c n a p c s v l · b. michael gilbar director, administrative services *partial list katherine b....

1 • VLCT News • December 2002

SERVING AND STRENGTHENING VERMONT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...Board Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Legal Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Fraternal Organizations . . . . . . . 5Ask the League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Tech Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Group Services Comm. Center 10Building Affordable Housing . 16Resume Writing Tips . . . . . . . . 18Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

December 2002

Happy New Year! And welcome to the 2003Legislative session where things, of course, willbe different.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERSVermont will have a new governor and

lieutenant governor. The Senate has 19democratic members of 30 total and the Househas 74 republicans out of a total of 150members. There are also 69 democrats in theHouse, four progressives and three indepen-dents in the House.

As we all know now, the election outcomesurprised even the most veteran of political

THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONA GLIMPSE AHEAD

pundits. Beyond that, many members of theLegislature are freshmen, sometimes a moretelling attribute of the body than partyaffiliation. Of those new legislators, at least 37that we know of have served in local govern-ment, a definite boon to attempts to explain theoutlook of local government when under thegolden dome.

We wonder, really, how much will bedifferent? There is still a balance of powerbetween democrats and republicans when youput the whole picture together. Such a balanceforces thorough discussion before issues are putto rest and bills are passed into law. To acertain extent, a balance of power amongpolitical parties assures that the more extremeideas from either end of the political spectrumseldom come to fruition.

THE ISSUESThe 2003 session promises to feature some

of local government’s perennial favorites. Thereare plenty of problems to discuss with the wayfederal and state stormwater permittingprocesses are being implemented andcoordinated. The septic law will certainly be

VLCT is excited to announce that it willbegin printing its first-ever Handbook forMunicipal Treasurers early next month. Thishandbook was created to provide municipaltreasurers with a comprehensive guide to theduties of their positions, and is easilyreferenced for when questions arise.

The handbook summarizes the importantVermont statutes that define the treasurer’sresponsibilities and his or her legal obligationsto Vermont municipalities. It also addressesthe treasurer’s relationship with other localofficials.

NEW VLCT TREASURER’S HANDBOOK READY

great deal of confusion and uncertainty aboutthe relationship between land use decisionsand property taxes, VLCT and the VermontNatural Resources Council jointly sponsoredproduction of The Land Use - Property TaxConnection. This handbook examines therelationship between the municipal tax bill ineach Vermont town and various characteris-tics of the town, and provides local decision

Also coming soon is a new hand-book on land use decisions and theproperty tax. Recognizing that there is a

(Continued on Page Twelve)(Continued on Page Seven)

RUNNING ATOWN,

GUIDING ASTATE

A PRE-SESSION CHAT WITHSENATOR VIRGINIA LYONS

(Continued on Page Five)

VLCT: All levels of governmentwork within a system of sharedresponsibilities. How do we sort outwho does what?

Senator Lyons: That’s the ongoing tensionthat we have in Vermont because we don’t havehome rule. I see the State making a balance

Chittenden County Democratic SenatorVirginia “Ginny” Lyons took some time earlierthis month to speak with VLCT News EditorKatherine Roe. Senator Lyons, who is also amember of the Williston selectboard, is Vice-chair of the Senate Agricultural and Health andWelfare Committees, and a member of theSenate Natural Resources and Energy Commit-tee. She is one of many legislators who haveexperience in local government, and we thankher for sharing this special perspective withVLCT members.


89 Main Street, Suite 4Montpelier, VT 05602-2948

Tel.: (802) 229-9111 • Fax: (802) 229-2211E-mail: [email protected]: www.vlct.org

VLCT Board

William Shepeluk, PresidentManager, Waterbury

Gail Fallar, Vice-presidentClerk/Treasurer, Tinmouth

Peter Clavelle, Past PresidentMayor, Burlington

Steven E. Jeffrey, Secretary

James CondosCity Councilor, South Burlington

Nicholas Ecker-RaczSelectperson, Glover

William FraserManager, Montpelier

Sandra GrenierClerk/Treasurer, St. Johnsbury

Charles LuskSelectperson, StoweWilliam Perkins

Selectperson, MiddleburyMary Peterson

Selectperson, WillistonSusan SpauldingManager, Chester

Stephen WillbanksSelectperson, Strafford

Jeffrey WilsonManager, Manchester

VLCT Staff*

Steven E. JeffreyExecutive DirectorKaren B. Horn

Director, Legislative and Membership ServicesDavid Sichel

Director, Group ServicesB. Michael Gilbar

Director, Administrative Services*Partial List

Katherine B. Roe, Editor, VLCT News

The VLCT News is published monthly by theVermont League of Cities and Towns, a non-profit,nonpartisan organization founded in 1967 to servethe needs and interests of Vermont municipalities.

The VLCT News is distributed to all VLCTmember towns. Additional subscriptions are

available for $25 to VLCT members and $63 fornon-members. Please contact the League for

subscription and advertising information.

(Continued on Page Eight)

VLCT BOARD OF DIRECTORSPROFILE

SANDRA GRENIER, CLERK/TREASURER, TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY

Sandra Grenier

In talking with St. Johnsbury Town Clerkand Treasurer Sandy Grenier, it quickly becomesapparent that the disgruntled and duplicitouscharacters in the cartoon strip Dilbert need notapply to work in her office. In fact, it doesn’tsound like they would be at home workinganywhere for theTown of St.Johnsbury, wherenegativity is out andpositive attitudes arein.

Sandy is veryproud of herhometown’s localgovernment. Heroffice handleselections, propertytransfers, taxes andrecords, finances anda myriad of otherduties. The staff hasminimal turnover,great depth ofexperience and animpressive list ofaccomplishments.This is also the case for the rest of the Town’semployees. “They take pride in their jobs,respect the citizens and appreciate the leader-ship of the board and manager,” Sandy noted,adding that that respect also flows frommanager Mike Welch and the selectboard to theemployees.

Sandy observed that St. Johnsbury’s Mondayevening annual town meeting is well attendedby a lively group who asks tough questions andmakes frank comments. In the end, she said,the selectboard’s budget always passes un-scathed. She feels this shows the voters’

appreciation for thediligence and hardwork of the townemployees andleaders.

Public serviceand participationare valued in thecommunity. Inaddition to its well-attended townmeeting, St.Johnsbury neverlacks for candidatesfor public office andhas a strong core ofvolunteers. Theseinclude Clara andAndrew Fisher whowere honored byVLCT in September

when they won the annual Town CitizenshipAward at Town Fair for their efforts at down-town beautification.

According to Sandy, St. Johnsbury has aspecial sense of community where everyonerealizes that working together can be as

mailto:[email protected]


Summarizing recent court decisions of municipal interest

VLCT believes the decision in Hartford impinges on the ability of Vermont municipalities toconduct business in a uniform manner, such as running the town library as a town can run mostother municipal departments. ... Look for VLCT to suggest a legislative response to this case in order toadvance municipal authority in setting town-wide personnel policy.

MUNICIPAL LIBRARY AUTONOMY

COURT GRANTS MUNICIPALLIBRARY TRUSTEES MORE

AUTHORITYThe Vermont Supreme Court has overturned

a decision of the Windsor County SuperiorCourt, thereby restricting the authority oftowns to regulate municipal libraries. In itsdecision last month, the Court stated, “to theextent that a municipal library can be consid-ered a department of the town, it certainly isnot a department over which the town managerhas been given direct control.” Hartford Boardof Library Trustees v. Town of Hartford, No.

2002-207 (Vt. November 21, 2002). Thequestion presented by this case is whether thetown (through its town manager) or the libraryboard of trustees has authority to set the level ofcompensation for the town librarian.

The Supreme Court sided with the librarytrustees, stating, “the Legislature could haveused the simple infinitive ‘to manage’ in [22V.S.A.] § 143 (a), but instead chose the phrase‘full power to manage.’” Id at 3. The statuterelied upon in this case by the trustees states:The library board of trustees “shall consist ofnot less than five trustees who shall have fullpower to manage the public library, makebylaws, elect officers, [and] establish a librarypolicy . . .” 22 V.S.A. § 143 (a) (emphasisadded).

