on by the town. Goodwin said the only exception was Brian Lundgren, who attended the State Police Academy for a week. The board voted to draft a warning for the next Town Meeting to clarify the duties of the First Constable.

Looking at the highway budget, Treasurer Kim Seymour said the town, which is on a calendar-based fiscal year, has spent about $150,000 out of a total budget of $831,000, including about 50 percent of the winter maintenance budget. This leaves the rest to pay for the expenses for the fall and December.

Seymour told the board she is watching two bills in the state legislature.  H.911, relating to “taxation, personal income tax, statewide education tax and municipal taxes,” has already passed  the House. Seymour said she and other town clerks are concerned that the bill requires municipalities to send out to residents separate bills for the municipal tax and the homestead education property tax.

She said she is concerned that that could confuse taxpayers, who then may neglect to pay one of the taxes, as has happened when she has sent a single property owner separate bills for each property he owns. As an innkeeper, Seymour said, she is also concerned that all rooms and meals taxes will go toward education instead of marketing.

Among many other provisions relating to taxes, H.922 also passed the House. It would allow municipalities to merge in the same unified union school district to join or create an assessment district for a single tax rate for education, Seymour said.

This bill would require the state Commissioner of Taxes to notify municipalities of property tax adjustments for claimants of property tax liabilities on a monthly basis rather than twice a year as is done now. Seymour says this will help those who move in, for instance, in August, get a big tax bill, then a refund after she receives the adjustment information from the state.