Half of Middlesex voters have returned their General Election ballots.
WONDERING IF YOUR VOTED BALLOT HAS BEEN RECEIVED????
Check the status of your absentee ballot by clicking here.
(List of returns updated nightly by 6 PM)
HAVEN’T RECEIVED YOUR GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT IN THE MAIL?
CHECK HERE TO SEE IF YOUR NAME IS ON THE UNVOTED BALLOT RETURN LIST.
CALL 223-5915 ASAP if it is!
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
GENERAL ELECTION
POLLS OPEN 7 AM – 7PM IN TOWN HALL
5 Church Street, Middlesex ***
Absentee ballots will be mailed via the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office to ALL REGISTERED & ACTIVE Vermont voters by October 1st. If you have not received a ballot by October 6th, if you have recently moved to Middlesex and would like a ballot OR if you have received a ballot for someone no longer at your address, please call the Town Clerk ASAP at 802-223-5915.
*** In-person voters must abide by the following COVID precautions:
- Face masks must be worn.
- Voters must sanitize their hands before entering the polling area. Hand sanitizer will be available
- No more than 4 voters in Town Hall at any one time. No children allowed.
- Enter via the front steps; exit the rear stairway
- You may bring your own pen or pencil. Personal pencils will be provided for each voter
- A locked and monitored ballot box will be in the foyer for the return of absentee ballots until 7 PM on Election Day.
CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE NOVEMBER 3RD GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT
CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU ARE AN ACTIVE, REGISTERED VOTER ON THE MIDDLESEX CHECKLIST
A LETTER TO THE MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY
FROM ROAD COMMISSIONER STEVE MARTIN AND THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Below are my answers to the questions raised at a Select Board Meeting concerning why the Middlesex Highway Department hasn’t used the $40,000 Special Services line item approved by the Town voters at the March 2020 Town Meeting.
After the Roads Forum held at the Old Fire Station behind the Town Clerk’s Office last spring, Road Foreman Paul and I took away from the attending audience that our Highway Department should be specifically focusing on road maintenance. In that vein, Paul and I decided to amend the specifics of the plan presented at and voted on by residents at the March 2020 Town Meeting. That meant temporarily putting on hold the use of the Special Services line item and focusing solely on specific road maintenance, as opposed to larger projects that would include mud mitigation and hired services. To reiterate, this was all a direct correlation stemming from the requests of the citizens who attended the Roads Forum. That being said, we have until June 30, 2021 to use all or part of this line item for ditching, trucking, and labor.
In addition to these items, we’d like to acknowledge it was pre-pandemic when we put together the 2020-2021 budget. Due to the unknown ramifications of tax revenue, which directly correlates to actual available Town Funds, we were hesitant to go ahead and spend the $40,000 immediately after the fiscal year began on July 1, 2020. In addition to maintaining our roads to the highest level we can, we more importantly are tasked with being conscious of the fiduciary duty entrusted in us by the taxpayers to be good stewards of the Town’s money. It is our belief that to err on the side of caution would prove a more transparent and ethical method of handling the unknown than to simply spend the money because “it had been voted on and approved.” We take this decision very seriously and truly feel that by postponing the immediate use of that line item, we helped ensure we weren’t putting financial strain on our hardworking taxpayers.
Another question concerned what projects we were unable to complete in 2020 because we didn’t use that line item.
We were unable to complete our planned mud season mitigation projects that were scheduled to happen on Center Road and East Hill Road. This was also due in part to the overwhelming response from the Roads Forum that in general, residents would like to see us focusing on maintenance as opposed to larger projects.
I did want to take this opportunity to mention that because of time and money invested in the Notch Road Pit, we were able to locate several years of viable sand for winter maintenance. We have already screened and hauled all of this year’s winter sand from our own pit. We also used a substantial amount of material from the newly exposed gravel for other road projects in addition to getting a large quantity of stone that will be used for other valued aggregate. This will afford us not only convenience and use of a Town owned resource, but will also enable us to see substantial savings that can and should be used for much needed gravel resurfacing on our roads in addition to mud mitigation projects that have proven to be highly effective.
