At its meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, the Goshen Selectboard discussed the best way to budget for cemetery mowing for 2027. Diane O’Classen from the cemetery commission sought clarity on how they should bid out the mowing of the town’s three sites. The mowing contracts are coming up for negotiation, and O’Classen asked if the commission should keep the soon-to-be updated mowing specs to be bid out separately from the town budget, or if they can go with a sole-source provider jointly.

Chair Thomasina Magoon explained that a sole-source provider is meant for specialized professions where you wouldn’t have a pool of competitive bidders. Thus, the cemetery commission needs to bid it out, “unless the town looks at doing something differently, which would be to pay a town employee to do it.”

Selectboard member Timmi Moffi added that if the town was to hire a full-time road maintenance worker, who could also do the mowing at the cemeteries, they would have to purchase all the necessary equipment for the various types of work needed, and that’s not likely to happen soon.

The board agreed that for the 2027 budget, the cemetery commission will update the specs for the mowing work and bid it out as a separate line item from the town’s budget.

Road foreman report

Jeff Cathcart, Goshen’s road foreman, updated the selectboard on preparations for snow and ice this coming fall and winter. He covered the gamut from making room in the salt and sand storage building, to buying loads of salt and sand, to having the equipment serviced.

Cathcart also introduced a candidate interested in part-time plowing and sanding work. He has his CDL and has done plowing for Proctor and Brandon, but hasn’t plowed in Goshen with its challenging climate and roads.

Chair Magoon asked the candidate some pre-interview questions with an eye toward having the full selectboard interview him after the meeting.

Jeff Whiting, a board member of the Otter Creek Watershed Insect Control Division, explained that the candidate has worked the past two years as the mosquito sprayer for the town and has spent some years driving as an applicator, and is a licensed pesticide applicator with the state.

Magoon agreed to have the candidate wait until the meeting adjourned, at which time he would formally interview with the selectboard.

Cathcart continued with his report, saying that the $42,000 engineering grant for culvert work on Dutton Brook Road was approved and Otter Creek Engineering is going to do the work. According to Cathcart, once the granted engineering work is concluded, chances are very good that the grant for the labor will also be approved because the state wouldn’t want to spend all that money for the engineering without completing the project.

Moffi confirmed with Cathcart that this is an 80/20 grant, meaning the State of Vermont will pay 80% of the costs and the Town of Goshen is responsible for the remaining 20%.

Cathcart is also working on a grant with Town Treasurer Heidi Larson for work on Capen Hill Road for 2027.

Magoon discussed that at a special meeting on Sept. 25 it was agreed that the cost would not exceed $1,650 for the Town Hill Road edge maintenance that the Town of Brandon is going to do for Goshen.

Buildings and grounds

Magoon explained that they have until Sept. 30 to sign the Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) contract for the buildings and grounds of the Town Hall building. She has sent the contract to the town attorney for a final review. Once signed, the work will begin and a job site will be established by the contracting firm before hunting season.

Public comments

Jeff Whiting mentioned that a yield sign on Hathaway Road is faded and difficult to read and needs to be replaced.

Cathcart said he is in the process of ordering signs, and according to him, given that the posts come from Canada as mandated, the shipping will cost more than the signs and posts combined.

Magoon requested a price list for all necessary signage that can be discussed for budgeting purposes at the next selectboard meeting on October 12.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.