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(Text of Amendments attached as PDF file at bottom of page)
LEGAL NOTICE
The Town of Manchester Selectboard, Board of Sewer Commissioners and Board of Water Commissioners adopted amendments to the Town Ordinances (Chapters 2, 3, 8 and 10) and the Water Department Regulations, at meetings on July 27, 2010 and July 28, 2010. The amendments are summarized below.
CHAPTER 2 – ALARMS:
Statement of Purpose: Amends Chapter 2 of the Ordinance of the Town of Manchester by increasing the fee in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Principal Provisions: This amendment increases the Alarm fee from $30.00 to: $40.00 (effective January 1, 2011); $45.00 (effective January 1, 2013); $50.00 (effective January 1, 2015).
CHAPTER 3 – ASSEMBLAGES IN RESTAURANTS, POOL ROOMS AND AMUSEMENT CENTERS:
Statement of Purpose: Effective October 1, 2010, amends Chapter 3 of the Ordinances of the Town of Manchester by increasing the fee and fine.
Principal Provisions: This amendment increases the fee from $10.00 to $100.00 and the fine from $100.00 to $200.00.
CHAPTER 8 – CONSTRUCTION IN TOWN RIGHT-OF-WAY:
Statement of Purpose: Effective October 1, 2010, amends Chapter 8 of the Ordinances of the Town of Manchester by increasing the fees and creating a new fee.
Principal Provisions: This amendment increases the fee for Road Opening Permits from $10.00 to $200.00; creates a fee for residential Road Access of $50.00; and creates a fee for a commercial, industrial and residential with more than two units Road Access permit of $250.00.
CHAPTER 10 – REGULATION OF SEWER USE:
Statement of Purpose: Effective October 1, 2010, amends Chapter 10 of the Ordinances of the Town of Manchester by increasing fees.
Principal Provisions: This amendment increases the following fees: (1) per gallon user charge from $0.0035 to $0.0036; (2) minimum quarterly charge from $20.00 to $21.00; (3) car wash fee (per wash bay) from $2,200 to $2,400; (4) connection fee from $11.68 per gallon to $12.00; and (5) increases the Assessment Fee from $0.002497 per $100 of assessed value to $0.003079.
WATER DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS:
Statement of Purpose: Effective October 1, 2010, amends Water Department Regulations of the Town of Manchester by increasing fees.
Principal Provisions:
Increases the per gallon fee as follows:
Measurement (in gallons)
Gallon Cost ($)
From – up to and including (GPD)
Up to 4,000
$42.00 minimum
0 – 4,000
Next 4,000
+$11.20 ($0.0028)
4,001 – 8,000
Next 12,000
+$36.00 ($0.0030)
8,001 – 20,000
Next 20,000
+$72.00 ($0.0036)
20,001 – 40,000
Next 30,000
+$123.00 ($0.0041)
40,001 – 70,000
Next 100,000
+$135.00 ($0.0045)
70,001 – 100,000
Above 100,000
($0.0046)
100,001 and greater
Furthermore, (1) amends the Broken Meter fee to charge the average of the four previous quarters instead of $40.00; (2) increases the fee for No Meter from $40.00 to $50.00; (3) increases the connection fee from $3.00 to $4.00 per gallon; and (4) increases the Fire Hydrant Fee from $100.00 to $200.00.
Interested parties may contact Town Manager John P. O’Keefe, 6039 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT 05255, at (802) 362-1313 (option 2) or j.okeefe@manchester-vt.gov. The full text of the Ordinance can be viewed at www.manchester-vt.gov or a paper copy can be obtained from the office of the Town Manager at the address listed above during regular business hours.
Pursuant to State law, citizens have the right to petition for a vote on the Ordinances at an annual or special meeting as provided in Title 24, chapter 59, section 1973. Unless a petition is filed in accordance with said section 1973, this Ordinance shall become effective 60 days after the date of its adoption. If a petition is filed in accordance with section 1973 of this title, the taking effect of the Ordinance shall be governed by section 1973(e) of Title 24.
NOTE: These amendments were warned and adopted separately and must therefore be petitioned separately.
