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Floor Meeting ~ Dorset School ~ Monday, March 5, 2012 ~ 7:00 p.m.Floor Meeting ~ Dorset School ~ Monday, March 5, 2012 ~ 7:00 p.m.Floor Meeting ~ Dorset School ~ Monday, March 5, 2012 ~ 7:00 p.m.Floor Meeting ~ Dorset School ~ Monday, March 5, 2012 ~ 7:00 p.m.
Voting ~ Dorset School ~ Tuesday, March 6, 2012 ~ 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 Voting ~ Dorset School ~ Tuesday, March 6, 2012 ~ 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 Voting ~ Dorset School ~ Tuesday, March 6, 2012 ~ 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 Voting ~ Dorset School ~ Tuesday, March 6, 2012 ~ 7:00 a.m. to 7:00
Town of DorsetTown of DorsetTown of DorsetTown of Dorset
Annual Report 2011Annual Report 2011Annual Report 2011Annual Report 2011
2
F loyd Eastman was born on the Glen Farm in
Dorset Hollow in 1908 the eldest of six children.
When he was
five, his family moved to
a homestead on the Dor-
set West Road. He re-
members farm chores
and attending the Dorset
Village School with teach-
ers, Miss Hammon and
Mrs. O'Leary. He then
attended Burr and Burton
Seminary for two years,
riding a bicycle in good
weather and driving a
horse and sleigh in win-
ter.
Among Floyd's favorite memories is taking part in one of
the last cattle drives through Vermont in 1926, headed to
the slaughter houses in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Cattle
and workers were added as the herd moved south. Floyd
spent his first night as a cowpoke at the Wilcox Farm, the
second at Harwood Hill, just north of Bennington, the third
near North Adams, and then other stops along the Mohawk
Trail. "Those cattle had a mind of their own, running off the
road and into the bushes," Floyd reports. "We had to chase
them back. That's why it took three weeks."
Neither farming, nor cow poking suited Floyd, so he went
to work at the Armstrong Store in Dorset (now Kevin
O'Toole's office). Burr Phillips, the proprietor, encouraged
Floyd to go to meat-cutting school in Brattleboro, to which
he traveled one night a week for about six months in his
four-cylinder Chevy coupe.
In 1927, he married Adelaide Lewis of Pawlet. Their first
home was the apartment over Peltier's Store. Floyd was 19
and Addie 22 when they wed.
After 12 years at the Armstrong store, Floyd went to work at
the Combination Cash Store in Manchester. He then
moved on to become the first manager of the Battenkill
Locker at the top of Center Hill. In 1944, Floyd bought Ray
Utley's Meat Market, across from today's Mobil sta-
tion. Twenty-five years later, Manchester's master butcher
sold Eastman's Meat Market to employee, Red Hinkley.
Eastman's Market was the signal meat emporium of the
Northshire for a quarter-century and beyond.
Floyd and Addie retired in 1969 and purchased a home in
C lyde “Jack” Frost was born in 1940.
After a stint in the Navy during the Korean War,
Jack graduated as a mining engineer from Col-
orado School of Mines. Shortly after Jack put down roots
in East Dorset, a place where he became a partner in a
well drilling business that is now known as Frost Wells &
Pumps Inc., Jack bought a farmstead in East Dorset in
1965. The “Battenkill Rise” barn has been a fixture on the
landscape since 1878 and has been lovingly restored by
the Frost family over the years.
Jack soon began to give much to the Dorset
community with a thriving business and years of public
service. Jack spent eleven years as a Selectman in Dorset,
bringing a well-rounded businesslike approach to run-
n i n g Town
affairs.
S arah “Sally” Longacre Frost was
born in 1943. A longtime school teacher at the
Flood Brook & Dorset Schools, Sally made a
great positive impact on the children of our community.
Sally & Jack married in 1970; the Frosts have eight chil-
dren and twenty-two grandchildren. Sally left us in 2011,
but her kindness and commitment to our community will
live on in the many youngsters she helped along the way.
The Frost family has always been a constant sup-
porter of the betterment of our community, more recent-
ly the Frost family helped make a small playground be-
Front Cover Photo by Anthony Cirelli
3
DORSET POTLUCK SUPPER
WHEN: MONDAY, March 5th
6:00 PM
BEFORE TOWN MEETING
WHERE: THE DORSET SCHOOL
A – L ~ MAIN DISH
M – Z ~ SALAD / VEGETABLE
DESSERT AND COFFEE PROVIDED
PLEASE BRING A NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEM FOR
4
Table of Contents
Town Information & Reports
Town Office Calendar & Miscellaneous Information ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Appointed Town Officers ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Elected Town Officials ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Select Board Report & Town Manager Report ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Board of Lister Report................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Auditor Report ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Treasurer Report ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Zoning Administrator & Planning Commission Report ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
Zoning Board of Adjustment Report ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Design Review Report ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Conservation Commission Report ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Dorset Energy Committee ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14-16
Delinquent Tax List................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Health Officer Report .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Town Clerk Report (Liquor Licenses, Dog Licenses & Vital Records) ................................................................................................................................. 18
Agency Reports
Vermont State Troopers - C Troop Shaftsbury .......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Integrated Solid Waste Program........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 20
Vermont Coalition of Municipalities ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Vermont League of Cities & Towns 2011 Overview (VLCT) .................................................................................................................................................... 22
Green Mountain National Forest ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23-31
Budgeted Appropriations
East Dorset Fire District #1 & Water System Report .......................................................................................................................................................... 32-33
Dorset Fire District #1 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34-35
Manchester Rescue Squad ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36-37
Dorset Nursing Association (DNA) .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Dorset Village Library .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Green Up Vermont ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 40.41
Voter Approved Appropriations
Dorset Old Cemetery .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
GNAT - TV ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43
Project Against Violent Encounters (PAVE) ................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Center for Restorative Justice (CRJ) .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Neighbor to Neighbor ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46-47
Green Mountain RSVP ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 48
Bennington Area Habitat for Humanities ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Southwest Vermont Council on Aging ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 50-51
Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council (BROC) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 52
Dorset Historical Society ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Bennington Coalition for the Homeless................................................................................................................................................................................... 54-59
Town Minutes, Warning & Budget
Minutes of Town Annual Meeting 2011 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 60-63
Town of Dorset Warning 2012 ......................................................................................................................................................... 64-66 Town of Dorset Budget 2012 ............................................................................................................................................................ 67-71
School Reports, Warning & Budgets
Dorset School District Minutes 2011 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 72-73
Burr & Burton Academy (BBA) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74-75
Long Trail School (LTS) .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76-77 Dorset School District Warning 2012 .................................................................................................................................................... 78
Dorset School Principal Report ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 79
Dorset School Director Report ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 80
Dorset School District Budget 2012 ................................................................................................................................................. 82-89
Three Year Comparison.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 90
Report of the Superintendent of Schools ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 91
5
Town Office Calendar & Miscellaneous InformationTown Office Calendar & Miscellaneous InformationTown Office Calendar & Miscellaneous Information
Town Manager’s Office ................................................................................... Monday to Friday ~ 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Town Clerk’s Office ..................................................................................... Monday to Thursday ~ 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
......................................................................................................................................................... Friday ~ 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Zoning Administrator ................................................................................ Tuesday to Thursday ~ 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Board of Listers .......................................................................................... Tuesday & Thursday ~ 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
************************************
Select Board Meetings ............................................................... Third Tuesday each month at 7:00 p.m. ~ Town Office
Planning Commission Meetings ............................................... First Tuesday each month at 7:00 p.m. ~ Town Office
Zoning Board Meetings ........................................................ Second Monday each month at 7:30 p.m. ~ Town Office
Emergency - Fire & Rescue 911
Shaftsbury State Police 442-5421
Town Office (802) 362-4571
Town Manager Rob Gaiotti x3
Administrative Assistant Marilyn Kinney x4
Town Clerk Sandra Pinsonault x2
Zoning Administrator Tyler Yandow x5
Board of Listers Robert Gibney, Peter Trifari, Margot
Schoffstall x6
Town Office Fax (802) 362-5156
Town Garage (802) 362-5244
Road Foreman Jim Hewes (802) 362-5559
Animal Control Officer Ryan Downey (802) 375-4035
Health Officer Dorothy Marcotte (802) 362-4571
Town Constables John H. Coolidge (802) 867-4408
Vacant Position
Schools Dorset School (802) 362-2606
Burr & Burton Academy (802) 362-1775
Long Trail School (802) 867-5717
Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union (802) 362-2452
Post Offices Dorset (802) 867-5501
East Dorset (802) 362-3233
Fire Warden Doug Beebe (802) 362-4601
Dorset Library (802) 867-5774
Dorset Nursing (802) 362-1200
www.dps.state.vt.us/vtsp/
shaftsbury.html
www.dorsetvt.org
townmanag-
dorsetad-
www.dorsetschool.org
www.burrburton.org
www. longtrailschool.org
www.brsu.org
www.dorsetlibrary.org
www.dnavt.org/
Patti Komline, State Representative (802) 867-4232 [email protected]
Robert Hartwell, State Senator (802) 362-5757 [email protected]
Richard Sears, State Senator (802) 442-9139 [email protected]
6
Appointed Town Officers
Town Manager ............................................................................................................................................................ Rob Gaiotti
Administrative Assistant & Asst. Zoning Administrator ....................................................................... Marilyn Kinney
Zoning Administrator ........................................................................................................................................... Tyler Yandow
Select, Planning & Zoning Boards Secretary ......................................................................................... Nancy Aversano
Health Officer .................................................................................................................................................. Dolores Marcotte
Animal Control Officer ....................................................................................................................................... Ryan Downey
Civil Defense Chair .................................................................................................................................................... Rob Gaiotti
Fence Viewers ............................................................................................... Chris Brooks, Marge Freed, Mike Connors
Fence & Tree Warden ........................................................................................................................................... Hal Coolidge
Special Constable .................................................................................................................................................. Harold Beebe
Town Service Officer ............................................................................................................................................ Ellen Maloney
Energy Coordinator ....................................................................................................................................................... Jim Hand
Planning Commission
Bill Breed, Chairman.................................. 2013 Brent Herrmann ......................................... 2012
Danny Pinsonault, Vice Chairman ....... 2013 Toni Dee ........................................................ 2014
Connie Ferguson ........................................ 2013 Dave Lawrence ........................................... 2013
Howard Coolidge ....................................... 2015
Gay Squire .................................................... 2015
All four (4) year terms expire April 30th of the year indicated
Zoning Board of Adjustment
John LaVecchia, Chairman ...................... 2012 Kevin O’Toole .............................................. 2014
David Wilson, Vice Chairman ................ 2013 Ruth Stewart ................................................ 2014
Dale Baker .................................................... 2012 Mike Connors.............................................. 2013
Steve Jones................................................... 2012 Bill Bridges ................................................... 2013
Tuck Rawls .................................................... 2014
All three (3) year terms to expire April 30th of the year indicated
Conservation Commission
Malcolm Cooper, Jr., Chairman ............ 2013 Eric Rosencrantz ......................................... 2012
Alan Calfee ................................................... 2013 Georgine MacGarvey-Holman.............. 2014
Kevin O’Toole .............................................. 2012
All four (4) year terms expire May 31st of the year indicated
Design Review Board
Bob Escher, Chairman .............................. 2012 Reeve Cantus .............................................. 2012
Sheila Childs ................................................ 2012 Gretchen Schmidt...................................... 2014
James Clubb ................................................. 2012
All three (3) year terms expire April 30th of the year indicated
7
Elected Town Officers
Moderator, Town ....................................... Kevin O’Toole ........................ 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Moderator, School .................................... Kevin O’Toole ........................ 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Town Clerk ................................................... Sandra Pinsonault ............... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
School District Clerk Sandra Pinsonault ............... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
Town Treasurer ........................................... Melissa Zecher ...................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
School District Treasurer ......................... Melissa Zecher ...................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
Select Board Chris Brooks ........................... 3 Tear Term .................... Expires 2012
Michael Connors .................. 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2013
Margery Freed ...................... 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Michael Oltedal .................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
Brad Tyler ................................ 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
School Board Robert Allen ........................... 2 Year Term .................... Expires 2013
Jennifer Allen ......................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2013
Vickie Haskins ....................... 2 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
David Chandler ..................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
James Salsgiver .................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2014
Listers Margot Schoffstall ............... 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2011
Robert Gibney ....................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2011
Peter Trifari ............................ 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2011
Auditors Terry Tyler ............................... 3 Year Term .................... Expires 2013
Shelly Sheldon ...................... 2 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
First Constable John H. Coolidge ................. 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Second Constable Theron Troumbley ............... 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Grand Juror East Side Peter Palmer .......................... 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Grand Juror West Side David Bumgardner .............. 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Town Agent Kevin O’Toole ........................ 1 Year Term .................... Expires 2012
Justices of the Peace Willard (Bill) Bridges Margery Freed
Willard (Chip) Watson Patricia Komline
8
2011 Select Board & Town Manager
In 2011, the Town approved a budget that resulted in a municipal tax rate of $.1686 cents per $100.
Dorset’s municipal tax rate remains one of the lowest in the State (in 2010 Dorset’s town tax rate was the 2nd lowest
in Bennington County & in the top 10 lowest in Vermont).
In 2011, the Town was fortunate to receive $175,000 in grant funds for the Dorset West Road project. These
funds allowed us to resurface the entire length of the Dorset West Road, the project cost nearly $475,000, and the
town’s portion was $275,000 (or roughly $60,000 per mile). In addition, the pavement on the lower section of Dan-
by Mountain Road was extended. In 2012, the town plans to resurface a portion of Morse Hill Road and School
Drive as well as the parking area at the school.
