Weston board opens bids, prepping for winter

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing, LLC

It may have been the middle of August, but winter was in the air at the Weston Select Board meeting last Tuesday, Aug. 13, as the board opened bids for winter sand and fuel oil and discussed heating contract expenses for the town annex among other issues.

The board accepted the low bid of $10.60 per cubic yard picked up at the pit or $13.60 delivered for sand from Renaud Gravel, but members could not make a decision on fuel oil since the companies structured their bids differently. Board members felt it was an “apples to oranges” comparison. Board members Annie Fuji’i and Jim Linville said they would work together to craft a bid request that cleared up the confusion.

Fire Chief Brian Lundberg and Fred Probst of the Weston Volunteer Fire Company told the board that several members of the company took  eight hours of classes offered by the Londonderry Resilience Committee on the interaction between first responders and emergency management personnel. They found the information valuable and, in speaking with the trainer, Richard Cogliano, learned that he was willing to do a one-hour overview of the course for town officials if they were interested.

Board members were enthusiastic about the offer and agreed to the overview for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 10. Members also  suggested that Town Clerk Kim Seymour, Road Superintendent Almon Crandall and others in town government be invited.

The board also discussed ways to increase attendance at Town Meeting including changing the day and providing child care. The topic was prompted Nicole Pfister, who had asked if a survey could be done to gauge the public’s feeling about it.

Board chair Denis Benson felt that other towns that had moved from the traditional first Tuesday in March had not gotten any more than a momentary bump in attendance.

“That’s another Vermont tradition thrown away,” said Benson

“When I hear someone of an age to be gainfully employed saying he can’t make it but he would like to it bothers me,” said board member Charles Goodwin.

The board decided that it should continue discussing the topic when board member Bruce Downer is present since this is an interest of his.

As they had done in Londonderry a few weeks ago, officials from the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. visited the meeting to explain what the organization does and offer their services. The regional development organization works to bring jobs and businesses into the region.