Municipal Newsletter from the  Town of Essex

June 7, 2024

View as Webpage

Governor Benning Wentworth of the New Hampshire Colony granted charters to 18 Vermont Towns on June 7 & 8, 1763. Ten of them were in Chittenden County. Essex Community Historical Society is celebrating “Happy 261st Birthday to Us”. Stop by and see their new 2024 Museum exhibits. Also celebrating a “Happy 261st Birthday to Us” with us are the Colchester and the Williston Historical Societies.

The Harriet Farnsworth Powell Historical Museum officially opened this past week. Stop in to visit on Sundays from 1pm to 4pm or on the 2nd Saturday of the month at the same time, during the summer season. There is no admission fee to visit and enjoy the museum.

The Selectboard met on May 8th for a special strategic planning work session and finalized a number of work items during their May 20th meeting. Forming the support for the work plan are 5 values with 10 long-term goals set for FY25 through FY33.

Selectboard Values

Accountability

Local government is transparent, predictable, and focused on the community's best interests. Town officials say what they will do and then do it. Information is readily available, and officials are responsive to any questions or concerns in a timely manner.

Cohesiveness and Connectivity

People are able to get from here to there in Essex, by any number of multimodal transportation options. The Town is united, with connections between people and things, and events bringing people together. As a whole, Essex is a vibrant community, a joy to live in, and a desirable place to do business.

Fiscal Responsibility and Sustainability

The Town budgets responsibly, and plans for the future through its capital projects. Municipal assets, including vehicles, are maintained and replaced in a cost-effective manner. 

Inclusivity

Essex identifies as community-oriented, welcoming, and respectful. Housing should be available for those who want it. 

Thoughtful Growth

Essex is environmentally-conscious and supports sustainable, predictable development patterns that balance the need and willingness to grow with the protection and preservation of open space and natural resources. Land use changes consider the potential for increased costs of staff, equipment, and more. 

More than 78 people attended a press conference on May 29th to recognize recipients of the VOREC Community Grant Program. Essex Town Planner Kent Johnson attended on behalf of the Town of Essex. Photo courtesy: Lauren Pyle, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

$6.3 Million in VOREC Grants Boost Outdoor Recreation Across Vermont, Supporting 51 Projects

Montpelier, VT – Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) today announced 51 new recipients of the VOREC Community Grant Program. These projects mark an investment of over $6 million into Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy.

"These grants are an investment in Vermont," said Secretary Moore. "They will help communities revitalize their outdoor recreation assets, create jobs, improve access to nature for Vermonters and visitors alike, and build stronger, more resilient communities for years to come."

Projects awarded in this year’s announcement fall into one of four tracks – Implementation, Project Development, Outdoor Equity, and Flood Recovery. Awarded projects will enhance recreation economies in rural, mid-size and urban communities, lay the groundwork for future community-based projects, expand access to outdoor recreation for all people, and help communities and trail organizations recover from the flooding of summer 2023.

“We are pleased to support so many amazing projects across Vermont,” said Becca Washburn, Chair of the VOREC Steering Committee and Director of Lands Administration and Recreation for the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. “The interest in the program, as well as the strength of the applications demonstrates the opportunity communities from Grand Isle to Brattleboro see in investing in the connection between outdoor recreation and economic benefits.”

Awarded projects will support communities in 13 of Vermont’s counties, along with eight statewide projects. Notable projects include:

Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) for opening almost the entire VAST system after suffering damage during the 2023 flooding.

A coalition of partners led by the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council will be building an accessibility hub for trail users and managers.

Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond for engineering and design for a new surface lift.

Franklin County Trails Alliance to plan connections from the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail to the St. Albans region.

For the first time, the grant program also encouraged projects focused on outdoor equity to apply to a dedicated funding track. Grant recipient, Arwen Turner, Executive Director of Come Alive Outside, said:

“Come Alive Outside is thrilled to receive funding through the VOREC Community Grant Program’s Outdoor Equity track. This funding supports the continued work of Come Alive Outside’s Outdoors For All Initiative, a collective of organizations, businesses, and advisors with lived experience representing underserved and underrepresented populations in outdoor recreation. This funding will boost the collective’s ability to develop both simple and highly innovative solutions that make accessing the health, wellness, and joy benefits of outdoor activities in Rutland more equitable.”  

Governor Scott established the VOREC Steering Committee by executive order in June 2017 to bring together a broad set of outdoor recreation stakeholders to promote stewardship of state recreation assets and market Vermont’s outdoor recreation values and attributes to effectively foster responsible and sustainable economic growth. The VOREC Community Grant Program became one of the first and highest priorities of the committee. This grant round is the program’s fourth and most significant investment in communities across the state.