In closing, I’d also like to mention that unscheduled events such as storms caused road damage directly linked to projects that we have completed this year. We had a substantial bank failure on Brook Road early this spring which resulted in the Great Brook beginning to compromise the road. This was a large, unscheduled project that unfortunately posed a great threat to both the road and the traveling public and was considered an essential priority. By working with our Stream Alteration Engineer in conjunction with a contractor with a much larger excavator than the Town owns, we were able to complete this project using much of our equipment and a large portion of the material used came directly from our Notch Road Pit. All these factors enabled us to complete this project for a fraction of the cost it would have been had it gone out to bid completely through a contract. We feel that our investment of time and some funds in the Notch Road Pit have already proven to be a substantial benefit in regards to available material and money saved for the long-term interest of the Town.
Should you have further questions, I would ask that you submit them to the Select Board in writing so that I may give you a conscientious and factual answer, especially related to planning and budgeting
Sincerely,
Steve Martin – Road Commissioner
October 19, 2020
MIDDLESEX PUBLIC NOTICE
ABSENTEE BALLOT PROCESSING
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
The Middlesex Board of Civil Authority has approved the processing of absentee ballots for the November 3, 2020, General Election in the Middlesex Town Clerk’s Office starting at 9 AM, Monday, November 2, 2020, following procedures outlined in 17 V.S.A. § 2546 (a) and the Vermont Secretary of State’s COVID-19 policy. The Town Clerk’s Office will be closed for all other business that day aside from receiving absentee ballots.
Sarah Merriman
Middlesex Town Clerk
October 1, 2020
Middlesex Road Foreman Job Opportunity
The Town of Middlesex, Vermont, is seeking a qualified candidate for the full-time position of Highway General Foreman.
Job Duties
- perform supervisory and administrative tasks of the highway department
- serve as working highway foreman and as an equipment operator, with a focus on complex/highly-skilled operations in all seasons.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma and relevant technical and supervisory experience – or a combination of education and experience – related to highway maintenance and construction operations.
- Possession of a CDL.For more information, please contact the Middlesex Road Commissioner at 802-223-5915 or [email protected].
Salary will be determined by experience. Benefits include health insurance, boot allowance, uniforms, retirement plan, paid time off and four-day workweeks in the summer.Email a letter of interest and resume by Friday, September 18, 2020, to [email protected] or mail to: Steve Martin, Road Commissioner, c/o The Town of Middlesex, 5 Church Street, Middlesex, VT 05602
NOV. 3 ELECTION INFORMATION
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office has announced it will be mailing ballots for the Nov. 3 general election directly to Vermont voters. The mailing process will begin Sept. 21.
Ballots will go to mailing addresses collected on the Vermont Elections Management database, as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1. If you don’t receive a ballot by mail, you’ll still be able to vote at the polls on Election Day or obtain a ballot at the Middlesex Town Office.
We’ll keep you updated on when Middlesex voters can expect to start receiving their ballots, and early voting begins.
TAXES DUE Wednesday, Sept. 2
Drop off your property tax payments at Town Hall during office hours, or use the drop slot in the door. You can also mail them to Town of Middlesex, 5 Church St., Middlesex, VT 05602, or make online payments at the Payport Payments Page.
Payments received after 5 p.m. Wednesday will be considered late.
Need a copy of your tax bill? Give us a call at 223-5915.
*** CURRENT TOWN CLERK OFFICE HOURS***
10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday — Thursday
Closed on Fridays
STATEWIDE PRIMARY
8.11.20
Middlesex Election Night Results
Thanks to David Crowell and Charlie Merriman for building a counter and installing a polycarbonate shield to make the Town Clerk’s Office safe!