The town purchased a new John Deere 5093E tractor and mower for $85,000. As we all know, the winter of
2010-11 was one for the books, the road crew responded to over 60 winter storm events that required mainte-
nance (vs. roughly 30 in 2009-10). Special thanks to Road Foreman: Jim Hewes, and Crew Members: Russell Tarbell,
Bill Nichols, and John Benson for their dedicated service.
Dorset’s roads largely survived Tropical Storm Irene; the worst storm damage was located on Mad Tom
Road. In impressive fashion, the Road Crew was able to get Mad Tom Road repaired and open to traffic again. The
East Dorset & Dorset Fire Departments were instrumental in responding to emergency needs of the town during
and after the storm, closing roads and making sure residents were safe. Fire Department members assisted resi-
dents for days after the storm pumping out and cleaning basements. Dorset is fortunate to have such a dedicated
and resourceful group of volunteers.
The Dorset community was also fortunate to build upon the recent defibrillator donation campaign; resi-
dents David Meiselman & Myra Packman donated a fully furnished Emergency First Response Vehicle to benefit
our Town. This generous gift has been complimented by the recent efforts of the Manchester Rescue Squad &
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center to train residents as first responders. We thank David & Myra for having the
vision to make our community a safer place to live.
2011 recreational opportunities: free entry into Emerald Lake, discount on Long Trail School summer pro-
grams, recreation scholarships, reimbursement for Manchester Parks & Recreation programs, trail work at Pinnacle
Park, and discounts to Riley Rink programs. In 2010, residents logged 2,106 visits to Emerald Lake; in 2011 this in-
creased to 3,599 visits. The Pinnacle has seen many improvements this year; views have been cleared to the north
and toward the village, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Conservation Commission. We hope residents continue
to enjoy these offerings and give us feedback on your experiences.
2011 also saw the creation of the Town of Dorset Facebook page, we’re hopeful this will allow information
to be more readily available to residents. As of late December, the cell tower was activated and offering service, this
will benefit the Town immensely.
Many thanks to all those who played a part in
Dorset’s 250th anniversary celebration on August 20th.
The 250th committee worked diligently with the Dorset
Conservation Commission, Dorset Historical Society
and the Wilson House. Donations from residents &
businesses allowed us to have a fantastic firework
show! A very big thank you to Harold & Jane Beebe
for hosting the community dinner and fireworks. We
had perfect weather and the turnout for all events was
wonderful. It was great to see the community come
together to enjoy a summer’s day in our special little
town.
9
2011 Board of Listers
The weakened 2011 U.S. economy continues impacting Dorset’s housing market with falling selling prices,
along with a rising volume of fair market sales and slight uptick in “distress sales” from “short sales,” and fore-
closures. During the 12-month period ending in December 2011, there were 36 Dorset houses sold, an in-
crease of 56%, up from 23 from 2010, with residential sales prices ranging from $149,000 to $2,500,000, and
median sales price of $465,000.
The State of Vermont’s 2011 Equalization Study for Dorset established the town’s 2012 Common Level of Ap-
praisal (CLA) at 108.22, a change from the 2011 CLA of 101.32. The CLA is a calculation based on the average
ratio of assessed value to property sales from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2011. A rising CLA reflects falling
property values, and makes property assessments, more than likely, becoming too high, relationally to the
economy; and has lowered the town’s equalized education grand list (EELG) to near previous 2006 values.
History of D o r s e t ’ s Equalization Grand List
Dorset’s declining EELG started in 2010 with a drop of -6.20%, followed in 2011, with an additional decline of -
6.40%. This directly impacts a property’s tax burden and the state education property tax rate, and results in
the town having a lowered tax burden in relation to the state as a whole. For the present, Dorset’s portion of
the state education fund continues to grow smaller due to declining property values that are waning more
(due to town’s higher property wealth) than the statewide average decline. Thus, Dorset’s 2012 educational
tax rate increase will probably once again, as in 2011, be somewhat lessened per any statewide increase.
We, as a Board, are concerned with the fairness of your assessed value. If you feel that you could not sell your
property for its assessed value, please contact our office. Every year a property owner has the right to appeal
their property value. As a first step, we recommend that a property owner contact the Board of Listers for a
review of the property value. This should be done in the spring of the year. This allows the property owner to
see how the property value has been derived and gives the Board of Listers the chance to correct any errors, if
found. Lister’s grievance hearings are normally held by late May/early June. Please contact us before May 15th
if you want to file a grievance.
The Board of Listers encourages you to contact us with any questions or comments on your property assess-
ment. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 am. to 3:30 pm. or by appointment. Phone: 802-
362-4571 x 6, or E-mail: [email protected]
TAX YEAR EEGL TOTAL Percent Change CLA
2006 $669,687,611 0.00% 105.60
2007 $722,342,055 7.68% 98.98
2008 $759,750,195 5.18% 95.52
2009 $765,831,350 0.80% 95.16
2010 $718,324,319 -6.20% 101.32
2011 $671,881,913 -6.40% 108.22
10
Auditor
The Town of Dorset (General Fund) was professionally audited by Mudgett, Jennett & Krogh-Wisner
P. C. for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. No tax anticipation loans were borrowed. A sur-
plus was declared by the Town and is noted by the auditors. The Town audit is complete and is presently
available at the Town Office and the Dorset Library during their regular hours.
The Dorset School audit is being handled by the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union for the fis-
cal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The audit is being done by Jeffrey R. Bradley, C.P.A., P. C. The
Dorset School did not borrow any funds during the fiscal year. This audit has not been completed at press
time and will be available for examination at the Dorset School and the Dorset Town Office during regular
hours when it has been received. Voters wishing to examine the School audit should call the Dorset School
or the Town Office in advance for an appointment.
The Dorset Auditor(s) commend the work of Nancy Aversano whose efforts in obtaining condensed finan-
cial reports from the many agencies that have received funds from the Town of Dorset and arranged them
for printing in our Annual Town Report. The recipients of funds from the Town of Dorset will not have their
reports printed and may not benefit in the future if their reports are not submitted in the form and by the
deadline specified by the Dorset Select Board. The arrangement, collation and graphics for this Annual Re-
port have been delivered to the printer (Express Copy of Manchester) by Nancy each year and the Auditors
are most grateful.
TTTREASURERREASURERREASURER
I am currently serving my third three year elected term as Treasurer for the Town of Dorset. As
Treasurer, my duties include the review of accounts payable, payroll checks and delinquent tax warrants for
the Town of Dorset and the Dorset School.
11
Zoning Administrator and Planning Commission
In 2011, the following permits were issued: 49 zoning permits (compared with 43 in 2010), 4 Boundary
Line Adjustments, 4 Driveway Access Permits, and 4 sign permits.
Two vacant positions on the Planning Commission were filled by Brian Beavin and Howard Coolidge.
AT&T completed construction of the Town’s first cell phone tower. Service is expected soon.
New drafts of the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Survey were received from FE-
MA for review and comment. Ned Swanberg, the Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator from the Vermont
Department of Environmental Conservation made a presentation before the Planning Commission to
provide an overview of these documents. FEMA is continuing to accept comments from the public re-
garding them. The Town needs to update its Bylaw to incorporate the new requirements for work in the
Flood Hazard Zone in order to continue to participate in the national Flood Insurance Program. This
work is ongoing by the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission began work on a Build Out Study to determine if changes to the existing By-
laws are required to accommodate future Town growth and development trends. Jim Hendersen of the
Bennington County Regional Commission presented draft maps and spreadsheets to the Planning Com-
mission illustrating the density of one build out scenario. The Town has applied for a planning grant
from the State in order to fund the remainder of BCRC’s part of this project.
Tyler Yandow provided suggestions to the Energy Committee regarding how compliance with the newly
revised Vermont Residential Energy Building Standards could be encouraged and monitored. All residen-
tial projects, regardless of size, are now required to comply with this code. Copies of the code are availa-
ble from the Zoning Administrator’s office. The creation of a town wide Property Assessed Clean Energy
(P.A.C.E.) district was also discussed with the Energy Committee. This program created by the State, pro-
vides a cost efficient means for residential property owners to make significant energy saving improve-
ments to their homes. More information about the P.A.C.E. program is found in the Energy Committee’s
report.
Draft guidelines for the regulation of banners and sandwich boards in the Design Review District were
discussed by the Zoning Administrator with Bob Escher, chairman of the Design Review Board, and Rob
Gaoitti, the Town Manager. Work on these guidelines is continuing.
The Planning Commission and Zoning Administrator wish to thank the Design Review Board, the Zoning
Board of Adjustment, the Energy Committee, and the Conservation Commission for their efforts during
the past year.
12
Zoning Board of Adjustment
The Zoning Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body, comprised of nine Dorset residents
appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The current Board includes Vice-Chair David Wilson, and mem-
bers-at-large Bill Bridges, Tuck Rawls, Steve Jones, Ruth Stewart, Mike Connors, Dale Baker, and Kevin
O’Toole. The Chair wishes to thank everyone for their continued commitment to volunteer their time
and talents during the past year.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets on an as-needed basis on the second Monday of the
month, and hears applications for conditional use permits and variances, as well as appeals from deci-
sions of the Zoning Administrator.
During 2011, the Board considered two applications for variances from setback requirements.
Both involved accessory buildings and both were granted. The Board heard one appeal from an action
of the Zoning Administrator in a matter involving a pre-existing, non-conforming use. The Board found
that the use had been improperly altered. That matter is currently before the Environmental Court.
Two appeals of matters heard by the Board were resolved during 2011. In one the Environmen-
tal Court reached the same conclusion as the Board. In the other the Supreme Court reversed the ac-
tion of the Zoning Administrator, a position taken by a majority of the Board members who heard the
matter.
Additionally the Board met on numerous occasions to discuss and ultimately adopt revised
Rules of Procedure and a revised Conflict of Interest Policy. The Board also had the opportunity to meet
with the Select Board on three occasions to discuss the above policies and other matters of mutual in-
Dorset Design Review Board
In 2011, the Dorset Design Review Board reviewed four new sign applications for new
businesses moving into town. All were approved by the Planning Commission.
We have worked with our neighbors in the design of street banners to highlight the on-
going activities of our Dorset Community.
Finally, we are in the process of
writing the criteria to control the place-
ment of sandwich boards in the historic
district.
We would like to extend our appre-
ciation to retiring members Nancy Hersom
and Gretchen Schmidt, for sharing their
expertise to make our village so wonderful.
13
Dorset Conservation Commission
Members: Malcolm Cooper (Chair ), Alan Calfee, Kevin O’Toole, Georgine Holman
Cutler Memorial Forest and The Pinnacle saw some improvements, some damage and plenty of activi-
ty during the year past.
In early August, Alan, Kevin and Malcolm led a hike from the Village Green to the Pinnacle tower as part
of Dorset’s 250th celebration day. More than fifty interested citizens made the trek from the Town Green
through the woods to the summit. For many
this was the first time they had enjoyed the
beautiful property.
Later in the month of August, Tropical Storm
Irene swelled the Mettawee River until it over-
flowed it’s banks in Cutler Forest. The river bank
was eroded and rearranged with gravel and
debris deposited in low lying areas. The river
rose to within 12 inches of the foot bridge over
the Mettawee, but the foundations held and
the bridge came through unharmed. The Com-
mission intends to work with the road crew to
repair some of the more severe damage to the
trail just in from the Peace Street entrance.
Mike Stock of Stock Tree Care was hired to remove some hazardous
trees and open up two views from the Pinnacle’s stone tower; one fac-
ing Southwest towards Dorset Village and one facing Northwest look-
ing up the Pawlet Valley. Stock skillfully felled the trees and cut off
limbs. A volunteer crew of approximately 30 folks piled and burned a
significant amount of brush during the annual Thanksgiving morning
work party . The intent is to be able to mow the cleared areas to pre-
vent trees from growing back and blocking the view. Many thanks to
all that turned out on Thanksgiving to lend a hand.
Local Dorset timber framer Ben Weiss removed some of the useable
logs in exchange for further clean up.
A scaffolding has been erected by mason Greg Easton of Danby in an-
ticipation of spring time repair to the top of the Pinnacle stone tower
which is deteriorating due to a century of weathering. Freeze-thaw cy-
cles over the past 100 years have cracked the concrete and caused nu-
merous stones to fall off. The plan is to repair the stones and rebuild
the cap.
During the second half of the year, the Mithoefer family offered to
gift to the Town the ownership for a section of Pinnacle Lane. This gift
14
Dorset Energy Coordinator and Committee
LED STREETLIGHTS FOR THE TOWN: Following research and due diligence by the Energy Committee and
the Town Manager, the Dorset Select Board approved the replacement, by CVPS, of the Town’s existing
streetlights with LED street lights. The switch should save the Town roughly one-third of the amount that
has been spent on streetlights (last year’s total cost was roughly $12,000). Timing for completing this work
i s e a r l y 2 0 1 2 .
LIGHTING PROGRAM FOR BUSINESSES: We continued to work with Efficiency Vermont on their Business
Ambassadors program to bring more efficient lighting (with attractive rebates) to the Dorset Business and
Non Profit community. We visited and assisted businesses in Dorset and Manchester. In Dorset, the follow-
ing took advantage of the program: H.N. Williams, Dorset Union Store, Long Trail Auto, Vermont Renewable
Fuels, Mettowee Mill Nursery, J.K. Adams, the old Chrysler Building, Wood and Signs, The Dorset Library,
United Church of Dorset & East Rupert, the Dorset and East Dorset Fire Departments, Dorset Town Hall,
East Dorset Maintenance Garage, The Dorset School and Wilson House. Most of the retrofitting was com-
pleted before year-end 2011.
RECYCLING & SOLID WASTE: 1. The Energy Committee continues to work on a new contract for solid
waste & recycling between Casella and a group of local Towns, including Dorset (the “Consortium Towns”).
