Woodstock Early Bird Because the early bird gets the worm! email: EARLYBIRDTIPS@yahoo.com

A major effort is underway to recover damage to the Woodstock Inn and Resort

Woodstock Early Birds, hopefully most of you are back at work, at school, getting into a bit more  of a routine — even if the new routine is making phones calls to get more help, and yes watching the rain fall and wondering.

Here are some notes from Wednesday morning’s Town of Woodstock Flood Response recovery meeting. Watch here:  http://wdstksafetymtgs.wctv8.com/

 Two other sources to get direct OFFICIAL  info: www.townofwoodstock.org and a few hours or so after every meeting you can see TV coverage at Woodstock’s Community TV Station: www.wctv8.com.

Sewer System: Town Manager Phil Swanson wants to refute “rumours” that the Woodstock sewer system is knocked out. “That’s not true.”  He says one pipe broke affecting some 40 to 50 homes. Those homes are on River Street, North Street and from the Recreation Center out to White Cottage. He asks that everyone continue to “take it easy” on water use. As soon as the river goes back down (it’s up again due to rains) there are contractors ready to put the fix in. Contractors, unfortunately had to be diverted from sewer system work to help buttress the Elm Street Bridge. Work is ongoing under the bridge, although it has been deemed safe for travel.

Swanson said he appreciates everything that is being done at the high school to conserve water and to mitigate sewer issues. All sewer in West Woodstock is being collected a pumping station. He said, overall of the sewer system, “So, no loss…we got that under control. The other pipes are fine.”

State Business Assistance: Vermont Economic Development Administration has money to help with business emergency losses. However, it is first come, first served. The entire state is going after that money, so get your request in.

B&B’s: Homeowner assistance and B&B assistance based on how you file your taxes. There is help. Proportion of assistance based on what part is home and what part is business.

FEMA: If you are not able to file online or don’t want to call FEMA, there is currently a Disaster Recovery Center in Barre at 14 Auditorium Drive. You can get your questions answered there and get help filing your paperwork. The State is slated to have 10 centers open. It’s not known if Woodstock will be one of them. However, Town Manager Phil Swanson says he’s looking for office space to offer to FEMA. Needs to be able to have desk/computer space for 5 to 10 staff with a waiting area. The Town has also asked for a mobile FEMA  disaster recovery center van.

Debris in Your Yard:  One option — locals to truck your stuff away or a major company such as Jewel Trucking out of Claremont which can bring in a “SUPER DUMP TRUCK”  to get rid of major debris. 452-5622.

Roads: Town Roads Manager Dave Green says virtually all roads are now passable. Everything is “open” except for a couple bridges: Robert’s Road Bridge and Larry Curtis Road Bridge. Just because they are open does not mean you should drive them. Some are still reserved ONLY for emergency vehicles.  “They are not for sightseeing.”

Permit Fees: The Town has suspended charges for permits. However, you are still required to apply for permits. Woodstock Planning and Zoning will do everything possible to expedite requests for permits including holding special meetings. If you are rebuilding exactly as your place was to begin with you do not need a permit. Interior changes do not need a permit.

Retaining Walls: Sorry, but these are not subject to Town of Woodstock approval. You MUST go through the State of Vermont. Swanson says the town does not have the ability to make decisions about work in flood plains, “If we skirt federal regulations it will put us in jeopardy” for federal emergency funding.

Water/Aqueduct System: We are told that we are doing better at conserving water! Good job! Village Trustee Bob Pear has spoken with Woodstock Aqueduct and reports we have gained considerable volume in our tank. However, we are not there yet and need to keep up the conservation — don’t flush unless you have to, flush with utility water if you have it, limit baths/showers, if you have to do laundry only do what is absolutely essential! 

Woodstock Aqueduct is apparently in receipt of major valves needed for a fix and a major pipe has been ordered. An eight-inch main was broken and washed away in the storm.

Water Boil Order: It is in effect until further notice. Woodstock Aqueduct has taken and passed along some water samples. However, the boil order cannot be lifted until the new pipe and that compromised part of the system is attached to replace the hose that is now part of the municipal water system.

Vail Field Soil Testing:  The Town will be asking its contractor Mike Willis to arrange for soil testing of Vail Field. Kedron Brook washed over it and the fields are what Swanson calls “an asset of the Village” which are  needed for recreation programs. However, Vail is now cordoned off since it’s not known what is  covering the field.

Property Owner’s Soil Testing: Chip Kendall suggests Department of Agriculture may have suggestions. Also Jon Bouton’s office may have guidance.

Use of Fire Station #2:  Engine 2 needs a roof over its head. Fire Chief L.D. Sutherland, Jr. asked how long volunteers would need West Woodstock Fire Station #2 since the engine that is housed out there is outside now and not protected. Discussions about possibly moving the entire volunteer center and clothing distribution point to the Grange Hall down the road so that Engine #2 can get back inside. Sutherland said it’s of great importance to keep a fire truck located in West Woodstock. (There’s also an ambulance that is housed there).

Trucks: Police Chief Robbie Blish says  while all the large dump trucks are essential for flood recovery, Woodstock Police will be stepping up safety and speed enforcement in the Village. It would also be helpful if everyone used crosswalks and used extreme caution at all times when getting in and out cars.   Also, parking enforcement returns next week. (Ticketing has been suspended these past ten days since Tropical Storm Irene came through).

That’s it for now Early Birds. Stay dry out there today!

