Cavendish Update 8/18/23: SB Mtg/Flood/News/Events
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8/18/23
1. Flood Information
2. Select Board Meeting
3. Cavendish Related News
4. Events
1. FLOOD INFORMATION: To help those impacted by the flood, be they property owner, renter, or business, the Cavendish Guide for Flood Recovery is available on-line. Please share with neighbors and friends who may be too busy to notice it. It’s regularly updated, sometimes daily, with new resources as they become available.
CHS Summer Newsletter: The web version of the Cavendish Historical Society’s newsletter contains more pictures of the flooding.
Clean Up Day: Modeled after Green Up Day, Volunteers will be deployed to areas hit hard by this summer’s flooding and address needs reported by communities. Local leaders can report their cleanup requests to Green Up’s website. The event takes place on Aug. 26 (Saturday).
Efficiency VT Video: THIS IS A MUCH WATCH VIDEO FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE FLOOD. On Aug. 10, Efficiency VT did a Zoom webinar that provided answers to many of the questions being asked since the July 10 flooding, from weatherization, dealing with basements in a flood plain, how to handle mechanicals etc. This presentation is now on-line and very well done. NOTE: EFFICIENCY VT WILL HAVE A SPECIAL PROGRAM AND FUNDING STARTING IN SEPTEMBER. Please share with neighbors and friends who've been impacted. Building Back a Stronger and Safer Cavendish.
Attorney General Clark brings warning about recovery scams to southern Vermont: “Scammers are looking for the easiest way to steal your money,” Clark said in an interview. “Natural disasters present new ways to do that, and we anticipated an uptick in scams” when Vermont was repeatedly hit by floods. A representative for Clark’s office said they have received nearly 50 consumer complaints, in the five weeks since the initial devastation. Chester Telegraph
Small Business Administration Loans Information Session 8.23.23: A representative from the Small Business Administration Loans Program will be at the Cavendish Town Office on Wednesday from 2:00 - 4:30 pm to answer questions. SBA Loans are available to business, home owners and renters - please see flyers below for more information.
USDA Single Family Home Loans/Grants
2. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 8/14/23: Watch Select Board (SB) meetings at Okemo Valley TV website. Unapproved minutes are available at the Cavendish Town website.
John Arrison, Cavendish’s State representation to the VT Legislature, talked to the board about changes in Vermont’s property reappraisals. Expensive procedures, Cavendish completed one in 2019 but is now being required to do another, most likely due to the Covid real estate boom. This can be appealed, and it was Arrison’s recommendation that the town do so as long as possible as he thought on a statewide reappraisal program was in the works. .
Items discussed/acted on were as follows:
Flood
• The Local Hazardous Mitigation Plan (LHMP) and Emergency Management Plan (EMP): Both plans have been submitted to the state. A FEMA-approved LHMP is required for local governments that wish to receive federal funds from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The LHMP is also one of the mitigation actions needed to qualify for additional post-disaster funding through the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF). Rick Chambers, town manager, said that the ERAF rating is now at 17.5% (it was previously 7.5%) so the Town will receive an additional 10% state funding for flood repairs.
The final draft of Cavendish’s LHMP is required by the end of September. The current draft is available at the town website.
• Flood Hazard Area Regulations (FHAR): While Cavendish has had FHAR in place for some time, enforcement has been another matter. These regs are a requirement to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, which the town does. .Moving forward, property will need to adhere to these regs and if they don’t, it could jeopardize property owners’ ability to have flood insurance.
• Roads: The initial five crews working in Cavendish to restore roads, are down to two, with nearly all roads open with the exception of Bailey Hill, Depot St., and Chaos Turnpike. Work will begin shortly on Depot St. The closure from 106 to Chubb Hill is a state project and still in effect. The town manager, Chambers, had no information on when it would be open.
• Greven Field: As this is town property, Chambers plans to hire a contractor & dumpster to remove the major debris, e.g. fencing, from Greven Field, after which, volunteers can follow with additional cleaning. Questions were asked about the future of Greven as a ballfield, while recognizing its more frequently used for walking dogs and nature trails The SB will make that decision once it’s been cleaned, recognizing that playing fields need to meet FEMA standards.
Approved Liquor licenses for Golden Stage Inn (Honey Festival) and Singleton’s Car-B-Q, August 19 from 11-3.
Disapproved Signing solar bond note: Chambers felt that better interests rates were available and more information would be available in the next day or two
Academy Building: Chris Chadwick is interested in purchasing the Academy Building-corner of 131 and High St.-but had a number of questions about restrictions on the deed. Chambers said he will forward Chadwick’s questions to the board for review and discussion.
3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
• Cavendish Concerts Continue 2023 Season with Bill Brink: The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association and the Town of Cavendish announce that singer/songwriter Bill Brink will perform the next concert of the 2023 season at 5:30 p.m. on August 23rd on the Svec Memorial Green in Proctorsville. This concert had been postponed after the recent floods. Please note the earlier than usual start time. The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association and the Town of Cavendish announce that singer/songwriter Bill Brink will perform the next concert of the 2023 season at 5:30 p.m. on August 23rd on the Svec Memorial Green in Proctorsville. This concert had been postponed after the recent floods. Please note the earlier than usual start time.
• VT Golden Honey Festival: Once again the VT Honey Festival takes place on Sept. 9 (Saturday) from 10-4 at the Golden Stage Inn (Route 103 and Depot St). Sammy Blanchette will be providing live music and Goodman’s pizza truck will be dishing out their famous fall pizza. Follow their Facebook page to learn about the vendors for this year.
• Vermont Records its 1,000th Covid Death: Vermont has reached a grim new milestone in the Covid pandemic. The state has recorded 1,001 deaths from the virus since March 2020, according to data released this week by the Vermont Department of Health. Four of those deaths were reported in August. Statewide hospital admissions related to Covid rose to 25 in the past week, a distinct increase but still far below previous peaks of the virus. VT Journal
• It's not your imagination: There are more mosquitoes in Vermont this summer.
4. EVENTS
AUGUST 17 (THURSDAY)-19 (SATURDAY): Community Build playground at CTES. Need volunteers. No skills required. Refreshments & Lunch Provided. FMI: 802-548-7419
AUGUST 23 (WEDNESDAY): A representative from the Small Business Administration Loans Program will be at the Cavendish Town Office from 2:00 - 4:30 pm to answer questions. SBA Loans are available to business, home owners and renters.
• Brill Brinks Wednesday Night Concert at Svec Park. Begins at 5:30.
AUGUST 24 (THURSDAY): 1ST Quarter Property Taxes due.
SEPTEMBER 4 (MONDAY): Town Office closed for Labor Day
SEPTEMBER 9 (SATURDAY): Vermont Golden Honey Festival at the Golden Stage Inn (103 and Depot Street) Proctorsville. 10-4. Website.
SEPTEMBER 14 (WEDNESDAY): Magic Show and BBQ, Welcome back to the library. BBQ from 5-7, Magic Show at 6