This case is one of dueling statutes, and thejob for the Court was to boil these statutesdown into a real world scenario where thepower to manage is more clearly defined. TheTown relied on a number of statutory provisionsin laying out its case: “The selectmen shall havethe general supervision of the affairs of the townand shall cause to be performed all dutiesrequired of towns and town school districts notcommitted by law to the care of any particularofficer.” 24 V.S.A. § 872. Hartford relied onthis statute, as well as another statute that gives

municipalities broad authority in regulatingpersonnel, whether it be through personnelpolicies, setting employees’ salaries, or dismiss-ing them. 24 V.S.A. § 1121.

While the phrase “full power to manage” iscertainly indicative of the Legislature’s intent togrant some authority to the library trustees,VLCT believes the Court’s interpretation of thelaw undermines the general powers of theselectboard to control town government.VLCT believes the decision in Hartfordimpinges on the ability of Vermont municipali-ties to conduct business in a uniform manner,

such as running the town library as a town canrun most other municipal departments.

This opinion turns on its head the legaladvice the VLCT Municipal Law Center hasbeen giving to municipalities. Many towns havecalled the Law Center and asked for advicewhen they have been in the same situation. Thequestion always sounds something like this:“Who can set personnel policies for thelibrarian or other library staff?” Because therehas never been a clear answer to this question,Law Center staffers were pleased to see that thecourts would have an opportunity to set therecord straight with this case. Readers mayremember reading the June 2002 edition of theVLCT News Legal Corner, where the superiorcourt’s decision was discussed. The lowercourt’s decision seemed to lend some clarity tothe library statutes, which are difficult todecipher and don’t clearly delineate with whomthe power to manage lies. The lower courtdecision was also favored by most municipali-ties, as it reinforced a more cohesive frameworkof municipal government.

It is not difficult to see the resonance thiscase will have in municipalities throughout theState. Those towns that have a municipallibrary (one that is truly an arm of the town;

there are many non-municipal libraries outthere that receive public funds and are open tothe public – that doesn’t make them “munici-pal”) may experience increased difficulty inexerting influence over the administration ofsuch departments. The Supreme Court believesthere exists a need for a “spirit of cooperation”between library trustees and town managers/selectboards across the state. (Note that whilethis case addressed the town manager, thedecision applies to municipalities as an entity,whether there is a town manager form ofgovernment or just a selectboard or otherlegislative body.) VLCT agrees with thisrecommendation. However, with the increasedfunding available to municipal libraries, whetherit be foundation grants, private donations, ortown appropriations, there will be increasedconflict over who has the “full power tomanage” library administration. Look forVLCT to suggest a legislative response to thiscase in order to advance municipal authority insetting town-wide personnel policy.

- Brian Monaghan, VLCT Law Center Staff


What do creatures such as Elk, Moose andLions have in common with Masons and theGrange? They are all fraternal and charitableorganizations located in cities and townsthroughout the State. Many of them ownproperty, including meeting halls. In terms ofthis article, their common thread is that theirstatus for property tax purposes is determinedby a couple of interrelated Vermont laws and bythe voters in the host communities. Formunicipalities that currently offer locally-approved tax-exempt status for these organiza-tions, it may be time to consider re-voting theexemptions and what the tax consequences ofsuch a vote are.

Thirty-two V.S.A. § 3840 allows municipali-ties to exempt the real estate value, in whole orpart, of property owned by charitable andfraternal organizations. The initial period ofexemption can be for up to ten years. Thereafter,the town voters may extend the exemption foradditional periods of up to five years. Prior tothe passage of Act 60, when most townsapproved this type of exemption, the votersshifted the foregone tax burden from theexempted organization to all other taxpayers in

the town through a slightly higher school andmunicipal tax rate levied on the grand listreduced by the value of the exempted property.

This changed with the passage of Act 60.Thirty-two V.S.A § 5404a(a)(1)(A) was enactedas part of Act 60. This provision“grandfathered” an array of locally votedexemptions and stabilization agreements –including those governed by § 3840. Thegrandfather status permitted towns to exclude theexempted value of preexisting (i.e., grandfathered)agreements from the education grand list andthereby eliminated any associated school tax liabilityon the local taxpayers for a specified time period.The time period, beginning on July 1, 1997,was either for up to ten years or the amount oftime remaining on the most recently votedperiod of a grandfathered agreement, whicheverwas shorter.

For many of you, the last two paragraphsmay sound like a lot of gobbledygook, but theimplications can be boiled down to two things.First, it may be legally necessary for you to bringthe question of their exempt status before yourvoters next Town Meeting Day if you wish toextend their exemption for another five-year

period. This would be the case for all § 3840exemptions that are past their original ten-yearapproval period and have not been revotedsince the spring of 1997. If this is the case, youwill have to consider whether or not to includea Town Meeting warning concerning theircontinued exemption status.

Second, it means that for all charitable andfraternal organizations with voted exemptionsthat are past their first ten-year approval period,their grandfathered status ends with your 2003grand list year. In other words, the exemptedvalue for these properties must now go back onyour municipality’s education grand list,regardless of whether you vote their continuedexemption or not. If your town does not renewthe organization’s exemption, it will beginpaying both municipal and education propertytaxes, just like most other property owners. Ifyour town extends the exemption for anotherfive-year period, it simply means that theforegone tax burden must now be raised fromall other property owners in your town – as wasthe case before Act 60, though the process isnow somewhat different.

For municipal taxes setting a slightly highercity or town tax rate does this. For schooltaxes, setting a separate tax rate does this. Thisrate is called a Local Agreement Tax Rate.Annually, the Vermont Division of PropertyValuation and Review (PVR) sends documenta-tion to all municipalities describing the processof how tax rates should be set. Included in thatdocument is information on the local agreementtax rate and how to set it.

This process is not necessary for statutorilyexempted properties that do not require a voteof the town for their tax-exempt status.

If you have any questions or would like acopy of our “Setting Tax Rates” document,please let us know. You can contact PropertyValuation and Review, P.O. Box 1577,Montpelier, VT 05601, or call 802/828-5860.

- Bill Johnson, Vermont Department of Taxes

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONSEXEMPTION HEADS UP FROM STATE TAX DEPARTMENT

makers with the tools to actually measure thetax and service implications of a proposal fornew development.

The central conclusion of the handbook isthat property taxes should not be the sole driveror justification for land use decisions. Theworkbook allows readers to estimate themunicipal and school tax rates for specificdevelopment proposals and for broad develop-ment scenarios.

Please watch your mailboxes next month forannouncements and order forms for thesehandbooks.

HANDBOOKS -(Continued from Page One)


Questions asked by VLCT members and answered by the League’s legal and research staff

SHARING ZONING DUTIES;DISTRIBUTING TOWN REPORT;

REINSTATING AUDITOR;DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION

(Continued on next page)

Our zoning board of adjustment(ZBA) would like to delegate to theplanning commission (PC) the reviewof zoning permit applications thatrequire conditional use approval. Forexample, when such an application isreceived, a copy would automaticallygo to the PC, which would hold apublic hearing on the application andrecommend approval, approval withchanges or denial.

The ZBA would then consider thePC’s recommendations. If the ZBAmakes significant changes in theapplication, it would refer the matterback to the PC for a re-evaluation.Only after the PC’s second reviewwould the ZBA make its final decision.

The purpose of the suggested processis to improve communication andaccountability. Can the ZBA/PC agreeto share conditional use decisions inthis way?

No. The ZBA has the authority to approveconditional uses under 24 V.S.A. § 4407(2).There is no authority to delegate that or anypart of it to the PC.

The PC serves mainly as a planning bodythat collects information and drafts bylaws orrecommends action based on the data collected.24 V.S.A. § 4325. It also has specific dutiessuch as reviewing site plans. 24 V.S.A. § 407(5).

There is certainly an argument to be madefor increased or improved communicationbetween the ZBA and PC. The Legislature hasrecognized this by allowing for the creation of adevelopment review board, or for individuals tobe members of both the ZBA and PC. (24V.S.A. § 4461). Therefore, rather than creatinga whole new procedure which is not allowed bystatute, the town should consider these otheroptions.

- Libby Turner, VLCT Staff Attorney

The statutes dealing with circulatingthe Town Report and publicizing theWarning for Town Meeting are a littleconfusing. Can you clarify?

