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→

Article 36 Task Force lists potential action items, invites public input

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The Article 36 Task Force is winnowing its list of potential action items as it prepares to make recommendations to the Selectboard in December. From a list of nearly 50 items, the Task Force preliminarily narrowed the list to 13 items at its October 28 meeting. However, the list remains a work-in-progress. The Task Force plans to hold three drafting sessions as it further develops the list and report. The first meeting is at 7 PM on November 4, at Continue reading Article 36 Task Force lists potential action items, invites public input→

Masland and Briglin pan House redistricting proposal for Norwich

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House Representatives Jim Masland and Tim Briglin weighed in for Daybreak on the tentative proposal by Legislative Apportionment Board (LAB) to split the Town of Norwich into two House districts. Rep. Masland says it is: “Bad, bad, bad!” Further, Rep. Briglin believes “there is little/no chance the LAB’s proposal will be adopted by the legislature.” See their complete comments on Daybreak here. However, single member districts get support from Vermont Public Research Interest Group, a left-leaning advocacy organization, as well Continue reading Masland and Briglin pan House redistricting proposal for Norwich→

Proposed House districts split Norwich

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The Town of Norwich is split into two House districts, under the map tentatively proposed by Legislative Apportionment Board (LAB). The Norwich Board of Civil Authority (BCA) plans to meet on Monday, October 25, 2021 to review the map. At present, Norwich, along with Sharon, Strafford, and Thetford, are in the Windsor-Orange 2 district. It has two representatives in the Vermont House of Representatives. The LAB’s emphasis was to create single member House districts. As a result, the current Windsor-Orange Continue reading Proposed House districts split Norwich→

School Board seat available

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The Norwich School Board wishes to fill a vacancy on its board, due to the resignation of one of its members. The person appointed also serves on the Dresden School Board. If you want to apply, the deadline for letters of interest is October 29. The listserv post of October 19 says: The Norwich School Board has recently received the resignation of one of its school board members. Vacancies on the Norwich School Board will be filled in accordance with the provisions Continue reading School Board seat available→

Norwich Selectboard’s choice for interim town manager declines job

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The Norwich Selectboard’s choice for interim town manager will not be coming aboard, as that person accepted a different job offer. Selectboard Chair Roger Arnold made the announcement at the October 13 Selectboard meeting. No next steps were discussed. The Selectboard Chair made the offer sometime after the Board’s approval at a special meeting on September 14. However, at the October 13 meeting, Chair Arnold said the “candidate has accepted another position and is unfortunately no longer available to to Continue reading Norwich Selectboard’s choice for interim town manager declines job→

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→