School Meal Plan

Right after the Barnet Town Meeting came the school meeting.  Issues such as health, enrollment, and trips. One such trip occurred in march where a group of students went to Switzerland.  The topic that sparked the most conversation was that of the student meal plan cost at the Barnet School.  One unnamed new resident wanted to know why the budget was over $3,590 for just food and $7,280 for staffing.  53 thousand dollars was budgeted for the 2010 year.  She stated that we should not be raising the budget when the government will be changing chooses and amount given to schools due to obesity numbers. The woman concerned was the Food Service Director of Waterford.Click here to see a clip of the meeting.

Ted Farris

CLick here for an audio slideshow about Ted Farris, Banet's town selectman leader.

Senior Meals

      One article was argued over more than others at the Barnet Town Meeting.  There were twenty-two issues on the warning to be voted on at Barnet Town Meeting.  All of the articles were decided by a voice vote.  Article eighteen was that of the appropriation of two-thousand dollars to the West Barnet Senior Meal Site.  However, before the appropriation was voted on, an amendment of an additional five-hundred dollars was made.  Not everybody agreed on the amendment.  Infact, one gentleman spoke up about his feelings on the subject. Last year the two-thousand proposed appropriation was passed with no amendment.  The main issue was with the amendment of price during the meeting without prior warning.  However, despite a few objections the amendment was passed, and then the issue was moved.  The West Barnet senior Meal Site is part of the Meals on Wheels program. The site is located at the West Barnet Church. 

Young Scrappers

It usually seems impossible to get kids to do anything these days, untrue for the town of Barnet.  Two local children, Alex Chase and Justin Carpenter, are willing to spend their free time volunteering at the Barnet Transfer Station. “A month ago” Bruce Marston introduced that the students would be interested in volunteering to work at the town’s recycling center, Barnet’s Town Clerk Benjamin Heisholt said.  Marston, an ex-firefighter, is now the manager of the Barnet Transfer Station. 

Barnet cannot afford a lot of staff for the small recycling station, so the children’s help was more than welcome.  The issue was even brought up during February 14th’s select board meeting. The effort was attributed as an act of community awareness, not because it was required.  The hope is to set up a program through the Barnet Elementary School to get more children involved. 

While the conversation centered on liability, it seemed to be agreed on that the board members didn’t want to discourage volunteering behavior.  Especially since the transfer station is no stranger to helpful habits.  Every week deposit-able bottles are brought in and given for the Barnet Good Neighbor Fund.  The fund provides help with heating for families in need to sending children to environmental camps, as was discussed during the Barnet Town Meeting.

The Barnet Transfer Station is part of the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District.  It is located at the end of Town Forest Road, in Passumpsic Vermont.  The hours are from 8AM to 3PM on Saturday. Going to the recycling center does require a town sticker, which can be picked up at the Barnet Town Clerk’s office. 

Town Meeting Day



Ted Faris, Jeremy Roberts, and Gary Bunnell

 

      There were some easy and hard meals mulled over at Barnet's Town Meeting.  People old and young got up and out today to go to Town Meeting Day in Barnet.  The meeting was held in the gymnasium of the Barnet Elementary School.  After two musical pieces played by children from the school, Dennis McLam was once again elected to be the Moderator for the meeting.

      From an early survey it was clear everybody attending the meeting had an issue they felt was most important.  From road repair to the Barnet town budget, even peace said one.  The School budget was important for several people attending the meeting. 

      Road work was discussed twice during the meeting, once when Theodore Faris was re-elected for select board co-chair, and once when town projects were brought up.  The select board plans to discuss grating and putting asphalt on the Barnet and Peacham roads.

      The first seven budget issues to pass, American Red Cross, Agency on Aging, Historical Society, health care, Calex, Catamount Arts, and Fairbanks Museum were passed with little discussion.  One person wanted to know why Fairbanks was getting three times as much as Catamount, but there was no representative to answer.

      Discussion began to heat up over an amendment of five-hundred dollars additional to the West Barnet Senior Meal Site.  The amended price brought the total to two-thousand five-hundred dollars.  The issue was with raising money above the asked amount.  The amended value on the issue was eventually passed.

      All other issues were passed with some discussion but no amendments.  The meeting was ended on a laugh, when in a show of gratitude Jeremy Roberts presented Faris  an Etch A Sketch for his service to the town.  

      Click here to watch a video of the meeting

Selectboard Meeting

While there was plenty of laughter, everything in Barnet's selectboard meeting was taken seriously.  On February 14th Barnet held a selectboard meeting.  After the confirmation of last selectboard meetings minutes, the first major issue to be addressed was the issue of a toxic leak from the garage.  The Barnet Town Garage was found to be leaking a petroleum based product called (PCE).  The recorded levels, 10micrograms per liter, are above Vermont's 5micrograms per liter standards.  Also discussed was student volunteering at the town's recycling center.  The insurance coverage of having a student working at the transfer station was mulled over, but ultimately approved.  Renovations to a living unit in the town library were brought up.  While they agreed some kind of improvement could be made, it was mostly up to the tenant.    Several candidates to represent the town, concerning tax appeal, were brought up.  The whole meeting went by with little argument and ended with lots of laughs.

Click here to see a video of the meeting