Fayston’s three appointed fence viewers are relieved of their duties as of March 5 Town Meeting Day when voters opted to eliminate that position and put select board chair Jared Cadwell, former select board member Ed Read and town resident Kevin Wry out of a job.
Prior to that lighter moment in the annual Town Meeting, Fayston voters spent a great deal of time sorting out when and how to bring the town office and town hall into full ADA compliance. Over 90 people were present throughout much of the meeting.
Voters were asked to pass Article 17, which allocated $34,000 to bring the bathrooms in the town hall up to ADA compliance as well as add planking to the surface of the building entry and change the exterior door. Town resident David Frank explained that there are no ADA-compliant bathrooms in the building and offered to meet with contractors and townspeople with concerns about how the money would be spent. He also pointed out that it will cost $43,000 to make the building compliant. After much discussion the article passed with an understanding that additional funds will need to come from other funds to address the issue.
Voters did pass the $1,274,584 budget on a voice vote, one that represents the lowest tax rate in Washington County, according to Cadwell.
Voters heard from Theresa Membrino, their rep to the Harwood Unified Union School District Board, who explained that the board had tabled a motion to bring a $36 million bond to voters in June with some feeling it was premature as the issue of moving all district seventh- and eighth-graders to Crossett Brook Middle School was not yet settled.
“That’s not a done deal,” she said, adding that she advocates for looking at the district more holistically and holding onto the facilities that are currently in the district. Membrino also said that an independent third party had assessed enrollment trends in the district and found them to be more stable than initially thought.
Voters turned down a motion to return Town Meeting to Fayston Elementary School and discussed revisiting holding an annual Town Meeting potluck luncheon next year.
Citizen journalist and Fayston resident Annemarie Furey tweeted Fayston Town Meeting and contributed to this report.