07/30/2010 - 2:16pm -
Parks and Recreation New Web Site Online: The Parks and Recreation Department's new website is online at http://activenet.active.com/manchestervtrecreation. Customers can register for programs and pay online using debit and credit cards. Please direct questions about the new site to Nate Walrath, Director of Programming, at n.walrath@manchester-vt.gov or (802) 362-1439. (802) 362-1439 begin_of_the_skype_highlig
07/27/2010 - 6:39am -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! - 4th of July Celebration Scheduled: The Town has announced the schedule for Sunday, July 4th:
- 9:30AM: 5K Fun Run & Walk - Dana L. Thopmson Park
- 10:00AM to 4:00PM: Free open swimming at Town pool
- 2nd Annual 4th of July Depot Street Block Party at the Town Green
- 5:00PM: Depot Street (between Cottage St. and Main St.) closed to traffic
- 5:30PM: Food vending on Depot Street near the Factory Point Town Green
- 5:15PM to 6:15PM: Tin Penny on the Factory Point Town Green (stage 1)
- 6:15PM to 8:45PM: Gypsy Reel on the Factory Point Town Green (stage 2)
- 7:30PM: Southern VT All Stars vs. VT Voltage (soccer) at Applejack Field
- 9:30PM: Fireworks at the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park
- 9:45PM: Depot Street reopens to vehicle traffic - drive safely!
For more information about events, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (802) 362-1439 or visit the Parks and Recreation 4th of July page.
New this year for the 4th of July - an old fashion tractor parade will be held, beginning at 2:30PM at Dorr Farm on Route 30 near the Rec. Center. The parade will proceed down Bonnet Street to School Street and Memorial Avenue (in front of MEMS), turn right onto Main Street and right onto Bonnet Street back to Dorr Farm. Contact Dave Quesnel via email at for more information at dquesnel01@comcast.net or call the Parks and Recreation Department at (802) 362-1439.
Very special thanks to our sponsors Vermont Summer Festival, r.k. Miles, the Manchester Lions Club, Hand Motors, Hill Painting Inc., Anonymous, Palmer House, Northshire Day School, The Pharmacy - Northshire, Israel Congregation of Manchester, The Aspen at Manchester, Briggs Fowler Insurance Agency, Trust Company of Vermont, Manchester Carpet Care, Manchester House of Pizza, Brewster Antiques, Cole Company and The Northshire Bookstore. Thank you for your support!
06/13/2010 - 9:34am - 9:30AM: 5K Fun Run & Walk - Dana L. Thopmson Park
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The Selectboard is seeking applications from Town residents for appointment to Boards and Commissions such as the Planning Commission and the Development Review Board. Click here to learn more and to fill out an application online. Applications are due by Friday, June 4, 2010.
05/17/2010 - 7:17am -
The Town of Manchester recently reorganized its telephone system to better serve the public and facilitate the relocation of new employees to Town Hall. The main number for Town Hall is now 362-1313. Callers can choose from one of seven options:
- Town Clerk: option 1
- Town Manager: option 2
- Planning and Zoning Office: option 3
- Finance Officer: option 4
- Assessor and Listers: option 5
- Human Resources: option 6
- Parks and Recreation: option 7
03/09/2010 - 3:34pm -
Financial reports for the General Fund, Sewer Fund and Water Fund are now online at http://manchester-vt.gov/content/town-financial-reports.
02/23/2010 - 6:45pm -
Dog and cat owners, there will be a rabies clinic at the Town of Manchester Fire Department (6041 Main Street) on Wednesday, March 10 between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. A fee of $10.00 per animal will be charged. Dog owners may also license their dogs at this event. Please crate or leash all animals. For more information please call Town Clerk Linda Spence at 362-1315.
02/17/2010 - 12:27pm -
From The Rutland Herald
By PATRICK McARDLE STAFF WRITER - Published: February 16, 2010MANCHESTER – The floor meeting portion of town meeting in Manchester this year may be different because of something that will be invisible to those running the meeting, but important to those who attend.
Town Manager John O'Keefe said the town had reached an agreement with Northshire Day School to provide child care at no direct cost for those who plan to attend the floor meeting.
Unlike most floor meetings in Vermont, Manchester's takes place on Saturday. This year's meeting starts at 1 p.m. Feb. 27.
According to O'Keefe, the Select Board was looking for ways to increase participation and sought input from Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lee Krohn, Town Meeting Moderator W. Michael Nawrath and Town Clerk Linda Spence.
"Let's face it, when you look around at the floor meeting, you can see the room is getting older," O'Keefe said.
As someone with young children himself, O'Keefe said he recognized couples with children had a dilemma: Should they get what could be an expensive babysitter or should one of them stay home with the children, thereby reducing their voting power by half?
With the help of the Northshire Day School, parents will have a third choice. O'Keefe said the service is open to children between the ages of 2 to 12.
