Weston Board OKs homestead rate of $2.1879

By Bruce Frauman
©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC

The Weston Select Board on Tuesday, July 28 voted to approve a homestead tax rate of $2.1879 per $100 of assessed property value and $2.2135 for non-homestead property. To arrive at that rate, Town Treasurer Kim Seymour removed the $250,000 spending item to replace a culvert on Trout Club Road. She said the work will probably be done next year. 

Board member Jim Linville said the tax rate is a 1 percent decrease in the town portion of the overall tax bill. The non-homestead rate goes up “not at all” and the homestead rate goes up 1.3 percent, he said, adding, “I like the end result.”

In other news, Seymour said that $119,000 in special funds for highway repair plus $50,000 allocated through annual appropriations and $80,000 in special funds will pay almost all of the balance owed to Fuller Sand and Gravel for its $292,000 paving bill. Seymour said that an expected FEMA payment should completely pay for the paving.

The Select Board voted to purchase winter sand from Renew Gravel at a bid cost of $10.75 per yard when picked up at the sand pit in Andover or $14 when delivered to the town garage. Board Chair Denis Benson said Road Foreman Almon Crandall has been happy with the quality of sand from both Renew and Hunter Excavating, the other bidder.

Linville will ask Zoning Administrator Will Goodwin if a high spot between the Town Office Building and the West River is a good spot for the planned generator to service both the Town Office Building and the Annex building that houses the Little School during power outages. Linville and  Crandall put a stake at the spot near the Little School where they had planned to place the generator and determined that the generator would have to be 5 or 6 feet off the ground.

The board also approved 10 to 15 hours of training per quarter for new Emergency Management Director Michael Smilovich.  Select Board Administrator Natalie Boston received emails from former Weston EMD Birgit Sutter-Davis and current Londonderry EMD Kevin Beattie who both thought 10 to 15 hours of training per quarter were adequate to get Smilovich up to speed.

Linville and board member Bruce Downer agreed that the temporary use of speed carts on Route 100 did have an effect on vehicles traveling south in to the village but was of “very little consequence on north bound traffic.” Linville said this was enough information to generate a discussion at town meeting.

Each Select Board member will reach out to the Vermont State Police individually rather than respond as a group to a letter from VSP Lt. Anthony French, who wants to hear directly from boards and the people they represent about their priorities and concerns, and how the VSP can ensure that policing in each town “keeps Vermont a safe, just and welcoming place for everyone.”

Finally, joining the Deerfield Valley Communications Union District will be voted on at the next meeting.