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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Missing Reports from Town Report 2016-2017

Town of Weathersfield, Vermont


The following reports were missed during Town Report preparation. We are posting them here in an effort to get their messages out to the public. Please accept our apologies for this error.

Forest Fire Warden

Over the last year we issued over 180 burn permits. The weather was drier than usual and with little snow over the winter, there were few days when we were able to issue permits. The permits were generally limited to days with rain. We were very fortunate in the Town of Weathersfield because we did not have any major brush fires like our surrounding towns experienced. Thank you to our residents who understood the dangers of burning in such dry conditions and did not attempt a burn. As Spring turned into Summer, we saw that all of our water sources were rapidly evaporating. Our brooks, ponds, and streams did not provide the necessary water to address potential hazards, which left our wardens and key men denying the permits requested. Many factors go into the decision to allow permits and the State of Vermont releases a report each morning determining the level of hazard in Vermont.

Please remember that a 24 hour notice is required to issue a burn permit in the Town of Weathersfield. While we may not be able to return your call right away, we aim to notify residents before the requested timing. Do not burn on your own and please do not call Hartford Dispatch Center or 911 to request a permit.

Wardens and keymen are listed below:
Fire Warden- Darrin Spaulding (h) 263-5377 (c) 296-1888
Keyman- Jeff Ingalls 263-9395
Keyman- Tom Heiser 674-6664

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Ascutney Volunteer Fire Department

Chief’s Report

Ascutney Fire Department responded to 270 calls, ranging from motor vehicle incidents, to medical assists, to mutual aid, and several others. Throughout the year, both AVFD and WWVFD responded jointly to most calls, with the exception of medical assists. Realizing the need to have more personnel with a timelier response was the impetus for us joining the efforts of both departments. Safety and efficiency are the most important values we hold ourselves to as firefighters and this joint response has proven very effective in 2016. Our department did apply and was given a grant in July for new air packs, masks, and bottles, which we have since put in service. We are grateful for this allocation, as our packs were in desperate need of replacing. Our members have donated over 2000 hours of their time for fundraising, meetings, as well as weekly drills to keep our knowledge and expertise relevant to the ever changing firefighting landscape.

It also goes without saying that we are so grateful to the continued support of our friends, families, residents, and local agencies such as Weathersfield PD, Golden Cross Ambulance, and West Weathersfield Fire. Without this cooperation and teamwork, we could not maintain the safety to the residents of our town.

We are always seeking volunteers and encourage anyone interested in applying to come visit us any Tuesday night, when we are in station.

Respectfully,
Chief Darrin R. Spaulding

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Weathersfield Planning Commission

During 2016 the Weathersfield Planning Commission focused on the rewrite of the Town Plan. Although the document is finished, the process of adoption is ongoing at the time of this writing. It is our hope it will be completed by the end of February, as scheduled.

The year 2016 saw another Land Use Administrator leave for a full-time position elsewhere. We wish the best to Scott Osgood and welcome our new Land Use Administrator, Hal Wilkins.

During 2017 the Planning Commission will focus on our Zoning Bylaws. We will have several special meetings and look forward to the public’s input. The dates of these meetings will be determined later, so we ask that you monitor the Town’s website and various posting locations throughout town for the meeting notices.

In closing, I’d like to thank all the special boards and commissions for your assistance throughout the year. We appreciate your dedication to the process and continued growth of our community.

Mike Todd, Chair
Gilbert Whittemore
Julie Schmitz
Nancy Heatley
Paul Tillman

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