The children can be dropped off at 12:30 p.m. and are expected to be picked up within 30 minutes of the end of the floor meeting. O'Keefe said parents are also being asked to get a receipt that shows they attended the floor meeting.
"We're trying to bring out the next generation of voters. If we get another 10 or 20 residents at the floor meeting this year, I think it will be well worth it," O'Keefe said.
A snack will be provided for the children. O'Keefe said he would also like to see the Northshire Day School staff provide a lesson on democracy and the voting process so children will know what their parents are doing.
Child care may become an annual tradition for Manchester's floor meeting, but O'Keefe said the Select Board wanted to "float a trial balloon" this year.
There will be other enticements to attend the floor meeting this year. For the second time, a potluck meal is being organized at Manchester Elementary-Middle School, the site of the floor meeting, prior to its start.
O'Keefe said he's also trying to arrange some musical entertainment before the meeting starts.
"Town meeting is supposed to be a celebration of democracy," he said.
For more information about the child care service on the day of the floor meeting, call O'Keefe's office at 362-1313.
02/16/2010 - 5:20pm -
From The Rutland Herald
By PATRICK McARDLE STAFF WRITER
Published: February 12, 2010
MANCHESTER – While Manchester is one of the state's so-called "gold towns," the town's effective municipal tax rate is one of the lowest in Vermont and even lower when adjusted for the town's population.
Manchester Select Board Chairman Ivan Beattie said the board works hard to keep the municipal tax rate low even though some think of Manchester as a wealthy town.
"Manchester's looked at as a gold town, as a sending town, but my point has always been there are poor people in rich towns and rich people in poor towns. Towns don't pay taxes, people do," he said.
A study from the Vermont Department of Taxes released last month listed Manchester's municipal property tax rate of 16 cents per $100 of assessed value at 16th lowest among Vermont's more than 250 municipalities. Last year, the town was 12th.
The list calculates the "effective municipal tax rate," which is the municipal tax rate if all the towns had a perfect common level of appraisal. The common level of appraisal, which compares the assessed values of homes to their actual selling prices, can affect the tax rate as it drops below 100 percent.
The list also includes two towns, Lewis and Avery's Gore, which have a population of one person, and one town, Warner's Grant, with a population of zero. All three are in Essex County.
But when the list is adjusted so Manchester, with a population of almost 4,300, is compared to towns with a population of at least three figures, Manchester's municipal tax rate is eighth lowest in the state.
Manchester's place on the list doesn't mean its residents have among the lowest tax bills in the state. The municipal tax rate, imposed by the town, is only part of a resident's tax bill and Manchester residents pay much more in school taxes.
In Vermont, all towns participate in funding for all of the schools in the state. Towns where property taxes are high, like Manchester, are called "sending towns" because they send more to Montpelier than they receive back for their local schools.
Town Manager John O'Keefe said another factor that keeps municipal taxes low is that the town collects local option taxes and uses them for property tax relief.
In Vermont, towns could only collect property taxes until about 10 years ago, when the Legislature created the local option tax that allows certain towns to collect 1 percent on retail sales, meals and alcohol, hotel rooms or any combination of the three categories.
Manchester collects all three of the taxes that O'Keefe said reduced the tax burden by almost $1 million for residents.
"The other thing that really keeps Manchester's tax rate down is we have a very, very long and proud tradition of civic participation in philanthropic causes. For example, the (Mark Skinner) library is a not-for-profit, the hockey rink is a not-for-profit, Hildene is a not-for-profit, the Southern Vermont Arts Center - a lot of things other towns may take on, we have not-for-profits that have taken up that role," he said.
O'Keefe said he believed the municipal tax rate wasn't just a direct benefit to taxpayers, it's also an advantage because it can be a "selling point" to encourage people and business owners to move to Manchester.
Beattie said the town and the Select Board always try to "live within our means" and tie the growth of spending to the growth of the grand list. The tax rate for next year is expected to be flat if the budget is approved in March as it's being presented.
"Without riding herd on it, it's amazing how quickly it balloons. I've seen it happen. When you go in and look at every single line (of the budget) and you can save a couple hundred dollars here and $500 there, by taking that approach, when you get through the whole thing, you've done a good job of holding the line," he said.
Beattie and O'Keefe said the Select Board also took a cautious approach to adding new services or approving projects until there had been a thorough review of costs, both now and in the future, and whether the projects would be able to generate enough revenue to not increase the burden on taxpayers.
