Water Boil Notice is LiftedThe water boil notice is lifted for the entire Town of Plainfield!
Thank you to everyone at the Water/Wastewater Dept.! New Municipal Tax RatesTo the Plainfield Taxpayer,
The tax bills were mailed on Friday July 19th. The Municipal tax rate is going to be 1.0665. This represents a 0.1088 increase from last year. It’s important taxpayers understand the confluence of events that led to this significant rate hike. In short, the problem stems from the one-two punch of the sequential July storms. The Municipal tax rate is calculated by dividing the taxes authorized to be raised at Town Meeting by the Town’s Grand List (a formula representing the appraised values of properties) — offset by surplus from the previous year's budget and expected revenues from the state and other sources. Sadly, last year’s flood depleted the Town Treasury and there was no budget surplus. In addition, the FEMA reimbursements have been uncertain and slow in coming. On top of all this, the Grand List has been lowered considerably due to this year’s storm which destroyed many houses. In short, this unfortunate combination of factors has led to the significant tax rise. The only good news I can bring is that the State LOWERED the homestead tax rate by 0.0238. Unfortunately the non-homestead rate is going up 0.1654. Once again these numbers, although included in your local tax bill, are set by the folks in Montpelier, not Plainfield. Given recent events, the town will endeavor to make the abatement process more manageable. PLEASE NOTE: the town considers building damage in these abatement proceedings but not loss of acreage. However the town has agency over the rating of the quality of the land. Once again these are State rules, not governed by the municipality. If you wish to have the town consider an abatement please send an email to [email protected] with the specifics of the damage both structural and geographic. Mark the subject line ABATEMENT. You can attach pictures. Thank you to everyone who has helped mitigate our recent disaster. Bram Towbin Plainfield Town Clerk/Treasurer Zoning Permit Application for Repairs and Improvements after FloodPermits are needed for Repairs and Improvements after Flooding in Special Flood Hazard Area.
Please contact Plainfield Zoning Administrator at [email protected] for more information. Temporary emergency repairs and clean up do not require a permit. Anything permanent needs to meet standard to avoid future flood damage. Help for homeowners and businesses can be found at www.floodready.vt.gov/help-after-flooding Be sure to contact to Register damages and get help at vermont211.org/resident-form After flooding we can expect a FEMA Community Assistance Visit. The Town wants to keep flood insurance as available as possible VERMONT PRIMARY ELECTION & TOWN OF PLAINFIELD SELECT BOARD ELECTIONTuesday, August 13, 2024
Plainfield Municipal Office 149 Main St. Plainfield Polls open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Absentee ballots will not be issued after NOON on Monday, August 12, 2024 when the Town Clerk’s Office will close to set up for the election. WARNING — VERMONT PRIMARY ELECTION — AUGUST 13, 2024 TOWN OF PLAINFIELD - WARNING FOR ELECTION State of Vermont Democratic Party Ballot State of Vermont Republican Party Ballot State of Vermont Progressive Party Ballot Town of Plainfield Ballot REQUEST TO MOVE YOUR CARS FROM MILL STREET - TEMP BRIDGE ARRIVINGPhoto of Senatorial delegation visiting Plainfield:
https://plainfieldvt.wpcomstaging.com/2024/07/13/senators-visit-plainfield/ This is a request that people currently parked on Mill Street move their vehicles to another location so that the area will be clear SAT AM.
The good news is we are having a temporary bridge structure arriving with two large 18 wheelers - they are going to need as much room as possible to work. It would be really appreciated if the area was as clear as possible Update and Photos of Roads - 7/13The following roads, formally washed out, are open to one lane traffic.
These are merely to gain access. Proceed with caution: Gore Road, Lee Road and some sections of Brook Road. Rec Field Road and Maxfield Road have NOT undergone fixes. But we will attending to the following week. The initial stages of the Mill Street bridge temporary construction have begun. The bridge itself will arrive Monday and will hopefully be in place mid-week. In addition, there is now a single lane road between village and Cameron Road – it is meant to serve town trucks going to and from garage. Single lane temporary road – is not for general public without serious need. In addition, Water/Wastewater is repairing water line on Brook Road. Photos of repairs: https://plainfieldvt.wpcomstaging.com/2024/07/13/repairs-road-update-sat-jul-13/ Also link to SOME of the damaged roads: https://plainfieldvt.wpcomstaging.com/2024/07/13/july-24-flood/ How to become a candidate for the Plainfield Select Board
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Emergency Contact InfoHelp is available, and increasingly so. Keep track of your damage by taking occasional "before" photos... when you can. I know it's hard. Local volunteer teams are assembling - get their help by leaving a message at 802-227-2660
Vermont needs a federal disaster declaration - try to call 211 and describe what has happened to you. And register at Vermont state's Crisis Cleanup 802-242-2054 so your building is on the list for evaluation and cleanup. Call 911 if anyone is in crisis, hurt or endangered. Be careful around unstable buildings and stop to rest, drink water and don't get overheated. If anyone needs sheltering or an alternative residence, call Plainfield Emergency Management at 802-380-6408 and we'll work on it. If you call and I can't pick up - please leave a message so I will know who to respond to. Lastly... If you are overwhelmed or in despair, crisis counselors are on hand. Call them at (802)229-0591 and someone... I'm told... will get back in a few minutes. Also - from any phone - Dial 988. Mental Health Support:![]() You've all been through a lot, and almost no one here was spared. It has been extremely hard and sometimes overwhelming.