2. Casella has opened its single stream ("zero sort") facility in Rutland, which should change the picture for
those using the East Dorset Transfer Station, as the need to sort may be eliminated. The fee structure will
likely change too – but, how is still unsettled. 3. Our relationship with the Bennington County Regional
Commission continues to be a strong link for solid waste & recycling efforts. BCRC coordinates the Consor-
tium solid waste contract in which Dorset participates, as well being a good partner for household hazard-
ous waste recycling. 4. Two Electronics Recycling Events were held at The Dorset School, managed by the
Dorset Teachers and the Energy Committee. These were very successful, helping area residents deal with
unwanted electronics, and raising money for the School. We also made the School available for the BCRC’s
multi-town Fall 2011 Hazardous Waste Recycling Event.
RBES: Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES) in effect since 1997 were up-dated by the Legislature
in 2011. The Public Service Department has been charged with designing a procedure for ensuring compli-
ance – as the State is obligated to achieve 90% compliance with the code by Feb. 1, 2017 as a condition of
receiving federal stimulus funds. The Energy Committee met is working on this issue with Tyler Yandow,
Dorset’s Zoning Administrator. We are providing input for the State review of compliance procedures, and
working to try to develop an approach to RBES compliance that will not be onerous, will not pass on costs
to the Town and will meet expected State requirements.
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy): PACE is the program approved by the Vermont Legislature to as-
sist residents with financing for energy saving updates on their homes. Legislation related to these pro-
grams was substantially improved with the new Energy Bill passed in the 2011-2012 Legislative Session.
The idea is for Towns to create districts to provide energy loans for residents that would be repaid through
an additional property tax assessment. The loans and property tax assessments could continue with the
property, even in case of a transfer of ownership. The Energy Committee is working to raise awareness in
the community of PACE, with hopes of having the Town vote on establishment of a PACE district at this
year’s Town Meeting. We have spoken at meetings of the Select Board and Planning Commission, have
15
16
17
Delinquent Tax Report ~ December 31, 2011
Barrows House $5,410.93
Couch, Malcolm $2,231.42
Fox, Austin Jr. $2,660.93
Gadjatsy, Carol* $12,443.58
Goldfield, Michael $16,902.95
Gregory, Judd $27,656.51
Hehir, Brendan* $1,662.15
Huddle Bay Holding $5,045.63
Keyes, David $679.09
Read, Walter $1,110.06
Schoffstall, Peter* $4,012.41
Staunton, Sidney Jr* $1,884.67
Weber, Dorothy $2,943.09
$84,649.42
* Paid or partially paid after December 31, 2011
Health Officer
During 2011, there were seven reportable incidents.
Three incidents of tenant landlord disputes were reported. One involved the property heating system and one involved issues with mold. Both of these were resolved. The third in-volved issues outside of the purview of the Health Officer and the parties were advised as such.
There were two incidents involving animals. One was a case of a subject being scratched by a cat. The cat was found to have had all necessary shots and the subject received medical care. In the other case, a subject was bitten by a cat which could not be subsequently located. The Animal Control Officer was notified and the subject received precautionary rabies treat-ments.
There were two notifications received from the Agency of Ntural Resources sighting vio-lations of maximum contaminant level for total coliform and placing the properties on a boil water order. A second notification confirming the installation of a UV disinfection unit and a cessation of the boil water requirement was received on one of the properties. No follow up has been reported on the second property.
The Bennington Health Department initiated contact inquiring about any storm damage from Tropical Storm Irene. Respectfully submitted, Dolores K. Marcotte
18
Town Clerk Report 2011
The Town Clerk’s Office has seen a continued decline in recording for 2011. Property transfers have also de-
clined as well as mortgage refinancing. The office continues to serve the residents of Dorset by offering Motor
Vehicle renewal service, issuing hunting and fishing licenses, free notary service and burning permits.
Just a friendly reminder: Please remember to license your dog on or before April 1st of each year. A spay/
neutered dog is $10 and $14 for an un-spay/neutered dog.
I am honored to serve the Town of Dorset and look forward to another year.
The Town Clerk income was as follows: Recording Fees ........................... $26,276
Copier Fees ........................................ 3,628
DMV Fees ................................................. 78
Vital Records ..................................... 1,325
Fish & Wildlife Fees .............................. 44
Dog Licences ~ 357 @ $2 ............... 714
Total Town Clerk Fees ............. $32,065
2011 Vitals
Births
Males 2
Female 7
Deaths
Males 6
Females 6
Marriages
Resident 8
Town of Dorset Liquor Licenses: 2011
First Class License Barrows House .................................. $100
Chantecleer Restaurant .................. $100
Dorset Field Club .............................. $100
Dorset Inn ........................................... $100
Inn at West View Farm ................... $100
Left Hand LLC .................................... $100 Total First Class ........................ $600 Second Class License Dorset Union Store ............................ $50
HN Williams Store .............................. $50
Hasgas General Store ....................... $50
Jiffy Mart ................................................ $50 Total Second Class ................... $200 Total All Licenses ..................... $800 Clerk Fees: 10 @ $5 ................... $50
2011 Animal License Report
191 Spayed Female @ $4 ..... $ 764
136 Neutered Male @ $4 ........ 544
12 Males @ $8 ............................. 96
18 Females @ $8 ...................... 144
357 Dogs Total Town Revenue....... $1,548
19
Consent Search ........................................................... 4
AG Assault ~ No Weapon ...................................... 1
Assault Simple ~ Not Aggravated ....................... 5
Burglary Force ~ Residence ................................. 18
Burglary Force ~ Non-Residence ........................ 5
Burglary No Force ~ Residence .......................... 5
Burglary Attempt ~ Residence ............................. 1
Burglary Attempt ~ Non-Residence ................... 1
Larceny ~ Purse Snatching ..................................... 1
Larceny ~ Shoplifting ............................................... 1
Larceny from Motor Vehicle .................................. 5
Larceny ~Bicycles ....................................................... 1
Larceny from Building .............................................. 3
Larceny ~ All Others ................................................ 4
Theft ~ Motorcycle.................................................... 2
Forgery ~ Check ......................................................... 1
Fraud ~ Checks Closed Accounts ........................ 1
Vandalism of Motor Vehicles ................................ 4
Vandalism ~ Schools, Public Property ............... 1
Vandalism of Residence .......................................... 1
Vandalism—Miscellaneous .................................... 3
Lewd ~ Indecent Exposure ..................................... 1
Regulated Drugs—Possession of......................... 1
Regulated Drugs - Cultivation of ...................... 1
Controlled Substance/Drug Equipment Violation
.......................................................................................... 1
Driving Under the Influence .................................. 6
Illegal Possession by a Minor ................................ 1
Family Disturbance .................................................... 7
Disorderly Conduct ~ Other ................................. 2
Condition of Release Violation ............................. 1
Annoying, Harassment, Susp. Phone Calls ....... 1
Trespassing Violation ............................................... 2
Arrest on Warrant—Police Chk ............................ 1
Accident - Injury - DMV Report ......................... 3
Canine Use (Police Dogs) ....................................... 2
Bomb Squad Team Response ............................... 1
Alarm ............................................................................ 68
Ambulance or Medical Assist ................................ 1
Animal Problem .......................................................... 2
Agency Assist ............................................................ 15
Attempt to Locate ..................................................... 2
Burglary Alarm ............................................................ 3
Citizen Dispute ......................................................... 14
Citizen Assist ............................................................. 23
Communications Offense ....................................... 6
Condition of Vehicle ................................................. 1
Display of Plates ......................................................... 1
Directed Patrol ............................................................ 1
Driving to the Right .................................................. 1
E911 Hang-Up .......................................................... 27
Basic Rule & Maximum Limits .............................. 1
False Alarm ...............................................................100
Fish & Game Offense ............................................... 1
Intoxicated Person .................................................... 7
Juvenile Problem ........................................................ 7
Motorist Assistance ................................................ 14
Mental Health Assistance ....................................... 2
Message Delivered .................................................... 1
Not Classified .............................................................. 2
Noise Disturbance ..................................................... 3
Parking Problem ...................................................... 11
Stop, Park in Restricted Area ................................. 1
Passing School Bus ................................................... 2
Suspicious Person/Circumstance ....................... 44
Property Watch ........................................................ 13
Speeding Local 21– 30 mph .................................. 1
Sex Offender Registry Check ................................. 1
Traffic Crash Non-Reportable ............................... 3
Traffic Hazard .............................................................. 3
Vermont State Police, C Troop ~ Shaftsbury (Total Incident Report 01/01/11 - 12/31/11)
20
Bennington County Regional Commission
The Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) works work with
and on behalf of its member municipalities to build strong, resilient, and
sustainable communities, to foster economic prosperity, and to promote
a high quality of life for residents of the region.
In addition to its ongoing role in supporting the comprehensive and land use planning work of local planning commis-
sions, zoning administrators, and other boards, the BCRC continues to conduct regional transportation, energy, environ-
mental, solid waste, and emergency management planning, and to offer assistance to municipalities as needed in all of
those areas. The BCRC also regularly conducts and sponsors public meetings and workshops throughout the region.
More information on these programs can be found at www.bcrcvt.org.
Of particular note during the past year was the BCRC’s role in responding to damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene. In
response to a request from the state, the BCRC and other regional planning commissions in affected areas coordinated
and expedited support for local road and bridge recovery efforts, provided assistance with funding requests to FEMA and
FHWA, and provided direct assistance with river restoration planning.
In recognition of the challenging economic times and the changing needs of our communities, in the coming year the
BCRC will be establishing a new community development program that will work with local governments and organiza-
tions to develop resources that are needed to support sustainable communities and local economic development efforts.
Integrated Solid Waste Application Program
The ISWAP Towns (Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Rupert, Sandgate and Sunderland) continue to contract with
the Bennington County Regional Commission for the management of Household Hazardous Waste and Conditionally
Exempt Generator Waste collection events. Proper collection and disposal of these materials protects the environment
and public health and safety. This year, one event was held in Arlington and another in Dorset. A total of 308 households
and two businesses from the six towns attended the events.
In addition to household hazardous and conditionally exempt generator waste, the 2011 events included collec-
tion and free disposal and recycling of electronics and Freon-containing appliances. Residents of the participating towns
recycled their computers, televisions, refrigerators, freezers and fluorescent light bulbs at these events. The Vermont E-
Cycling program, initiated in 2011 provides for the collection of computers, monitors, printers, computer peripherals, and
televisions, regardless of brand, age or condition, for consumers, charities, school districts, and small businesses that em-
ploy 10 or fewer individuals. Free collection locations have been located throughout the state and operate year-round.
Other electronic devices are also accepted at these locations, though there may be a fee to dispose of those items.
To comply with state requirements, the Towns of Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate,
Shaftsbury and Sunderland implement actions identified in the Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP) . This plan was
approved by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in 2008 and will need to be updated once the state solid waste
plan is finalized. BCRC is under contract to the eight towns to implement actions identified in the SWIP.
21
Vermont Coalition of Municipalities
The Vermont Coalition of Municipalities was organized in 1997 in response to the passage of Act 60. The Coalition is a non-profit association of 47 Vermont cities and towns united in the belief that Vermont’s education finance laws, Act 60 and now Act 68, are not viable, long-term, equitable solu-
tions to the problem of providing equal educational opportunities for students.
For fourteen years the Coalition has used and will continue to use lobbying, public information, grass root petitions, and, when feasible, legal means to attempt to change the education funding
system or at least to block further excesses.
The Coalition has reviewed and supports needed changes in the State’s property valuation sys-tem. Some towns have been particularly hard hit by the decline in property values and are unneces-sarily being taxed. Our analysis shows the need for a change in the valuation system and the state,
not the towns should pay when a taxpayer wins an appeal.
The huge 1.4 billion dollar state education fund, financed primarily by local property taxes, has be-come a target as a source of money for other government programs. Along with others, we have successfully fought most of these raids on the Education Fund through town petitions, lobbying and public information. In these tough economic times with the state budget crisis we will oppose the
renewed attempts to raid the education fund.
The Vermont Coalition of Municipalities maintains that there are fundamental flaws in the
statewide property tax, which are:
Over-dependence on the property tax to fund education;
Reliance on a flawed property valuation and equalization system coupled with the current downturn threatens to cost some towns huge amounts when property evaluations are
appealed;
A Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) system that continues to increase tax rates even as
values are readjusted;
A system based on tax rate instead of tax burden;
Tax policy inhibiting economic development and job creation;
A system forcing many Vermonters to sell their homes and land; and
A system that has not provided substantially equal education opportunity.
Without major reforms the tax burden imposed by the statewide property tax will continue to increase due to declining enrollments and rising school expenditures. The Vermont Coalition of Mu-nicipalities will continue to recommend and urge the Legislature and the Administration to replace the unfair statewide property tax system with a system that greatly reduces the burden of the prop-
erty tax on local taxpayers.
22
Vermont League of Cities and Towns 2011 Overview Serving and Strengthening Vermont Local Government
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) is a non-
profit, nonpartisan organization that is owned by its member municipalities and directed by a 13-
member Board of Directors comprised of municipal officials from across the state elected by the
membership.
VLCT’s mission is to serve and strengthen Vermont local government. All 246 Vermont cities and
towns are members of VLCT, along with 140 other municipal entities, including villages and fire
districts.
Vermonters use local government services, including highways, police, fire, recreation, libraries,
sewer, and water, on a daily basis. In large part, volunteer elected and appointed municipal offi-
cials lead these local governments.
VLCT provides the following services to its member cities and towns, so that they may provide
their citizens with quality services at affordable costs:
• Legal, consulting and education services. In the past year, VLCT responded to more than 3,000
inquiries for assistance from municipal officials. Our Municipal Assistance Center (MAC) con-
ducted 23 workshops and 25 on-site training sessions that attracted more than 1,600 people.
