By PATRICK O’GRADY
BROWNSVILLE — In just under three hours Tuesday morning in Story Memorial Hall, voters approved the combined $1.36 million general fund and highway budget and all other appropriations, re-elected all incumbents to town offices and approved the purchase of the Burke property, a 4.6-acre parcel adjacent to the highway garage.
Voters also approved transferring the Mary L. Blood Library to the town for a nominal price of $1.
With no school budget to vote on following the merger voters approved last year with the Windsor school district, officials anticipated a shorter meeting compared to years past and did not schedule the decades-old tradition of lunch in the Brownsville Community Church.
Voters defeated an amendment made by Tom Kenyon on the article that sets the due date for taxes, aiming to move the date from Oct. 25 this year to Nov. 1. Kenyon argued that many residents are struggling to pay their taxes and rely on retirement and Social Security checks that arrive the first of the month to pay their taxes.
“I ask your support and a little bit of understanding for people paying their taxes,” Kenyon said.
Town Clerk Cathy Archibald and Assistant Town Clerk Lauri Bessey both said the change would cause confusion in the clerk’s office and upset the schedule with mortgage companies expecting payment on escrow accounts.
“I say leave it alone,” Archibald said.
Another resident pointed out that while Social Security makes payments on the first of the month, the money does not appear in accounts until the second Wednesday of the month, which would make the amendment ineffective.
The amendment failed first on a voice vote and reaffirmed in a 77-25 defeat. The original article passed.
The proposed purchase of the Burke property generated considerable discussion and questions but passed easily after being amended to say the $91,000 purchase price would come from the town’s fund balance, not taxes.
Highway Foreman Mike Spackman and members of the Selectboard said the property will solve one problem immediately — moving the town’s sand pile out of the state right of way on Route 44 — and in the long term could be the location of a new emergency services building that could include the fire department. Additionally, a building on the property could be used immediately for storage and that would free up an old ski-area maintenance building for Ascutney Outdoors, which operates the community ski and tubing area on a portion of the former Mount Ascutney Resort.
“I just think this would be a good investment for the town for the price and our future,” Spackman said.
Relocating the fire department, which sits in the village on Mill Brook floodplain and was severely damaged in Tropical Storm Irene, has been a town priority for years given the likelihood of more frequent flooding.
Though there are wetlands on the Burke property, about 3 acres can be developed. In response to environmental concerns from a few residents, the Selectboard said the wetlands have been delineated in an engineering study and the board was confident the town would obtain the necessary approvals to move the sand pile.
“We are not anticipating any environmental impact (moving the sand pile),” said Selectboard Chairman Win Johnson, who was re-elected to a three-year term without opposition.
Transferring the library to the town also had broad support and was viewed as a way to ensure its long-term viability and expanded programming. Johnson said it has been discussed for several months and a memorandum of understanding between the Selectboard and library trustees signed two weeks ago will give the town the primary responsibility to manage the library. The town will appoint the trustees.
Appropriations for the fire department, FAST squad, 13 social services agencies and the historical society all passed.
At the start of the meeting, Town Moderator Matt Birmingham recognized several individuals, including Glenn and Shelley Seward for their work with Ascutney Outdoors, which Glenn Seward said has been successful beyond expectations thanks to broad community support.
Turnout Tuesday was 12 percent of the town’s 928 registered voters.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
