Waterbury Select Board candidate survey 2024
February 22, 2024 | By Waterbury RoundaboutTown Meeting Day elections are already underway with early voting and election day is Tuesday, March 5. The main competition on the Waterbury ballot is a three-way race for two one-year seats on the Waterbury Select Board.
Incumbents Roger Clapp and Kane Sweeney are running for re-election along with first-time candidates Cheryl Schoolcraft Gloor and Ian Shea. Clapp, who has served as chair, has served two one-year terms and is on the ballot as the only candidate for a three-year seat. That spot has been held by board Vice Chair Dani Kehlmann who is not running this year.
The board has two one-year seats that are on the ballot every year. Elected for the first time in 2023, Sweeney holds one of those now. New candidates this year are Cheryl Schoolcraft Gloor and Ian Shea.
For the fourth year, Waterbury Roundabout has compiled a candidate survey for those looking to serve on the Select Board. All of the candidates completed it and shared photos. Their responses are published here.
More town election information is on the Waterbury town website here including the Town Meeting warning, sample ballots for town and school voting and the annual town report. Waterbury holds an in-person town meeting on March 5 starting at 9 a.m. at Brookside Primary School to vote on town budget-related matters. All elections of town officers and school district business are done on paper ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Brookside school is the polling place. Voters also may cast ballots early at the town offices through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 4.
p.s. The ballot has several offices to be filled with no candidates running: lister (3 years), cemetery commissioner (5 years), and two seats on the Harwood School Board (3 years). Anyone can run as a write-in and win election with just 30 votes. After election day, the Select Board would appoint to fill the town offices until next March; the School Board would appoint to fill its seats until Town Meeting Day 2025.
*Roger Clapp
*Kane Sweeney
Cheryl Schoolcraft Gloor
Ian Shea
*Denotes incumbents running for re-election
Name, age, occupation (your day job or jobs)
Roger Clapp, 70, associate director of Program & Fund Development, PH International
Kane Sweeney, 31, chef
Cheryl Schoolcraft Gloor, 56, procurement analyst
Ian Shea, 39, teacher
Have you run for elected office before? If so, what elected offices have you held? list other qualifications such as boards, organizations you have volunteered with, education, etc.
Yes. I have been elected to two 1-year terms on the Waterbury Select Board, currently serving as chair. I also serve as president of Waterbury Winterfest. I coached Waterbury Youth Soccer and Stowe Area Flag Football and volunteered for the middle school ski program for several years. I was appointed Vermont Deputy Commissioner for Agricultural Development for five years and served on the board of the Intervale Foundation. I started my career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Central Africa, many moons ago. . .
Yes. Union vice president, Select Board
No - This is my first time as a candidate.
No - This is my first time as a candidate.
Why are you running for a seat on the Waterbury Select Board?
As members of the Select Board, we serve as executive officers guided by the will of our community residents. Over the years, I've developed the ability to listen and take decisive action. With two kids away in college and my professional career nearing completion, I decided to put my name on the ballot for the 3-year term being vacated by Dani Kehlmann. After two floods, an ongoing housing shortage, an expected spike in education taxes and this latest proposed change in the use of the armory, Waterbury residents are facing challenges worthy of our attention.
Because working people need a seat at the table.
I am committed to this town and the people who live here and believe now is a good time to get more involved with discussion on priorities for Waterbury’s future. I’d like to engage with the community and be a voice at the table for those that may not always feel heard. I do not have any pre-conceived ideas on where we should or should not go as a community. As a select board member I feel my role is to be an active listener to your needs and concerns and bring these to the discussion to best ensure these needs are considered. There are always differing approaches and some may feel their approach is the correct one (and it may be) but ultimately most resolutions usually end up being somewhere in between.
I have lived here nearly a decade and immediately felt a connection to this community. I care about the people who live here and want to be a part of keeping this town as amazing as it is.
A year ago, we asked about the newly decommissioned VT National Guard armory and potential future uses of that property. Today, the state is poised to retain ownership to use it at least initially as a shelter. What do you think would be the best long-term use of the armory facility and property?
A year ago, I thought the armory might be the answer to the community recreation facility that residents envisioned back in 2019. Then, I was informed that the state military unit wanted to finance a new facility in St. Albans by selling it for $890,000 - more than I think we should pay for military surplus. Meanwhile, the town has been in discussions with housing developers who have expressed interest in buying the property and putting up urgently needed multi-family housing. I believe that would be the best use for the property.
After the current proposed use, a more permanent housing solution should be erected it its place.