Learn more about the VOREC Community Grant Program.

The Town of Essex in partnership with Fellowship of the Wheel (FOTW) has received $80,000 in grant funding from the VOREC Program for planning work to establish a multi-use trail network in the forest east of Route 289 to connect the Essex Town Center area with the Saxon Hill area, and other destinations such as neighborhoods, commercial areas, and schools.

Project Concepts

Community Planning: The project concept is supported by numerous planning documents, by recent community engagement results, and by collaboration with Town partners.

Economic and Community Need: The project concept is being advanced at an opportune time when Town staff and residents are seeking to revise the economic development strategy to grow outdoor recreation-related businesses and better tap into Vermont’s outdoor-related tourism economy.

Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship: A key objective of this project is to include robust actions to establish high-quality habitat corridors to reconnect fragmented habitat blocks. If successful, this approach may be expanded throughout Essex.

Innovation and Creativity: This project seeks to combine standard designs and best management practices in a novel way to achieve not just a convenient and attractive trailnetwork, but to make convenient and meaningful community connections to important destinations. This will allow the recreational trail network to also serve the dailytransportation needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Inclusivity and Increased Participation: The Town is pursuing multiple ways to maximize usage of this proposed trail network. Essex has connected with key community groups and organizations such as the Town’s Conservation and Trails Committee, FOTW, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sport, Outdoor Gear Exchange, and the Essex Westford School District. Essex is pursuing trail designs that are accessible to individuals with a wide range of abilities by being gentle in slope, adequate in width, and durable in surface.

The Town of Essex 2024 Town Plan update calls for the creation of a new bicycle and pedestrian plan (Action Item 3.5). During the Town Plan update meetings, the public expressed a clear desire to see the biking and walking network be better connected and expanded. The previous Bike and Pedestrian Plan (2014) was a joint plan between the Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction before it was split into two separate municipalities, and it was primarily focused on inventorying existing facilities and proposing new infrastructure projects.

The new plan will go beyond the previous plan’s focus on infrastructure and delve deeper into the community’s barriers and benefits associated with walking and biking. Through this broader lens, the goals of the plan will be better supported, implementation tasks will be clearer, and ongoing maintenance needs will be adequately accommodated. This study will develop a comprehensive Active Transportation Plan that creates a safe, desirable and connected network for biking and walking in the Town.

Funding for this project was requested and approved as a part of the FY2025 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) through the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC). The UPWP will fund 80% of the cost of the project ($80,000) with a Town match of $16,000. 

If you missed the Reappraisal Coffee Talk on May 15th, you can view the recording from the Town's YouTube Channel. Learn more about the reappraisal project and ask your questions by visiting our website at www.essexvt.org/reappraisal.

Conservation & Trails Committee

Indian Brook Cleanup

Community volunteers packed up tools and headed to Indian Brook Park for the annual "Indian Brook Cleanup" this past month that included trail maintenance, removal of invasive species, and clearing waterways. Thank you to those who showed up and put the time in. You did a great job polishing up our gem of Essex!

Photo courtesy: Conservation & Trails Committee members

Arbor Day Celebration

The Essex Selectboard proclaimed Friday, May 3rd, 2024 as Arbor Day in the Town of Essex, and encouraged all community members to celebrate and protect our trees and woodlands.

The Conservation and Trails Committee celebrated Arbor Day with a tree planting at the Essex Middle School. Committee members, students and teachers mulched a Hop Hornbeam tree. This tree was provided by a partnership between Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program and Horsford Gardens & Nursery. Planting equipment and assistance was provided by Heritage Tree Care and Full Circle Gardens.

For more information contact Conservation and Trails Committee Chairperson Ken Signorello 

Photo courtesy: Ken Signorello

"Bee the Change"

The Conservation and Trails Committee is working with “Bee the Change” and the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department to create a pollinator garden. The committee will have the full endorsement of Superintendent Beth Cobb for this project and has chosen the area known as, "Prairie Fields" behind the Essex Middle School as the location.

The committee reached out to 8th Grade Science Teacher Daniel Plimpton and Essex Middle School Principal Brian Clark to include the 8th grade students. Essex residents Sarah Salatino, owner of Full Circle gardens, and Susan Miyamoto from Comcast have volunteered to assist.

The land has been tilled twice to prepare for planting over the last two weeks. Next week the group will be planting potted plants and seeds.  

The plantings will be on June 12 from 9-11 am and 11:30 to 12:40 pm, the 13th from 1:30-3:30, and possibly the 14th at 1:30-3:30 pm, if needed. Students will be taught what a pollinator garden is and the reason for planting it. There will also be butterfly nets for capturing and identifying bees and butterflies. 

