In this Newsletter (Scroll down for details).
General Election Information
Statewide Burn Ban
Pawlet Emergency Management
Links for information when the town clerk is not available
The Pawlet Community Food Shelf
Town of Pawlet now accepts online payments for property tax and waste water user fees
Zoning Information (updates)
Town clerk office hours
Upcoming Town Office Closures
Library Hours
Did you know?
Highway Department — contact information
American Diabetes Month

Upcoming Events & Important Dates
(scroll down toward the end of the newsletter for details)
November 2: Roast Pork Dinner – Pawlet Community Church
November 4: Mettowee School Board Meeting
November 5: Election Day
November 5:  Pawlet Public Library Monthly Meeting
November 12: Pawlet Select Board Meeting
November 13: Pawlett Historical Society Monthly Meeting
November 26: Pawlet Select Board Meeting

General Election information

• It is advisable at this point to bring early voted ballots directly to the town hall.   At this point do not mail your ballot due to the chance that we will not receive it in time.
• Ballots received after 7:00 PM on 11/5 cannot be counted
• There is a secure drop box on the town hall porch if the office is closed (it will be checked regularly)
• In person voting will be on November 5 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. 
• Please bring your official ballot to the polls with you which you would have received in the mail at the beginning of October.  This IS your official ballot. 
  • You may bring your voted ballot to the polls and run it through the tabulator on 11/5
  • You may bring your ballot unvoted, vote at the polls and run it through the tabulator
  • You will be asked to sign an Affidavit of No Ballot cast if our records show that you have been issued a ballot and do not have it with you on election day.
• We are at about the state average for early voted ballots received (getting close to 1/3)
• Campaigning at the polling site is prohibited (per state statute)
  • NO Buttons, Campaign Literature, etc. Inside the Building Containing the Polling Place On Election Day, within the building containing a polling place, no campaign literature, stickers, buttons, name stamps, information on candidates or other political materials may be placed, handed out, displayed or allowed to remain. 17 V.S.A. §2508. Voters may bring a small card or folded paper to remind themselves how to vote, or a label or sticker to affix it to the ballot to vote for a write-in candidate so long as the voter is not displaying the paper or label to others in the room. 17 V.S.A. §2587(e).
• State Law regarding Firearms at the Polling Place

S.209 states “A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm at a polling place or on the walks leading to a building in which a polling place is located on an election day.”

This law applies everywhere in Vermont.  It requires signs to be posted at the entrances to polling places, so you will see these signs when you come to the town office and/or if you vote in person.

• Please be patient and respectful to each other and election officials.  It is likely to be a very busy day and it will take time for Affidavits to be completed and for folks to vote.  Be prepared to wait a few minutes.  At 7:00 PM, if there is a line waiting to vote, an election official will place themselves at the end of the line to indicate that polls are closed at that point.
• We are and always have been committed to running elections with great care, respect and according to law.  We ask you to come to the polling place prepared to cast your vote in a respectful manner.  We cannot assist in information relating to candidates.

Statewide Burn Ban

Montpelier, VT – After a warm, dry week and weekend and several reports of large wildfires in Vermont, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) has issued an order for all of the state’s forest fire wardens to cease issuing burning permits from 3:00 pm on October 28, 2024 through 3:00 pm on November 11, 2024. The order will be in effect for two weeks and can be revoked earlier if conditions warrant. 

Over the last week, the wildfire danger has fluctuated between high, very high, and extreme throughout the state. With the continued dry weather outlook and the abundance of dry leaves and dry fuels in Vermont’s forests, wildfires have the potential to spread rapidly.?Recent relative humidity levels as low as 16% in the past week and winds gusting over 30 MPH have also influenced wildfire spread. Furthermore, there is no significant rainfall in the forecast and therefore fire danger is expected to remain at these elevated levels for the foreseeable future.  

“We have received notification from many Town Forest Fire Wardens that they have stopped issuing burn permits in their towns,” said Danielle Fitzko, Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “This statewide order supports their efforts. We are also concerned with fire department personnel becoming strained and fatigued as they share responsibility for wildland fire response.”  

The current fire situation is not limited to Vermont. “Other New England states currently have elevated fire danger and are experiencing large wildfires that have required assistance from neighboring states,” said Dan Dillner, Vermont Forest Fire Supervisor. “It is critical that we reduce the potential for further human caused fires by putting this temporary ban on burn permits in place.” 

Fires over the weekend have destroyed two camps in Barnard, VT. Some of these fires were caused by improper disposal of wood stove ash and debris burning.  

For the current fire danger forecast, visit https://fpr.vermont.gov/forest/wildland-fire/monitoring-fire-danger. For more information on fire safety and prevention, visit https://fpr.vermont.gov/prevent-forest-fires.

Pawlet Emergency Management

Stay informed and prepared with the latest updates from Pawlet Emergency Management by liking our Facebook page! Our page serves as a crucial hub for disseminating important announcements, including town-wide emergencies such as road closures, shelter openings, and other critical information. By following us, you ensure that you have instant access to all essential updates, keeping you and your family safe. Like our page today and stay connected with the most current emergency information!