The term “Town Report” is used to refer totwo different things. First, it refers to theannual financial report that is the responsibilityof the auditors, unless the municipality hasvoted to eliminate the office of auditor, underauthority of 17 V.S.A. § 2651b. The auditors orthe selectboard, if the office of auditor has beeneliminated, are responsible for distributing thefinancial audit or Town Report. Whether it issent out by the auditors or by the selectboard,the Report must “be mailed or otherwisedistributed to the legal voters of the town atleast ten days before the annual meeting.” 24V.S.A. § 1682.

The other, more common use of “TownReport” is the booklet that the town produceseach year which contains the financial audit,vital statistics, next year’s proposed budget,photographs, and (usually), the warning.

The warning is a public notice that tellspeople when and where to go for the townmeeting or polling places. It must also list theseparate articles of business to be transacted.The warning and notice must be posted in twoor more public places plus in or near the townclerk’s office 30 to 40 days before the meeting.In addition, the warning must be published in anewspaper of general circulation unless it is“published in the town report, or otherwisedistributed in written form to all town or citypostal patrons at least 10 days before themeeting.” 17 V.S.A. § 2641.

So, the situation is that the Town [financial]Report must go to “legal voters of the town”and the warning must be published or sent to“all town or city postal patrons.” The latterprovision is especially problematic in townswhere “postal patrons” of the local post officemay not live in that town. For example, anumber of residents of Town A get their mailthrough the Town B post office. So, they mightget the Town B warning but not their own townwarning.

We think the best practice, at a minimum, isto be sure that the Town Report is sent to everyperson on the voter checklist, the “legal voters,”and that the warning is published in a newspa-per of general circulation. That will meet the

statutory mandates. If the town also wants tosend direct mail to others or publish or postnotices saying that the Town Report andwarning are available at the clerk’s office or thegeneral store, or somewhere else in town, that’sfine. There is no law against over-informingcitizens about what is going on in their townwith their tax dollars.

- Libby Turner, VLCT Staff Attorney(This question is reprinted from the December

2001 VLCT News due to the many requestsmade at our recent Workshop for Town Treasurersand Auditors.)

Our town recently decided toeliminate the office of auditor. We


ASK THE LEAGUE -(Continued from previous page)

have since decided that we do not likethat arrangement and we would liketo again have elected auditors. Howdoes the town go about doing this?

The process for reinstating the office ofauditor is much like the process for eliminatingit: “A vote to eliminate the office of townauditor shall remain in effect until rescinded bya majority vote of the legal voters present andvoting, by ballot, at an annual meeting dulywarned for that purpose.” 17 V.S.A. § 2651b(a).

The way to do this is by placing an article onthe town meeting warning, such as: “Shall thetown vote to reinstate the office of auditor . . .”Note, also, that this requires a paper ballot.

- Brian Monaghan, VLCT Law Center Staff

What do you make of all thediscussion on the Muninet lately abouthow towns collect interest and penal-ties on delinquent taxes?

Because state law is not very concise on thistopic, Vermont towns have different methods

for collecting taxes and related interest andpenalties. Generally, the delinquent tax policyis set by the delinquent tax collector; he or shecan do this without any input from theselectboard or anybody else in town. However,a town may desire to ask the voters to speak tosome of the issues at Town Meeting. This issurely the most democratic method fordetermining such policies; it also puts delin-quent taxpayers on notice that their fellowresidents have spoken. Some examples:

Tax Installment PaymentsShall the voters authorize the payment of real

and personal property taxes to the Town Treasurer intwo installments, with the due dates being August15 and November 15? 32 V.S.A. §§ 4871, etseq.

Interest on Overdue Taxes with EachInstallment

Shall the voters authorize collection of intereston overdue taxes from the due date of eachinstallment in the amount of 1% per month orfraction thereof for the first three months andthereafter 1 ½% per month or fraction thereof? 32

up for discussion now that Vermonters have hadsix months’ experience with its tangled web.Across the state, candidates ran on permitreform and Act 60 reform. Both are hugeissues, and reform of either one has evadedseveral previous Legislatures. Transporta-tion, management of correctionspopulations, homeland security in

2003 LEGISLATURE -(Continued from Page One)

V.S.A. § 4873. Note that municipalities havethe option of assessing interest either after thedue date of the last installment due date, or aftereach installment due date. Be aware that onlyinterest can be charged on tax installments;penalties cannot be charged until after the finaltax due date, unless permitted by municipalcharter. 32 V.S.A. § 1674 (1).

Due Date/Postmarked DateShall the voters accept tax payments as timely if

postmarked by the tax due date by the United StatesPostal Service?

Or:Shall the voters authorize tax payments to be

accepted as paid when date-stamped received by thetown?

- Brian Monaghan, VLCT Law Center Staff(Property tax collection practices are included in

VLCT’s 2002 Municipal Census, due forrelease early next year. This survey of municipalitiesaround the State collected information on localgovernment administrative, voting, regionalcooperation, budgetary and land use practices andpolicies.)

Vermont and health care costs willcertainly come up as legislators search for newideas about how to resolve those intractableproblems. Defining every discussion will be theeconomic situation nationally and as it isplaying out in Vermont, with continued deficitsand reduced tax revenues coming in to statecoffers.

MAKING THE MUNICIPAL VOICEHEARD

How can you prepare for January? Pleasetake advantage of the opportunity to read overthe 2003 VLCT Municipal Policy. It wasdeveloped by your colleagues and voted at ourannual meeting where every city and town has avote. If you have not yet had the opportunityto meet with your newly elected legislators,make a commitment to do so as a board andcommunity early in the new year. You are thevoice of local government that your representa-tives and senators will listen to above all others.Make sure they know who you are and that youknow how to contact them! The VLCT WeeklyLegislative Report will get rolling again with apreview this month and a first issue mailed outJanuary 10. The VLCT Weekly Legislative Reportkeeps you up to date on the activities of the

week as they might affect local governments. Italso maintains a list of bills that have beenintroduced which address municipal issues.Plan now to attend Local GovernmentDay in the Legislature on Wednesday,February 12, 2003. And make clear to yourlegislators that you are willing to testify beforecommittees on legislation. Many committeeswill now hear from witnesses on speaker phone.It isn’t that hard! We will put tips for effectivetestimony in one of our first Legislative Reports.

The VLCT web site, www.vlct.org, has allthe legislative reports on it as well as legislativealerts and comments from members onlegislation that is pending. The Legislative website, www.leg.state.vt.us, has the names,addresses and e-mails of legislators as well asbills that are introduced, committees they weresent to and any action or amendments that aremade on the floor of the Senate and House.You may also find contact information for theSergeant-at-Arms and other State Houseofficials.

Ready? Set, Go! Welcome to 2003.- Karen Horn, VLCT Director, Legislative and

Membership Services

http://www.leg.state.vt.us


TRIVIAL PURSUIT

BOARD PROFILE -(Continued from Page Two)

Well, we stumped you last month with aquestion about the last election in which theLegislature was called upon to decide thewinner, and the person with less than amajority of the popular vote was chosen.The year was 1977. T. Garry Buckley andJohn Alden were running for Lt. Governorand Buckley was chosen over Alden, whowon the majority of the popular vote(48.4% to 47.6%). However, Alden hadbeen under criminal investigation, a secretknown to some lawmakers who saidprivately that this convinced them to votefor Buckley. The legislative votes were 90for Buckley and 87 for Alden.

December’s query is:This Vermont county was also

named Cumberland County andUnity County before the Legisla-ture finally settled on its currentname. What is it today?

Contact us with your answer: VLCT,89 Main Street, Ste. 4, Montpelier, VT05602; 800/649-7915; fax, 802/229-2211,e-mail, [email protected].

rewarding as it is productive. “It’s just abeautiful town – I wouldn’t want to liveanywhere else,” she said. Her children, Allison,who is at medical student at UVM, and Jayme,a graduate of Lyndon State College who isworking in Burlington, even want to returnsomeday. Sandy is confident that the town theyreturn to will offer them professional opportuni-ties and a great quality of life, because it isworking hard to create the former, whilepreserving the latter.

“We do have the same problem that othersaround the State have in enticing new businessand industry,” she said. For years, St. Johnsburytried to get new businesses to locate within theTown. Many cited the lack of parking andoverall appearance of the downtown as reasonsnot to locate there. Recently, Sandy said,selectboard chair Reginald Wakeham suggestedthat the Town try a different tactic, by borrow-ing a little bit of the “if you build it, they willcome,” mentality. As a result, St. Johnsburybuilt a new parking facility that is beautifullylandscaped and improved other areas in thedowntown. The effort seems to have paid off, asthere has recently been some growth in thenumber of downtown businesses.