Handbooks produced by MAC may be purchased or accessed free of charge on our website
at our Resource Library. The Library also contains nearly 1,000 other electronic documents,
including technical papers, model polices and newsletter articles that are currently accessible
to the general public. MAC has also retained the services of professionals in municipal fi-
nance, administration, and policing to provide consulting advice to towns.
• Advocacy representation before the state and federal governments to ensure that municipali-
ties have the resources and authority they need to serve their citizens. VLCT is a leader in the
education finance debate, enhancing local voter authority in governance decisions, land use
discussions, and securing revenues for town highway and bridge maintenance programs. Mu-
nicipalities will face significant challenges in the 2012 legislature, assuring that they have the
financial resources and authority to recover from the effects of tropical storm Irene.
• Purchasing opportunities to provide needed services at the lowest cost. Examples include mu-
nicipal employee health insurance and liability coverage for town operations. The VLCT Health
Trust represents the most affordable option available to provide health insurance to municipal
employees. The substantial municipal damages resulting from Tropical Storm Irene made the
value of VLCT Property and Casualty Intermunicipal Fund (PACIF) to all our members
painfully clear, as members benefitted from the broad coverage, excellent re-insurance, and
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25
26
27
28
29
30
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32
East Dorset Fire Department #1
This past year the East Dorset Fire Department responded to 121 calls. Those calls are as fol-
lows:
This year the department held a SCVA class for wearing air packs inside a building. The De-
partment drilled with surrounding Departments. The Department has been able to replace our
lighting in the fire house due to an energy efficient grant. If anyone is interested in joining the
department, they can stop by on Tuesday nights around 7:00 p.m. or contact any fire fighter.
The department officers are:
John Niles, Chief
Howard Towsley, 1st Assistant Chief
Shawn Towsley, 2nd Assistant Chief
Respectively Submitted,
Structure Fire - 2 Mutual Aid to the Following Towns:
CO Alarms - 3 Dorset - 49
Fire Alarms - 9 Clarendon - 1
Good Intent Calls - 2 Pawlet - 1
Severe Weather - 14
Lawn Mower Fire - 1
Car Accidents - 2
Animal Rescue - 1
Chimney Fire - 2 Manchester - 12
Power Lines Down - 2 Wallingford - 1
Smoke Condition - 1 Danby/Mt. Tabor - 17
33
EXPENDITURES 2010/2011 BUDGET 2011/2012
FIREHOUSE
MAINTENANCE/REPAIR $4,815.12 $10,000.00
UTILITIES $5,914.69 $5,600.00
SUPPLIES $75.75 $250.00
APPARATUS
MAINTENANCE/REPAIR $6,760.81 $6,000.00
NEW EQUIPMENT $10,982.92 $12,000.00
FUEL $2,118.32 $3,000.00
RADIOS $453.75 $2,000.00
SINKING FUND $18,000.00
TRUCK PAYMENT #1 $22,876.58
TRUCK PAYMENT #2 $35,017.19 $35,017.00
PERSONNEL
PROTECTIVE GEAR $5,589.61 $7,000.00
DUES/TRAINING $965.93 $750.00
FEC $7,990.06 $8,000.00
MEALS $37.19 $1,500.00
ADMINISTRATION
PROFESSIONAL FEES $3,150.00 $3,300.00
OFFICE SUPPLIES $414.82 $550.00
ADS $79.00 $100.00
INSURANCE $16,136.71 $18,000.00
FIRE PROTECTION $2,000.00
ENERGY GRANT OBLIGATION $3,000.00
PAGER GRANT OBLIGATION $3,000.00
$129,378.45 $133,067.00
East Dorset Fire Department #1-FIRE DIVISION
34
Dorset Fire District #1
The Dorset Fire District responded to 103 calls during 2011. Call breakdown as follows:
Officers for 2011 were as follows: Shawn Hazelton, Fire Chief; Josh Brooks, 1st Assistant;
Joe Clark, 2nd Assistant; Colin Stabile, 1st Captain.
For the year, the firemen had over 1,468 hours of in-house training with some firemen
taking an additional 468 hours of fire school training. One fireman completed Firefighter
I and one fireman completed Firefighter II. The firemen held two open houses this
year. The first one was in October at the Dorset School for Fire Prevention Week –
Shawn Hazelton was in attendance. The second one was at the station on Halloween
with the following firemen in attendance: Joe Clark, David Green, Rusty Kelly, Abe Rum-
ney, Shawn Hazelton, Colin Stabile, Jason Greene, Sheena Stomski, Jacob Gribble and
Truman Stabile .
The Dorset Fire District serves over 1,000 proper-
ty owners as well as oversees the water system
for Dorset with 181 customers. Our annual
meeting is held on the second Monday in May –
May 14, 2012.
Respectively submitted,
Jack Towsley, Prudential Committee Chairman
Accident with Injuries 8 Manchester 3
Brush Fires 2 Pawlet 2
Burnt Food 4 Rupert 3
Chimney Fires 2 Search Rescue 2
CO2 Alarm 1 Severe Weather Standby 1
CO2 problem 4 Standby in Station 5
East Dorset 25 Stove Fire 1
EMS Assist 2 Structure Fire 4
Fire Alarms 10 Trees on Wires 3
Search & Rescue 1 Trees Across Road 2
Good Intent Call 3 Water Emergency 4
Hazmat 6 West Pawlet 1
Wires Down 4
35
2010-2011 2011-2012
ACTUAL BUDGET
Revenue
Fire Tax 179,565.51 184,630.00
Fire Tax - Delinquent 28,017.28
Interest Income 3,789.03 500.00
Town Appropriation 1,200.00 1,200.00
Total Revenue 212,571.82 186,330.00
Expenditures Clerk Fees 9,480.00 9,480.00
Dues & Subscriptions 1,571.66 700.00
Education & Retention Plan 20,568.05 25,000.00
Electric 3,245.21 3,000.00
Fireman's Dinner 1,906.74 2,500.00
Fireman's Training 3,528.38 3,500.00
Gas/Diesel Fuel 2,518.23 3,000.00
Grant Matching Funds 2,028.00
Heating Oil 4,439.86 3,500.00
Insurance 15,721.75 15,000.00
Maintenance - Equipment 6,350.22 6,000.00
Maintenance - Firehouse 7,001.19 6,000.00
Maintenance - Vehicles 12,886.24 15,000.00
New Equipment 27,069.63 30,000.00
New Truck Payment 37,526.27 37,550.00
Postage/Printing 2,194.58 1,400.00
Professional & Clerk Fees 4,995.00 5,000.00
Sinking Fund 16,000.00 16,000.00
Supplies 812.89 500.00
Telephone 2,865.85 3,200.00
Total Expenditures 182,709.75 186,330.00
Net Revenue** 29,862.07 0.00
**this amount is transferred into the Truck Escrow Fund
Dorset Fire District #1
36
Manchester Rescue Squad
P.O. Box 26
Manchester Center, VT 05255
Phone 802-362-1995 Fax 802-362-8175
Email: [email protected]
Manchester Rescue Squad (MRS) is a non-profit organization that provides your community
and surrounding communities with emergency medical services. MRS is funded by appropria-
tions from the towns we serve, donations, billing of patient’s medical insurance and a yearly
subscription drive. Even with this we find it difficult to keep up with the daily expenses incurred
while providing you this service.
We provide the communities we serve with paramedic level service and strive to keep abreast of
the ever changing medical technology available for the pre-hospital setting. MRS prides itself
with having the most technologically advanced equipment available.
In fiscal year 2011 MRS had the following responses;
Manchester ....................... 708 Rupert ..................................... 8
Dorset/E. Dorset ............ 184 Winhall .................................... 6
Danby ................................... 72 Mutual aide ......................... 44
Mt Tabor ................................ 6 Total Calls FY 2011 ...... 1028
In addition to providing emergency medical coverage, MRS also provides education to the
community in the form of CPR, AED (Automated External Defibrillation) and First Aid courses.
The continued support of the towns that we serve is paramount to our success, both financially
and through member-
ship. If anyone is inter-
ested in becoming a
member of Manchester
Rescue Squad, or at-
tending any of our of-
fered courses, please
contact MRS at your
convenience.
37
Aug '11 - Jul 12
Income
4000 · Patient Med Ins Receipts 325,000.00
4005 · Patient Direct Payments 18,000.00
4010 · Municipal 30,000.00
4015 · Memorials 2,500.00
4020 · Gen Contributions 25,000.00
4025 · Subscription Fees 60,000.00
4051 · Classes 2,500.00
4500 · Ambulance Coverage 2,500.00
Total Income 465,500.00
Expense
5000 · Wages 290,000.00
5100 · Building Maint. & Repairs 2,000.00
5150 · Building Cleaning Supplies 1,000.00
5200 · Crew Expense 500.00
5300 · Communications/Repairs 6,500.00
5500 · Insurance
5505 · Employee Medical Insurance 35,000.00
5600 · Mileage 250.00
5700 · Medical Equipment 10,000.00
5710 · Medical supplies 22,000.00
5800 · Education 5,000.00
6004 · Workmen's Compensation 45,000.00
6012 · Functions 2,500.00
6020 · Miscellaneous 500.00
6033 · Educational Supplies 2,000.00
6049 · Professional fees 80,000.00
6100 · Subscriber Mutual Aid 500.00
6300 · Office Supplies 4,500.00
6330 · Postage & Printing 1,000.00
6331 · Fund Raising Postage & Printing 2,000.00
6400 · Public Relations. 1,000.00
6500 · Staff Recruitment 1,000.00
6560 · Payroll Expenses 25,000.00
6565 · Oppenheimer Funds - Company 2,600.00
6680 · Travel & Meeting Expense 1,000.00
6700 · Uniforms 4,500.00
6750 · Utilities 12,000.00
6800 · Vehicles Maintenance/Repairs 25,000.00
6890 · Gifts 500.00
6990 · Contributions 250.00
38
Dorset Nursing Association
In 2011, Dorset Nursing Association, an office of the Rutland
Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, provided Dorset
residents with exceptional home care, hospice and communi-
ty health services. From infants with hi-tech needs to our
most senior population facing end-of-life care, we continued
to carry out our mission to bring medically necessary
healthcare wherever it is needed, regardless of a client’s ability to pay, location of residence,
or complexity of health issues.
In the face of shrinking government and state reimbursements and rising healthcare costs, we
have continued to identify community needs and provide essential cost-effective health care
services to some of our community’s most vulnerable individuals.
This past year, Dorset Nursing served 57 Dorset residents with 1027 home care visits – an av-
erage of 18 visits per pa-
tient. Agency-wide last year,
RAVNAH’s dedicated staff
made more than 86,559 vis-
its to 2,374 patients. Dorset
Nursing and RAVNAH have
agreed that all town funds
voted for Dorset Nursing
will be retained for use in
this area.
In closing, we wish to thank
the citizens of Dorset who
supported us in 2011. With
your continued vote of con-
fidence, we will continue to
meet our mission to en-
hance the quality of life of
all we serve through com-
prehensive home and com-
munity health services.
Ronald J. Cioffi,
Executive Director
Peg Gregory,
39
Dorset Village Library
This year the Dorset Library is celebrating 100 years as a public library. Many changes have been made this year to enhance residents’ lives.
The library’s catalog of books is now available to everyone, on any
computer, anywhere in the world! The new website provides quick links
to audio books and ebooks (a new service to patrons), a link to the Chamber of Commerce, an op-
portunity to see if a book is available through interlibrary loan, and the home of Universal Class. Li-
braries nationwide are living and breathing and changing every day.
You will find a wonderful selection of materials in many formats including audio books and large
print editions. You may learn computer skills, gain access to museums with free passes, borrow puz-
zles, and borrow books. The current collection includes over 22,000 items for your use including: fic-
tion books; non-fiction books; audio books on CDs plus over 3000 downloadable books; DVDs; mu-
sic CDs and magazine subscriptions.
Many online databases are also offered. These may be accessed from home or at the library. Come
in to learn how to use these. The databases include Gale Biography in Context, Career Transitions,
HeritageQuest, Powerspeak Languages, Small Business Resource Center, Opposing Viewpoints in
Context and a wealth of databases from InfoTrac collections.
Young People will find a fabulous collection of picture books; juvenile fiction and non-fiction books;
board books; juvenile audio books; juvenile computer programs, puzzles and games for their enjoy-
ment in two rooms upstairs. Young adults will find their special area of books and audios on the first
floor.
Jan - Dec 11 Budget 2012
4000 Revenue
4010 Antique Fair 5,887 0
4020 Art Sale Income 1,238 700
4030 Book Sales 1,037 1,000
4040 Conscience Fund 630 500
4050 Donations 39,586 25,000
4060 Donation - Tifft Bequest 7,485 0
4065 100th Anniversary Celebration 0 10,000
4080 Town Appropriations and Grants 10,000 20,000 ^
4090 Other 56 0
Total 4000 - Revenue 65,918 57,200
6000 Expenses
6000 Administration 6,343 8,915
6500 Personnel 62,542 66,335
6600 Library Materials 17,022 20,300
6700 Building and Grounds 16,075 45,490
Total 6000 - Expenses 101,983 141,040
Surplus/Deficit (36,065) ** (83,840) **
** Endowment withdrawal to cover operating deficit
^ Includes pending petition to increase by $10,000.
40
GREEN UP VERMONT
P.O. Box 1191
Montpelier, Vermont 05601-1191
(802)229-4586, or 1-800-974-3259
www.greenupvermont.org
Green Up Day, May 7, 2011
Green Up Day celebrated 41 years in 2011! Mother Nature gave us all the reprieve of a beautiful
weekend for Greening Up in the midst of a record-setting wet spring. A strong sense of community
spirit continues to inspire volunteers to come out and do their part in cleaning up every corner of our
lovely state!
Green Up Vermont is the not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization working to enhance our state’s natural
landscape and waterways and the livability of our communities by involving people in Green Up Day
and raising awareness about the importance of a litter free environment. The success of Green Up for
Vermont depends upon two essential ingredients. One is the combined efforts of individuals and
civic groups who volunteer to make it all possible; and two, the financial support given by the public
and private sectors throughout Vermont.
