Mad River Valley towns are taking different approaches this year to printing and distributing their annual Town Reports ahead of Town Meeting on March 3, balancing voter preferences, accessibility and cost considerations.
In Duxbury, the town is printing and mailing paper copies to residents. “That’s what the voters wanted,” Town Clerk Maureen Harvey said.
The report will not be emailed, though it will be available on the town’s website. Duxbury will not have an in-person Town Meeting; voting will be conducted by Australian ballot. Harvey said the town would save about $1,200 in printing costs and $550 in mailing costs if it chose not to produce and send paper copies. Still, she said, the town is following the direction previously set by voters.
Fayston also printed and mailed its Town Reports, delivering them to the post office on February 14, according to Town Clerk Madison Vasseur. In addition to mailing the reports, Fayston will email a PDF version to residents who subscribe to the town’s listserv and will post it on the town website, for those who prefer to read the document online.
“We will have Town Reports available at Town Meeting, but encourage people to bring their copy,” Vasseur said.
Moretown is continuing its traditional practice of printing and mailing reports to residents. “It hasn’t been voted to be done differently,” said Sasha Elwell, assistant to the Select Board. Reports were mailed last week, and electronic copies are available upon request. Printing and mailing cost the town $3,480, according to Elwell.
Waitsfield, meanwhile, will print Town Reports but mail them only upon request, a change voters approved years ago. Town Clerk Jennifer Peterson said the town makes paper copies available outside the elementary school and library, as well as inside and outside the Town Office, to ensure residents can pick one up at their convenience. An electronic version will be posted on Front Porch Forum and linked on the town’s website. Reports are always available at Town Meeting.
“It’s been so long since we’ve mailed them, I can’t remember what the cost difference is,” Peterson said.
Information from Warren was not available at press time.