Sandy is involved in downtown developmentas a corporator of the St. Johnsbury Develop-ment Fund. She also is active in the VermontMunicipal Clerks and Treasurers’ Association(VMCTA) as a member of its LegislativeCommittee. She sits on the Secretary of State’sTown Clerk Advisory Committee and hopes toserve on VMCTA’s new committee on federalelection reform. She is active in the St.Johnsbury Academy Alumni Association and alsohelps her husband, Mark, run the restaurantthat they own downtown, the Surf ‘n Sirloin.

All of this started back in late 1987, whenher daughters were in elementary school and shewas finishing up her bachelor’s degree inBusiness Administration at Lyndon StateCollege. A selectboard member suggested thatshe consider becoming St. Johnsbury’s newclerk/treasurer, as the current one was retiringafter 33 years. She said she happily agreed torun, thinking it would be more like applying fora job than actually running for office. Well, sherecalled with a smile, that mindset didn’t lastlong – as soon as she announced her candidacy,two others did as well.

“All of a sudden I was running a campaign,working with a committee to raise campaignfunds, and speaking at civic organizations,” shesaid, still with amazement in her voice 15 yearslater. In March 1988, Sandy was elected in one

of the biggest turnouts in years, and has rununopposed ever since.

There hasn’t been a dull day since herelection. She credits this to the nature of thejob, and to being able to work with threedifferent town managers and many differentselectboard members. “Each town manager isinterested in different areas,” she noted, addingthat selectboard members have their ownindividual agendas as well. “I remember initiallythinking with each change, ‘hmm, we don’t do itthis way,’ and then realizing, ‘but it is ok,’” sheobserved. “You learn,” she added, “to deal witheach person’s agenda.”

Change has also come to her office as ittransitioned from one computer in 1988 tomany today. Office operations are now all doneon the computer, and Sandy is embarking ontransferring land records to the computer. Oneof the projects she is most proud of is acollaboration with the Fairbanks Museum, theSt. Johnsbury Atheneum, and the St. JohnsburyAcademy to computerize their archives, createclimate controlled space for the group’s originaldocuments (such as the Town’s original 1787charter) and develop a disaster plan forpreservation of the records. “This all startedwith a $500 grant to study what could bedone,” Sandy said. Additional grants and a lotof volunteer time have kept the project goingthrough the years.

Looking ahead, Sandy feels that St.Johnsbury will have to be attentive to how itgrows. As the largest community in the area, ithas a wide array of social service agencies and alarge population that has settled there to usethe agencies’ services. Finding a balancebetween that population’s needs and thecommunity’s as a whole will be tricky, Sandysaid.

She is also cultivating the next generation oflocal government volunteers and officials. Eachelection year she speaks to the government classat St. Johnsbury Academy about elections, and,right there, registers to vote any students whoare eligible. A St. Johnsbury Academy studentalso attends each selectboard meeting andreports back to his or her government classabout the issues.

As to her own continuing growth andeducation, Sandy is looking forward to herservice on the VLCT Board of Directors.Initially, she plans to “listen and learn.”Eventually, she would like to become moreinvolved with legislative efforts to streamlineVermont’s land use permitting processes, whichshe feels are an impediment to economicgrowth. “These economic issues are no longerunique to the Northeast Kingdom,” shecommented.

Summing up, Sandy expresses the sentimentthat so many Vermont local officials feel: “Ihave the great opportunity,” she said, “to workwhere I was born and educated, and to see mycommunity grow and change.” It doesn’t getmuch better than that!

Welcome to the VLCT Board, Sandy.- Katherine Roe, VLCT Communications

Coordinator



The Vermont Department of EconomicDevelopment has developed a free bid opportu-nity system, which allows municipal govern-ments to post contracting opportunities for free.

Municipalities that are using or have usedthe system include the City of Montpelier,Town of Hartford, Burlington ElectricDepartment, City of Winooski, City of Barre,Town of Cambridge and many more.

You can access the website atwww.thinkvermont.com. and click on BidOpportunities. Figure 1 shows you the homepage. The drop-down list under Bid System (to

the left of the screen) allows potential biddersto choose the type of open bids they wish toreview. The choices are State, Federal,Municipal, and Private. You can also choose tolook at all open bids, or just those that havebeen awarded.

Figure 2 is the Open Municipal Bids. Onthe day this was done both the City of Montpe-lier and the Town of Cambridge each had anRequest for Proposals (RFP), and the Town ofHartford had two. This list of open bids can besorted by bid add date, opening date, authoringentity, date award was entered, keywords, or bidwork location. This makes it very easy for usersto find what they are looking for.

If you click on the Open Bidproject name, you will get detailsfor that particular RFP. Thedetail includes request, open, andclosing dates, intent to biddeadline, estimated dollar value,Request for Qualifications (RFQ)number, locations, bid descrip-tion, special instructions, andcontact information. You canalso include bid attachments suchas Word documents with youroriginal RFP.

This is also a great place formunicipalities to find sample

RFPs. Rather than reinvent thewheel, you can open and save orprint the attachments, using themas templates for your own futurebid specifications.

The entire process is elec-tronic: you post the RFP on-line,bidders post their bids on-line andyou award the bid on-line as well.It’s easy to use, and training isavailable at no cost.

To start posting your opportu-nities, contact Robin Miller,Dept. of Economic Developmentat 802/828-5240 or [email protected].

STATE OFFERS ON-LINE BIDOPPORTUNITIES SYSTEM

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

DO YOUR COMPUTERSKILLS NEED FINE

TUNING?SIGN UP FOR A VLCT-SPONSORED TRAINING

VLCT’s partnership with SymQuest/KnowledgeWave Training, begun last summer,continues to offer a comprehensive technicaltraining program to VLCT members at asubstantially reduced cost.

KnowledgeWave Training, Inc. is a Vermont-based computer training firm, with classroomsconveniently located in South Burlington andMontpelier.

VLCT regular and associate members areable to enroll in one-day desktop applicationclasses at the reduced rate of only $99/class(regularly $179), and receive a 25% discount offall other technical classes.

Please visit KnowledgeWave’s web site(http://www.knowledgewave.com), call 800/831-8449 or send e-mail [email protected] for course informa-tion and training dates. Identify yourself as aVLCT member when you do so that you will besure to receive the reduced rate for your class.

http://www.thinkvermont.com


http://www.knowledgewave.com



(COMMUNICATIONS UNDER TEN SENTENCES)

ATTENTION UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST MEMBERSAnnual Rate Assessment sheets for 2003 were mailed to you early this month. Statements will

be mailed to you in early January, so there is no need to send payment until you receive your statement. Ifthere are any discrepancies on your rate assessment sheet, please call Niki White in MemberRelations at 800/649-7915. Thank you.

ATTENTION VLCT HEALTH TRUST MEMBERSFor those groups participating in our Group Life and Disability Program with The Standard

Insurance Company, please make sure you have up-to-date beneficiary cards signed and dated byyour employees on file in your office. If you need beneficiary cards, please call Niki White inMember Relations at 800/649-7915. If you do not participate in this program and would beinterested in obtaining a quote on this valuable employee benefit, please call Suzanne Schittina orKim Gauthier in Member Relations at 800/649-7915.

ATTENTION PACIF MEMBERSSpecial notice to those of you who were named contact on the 2003 PACIF renewal: The 2003

Coverage Documents and Vehicle identification cards will be mailed out to you during the last weekin December. Please make sure the vehicle cards are reviewed and placed into the appropriatevehicles. Thank you!

WELCOME NEW PACIF MEMBERSTown of Barnet

Town of BrowningtonTown of ChittendenTown of MoretownVillage of Orleans

RATES AND PERFORMANCEHIGHLIGHT HEALTH

TRUST ANNUAL MEETINGThe VLCT Health Trust Annual Meeting

was held on Friday, November 15, 2002 at theLake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Seventy peopleattended to hear reports from Health Trust andBlue Cross Blue Shield officials about the “stateof the Trust” and their particular healthinsurance plans.