MIDDLESEX FOOD SHELF
In light of the Covid-19 crisis, the Middlesex Food Shelf has suspended its regular Saturday food distribution and instead is making $200 grants available to Middlesex households to help them pay for groceries and other essential needs. No application or itemization is necessary. For information about the program, call David Carkeet at 802.229.9496 or email him at [email protected] Donations to this cause should be sent to Middlesex Food Shelf, c/o David Carkeet, 418 Macey Road, N. Middlesex, VT 05682. Please make checks payable to “Middlesex Food Shelf.”
MIDDLESEX EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONDS TO COVID-19
Here are some helpful resources
- If you NEED ASSISTANCE for any reason, please click here to fill out this form:
- If you would like to OFFER ASSISTANCE , please click here to fill out this form:
- Instacart https://www.instacart.com/ is an online ordering service that will pick up groceries you order from Price Chopper and Shaw’s as well as pet supplies from Petco. Those picking up prescriptions from CVS through this service will need the scrip-holder’s name and date of birth. If it’s a controlled substance, they will need to produce ID. Note there is a $3.99 – $7.99 charge for each delivery.
- Meals on Wheels in Waterbury is accepting orders. Please call (802) 244-1234 to be added to their list.
- Village Market in Waterbury is swamped and they are unable to fulfill online orders and curbside pickup at this time. Check back for more info.
- CVS on US302 in Barre (at the old Friendly’s site) has a drive-thru window where you can easily pick up prescriptions without getting out of your car. For more info, this is their #: (802) 476-2550
Here are guidelines about how to protect yourself from COVID-19 from the Centers of Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-prevent-spread.html
If you are suffering from a fever and cough and are concerned about whether you are infected, please call your primary care provider. For more information, you can call the State of Vermont’s COVID-19 Hotline at 2-1-1. Here is another online resource from the State Health Department. https://www.healthvermont.gov/
Finally, if you don’t know where to turn call the Town Clerk’s Office at 223-5915 or email [email protected] We will do our best to help you.
Middlesex Emergency Management Committee Update
Below is an update from our Emergency Management Committee on how the Town and related entities are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Select Board: The Select Board will be holding its meetings – on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month – via Zoom. Access numbers will be published on the posted agendas, found on this website under Agendas, and on Front Porch Forum so the public may call in and virtually attend. In addition, the Board is apprised regularly of challenges facing the Town regarding road maintenance and public safety. For more information from the VT Secretary of State regarding open meeting laws, please go here: https://sos.vermont.gov/secretary-s-desk/commentary/covid-19-impacts-and-considerations-for-open-meeting-law-elections-and-public-records-access/.
Town Services (Roads/Fire/EMTs): According to the VT Agency of Commerce and Community Development – MUNICIPALITIES may continue in-person operations under the Governor’s Executive Order under certain circumstances. Section 6 (b) states that “law enforcement, public safety and first responders, including fire, ambulance services, emergency medical technicians and emergency management personnel” are deemed critical and may continue in-person business operations. Section 6 (d) states that “construction necessary to support the COVID-19 response and maintain critical infrastructure” are deemed critical and may continue in-person business operations. Please endeavor to limit your contact with the public to the extent possible, practice social distancing when practicable, and only undertake public interactions required to maintain the health and safety of the public.
Emergency Management: The committee has organized a structure in order to respond to community needs. It is organizing the Neighbor to Neighbor network to assist neighbors in need and to maintain local communication.
School Board: Governor Phil Scott extended the school closure order for the rest of the school year so Washington Central students, including our Rumney and Middlesex U-32 students, will continue remote learning for the rest of the year. Our staff, parents, students, and administrators have responded wonderfully to these challenges making lemonade whenever possible. Remote instruction is ongoing, our bus drivers still ply their currently mud-challenged routes delivering meals, lesson plans and, when necessary, technology to students. Our employees practice social distancing and have through great effort ensured that students’ educational and other needs are being met in these uncertain times.
Resources:
Information:
VT Health Dept website: www.healthvermont.gov/response/infectious-disease/2019-novel-coronavirus
CDC website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
FEMA website: www.fema.gov/
Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/
Direct assistance:
The Middlesex Neighbor to Neighbor network is forming to support neighbors in need. Neighborhood captains will be contacting their neighbors. To request assistance online, go to www.middlesexvermont.org.
