By Tracy Juaire, Public Works Supervisor
The Public Works Department will be paving Blockhouse Point Road the first week of October, 2024. Exact days and times depend on the contractor and weather. Please limit deliveries from any big trucks and expect delays when traveling on Blockhouse Point Road.  

By Corinn Julow, North Hero Town Clerk
The State of Vermont will be mailing absentee ballots for the Nov. 5 General Election to all qualified registered voters.  
Ballots will be mailed the week of Sept. 23 to the address on record as of Sept. 9. If you have changed your address or voting status after Sept. 9, contact the town office to discuss how to receive a ballot. Ballots will not be forwarded. A list of voters and the mailing address their absentee ballots will be mailed to is available on the North Hero website elections page. 
If you do not wish to vote absentee, bring the ballot you receive in the mail with you to the polls on Nov. 5. Election day voting will be available at the Community Hall, 3541 US Route 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you do not bring your ballot with you, you will be required to complete an affidavit of no ballot cast before voting. 
All elections are different and voting can be confusing. But we are here to help. Give us a call at 802-372-6926 or email [email protected] with any questions. 

By Lisa Keyworth, North Hero Town Treasurer
Just a reminder, the first installment of the North Hero property taxes is due Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.  
The town office will be closed Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in observance of Labor Day. 

By Lisa Keyworth, North Hero Town Treasurer
The North Hero property tax bills were mailed on Saturday, July 27. Due to the multiple votes on the school budget, there was a delay in the mailing of the bills. In recognition of this delay, the North Hero Selectboard has extended the due date for the 1st installment to Aug. 30, without penalty. 
More detailed information on the state education and municipal tax rates can be found at https://www.northherovt.com/page/home. If you do not receive your tax bill or would like more information, please contact the Town Office at 802-372-6926.

By Corinn Julow, North Hero Town Clerk
The 2024 State Primary is Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. Absentee ballots will not be automatically mailed for the State Primary. You will need to request an absentee ballot if you wish to vote absentee. 
Many voters in North Hero requested absentee ballots for all 2024 elections be mailed to them and on Friday, June 28, 2024, we mailed 55 ballots to voters with requests already in our system. You may check if you were issued a ballot at mvp.vermont.gov or by contacting the town office. You may also request an absentee ballot at mvp.vermont.gov or through the town office. 
In person voting will be Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 7am to 7pm at the Community Hall located at 3541 US Route 2. 
Please reach out with any questions at [email protected] or 802-372-6926. Lisa and I are eager to help. 

By Corinn Julow, North Hero Town Clerk
The Champlain Islands Unified Union School District (CIUUSD) has scheduled another revote for the school budget on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Voting for North Hero voters will be held at the Community Hall located at 3541 US Route 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
Absentee ballots are required to be automatically sent to all voters that requested an absentee ballot, by mail or in person, in the March 5 and the April 30 local elections. These absentee ballots were mailed on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Ballots are available for absentee voting up until June 3, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.
Please contact the town office at [email protected] or 802-372-6926 with questions about issued ballots or absentee voting. 
The CIUUSD will hold an informational hearing on Monday, June 3, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Hero School at 6441 US Route 2. This meeting will also be accessible remotely and the information to join may be found at www.northherovt.com; click on the “Calendar of Board Meetings”.

By Corinn Julow, North Hero Town Clerk
​
Water Storage Tank Project
The North Hero Water Department applied for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) in 2023. Notification was received just this week that North Hero will be receiving $500,000 through Becca Balint’s office for the water storage tank project. This is great news! This funding will be combined with grant awards from the State of Vermont and with another federal grant called Northern Borders Catalyst Program. In total, North Hero has been awarded $2.3 million dollars for the water infrastructure improvements.

North Hero Welcomes New Zoning Administrator 
Danielle Turin of Grand Isle is North Hero’s new zoning administrator. North Hero contracts with Northwest Regional Planning Commission for zoning administration, development review board and planning commission clerk services. The contract is for approximately 17 hours a week of services and this time is allocated between meetings, site visits, and office hours. 
Danielle will be holding zoning office hours on Wednesday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. She may be reached at 802-372-6926 ext. 6 or [email protected]. We encourage you to stop in and stay hi.

