Who’s running for School Board and Selectboard?

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ELECTION 2022 Two School Board and two Selectboard seats are up for election at Town Meeting this year. With the filing deadline less than a month away, I thought I would check with the incumbents to see if they had made any decisions. School Board member Lily Trajman has said she is running to retain her School Board seat. Dr. Trajman was appointed by the Norwich School Board on November 3 to fill the vacancy on the Board due to Continue reading Who’s running for School Board and Selectboard?→

$50,000 for a police study?

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On December 22 the Selectboard will likely take the next steps towards spending over $50,000 on consultants to examine whether the Norwich Police Department needs reforming or reimagining. Is this money well spent? I don’t know. But, I do have questions. To put this $50,000 amount in context, Norwich has $40,000 in its Climate Emergency, and about $46,000 in the Affordable Housing designated funds. The estimate to complete the Phase II engineering study for the Beaver Meadow Road sidewalk extension Continue reading $50,000 for a police study?→

Norwich Farm Foundation makes deal to purchase farm, a win for Norwich Farm Creamery

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The Norwich Farm Foundation (NFF) has come to an agreement with Vermont State Colleges to purchase the six-acre Norwich Farm property on Turnpike Road. The news appears as a pop-up on the NFF website. Closing is projected for spring/summer 2022 but depends on a fundraising campaign. The site houses the Norwich Farm Creamery which is in litigation with its landlord, the Vermont Technical College. In contrast, the NFF plans to collaborate with the Creamery. “We’re thrilled to let you know Continue reading Norwich Farm Foundation makes deal to purchase farm, a win for Norwich Farm Creamery→

UPDATE: Legislative Apportionment Board opts for single member House and Senate districts, rejecting Norwich BCA recommendation on House

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By a 4-3 vote, the Vermont Legislative Apportionment Board (LAB) opted to recommend single-member House and Senate districts across the State. If approved by the General Assembly (and that is a big ‘if’), most of the Town of Norwich would lose all incumbents currently representing its population in the Legislature. As explained by Lola Duffort, a reporter for VTDigger, in a recent article: The General Assembly must redraw its boundaries every 10 years, after the new U.S. census is published, Continue reading UPDATE: Legislative Apportionment Board opts for single member House and Senate districts, rejecting Norwich BCA recommendation on House→

UPDATE: Norwich Selectboard chooses Candidate #31 as finalist for Town Manager position

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Looks like Candidate #31 may be the next Town Manager of Norwich, subject to background checks and contract negotiations. By unanimous vote at its meeting on December 10, the Selectboard agreed “to go forward with the candidacy of Candidate #31, subject to a full background check.” The Selectboard has not publicly disclosed the identity of #31. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns will conduct the background check. That investigation is the first half of the sixth and final step Continue reading UPDATE: Norwich Selectboard chooses Candidate #31 as finalist for Town Manager position→

UPDATE: Town Manager search

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A brief update on the search for a new Town Manager for Norwich. Both the Selectboard and the Town Manager Screening Committee have plans to meet on Friday, December 3 to interview the finalists for the Town Manager position. The Selectboard might extend an offer of employment that night. Details of the meeting are not known. As of Thursday at 6 p.m, I did not see an agenda or meeting notice on the listserv or on the Town’s website. That Continue reading UPDATE: Town Manager search→

Proposed Police Department budget includes body cams, two replacement vehicles. Police incidents increase by 20%.

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The 2023 fiscal year budget for the Norwich Police Department increases by over 7% under the proposal put forth by Acting Police Chief Simon Keeling and Interim Town Manager Rod Francis. The proposal includes body cameras for the police officers and replacement of two 2013 police cruisers. Except for the body cams, the goal of the budget proposal is to maintain the same level of service. Wages and benefits comprises about 75% of the budget. But that line decreases by Continue reading Proposed Police Department budget includes body cams, two replacement vehicles. Police incidents increase by 20%.→

UPDATE: Norwich opposes House redistricting proposal, as do Sharon, Strafford and Thetford

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The Norwich Board of Civil Authority (BCA) is against the House redistricting proposal put forth by the Legislative Apportionment Board (LAB). The Norwich BCA submitted a formal response to the LAB last week. The BCA’s for Sharon, Strafford and Thetford are also against the change from a four town district. As noted in a prior post, Norwich, Sharon, Strafford and Thetford currently comprise the Windsor-Orange 2 district. It has two representatives in the Vermont House of Representatives. Seeking to create Continue reading UPDATE: Norwich opposes House redistricting proposal, as do Sharon, Strafford and Thetford→

ICYMI: Montshire Museum, Norwich University, Farmers Market

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A brief roundup of news and information regarding Norwich, Vermont that may have escaped your attention. Montshire names new Executive Director Lara Litchfield-Kimber is the new Executive Director of the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont. The Montshire made the announcement in a November 5 press release. (H/T Daybreak!) Science and science literacy have never been more important—to have a nationally recognized museum here says a lot about our community and what it values, said Trustee Jeremy DeSilva, who Continue reading ICYMI: Montshire Museum, Norwich University, Farmers Market→

UPDATES: School Board vacancy, Town Manager search, Interim Town Manager support

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An update on topics that the Norwich Observer is following. School Board vacancy filled Lily Trajman was appointed by the Norwich School Board on November 3 to fill the vacancy on the Board due to the resignation of Kelley Hersey. She will serve until Town Meeting in March. The Board selected Dr. Trajman from a field of three candidates, each of whom made presentations to the Board. Dr. Trajman’s letter of interest to the School Board is available here. Her Continue reading UPDATES: School Board vacancy, Town Manager search, Interim Town Manager support→