community-water.org
HOSTED DOCUMENTS
6-5-08 CGWDG Meeting
minutes
Attending: Jamie Shanley, Carl Ethnier, DD Robinson, Lindy Biggs, Carolyn Shapiro, Charlie Catlin and telephone conference with Joan Sax and Hugo..
We asked Hugo, who is on the Planning Commission for Randolph, what statement he had wanted inserted into the current Town Plan. He said he wanted a statement that the policy of the town would be to safeguard the natural resource of water: making sure of its safety and making sure the quantity of water extracted would not be excessive to the detriment of the community.
He suggested organizations and resources that could be helpful for us: He said the local regional planning was supportive. If we have a selectperson who supports us, that person can go to the League of City and Towns for advice. VNRCís Jon Groveman can help.
One of Hugo's main concerns is about corporate take over of water. He wants to have a statement in the town plan to the effect that all municipal services will be under the control of the town.
He says Act 250 looks to the Town Plan which, he realizes now, is a very strong document. He suggested we need to go to the selectboard meetings and meet/talk with selectboard members to be sure protection of water is in the Town Plan.
15 years ago people on the selectboard and the planning commission were also on Vermont Pure. They owned stock and helped get it through and then resigned. The town was lured by the prospect of clean jobs and revenue. The town welcomed them and promised everything. Now the water company has fired everyone. It lasted less than 15 years. It began as a local corporation. As it got bigger, investors became involved. Now a corporation in Pennsylvania owns it. In 5 years, it has changed hands three times. The corporations that have owned it have had no interest in the community.
There is similar amount of water taken from Randolph as will be taken from Montpelier Springs. There needs to be a site monitoring to see if it is drying up. Act 250 found Randolph in violation of their permit. ANR downgraded the permit to help the company.
Get 250 status NOW. If a brook or the spring water crosses your land, you can be a party. If youíre along the pipeline, you can have party status. Need to hear when the water resource panel is meeting because we should be there. In order to have that schedule, need to have party status. Need to educate people.
FOR EVERYONE TO DO:
1. check in with VNRC and their intern lawyer for legal help. 2. Get Act 250 Party status
3. Contact Selectboard members about the Town Plan to include all water as well as statement about municipal control of townís municipal services. 4. Check out zoning ordinances to see if variation will be needed for Montpelier Springs 5. Get Selectboard to put up matching money for mapping area. 6. Attend June 11th Selectboard meeting and the June 18 meeting of the water committees.