As noted last month in the VLCT News,health insurance rates for 2003 are up 14-19percent, depending on which plan yourmunicipality is in. (Last year rates rose only 5percent.) In light of this substantial increase,VLCT Group Services Director David Sichelreviewed health insurance trends and discussed

the four factors that continue to drive up healthcosts at rates far exceeding the Consumer PriceIndex (CPI). Those four factors are:

1) Rapidly (20 percent per year) risingprescription drug costs.

2) New medical technology and treatments.3) Governmental health program cost shifting

(Medicare and Medicaid).4) General inflation.

Gillian Printon, from Mercer HumanResource Consulting, presented the results ofthe recently completed claims, operational andclinical program audit of Blue Cross BlueShield. The Health Trust hired Mercer earlierthis year to complete this general audit of theservice Blue Cross Blue Shield is providing ourmembers. The audit shows that while generallyBlue Cross Blue Shield is meeting or exceeding

industry standards there are areas that needimprovement. We will be working with BlueCross Blue Shield to develop a work plan toaddress these areas of concern.

Fred Duplessis, from Sullivan, Powersand Company, reviewed the FY 2001 financialaudit, which showed the Trust to be financiallysolid.

Health Trust members closed the meeting byelecting Mike Welch, St. Johnsbury TownManager, to fill a Board vacancy created by theretirement of long time Board member WendySchroeder. Wendy was recognized for her 14years of service to the Health Trust. The HealthTrust Board will meet next month to considernominations to fill the Alternate Director seatpreviously held by Mr. Welch.

- David Sichel, Director, VLCT Group Services

Wendy Schroeder, outgoing member of the VLCTHealth Trust Board of Directors, was presented withan engraved set of granite bookends as a token ofVLCT’s appreciation for her many years of service asa Director.


HOLDING STEADY IN ADIFFICULT MARKET

VLCT PACIF members received theirannual renewals earlier this month, bringingthe good news that property and liabilityrates are unchanged from last year and thatworkers’ compensation rates are increasingby an average of just 5 percent. These ratechanges are more than modest in the face ofa hard insurance market. In addition, thePACIF Board recently voted to distribute$500,000 of surplus back to the members.Over $7.8 million has been returned to themembership over the years.

During the past year, PACIF has grownby over 25%. We are excited by thisgrowth, and look forward to serving ourmembers in 2003.

Looking to keep training fresh for itsemployees, the Town of Bennington’s WaterResources Department found being creativehelped.

In the past, hands-on confined entry trainingsessions consisted of training in the town’smanholes, with the use of both human andmanikin victims. Water Resources staffGeorge Leblanc, Mark White and GailTiffany commented that after doing this typeof training many times, it loses its effectiveness.Being creative, they enlisted the Fire ServiceTraining Academy in Pittsford, Vermont, forhelp with fulfilling the Department’s trainingrequirements.

The Fire Academy has a tractor-trailer theycan take to a site, along with instructors to helpwith hands-on training. During my visit, theywere helping the Water Resources Departmenttrain in the use of its self-contained breathingapparatus while traversing a confined area.Soon the trailer will have a tank so actualconfined entry and rescue training, with tripod,atmosphere testing, and self-containedbreathing apparatus, can be completed.

The trailer’s interior is completely dark, so itcan be used in a fire-training mode as well.

Even though dark, there is a console that allowsone instructor to monitor a student’s progresswith the use of three cameras. A public addresssystem is part of the console so an instructorcan assist a student by voice when necessary.The cameras allow for taping the training fordocumentation and review purposes. At theend of the training in Bennington there were sixhours of tape!

In the majority of cases, there is a fee for FireService Training assistance. For more informa-tion, contact Dan Zimmer, the Fire Academy’sTraining Coordinator, at 802/483-2755.

- Arthur La Pierre, VLCT Senior Loss ControlConsultant

Editor’s Note: In another joint effort withthe Fire Academy, Art is currently an AdjunctDefensive Driver Course 4 Instructor for theAcademy and is working toward full certification asan instructor by the National Safety Council(NSC). He hopes this will lead to future regionaldefensive driver training sessions for VLCT PACIFmembers. “It’s one more tool we can offer ourinsureds,” he commented. The training is aclassroom-only course leading to certification by theNSC. It is meant to enhance, not replace, VLCTPACIF’s annual Stevens Advanced Driver training.

REPORT FROM THE FIELD:THE BENEFITS OF WORKING TOGETHER

The Stevens training is, as anyone who has takencan well attest, very hands-on!

2003 VLCT PACIF RATES


SENATOR LYONS -(Continued from Page One)

between municipalities for needs. Especially fortransportation, bridge work and so on, certainlylocal governments can’t raise sufficient money toprovide the infrastructure that everyone uses. Ithink we [at the State level] need to see wherethere is the greatest need and to put ourinvestment into those places. Especially forinfrastructure needs and for capital expenses,because they are usually one-time things.Towns need to be helped through that. And,actually, I think we do a pretty good job at that.But there is always that tension.

VLCT: What do you believe are theappropriate roles in Vermont for thestate and local governments?

Senator Lyons: I think it is important tohave state oversight of some things that crosstown borders. On the other hand, I think it’sright and good for local communities todetermine under what rules they are going tolive – the ordinances that local communities putin place. I think it’s very important that wehave that level of home rule. Beyond that thereare some efficiencies of administration that canbe reached at the state level. For example, theimportant services like roads, voting policiesand public safety in general.

On charter amendments, I think that localcommunities ought to be able to set the tonefor [their] governance. The good thing abouthaving legislative oversight in that is to makesure that nothing is being done that is going toharm or that will be against state law, and thatwhatever is being considered in the charter isethical. I firmly believe that there is someoversight that is important. But I thinkbasically that if it has been hashed out at thelocal level and has gone through all the planningprocess, and been through a town meeting, Idon’t think the state really has a right to changehow a town does something. If a town wants toelect the town clerk, than it should do that. If atown decides that it is an appointment process,then the town should be able to do that. I don’tthink that a different opinion should rule.

VLCT: What are the strengths andweaknesses of both?

Senator Lyons: I actually think that peoplealways want to have local control. They wantto be able to determine what goes on in theircommunities, how fast their community grows,how many walking paths they have or whatkinds of ordinances are in the community. Thelocal communities really need to do that. Onthe other hand, if you have too many of thoseindividual fiefdoms, then it becomes really

difficult for something like a liquor controlboard to go in and know what every singleordinance is in every single community onliquor control, cabaret licenses, or somethinglike that. If [a town] becomes too parochial innature and ignores the needs of neighboringcommunities then I think that we’ve gone toofar on the side of local control. I think it isreally important for local communities to worktogether with their adjacent towns. But wedon’t have anything like county government inthe state and, for that reason, I think that thestate sort of plays that role of trying to bringtowns together. When it gets to be too much ofa role - telling towns what they have to do - Ithink then we need to have the balance in place.It is a constant balancing act.

VLCT: Given the balancing act theState finds itself in, what can it do toenhance local governments’ ability to

serve their constituents?Senator Lyons: Be responsive. One of the

things that I have valued very much from thestate level is the Secretary of State’s (andVLCT’s) efforts at training sessions andinformational pieces in newsletters. Both ofthose really focus on legal issues, local rights andwhat the State is doing. Also, being responsiveto what local communities say. For example,last session there was a bill that I was workingon in agriculture on roads and farm vehicles.VLCT was great in providing me with feedback,as was the state transportation department.Knowing what local communities think acrossthe State when making decisions is key.

Standardizing things that can be standard-ized throughout the State is also important sothat, for example, we don’t run into the sameissues with voting that Florida does. I think a



lot of that has to do with the connection that ismade between state and local offices. We knowwhen a bridge is due to be fixed and that isbecause there is a constant, well, you could callit a battle, but it is actually constant communi-cation. Again, it is the balancing act because itis not going to satisfy all the communities all thetime.

VLCT: What are the differencesthat you find working in municipaland state government, as you shiftbetween your selectboard hat and yourlegislator hat?

Senator Lyons: You know, on theselectboard, you are doing everything. You arebalancing the budget, keeping track of a capitalplan, working on institutions and transporta-tion, social services and personnel issues and

public safety. So you are doing all of it – a littlebit of everything all the time. And you areworried very much about the person at the endof the road that is not getting electrical serviceor getting plowed out in time.

