Voting for municipal and school-related articles on the Norwich Town Meeting warning will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at Tracy Hall. The floor meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4, also at Tracy Hall.
NORWICH — Voters in Norwich will decide two contested Selectboard races and be asked to approve a $4.27 million budget during Town Meeting next month.
Two political newcomers are challenging incumbents Linda Cook and John Langhus for seats on the five-member Selectboard in races focusing largely on affordable housing and climate change.
Norwich Public Library employee Roger Arnold is running against Cook for a three-year term on the board, while investor Doug Wilberding hopes to unseat Langhus in his quest for a two-year position.
Langhus said he would use the Selectboard position to fight climate change by promoting sustainable projects and increasing bicycle and pedestrian access throughout Norwich.
“I think Norwich, like virtually everybody else, is going to need to devote a significant amount of attention and energy into how to address the challenge posed by global warming,” said Langhus, who works for Maryland-based solar firm New Energy Equity and runs his own energy consulting business.
Langhus has organized three articles on this year’s warning aimed at curbing carbon emissions. One calls for the town to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by 5 percent annually, while another calls for officials to devise “local climate protection and resilience strategies.”
The final article would use $50,000 from Norwich’s Conservation Commission Designated Fund on initial work to develop a commuter trail network in town.
Langhus said he’s also dedicated to revising the town plan and working to increase access to affordable housing by adopting zoning regulations that encourage “healthy” development.
Last fall, the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission rejected Norwich’s town plan, limiting its access to state grants. Among Two Rivers’ concerns was the town’s failure to set a goal for multifamily, or affordable, housing.
“I really think one of the primary needs in town is completion of the town plan,” said Wilberding, a Norwich native who works from home in finance. “With that comes a challenge in that there’s concerns about the type of growth in town, and the addition of affordable housing and where that occurs in town.”
Wilberding said the town needs to update its energy policy, designate village property and designate areas for multifamily housing. More people should be educated on options for affordable housing, and the town should be willing to contribute its own land to get something built, he said.
“Frankly, Norwich has a lot of excess land that the town owns,” Wilberding said, adding officials should eye a diverse group of locations within downtown and close to amenities.
He also would advocate for a conflict of interest policy, which would prevent those who serve on town boards from doing business with the municipality.
And there should be a three-bid policy so that contracts are put through a competitive process, he said.
Meanwhile, Cook, a Norwich native whose family has lived in town since the 1700s, said she wants to continue working on several projects, including construction of Norwich’s new public safety building and road improvements that were needed after a July 1, 2017, storm flooded parts of the Upper Valley.
“Well, there’s plenty of work to do,” said Cook, who has served several terms on the Selectboard and also is a member of the Norwich Fire Department. “I hope to use my historic knowledge that I have of the community and the current evaluation of where we are and today’s operations to plan for the future.”
Cook said she intends to help improve communication between the town and its residents and devise a new town and capital improvement plan.
If elected next month, Arnold, who recently took a job coordinating programming and exhibitions at the library, also plans to make town government more accessible.
His platform includes bringing new perspectives to the Selectboard and department heads, as well as combating climate change and expanding talks on affordable housing.
In a flyer emailed to the Valley News, Arnold calls for an assessment of roads and culverts to mitigate potential flooding and partnering with communities to better respond to emergencies.
There should be more opportunities for people to talk about the region’s housing problems, he said, adding that people need to be brought together to address the lack of housing options.
On the finance front, residents will decide whether to approve a $4.27 million budget proposed by the Selectboard, which amounts to a $230,000 decrease from last year’s spending plan.
There also is an article requesting $242,461 to complete work on the town garage and public safety building, and another seeking permission to borrow up to $3.5 million until the federal and state governments reimburse Norwich for improvements made in the wake of the July 2017 storm.
Voters can learn more about the candidates during a forum at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Tracy Hall.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.