9/12/24 dispatch
Happy Foliage! I am happy to report that we haven't started battling over the thermostat in my house, but it's only a matter of time :)
Correction
Last time I wrote about special articles on the ballot. The Woodstock Rec Center has not historically submitted special articles for funding. They do receive funding from our operating budget ($235k as well as $15k in bond repayments + interest for the Little Theatre). In many towns, the library and the recreation department operate under the town - in Woodstock they are separate non-profit organizations.
Homestead Declaration
If you are a property owner in Woodstock, you should have received your tax bill via mail. After a handful of conversations over the past few weeks, I want to remind folks that you must file a homestead declaration EVERY year, regardless of income. This should be done by April 15th, but the Department of Taxes accepts late submissions until October 15, 2024. Please make sure to file to avoid the eye-watering penalties. Linking you to the criteria for homestead and the form: https://tax.vermont.gov/property-owners/homestead-declaration
https://tax.vermont.gov/sites/tax/files/documents/HS-122-2023.pdf
Ok, let's get into it:
Priorities and goals
The joint boards met last week to hammer out some more specifics on goals. While it's never easy to get 10 people on the same page, we are making progress and I'm grateful to be working with such a thoughtful group. Out of the gate, both boards agreed that the purchase of the Aqueduct (and its capital improvements) as well as the Main Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades were top goals. (Refresher: the Town is in active negotiations to purchase WAC and we have tentatively planned for a bond vote in March for the WWTP upgrades).
Also high on the list: revisiting the short-term rental ordinance before the moratorium for new permits expires in the town (12/31) and the window for new applications opens in the Village (11/1); purchasing and implementing permit software; improving the technology for our public meetings; restructuring and redirecting our advisory boards; and, of course, the unsurprisingly controversial topic of merging.
As a reminder, our goals are supposed to be specific so they are achievable. You can watch the recorded meeting here: https://youtu.be/1VdidToH9FA?si=f6N_mmHZ-OyoIBbs
Sip and Shop!
We can have nice things! Some shop owners are organizing a Sip and Shop on the second Saturday of each month from September to December: https://townofwoodstock.org/2024/09/sip-and-shop/
Reading/listening:
Use it or lose it: the urgent case for civic engagement, The Vermont Standard (attached)
Gov. Scott, School Leaders Raise Alarm About Next Budget Season, Seven Days
Why Vermont streams have become more powerful — and how that fuels devastating flooding, Vermont Public
Progress is being made in the battle to save trees from the emerald ash borer, The Berkshire Eagle