I have heard multiple proposed uses for this facility ranging from repurposing the building as a new community center to being used as a location for developing additional housing. Since we now do not own the facility, any solution at this point requires the town and our legislative representatives to negotiate potential purchase from the state. The facility may have a long-term benefit not only for us but for surrounding towns. The town and neighboring municipalities could engage in a larger dialogue to determine what would have the most enduring impact for this region. Then working with fellow select board members we can approach the state as part of a larger plan showing how the facility or land use would be mutually beneficial as a resource not just for Waterbury but also for neighboring municipalities.
There are a few possibilities for the armory that would serve our community well. At the top of the list is affordable housing. Repurposing the armory into housing units would be a big win for a more inclusive Waterbury and a step in the right direction toward addressing the massive issue of homelessness and housing insecurity in our town and our state. Another option would be converting the armory into a community center offering recreational, educational, and cultural programs for residents of all ages. This could include sports facilities, as well as areas for arts and cultural activities.
Do you think Waterbury can/should play a role in helping to shelter those who are homeless in Central Vermont?
Yes. We all have a role to role to play. For over 100 years, Waterbury, in partnership with the state, provided housing and compassionate care for those with mental illness from all over Vermont. Waterbury continues to provide housing for those on public assistance and the town is actively working to expand access to affordable housing for those in need.
While attending college, I worked at the Pine St. Inn for Homeless Men in Boston. My experience with congregate shelter operations leads me to believe that this is neither a good solution for Waterbury nor for the unhoused population.
Yes. Every single human being needs a roof. I view housing as a human right. Waterbury has been welcoming to those suffering from a variety of misfortunes for a century and I believe we should continue to do so.
Maybe. Given the issue, all communities have a role somewhere but there are limitations and the solutions should have clear, attainable, realistic goals. This latest issue with the armory demonstrates there must be early engagement with our community that gives us the opportunity for local feedback to consider the best use of resources. It serves no one well just to relocate individuals. There must be proactive state action that doesn’t just throw resources at this issue without a long-term strategy. The approach must have measurable metrics and criteria for determining success. It seems the lack of political discourse has caused distractions and prevented well-intended people from coming to the table to attack the root cause of the affordability challenge.
Yes.
Waterbury is the only community with 4 seats on the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board. Yet with two seats up for election this year, no candidates have stepped forward to run. Should the Select Board try to help generate interest to ensure Waterbury is well-represented on the School Board? Why or why not?
Yes, HUUSD is sorely in need of sound, affordable solutions and I believe Waterbury representation is important. I appreciate the efforts of our previous and current board representatives to address issues and ensure educational opportunities for our kids. Both of our sons benefitted from a K-12 HUUSD education and are doing well in college. So we have much to be thankful for and we look forward to continued return on this investment for the next generation. I have encouraged townspeople expressing interest and concerns to step up, but so far, to no avail.
The School Board will have to appoint those positions if they go unfilled. I believe it is in our community’s best interest to seek out candidates who value education and sustainability first and foremost.
I do believe the select board has an important role and we could generate interest in the community by ensuring awareness and transparency of the changes anticipated by the School Board. It is a difficult job as that board must strive for consensus but also be cognizant of undue burdens on each community in the district. Perhaps if we have more frequent conversations between the boards to discuss the challenges facing this community, we might see more involvement. Bottom line: We must have an active and effective voice at the table when decisions are made that impact Waterbury.
Yes, the Select Board should take proactive steps to help generate interest and ensure that Waterbury is well-represented on the HUUSD School Board. Representation matters in governance, especially at a local level. We have many leaders in this community, some who might not know it yet, who just need some encouragement to run. I believe people should be active in their community take an active role in shaping it. This is a huge part of the reason I am running for the select board position. Invested citizenry is essential for maintaining a healthy and effective democratic process.
The town soon will have some of its zoning regulations updated with features designed to encourage more housing in the downtown corridor. What other steps could town government take to help expand Waterbury's housing stock in a meaningful way?
We have many people in Waterbury doing great work on this. The Planning Commission has worked tirelessly on new workable zoning regulations to allow for higher density housing. The Development Review Board has reviewed and provided their insights. The new Housing Task Force has uncovered lessons learned from other communities to help us focus on opportunities to work with private developers, homeowners, renters and affordable housing providers. It's a group effort and promises to help Waterbury continue to be a growing, livable town.
Waterbury has an opportunity to wildly expand our housing stock after the zoning regulations move forward. I believe our community would greatly benefit from incentives for landowners to construct as many housing units as possible.
This is an area that I am working to get more informed on and will continue to stay engaged regardless if elected. I do know the current planning committee has been working very hard and listening to many voices to get us closer to achieving common goals. What I do hear a lot is our young people who were raised here cannot afford to buy a home. Not everyone wants to live in an apartment. Many young people want to buy that starter home, maintain their roots and live in a neighborhood where they might eventually raise children. In considering new zoning, it would be a good goal to see if we can work in single family housing to the plan that is cost effective allowing our youth to remain in our community which in turn provides a sustainable, stable community.
