Selectboard Pushes Back on Town Common
Members express concerns about playground, costs and maintenance responsibilities.
By Claire MacDonald
Hinesburg Record Staff Reporter
The selectboard and representatives from the Town Common Committee discussed and debated decisions about the future of the newly constructed common – namely, about the planned playground structure and maintenance of the space – in the selectboard’s only meeting this month on June 17.
Town Common Committee Secretary Rachel Kring and committee member Maggie Gordon sought selectboard approval for beginning the installation of a playground at the common. They noted the substantial amount of time ordering the equipment takes – typically between 10-12 weeks, Kring said – and their desire to start this process by the fall, so that the structure would be usable before winter.
However, Chairperson Merrily Lovell, Assistant Town Manager Joy Grossman, and selectboard member Mike Loner were apprehensive about allowing the Town Common Committee to move forward with this process.
“I am concerned about the financial picture, the total cost of the pavilion, and maintenance,” Lovell said.
Lovell, Grossman, and Loner questioned how the playground – and the pavilion as a whole – are intended to be maintained, and what department or group this task would belong to.
“Could there be a weekly maintenance plan? What is going to happen to keep that area looking attractive?” Grossman asked.
Loner asked if there would be weekly checks on the playground structure to ensure its safety.
Kring noted that Hinesburg is unique in that it has a recreation department, but no parks and recreation department. Thus, it is uncertain what body is responsible for caretaking of the common.
She added that the Town Common Committee has discussed different iterations of what this could look like – whether the committee itself would take on a more managerial role of the space, whether there could be a volunteer-based maintenance service, or whether there could be the creation of a “friends of the common” committee, for example.
Loner and Grossman also raised concerns about the drainage of the site and its tendency to collect water.
“There is no getting around the fact that it is [built on] compacted clay,” Gordon said.
Kring said the Town Common Committee has a plan to add rain-garden plants, to help mitigate the poor drainage in the area.
The selectboard requested a formal budget spreadsheet and physical maintenance plan to be presented before approving the plan for the Town Common Committee to move forward with the playground installation. They determined an extra selectboard meeting will be held when this becomes available – most likely next week via Zoom.
The selectboard additionally reviewed and approved:
the delinquent dog list;
proposed personnel policy changes as of July 1: changing the term CTO (Combined Time Off) to PTO (Paid Time Off); this only affects non-union employees;
a public hearing on July 1 (the next selectboard meeting date) regarding the water and wastewater budget; and
a motion to have an executive session, closed to the public, for the evaluation of a public employee.
Grossman shared the Town Manager report:
Bids for the Hollow Road Bridge were expected by Friday, June 19. The town hopes this bridge work will be done next summer.
Town offices were closed on June 19 for Juneteenth Day and will be closed July 3 for the Fourth of July.
Town Manager Todd Odit and board member Paul Lamberson were not in attendance.