Archive for category: News

Have you completed your Greensboro Community Survey? This is the first step for Greensboro’s redraft of its Town Plan. Everyone in the household is encouraged to complete the survey, but they must be completed by Monday, July 11.

The electronic survey is here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GreensboroVT3

Paper copies are also available at the Town Clerk’s office, Greensboro Free Library, Smith’s Grocery in the Bend, Willey’s, both Greensboro post offices, Four Seasons of Early Learning, and at the Greensboro United Church.

The GA provides several resources on its website to help make everyone’s time in Greensboro more enjoyable. Of particular interest for property owners who rent out their property at any time of year are the Renter Guidelines. The board is in the process of updating these guidelines to reflect the current rental scene, but in the interim, members who do rent their property should still consider providing the guidelines to their tenants. Of particular importance for the protection of camp septic systems and Caspian Lake is a recommendation for clarity about maximum occupancy at your property. Occupancy should not overload the number of bedrooms, the water supply, or the property’s septic system.

In addition, the GA provides information on boating guidelines for Caspian Lake. The guidelines include information about speed limits on the lake, as well as no-wake zones and wake management, boat equipment, and environmental considerations. Jet skis, personal watercraft, or any other Class A vessel which uses an inboard engine powering a water jet pump as its primary source of motive power are prohibited.

To view the complete Renter Guidelines and Boating Safety pamphlets, visit https://www.greensboroassociation.org/resources/

Greensboro Association members Andy Dales, Stew Arnold, and John Schweizer met with representatives from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) in early June to discuss this year’s ice damage to numerous stretches of shoreline in February and mid-April. ANR Program Manager Perry Thomas and the Stream Flow Specialist Jeff Crocker explained that the agency’s policy regarding lake level and outflow covered all lakes in Vermont without exception. Seasonal draw-downs of lakes affect the food sources and reproduction cycles of fish and insect species in both lakes and in habitats downstream. The Greensboro Association proposed that ANR allow Hardwick Electric Department (HED), in cooperation with the GA, to set a mean lake level for both summer and winter by adjusting the dam outflow at the Caspian Beach. This proposal was rejected by the agency. However, it could be possible for the GA to petition the state to set a target lake level for Caspian, and the agency offered to provide the GA with the requisite forms and petition materials should the Association decide to pursue this option. The discussion did not address responsibility for this year’s damage or compensation for property owners who experienced damage to their shoreline. The intent behind this initial meeting was to inform the ANR of the problem and to better understand the agency’s policies and positions on this subject.

Stay tuned for updates and a possible public forum on this topic.

The Greensboro Performing Arts Center Trust (GPACT) announced a new name for the theater complex currently under construction at the corner of Hardwick Street and Center Road. The theater will be called the Highland Center for the Arts. GPACT will correspondingly be known as the Highland Center for the Arts Trust, Ltd. As a multi-purpose performing arts facility, the new name is a reflection of the building’s diverse planned uses, including as performance space for music, dance, circus arts, and theatre, as well as gallery space. The performing arts center is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2017.  For more information, as well as for current construction photos and updates, visit https://highlandartsvt.org/summer-2016-construction-photos/

Did you know that the GA published a guide that illustrates ways we can all protect and conserve Caspian Lake?   It includes useful information about boating rules, tips to protect water quality, septic system maintenance, and more. The document is available for you on our website – just check to the lower right hand side of our home page.

Consider making it available in hard copy for your guests or renters this season.

Grievance Day hearings are set for Tuesday, June 28^th beginning at 9:30 AM. The town clerk’s office requests that appointments be scheduled prior to June 28^th. The Assessor will be available in the Town Office on Tuesday, June 21^st to answer questions.

The summer recycling schedule will begin on Wednesday, June 22. The recycling center will be open from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM on Wednesdays in addition to the regular Saturday hours of 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The summer recycling schedule ends on Wednesday, September 7.

Household Hazardous Waste collection day will be on July 23 this year, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM.

It’s been several months since the Greensboro and Lakeview Union Districts held a public forum to discuss Act 46. In that time, several developments have taken place.

Greensboro members from the Greensboro School District Board, the Lakeview Union Board, and the Hazen Union Board are active participants in the OSSU Act 46 Study Group, now formally called an Exploratory Committee. Meetings are facilitated by consultant Steve Sanborn, whose work is funded by a $5000 study grant from the state. The committee is currently discussing options including an option for school choice within the supervisory union and transportation issues.

Separate from these meetings Greensboro and Lakeview school board members were also contacted by school board members from Peacham to explore possible ways for our districts, including Stannard, to work together.   Peacham operates a K-6 school like Lakeview, but they offer full choice for grades 7-12. They do not operate a middle or high school. Peacham currently educates approximately 45 students and is deeply committed to retaining its small, community elementary school.

Board members are just as committed to retaining Lakeview for our elementary students and community.

At a June 7 meeting it was very clear that no one present was in favor of placing children on buses for long distances for any grades. Cost, quality of education, retaining control of our budget, and providing equity to all students are important parts of the ongoing discussion.

Board members are continuing their work to find the best options for Greensboro and Stannard students and families. There are several options on the table that they will explore that could satisfy Act 46’s requirements. Actual financial implications for any of these ideas are not available at this time. It is the work of the exploratory committee in conjunction with the consultant to work out those details and then provide that information to the community for feedback.

No decision or change to our current education structure will be made without the approval of the voters of Greensboro.

If you are interested in the Act 46 process, the next OSSU Exploratory Committee meeting is on June 16 at 6:00 PM at the OSSU Central Office in the Daniels Building in Hardwick. Greensboro will host another meeting in the coming weeks to update the community on the committee’s progress and next steps. Minutes of past OSSU exploratory group meetings as well as other information about Act 46 are available at https://www.ossu.org/ossuannouncements/h361.