Recruitment for Boards, Committees & Commissions

Vacancies

Recruitment for seats about to expire continues. The final interviews will take place on June 17th. If you have been thinking about it, now is the time to apply!

• Cemetery Commission - 1 seat as of April 1
• Conservation and Trails Committee - 1 seat vacant now, 3 seats as of July 1
• Economic Development Commission - 1 seat as of July 1
• Energy Committee - 1 seat vacant now, 1 seat as of July 1
• Essex Free Library Board of Trustees - 1 seat as of July 1
• Planning Commission - 2 seats vacant now
• Police Community Advisory Board - 1 seat as of July 1
• Zoning Board of Adjustment - 1 seat as of July 1
• Essex Representative (alternate) - Chittenden Solid Waste District 
• Essex Representative - Tree Farm Management Group - 1 seat vacant now
• Essex Representative (alternate) - Town Meeting TV Board of Trustees
• Essex Representative (alternate) - Green Mountain Transit Commissioner

Act 76 of 2023

Reminder that collection begins July 1st

Act 76 of 2023, an act relating to child care and early childhood education, tasks the Vermont Department of Taxes with the implementation and administration of a new Child Care Contribution (CCC), composed of a 0.44% payroll tax on wages and a 0.11% self-employment income tax.

Collection of the Child Care Contribution shall begin on July 1, 2024. See the Vermont Child Care Contribution guide for more in-depth information.

Essex Fire & Police

Big Beautiful Life Run, Walk & Roll and First Responder Touch A Truck

Essex Fire Department and Essex Police Department will be a part of the First Responder Touch A Truck at this event! Consider attending or participating in this Essex community event and support a great cause.

Essex Free Library

Parks & Recreation

Highlighted Events

Independence Day Bike Parade

Enjoy the tunes of the 40th Army Band while showing off your festive Fourth of July-themed bike! Decorate your bike at home or onsite at our creativity table.

All are welcome to ride the bike course which will follow the closed off Essex Middle School driveway. Drop in anytime between 11am to 1pm. Unicycles, 2-wheelers, tricycles, strollers, wheelchairs, scooters, and tag-a-longs are all welcome. Motorized vehicles are not permitted.

Saturday, June 29

11am to 1pm

Essex Middle School

Camps and Swimming!

It's that time of year when Parks and Recreation rolls out a variety of camps and swim offerings! Town of Essex Swim Team season begins June 17. Sand Hill Pool swim lesson season begins June 24. Specialty Summer Camps begin in June and include:

• Challenge Soccer
• Clay Camp
• Knitting Camp

OPENING DAY at Sand Hill Pool is June 19th!

Adriane Martin hired as Director of Parks and Recreation

The Town of Essex is proud to announce the hiring of Adriane Martin as the Director of Parks and Recreation. Adriane has spent the past 9 years working for Essex Parks and Recreation, most recently in the role of Assistant Director. Prior to her work with the Town, Adriane worked for Essex CHIPS for 6 years in the role of Director of Programming.

In addition to her vast knowledge in areas such as programming, parks, and recreation, Adriane is a certified parks and recreation professional and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development & Family Studies with a Minor in Sociology from the University of Vermont. 

Adriane was recently appointed the interim director of Parks and Recreation and has brought incredible energy and vision to her work in this role. The Town is very excited to make this promotion permanent and we look forward to the future of Parks and Recreation.

Please join us in congratulating Adriane on her new role!

Essex Police Department

Lieutenant Robert Kissinger retires after 32 years of service

Please join the Town of Essex and the Essex Police Department in congratulating Lieutenant Robert Kissinger on his retirement after 32 years of service.

Kissinger came to the Essex Police Department in 2000 after years of service in other Vermont agencies (Franklin County Sheriffs, St. Albans Police Department, Richmond Police Department, Williston Police Department) . During his career at the Essex Police Department Kissinger has served as a patrol officer, a field training officer, a special response team member, a firearms instructor, a training assistant and firearms instructor at the Vermont Police Academy, a crash reconstructionist, a shift supervisor, and finally, as a Lieutenant. Kissinger had shown his dedication and passion in every role he held and always went the extra mile to ensure the best for our Essex Community.

Kissinger, we want to thank you for your service to the citizens of Essex. Thank you for your professionalism, care and commitment to make our community a better place. We wish you well in retirement, good luck in your future endeavors!!

Congratulations to promoted Police Officers

Essex Police officers promoted today, June 7th are Paul Courtois, promoted to Lieutenant, Ryon Sorrell, promoted to Sergeant, and Chris May, promoted to Seargeant. Congratulations on your accomplishments!

