MONKTON — The Monkton selectboard on July 25 announced that the bond taken out in 2002 to fund the 2003 fire station addition was refinanced by the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank at a lower interest rate. Meeting minutes indicated that this reduction in future interest payments will save the town money.
“Interest rate reductions don’t kick in until 2015 … so the refinancing will only affect the last two years of bond payments and will only … range from $700 to $1,000 in savings,” said Charles Roumas, town treasurer.
“It made sense for the town to adopt the refinancing because the money is there without the town having to do anything … every cent we save our citizens is important in this day and age,” he said. “If we can secure some lower interest for the town even if for a few years we, secure it.“
In other selectboard and town news, the selectboard has been developing a sign replacement policy this summer, which federal regulations stipulate the town must adopt by the end of the year. The GPS locations of all road signs, the types of road signs and sign inventory must be recorded in order to create the policy. No federal funds have been provided to implement this federally mandated policy.
On May 9, the selectboard began discussing the need for a cemetery committee. Since the town does not currently have a committee, the responsibility of tending to the cemetery falls on the selectboard’s shoulders. The committee has not been adopted as of yet, said Town Clerk Sharon Gomez.
On June 13, the selectboard decided to sell the town’s 2000 Sterring dump truck for scrap metal and put the proceeds toward the highway budget. Two weeks later, at their June 27 meeting, the selectboard decided to sell the town’s 1988 International truck for scrap metal.
Selectmen on June 13 also appointed Gretchen Beupre to the library board.
On June 27, the selectboard reported that Monkton qualified for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid to repair town roads from the spring flood damage.
On July 25, the Addison County Community Trust told the selectboard that it plans to destroy the Heath trailer on Vaugn Court within two weeks if something wasn’t done to improve its safety. The trust owns the land and the town minutes state, “The selectboard does not condone or oppose the removal of the Heath trailer.”
Also at that meeting, selectmen:
•  Granted permission to a University of Vermont professor to install a camera in the old town dump to monitor wildlife through that corridor. There’s been a wildlife camera that’s been there for years for a different project.
•  Approved purchase a Friedrich air conditioner for the town hall for $546.15.
•  Awarded a fuel bid to Champlain Valley Plumbing and Heating for 10 cents a gallon over rack price. Rack price is the wholesale price that the company pays.
The following real estate sales have been recorded in Monkton since the beginning of 2011:
•  Jan. 6: Stephen and Audri Miller to Jeffrey and Kimberly Winchester, a home on 3.94 acres at 825 Pond Road, $255,000.
•  Jan. 6: George Hanerfeld to Ashley and Deborah Angier, a home on 12.52 acres at 76 Morgan Road, $267,000.
•  Jan. 6: Jeffrey and Kimberly Winchester to Jamie Banghart and Owen McEnroe, a home on 2.2 acres at 3851 Silver Street, $207,500.
•  Feb. 14: Cynthia Root to Brian Corkins, mobile home on 1 acre at 258 Mountain Road, $90,000.
•  March 31: Daniel Harding to Peter Donnet, a home on 10.3 acres at 2061 Hardscrabble Road, $273,000.
•  April 15: B. Michael and Virginia Frye to Philip and Jill French, a home on 20.8 acres at 1065 Tyler Bridge Road, $415,000.
•  April 26: Michael Norris to Andrew and Amy Sear, 2.03 acres of open land at 66 Hogsback Drive that will host a home, $239,000.
•  April 28: Joshua and Jennifer Barney to Marsha and Richard Arend, a home on 13 acres at 1292 Parks Hulburt Road, $284,500.
•  May 24: John Reynolds to Driscoll Properties, a parcel of 2.50 acres was subdivided and the new plot off of Hardscrabble Road was bought as an investment, $43,000.
•  June 15: Monkton Ridge Properties to Owl’s Mountain LLC, commercial office on 1 acre at 1317 Davis Road will now act as the law office of Kevin Brennan, $230,000.
•  June 16: E.H. Construction LLC to Anthony Mangus, a home on five acres at 27 Farley Road, $240,000.
•  June 24: Frederick Jennings to Carroll Isham, a home on 5 acres at 123 Church Road, $168,000.
•  July 22: Everett and Sally Larsen to Lindsey Panella and John Dunham, a home on 10 acres at 134 Church Road, $139,000.
•  July 28: Jason and Elisabeth Garvey to David and Julie Almond, a home on 10.13 acres at 88 Davis Road, $262,500.
•  July 29: Justin and Cynthia May to Ian and Cassandra Underwood, a home on 0.79 acres at 11 Hollow Road, $229,000.