MIDDLEBURY — At their meeting this past Tuesday, members of the Middlebury selectboard agreed to spend $23,468 for a Ford Interceptor utility vehicle for the Middlebury Police Department. Middlebury police Chief Tom Hanley said the vehicle will offer more versatility and comfort than a conventional cruiser.
The vendor, G. Stone Motors of Middlebury, is accepting in trade (for $5,200) a 2010 cruiser from the department as part of the deal, according to Hanley.
In other action at that Jan. 27 meeting, the selectboard:
•  Signed liquor licenses for a variety of local restaurants and businesses, as well as a permit allowing Middlebury College to serve liquor at catered events.
•  Signed a resolution honoring former Middlebury Fire Chief Rick Cole for his many years of leadership. Cole joined the department in 1975 and served as its leader for close to two decades. He will remain on the force but has been succeeded as chief by longtime firefighter David Shaw.
•  Spoke with Ilsley Library Director Kevin Unrath and Kurt Broderson, technical director for the library and Middlebury Community Television, about a new digital media lab on the second floor of the Ilsley (see story, page 2).
Unrath also announced that the library is now subscribing to two new databases. Ilsleypubliclibrary.freegalmusic.com, which allows library clients to download up to five songs a week and stream three hours of music per day — for free. And listenupvermont.org now gives Ilsley Library patrons access to up to three ebooks/audiobooks at one time, and allows them to reserve titles that might already be checked out.
•  Considered a request from the town of Rutland’s selectboard for support of a resolution asking the Legislature to ensure that municipalities have influence in future Vermont Public Service Board decisions on the siting of commercial solar projects. At this time, the PSB can unilaterally rule on such solar applications. The Middlebury selectboard on Tuesday decided to let the town’s energy committee and planning commission review Rutland’s request and provide feedback, as those two groups are currently discussing the topic of solar siting.