The Decennial US Census has started; Response Lagging in our town!

On March 12, the online portal and the telephone bank at US Census opened for response. To date, millions of households have already responded to this critical questionnaire, which will determine how 675 billion dollars each year is allocated to the states.  As of April 1, response rates are as follows:

National:  36.2% Vermont: 29.4% Stockbridge: 7.2%

As you can see, Vermonters are responding at lower rates than the nation.  Residents should not wait to receive a form.   In fact, you can respond from the comfort of your home without ever interacting with a census taker!

You have two options: First, you can go online at 2020Census.gov and complete your Census quickly and securely. The first question will ask for a 12-digit number; if you have not received that yet, just skip the question and continue with the rest of the form.  If you prefer not to use the internet, you can call, toll-free, 844-330-2020, and speak with a live person who will take your information entirely over the phone.  There are only nine questions on all census questionnaires, so this will take you no more than 10 minutes!

Meals on Wheels, Medicare, school funding, transportation planning, and first responders all rely on the numbers that the Census produces.  Make sure our area is counted, completely and accurately, by being proactive and responding TODAY!

Thomas T Simmons, Partnership Specialist Windham/Windsor Counties VT Sullivan County NH U.S. Census Bureau (802) 491- 7856 Thomas.T.Simmons@2020Census.gov  census.gov Shape your future. START HERE> 2020census.gov

The Fast Trash Service is still in process at the Town Office on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. ABLE Waste has asked us to ensure that anyone droppng off trash has the exact change and that they respect the 6 foot social distancing rules.

All dogs 6 months of age and older must be licensed in the town. A current rabies certificate is required. You will be provided a numbered tag which helps the Constables to reunite wandering/lost dogs with their owners. Due to the Town Office being closed, we are processing licenses via the mail. The dog license fee is $9.00 for a neutered dog and $13.00 for an unneutered dog. To license your dog please send a copy of your current rabies certificate and the appropriate fee. We will process your payment and send the license and dog tag back to you by mail. You may also use the drop box outside the town office door. At this time we are waiving the $3.00 penalty charge for licenses after April 1.

Please know that $4.00 of the dog license fee goes to the VT Spay Neuter Incentive Program (VSNIP). The VSNIP is intended to help with the cost of spay and neuter services for cats and dogs that are cared for by owners unable to afford the cost of these important procedures. This is the only funding that VSNIP receives.

We are currently open reduced hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:00am-1:00pm.

PLEASE VISIT ONLY IF NECESSARY. WE ARE ONLY ACCEPTING TRASH, RECYCLING, AND FOOD SCRAPS!

If you MUST visit, please take the following precautions:

• Only visit if you feel healthy.
• Practice social/physical distancing by keeping at least 6 feet of space between people.
• Wear gloves.

Only bring:

• Trash, food scraps, and recyclables.
• Recyclables should be empty of liquids and clean.
• Trash must be contained in a bag. No loose trash.

Postpone visits for these purposes:

• Spring cleaning. Store this waste at home, out of the weather. The old TV, couch, bed or lawnmower that has been sitting in the garage or shed for a few months can wait.
• Yard clean up. If something was hanging out in your yard already, please let it spend a bit more time there, or start a backyard compost pile.

Payment Procedures:

We are NOT allowing customers in the office at this time. Please pay for bagged trash at the cashier’s window inside the building. If you use the scale, please pay at the cashier’s window outside the building. Please provide your own pen. Checks should be made payable to “Bethel-Royalton Transfer Station” or “BRTS”. If you are paying with cash, please use the smallest bills possible.

Contact Information:

Our phone line is overwhelmed with calls, so if your question isn’t answered here, feel free to email me at whiteriveralliancemanager@gmail.com.

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout Vermont.  Learn more at the Vermont Department of Health website www.healthvermont.gov.