When I get to the Senate, I am treated tothe broad perspective of a lot of differentcommunities that may have similar problems. Iam learning about how those problems mayhave been solved in different ways, and maybefrom that jumps a policy that will help people.

Another big difference is that at the locallevel I am dealing with people on a daily basis.It is one to one. At the state level I am dealingwith policies and possibly groups. I think it isextremely challenging to sit on a selectboardand sit across the table from someone and say,no you can’t do that. It is much harder thansitting at a table and making a policy when youdon’t see the people.

The challenge at the state level is to reallyunderstand and know the consequences of anypolicy that you pass. You can find out twomonths later that it was the worst thing in theworld or it was much better than you antici-pated. At the local level you have a much moreinstantaneous ability to respond. So if you dosomething and you make a mistake you can goout and fix it.

But, probably most importantly, by workingin state and local government simultaneously, Iam forced each and every day to think about theproper role of government in the lives of ourcitizens.

VLCT: What are the disadvantagesand advantages posed by yourselectboard and legislator hats?

Senator Lyons: Certainly the advantage forme is that I understand local government. And

as you look at our democratic process, the localgoverning bodies are significant in leadingwhatever happens. We know what theproblems and issues are.

You really learn from being on a selectboardto distinguish between what is policy and whatis management. I see so many people who gointo the State House and they want to fixmanagement. They want to fix the administra-tion and how laws are implemented. And really,what we’re all about at the State House isdevising a policy that is then implemented. Justknowing the difference between those twothings is important.

I just want to give one other advantage. I

(Continued from Previous Page)SENATOR LYONS -


FEDERAL GRANTHELPS PURCHASEDEFIBRILLATORS

Rural police and fire personnel in Vermontwill soon have the resources to better respondto one of the most critical medical emergencies– cardiac arrest – thanks to a grant awarded tothe State from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices recently announced that the VermontDepartment of Health will receive $260,359 forrural communities to purchase automatedexternal defibrillators (AEDs) and to train firstresponders in their use. The grants, authorizedby the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act,total $12.5 million nationwide to help ruralcommunities purchase AEDs.

The Vermont Department of Health’s 13regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS)districts will begin work next month to identifyand prioritize organizations that are eligible forthe AEDs. The organizations include firstresponders who provide care, but not transportof ill persons; certain ambulance services; fireand police personnel; certain medical clinics;and facilities (businesses, stadiums, etc.) thatattract large crowds.

AEDs are small, easy-to-use devices thatprovide an electric shock to restart a heart thathas suddenly stopped beating. Their presence isoften beneficial because, for every minute thatpasses after cardiac arrest occurs, chances ofsurvival decrease by 10 percent.

For more information about the AED grantprogram, contact Dan Manz at the VermontDepartment of Health, EMS Office, at 800/244-0911, or at [email protected]. Danwas instrumental in writing and obtaining thisgrant. VLCT, on behalf of all our municipalmembers, appreciates his hard work.

Senator Virginia Lyons



(Continued from Page Nine)SENATOR LYONS -

had a bill in last year about the criteria forallocating sewer, which was the result of alawsuit in our town. The bill would haveclarified the law and selectboards would nothave been as susceptible to lawsuits if someonefelt that they were arbitrary in their sewerallocation process. That law didn’t go through.However, one of the advantages that I took intothe State House was that I knew there had beena lawsuit and that we could correct that portionof law.

Besides bringing my selectboard experienceto the State House, I also see advantages frommy work in Montpelier. At the municipal level,we deal with municipal issues. Being at thestate level means that I can begin to work onstate education policy, and that is very impor-tant to my community. So it expands what Ican do in a lot of ways, to health care or naturalresources or other policies across the state.

As to disadvantages, you become parochial inyour interests. You think only about your localcommunity to the exclusion of statewide issues.And so there are times when I should not beputting on my Williston hat. It might help meto understand positions but I should be able tolook at Guilford and Rutland and every othertown in the state and form policies that helpthem all.

VLCT: How do you keep in touchwith your constituents? What is themost effective way for them to commu-nicate with you?

Senator Lyons: My e-mail address! What Ilike from my constituents is a letter or an e-mailthat informs me about an issue and theirposition – who they are and why they feel theway they do. If they are communicating withme about prescription drugs and they let meknow they are on a fixed income, have a chronicillness and spend half of their income onprescription drugs, that is much more compel-ling to me that someone who has had oneprescription drug in the last ten years and thinksthe price is awful. Putting it into personalcontext is important. Giving reasons for theirposition is very important. History is alsoimportant.

If they are happy with just letting me knowtheir position, and I don’t have to respond,that’s particularly helpful [to tell me] during thesession when there are millions of things goingon.

I like any type of communication, thoughtelephone calls are not the greatest, unlesssomeone absolutely needs to talk with me ifthere is a problem that we need to solve and we

need to talk about it. [It’s just that] I’mworking from eight in the morning until sevenat night on State House issues during thesession and returning calls is very difficult.

VLCT: In your first term, what wasyour greatest accomplishment? Disap-pointment? Biggest surprise?

Senator Lyons: The greatest accomplish-ment was feeling that I was effective. I did thatin different ways. Two or three of my own billswere passed. And one of my disappointmentswas that one of them didn’t pass, and that wasmy sewer bill. Of the ones that were passed, myown personal bills were generated from myexperiences on the selectboard. So I felt a realsense of accomplishment in taking somethingback to my town.

I have to say that defending the ChampionLands bill in the Senate was a huge accomplish-ment. Another one is the statewide program forhealth communities, called CHAMP, theCoalition for Healthy Activity, Motivation andPrevention Programs. CHAMP is an assess-ment that is going on now and that willultimately help all Vermont towns, all Vermont-ers, in preventing chronic diseases – heartdisease and stroke. That was a big accomplish-ment.

The biggest surprise was how really slowlythe process works. And how really honestpeople are. I am always pleasantly surprised towork with the people I work with. Everyone isso committed and sincere about their publicservice. That was refreshing.

VLCT: What do you think theimportant issues will be in the upcom-ing legislative session?

Senator Lyons: Obviously, the adjustmentto a new administration. The administrationsets its tone and its values through its budget.The template that we get is the Governor’s. Wedon’t start from scratch. That will be veryinteresting. I think we will also see somelegislative initiatives coming to us that wouldn’thave come otherwise, and we’re going to have towork on some of these things together.Included in that may be permitting, changingthe way health care is delivered, changingeducation, maybe school choice. It is allpercolating.

[The] new Senate and new House learningto work together, because I think that will becritically important. This is one very importantissue – how to move forward cooperatively andto respect the differences we now have betweenthe administration, the majority in the Senateand the narrow differences in the House.

At the local level, I think a very importantissue is going to have to do with the permitting

process. Because I think, while everyone istalking about Act 250 as “the permit,” thereality is that it is the local permit process that alot of developers, builders and citizens haveproblems with. It is going to be very interestingto see if there is a way to improve the permitprocess without taking away from localcommunities’ ability to have their own permitprocess. Some of the proposed legislation that Ihave seen so far suggests that local communitieswill be working regionally rather than indepen-dently. Part of me says that’s a good thing tolook at, and part of me says this is not going towork! [There is also the state agency permittingprocess] and whether or not local communitiesare capable of pulling in any of the Agency ofNatural Resources pieces.

The other thing that I think is going to beimportant is the large farm operation issue.Currently, that is all under the agricultureumbrella, and local communities don’t havemuch of a say. Obviously, if your heart is in theelected government process, you have to thinkthat the elected government at every levelshould have some sort of role to play, andcurrently it doesn’t in some of these areas.

Health care is another big issue. Localcommunities can’t continue to afford the healthcare that they have.

VLCT: Do you have any otherthoughts to share with VLCT members?

Senator Lyons: I think VLCT membersneed to know how hard their legislators work.And that local governance issues are criticallyimportant to legislators. Having said that, wealso know that there are other areas that aren’ttouched by local government and we try to doour best to understand what people want.We’ve got businesses to think about, we’ve gothealth care providers, hospitals, all of thosethings that are regulated differently from localgovernment. So we work very hard.

I personally wear my selectboard hat all thetime, and it is hard to take it off. The heart andsoul of government begins in the local commu-nities. I think there are a lot of us who walkaround with that all the time. It is important.

