Residents Question Need for Sidewalks
by Nancy Wood,
June 16, 2011, page 1.....

During the public comment period at the June 13 Selectboard meeting, Spin Richardson complained about taking action at a special rather than a regular meeting to approve application for a sidewalk grant from the State. The Selectboard held a special meeting on May 28 to vote on the question raised at the regular meeting May 23. Richardson said it wasn’t fair to “put the onus on residents to check the bulletin board.” Robert Mack also questioned the action, saying, “Where’s the groundswell for sidewalks?”

The question became moot on Tuesday when the Town was informed that there is no money available this year for engineering of sidewalks, so no application will be made at this time.

Tabled, tabled, tabled
The board, with Ed Stone acting as chair in the absence of Charles Russell, discussed and tabled for further study action on a contract with the Shelburne Police Department for traffic enforcement during fiscal year 2012 and for several contracts related to the Cohousing trail.

Other action
On a 2-2 vote, the board did not approve a contractor to move the fence further back from Ferry Road for the Cowboy Lewis/Knowles trail so it could be mowed and used by pedestrians. The trail goes from the railroad station access road west to just before the Knowles farm on the corner of Ferry and Lake Roads. Robert Mack, who farms the field, told the board he didn’t think moving the fence would accomplish anything because users would still have to cross back onto busy Ferry Road to get past Holmes Creek. He said the road should be widened and the deep ditch moved back.

The board approved extension of a grant agreement with the National Audubon Society for the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge, moving the location of the easement for the Co-housing trail, and various documents for Steve Davis’s subdivision in the East Village.