We Reported on Seven Town Meeting Day Items. Here’s How They Fared.

Last week, we highlighted seven noteworthy Town Meeting Day items chosen from more than 200 local ballots across the state. So how did they fare on Tuesday, when Vermont voters weighed in?

In Brattleboro, residents voted 1,368 to 1,013 to support a measure advising the selectboard “to enact an ordinance that establishes clear boundaries for acceptable behavior and conduct in the downtown.” Whether or not an ordinance will actually be adopted remains to be seen. “Our selectboard looks very different after this election,” John Potter, the town manager, said. “They’ll take this advice and decide whether they want to move forward.”

In Roxbury, the fate of the Roxbury Village School dominated discussion. The Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools district voted to close the beloved school last year to save money and is busing 40 or so students to Union Elementary School in Montpelier instead. On Tuesday, voters agreed to buy back the building from the school district for $1. They also decided to lease most of the former school to tenants and to continue to offer an afterschool program in the building.

Across the state, Vermonters approved several local wastewater treatment upgrades, including a $152 million initiative in Burlington, a $49.5 million project in Middlebury and a $2.3 million measure in West Rutland.

Thetford residents voted to establish a social services coordinator position to help struggling residents obtain the financial support they need. “It was not a particularly contentious issue,” said Steve Tofel, a member of Thetford’s selectboard. “People spoke in favor of the item, citing examples of where it was needed.”

In Bennington, voters approved a charter change that would allow the Community Policing Advisory Review Board to examine complaints involving the police department and evidence such as bodycam footage.

Plainfield, which lost homes to recent rounds of flooding, green-lit a measure to expand the village. Voters approved a zoning change and the establishment of a reserve fund; both are meant to fast-track a project meant to create 30 to 40 buildable lots on approximately 11 acres of land near Main Street and East Hill Road.

In Windham, 81-year-old amateur cartographer Frank Seawright is claiming victory. Voters approved a ballot item authorizing an inventory of all public and private culverts in the town, which Seawright had petitioned for. However, an amendment was added excluding private roads that do not connect to public ones. While Seawright is glad that the item passed, he wants the amendment removed.

“I think I can make a very convincing case,” he said.