CONGRATULATIONSA record three members of the VLCT

Board of Directors were elected to theVermont Legislature last month. SenatorJames Condos, Chair, South BurlingtonCity Council, was re-elected to his secondterm. Representatives Gail Fallar,Clerk/Treasurer, Tinmouth, and MaryPeterson, Selectperson, Williston, will benew to the State House in 2003. Congratu-lations to this strong municipal trio!


better to establish that early in the process andsave everyone a lot of pain as you try tonegotiate a match that was not meant to be orend up in a job in which you are unable to makeends meet.

The best resumes we have read totalbetween two and three pages and include nameand address, type of position sought, educa-tional background, employment history andother activities.

REFERENCESReferences can be another tricky piece of a

resume, particularly when considering your owncurrent employment status. Many jobapplicants simply state at the end of theirresume, references available upon request. This isfine as long as you have a list of references thatyou are ready to provide when the requestcomes and you are not surprised by it. Take thetime to ask your references for their permissionor at least inform them that they are on the listyou are providing to potential employers so thatthey are not surprised when they receive a call.

A list of references need not be long. Itshould include people you know well outside ofwork (not family members) who can speakabout you and your experience knowledgably orpeople you know in a professional capacity.Listing the U.S. Senators from Vermont is nothelpful unless you actually worked for them.The list needs to contain a balance betweenpersonal or “character” references (such assomeone with whom you served on a planningcommission) and professional references,including a current or recent employer. A jobapplicant should expect that if he or she is afinalist for a job, his or her current employerwill be contacted. Please note that this shouldnot be done without your permission! For thatmatter, if you are a finalist and you have givenpermission, persons not on your list may becontacted (for instance the members of yourselectboard). Generally a list of references neednot include more than six people.

Clearly putting your best foot forward whenintroducing yourself on paper is terrificallyimportant. Following these recommendations isno guarantee of landing the next position forwhich you apply. But doing so will help todemonstrate your seriousness about the job andyour capacity to provide key information in aclear and succinct manner. We wish you thebest of luck!

- Karen Horn, Director, VLCT Legislative andMembership Services

RESUME WRITING -(Continued from Page Eighteen)


(As noted in the October 2002 VLCT News,VLCT is one of 28 members of the VermontHousing Awareness Campaign. This success storyfrom the Town of Cambridge is shared to helpother municipalities learn from its experiences.)

A little over a year ago, aging residents ofCambridge, Vermont who were in need ofhousing with support services had limitedchoices: move away from town to an assistedliving facility, or move in with relatives. At thesame time, families were increasingly shut out ofthe local housing market due to rising housingcosts and pressure on the market from the localski areas.

In December 2001, after a two-and-a-half-year development process, JeffersonvilleCommunity Housing was completed, enablingaging residents to stay in town and providingwell-managed, affordable housing for families.This is a mixed-income, intergenerationaldevelopment with three buildings: the seniorbuilding houses 22 seniors and ten familyapartments are located in two, five-unitbuildings.

Although the Lamoille Housing Partnership(LHP) secured site control in the summer of1999, Act 250 permitting hurdles and localopposition extended the development timelineover a two-year period. LHP, a nonprofithousing development organization, worked withHousing Vermont and community advocates toaddress the concerns of Cambridge residentsduring the design and predevelopment process.

STEPS TO SUCCESS1. The Town of Cambridge supported the

development, first by sponsoring anapplication for funding from the VermontCommunity Development Program, and alsoby granting a sewer allocation for theproject. According to LHP Director LucyLeriche, “Really, from the beginning, theTown was always very supportive.”

2. In order to get feedback from the towns-people, LHP invited Jeffersonville residentsto join a Citizens’ Advisory Council. Publicmeetings were scheduled and LHP heldmediated discussions with opponents andresponded in writing to their concerns.Comments from the public meetings wereprinted in the local papers.

3. Without zoning, the Act 250 process

FROM PLANS TO REALITY:PERMITTING AND BUILDING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

became the other principal forum forcomments on the proposal. A few residentsappealed LHP’s Act 250 permit request,citing concerns that the buildings wouldnegatively impact the historic character ofthe Village of Jeffersonville, that the seniorbuilding was too large, and that thebuildings were to be built in a floodway.LHP worked through each of these concernsin the design and development process. Thedesign of the senior building was alteredslightly, and the neighbors’ concerns wereaddressed. Ultimately, the EnvironmentalBoard approved the Act 250 permits.

A NEW HOMEToday, all the hard work has paid off and

Jeffersonville Community Housing is becomingpart of the community. In the senior building,the new residents come from a variety ofbackgrounds and bring with them different lifeexperiences. Still, they seem to be comingtogether beautifully.

“We have such a nice community here, andthe whole group gets on so well,” said BeatriceDesjardins, a resident on the second floor.

According to Cambridge selectboardmember Dana Sweet, “It had some oppositionfrom a few people in town, but in the end, it didthe most good for the largest number of people.I’m very proud of it, myself. A home for ourseniors and they don’t have to move out oftown. All I see in the paper is good thingshappening over there. It’s unbelievable thehappiness coming out of there.”

The kitchen, dining room, conference room,and sunroom are common areas where residentscan get together for movie night, slide shows,exercise classes and community potluck dinners.The residents have remained active in localcommunity organizations, something that wouldhave been difficult or impossible had they beenforced to move out of Cambridge.

The ten-family rental apartments atJeffersonville Community Housing are afford-able to households earning between 30% and80% of median income, which in LamoilleCounty translates to between $13,000 and$34,700 of annual income for a family of four.(A family with one adult working full-time atminimum wage has an annual income of$13,000.) Two accessible units accommodateresidents with physical disabilities.

The experience of developing JeffersonvilleCommunity Housing was not unlike the processdevelopers might experience in any part of thestate. Although a long time in the works, theresult is 32 new units of housing that fit in andadd a new dimension to this small community.

- Pam Boyd, Vermont Housing andConservation Board

JEFFERSONVILLE COMMUNITY HOUSING


There’s a severe shortage of affordablehousing in nearly every part of Vermont.And it affects everyone.

Builders and nonprofit housingorganizations need you as a partner.

When affordable housing is proposed inyour community, go out and support it.Speak up! Write letters! Circulate a petition!And keep going to public meetings until it’sapproved. It matters.

When hard-working Vermonters can’tafford decent housing, we all risk losingessential services, community vitality,and economic energy.

If you’d like to become part of the solution,please call, or visit our website.

To build affordable housing,they need your support.

HOUSING– THE FOUNDATION OF VERMONT COMMUNITIES

Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign 802 652•3449 www.housingawareness.org


In good economic times, people frequentlywant to work in the private sector because thepay can be very good. In bad economic times,people often prefer the public sector becausethe work may be more secure than privatesector jobs. Despite this rule of thumb, thepresent sluggish economy has resulted in evensome local government employees findingthemselves in the job market.

What should you do to make a goodimpression when you look for a job? Firstimpressions are critically important in a tightjob market. That means you must presentyourself well on paper. Over the years we haveseen a lot of applications for jobs, either forpositions here at VLCT or as a result of the jobsearches we often conduct for Vermontmunicipalities. A few things jump out as wereview potential employees for jobs rangingfrom attorney to municipal manager to publicworks director to the occasional police chief.Here are some pointers to keep in mind.

COVER LETTERThis is the first product that your potential

employer will see. The impression it makes isall-important! Your cover letter shouldintroduce you briefly and describe your interestin the particular job for which you are applying.Be specific with respect to the job. Nothingturns off an employer faster than a sentence thattells him or her that you are applying for someother job – in some other town. It is crucial tosuccinctly get across to the reader what you cando for the employer. At this introductory point,the reader really does not care about what thisjob can do for you.

Would a potential employer deduce fromyour address that distance from the job mightbe an issue? You might mention your willing-ness to relocate, or the fact that you are in theprocess of relocating.

Keep the letter to one page if at all possible.Your resume will tell the rest of the story. Andbe sure that you are using personal letterheadpaper, not the letterhead of your currentemployer. Grammar and spelling are veryimportant in a cover letter. Often we cannotsee our own mistakes once they are written –instead we see what we wanted to write. As aresult, it is a good idea to ask someone else toread the letter at least for spelling and grammarif not for content. Also, be sure to use Spell

IN THE JOB MARKET?TIPS FOR PRESENTINGYOURSELF ON PAPER

Check on your computer when reviewing yourletter, even though it does not catch words thatare spelled correctly but misused in a sentence.

