Doug Wilberding is running against Robert Gere for the three-year seat on the Selectboard. Neither is the incumbent, Below are the responses of Mr. Wilberding to my five questions.
1. For those who do not know you, please provide some background about yourself and say why you want to be on the Selectboard.
I was born and raised in Norwich with my 7 siblings. I went to Saint Michael’s College for my Bachelor’s degree and NYU for my Master’s degree. I moved back to Norwich 3 years ago and built a nearly-fossil free home. It’s heated by a biomass furnace from Lyme Green Heat with off-site solar from Solaflect. I work remotely from home for a private equity fund based in NYC with a large part of my work devoted to social impact investing in affordable housing.
I am running for Selectboard because I feel that the Town is losing its way with fiscal prudence and long term capital planning. I want to contribute to the work of the Selectboard and add value with my financial background and empirical knowledge of the Town.
2. Article 8 on the ballot is a $2 million bond for building improvements to reduce fossil fuel use by the Town by 15%. What are your thoughts on Article 8? As part of your response, please include your thoughts on whether the Selectboard adequately considered other capital or infrastructure wants/needs of the Town before placing the measure on the ballot?
The Norwich Energy Committee and Selectboard did NOT consider alternative fuels (e.g., biomass or solar) and specifically told EEI (Energy Efficient Investments), the energy consultant, to ONLY pursue geothermal. This process did not consider the best interests of the Town and its residents and failed to adequately survey the entire field of options.
Separately, the Town does not have a 5/10/15 or 20-year capital plan for repairs, maintenance or replacement of systems, structures, vehicles, etc. We are kicking the proverbial can down the road by not repairing our roads and using those allocated funds for other initiatives and keeping a balanced budget.
Climate change is real, but we have to be wise and fiscally prudent in how we adjust—and ultimately pay for—our fossil fuel usage.
3. It seems likely that this year the State will pass legislation allowing the retail sale of marijuana. How do you think Norwich should handle the retail sale of marijuana? Should any decision regarding the retail sale of cannabis (to prohibit or to permit) be subject to a town-wide vote or should the decision be up to the Selectboard?
I don’t believe Norwich should be a leader or a follower as it relates to the retail sale of marijuana. Any decision should be subject to a town-wide vote. However, I would not support placing it as an article on the ballot.
4. The Selectboard is about to conduct public hearings on the proposed Town Plan. One aspect of that plan is the possible creation of a mixed use zoning district in the Route 5 South area. What are your concerns, if any, about development along Route 5 South? Should future development in that area be “consistent with the size and scale of existing developments in Norwich,” as set forth in the current Town Plan. See Introduction at http://norwich.vt.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2018-Plan.pdf
I am opposed to any large scale development on Route 5 South. Brick-and-mortar retail is either dead or dying and there is little demand or need for it in a town as small as Norwich. More importantly, the location of the proposed Route 5 South planned development is in an area that is a watershed and could have a negative impact on the water table and surrounding homes.
I’d like to understand who has a special interest in the development? How did we veer off course from the affordable housing initiative? I would much rather see the Town contribute its excess, unused land towards the creation of duplex or triplex affordable housing units in a scattered site manner versus a single mixed use development of luxury homes.
5. Excluding big issues such as affordable housing or climate change, what are several “nuts and bolts” issues that you think the Town or Selectboard should address in the next 12 to 18 months?
Marion Cross septic system: The septic system is in dire need of repair or replacement. This should be at the top of the list of capital projects. That said, I would encourage a MULTI-BID process for the engineers, surveyors, and installers.
Town employee pensions: I believe the Town should be publishing the monthly AND annual cost of pensions for retired Town employees. We need to understand the scope of our financial obligations which carries implications for the Town budget for years to come.
Town Manager contract: I would consider supporting a 12-month extension of the Town Manager contract but only at the current terms. This is without the current TM’s requests for a higher salary, more vacation time, funding to attend an annual convention in Toronto, and added contract language making it more difficult for the SB to terminate “for cause.” I would also make it mandatory for the Town Manager to attend all Norwich Finance Committee meetings and implement quarterly performance reviews to ensure improvement is made in the areas already identified by the current SB. (See pages 19-23: http://norwich.vt.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SB-packet-02-10-20.pdf)
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The Norwich Forum for Selectboard candidates will be held Tuesday, February 25 in the Tracy Hall Multi-purpose room from 7-8:30. Come and hear candidates Robert Gere, Doug Wilberding, and Claudette Brochu. Ask them questions.This event is sponsored by the Norwich Women’s Club.
Contact me at norwichobserver [AT] gmail.com.
Very glad to read this with emphasis on fiscal responsibility. Also, appreciate the concern for wetlands and watershed. Our sensitivity to and appreciation of this vital geographic aspect of our location could do much to mitigate flooding and storm damage in future. I am concerned about the health of Bloody Brook as a direct dump into the CT river and main artery of our watershed.