STAMFORD, Vt. -- With a special town meeting to decide the fate of the sidewalk enhancement project less than a month away, the Select Board has begun discussing how to present information about the project to local voters.
Chairwoman Eunice Rice said Thursday night that she would like the board to give a presentation about the history, logistics and reasoning for the project during the discussion period before the vote.
"It will hopefully answer some of questions people have," she said.
She suggested, and board members agreed, that the presentation should include the scope of the originally proposed project and its cost, why the project had to be downsized, the federal grant paying for most of the project, and the town's responsibility to maintain the new sidewalk.
"It will also improve safety. We know there is overflow parking at the church for town and school events, and the sidewalk is very unsafe to walk on in its present condition," she said.
Road Commissioner David Tatro said that it should also be pointed out that in the long-term, it will cost more to keep the old sidewalk because the town will eventually have to fix it.
Currently, the project involves replacing the sidewalk from Mill Road east to the former Blood property on Main Road.
It's being paid for with a $200,000 federal grant, which includes a 20 percent, or $40,000 match from the town. The original project was approved by Town
The special town meeting, which was prompted by a petition, is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Stamford Elementary School. At that meeting, voters will be asked if they want the town to continue with the project.
Rice said having the meeting will "clear the air" about the project, and address any misinformation out there about it.
"I don't think that there will be much opposition to it, if we show that it needs to be done," she said.
In other business, the Select Board approved having a letter sent to the Readsboro Select Board inviting its members to discuss some lots in Alpenwald Village that are taxed by both towns. The Readsboro and Stamford Listers would also be invited.
Rice said after the meeting that over the past year, it has come to the board's attention that some lots, which have land in both towns, are being taxed for more acres than they have.
"We've been operating under an unspoken agreement, and probably now it may be best to put something in writing," she said.
The Select Board also unanimously approved a motion for the town to sign onto an effort to extend the scenic byway designation of Route 100.
Select Board members Christopher Dargie and David Bugbee were absent from the meeting.
To reach Meghan Foley, email
mfoley@thetranscript.com.
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