It starts with each of us doing our part. And how we do this is by completing the 2020 Census questionnaire. You can complete it online or by phone. It is easy, safe and takes around 10 minutes to complete.
Completing the questionnaire allows you to influence the amount of money that comes to Vermont for many of our essential programs…programs that benefit our health and safety, that pay for our roads, for local government, for schools, for hospitals, and for so much more…
All households should receive an invitation by this weekend with a 12 digit Census ID to go online and complete the questionnaire. But, you can complete the questionnaire at any time without the census ID by going to the official Census website, my2020Census.gov. When you get there you will see a link :“If you don’t have a Census ID, click here”. It will ask you for your physical address and from there you can complete the questionnaire. 
If you prefer not to use the internet, this is the first time we can complete the questionnaire by phone! You can call: 844-330-2020 to get help in English. There are an additional 13 other language options for completing the questionnaire as well. 
If you have questions, or need help, please call the 2020 Census office in Burlington at 802-557-6707 (we are teleworking to be safe and well, and will respond to your calls), or you can email me at elvira.otero@2020census.gov and I’ll get back to you with an answer.

The Vermont Department of Taxes continues to carefully monitor the evolving situation related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Department is working closely with the office of Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont legislature, following changes at the federal level, and adhering to guidance from the Vermont Department Health. Please see the Department’s information on relief for Vermont taxpayers at tax.vermont.gov/coronavirus. You should check this link periodically as the guidance may change. You may also follow the Vermont Department of Taxes on Facebook and Twitter.

The link below is to the VT Dept of Labor site for Employee and Employer frequently asked questions regarding loss of job or loss of hours due to COVID-19 closures. There is also a link on that page to submit an initial Unemployment Claim.

https://labor.vermont.gov/covid19/covid-19-frequently-asked-questions

Meals Announcement

Stockbridge Central School will begin offering bag lunches & breakfasts to children 18 years of age and younger tomorrow (Tuesday March 17th).  We will be offering curbside pickup and delivery of these meals from 11-1.  All meals will be served free of charge.  Please take a moment to fill out the online survey for the number of meals needed.  This form was emailed out and posted on our Facebook page.  If you can not access this electronically please call the school by 8:30 am to RSVP the number of meals needed.  As always if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me at school at 234-9248 or email me at lstetson@wrvsu.org.  Please stay healthy & safe!

Link to order meals

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3-16-2020 EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: Stockbridge and COVID-19

The Town of Stockbridge Selectboard is taking decisive action in response to the COVID-19 public health threat. Governor Scott has declared a State of Emergency. Emergency management operations are in place and being enacted.

For up-to-date COVID-19 information please go to the Vermont Department of Health guidance documents at  healthvermont.gov/covid19.

If you have a request for support from the town for services or other concerns, please email townofstockbridgevt@gmail.com. You will receive a response as soon as possible.

The following actions are being taken in Stockbridge:

The Town Office is closed to the public as of Monday, March 16. The staff will be available to provide documents and information via telephone and email during the normal office hours Tues-Thurs 8am-4:30pm and Fri 8am-noon. Contact townofstockbridgevt@gmail.com or call 746-8400.

• Employees are not allowed to come to work with a fever or any other flu-like symptoms.
• All governance continuity plans are being updated
• The Fire Department and First Responders are following the COVID-19 guidelines issued by White River Valley Ambulance.
• There are many sources of information regarding COVID-19. Please use the official links to the CDC and the Vermont Department of Health to get up to date information.
• The Selectboard will continue to monitor the CDC, VT Department of Health, and Vermont SEOC recommendations and take actions as required.

The safety and health of Stockbridge residents is the town official’s primary concern.

Links Below:

The Center for Disease Control 

The Vermont Department of Health

WRVSU for School information

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Town of Stockbridge update on COVID-19.

On Monday (3/9), the Governor ordered the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to support the ongoing work of the Vermont Department of Health – Health Operations Center and expand the capacity of state government to coordinate the COVID-19 response. The SEOC activated at 7:30 am Wednesday (3/11/20) and will continue operations daily from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, for the foreseeable future.

The Selectboard is currently working on gathering accurate information in order to develop specific plans for dealing with the now declared pandemic of COVID-19 at the local level.  The Selectboard will be reviewing the information and be discussing at the next board meeting on 3/19/2020.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. Person-to-person spread of the virus is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Much is still unknown about how the virus spreads. Take these everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• If you feel ill, call your doctor.

The links below are continuously being updated with new information as it is available.  Please keep a close eye on the guidance being generated by the Vermont Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.