If anyone in Plainfield wants mental health support, please text me about the new walk-in service here... to meet and talk with a professional helper. And the WCMHS 802-229-0591 crisis help line is being answered 24/7 (sometimes a 10-minute delay). Be sure to ask for screeners if you want in-person help, or for tele-health if you're o.k. with that. Call "988" also for other mental health resources. We are getting in-person help at a location in Plainfield starting today, for a few hours a day and perhaps most days of the week. Let me know if you need directions. Michael Billingsley, my cell (text) number is (802) 380-6408. Plainfield Flood Response InformationPlainfield Flood Response Information
For those affected, donations, and volunteers Call 802-227-2660 All those affected by the flood: Call 211 to report damages AND Call Crisis Clean Up at 802-242-2054 These reports NEED to be made for Plainfield to seek State and Federal assistance Please Report All Flood Damage to Vermont 211Please, please, PLEASE! Report all flood damage, no matter how trivial seeming, to Vermont 211. You can phone 211 or go to vermont211.org and select the flooding form. It only takes minutes to fill out the form as best you can. Phones are answered 24/7
Why do this? It's a numbers game. There is a threshold to reach before FEMA Federal dollars become available and they are sorely needed. Even if you are taking care of the damage yourself, reporting it lets the impact of this storm be known to the "powers that be." It can help your less fortunate neighbors get aid. Need help reporting? The Cutler Library will be open extra hours, 11-5 Sunday and Monday, so you can use the computers and WIFI. (You can even just come sit in the clean calm and air-conditioned space.) Flood Recovery Resources are located here. Book the Recreation Field online
You can book the Rec Field for your event online here. Amenities available at the Recreation Field include: Basketball Court, Tennis Court, toddler age play area, skate-park, swings, baseball diamond, tube slide, tire swing, covered picnic shelter that has four tables, lights and electricity, and a porta-potty during the summer months. More info here. Plans for the Brook Road bridge As everyone in town is aware, our Achilles heel, when we are deluged with rain, is Plainfield village’s Brook Road bridge. In a little over a decade, we have had three instances of severe damage to the road and neighboring houses due to log jams at the bridge. The combination of an undersized structure, sitting below a 90 degree turn in the path of the brook, creates havoc with heavy rain events. What has the town been doing to address this problem? Read about our plans here. Videos of 2023 Old Home Days (posted 9/13/23)
Videos of the 2023 Old Home Days Parade and the Variety Show are now available on the Old Home Days page. Property Tax Payments - Direct Debit Program
You may sign up to have your property tax installments transferred electronically from your bank account to the Town. When you sign up for this program, the Town will debit your bank account for the exact amount of the tax payment on the actual due date for each installment. You will continue to receive your bill in the mail. Sign Up/Change Request Form Plainfield's American Rescue Plan Act Advisory Committee:
Plainfield has received a total of $377,245 in ARPA funds. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Advisory Committee is considering what ARPA funds can be used for, what the Town's needs are, and any proposals for the use of the funds and provide the Select Board the committee's wisdom. These are one-time funds, and care needs to be taken in making the important decision of how to best use these funds for our community. The members of this committee are George Cushing, Jane Bradley, and Arion Thiboumery. The Select Board commenced consideration of the recommendations from the ARPA Advisory Committee at the Select Board meeting on February 22, 2023. ARPA Allocations to-date: $30,000 - CVFiber (approved 9/20/2022)** $173,250 - Brook Road Bridge #21 Town Match, contingent on approval for a FEMA grant (approved 10/18/2022) $17,711.95 - W/WW Water source property purchase and associated costs (approved 2/6/2023) $3,000 - Plainfield Community Trust (approved 2/22/2023) $30,300 - Cutler Memorial Library (approved 2/22/2023) $32,000 - W/WW survey cost and School Street engineering study (approved 5/15/2023) Further consideration of the use of ARPA funds will take place at future Select Board meetings. Agendas for meetings and Zoom links for participation may be found on the Select Board page. ** Update to the Official Notification of Proposed Merger between CVFiber and NEK Broadband |
The Town Calendar has been moved to the new Calendar page.
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