Worcester expects lively debate at town meeting
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By Thatcher Moats Times Argus Staff - Published: February 27, 2009
WORCESTER – A Worcester selectman expects a lively debate during town meeting about whether voters should ask the Legislature to help shut down the Yankee Nuclear power plant in 2012.
"I hope it will generate some good interest and some good information will come forward," said Worcester Selectboard Chairman William Haines.
That article will come up during the town portion of the meeting, which will take place starting at 9:30 at the Doty Memorial School gymnasium on Tuesday, March 3. The school portion of the meeting is scheduled to take place starting at 11 a.m. at the same location. The polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Australian ballot voting on some town officers.
The Yankee Nuclear article asks: "Shall the voters of the Town of Worcester request the Vermont Legislature to ensure that the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant closes on schedule in 2012 and that its owner, the Entergy Corporation, is held responsible for fully funding the plant's clean-up and decommissioning."
At least 42 other towns, including East Montpelier and Calais, will vote on similar articles during their town meetings.
Along with the Vermont Yankee article, voters will be asked to approve a town budget for the next fiscal year of $517,426. Last year Worcester's total town spending – including the town budget and several articles – was $524,005. According to Haines, if a separate article for $16,739 to support the Kellogg-Hubbard Library is approved this year, the total budget would be $534,165.
The greatest change to the selectboard's budget is in the highway department, where about $10,000 more was budgeted for 2009-2010. That was a response to the town spending about $13,000 more in 2008 than planned.
"The biggest thing we had to deal with was just the expense of the highway department and the overrun we experienced last year and trying to make allowances for that his year," said Haines.
One area of the proposed budget that the board trimmed was what it calls the "general government officers services."
That includes positions such as the assistant town clerk and animal control officer. The board didn't cut any positions there, but allotted about $5,000 less across the category.
"As a selectboard we tried the best we possibly could under the circumstances to bring in a budget that doesn't allow us to slip backwards," said Haines. "We hope we're maintaining the services and not losing any ground, yet not putting an undue burden on taxpayers."
At the school portion of the meeting next Tuesday, voters will decide whether to approve the proposed Doty Elementary School budget, which is $1,088,354. The proposed budget is up $35,045, or 3.3 percent, compared to last year.
Voters will also be asked to approve a $12,996,263 budget for U-32 Middle and High School. That budget is $484,733, or about 3.8 percent, more than what voters approved last year and will be voted by Australian ballot in all of U-32's five towns.
If school and town governance doesn't make your mouth water, maybe this will: Vermont cassoulette, a version of the traditional French white bean casserole, which will feature smoked turkey along with smoked kielbasa made from moose and venison.
That will be on the menu during the Town Meeting lunch which will take place around midday . Greg Labarthe and Gretchen Saries, the owners of Bon Temps Gourmet, will be donating the lunch again this year to the benefit of the Worcester Historical Society and diners alike.
A seven-root pie, which is like a vegetarian shepherd's pie, will be the option for non-meat eaters, and residents will also be bringing salads and desserts.
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