VERGENNES — Aldermen at their regular meeting Tuesday adopted a budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year and set a new tax rate; see story, page 1A.
In other business, the city council:
•  Announced that the city’s annual youth fishing derby, held in the Otter Creek basin area, had been canceled for safety reasons. High water in the basin and resulting mud and silt along the shore posed too many problems for young anglers, they said. The event had earlier already been delayed by the spring’s record rain.
•  Accepted a recommendation from the planning commission not to fill an empty seat on that board at this point. Hawley said planners are about 60 percent through a draft rewrite of zoning regulations due in November, and that they believe bringing a new member up to speed would slow that process.
•  Heard from City Manager Mel Hawley that he had hired city resident Chris Bearor to fill a vacancy in the public works department.
•  Reviewed a request from an out-of-town user of the city sewer system for lower rates. Aldermen agreed with Hawley’s suggestion that he compare the out-of-town rates with other such rates around Vermont and see if they are in line, with a deadline of the October quarterly billing.