With your town’s help, we can continue Vermont’s unique annual tradition of taking care of our
beautiful landscape and promoting civic pride so our children grow up with Green Up. Children are
our future, and Green Up Vermont focuses on education for grades K-12 with activities such as a cur-
riculum for K-4, activity booklets, a story and drawing booklet, and the annual poster and writing
contests. Please visit www.greenupvermont.org to learn more.
Careful use of resources minimizes Green Up’s costs. The State appropriates funds that cover about
12 percent of our budget. Last year, appropriations from cities and towns covered 18 percent of our
budget, so we rely on your help to keep Green Up Day going. These funds pay for supplies including
over 46,000 Green Up trash bags, promotion, education, and services of two part-time employees.
We ask your community to contribute, according to population, to keep Green Up growing for Ver-
mont!
41
INCOME
2011 Actual 2012 Budget
Federal 0 0
State 10,550 10,550
Cities and towns 21,063 22,000
Donations 85,741 83,500
Interest 578 750
Other 1,244 3,700
$119,176.00 $120,500.00
EXPENSES
Green Up Day 47,200 45,800
Salaries 58,170 54,000
Payroll taxes 3,852 4,000
Insurance 7,445 7,500
phone/web/internet 2,009 1,800
postage 1,289 1,300
supplies 2,867 2,800
expenses 2,003 2,500
contractual (taxes) 800 800
$125,635 $120,500
**Our budget goal was $125,000 for FY 2011, so we had to cut $6,000
from our FY 2012 budget
Green Up Vermont
42
Dorset Old Cemetery Report
Special thanks to all those who help to preserve the old Dorset cemeteries goes to the follow-
ing people who have given of their time.
David Bentley Bob Alper
David Lawrence Thomas Beebe
Douglas Beebe Dorset Road Crew
Emerald Lake State Park
Crew
Balance on 12-31-2010 ......................... $320
Paid David Bentley .................................. $260
Balance on 12-31-2011 ........................... $60
43
GNAT-TV is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization created in 1997 to produce and promote
Community Television. GNAT-TV broadcasts on Comcast cable channels 15, 16, & 17 in the
communities of Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Peru, Stratton, Sunderland, Winhall, and on
Channel 8 in Weston & Londonderry.
GNAT-TV provides video coverage and television broadcast of town meetings, school board
meetings and other educational, civic and community events. GNAT-TV also provides video
cameras, editing systems and training for the public and the schools. We develop community
projects and write grants to support them. Our continued goal at GNAT-TV is to bring our
communities together through media.
GNAT-TV has provided television broadcast of the Dorset Select Board meetings since April
2008 and Dorset School Board meetings since May 2009. The funds from the Town of Dorset
will be used to offset the costs of paying videographers, up keep of the video equipment and up
keep of the broadcast equipment.
INCOME
PEG Access Revenue $ 316,262
Program Service $ 6,372
Interest $ 704
Fundraising $ 21,640
Other Donations $ 1,738
$ 346,716
EXPENSE
Operating Expenses $ 267,749
Fundraising Expense $ 10,642
Moving Expenses $ 32,524
Repairs/Maintenance $ 10,280
Equipment $ 21,288
$ 342,483
Full Financial Report Available by Request.
Fiscal Year October 1, 2010 - September 30, 2011
44
Project Against Violent Encounters
In 2011, PAVE continued to offer comprehensive services to victims of domestic and sex-
ual violence, dating violence and stalking. These services include: 24 hour emergency
hotline, court and social service advocacy, support groups, case management, emergen-
cy financial assistance, legal assistance, access to emergency and transitional housing,
community and in-school prevention education, supervised visitation and parenting clas-
ses.
Over the past year PAVE’s staff and volunteers provided services to approximately 800 women, men, and teens.
Nine Dorset residents received comprehensive services including ongoing case management, safety planning,
criminal, civil and legal advocacy, housing advocacy and economic empowerment.
Our supervised visitation program provided children safe access to over 2,700 hours of visitation with non-
residential parents. We provided 1657 nights of shelter services, an increase of 56% over last year. We also as-
sisted twenty-seven families and individuals move into stable housing.
We continue to offer violence prevention programming to young people throughout Bennington County. This
past year we provided these programs to over 1000 adults and children. Our focus continues to be on healthy
expression of feelings, bullying prevention and alternatives to violence.
On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff I thank you for your ongoing commitment to PAVE.
Respectfully submitted, Linda Campbell, Executive Director
45
Center for Restorative Justice
The Center for Restorative Justice (CRJ) is a non-profit community
agency that has been providing programs and services through-
out Bennington County, Vermont for nearly 30 years. Originally
incorporated in 1982 as Bennington County Court Diversion Pro-
gram, Inc., the agency now known as CRJ has grown considerably over the past several years
and offers a variety of programs including: Court Diversion, Teen Alcohol Safety Program,
Community Service Club, Street Checker Program, The Emporium- a teen clothing swap
shop, Pre-Charge Programs, Reparative Probation Program, Reentry Program, and numerous
skills building groups and classes.
Last year, 692 people were served through one of CRJ’s many programs- 35 of which were
residents of Dorset. Over $12,000 in restitution was collected by CRJ and given back to vic-
tims. Over $6,500 in donations was collected by CRJ from program participants and given
back to the community. And 14 generous Bennington County towns, such as yours, gave
nearly $10,000 to CRJ to help support the important work we do. Thank you for being our
partner in helping give people the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives and in
their community.
Respectfully Submitted by,
2011 Actual 2012 Budget
Revenue: Federal Grants 0 0
State Grants 219,110 231,809
Town Funding 8,850 9,000
Donations 8,005 1,500
Interest 1,851 1,000
Other 122,274 99,514
Total Revenue 340,009 342,823
Expenses Personnel 250,982 250,974
Facilities 12,730 14,402
Operations 39,221 42,178
Insurance 4,303 5,500
Vol. Training 2,500 4,000
Other 29,684 25,769
Total Expenses 339,420 342,823
46
Neighbor to Neighbor
Neighbor to Neighbor is a non-profit program that brings together dedicated
volunteers to help our older and disabled neighbors remain independent and
in their own homes for as long as possible. Volunteers provide non-medical
assistance with daily activities instrumental to independent living. In addition
we provide social programs that keep people connected to each other and the
community.
In 2011 Neighbor to Neighbor assisted 81 care recipients living throughout the Northshire area. A total of 70 vol-
unteers gave over 5,700 hours of their time. 14 Dorset volunteers assisted 12 Dorset care recipients, helping with
transportation to medical appointments and other services, shopping and other errands, food preparation, exer-
cise, chores and friendly visits. In addition, we teamed up with local youth groups and congregations to assist
with yard work and other outdoor needs. We scheduled several social events, lunches and movies and we collab-
orated with areal schools to attend school plays and concerts. This is a wonderful opportunity for our care recipi-
ents to socialize with their peers.
All of our services are offered free of charge. We are working hard to build financial sustainability through fund-
raising events, publicity, education, and private and corporate donors. On behalf of the Steering Committee, our
volunteers and most especially those we serve, Neighbor to Neighbor offers a sincere thank you for your support.
47
Neighbor to Neighbor ~ 7/1/2011 to 6/31/2012
Income
Grant Award $5,000.00
Fundraising $10,000.00
Individual Contributions $10,000.00
Foundations/Corporate $20,000.00
Special Events $6,000.00
Interest Income $1,000.00
In-Kind Contributions (rent & conf. Rm.) $19,184.00
In-Kind Donations
Support from towns $3,000.00
Support from houses of worship $1,000.00
Total Income $75,184.00
Expenses
Salaries $32,000.00
Holiday Wages/ bonus
*Fringe Benefits & WC $3,600.00
Education/Conferences $200.00
Travel Local/Regional $200.00
In Kind Contributions $19,184.00
In Kind Donations
Supplies/Recruit/Training $600.00
Printing/Publicity/Advertising $2,000.00
Postage $1,200.00
Petty cash $50.00
Fundraising expenses $2,500.00
Care Recipient Events $2,600.00
Insurance: Liability $2,000.00
Volunteer Recognition $500.00
Computer Tech Support $500.00
Fuel Assistance, fuel for volunteers willing to drive $600.00 CR's to appointments over 30 miles, one
way
Contingency 5% of buget $3,386.00
Total Expenses $71,120.00
Accepted Operating Budget
48
Green Mountain RSVP
The Green Mountain RSVP and Volunteer Center (Retired and Senior Volunteer Pro-
gram), part of the Corporation for National and Community Service – Senior Corps,
is a nation-wide program for people age 55 and older who wish to have a positive
impact on the quality of life in their communities. Through meaningful and significant use of their skills and
knowledge, they offer their volunteer service to non-profit and community organizations.
For 39 years RSVP in Bennington County has been helping local non-profit and civic organizations by re-
cruiting and placing volunteers to meet community needs. The Volunteer Center offers the same involve-
ment to community-minded people under age 55. Green Mountain RSVP & Volunteer Center serves as a
clearinghouse of opportunities and we view people, especially seniors, as our most valuable resource. We
work hard to ensure that volunteers contribute their time, energy and skills to programs that have a signifi-
cant, positive impact on the quality of life in Bennington County.
Bone Builders (osteoporosis prevention exercise classes), Senior for Schools & America Reads (helping
young students read), and TeleCare (calling homebound elders) are three of the important programs RSVP
sponsors in Bennington County. Our volunteers continually address community concerns such as health and
independent living for elders, literacy, emergency preparedness and the needs of lower-income citizens.
In and around Dorset 47 RSVP volunteers served 2317 hours last year at the AARP Tax Aide Program, the
Dorset School, senior meals programs. They also served at Southwestern VT Medical Center Hospital, Meals
on Wheels, The Green Mountain Express and Head Start. RSVP volunteers lead Bone Builders classes, that
are available free to the public. Throughout Bennington County 287 volunteers gave 31,788 hours of service
last year to 87 different organizations.
It is the generosity of the voters of Dorset that allows RSVP to continue these excellent programs that bene-
fit so many Dorset residents.
Green Mountain RSVP – 2011 - Year End Financial Report
Revenues Federal Grant $174,900
Other grants $25000
State Funds $32,744
Town Funding (3 counties) $32,667
United Way 1,500
Contributions $3,000
Total Revenues $269,811
Expenses Salaries 172,610
Payroll Taxes $12,505
Benefits $21,570
Rent/Utilities/Communication(3 offices) $17,500
Volunteer Insurance $6,025
Program Expenses(3 offices) $29,600
Sponsor Administration Fee $10,000
Total Expenses 269,811
49
BENNINGTON AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity (BAHfH) is the local affiliate of Habitat for
Humanity International, an organization aimed at eliminating sub-standard hous-
ing worldwide. BAHfH, is working in all of Bennington County to provide safe, de-
cent, and affordable housing in partnership with families who otherwise would not have access to sufficient
housing. Partner families are selected based on their need for housing, their income (30-60% of the area medi-
an income), and their credit rating. Each family must pay back a 0% mortgage to Habitat (with mortgage,
property tax and insurance tailored so their total housing payments are never more than 30% of their income)
and each person over 18 must commit 250 hours of sweat equity. Each new mortgage payment increases our
ability to help more area residents.
BAHfH is locally run and locally funded. Ninety percent of the money raised goes directly into building afford-
able housing in Bennington County. With the exception of some contract services, Habitat homes are built by
volunteers from neighboring towns. Area businesses and service providers help with building, and by donat-
ing materials and financial support.
Due to the support we received from area towns, businesses, houses of worship, and individuals, this has been
a tremendously productive year for BAHfH. We finished our 12th home this spring. On the house just complet-
ed, over 128 different people worked at least one day. We welcome visitors to our build sites every Wednesday
or Saturday, whenever we have a home/project in progress. For more information about our projects, please
visit our website at www.benningtonareahabitat.com.
This summer, we implemented a program called A Brush with Kindness, enabling us to complete small repairs
to improve the safety of homes owned by low-income residents. We made repairs to four homes. We re-
ceived a Capacity Building Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development enabling us to
hire our first ever employee, an executive director, with the goal of increasing our capacity to help more fami-
lies. We purchased 11 acres of land in Manchester. In October we started the first home to be built by BAHfH
on this
land.
We are
most
grateful
for the
Town of
Dorset’s
contin-
ued sup-
port and
hope we
can
count on
your as-
sistance
Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity
7/1/2010 through 6/30/2011
Cash Flows
2011 Actual 2011 Budget
Contributions and Other Income 48,061 35,000
Restricted Contributions 266,506 87,000
Fundraising Events 26,903 17,000
Interest 1,651 804
Mortgage Payments Received 26,192
Total Cash Flow In 369,313 139,804
Construction, Property Development, and Operations 286,071 232,000
Administrative and Other 26,821 20,680
Facilities and Equipment 3,120 4,000
Total Cash Flow Out 316,012 256,680
Net Cash Flow 53,301 -116,876
50
SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT COUNCIL ON AGING
2011 Report to the Citizens of Dorset
This report describes the services that the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging provided to
elders in Dorset over the past year:
Senior Meals:
The Council helped provide 675 meals that were delivered to the homes of 4 elders in your com-
munity; this service is often called “Meals on Wheels”. We also supply “Blizzard Bags” containing
shelf-stable meals to Meals on Wheels participants and other vulnerable elders in your communi-
ty to use in emergency situations. 41 Dorset elders came together at one or more of the lunch-
eon sites in your area to enjoy the good company of others; 531 meals were provided to this
group over the past year.
Case Management Assistance:
SVCOA Case Management staff worked with 22 elders in Dorset, helping with problem solving,
applications, and related programs for example; Fuel Assistance, SSI, Medicaid, Food Stamps, etc.
