Annual Town Meeting

WARNING

TOWN OF WOODSTOCK, VERMONT

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

March 4, 2023, And March 7, 2023

 

The legal voters of the Town of Woodstock, County of Windsor, State of Vermont are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Town Hall Theatre in said Town on the 4th day of March 2023 at 10:00 A.M., for the Annual Meeting, and on Tuesday the 7th day of March, 2023 between the hours of 7:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M to act on the following:

 

The legal voters of the Town of Woodstock are further notified that voter qualifications, registration, and absentee voting relative to said meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated. You must be registered to vote in the Town of Woodstock in order to vote at Town Meeting.

 

SATURDAY, March 4, 2023:

ANNUAL MEETING 10:00 AM

 

ARTICLE 1: To see if the Town will receive and act upon reports submitted by the Town officers.

 

ARTICLE 2: To see if the Town will vote to collect the Town General, Highway, School Taxes and State Education Taxes on real property and all other taxes levied through the Treasurer under the provisions of Title 32 VSA Chapter 133 and fix the dates of payment as November 3, 2023, and May 3, 2024.

 

ARTICLE 3: Shall the voters authorize the elimination of the office of Town Lister in accordance with 17

V.S.A. §2651c(b)(1) and replace it with a professionally qualified assessor or assessors who shall have the same powers, discharge the same duties, proceed in the discharge thereof in the same manner, and be subject to the same liabilities as are prescribed for listers or the board of listers under the provisions of Title 32.

 

ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to pay the Town Officers in accordance with Title 24 VSA, Section 932 as follows:

Select Board                                                         $1,000.00 per year

Town Treasurer                                                  $13,000.00 per year

Listers                                                                   $27.33 per hour

Constable                                                           $25.76 per hour

Town Clerk                                                       $34.44 per hour

Moderator                                                           $100.00 each time serves

 

ARTICLE 5: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board to borrow money, if necessary, in anticipation of taxes for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 to defray current expenses and debts of the Town and Sewer Department.

 

ARTICLE 6: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of Seven Million Six Hundred Eighty One Thousand Three Hundred Forty One Dollars ($7,681,341) which includes the specified sums of money to operate each department; and to raise by taxation the amount of Five Million Six Hundred Ninety Two Thousand Seven Hundred Twelve Dollars ($5,692,712) which is the necessary sum to defray operating costs for FY 2023-2024.

 

Culture and Recreation                                                458,428

Town Hall Building                                                      104,158

General Government                                                    748,937

Planning and Zoning                                                    163,560

Town Clerk                                                                   220,040

Town Highways                                                            2,254,023

Cemetery Maintenance                                                18,500

Sanitation                                                                    33,528

Welcome Center                                                           77,351

Ambulance Department                                              1,402,577

Health Officer                                                                  3,700

Fire Department                                                          622,430

Communications – Dispatch                                         440,805

Constable                                                                    10,850

Town Police                                                                 446,103

Select Board Contingency                                             271,250

Irene Bond                                                                   55,100

Economic Development Commission                            350,000

Total                                                                           $7,681,341

 

ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of One Million Two Hundred Fourteen Thousand One Hundred Twenty Four Dollars ($1,214,124), which includes One Million One Hundred Eighty Eight Thousand Six Hundred Ten Dollars ($1,188,610) from user fees and Twenty Five Thousand Five Hundred Fourteen Dollars ($25,514) from other revenues, to pay the current expenses and debt of the sewer department for FY 2023-2024.

 

ARTICLE 8: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of Nine Hundred Dollars ($900) and pay each of the Trustees Three Hundred Dollars ($300) for the purpose of paying the Trustees of Public Funds for services rendered and approve the expenditure from the income of the Trust Funds for that purpose.

 

ARTICLE 9: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) for the purpose of having the Public Trust Funds audited and approve the expenditure of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) from income of the Trust Funds to pay for the Annual Audit.

 

ARTICLE 10: To entertain the discussion of any other business of interest to the legal voters, such discussion shall not be construed in any manner as binding Municipal action.