In addition to updating its zoning regulations, the town can streamline permitting processes as well as incentivize affordable housing. Using subsidies to encourage the development of affordable housing in Waterbury will be helpful. This issue does need to be addressed in such a way that we don’t compromise the character of our town. A great example of this type of thinking comes from the October decision to sell 51 S. Main Street to be developed for affordable housing. Not only did Downstreet’s plan make sense, it also served as a great example of the town coming together to address the issue of housing in our community. I can remember being at that meeting St. Leo’s Hall and being so proud of this community joining together for a good cause.
Waterbury voters in December approved creating a town charter to allow for local option sales taxes to be collected. Future revenue from such taxes is conservatively estimated at $650,000 per year. What would you consider the top priorities to use those funds?
Top of my list would be housing, flood mitigation and infrastructure.
Housing and infrastructure should be our top priorities.
The use of this new revenue stream must involve the voters. I would be hesitant to offer a blind answer but I do believe that however we use this revenue, it should be used to benefit the whole community, not for projects that only benefit a few. One option could be offsetting the burdens of ever increasing property tax which is key to affordability in the state. While I was raised in Vermont, I have lived overseas as well as in different states. This has shown me that the burden of taxes in Vermont are quite real and a key reason our youth depart in search of higher paying jobs and/or lower priced options to start a family. We should take note of this and work to establish new revenue sources that do not involve increasing taxes as the default option.
I believe we should be prompting inclusive growth for our town and the issue of affordable housing will be a priority for our community for some time to come. Another investment that should be building a more resilient and sustainable future for our residents. Our infrastructure, especially in the wake of the recent flooding we have endured over the past year should be a high priority, including stormwater management. Other considerations would be economic development programs to support our local businesses, investing in our community resources like youth programming, and even paying attention to environmental sustainability initiatives. I recognize that that is a lot to consider, but we are a multi-faceted community.
Waterbury's contract with the Vermont State Police for local policing service ends June 30. Do you support renewing this contract? Should it be for a different level of service?
Same level of service with VSP.
Increase VSP service.
Same level of service with VSP.
Increase VSP service.
After two significant flooding events in 2023, should Waterbury town government prioritize flood mitigation efforts? If so, what type of steps do you think local government can pursue to be effective?
Yes, we're already working on this in concert with Central Vermont Planning's Brian Voigt who's outlined funding opportunities and helped us apply for grants for engineering that will be the first step in receiving larger federal grants for implementation. We're looking at improvements along the entire Winooski River corridor as well as Thatcher Brook that serves as the primary outflow for the Center and Colbyville. More information on this will be forthcoming.
The Select Board is already pursuing avenues for flood mitigation from seeking out the best ways to redirect flood waters to creating the natural disaster preparedness committee. Every avenue possible should be explored to mitigate the effects of climate change.
This discussion has to be larger than Waterbury. Waterbury needs to be an active voice at the table with our neighbors along the Winooski. I know mitigation efforts have occurred after each event. We can always do better. Proposed actions that Montpelier take to mitigate damage (whether during the legislative session or result of local government action) affects those downstream. Recovery efforts are definitely key and welcome and the town should leverage organizations like CReW and others that are forming the right plans and assembling subject matter experts as part of any proposed solution. We’ll need to be open to alternatives and gather the right expertise to help define viable solutions and fight for the resources need to execute on those ideas.
Yes, flood mitigation will be a significant issue the select board will deal with over the coming year. The select board is already involved in these conversations and looking at possible solutions. One thing I have heard from community members is that we have already conducted studies and done a great deal of research on flood mitigation. While recognizing that things change over time, we should not be redesigning the wheel every time we are flooded. Let us use the resources at our disposal already. We should advocate to state leaders, including Governor Scott to help with this process and for additional funding. This is very much a statewide issue.
Waterbury and other nearby communities are losing their longtime sources of gravel to maintain gravel roads. What alternatives would you support to ensure the town's roads can be kept in good condition into the future?
Explore creating a town-owned quarry, work with other communities to develop a source of stone for road use, and pave more roads. The town has been exploring solutions since the gravel pit in Bolton discontinued operations last year. We have explored sourcing gravel at two sites in Waterbury. We're drafting an MOU with Duxbury and few other surrounding towns to look for common solutions. And we paved some portions of gravel roads. We'll continue to need stone and gravel to rebuild roads that have deteriorated. I've been gratified to see the appreciation expressed for our highway crew as they contend with multiple mud seasons.
Explore creating a town-owned quarry, work with other communities to develop a source of stone for road use, and pave more roads. The gravel situation is unprecedented and neighboring communities will have to work together to move forward on this issue. We should seek to partner with our surrounding towns to formulate a solution.