They also helped elders connect with in-home assistance programs, such as the Choices for Care
Medicaid Waiver, which is the State’s long term care service. This program was especially helpful
to frail elders who wanted to stay at home rather than to go into a nursing home.
Other:
Council on Aging services also included: 1) Medicare and health benefit counseling: 2) Our
“Senior HelpLine” staff toll free at 1-800-642-5119 to provide telephone help to elders and oth-
ers who needed information on available programs and support; 3) Legal assistance through the
Vermont Senior Citizens Law Project; 4) Nutrition education and counseling services provided by
the Council’s contracted Registered Dietician; 5) Senior Companion support for frail, homebound
elders; 6) Assistance to elders dealing with mental health issues through the Elder Care Clinician
program provided by your local community mental health organization. 7) Your coordination of
transportation services; 8) Community Development assistance; creating community partnerships
to help make your town a better place for older persons to have a good quality of life, and 9)
Caregiver support and information, including Alzheimer/Dementia respite grants to family mem-
bers and others who provide valuable support to elders in need of care.
Please note:
51
Southwestern Vermont Council On Aging
Income
FY11 Actual FY12 Budget
Federal $1,499,412 $1,370,725
State $1,347,943 $1,316,263
Town $65,530 $70,500
Donations $102,443 $130,784
Interest $4,925 $5,000
Other $507,773 $500,000
Total $3,528,026 $3,393,272
Expenses *
Administrative Salaries $147,711 $151,404
Rent & Utilities $116,681 $116,400
Maintenance Building (Landlord expense)
Maintenance Grounds (Landlord Expense)
Insurance $12,381 $12,100
Office Expenses $33,002 $22,250
Telephone, Internet &
Postage $22,715 $23,000
Printing (Not separat-
ed out - minimal)
Other Expenses - Audit $9,500 $10,000
Total $341,990 $335,154
* It appears you are asking for "Overhead" expenses. This is how we have interpreted this item.
52
BROC-COMMUNITY ACTION IN SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT
BROC – Community Action in Southwestern Vermont would like to take this opportunity to thank the citi-
zens of Dorset who have supported our agency through the balloting process over the years. BROC con-
tinues to experience a large number of low-income individuals and families coming through our doors
each day.
Last year, BROC helped meet the basic needs of 61 individu-als in the Town of Dorset, as well as worked with 3 homeless
families to find housing. In ad-
dition, BROC’s Child and Adult
Care Food Program (CACFP) reim-
bursed 1 day care home provider
in Dorset for serving nutritious
meals to about 10 children in
their care, we weatherized the
homes of 41 individuals through
our Weatherization & Energy
Conservation program, and our
Micro Business Development Pro-
gram (MBDP) worked with 1 Dor-
set resident interested in starting
or expanding a small business.
BROC also created several new
partnerships and collaborations
throughout the year with local
organizations and businesses to
help raise food for our emergency
food shelf; as well as to help raise
much needed funds so that the
needs of our neighbors continue
to be met.
With your help, BROC is able to
help many families facing the dif-
ficult decisions on how to make
their budgets work with economic
instability and continuing rising
prices. Sometimes being able to
access a few meals from BROC or
having a dry, warm place to stay
53
54
Bennington Coalition for the Homeless
The Bennington Coalition for the Homeless gratefully acknowl-
edges the town’s appropriation in support of the programs
and services offered to homeless families and individuals at
the 6 Bank Street Shelter, the McCall Street Apartments and
Thatcher House.
The Coalition for the Homeless provided transitional housing
to 93 people this past year. In addition to shelter, the Coali-
tion assisted families through a housing sustainability grant
which allowed us to assist with back rents, utility disconnects, security deposits and first month rent for an addi-
tional 226 households who were at risk of losing their housing or utilities or who were attempting to secure hous-
ing. BCH continues to provide a wide range of services and supports to homeless families and individuals in Ben-
nington County and continues to expand our housing and services as the need grows. This year we are managing
one additional property which allows us to provide transitional housing in 6 more units, assisting small families
with affordable rents and programs that will move them toward permanency and self-sufficiency. As transitional
housing stays become longer for many, we maintain waiting lists and struggle to shelter all those who are without
housing. This coming year we will open an overnight warming space for those who need to come indoors. This
will allow us to provide an unmet need in Bennington County .
The Bennington Coalition for the Homeless conducts an annual homeless count each January and identified 366
individuals in Bennington County who were homeless on January 26, 2011
Thatcher House
6 Banks Street
McCall Street Apartments
55
56
57
58
59
60
2011 TOWN OF DORSET, VERMONT WARNING
In accordance with the legally warned notice, the annual meeting of the Town of Dorset, was called to order by
Moderator, Kevin O’Toole at the Dorset School, Dorset, Vermont on Monday, February 28, 2011 at the hour of 7:00
o’clock in the evening to transact any business not involving a vote be Australian Ballot, and on the 1st day of
March at the hour of 7:00 o’clock in the forenoon to transact voting by Australian Ballot as required by law.
Moderator, Kevin O’Toole called the meeting to order at 8:25 p.m. He then advised those present that Articles 2,
8, 18, 19, & 20 will be voted by Australian Ballot on Tuesday, March 1st, and that the polls will open at 7:00 a.m.
and close at 7:00 p.m. on March 1st.
Article 1. To hear and accept reports of Town Officers and take proper action on same. Motion was made
by Lee Fox and seconded by David Skulnik. There being no discussion, motion carried.
Article 2. To elect Town Officers for the ensuing year. To be voted by Australian Ballot. Officers to be elect-
ed as follows:
Moderator, Town _________________ 1 year term Kevin O’Toole 295
Selectman ________________________ 3 year term Michael Oltedal 273
Selectman ________________________ 1 year term Margery Freed 252
Selectman ________________________ 1 year term Bradford L. Tyler 221
First Constable ____________________ 1 year term John H. Coolidge 291
Second Constable ________________ 1 year term Theron Troumbley 287
Town Clerk ________________________ 3 year term Sandra Pinsonault 293
School District Clerk___________ ___ 3 year term Sandra Pinsonault 287
Town Treasurer ___________________ 3 year term Melissa Zecher 284
School District Treasurer __________ 3 year term Melissa Zecher 279
Town Agent_______________________ 1 year term Kevin O’Toole 285
Grand Juror – East Side ___________ 1 year term To be appointed
Grand Juror – West Side __________ 1 year term To be appointed
Lister ______________________________ 1 year term Peter Trifari 260
Lister ______________________________ 2 year term Margot Schoffstall 277
Lister ______________________________ 3 year term Robert Gibney 263
Article 3. Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to borrow funds, in anticipation of taxes, necessary to
pay current expenses?
Motion was made by Abbott DeRham and seconded by Marilyn Kinney. There being no discussion,
motion carried.
Article 4. Shall the voters authorize the collection of the Municipal Property taxes in two (2) installments on
or before September 13, 2011 & March 13, 2012 with no discount and delinquent interest at the
maximum rate allowed by law? Payments by mail postmarked on or before the due date are
deemed paid on time. Municipal taxes become delinquent following the due date for the second
payment and will be subject to interest and the 8% fee assessed by the Delinquent Tax Collector.
Motion was made by Terry Tyler and seconded by Jim Salsgiver. There being no discussion, motion
61
School taxes become delinquent following the due date for the second payment and will be
subject to interest and the 8% fee assessed by the Delinquent Tax Collector.
Motion was made by Ruth Stewart and seconded by Vickie Haskins. There being no discussion,
motion carried.
Article 6. Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to take advantage of any State or Federal monies
available, including loan funds available from the Vermont Municipal Equipment Loan Fund to
be utilized in purchasing equipment for the Highway Department?
Motion was made by Abbott DeRham and seconded by Ralph Colin. There being no discussion,
motion carried.
Article 7. Shall the voters grant the authority to the Select Board to use any surplus budget funds to re-
duce the tax rate?
Motion was made by Bill Wightman and second by David Sands. Terry Tyler asked if the funds
were to be given back or put into reserve funds. Chris Brooks agreed that this meant that any
surplus would be given back to the taxpayer. Rob Gaiotti then explained that he recommends,
as well as our auditor suggests that 15% of any surplus be put aside for future spending re-
serves. Abbot DeRham stated that funds should be planned ahead and created before money is
found. Danny Pinsonault then asked if surplus funds wouldn’t make sense having in the future
for i.e. legal fees. Chris Brooks explained that a budget is a working document and they work
really hard to stay within. Sylvia Smith asked why the town didn’t have a rainy day fund for
items such as paving. Rob Gaiotti explained that Morse Hill is in the paving plan within the next
five years. Walter Freed suggested that the Select Board come up with a plan for the future.
Ruth Stewart asked what authority the town has if this article does not pass. Statute does not
override the Select Board. Motion carried.
Article 8. Shall the voters approve the recorded Select Board's official budget as submitted with the Town
report? To be voted by Australian ballot.
Ralph Colin asked if the board could explain why the legal fee line was so over spent, Rob Gaiot-
ti explained that there is a zoning variance appeal for Martin, Kirby Hollow and Tyler appeals
continuing in litigation. John Cueman asked that the Reserve funds be given more space in the
report next year for detailing the large items purchased so that we may see what big ticket
items are being purchased. Rob Gaiotti explained that the report had lost the fourth column.
David Skulnik asked what “chlorine” is in the highway budget and have we budgeted enough
money for the gasoline price increase and salt for this year, Rob Gaiotti explained that we had a
surplus of salt last year, and we are now using a brine solution this year that will help with salt
usage. Roger Squire asked what the previous employee health insurance was and do we plan to
continue it. Chris Brooks explained that is was contractual from previous boards and not some-
thing to be continued with current employees.
YES 274 NO 26
Article 9. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,000 to support the programs and services of BROC
(Bennington-Rutland Opportunity Council) in FY 2011-2012?
62
Chris Brooks explained that they either pass or fail as one vote. Ralph Colin then withdrew
his motion.
Article 10. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,500 to the Bennington County Retired and Sen-
ior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for support of its activities?
Motion was made by Marilyn Kinney and seconded by Meg Canavan. There being no dis-
cussion, motion carried.
Article 11. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,600 to the Southwestern Vermont Council on
Aging for support of its activities with Dorset Elders?
Motion was made by Bonnie Lepper and seconded by Craigin Salsgiver. There being no
discussion, motion carried.
Article 12. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $750 for the support of the Center for Restorative
Justice Program formally known as the Bennington County Court Diversion Program?
Motion was made by Terry Tyler and seconded by Roger Squire. There being no discus-
sion, motion carried.
Article 13. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,000 to support the operations of the 6 Bank
Street Shelter for Families in Transition, a project of the Bennington Coalition for the
Homeless?
Motion was made by Bob Davidson and seconded by Walter Freed. There being no discus-
sion, motion carried.
Article 14. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $500 for the support of Project Against Violent En-
counters for its support of Dorset residents?
Motion was made by Terry Tyler seconded by Meg Canavan. There being no discussion,
motion carried.
Article 15. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $750 to support Neighbor to Neighbor, a home
based care giving program?
Motion was made by Bonnie Lepper and seconded by Elizabeth Karet. There being no dis-
cussion, motion carried.
Article 16. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $7,500 to the Dorset Historical Society to support
its activities and continued efforts to serve as a cultural resource to our community?
Motion was made by Ralph Colin and seconded by Bill Wightman. Ruth Stewart explained
that the Historical Society recently sent out their latest brochure and she is currently work-
ing on a program about the history of the schools in Dorset and encourage everyone to
support this item. Abbott DeRham asked where the $7500 appropriation goes. Ruth Stew-
art stated that it went into the general fund. Motion carried
63
Article 18. Shall the voters approve the exemption of property taxes for the Wilson House of East
Dorset for a period of five (5) years, (2011-2016), tax map 20, block 21, lot 69; 378 Village
Street, Building and 0.5 acres? By petition. To be voted by Australian Ballot.
Kevin O’Toole made a correction to the location, it is map 28 block 21 lot 5. Bonnie Lep-
per gave a summary as to what the Wilson House does and feels that they are a great
asset to the town and would like our support.
YES 237 NO 64
Article 19. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $2,500 to the East Dorset Cemetery Association
for the care and maintenance of the cemetery? By petition. To be voted by Australian
Ballot.
Doug Beebe, President of the Association, explained that they depend on their invest-
ments to operate and unfortunately at this time are not making any money and therefore
are asking the town for support.
YES 260 NO 38
Article 20. Should the Town of Dorset contract with the East Dorset Fire District #1 and the Dorset
Fire District #1 for the provision of fire protection services to equalize fire tax rates paid
by the Dorset residents beginning July 1, 2012? By petition. To be voted by Australian
Ballot.
Terry Tyler explained that this came about because of the study that was done last year.
He stated that this is a service and that all residents should be paying the same for such
service. Abbott DeRham questioned the equality. Sandy Pinsonault stated that we are
one town and both fire districts respond to all fires and therefore we should be taxed the
same. Mona Withtman, a Dorset Fire District #1 Prudential Committee Member, stated
that this is an advisory question only and it is up to the people of each Committee to
move forward. Terry Tyler explained that this is a first step. Ralph Colin supported the
article as we are one town and pay for one service for our roads, school and should for
the fire departments. Abbott DeRham stated that this felt like Act 60. Rob Gaiotti ex-
plained that the $78,000 cut would be a result of combining the two departments and
was put together by himself and he wanted to show that a cost neutral effect would take
place with this cut. Nancy Oltedal asked what the $425,000 reserve fund is for. Mona
Wightman thought it was just a fund. Meg Canavan spoke for the East Dorset Fire Dis-
trict and asked that we support this question. Bob Gibney stated that this puts the tasks
on the people of Dorset to fix this over time and this is a start of a process. Dave Parsons
asked if there would be a different rate or would it be combined into the town. Rob
Gaiotti explained that by the suggestion of the League it would be a separate article and
a tax. Walter Gilbert would like to support the equal taxation and asked if the report
from the league be available, Rob Gaiotti stated that it is on the website at
www.dorsetvt.org.