The Town of Essex is hiring for multiple Full-Time and Part-Time job openings, in a variety of roles and departments. We are hiring for the following roles:

Full-Time - Parks Maintenance Technician

The Parks Maintenance Technician works to effectively implement safe, aesthetically pleasing, and functional grounds and facilities for the public to enjoy in support of the development, maintenance, and stewardship of a comprehensive system of recreational services.

Full-Time - Police Officer

The Essex Police Department is looking for motivated, honest and enthusiastic individuals looking to make a difference in the Essex Community. The Essex Police Department strives to hire individuals willing to step up to the challenge of a career in Law Enforcement. If you embody the traits of professionalism, strive for excellence and are willing to go above and beyond, then we want to speak with you. 

Full-Time - Water/Sewer Operator

The Water/Sewer Operator performs skilled manual and technical work in connection with the operation of all municipal water and sewer systems.

Part-Time – Administrative Assistant

The 20 hour per week Administrative Assistant in the Town Manager’s Office performs a full range of general administrative and clerical functions for the Town Manager, Deputy Manager, HR Director and Assistant to the Manager/Public Information Officer.

The Town offers a very competitive benefits package to Full-Time staff to include: Generous vacation and sick accruals, VMERS C Defined Benefit Retirement Plan, MVP Health Insurance, employer paid Dental and Vision insurance, Short and Long Term Disability, Life and AD&D Insurance and optional ICMA-RC 457 and Roth IRA Retirement plans.

Parents of College Students - Important NOTICE for Voting

On November 5, 2024, voters will vote for several offices, including President of the United States. The Secretary of State’s Office will be mailing ballots to all active registered voters around September 23, 2024. They will use the mailing address that is in the statewide voter checklist when mailing the ballot. 

If you have a child away at college, and they will not be home for the vote, please encourage them to access their voting record through the My Voter Page. They should review their information, and if necessary, update their MAILING address. This should be done BEFORE September 1, 2024. 

Not a student but vote? You should also access your information using the same link to verify your information is current.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Clerk’s Office at 802-879-0413 or clerk@essex.org. 

Justice of the Peace

In November Essex voters will elect 15 Justices of the Peace (JP) for a two-year term. JPs sit on the Board of Civil Authority (BCA) along with Selectboard members and the Town Clerk. Members of the BCA serve as election officials, hear property tax grievance appeals, and serve as members on the Board of Abatement. More information on the responsibilities of a JP can be found in The Vermont Justice of the Peace Guide.

How do you become a Justice of the Peace candidate?

1.      Major and minor political parties nominate candidates. If you want to be nominated by a party, please reach out to the party to find out when they are meeting. More information on this process can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

2.      If you want to run as an independent candidate, you must file a petition and a Consent of Candidate form with the Town Clerk’s Office by 5pm, Friday, August 16, 2024. More information on running as an independent JP can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

Please reach out to the Town Clerk’s Office at 802-879-0413 or clerk@essex.org if you have any questions.

State Primary Election August 13

The Primary Election for state offices (Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, etc.) is Tuesday, August 13, 2024. The outcome of this election will determine who will run for office within each major political party in the November General Election.   

Voters who want to vote by absentee MUST request an absentee ballot for this election. Ballots will NOT be automatically mailed. To request a ballot, you can visit the My Voter Page, call 802-879-0413, email clerk@essex.org, or come in person to the Clerk’s Office. Ballots will be available around June 29. 

Voters will receive three ballots: Democratic, Progressive, and Republican. You will only be able to vote on ONE ballot, but you must return all three ballots. There are instructions on the envelopes to help voters follow the required process.

If you have any questions about the State Primary Election process, please call 802-879-0413 or email clerk@essex.org. 

Fireworks Permitting Process - Vermont State Law only allows for the legal use, possession, and sale of fireworks after a permit is issued. Applications for fireworks permits must submitted to the chief of a local fire department at least 15 days before a display. Learn more.

Mark your Calendar

Jun 11 - Conservation & Trails Meeting

Jun 17 - Selectboard Meeting

Jun 18 - Police Community Advisory Board Meeting

Jun 18 - Offices & Essex Free Library close at 2pm for employee event

Jun 19 - Offices Closed - Juneteenth

Jun 20 - Economic Development Commission Business Outreach Meeting

Jun 25 - Board of Civil Authority Meeting

Jun 26 - Cemetery Commission Meeting

Jun 27 - Planning Commission Meeting

Jul 2 - Housing Commission Meeting

Jul 2 - Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting

Jul 4 - Offices & Essex Free Library closed - Independence Day

Be sure to look online for cancelations. When offices are closed, a drop box for payments is located outside the entrance door at the Town Offices at 81 Main Street, Essex Junction. Many services are available online at www.essexvt.org.