Bristol selectboard deals with many issues
BRISTOL —HUB Teen Center Director Jim Lockridge and Americorps volunteer Heather Simpson presented research about teens in the five-town area to the Bristol selectboard at its Monday meeting.
“What we presented last night was mostly research about the teen demographic in the area. It’s from reports that were gathered and referenced.” said Lockridge on Tuesday.
This information will be combined with a further study of teens at the center. All of this work is in an effort to establish an evaluation system to gauge the center’s efficacy. The center will judge its success by how it helps five-town youth engage in the community and build self-confidence.
In other news from the meeting, the board:
• Accepted Simpson’s nomination by the teen center for the yearlong Americorps position that the teen center typically allocates.
• Heard from Deputy Fire Chief Brett LaRose that the department had nabbed a $9,000 Department of Homeland Security grant for low bandwidth radios. Chairman Joel Bouvier explained that as of Dec. 31, 2012, the federal government mandates that all radios must be low bandwidth. The town’s current radios are high bandwidth.
Bouvier said that the town would have to put up about $4,000 for labor fees, but that this action wouldn’t affect future tax rates.
• Were told by Town Administrator Bill Bryant that Jennifer Stetson of Bristol will take over the administrative assistant position that Lisa Dupoise will vacate next month. Stetson was chosen from a pool of 42 applicants Bryant said, “She had the qualifications we were looking for.” Stetson is currently employed by the National Bank of Middlebury.
• Authorized the Red Cedar School on Hardscrabble Road to cut 200 feet of curb to create a long 14-foot wide shoulder for parents dropping off students. The school is paying for the curb cut and it will be constructed because stopping in the middle of the road to let children out is dangerous, said Bouvier.
• Approved the final route for the Sept. 4 bicycle event the Green Mountain Stage Race. It will not run through Bristol’s downtown because a citizen was hit last year by a bike, said Bouvier.
• Was informed that signs will be added to Plank Road to warn of variables like blind curves. The Addison County Regional Planning Commission obtained a state grant for that purpose. The town will not provide any funding.
Reporter Andrew Stein at [email protected].