News Flash

Happy New Year! After a stormy and eventful holiday season, we welcomed 2023 with clear skies and mild temperatures. Here’s hoping this is a sign of good things to come in the year ahead. As I look around the office and see the team hard at work, I can’t help but feel confident that it is.

Farewell to a Joyous Holiday Season - Until Next Year! 

Although we are eager to see what the new year brings, it was sad to see holiday events come to a close. Our Holiday Tree Lighting event took place on Dec. 3 and drew about 250 visitors for hot cocoa, carols, and the warm glow of lights on our mighty ever-green. Our Holiday Decorating Contest was also a hit with 19 households decked out in participation. Nearly 4,000 votes were cast for the People’s choice award. Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to all who made our town glow for this special event. 

Save the Date for Winter Festival: February 17-19

Join in the fun at our 15th annual Winter Festival. Save the date, and keep an eye out for updates on this fun, family event on the Recreation webpage and Recreation facebook page.

Proposed FY24 Budget Complete

Discussions have concluded and a proposed budget for FY24 was approved by the Selectboard at the special meeting on January 9. This is a challenging economic time, and we worked diligently to craft a budget proposal that meets the needs of our growing community by addressing the upward pressures caused by inflation and remaining fiscally responsible for taxpayers. The full proposed budget will be released soon on the Town website at miltonvt.gov/vote.

We hope to see a strong voter turnout this Town Meeting Day

Watch for communication regarding Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 7, including our annual Town Meeting video, which we plan to release by the end of the month. Leading up to election day, more information can be found at miltonvt.gov/vote, including how to register to vote and how to request an early/absentee ballot.

Until then, it’s business as usual in the Town Clerk's office with the team entering payments into our system, assisting researchers with land records, notarizing documents, and producing and/or filing vital records (marriage licenses; birth certificates and death certificates). We were sad to bid Shannon Maynard adieu last month. Shannon did an excellent job on our finance team for several years and was a true asset as well as a pleasure to work with. We are pleased to announce that Jocelind Knapp has taken the reins and is quickly settling into her new role.

Town’s Bank Account Migration Complete

It’s been a busy time in our Town Clerk and Treasurer’s office with the migration of our bank accounts from M&T Bank to TD Bank. The team worked hard to ensure a timely and smooth transition, and TD Bank provided top-notch support. Our goal was to make this change as seamless as possible, and we feel confident that has been achieved. 

Highway Department Busy Despite Slower Winter Operations

Winter operations have been slower this year than in years past. To date, we are conducting fewer plowing operations and using less salt and sand than last year. That said, our highway department and public works team remains busy clearing downed trees and branches, monitoring the condition of our dirt roads, moving hydrants and blocks for the water division and repairing equipment, among other tasks. 

Water / Wastewater Department is Running Smoothly

The water department, working with a contractor, completed the Catamount waterline upgrade project in late December. Wastewater treatment facilities are running well around town. Our annual constituents permit samples recently returned and showed that our oil and grease levels are well below the recoverable detection limit. Our team makes a strong effort to remove these particulates from the process, and it shows. We are delighted to see these positive results. 

Thank You to Our First Responders 

Our rescue and police departments remain busy as ever protecting and serving our community. Both ambulances are in service and running well. As of late December, our rescue department’s call volume was up nearly 20% compared to the same time last year. We are grateful to the staff and volunteers who serve our community each and every day. 

In my office, work continues on contract negotiations and preparations for annual Town Meeting. I am happy to announce that we recently closed on the Grange property. We will start renovations as soon as possible and look forward to hosting events in this historic building soon. 

As always, I hope this message finds you and yours well. Our team looks forward to seeing you in our offices and around town soon.

Don Turner, Jr.
Milton Town Manager 

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