Selectboard charts course for Town Manager search

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At its meeting on September 29, the Selectboard charted a course for the Town Manager search process. The goal is to have a new Town Manager at her or his post by February 1, 2022. The Board approved the recruitment plan in the packet, according to the draft meeting minutes. A soft deadline for applications is October 29. First round interviews are scheduled for November 4 and 5. The final interview process occurs about 10-15 days later, involving two or Continue reading Selectboard charts course for Town Manager search→

Why can’t Norwich be happy with its Town Manager?

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By my count, Norwich has had five permanent Town Managers since the first Town Manager was hired in 2002. None lasted five years. According to a recent Valley News article by Tim Camerato, “Norwich has a contentious history with past town managers.” Is it time for Norwich to look in the mirror? The five Town Managers in chronological order are: Dennis Pavlicek (resigned) Stephen J. Soares (?resigned to be police chief in Windsor?), Peter Webster (contract not renewed), Neil Fulton Continue reading Why can’t Norwich be happy with its Town Manager?→

What role for residents in Town Manager search?

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At its meeting on September 8, the Selectboard heard a presentation from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) on how it plans to conduct the search for a new Town Manager. Not yet publicly discussed by the Selectboard is the role the community will play in the process. That may occur at the Board meeting on September 22. The Selectboard should proactively involve the public. The Town Manager is often the sole point of contact between members of Continue reading What role for residents in Town Manager search?→

Vermont: a less risky place to weather climate change

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Of the 10 lowest risk counties in the United States to live as the climate warms, seven are in Vermont. One is the Upper Valley’s Orange County. However, nowhere will escape climate change unscathed. Here’s the blurb from the Quartz Daily Brief of September 7, 2021. One in three Americans experienced a weather disaster this summer, and things aren’t getting less extreme from here. So where is a future climate migrant to go?A recent study assessed six factors—heat, wet bulb Continue reading Vermont: a less risky place to weather climate change→

Norwich to receive an additional $660,000 in ARPA money, bringing total to over $1 million

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The Town of Norwich is slated to receive a little over $1 million from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Town Manager Herb Durfee made that announcement as part of his final Town Manager report to the Selectboard at its meeting on Wednesday, August 25, as seen on CATV. That is a significant bump from the approximately $366,000 the Town was expecting. The additional dollars represent Norwich’s share of the money allocated by the feds to Continue reading Norwich to receive an additional $660,000 in ARPA money, bringing total to over $1 million→

ICYMI: Farmer Olympics, Norwich Inn, and Peace Corps

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A brief roundup of news and information regarding Norwich, Vermont that may have escaped your attention. Honey Field Farm to host Farmer Olympics Honey Field Farm on Butternut Road in Norwich is hosting the 6th Annual Farmer Olympics. The event, scheduled for August 31, is sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, or NOFA-VT. “Farm teams will show off their finely-honed skills in events ranging from physical to cerebral to just plain ridiculous,” says Sunday’s article on vermontbiz.com.The Continue reading ICYMI: Farmer Olympics, Norwich Inn, and Peace Corps→

Norwich Town Manager won’t get new contract

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The Selectboard will not pursue another employment agreement with Town Manager Herb Durfee. As a result, Mr. Durfee’s role as the Town Manager for Norwich will end at the end of August, when his current contract expires. The decision was made at the Selectboard meeting last night, July 28. The video of that meeting is here, with the discussion beginning at about 1:49:25. (Thanks DW.) The vote was unanimous with Mary Layton abstaining. After the vote, Selectboard Chair Roger Arnold Continue reading Norwich Town Manager won’t get new contract→

Should the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager’s contract?

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Other than the Selectboard, the Town Manager is the most powerful position in Norwich town government. By statute, the manager has “general supervision of the affairs of the town.” The employment agreement with Town Manager Herb Durfee expires in about 40 days. Yet, with so little time left, the Selectboard won’t tell the public what its plans are. Why? Would it put the Town in an adverse position for the Selectboard to tell the public that it is in the Continue reading Should the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager’s contract?→

Bad news for walkers on Beaver Meadow Road. Town says traffic calming measures are not feasible

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Town staff has concluded that most traffic calming measures for Beaver Meadow Road are not feasible at this time. That news is in the Town Manager’s report in the packet for the June 14, 2021 Selectboard meeting, beginning at page 30. It is likely a disappointment for residents along that stretch of Beaver Meadow Road, who have lobbied for a sidewalk since 2019. The earliest a sidewalk could probably be in place, by my guesstimate, is late 2023, assuming voters Continue reading Bad news for walkers on Beaver Meadow Road. Town says traffic calming measures are not feasible→

Total homestead property tax rate to rise by 3.25% in Norwich

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The Norwich Selectboard finalized the property tax rate on Tuesday. The total rate for homestead property will rise 3.25% compared to last year, from $2.3591 to $2.4358. For non residential property, the total rate goes from $2.2696 to $2.3589, about a 3.9% increase. Those numbers are from the Selectboard packet for the July 6, 2021 meeting. See chart below. At that meeting, Selectboard Chair Roger Arnold “thanked the Listers, Town Manager, and school personnel for their work on the tax Continue reading Total homestead property tax rate to rise by 3.25% in Norwich→