Use of e-mail to deliver cover letters andresumes is common today. However, if you areusing that medium, because of either timeconstraints or convenience, there are someidiosyncrasies to consider. The text of your e-mail may look quite different when it is receivedthan it did when you carefully formatted andsent it. For example:

To Whom It May Concern:Please consider me for the position of

manager. Attached to this document please findmy resume and cover letter.

ToWhom it may

Con-cern

:Please con-

sider me forthe pos-

ition of manager. At-tached please

find myresume and

cover letter.

As well, sometimes the attached documentsdon’t come through those computer wires at allor they come through in some hieroglyphic thatdoes not impress the recipient. If you mustsend attachments, try to send them as PDF files.This format is easily accessible to anyone usingAdobe Acrobat software and will preserve theformatting that you chose. Regardless of howyou send your resume electronically, make sureyour name is on every single sheet of paper thatthe recipient will be printing out. Don’t leave apotential employer sifting through a pile ofresumes, trying to match up the pages!

Finally, it is always a good idea to send alonga hard copy as well and to note that you aredoing so in your e-mail.

RESUMEThere are lots of books around that tell job

seekers how to write resumes. While some ofthose methods are quite effective, others canconfuse potential employers more than theyhelp. Maybe because we are Yankees, we

recommend putting your name, address,telephone number and e-mail address (if youhave one) at the top of the resume in a not tooostentatious typeface. In the same vein, whileyou want your resume to stand out, youprobably don’t want it to do so because of itsscreaming pink or day-glow green color.

If you are going to put a line at the top ofthe resume regarding the kind of job you areseeking, make very sure, as you did in the coverletter, that the kind of job your resume says youwant does in fact match the job for which youare applying.

Resumes can be too short or, at great length,tell someone more than he or she ever wantedto know about you. A potential employer doesnot need to see every single thing you haveaccomplished in your professional life. Apotential employer does need to see youreducational background and any degreesreceived. Certifications, on the other hand, canbe tricky. You do want to let people know ofany professional certifications that are necessaryto your eligibility for a job. You probably don’tneed to let them know that you received acertificate of completion for that one-day timemanagement class five years ago. Judgment iskey here. What would you be interested inknowing about a person?

An employer needs to see your employmenthistory arranged in chronological order, withnames of organizations for which you worked,dates of employment and explanations of anygaps in employment. The best resumes we haveread contain a short paragraph about thecandidate’s responsibilities in each of thosepositions. Generally you don’t need to list allthe jobs you held in high school unless you are arecent graduate and need to establish a recordof reliable employability.

As is the case with certifications, you willneed to exercise judgment in compiling a list ofitems such as hobbies (which some peopleinclude and some ignore) or volunteer activities.These lists can be very helpful to potentialemployers in giving them a picture of you as awhole person, but if everything under the sun ison the list it loses some of its utility. Providinginformation such as marital status, number orages of children is entirely up to you and, ofcourse, employers may not request suchinformation in an interview situation.

Some recruitment advertisements requestyour salary requirements. If you are going toinclude these, it is worth investigating whatsimilar jobs in the state pay. In the end, pay islikely to be negotiated between the hiring entityand the prospective employee. Nonetheless, ifyou are out of the employer’s price range, it is

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HELP WANTEDGroup Services Assistant. VLCT has an

immediate need for a Group ServicesAssistant to perform a wide range ofadministrative and technical duties to assistin the underwriting and general administra-tive services of its insurance trust division.Responsibilities include general administra-tive support in addition to such duties asprocessing workers’ compensation payrollaudits, assisting in gathering and analyzingunderwriting information, maintainingmember files and data, assisting in theannual renewal process, fielding phone callsregarding underwriting and coverage issues,preparing agendas and taking minutes atboard meetings, and providing backupreceptionist coverage. We seek an organizedindividual who is a team player with goodoral and written communication skills andthe ability to work independently to set andmeet deadlines. A high school degree isrequired, as is general administrativeexperience or training. Experience with MS

VT 05602 or to (preferred)[email protected]. FieldPrograms Coordinator. TheCVSWMD operates a variety of collectionfacilities and programs, inclusive of recyclingdepots and hazardous materials handlingfacilities. The Field Programs Coordinator isresponsible for the ongoing operations atthese field sites. These responsibilitiesinclude: staffing; supervision and develop-ment of staff, volunteers and contractworkers; site maintenance, safety andimprovements; oversight of daily operations;developing and maintaining good workingrelationships with contractors providingservice at the District facilities, andadherence to District policies and proce-dures. Please send resume and references toDonna Barlow Casey, Executive Director, at:CVSWMD, 137 Barre Street, Montpelier,VT 05602 or to (preferred)[email protected]. See our website formore information: www.cvswmd.com.CVSWMD is an equal opportunityemployer.

City Manager. The City of St. Albans isseeking applications from qualified candi-dates for the position of City Manager. TheCity has a population of approximately7,600, with 60 full-time employees in thefollowing departments: administrative, full-time fire and police departments and publicworks, water, wastewater, recreation andcommunity development. Candidatesshould have a bachelor’s degree and/or aminimum of five years of managementexperience in the public sector. The CityManager is responsible for the dailyoperations of all departments of the City andreports directly to the City Council. Acompetitive benefits package to includehealth, vision, dental and retirement isavailable. Letter of application, including adetailed resume, salary requirements, andthree letters of reference should be for-warded to Mayor Peter DesLauriers, CityHall, P.O. Box 867, St. Albans, VT 05478to arrive not later than 3 p.m. on 1/17/03.

FOUNDLadies’ blue wool coat. ¾ length, Ashley

Scott, gold buttons. Left at VLCT HealthTrust Annual Meeting. Please call NikiWhite at 800/649-7915.

Compliance 2003: Are You Ready forNPDES? Wednesday, January 8, 2003.E.J. Prescott South Burlington Facility and(repeats) Thursday, January 9, 2003, E.J.Prescott Barre Facility. Sponsored byEverett J. Prescott, Inc., this workshop willdiscuss the National Pollutant DischargeElimination System (NPDES) Storm WaterRegulations that will be implemented inMarch 2003. Those involved with construc-tion activity/land disturbing need tounderstand the implications of this landmarklegislation. For more information, or toregister, contact E.J. Prescott at 802/865-3958 or 802/223-2385.

Local Government Day in the Legisla-ture. Wednesday, February 12, 2003,Capitol Plaza Hotel, Montpelier. Sponsoredby VLCT and the Vermont MunicipalClerks and Treasurers’ Association, thispopular annual event offers municipalofficials a chance to hear from VLCT’s

Office, insurance related experience andknowledge of local government operationsare preferred qualifications. VLCT providesa competitive salary and exceptional benefitspackage. Interested candidates should sendcover letter, résumé and names/telephonenumbers of three references [email protected] with GS Assistant assubject line or by mail to Human Resources,VLCT, 89 Main Street, Suite 4, Montpelier,VT 05602-2948. VLCT is an equalopportunity employer.

Special Programs Assistant. The CentralVermont Solid Waste Management District(CVSWMD) Special Programs Assistantworks with the Special Programs Coordina-tor in planning and implementing theDistrict’s ReUse, Recycling, and IllegalDumping and Burning programs. Thisposition requires considerable contact withthe public in a variety of situations. Pleasesend resume and references to Ela Abrams,Special Programs Coordinator, at:CVSWMD, 137 Barre Street, Montpelier,

lobbying staff and VMCTA’s legislativecommittee. Meetings with legislators andhearings at the State House are alsoscheduled. For more information, pleasecontact Jessica Hill, VLCT ConferenceCoordinator, tel. 800/649-7915, [email protected]. Beginning in January, youmay also register on-line for this workshopat www.vlct.org, in the Calendar section.

Town Officers’ Educational Confer-ences. April 3, Lyndon State College,Lyndon; April 15, Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee;April 21, St. Michael’s College, Colchester;April 24, Educational Center, Springfield;and April 29, 2003, Rutland. Mark yourcalendars and watch for registrationmaterials to arrive in the mail in late winter.For more information, contact MaryPeabody, UVM Extension Specialist, tel.802/223-2389 or e-mail,[email protected].



http://www.cvswmd.com





89 Main Street, Suite 4Montpelier, VT 05602-2948

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