YES 222 NO 76
Article 21. To transact any other business to properly come before this meeting.
64
2012 Town of Dorset, Vermont Warning
Legal voters of the Town of Dorset, County of Bennington, State of Vermont, are here-
by warned and notified to meet at the Dorset School, Dorset, Vermont on Monday,
March 5, 2012 at the hour of 7:00 o’clock in the evening to transact any business not involving a vote be Aus-
tralian Ballot, and on the 6th day of March at the hour of 7:00 o’clock in the forenoon to transact voting by
Australian Ballot as required by law.
(ARTICLE 2, 7, 17-23) will be voted by Australian Ballot on Tuesday, March 6th. Polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and
close at 7:00 p.m. on March 6th.
Article 1. To hear and accept reports of Town Officers and take proper action on same.
Article 2. To elect Town Officers for the ensuing year. To be voted by Australian Ballot. Officers to be
elected as follows: Moderator, Town ___________________________ 1 year term
Selectman ___________________________________ 3 year term Selectman ___________________________________ 1 year term Selectman ___________________________________ 1 year term First Constable ______________________________ 1 year term Second Constable __________________________ 1 year term Town Agent _________________________________ 1 year term
Grand Juror – East Side ____________________ 1 year term Grand Juror – West Side ___________________ 1 year term Lister ________________________________________ 1 year term
Article 3. Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to borrow funds, in anticipation of taxes, necessary
to pay current expenses?
Article 4. Shall the voters authorize the collection of the Municipal Property taxes in two (2) installments
on or before September 11, 2012 & March 12, 2013 with no discount and delinquent interest
at the maximum rate allowed by law? Payments by mail postmarked on or before the due date
are deemed paid on time. Municipal taxes become delinquent following the due date for the
second payment and will be subject to interest and the 8% fee assessed by the Delinquent Tax
Collector.
Article 5. Shall the voters authorize the collection of all School Property taxes in two (2) installments; on
or before September 11, 2012 & March 12, 2013 with no discount and delinquent interest at
the maximum rate allowed by law? Payments by mail postmarked on or before the due date
are deemed paid on time. School taxes become delinquent following the due date for the se-
cond payment and will be subject to interest and the 8% fee assessed by the Delinquent Tax
Collector.
Article 6. Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to take advantage of any State or Federal monies
available, including loan funds available from the Vermont Municipal Equipment Loan Fund to
be utilized in purchasing equipment for the Highway Department?
65
Article 9. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,500 to the Bennington County Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP) for support of its activities?
Article 10. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,600 to the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging
for support of its activities with Dorset Elders?
Article 11. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $750 for the support of the Center for Restorative Jus-
tice Program formally known as the Bennington County Court Diversion Program?
Article 12. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $1,000 to support the operations of the 6 Bank Street
Shelter for Families in Transition, a project of the Bennington Coalition for the Homeless?
Article 13. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $500 for the support of Project Against Violent En-
counters for its support of Dorset residents?
Article 14. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $750 to support Neighbor to Neighbor, a home based
care giving program?
Article 15. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $7,500 to the Dorset Historical Society to support its
activities and continued efforts to serve as a cultural resource to our community?
Article 16. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $850 for the support of the Bennington Area Habitat
for Humanity?
Article 17. Shall the voters appropriate the sum of $2,500 to the East Dorset Cemetery Association for the
care and maintenance of the cemetery? By petition. To be voted by Australian ballot.
Article 18. Shall the voters appropriate an increase in the sum of $10,000 to the Dorset Village Library for
support of its services provided to Dorset residents? By petition. To be voted by Australian
Ballot
Article 19. Shall the voters approve the exemption of property taxes for the East Dorset Fire District #1 for
a period of five (5) years, (2012-2017), tax map 25, block 20, lots 026 & 027; at 361 Village
Street, which is owned by the East Dorset Fire District and is used exclusively for the purposes
of such organization? By petition. To be voted by Australian ballot.
Article 20. Shall the voters approve the exemption of property taxes for the Dorset Fire District #1 for a
period of five (5) years, (2012-2017), tax map 23, block 20, lot 038; at 2788 Route 30, which is
owned by the Dorset Fire District and is used exclusively for the purposes of such organization?
By petition. To be voted by Australian ballot.
Article 21. Shall the voters establish a town wide PACE District and authorize the Select Board to enter
into an agreement with Efficiency Vermont to operate a PACE program in Dorset. The PACE
program would enable interested property owners to access funding for eligible energy effi-
ciency and renewable energy projects and pay back the cost as a regular municipal assessment
on that property owner’s tax bill as provided by 24 VSA Chapter 87 (Section 3261 et seq.) By
petition. To be voted by Australian ballot.
66
Article 23. Shall the Town oppose the installation of Wireless Smart Meters? By petition. To be
voted by Australian ballot.
Article 24. To transact any other business to properly come before this meeting
67
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72
2011 DORSET TOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT WARNING
In accordance with the legally warned notice, the annual meeting of the Dorset Town School District,
was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 28, 2011 at the Dorset School, Dorset, Vermont
to transact any business not involving voting by Australian ballot, and on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at
7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Dorset School to transact business involving voting by Australian ballot.
Article 1. Shall the voters authorize the School Board to borrow money by issuance of notes not in
excess of Anticipated revenue for the fiscal year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012?
Motion was made by Ruth Stewart and seconded by John Suitor. There being no discus-
sion, motion carried.
Article 2: Shall the voters authorize the transfer of the General Fund surplus on June 30, 2011, an
amount estimated to be $121,322, to the Building and Grounds Reserve Fund?
Motion was made by Lee Fox seconded by Bob Davidson, Ruth Stewart asked where this
fund came from and what is its intent. David Chandler explained that $40,000 came from
the excess in BBA tuition and that approx $90,000 came from unspent funds last year. Jim
Salsgiver explained that the fund had been depleted and needs to be built back up. Walter
Freed asked if the $121,000 has been shared by act 60/68 already, and that if we were to
return the money, it would cost about $200,000 + to get there. Motion carried.
Article 3: Shall the voters approve payment of the announced tuition rate of Burr and Burton Acade-
my in the amount of $14,100 for the 2011-2012 school year for those pupils who are resi-
dents of the Town of Dorset and attend Burr and Burton Academy?
Motion was made by Lee Fox and seconded by Ralph Colin. There being no discussion,
motion carried.
Article 4: Shall the voters approve payment of $14,100 in tuition support to the Long Trail School
for the 2011-2012 school year for pupils in grades 9-12 who are residents of the Town of
Dorset and attend the Long Trail School?
Motion was made by David Wilson and seconded by Trish Heaton. There being no discus-
sion, motion carried.
Rules were suspended and Patti Komline, our State Representative, was introduced, the
State of Vermont is currently operating at a deficit, and the federal government is going to
be cutting the funds from them as well. Ralph Colin stated that he has many concerns for
the health care plans and Patti Komline replied that there are so many unanswered ques-
tions on the issue. She will be available to answer questions later in the evening and that
she plans to hold meetings on Saturdays for those who may have more questions.
73
reform). David Skulnik asked how many student are currently enrolled? Jim Salsgiver
explained that there are currently 164 enrolled at the elementary level and 122 at the
secondary level. Terry Tyler asked that the salaries of the board be reinstated and that a
terrible precedent will be set. John Cueman asked about account 1200. Jim Salsgiver
explained that the early ed program at MEMS no longer took our students and we then
had to cover for them. Justine Cook explained that she chose moving to this area be-
cause of the school and feels that consequences continue to effect education services
here with the cuts that are being made. Walter Freed stated that although the tax rate is
going down, our CLA is increasing and what is in the future. Bob Gibney, Chair of the
Dorset Listers, explained that the CLA does in fact have an effect on the education rate.
Abbott deRham asked what the secondary numbers will be looking forward, Jim Salsgiv-
er explained the numbers are based on current enrollment, and that the numbers tend
to decline in the future based on current enrollment. Motion carried
Article 6: To transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.
Motion was made by Bob Davidson and seconded by Cindy O’Leary. Mark Tashjian,
Headmaster of BBA then spoke and thanked the community for its support. John Suitor,
Headmaster of Long Trail then thanked those present and that he believes it is exciting
to be living in Dorset because our schools bring new people to town. Ed Letourneau,
spoke on the Career Development Center, and asks that we support their budget.
Dorset’s share for this year’s budget is approximately $1800.
To be voted by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 1, 2011:
Article 7: Shall the voters appropriate $4,561,752 necessary for the support of the Town School
District for the fiscal year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012?
YES 216 NO 53
Article 8: To elect School District officers and directors for the ensuing year:
Moderator for 1 year Kevin O’Toole 295
School Director for two (2) years Bob Allen 289
School Director for three (3) years James Salsgiver 272
Absentee voting will be permitted on all matters to be voted upon by Australian ballot. For purpos-
es of Australian balloting, the polls will be open from 7:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 1,
2011.
There being no other business, meeting was moved by Lee Fox and second by Ruth Stewart to re-
cess until tomorrow at 7:00 o’clock in the forenoon.
74
Burr and Burton Academy
Burr and Burton Academy began the school year in August 2011 with an enroll-
ment of 686 students, including 182 seniors. The Board of Trustees has set the
2012-2013 per student tuition rate at $14,450. This represents a $350 (2.5%)
increase from the 2011-2012 school year and represents the third straight year
of tuition increases below the rate of inflation. In setting this tuition level, the
board asks you to consider the following factors:
Quality: The board is committed to educational excellence. Our results place us
in the top tier of schools not only in Vermont, but nationwide. Our average
SAT scores are 120 points higher than the national average. Our AP test scores
and rate place us in the top 5% of all schools nationally. 82% of the class of
2011 are college-bound: 72% to four-year colleges, 5% percent to two-year
schools, and 5% on gap year programs with the intention of then going to col-
lege. Our dropout rate is virtually zero, and we remain committed to the broad range of academic, artistic and
athletic offerings that make for a rich, engaging, inspiring, well-rounded high school experience. Burr and Bur-
ton will continue to attract and retain the best teachers and support them with superb facilities, equipment,
and professional development opportunities.
Efficiency: Burr and Burton continues to take aggressive action to contain costs. In past years, we have
trimmed our administrative structure, changed health insurance providers, refinanced debt, frozen salaries,
and carefully managed headcount. We will continue to pay attention to our cost structure to ensure that each
dollar is spent wisely.
Fundraising/Supplemental Revenues: Burr and Burton will continue to seek donations and generate supple-
mental revenues to support our academic programs. In total, we provide almost $3 million above and beyond
tuition revenue to insure the quality and breadth of our programs: $400,000 will come from our endowment,
over $600,000 will come from annual fundraising efforts, and $1,800,000 will come from our international pro-
gram. These efforts insure that our sending towns get far more than they pay for.
Affordability to Sending Towns: The core of our mission is to serve students from our sending towns. In or-
der to serve those students--and those communities--well, we must remain affordable. While recognizing that
a certain amount of inflation is inescapable, we have done our absolute best to minimize tuition increases and
thereby maintain our affordability. Our tuition remains comparable to, and even below, the per-student cost
of many public schools in southern Vermont.
Mutual reliance: Sending towns have a vested interest in a healthy Burr and Burton, and we have a vested
interest in maintaining our historically strong relationships with those towns. Burr and Burton serves as a mag-
net for families moving into this area, a boost for real estate values, and an important economic support for
local commerce. Just as Burr and Burton is a source of strength for our sending towns, our sending towns are
a source of strength for this school.
We appreciate your consideration and support.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark H. Tashjian, Headmaster
75
ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET
FYE 6/30/11 FYE 6/30/12 FYE 6/30/13
SOURCES OF INCOME
Domestic Tuition $ 7,656,370 $ 8,137,874 $ 8,408,390
International Tuition 1,601,482 1,848,905 1,842,796
Special Education Surcharges 1,497,537 1,540,267 1,544,142
Annual Fund 707,352 550,000 640,000
Endowment 343,864 359,000 395,000
Extraordinary donation 300,000 - -
Auxiliary Income 444,839 253,635 254,893
Total Income $ 12,551,444 $ 12,689,680 $ 13,085,221
USES OF INCOME
Total Salaries $ 7,033,350 $ 7,484,015 $
Benefits and Payroll Taxes:
Insurance benefits $ 1,319,185 $ 1,391,377 $
Other benefits 546,826 564,515
FICA 520,829 564,357
Total Salaries and Benefits $ 9,420,190 $ 10,004,264 $ 10,600,179 *
*Please note: Staffing decisions for the next school year will be finalized after town meetings.
What is known at this time is the total amount of money allocated for salaries.
Program Expenditures:
Advertising $ 15,664 $ 20,500 $ 20,910
Building Repairs 34,125 35,000 35,700
Capital Maintenance 153,186 110,000 112,200
Debt Service 65,008 63,998 62,987
Dues & Fees 49,260 57,756 58,915
Equipment 77,438 67,866 74,675
Equipment Leases 21,209 22,687 23,022
Fuel Oil 216,083 240,000 240,000
Graduation Expense 15,244 13,825 14,102
Grant Expenses 8,014 7,700 7,854
Insurance 81,893 93,235 92,446
Legal Services 14,288 19,750 20,145
Library Books/Periodicals 6,138 9,887 10,191
Mortgage 80,545 62,372 61,867
Officials 34,835 32,677 33,331
Postage & Telephone 78,564 82,247 84,898
Printing 37,498 34,990 36,632
Professional Development 70,157 100,060 115,000
Purchased Services 473,190 493,458 486,714
Room/Board Cost 194,415 193,100 186,000
Service Contracts 118,767 116,900 120,440
Supplies 362,530 359,272 346,552
Technology 89,323 109,755 103,205
Textbooks 24,896 37,115 37,601
Transportation/Vehicle expense 80,786 76,390 81,927
Utilities 158,778 154,064 158,901
Vehicle Leases & Debt Service 148,055 195,371 193,881
Total Program $ 2,709,889 $ 2,809,975 $ 2,820,094
Total Expenditures $ 12,130,079 $ 12,814,239 $ 13,420,273
Surplus/ (deficit) before depreciation 421,365 (124,559) (335,053)
Depreciation 1,041,279 985,248 1,030,200
Net surplus/(deficit) $ (619,914) $ (1,109,807) $ (1,365,253)
Burr and Burton Academy
76
Long Trail School
Dear Citizens of the Town of Dorset:
Thank you for requesting Long Trail School’s Statement of Operations for our fiscal year
ending June 30, 2011.
