Selectboard 11/4/25

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Selectboard Minutes 11-04-25 159 KB

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Town of Richmond
Special Selectboard Meeting
Minutes of November 4, 2025

Members Present: Bard Hill, Caitlin Filkins, Jay Furr, David Sander, Adam Wood
 

Absent: None

Staff Present: Josh Arneson, Town Manager; Duncan Wardwell, Deputy Town Manager; Keith Oborne, Town Planner; Gerald Levesque, Fire Chief

Others Present: Recorded by MMCTV Tom Astle, Andrea Thoen, Andrew Powers,  Beth Sumner, Brendan, Brian Shevrin, Cathy Aikman, Charlotte Phillips, Chelsye Brooks, Erik Filkhorn, Ian Bender, Ian Stokes, John Hamerslough, June Heston, Katherine Long, Lisa Miller, LJ Kopf, Marcy Harding, Mary Claire Carroll, Mary Houle, Matt Steen, Nancy Zimny, Otie Filkhorn, Rebecca Connell, Richard Dana, Robert DiPalma, Ryan Burney, Theresa Alberghini DiPalma, Trevor Brooks, Virginia Clarke

MMCTV Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/cLPFcMlAlKI?si=x63H53ZWNCsyduZW
 

Call to Order: 7:00 p.m.
 

Welcome by:  Wood
 

Public Comment:  None

Additions, Deletions or Modifications to Agenda:   None

Items for Presentation or Discussion with those present

Presentation and discussion of Richmond, Vermont 2026 Town Plan Draft

https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Selectboard/Meetings/2025/10/3a1_Richmond_TP_2026_Handout__1_.pdf

https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Selectboard/Meetings/2025/10/3a2_TOWN_PLAN_2026_DRAFT_10.24.25.pdf

Members of the Planning Commission (https://www.richmondvt.gov/boards-meetings/planning-commission) and Town Plan 2026 Steering Committee (https://www.richmondvt.gov/boards-meetings/town-plan-2026-steering-committee) presented the items in the packet and the link below:
https://www.richmondvt.gov/fileadmin/files/Selectboard/Meetings/2025/11/TP2026Presentation.pdf

Clarke stated that this plan is to be finally approved by the voters. They hope to bring it to Town Meeting in March with the Selectboard's approval, the Planning Commission's approval, and the Steering Committee's approval.
 

Clarke illustrated the timeline for adoption:
-Planning Commission Public Hearing on November 19
-Selectboard Public Hearing in early January to vote to accept
-Placed on Ballot and warned by January 22
-Town-wide vote to adopt on March 3

The overview of the Body Plan/Sections is listed as:

1. Community Development – Clarke

2. Economic Development - Powers

3. Education - Brooks

4. Emergency Resilience - Powers

5. Energy and Climate Change - Clarke

6. Future Land Use - Clarke

7. Historic Resources - Clarke

8. Housing - Clarke

9. Natural Resources - Brooks

10.Transportation - Bender

11.Utilities, Facilities and Public Safety - Clarke
 

Heston asked if ADUs being on municipal water and sewer is a State mandate.   Oborne stated that the State mandate to be on public water and sewer is to have a fifth of an acre of zoning with other issues that are dealt with in Act 181 (https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT181/ACT181%20As%20Enacted.pdf).  

Clarke confirmed that you can build an ADU anywhere.  The only restrictions the Planning Commission is considering changing is the way an ADU was originally conceived, like a mother-in-law apartment.  

Clarke welcomed everyone to stick around for desserts or to ask personal questions.

Adjourn

Filkins moved to adjourn. Sander seconded.
Roll Call Vote: Filkins, Furr, Hill, Sander, Wood in favor. Motion approved.

Meeting adjourned at: 8:45 PM

Chat file from Zoom: 
            Duncan Wardwell:      Sounds good

            Duncan Wardwell:      Speak into microphones