 

TUESDAY, MARCH 7th, 2023: AUSTRALIAN BALLOT – 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM

 

ARTICLE 11: The election of Town Officers for the ensuing year as required by law including:

Select Board (3-year term)

Select Board (2-year term)

Town Clerk (3-year term)

Town Treasurer (3-year term)

Moderator (1-year term)

Lister (3-year term)

Auditor (1-year term)

Auditor (2-year term)

Auditor (3-year term)

Cemetery Commissioner (3-year term)

Trustee of Public Funds (3-year term)

Grand Juror (1-year term)

First Constable (1-year term)

Town Agent (1-year term)

W.C.M.U.U.S.D. (3-year term)

W.C.M.U.U.S.D. (3-year term)

ARTICLE 12: Shall the Town of Woodstock Appropriate the sum of $2,500 (two thousand five hundred dollars to Windsor County Mentors for youth mentoring services provided to the children of Windsor County Mentors for youth mentoring services provided to the children of Windsor County.

ARTICLE 13: Shall the Town of Woodstock Appropriate the sum of $500 (five hundred dollars to Green Mountain RSVP & Volunteer Center of Windsor County to develop opportunities for people age 55 and older to positively impact the quality of life in the community of Woodstock through volunteer service.

ARTICLE 14: Shall the Town of Woodstock appropriate the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) for the Ottauquechee Health Foundation (OHF). OHF is a nonprofit community resource that provides funding and support for individuals with limited financial means to help meet critical health and wellness need such as medical and dental care, eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures, prescription.

ARTICLE 15: Shall the town vote to appropriate the sum of Fifty One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($51,250) for the Norman Williams Public Library to help support the operations and maintenance of the library.

ARTICLE 16: Shall the Town of Woodstock vote to raise, appropriate, and expend the sum of $1,800 for the support of The Special Needs Support Center to provide services to residents of the Town.

ARTICLE 17: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of Three Thousand Two Hundred Forty Seven Dollars ($3,247) to help support outpatient, mental health, and substance abuse service by the staff of Health Care & Rehabilitation Services (HCRS).

ARTICLE 18: Shall the Town appropriate the sum of twelve hundred and fifty dollars ($1,250) to support programming of the Spectrum Teen Center. Our Objective is to engage teens in healthy activities and make youth feel supported, welcomed, and included. There is no charge to attend our program.

ARTICLE 19: Shall the Town of Woodstock vote to appropriate the sum of Forty Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($40,400) as the town’s share of service for the Woodstock Area Council on Aging to run the Thompson Senior Center. The Thompson is an important community resource – providing daily meals, medical and area transportation, and an array of health, educational and social services that assist residents to age well.

ARTICLE 20: Shall the Town of Woodstock vote to raise, appropriate and expend $2,500 (Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars) for Senior Solutions, the nonprofit area agency on aging serving Southeastern Vermont, to serve older Vermonters and younger disabled Vermonters with nutrition and wellness programs, application assistance for state and federal benefit programs, Medicare enrollment guidance, Long Term Care Medicaid program coordination, Volunteer Visitor programs, and more, in accordance with 24 VSA 2691 (aid to social services for town residents).

ARTICLE 21: Shall the Town of Woodstock vote to raise, appropriate and expend the sum of $42,000 for the support of Pentangle Arts.

 

Dated at Woodstock, County of Windsor, State of Vermont on this 23rd day of January, 2023.

 

By the Select Board members of the TOWN OF WOODSTOCK:

 

 

                                                           

Joe Swanson, Chair

 

                                                           

Ray Bourgeois, Vice-Chair

 

                                                           

Mary Riley

 

                                                           

Keri Cole

 

 

 

                                                           

Susan Ford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           

  1. Charles Degener, III

Town Clerk         

 

NOTICE TO VOTERS

 

Woodstock residents not on the voter checklist may register to vote at the Town Clerk’s office in the Town Hall.

 

Absentee ballots are available from the Town clerk prior to 12:00 pm on March 3, 2023. A voter who expects to be an early or absentee voter may apply for an early voter absentee ballot until 12:00 pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

 

WARNING 2023 – signed