According to the Department of Taxes, only Glastenbury, with a population of 15, and Woodford, with a population of almost 400 people, have lower effective municipal tax rates in Bennington County.
02/12/2010 - 8:07am -
The Town of Manchester is again listed among the lowest effective municipal tax rates in the State of Vermont according to a new study released by the State of Vermont Department of Taxes in January of 2010.
For 2009 the Department of Taxes ranked Manchester the 16th lowest effective municipal tax rate in the State of Vermont and the 3rd lowest in Bennington County -- only Glastenbury and Woodford had lower tax rates in Bennington County. There are over 250 cities and towns in the State of Vermont.
The effective municipal tax rate is the tax rate that would be in effect if all properties were appraised at 100% of market value.
The following towns had a lower effective municipal tax rate than Manchester in 2009:
- Coventy: $0.0000 (Orleans County) - population 981
- Buels Gore: $0.000 (Chittenden County) - population 12
- Glastenbury: $0.0107 (Bennington County) - population 15
- Woodford: $0.0499 (Bennington County) - population 387
- Lewis: $0.0504 (Essex County) - population 1
- Mount Tabor: $0.0509 (Rutland County) - population 198
- Ferdinand: $0.0517 (Essex County) - population 32
- Warner's Grant: $0.0512 (Essex County) - population 0
- Averys Gore: $0.0652 (Essex County) - population 1
- Stratton: $0.0710 (Windham County) - population 167
- Victory: $0.0719 (Essex County) - population 95
- Warren's Gore: $0.0798 (Essex County) - population 10
- Norton: $0.0957 (Essex County) - population 231
- Salisbury: $0.1543 (Addison County) - population 1,091
- Charlotte: $0.1588 (Chittenden County) - population 3,761
- Manchester: $0.1634 (Bennington County) - population 4,271
Source: 2010 Annual Report: Division of Property Valuation and Review, Department of Taxes.
01/22/2010 - 10:23pm -
TOWN OF MANCHESTER
PROPERTY TAXPAYERS
The Second Installment of the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 taxes is due and payable on or before February 5, 2010, at 4:30 pm. Taxpayers may pay this installment in one of the following ways:
1) By Mail. Send check or money order to the Town of Manchester, Finance Office, 6039 Main Street, Manchester Ctr VT 05255. Payments not postmarked by the due date will be deemed delinquent and are subject to interest charges, (1% per month or portion, first three months, 1 ½% per month thereafter), and 8% lien penalty, by law.
2) In Person. The Finance Office is open between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Voters at Town Meeting established the dates and time of installments. Payments made in person after that time will be deemed delinquent and are subject to late charges, by law.
Please use the correct Town of Manchester mailing address:
TOWN OF MANCHESTER, 6039 MAIN ST, MANCHESTER CTR VT 05255
2010 HS122-Declaration of Vermont Homestead AND Property Tax Adjustment Claim: The state forms are available in the Vermont Income Tax booklets. “File Form HS-122 as early as possible. Due date is APRIL 15, 2010. Form HS-122 may be filed separately from your income tax return. No extension of time to file is available and an extension of time to file an income tax return does not apply to the Form HS-122.” Also, “Filings after April 15 but on or before September 1 are late but you can still declare a homestead and claim property tax adjustment. Homeowners filing after September 1 are taxed at the higher school tax rate and are ineligible to claim property tax adjustment. Late filing penalties apply to all forms filed after April 15.” And, finally, “Form HS-122 Section A, VT Homestead Declaration, must be filed even if past the September 1 due date when the property was your principal home April 1, 2010.” You may file the paper form (found in Vermont Income Tax Booklet), or e-file at http://tax.vermont.gov.
01/15/2010 - 5:04pm -
The Town of Manchester is pleased to announce that the Adopt-A-Road program implemented to keep the Town’s roads free of litter has been successful in achieving its goal.
By participating in the program, organizations and individuals agree to clean-up the adopted roadway around Green-Up Day in May, mid-summer and in the fall before the snow. In recognition the Town erects two sponsorship signs on the road.