North Hero School Budget Revote
The Champlain Islands Unified Union School District (CIUUSD) has scheduled a revote for the school budget on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Voting for North Hero will be held at the Community Hall located at 3541 US Route 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
Ballots are required to be sent automatically to all voters that requested an absentee ballot, by mail or in person, in the March 5 local election. These absentee ballots were mailed on April 12, 2024. Ballots are available for absentee voting up until April 29, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.
Please contact the town office at [email protected] or 802-372-6926 with questions about issued ballots or absentee voting. 
The CIUUSD will hold an informational hearing on Monday, April 29, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the North Hero School at 6441 US Route 2. This meeting will also be accessible remotely and the information to join may be found at www.northherovt.com; click on the “Calendar of Board Meetings”.

​By Lisa Keywork, Assistant Town Clerk/Treasurer
The fourth installment for North Hero Water Service is due on Tuesday, April 20. Payments can be made by credit card or check payments in person, over the phone or online at northherovt.com/page/payment. 
Checks can be mailed to the Town Office, PO Box 38, North Hero, VT 05474. 
The office also has a drop box located in the alcove to the left of the office door where cash or check payments as well as correspondence can securely be deposited.

By Corinn Julow, Town Clerk
The Champlain Islands Unified Union School District Board has a vacancy for a North Hero representative to serve until March 2021.  The North Hero Selectboard will appoint an individual to fill the vacancy at a meeting on Aug. 24 at 5:15 p.m.
Any North Hero voter who is interested in the position must submit a letter of interest to be received by noon on Saturday, Aug. 22.  
The letter should indicate why you wish to be appointed and list any relevant qualifications and experience. Mail letter to North Hero Town Office (P.O. Box 38, North Hero, VT 05474) or submitted by email to [email protected].  
Contact the North Hero Town Office at 802-372-6926 with questions.

By Amanda Holland, Northwest Regional Planning Commission
NORTH HERO - The Town of North Hero has received a Municipal Planning Grant from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to develop a Village Master Plan.  The planning project will engage the community in considering appropriate options for potential bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements to support the people who work, live or come to the village daily in addition to seasonal visitors. The town has hired the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. to complete the project.  A local Steering Committee made up of Selectboard, Planning Commission and Recreation Commission members is guiding the work of the consultants on behalf of the town.  
The Steering Committee is hosting a virtual and physical open house from July 22 to August 5.  “The Steering Committee is excited to receive input from the community on the design ideas aimed toward making North Hero Village safer and more pedestrian and bike friendly.”, said Co-Chair Heather Bickford.  
The Steering Committee encourages residents to participate through one of the opportunities provided below.  The Open House will showcase different types and scales of potential safety and accessibility improvements for those on foot, by bicycle or by car.  Improvements may include enhanced crosswalks, widen shoulder along the roadway, public lighting and signage. A project website is regularly updated with information about the project at www.nrpcvt.com/northherovillagemasterplan.  
NORTH HERO COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
1. Virtual Open House:  Entirely online with opportunity to provide feedback remotely.  It can be accessed anytime via the project website during the period from July 22 to August 5.  
2. Physical Open House:  A display and opportunity to provide feedback will be set up at the North Hero Town Office from July 22 to August 5.  The display can be visited anytime during normal business hours while wearing a mask and adhering to social distancing.
This workshop comes on the heels of a Walk Audit in the fall of 2019 hosted by the North Hero Planning Commission to walk along Route 2 and assess the current roadway in terms of safety and accessibility for walking, biking, driving and parking in the village. Over twenty community members attended and shared their experiences and ideas. Information from this event along with community discussions on the speed limit in the village have informed the suite of opportunities to be explored.  The goal of the Open House is to hear from the community at large on the type and scale of potential improvements for the North Hero Village.