Our school continues to be in demand at home and abroad. We opened in September of
2011 with a total of 172 students, from nearly 40 towns in Vermont and New York State
and three countries on three different continents. As Vermont’s first and only International
Baccalaureate World School, we set the bar for educating responsible, globally minded
citizens of the 21st Century.
Like many small communities, Long Trail families are clawing their way through this diffi-
cult economic climate. Our core values commit us to providing generous assistance to
families in need, and this year we awarded over $560,000 in scholarship aid.. As I have
written before, our goal is to remain affordable while offering a world-class education that
students in this and our neighboring communities can find no where else. If you took a
snapshot of Long Trail’s student body you would find:
• 1 Vermont’s National Merit Scholars
• 2 students recognized by UVM for conducting 100 hours of watershed re-
search on the Upper Mettawee Watershed
• 3 All-State Music Festival singers
• 4 All-State Athletes on the soccer and ski teams
• 17 students in the National Honor Society
• 6 Advanced Placement (AP) and 20 International Baccalaureate (IB) courses
• 34 of 34 seniors who seek to attend college after graduating from LTS this
spring
• 172 passionate, engaged learners who are eager to serve their community
On behalf of the faculty, staff, families, and friends of Long Trail School I thank you for
your support, past and present. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any ques-
tions.
Respectfully submitted,
John H. Suitor, III
Head of School
77
Long Trail School
Statement of Operations
Years Ended June 30
10/11 10/11 11/12
2011 2011 2012
Budget Actual Budget
SUPPORT AND REVENUE
Tuition - private $1,557,267 $1,784,184 $ 1,860,185
Tuition - public 1,210,898 1,226,810 1,292,671
Tuition - special education 204,996 241,848 238,464
Financial Aid (574,000) (659,755) (546,137)
Transportation Fees 111,800 118,087 127,600
Auxiliary Programs 181,000 106,957 122,750
Contributions 500,000 681,898 450,000
Investment Income 4,710 3,528 4,000
Total support and revenue $3,196,671 $3,503,557 $ 3,549,533
EXPENSES
Program services
Instruction and student activities $1,629,876 $1,717,841 $ 1,799,999
Auxiliary services 56,587 86,982 61,587
Operation and maintenance of
plant 309,140 407,868 325,503
Total program services 1,995,603 2,212,691 2,187,089
Supporting services
General administration 1,169,639 1,310,002 1,520,777
Fundraising 174,000 202,157 168,500
Total supporting services 1,343,639 1,512,159 1,689,277
Total expenses $3,339,242 $3,724,850 $ 3,876,366
OPERATING SURPLUS (DEFICIT) $ (142,571) $ (221,293) $ (326,833)
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 5,000 32,050 29,050
NET SURPLUS (DEFICIT) $ (137,571) $ (189,243) $ (297,783)
78
2012 DORSET TOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT WARNING
The legal voters of the Dorset Town School District, Dorset, Vermont are hereby notified and warned to
meet at the Dorset School Monday, March 5, 2012 at 7:00 P.M. to transact any business not involving
voting by Australian ballot, and on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Dorset
School to transact business involving voting by Australian ballot.
To be acted upon on Monday, March 5, 2012:
Article 1: Shall the voters approve payment of the announced tuition rate of Burr and Burton Academy
in the amount of $14,450 for the 2012-2013 school year for those pupils who are residents
of the Town of Dorset and attend Burr and Burton Academy?
Article 2: Shall the voters approve payment of $14,450 in tuition support to the Long Trail School for
the 2012-2013 school year for pupils in grades 9-12 who are residents of the Town of Dorset
and attend the Long Trail School?
Article 3: Shall the voters authorize the School Board to borrow money by issuance of notes not in
excess of anticipated revenue for the fiscal year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013?
Article 4: To discuss the budget to be voted upon by Australian ballot (Article 6).
Article 5: To transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.
To be voted by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 6, 2012:
Article 6: Shall the voters appropriate $4,606,026 necessary for the support of the Town School District
for the fiscal year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013?
Article 7: To elect School District officers and directors for the ensuing year:
Moderator for 1 year
School Director for two (2) years
School Director for three (3) years
Absentee voting will be permitted on all matters to be voted upon by Australian ballot. For purposes of
Australian balloting, the polls will be open from 7:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 6, 2012.
Dated this 10th day of January 2012.
DORSET BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS
David Chandler, Chair
79
THE DORSET SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S REPORT JANUARY 2012
As a newcomer this year to The Dorset School, I have found it to be an extremely caring community.
The parents, staff, students and board members have been welcoming and collaborative, making it a
pleasure to work at The Dorset School.
In the interest of community relations, we are always looking for ways to expand the use of the building
for the community. The Dorset School Recreation Facilities Project Committee was awarded a
$5,000.00 grant from the Vermont Department of Buildings and Grounds for our new playground and
recreation facility. The renovated playground and nature and fitness trail will be open to community
members during the summer and after school hours and weekends. We were also very proud to re-
ceive an Implementation Grant through the Vermont Farm to School Program. In addition to the work
that the Farm to School Committee is doing with the school garden and the Farm to Plate Initiative,
they are working in concert with the Recreation Facilities Program Committee to enhance our campus
and expanded recreation facility with an edible landscape and walking paths, making it more accessible
to all residents.
The staff is continuously grateful for the support of the community through the Adopt a Classroom
program. The finances from this effort purchase much needed supplies and allow staff members to try
innovative programs and activities with our students.
We continue to move forward in developing the technological capabilities of our students and staff.
We have launched our new Learning Management System, Haiku, which enables teachers to post and
accept work online. In order to facilitate this progress, a laptop computer was purchased this past De-
cember for each teacher. As part of this initiative, we would like to institute a 1:1 computer program
for students in the upper grades.
We strive to collaborate with the Supervisory Union (SU) in matters of efficiency, while keeping the
unique feel at The Dorset School. To this end, we launched a report card that was SU wide for the first
time this year. The Haiku Learning Management system is another example of something shared
across the SU. Using these tools has helped us to collaborate with other teachers and administrators
across the Supervisory Union and share our success as well as learn from theirs.
The teachers at TDS are continuously working to move our school to the next level and hone their craft.
Throughout this year we are performing a self-assessment using the eight indicators for successful
schools outlined in Roots of Success: Effective Practices in Vermont Schools. This study of schools
which beat the odds was undertaken by the Vermont Department of Education with the help of an ad-
visory panel representing K-12 and higher education. More than 2000 teachers in 87 Vermont schools
were surveyed and the resulting report was published in 2009. We are examining our collection and
use of data in order to continue to improve instruction and ensure that all students are making ade-
quate growth. We will be administering the Measures of Academic Progress created by the NorthWest
Evaluation Association. This test will give us specific information regarding the strengths and challeng-
es of each student, and allow us to further personalize their learning. All of our teachers have now had
training in Response to Intervention and we will be working to craft a schedule that facilitates interven-
80
School Directors’ Report
This past year at The Dorset School has been eventful and also very successful. In spite of many
challenges, funding pressures – including efforts to develop a new 3 year teachers’ contract, our pro-
posed 2012-13 school budget is seeking an increase of 1% ($44,274) in the amount for which the
Town will be asked to vote. No educational program changes are proposed in this budget. Howev-
er, as part of enabling our students to thrive in the 21st century, we are including a new line item for
$30,000 that provides each fifth and sixth grade student with a “computing device” that they can use
until they graduate. Increasingly these computer tools, which access the “cloud” as well as the inter-
net, are all essential parts of the learning process which our faculty and students are rapidly learning
to navigate and master.
With the announced retirement of Jim Merryman, there was concern because he had guided the
school to high levels of success during his eleven years. But, with the hiring of Rosanna Moran as
Principal, we were fortunate to find a professional who understands exactly where The Dorset School
is, and has the ability to build on The Dorset School’s strengths. She has smoothly picked up where
Jim Merryman left off, and is sure-footedly leading us into the 21st century. However, amid all this
transition, there is a note of sadness that must be mentioned. Diane Levitz, our much beloved art
teacher, passed during the Christmas/New Year holiday break. This has brought great sadness into
the lives of the entire school community.
Throughout these eventful ups and downs, the school has faced the usual challenges and excite-
ment typical to our school community. Our standardized scores on the NECAP places The Dorset
School well above the state average in both math and writing skills. This year’s eighth graders en-
tered Burr & Burton Academy with 5 kids taking Honors Geometry, 9 kids starting at Spanish II, and
5 kids eligible to take Biology as freshmen. In addition to our academic successes we continue to
make progress in our co-curricular programs. Our sports teams continue to develop talent while
winning respect for our sportsmanship. The latest success of the Farm-to-School Program is to be
one of 3 schools out of 64 applicants to securing a grant in the range of $14,000 to continue to ex-
pand the program to the point where students will be raising and cooking some of the food to be
used for our hot lunch program. Also with a seed donation of $10,000 provided by the Dorset
Board of Selectmen to improve our recreational facilities, the “Playground Committee” has devel-
oped a two-year fundraising program in which the entire recess area will be replaced or improved.
Already they have received a pledge from the Dorset Parent Volunteers, and a $5000 grant from the
Vermont Department of Buildings & General Services to enhance the funds provided by the Town of
Dorset.
As the 2011 – 2012 school year began, the Board began the process of identifying and clearly artic-
ulating the characteristics and actual results we want to see in our students when they graduate
from the eighth grade. These are called Ends Policies. We held a public forum, and gained valuable
input. Now we are reviewing those data. The website for offering your thoughts and comments, for
viewing some interesting videos on education, and for seeing the latest in this process is http://
dorsetends.blogspot.com/ . Our target objective is to present our Ends Policies for review and ap-
proval at the Annual Town Meeting. Once we articulate the policies and approve them, then we can
focus on guiding the administration and the teachers even more effectively in their efforts to be the
best school and the most potent learning environment for our children. As always, it is our goal to
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Report of the Superintendent of Schools
Daniel M. French
January 2012
There were significant staffing changes at the administrative level during the 2010-2011 school year. Jean
Ward, BRSU Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development, retired as did James Merry-
man, the long-serving principal of The Dorset School. Jackie Wilson, the principal of MEMS, moved to the
central office to fill the Curriculum vacancy created by Jean Ward's retirement, and Wayne Flewelling, a BRSU
special education director, left the organization to become the special education director in a neighboring
supervisory union. Rosanna Moran was hired to be the principal of The Dorset School, and Sarah Merrill
moved up from the assistant principal position at MEMS to become principal. Brenda MacDonald was hired
as the new special education director, and John Dawson was hired as the Director of Instructional Innovation,
a grant-funded position charged with advancing the utilization of technology in our schools.
Our districts continued their work in navigating Act 153, a law that promotes the voluntary merger of school
districts and requires the centralization of certain services at the supervisory union level. The BRSU board es-
tablished a governance committee to address the voluntary merger aspects of the law. This committee had
two focus areas: 1) anticipating the integration of the Mountain Towns Regional Education District
(Landgrove, Londonderry, Peru, Weston, and the Floodbrook School) into the BRSU on July 1, 2013, and 2)
commissioning an internal Phase I governance study among the our nine BRSU districts. The vote on the
Mountain Towns RED and its assignment to the BRSU is scheduled for the winter of 2012. A related issue per-
tains to the Winhall Town School District which is pursuing a feasibility study for joining the BRSU in 2013. I
believe the integration of these districts into the BRSU will not only lower administrative costs, but also allow
us to better leverage regional resources to expand learning opportunities for students.
The work surrounding the required centralization of services under Act 153 continues to move forward as
well. Business services have been consolidated into the supervisory union office saving Manchester and Dor-
set over $30,000 and $15,000 per year respectively. A common collective bargaining process with our six
teachers unions was initiated in the winter of 2010 with the goal of achieving a single teachers contract. Work
on the centralization of special education and transportation services has been deferred until the 2012-2013
school year in order to better understand how these services might work in a reconfigured supervisory union
with the potential additions of the Mountain Towns RED and Winhall.
Considerable progress was made in the area of instructional technology systems. We deployed a supervisory
union-wide student information system with a common approach to report cards. This should serve our dis-
tricts well as we transition to the new Common Core curriculum standards. We also implemented a new
learning management system that will expand the curriculum, extend classroom activities beyond the school
day, create greater opportunities for students and teachers to collaborate with their peers, and improve com-
munication between parents and teachers. We are planning on deploying a fiber optic network with high
speed Internet access among our schools and to the central office on July 1, 2012. This network will be built
as part of a federal initiative to expand bandwidth access in Vermont. In this network, our schools will func-
tion as “anchor institutions” as part of a larger economic development strategy for the region.
Federal education policy as articulated through the No Child Left Behind Act continues to be a drain on our
time, attention, and dollars. Vermont has applied for a waiver from its provisions, but I am concerned the di-
rection of Federal education policy remains misguided, and ultimately will do more harm than good. As I sur-
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TOWN OF DORSET
112 Mad Tom Road
P. O. Box 715
East Dorset, VT 05253-0715