Senior centers: Waterbury Senior Center offers Meals on Wheels and pickup of meals. Call 802-244-1234.
Vermont Foodbank: www.vtfoodbank.org lists several services for individuals
Call 2-1-1 for referral to various social services, such as unemployment, tax preparation, and housing assistance
How to help:
Practice personal hygiene and personal distancing to safeguard your health and the health of those you interact with.
Volunteering safely: Follow guidelines set by the group you are volunteering with. These should cover safe handling of items you may handle; personal distancing; considerations for vulnerable populations; self quarantine requirements.
Volunteer opportunities: In Middlesex: www.middlesexvermont.org. Regionally: www.oncallforvt.org.
Make a donation to an area service agency, such as the Vermont Foodbank or Capstone Community Action
But What about TAXES?
(Here’s a note from our friends at the Vermont Department of Taxes):
Vermont Department of Taxes Issues 2020 Tax Season Guidance in Response to COVID-19 Emergency
The Vermont Department of Taxes continues to carefully monitor the evolving situation related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Department is working closely with the office of Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont legislature, following changes at the federal level, and adhering to guidance from the Vermont Department Health. Please see the Department’s information on relief for Vermont taxpayers at tax.vermont.gov/coronavirus. You should check this link periodically as the guidance may change. You may also follow the Vermont Department of Taxes on Facebook and Twitter.
MARCH 3, 2020
MIDDLESEX PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RESULTS CLICK HERE!
&
TOWN VOTE RESULTS CLICK HERE
READ THE DRAFT MINUTES OF THE MARCH 3, 2020 TOWN MEETING HERE! (Thanks, Sorsha!)
Hot off the Presses! Read the 2019 Middlesex Town Report here….
RESULTS OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 WCUUSD SPECIAL SCHOOL MEETING
WCUUSD Vote Results |
|||||||
November 5, 2019 |
|||||||
Berlin |
Calais |
Emont |
Midd |
Worc |
TOTAL |
||
Article 1: Shall the voters change the date |
|||||||
of the 2020 Annual Meeting |
|||||||
Yes |
67 |
73 |
100 |
55 |
48 |
343 |
|
No |
11 |
10 |
11 |
6 |
5 |
43 |
|
Blank |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Damaged |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
78 |
86 |
112 |
61 |
53 |
390 |
|
Article 2 Shall the voters elect Moderator, Clerk and |
|||||||
Treasurer by Australian ballot |
|||||||
Yes |
70 |
72 |
105 |
55 |
50 |
352 |
|
No |
8 |
12 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
36 |
|
Blank |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Damaged |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
78 |
86 |
112 |
61 |
53 |
390 |
|
Article 3 Shall the voters require that the ballots be comingled |
|||||||
for all Australian ballot elections |
|||||||
Yes |
50 |
53 |
94 |
47 |
42 |
286 |
|
No |
28 |
33 |
17 |
14 |
11 |
103 |
|
Blank |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Damaged |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
78 |
86 |
112 |
61 |
53 |
390 |
|
CLICK here to read the 2019-2027 Approved Middlesex Town Plan.
Vermont recording fees will increase effective July 1, 2019.
SUMMARY OF VERMONT RECORDING FEE CHANGES
32 V.S.A. §1671
| PREVIOUS FEE | NEW FEE | |
| Document Recording | $10/page | $15/page |
| PTTR (property transfer tax return) | $10/document | $15/document |
| Survey plat recording fees | $15/sheet | $25/sheet |
| Certified copy of records (no change) | $10/page | $10/page |
| Vault time | $2/hour | $4/hour |
*Documents include all items recorded in the land records (deeds, mortgages, assignments, liens, releases, permits).
*Multiple assignments or releases included on one document are charged $15/assignment or release
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT FROM WHAT’S NEXT, MIDDLESEX?
Watch Middlesex Select Board Meetings on ORCA HERE !!