Work with other communities to develop a source of stone for road use. Good question and one in which my own first few questions would be, what is the requirement? How much gravel do we require? How much do the surrounding communities need? Where is the closest source? We are a community with a large network of dirt roads. It is not economically feasible to pave them all. Gravel is a necessity to maintain our roads. I would want to get answers to these questions to accurately identify the need and available resources. From there we can determine if it’s cost effective to join with our neighboring communities to ensure we all have that valuable source we need for our roads.
Explore creating a town-owned quarry and work with other communities to develop a source of stone for road use. We should be looking into multiple strategies to mitigate the cost of gravel road upkeep but also look at the environmental impact of such decisions.
Is it time to fold Waterbury's water and wastewater departments - currently governed by the Edward Farrar Utility District - into town government?
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Several of Waterbury's recreational areas are poised for growth and new development such as the Ice Center park area where a new skatepark is envisioned along with other improvements and Anderson Park where the pool and facilities are in need of upgrades. What do you see as a top priority for improving recreation facilities in town?
Our Recreation Committee worked well with the SE Group to develop conceptual plans for both Hope Davey and the park surrounding the Ice Center this past year. With the municipal pool in need of repair, focusing on the near and mid-term future of Anderson Park should be our top priority. In addition to hosting regional swim meets, Anderson serves as a hub for our town afternoon & summer rec programs and provides facilities for basketball, swim lessons, tennis, pickleball, little league baseball/softball, skating in the winter, dog walking and a variety of other sports.
I view our recreation areas as part of Waterbury’s greater infrastructure. Funding is key to expanding our recreational goals.
Similar to gravel question above. What is our need and what resources do we have available to work on improvements? We need to fully review and discuss these two questions. We don’t want to rush to failure by pushing ideas through before we have researched all the benefits, risks and impacts these decisions would have in the future. I realize there was a study that was briefed right before the flood. It would be terrible to invest in an area where we did not take into account the impact that significant flooding or undiscovered risks might have on improvements.
I see the need for accessible recreation, no matter your age or economic status as an equity issue. These opportunities should be available to everyone. These are areas in which members of the Waterbury community can connect with each other and others with similar interests. One priority for these areas is, again, tired to flood mitigation. I remember back in July trying to clean up the entrance to Perry Hill Trails after the flood ravaged the area. As we spend money on infrastructure like a skatepark in the same areas, we need to be thinking about long term viability. I also feel there need to be a fair balance between recreation and conservation in our town.
Where will you be on April 8, 2024 for the total solar eclipse?
Probably directing traffic.
Most likely cooking for the tourists.
Hopefully not stuck in traffic! Either on my deck, a friend’s deck or with a group of friends (and undoubtedly 1,000 other hikers…) on the top of one of our beautiful mountains!
As a Science teacher this is a big deal for me. I will be spending that afternoon with loved ones.
Fill in the blanks:
The best thing about Waterbury is ____________________
The ice cream - World's Finest, the socks - Darn Tough, the food & beverages - and all the people who make them. It’s a town full of doers.
The resilience of our community
The people and the space we have to enjoy the outside.
So much to choose from. The people... recreation opportunities... food!
And, Waterbury would be a better place if ______________
The Harwood Girls and Boys bring home a championship. Believe.
Working people could afford to continue living here.
We continue to preserve the history and beauty surrounding us.
It had more affordable housing.
Please add anything else you would like people to know.
The HUUSD School Board needs your help. You can contact the town clerk about this and other opportunities to engage with other community members, serve the town and offer your guidance. I look forward to seeing everyone at Town Meeting, Tuesday, March 5, at the Brookside gym starting at 9 a.m. Thanks for your support.
Just to elaborate on the question of consolidation of EFUD. This has been advocated by previous town leadership. As it stands, it is confusing to the public and those seeking to do business. There are likely more benefits to consolidation than the cost of not doing so. The way we are structured now with different entities may seriously affect our long-term goals for Waterbury and how we compete for resources. Frankly, it just makes sense. Resourcing priorities and decisions must come from feedback from active involvement by the voters. I’m not so sure the voting records within EFUD demonstrate that we are getting that feedback. I’d like to see the discussion shift to how we view the greater space that is Waterbury including Waterbury Center priorities and have those become common interests.
As my first year in this role, I plan to listen. I am willing to grow in this role and look forward to hearing from you!
For more information, contact the candidates
Roger Clapp - Roger.Clapp@waterburyvt.com
Cheryl Schoolcraft Gloor - grnmtngrl85@icloud.com
Ian Shea - SheaForSelectBoard@gmail.com
Kane Sweeney - sweeney4selectboard@gmail.com