MINUTES
OF THE SHAFTSBURY PLANNING BOARD
OCTOBER
28, 2008
COLE
HALL
SHAFTSBURY,
VERMONT
Board Absent:
Bob Carter
Others Present:
Susan Swasta (Recording Secretary)
1. Call Meeting to
Order:
Chairman
2. Old Business:
A. Working
Session on Updates to Town Plan
Chairman
Chris Williams said he had sent the information on schools
to Chairman Bruder, who has not yet looked at it. Mr. Williams said that School
Board Chairwoman Betty Benedict had given him enrollment and budget figures and
will also send him demographic projections. He said that she felt the treatment
of education in the Town Plan is skimpy.
Mr. Williams said that they might add wording recommending
better integration between the school and the Town, and they might also
consider recommending that schools need to maintain a certain size to remain
viable. There was discussion of the Shaftsbury and North Bennington school
situation. Ms. Benedict's figures will be used as the basis of any
recommendations to be added.
Mr. Williams asked where they are in terms of pulling the
revision together, and Chairman Bruder replied that they are still waiting for
a big piece from Jim Sullivan of the Bennington County Regional Commission
(BCRC). This should be ready by the end of next week. They are also waiting for
input from Ms. Galle of the Recreation Committee. Then they will put it all
together and hold a public hearing.
Mr. Williams asked if the revised Town Plan reflects the day
to day issues in Shaftsbury. He noted the declining participation in Town
government, and said he is not sure what to recommend regarding this issue.
Chairman Bruder said that they could recommend active participation by
community members. Mr. Williams suggested that they could say something about
statewide control of school taxes diminishing control by local school boards.
Bill Pennebaker stated that there is no mention of
government structure in the Town Plan. Mr. Williams said that the township is
too small a governing unit for the twenty-first century, but Vermonters are
hugely resistant to regional government. He asked if they could say something
significant about this in the Town Plan, Chairman Bruder suggested that they
might make a few statements and get people thinking about it.
Mr. Williams asked if they should recommend unified
governance at the Southern Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU) level, noting that
there are so many boards that administration is fragmented and difficult. He
asked if they should recommend consolidation of North Bennington and
Shaftsbury. There was discussion of the inefficiency of the current school
structure.
Norm St. Onge noted that they have about a month to get the
document together. He said that feedback from the Select Board and EDC had been
minor, and that they can easily plug in the information from Gorman, Sullivan
and the Recreation Committee. He suggested that they get the Plan done and out
there, and move on to other things, rather than taking up new issues. Chairman
Bruder agreed that they should incorporate the input already received or
expected and move on. He asked if they could do justice to the new things
discussed tonight in the time they have left. After further discussion, all
agreed that it makes sense not to take up new topics, but to pull together what
they have and submit it to the Select Board.
Mr. St. Onge will have updates incorporated by next week so
that they will be able to read through the entire revised Plan at the next
meeting. Mr. Williams stated that the only place they still have work to do is
the schools section. He will get the rest of the information from Ms. Benedict.
Mr. St. Onge said that Mr. Sullivan has suggested that they
look at the North Bennington Town Plan because it is an approved plan. Bob
Carter had noted that the North Bennington plan reads like a narrative, and had
considered this style to be preferable. Mr. Pennebaker said he thinks it is
just a style issue. Mr. St. Onge noted that the Shaftsbury Town Plan has much
more detail. Chairman Bruder said that they can add maps and pictures to make
the document more eye-friendly.
Chairman Bruder said that he will follow up with Mr.
Sullivan and with the Recreation Committee. Mr. Pennebaker stated that he gave
a copy of the Plan to Norm Gronning of the Historical Society, and he will
follow up with Mr. Gronning. Chairman Bruder said that they will have all the
remaining information gathered for the next meeting.
3. Other Business:
Chairman Bruder asked what information they need to
give the Town Auditors for the Town Report. Mr. Pennebaker said they usually
give them a couple of paragraphs covering what happened in the past year. Chairman
Bruder said he will ask Mr. Carter to write something up. Chairman Bruder
reported that the Select Board wants to pursue a planning grant for a Town
facilities study. He said that he gave Town Administrator Aaron Chrostowsky
Planning Commission approval to pursue the grant.
4. Minutes:
October 21, 2008 Minutes
Mr. Pennebaker made motion
to approve the October 21, 2008 minutes. Mr. St. Onge seconded.
The following correction to the October 21, 2008
minutes was requested:
In section 3A (Working
Session on Updates to Town Plan), paragraph ten, at the end of the first
sentence "theirs" is changed to "the draft plan."
Motion to approve the
October 21, 2008 minutes as amended carried 3-0-1. (Mr. Williams abstained
because he had not attended that meeting.)
October 14, 2008 Minutes
The October 14 minutes have not yet been submitted.
Meeting adjourned at 8:35
PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Swasta