Large, agreeable turnout for Andover Town Meeting; budget, elections are unanimous

 

By Madeline Bodin

Moderator Jon Bliss opened Andover’s Town Meeting on Saturday, March 1. Photos by Josh Bodin.

Moderator Jon Bliss opened Andover’s Town Meeting on Saturday, March 1. Photos by Josh Bodin. Click photo to launch gallery.

 A lot of discussion, but not much disagreement dominated the Andover Town Meeting on Saturday, March 1. None of the elections was contested and all votes were unanimous. Andover Town Hall remained chilly, and most of the approximately 60 participants kept their coats on throughout the meeting.

Moderator Jon Bliss opened the meeting by noting the large turnout and the broad range of ages represented in the room, from a child under a year old to the elderly.

During the school meeting that began at exactly 10 a.m. that preceded the town meeting, there was a discussion of the Green Mountain High School budget, which will be voted on by paper ballot on Tuesday, March 5, before  Andover unanimously approved the $24,233 local expenditure portion of the school budget by voice vote.

The audience also unanimously approved a budget of $724,752, 4 percent more than the current year’s budget. Property taxes will pay for $555,669of the budget, with the rest raised from other sources.  Last week’s Telegraph addressed the issues that were unanimously approved on Saturday.

State Rep. Leigh Dakin speaks about a bill she has introduced to aid smaller towns like Andover.

State Rep. Leigh Dakin speaks about a bill she has introduced to aid smaller towns like Andover.

Niki Olesky, a newcomer to elected office in Andover, was voted in as the town’s representative to the Chester-Andover Elementary School Board. Joseph Fromberger was re-elected as Town School Board director.

State Rep. Leigh Dakin spoke between the school and town meetings, touching on House Bill 868, which she has introduced in the Vermont legislature to address Andover’s concerns that the state’s school funding formula is unfair to Andover and similar towns. She also said that the budget decisions being faced by the legislature this year are the toughest she’s seen since she took office four years ago.

During the town meeting, seven-year veteran Select Board member Paul Stumpf nominated John Yake to fill his three-year select board position. Senior Select Board member Harold “Red” Johnson pointed out that Yake was unable to attend the Select Board’s Monday meetings and that the board had not had a chance to discuss rescheduling the meetings.

The solution was to elect incumbent Mark Gordon to the three-year position and elect Yake to a one-year position. Chris Plumb was also re-elected to a one-year select board position.

The Andover Select Board, from left, are Mark Gordon, Chris Plumb, Paul Stumpf and Red Johnson. Not pictured is Jean Peters.

The Andover Select Board, from left, are Mark Gordon, Chris Plumb, Paul Stumpf and Red Johnson. Not pictured is Jean Peters.

Mel Donaton was elected constable.

Lister Leo Salazar opened the discussion of an article asking voters to exempt certain solar energy systems from municipal taxes by saying the exemption was at the listers’ request. Only the largest residential solar energy systems incur both a state and town tax, he said, and the small amount of the town tax is more of a burden than a benefit. There is only one system in town that large, he said.

Two townspeople said that they would prefer if the rule more specifically limited the tax exemption to non-commercial systems. It was agreed to pass the article with the wording exactly as warned, to give the listers the direction they requested. The Select Board agreed to clarify the language for a future vote.

Town Clerk Linda Bargfrede records the proceedings.

Town Clerk Linda Bargfrede records the proceedings.

The town unanimously approved the town budget of $724,752. Johnson presented the budget with 12 transparencies on an overhead projector. There was a brief discussion about a highway bridge that will be replaced next year. When asked how many such bridges the town is responsible for, Stumpf knew that there are eight.

During the non-binding business that concluded the meeting, Chris Elders, Theresa Hatin and Margaret van den Bergh said that fireworks on North Hill Road has become a problem, with extensive late-night displays occurring several times a year. The Select Board agreed to put an insert in town tax bills before the Fourth of July reminding property owners of the danger of fireworks, and that private fireworks use is illegal in the state. Several strategies for working with the State Police were also discussed, given that the fireworks are being shot off at times that are particularly busy for the police.

If there was a theme to this year’s Andover Town Meeting, it would be thanks for the town and the hard work of its elected officials. There were two calls from the floor to thank town officials. Select Board member Jean Peters also thanked departing Select Board member Paul Stumpf, both for his years of service and for mentoring her as a new member of the Select Board.

Wilbur Hale thanks the community for help.

Wilbur Hale thanks the community for help.

Wilbur Hale thanked the many Andover business-people who helped him when “I had a leach field crap out on me,” from Mark Gordon’s surgeon-like skills with an excavator to engineer Jeremy Brodney’s artistic site plans. “It’s a privilege and a blessing from God to be in the peace and quiet of Andover, Vermont,” he said. He concluded, to laughter and applause, that he and his wife love Andover so much that they recently bought more land in town: two cemetery plots.

“You just can’t follow that,” said Bliss.

The meeting adjourned shortly after noon and the meeting-goers enjoyed a potluck lunch of sandwiches, salads and desserts.

 

 

 

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  1. Frank Treu says:

    Thanks Maddy, but especially thanks Josh for the pics that remind me I miss ANDOVER! (not the snow and freeze)

  2. Paul Stumpf says:

    Very nice article Madeline. Thanks for covering the meeting. Also, great photos by your son.