Fruitlands liquor license delayed one more week
The selectmen are ready to sign Fruitlands Museum’s liquor license but delayed the process for one more week to give all board members time to read through the final draft of conditions. The selectmen have yet to decide on the museum’s filing fee for the license; filing fees for similar organizations have run around $2,500, but Chairman Leo Blair has recommended that the board set the fee at $5,000, a greater amount that would consider the fact that Fruitlands pays no property taxes to the town.
Town caucus set for March 14
Town Administrator Tim Bragan confirmed that the annual town caucus is set for Saturday, March 14, at 7 p.m. He added that the selectmen need to sign the warrant for the caucus by March 3 and added that “anyone who is thinking of resigning [from their elected positions] should resign before that date.” Vacancies for town positions will be posted on the town’s website.
Bolton Road reservoir open for skating
The Bolton Road reservoir is now open for ice skating, reported Selectman Tim Clark. He said there is currently enough off-street parking for six to eight cars, and he requested that visitors park on the east side of the street, opposite the residences, if the off-street spaces are filled. The old reservoir and ice-production pond is on the left side of Bolton Road halfway up the hill from the town center.
Clark also said that the Parks and Recreation Commission has secured funds to work on a trail connector between Depot Road and Blanchard Road, with work scheduled for the spring.
Dump upgrades slated for better weather
Planned upgrades to the transfer station have been stalled due to the season’s severe weather, reported Selectman Tim Clark. New compactors for recyclables are currently on site; DPW workers are waiting for a window of clear weather and clear roads to set them up. Clark also recommended that the selectmen consider increases in the operating hours at the transfer station during next year’s winter holiday season. Clark explained that during this past holiday season, transfer station visitors often arrived on Saturdays to find the trash compactors already full; he suggested that the excess holiday trash is predictable and that the town could plan some extra dump days in advance. The selectmen agreed to consider this option at a later date.
Cable alternatives on the table
Board Chairman Leo Blair reported that he and Town Administrator Tim Bragan had met with a Verizon representative regarding alternatives to the services provided by Charter Communications. They discussed the town’s potential interest in Verizon’s FIOS service, which provides high-speed Internet, television, and phone service over fiber-optic lines. Blair said that the conversation was fruitful and that the representative indicated that “a community expressing its interest is factored into [Verizon’s] decision-making process [about where to provide service].” Blair expressed his opinion that “sometime in the future we will have [Verizon FIOS] as an option in the town.”
Friends of Library book sale set for old library
After some discussion, the selectmen approved the use of the old library for this year’s Friends of the Library book sale, which is scheduled for May 8 to 10 and May 16. The Friends of the Library had requested access to the building from April 4 though June 15, to allow time for sorting books before the sale and cleanup afterward. After talking about the feasibility of giving over the space for such a long period of time, the selectmen agreed to grant access from April 4 though June 1, with the condition that the Friends not use the Hapgood room on the ground floor so that the space can continue to be used for committee meetings.
Volunteers Fair on for next week
Selectman Tim Clark announced that the second annual Volunteer Fair will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, from noon to 3 p.m. in Volunteers Hall at the library. Residents are invited to learn about volunteer opportunities and organizations in town; those interested in registering for the fair can contact Marie Sobalvarro at marie@sobalvarro.org.
Open Meeting Law training offered
Chairman Leo Blair announced that Open Meeting Law training will take place later this month for any town officials and volunteers who want to participate. Once the event is scheduled, the selectmen will send out notices to all town boards and committees.