The Town of Manchester would like to thank the following organizations for their support of the Adopt-A-Road program:
· A-Safe-Place Storage - Main Street (northern portion)
· Berkshire Bank – Richville Road (Depot Street to Carlen Street)
· Bradley Myerson, Esq. - Depot Street (Highland Ave. to Dufresne Pond Road)
· Bromley Brook School - Route 11 and 30 (southern portion)
· Burr & Burton Academy (BBA) - Beech Street
· Burr & Burton Academy (BBA) Student Council - Barnumville Road
· Chittenden Bank - Manchester West Road (southern portion)
· Garden Club - River Road (northern portion)
· Israel Congregation - High Meadows Way
· Merchants Bank - Richville Road (southern portion)
· REMAX Star Properties - North Road
· Rotary Club - Main Street Roundabout
· Vermont Country Store - East Manchester Road
There are only a few roads still available for adoption. If you would like to join this program please complete the application found at our web site at http://www.manchester-vt.gov/content/adopt-road-program. For additional information contact Ioana Drew, Administrative Assistant, via e-mail at i.drew@town.manchester.vt.us or phone at (802) 362-1313.
01/06/2010 - 4:11pm -
Residents with concerns or questions about street and sidewalk plowing should call the Department of Public Works Director Jeff Williams at (802) 362-3283 (leave a message) or the 24-hour Dispatch Center at (802) 362-2022. Residents and businesses are reminded that it is the responsibility of property owners to clear snow from sidewalks in front of their property. The Town does provided limited sidewalk plowing as a convenience, but Town policy places a priority on roadway plowing. Please do not push snow into roadways.
01/06/2010 - 4:09pm -
Town offices will be closed Thursday and Friday December 24 and 25 (Christmas) and Friday January 1 (New Years Day).
12/14/2009 - 8:23pm -
On December 11 Town Manager John O'Keefe submitted his budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2011 (beginning July 1, 2010) to the Selectboard and Board of Water Commissioners. On the General Fund side, the property tax burden would increase by $12,984 or 0.58% compared to Fiscal Year 2010 (adjusted tax rate). O'Keefe warned that General Fund spending was projected to increase by over $300,000 in FY 2012 (beginning July 1, 2011) without any changes to policy or spending or increases in non-property tax revenue. Click here to visit the Town Report and Budget page to view the entire budget and transmittal letter.
The budget will be considered and amended by the Selectboard and Board of Water Commissioners before being presented to Town Meeting in March 2010 for its consideration. The Selectboard has scheduled a hearing on the Town Manager's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 for Wednesday, December 16 beginning at 8:30AM. The meeting is scheduled for all day. The Board of Water Commissioners has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, December 17 beginning at 8:30AM.
12/14/2009 - 8:20pm -
On December 12, 2009 Selectboard Chair Ivan Beattie and Town Manager John O'Keefe announced the process for recruiting a new Chief of Police for the Manchester Police Department. Chief Manfred "Fred" Wessner announced his retirement, effective July 1, 2010, earlier in December. Beattie and O'Keefe announced that retired State Police Colonel James Baker will be advising the Town on the process. Visit the Chief of Police Recruitment page for more information on the process.
12/14/2009 - 8:14pm -
To the Editor,
As you may have noticed, the Town has been busy making improvements to and increasing maintenance of the downtown area. Focusing on the little things makes a big difference. Our goal is to support our downtown businesses and improve the quality of life for the residents of the Town.
Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) has been hard at work replacing streetlights on Depot Street and in the historic Depot district. Thanks to the hard work of the Energy Committee these streets will be adorned with historic carriage-style streetlights. The improvements will not only be aesthetic, though; the areas will be much better lit, making the streets more welcoming to evening walkers, drivers and shoppers. Thanks to the help of the Chamber of Commerce and Donny Dorr, the Town was able to restore Adams Park to its original state of grandeur by removing the unused Visitors Center building. As a result, this summer, for the first time in years, Adams Park has been the home of a Wednesday summer lunch time concert series. A big thank you goes out to the musicians that have agreed to play at these concerts. Nearby, the Town, using Ed’s Masonry, replaced old and outdated sidewalks at two locations on Main Street. These new sidewalks will make the area more pedestrian-friendly and inviting, and safer. The Town has also been focusing more resources on maintaining parks and green spaces around Town. We have received numerous comments that the Factory Point Town Green and the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park look better than ever. Of course none of these improvements could have happened without the hard work of Jeff Williams and the rest of the crew at the Department of Public Works.
Interestingly, this renewed focus on the downtown area has become contagious, created synergy with area businesses. As noted in last week’s Journal, despite the lagging economy businesses have started to make improvements such as painting facades new historic color schemes. This is another great example of government and businesses working together to make Manchester a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Ivan Beattie, chair
On behalf of the Manchester Selectboard
08/07/2009 - 11:40am