– Bob Morlino

Emergency Management Director

Links for information when Town Clerk is not available:

**All land record recordings from 10/2013 to present are entered into the COTT Online System:
https://cotthosting.com/vtportal/user/login.aspx

Online maps & Assessor’s cards:

http://www.caigisonline.com/pawletvt/

Certified copies of Birth & Death can be procured from any town clerk in the state or online at

https://www.healthvermont.gov/stats/vital-records

The Pawlet Community Food Shelf
The Pawlet Community Food Pantry, housed in the community room of the Pawlet Community Church,  will be open from 3:30 to 5:30 on the 2nd Thursday, November 14th but on the 4th Tuesday, November 26th  because Thanksgiving  is on the 4th Thursday!  Anyone who needs food help is welcome to come and pick out the items they might need.  Likewise, if someone is unable to get to the church to pick up food, we may be able to deliver needed items.  To request such help , please call the church (802-325-3022) between 3:30 and 4:30 on Food Pantry days  and arrangements will be made.  For emergency food assistance, call the Town Office (802-325-3309).  

Town of Pawlet now accepts online payments for property tax and waste water user fees
The Town of Pawlet is happy to announce that we are now able to accept credit card and Electronic Checks for Property Tax and Waste Water User Fee Payments. Click HERE to get started with a payment or call Julie at 802-325-3309 ext. 2.

Zoning Information
A permit is required for storage boxes and shipping containers. They are considered structures and subject to the same Zoning By-Laws as a building. If you have a storage box/shipping container on your property you must apply for a permit. An exemption is allowed if being used as temporary storage for less than one year. Questions? Contact pawletzoning@vermontel.net

The Pawlet Selectboard adopted a Short Term Rental Ordinance (STR) on May 30, 2024.  It requires all properties that are being used as STR to register with the Town of Pawlet.

The owner is responsible for completing “The Town of Pawlet Short Term Registration Form” and payment of a $65 one time fee by January 1, 2025

Additional information and registration form are available from the Zoning Administrator at pawletzoning@vermontel.net and on the website HERE under Pawlet Short-term Rental Ordinance and Short-term Rental Registration Form. 

Contact: pawletzoning@vermontel.net  or by phone: 802-325-3309 x 3

Town Clerk Office hours**
Monday:  9:30-3:30
Tuesday: 9:00-3:00
Wednesday:  9:30-3:30
Thursday:  Closed
Friday:  Closed

** Please note: Appointments need to be made ahead of time for land record and genealogical research.

Upcoming Town Clerk Office closures
November 11, 2024 Veterans Day
November 27-28, 2024 Thanksgiving
December 2-4, 2024
December 23-25, 2024 Christmas
December 31 through January 1, 2025 New Years

Pawlet Public Library hours of operation **Extended to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays**
Sunday – Closed
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 11:00am – 5:00pm
Wednesday – 11:00am – 8:00pm
Thursday – 11:00am – 5:00pm
Friday – 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – 10:00am – 2:00pm

Curbside service is available by appointment on the days the Library is open. Contact the Library staff at 802-325-3123 or pawletpub@gmail.com.

Did you know?
The earliest known utterance of “trick-or-treat” is credited to a province in Ontario, Canada in 1917. 

Highway Department
The Town of Pawlet Highway Department requests that citizens do not come to the town garage to contact them. Please phone and leave a message: 802-325-3467

American Diabetes Month
Each year in November, Community Health joins other healthcare organizations and the American Diabetes Association to observe American Diabetes Month, a time to rally against the diabetes epidemic and empower individuals, families and communities with knowledge about diabetes.

How will you observe American Diabetes Month?  

Here are some things you can do during American Diabetes Month:

• Talk to your Community Health primary care provider about diabetes and find out if you are at risk.
• If you are diagnosed with diabetes, inquire about Community Health’s diabetes education program.
• Take the risk test https://diabetes.org/diabetes-risk-test.
• Attend and bring a friend or family member to Community Health’s diabetes support group the second Wednesday of the month.

Community Health and Rutland Regional Medical Center’s Diabetes & Endocrinology Center have joined together to offer two Diabetes Support Groups:

• 1-2 PM at the Rutland Diabetes & Endocrinology Center
• 5-6 PM at Community Health Castleton

Learn more about diabetes at Community Health.

Check our website http://www.chcrr.org or call 802-779-9169.

Upcoming Events Details

— November 2, 4:30 p.m. — Roast Pork Dinner at the Pawlet Community Church
More information (including price and menu) available HERE.

— November 4, 6:30 p.m. — Mettowee School Board meeting
Taking place at the town hall.

— November 5,  starting at 5:30 p.m. — Pawlet Public Library Monthly Board Meeting
The Library Board typically meets the first Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. The May meeting is an exception. The meetings are open to the public; please contact the library for more information on how to join the meeting at 325-3123.

— November 12, 7:00 p.m. — Pawlet Select Board Meeting
The agenda for the next meeting will be available HERE. The Board meets every other Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held according to the rules of procedure established by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

— November 13, 7:00 p.m. — Pawlett Historical Society’s Monthly Meeting
Held at Pawlet Public Library. Contact Rose Smith 24 hours in advance if you need to attend via Zoom at 802-645-0306

— November 26, 7:00 p.m. — Pawlet Select Board Meeting
The agenda for the next meeting will be available HERE. The Board meets every other Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Meetings are held according to the rules of procedure established by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

More News and Updates

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The Pawlet eNews is published about every four weeks. Please forward any information for the eNews to Sean Ruck, updates@pawlet.vt.gov Thank you.