PRESS RELEASE
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
September 5, 2011

Contact: Ginny Colbert – 802-241-3600

Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is Expediting Flood Recovery

Montpelier. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) announced today the steps they are taking to help municipalities and homeowners expedite flood recovery. “We recognize that in many places the river changed course, damaging homes and businesses, and wiping out roads and bridges,” said Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz. “We need to rebuild this infrastructure immediately but if we are not careful, the things we do today could have a catastrophic impact later on.” She added, “To help prevent future problems, we have deployed a team of experts who are out in Vermont communities, ready to help with technical assistance, expert advice and problem solving. “

Recognizing that recovery in the aftermath of a statewide flood disaster requires extensive in-stream work, the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Rivers Program will assist landowners, municipalities, and other agencies as they conduct emergency work. DEC staff will ensure that rebuilding occurs in the best possible way in order to minimize loss from the next flood event.

State Rivers Program Manager Mike Kline said, “It is important to understand how rivers and streams behave during floods when we decide how to rebuild infrastructure and buildings and when we consider whether we should be altering the new course of the stream.” Secretary Markowitz said, “It is also important to keep in mind that simply rebuilding a road or home in the exact same location may be a mistake. The decisions we make recovering from this flood may well determine how we fare during the next one.”

Expedited Flood Recovery: Where needed, the ANR Rivers Program will provide technical assistance to:

1. Relocate streams to a former location: During an immediate flood recovery period DEC River Program staff will be available in the field and by phone, to authorize excavation and relocation of stream channels to pre-flood alignments where necessary to reestablish roads and other public infrastructure and to restore / protect private property. Technical assistance is being offered in the field to help reduce the effect of such recovery operations on future flood hazards, public safety, and the rights of other landowners.

2. Reestablish channel capacity: On a case-by-case basis DEC River Program staff will authorize the removal of gravel and other debris from filled-in segments of river where the channel has aggraded, no longer has the capacity to carry the annual flood discharge, and property damage has occurred or further damage is imminent.

3. Facilitate stream stability: DEC River Program staff will provide technical assistance on the most successful approaches and engineering solutions to improving both vertical and lateral stream stability where public infrastructure and private property has been damaged or is threatened; such that future floods will result in less damage rather than more.

4. Reestablish stream crossings: Hundreds of private and public stream crossings are lost. DEC River Program staff will provide technical assistance to VTrans, municipalities, and private owners to reestablish culverts and bridges in a manner that reduces the public safety hazard and vulnerability to future flood loss. This includes help to determine appropriate structure type, size and location. Agency program staff will also help to plan and seek funding for better designed stream crossing structures over the longer term.

5. Expedited assistance and permit approvals. DEC River Program staff will use its emergency authorities, general permit process and expedite permit approvals during the flood recovery period (the time frame necessary to avoid imminent danger to private and public property) so that critical public infrastructure can be restored as quickly as possible.

Practices that require approval during the flood recovery period: The following practices can contribute to damage caused by flood erosion and inundation. Consequently, municipalities and landowners must get approval from DEC River Program staff prior to using these techniques in their flood recovery efforts:

1. Berming – using gravel and other aggregate to fill and create a linear barrier between the river and its floodplain. Berming will only be approved when no other options exist to protect the damaged or threatened facility.

2. Rechanneling streams in unstable dimensions and/or elevations –excavating the channel substantially deeper, wider, and/or steeper than the dimensions and longitudinal slope of the channel required for the annual flood discharge; or extending dredging operations beyond that necessary for the removal of existing threats will be permitted when necessary. However, commercial gravel mining in streams is prohibited by law, and statutory limits for riparian landowner use of 50 cubic yards without a permit still apply in flood recovery periods.

3. Creating new straightened river channels –excavating new channels that did not exist prior to the flood event will be allowed in limited circumstances.

Gravel Pit Access and Removal – Act 250

The Natural Resources Board oversees the Act 250 process that regulates the extraction of gravel. The NRB has announced that it will authorize reasonable activities related to this emergency. Gravel for road repair and debris management are critical to Vermont’s post-Irene response. To assure availability of needed gravel, the Natural Resources Board (Act 250) has:

1. Temporarily suspended enforcement of extraction limits and trucking, and is allowing closed gravel pits and rock quarries to be reopened as needed. If you need gravel from a quarry that is not permitted to extract gravel you must call the District Environmental Coordinator to inform them of the emergency gravel extraction and provide the information related to the activity. The information allows the coordinators to work with the pit operator to prevent any problems. The District Coordinators and NRB Chair will be available over the holiday weekend to continue assisting emergency extractions.

2. In addition, the NRB is temporarily suspending enforcement of limits on hours of operation and trucking in Act 250 permits for landfills to make it easier to dispose of flood debris.

“ANR is here to help communities recover, and will be wherever we are needed to offer technical assistance during this extreme situation,” Secretary Markowitz said, “but it is important to remember that the environmental protections that protect our streams are not suspended during flood recovery. With permission from our River Management engineers, emergency in-stream work may proceed under emergency provisions set in statute, and we will do everything in our power to expedite the process.”

You can find the stream alteration statutes and the General Permit online at:

http://www.vtwaterquality.org/rivers/docs/rv_Stream%20Alteration_General%20Permit04-18-11.pdf

Guidelines for in-stream work are located on the flood information page of the ANR website at: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/site/html/flood.htm#after

Contact information and coverage maps for River Management Engineers is located at: http://www.vtwaterquality.org/rivers/docs/rv_contact.pdf

Cell phone numbers:
Barry Cahoon P.E. (Northeast Vermont) (802) 343-0217
Chris Brunelle (Northwest Vermont) (802) 777-5328
Patrick Ross P.E. (Central Vermont) (802) 279-1143
Todd Menees P.E. (Southern Vermont) (802) 345-3510
Mike Kline, Rivers Program Manager (802) 793-7617