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Select Board adopts Knox Box and junkyard ordinances; open-container measure discussed
Summary
On April 7 the Woodstock Select Board adopted a Knox Box (fire department access) ordinance (amended to take effect July 1) and approved a junk/junkyard ordinance with an effective date amendment; the board also discussed an open-container alcohol ordinance but further enforcement details and education were raised before final implementation.
The Select Board considered three public‑safety and code ordinances at its April 7 meeting and recorded motions on two of them.A Knox Box building-access ordinance was presented by fire‑department staff to allow secure key access for emergency responders to buildings with sprinkler or alarm systems. Board members discussed who must install the box (business owners), exemptions for buildings without sprinkler systems, and a recommended implementation timeline. The board amended the ordinance’s effective date to July 1 to give businesses time to comply, moved to adopt the ordinance with that amended date, and recorded the question in favor.The board also reviewed a detailed junk/junkyard ordinance to regulate storage, accumulation and disposal of junk with public‑safety goals. Members recommended warning letters to likely non‑compliant properties and agreed on an implementation window (discussed as July–August). A motion to adopt the ordinance with an amended effective date was made and seconded and the board recorded the vote in favor.An open‑container alcohol ordinance — proposed to prohibit drinking in sidewalks, parks, public streets, bridges and similar public places — generated discussion about enforcement philosophy. Police and board members said the goal is prevention and public safety; members proposed a soft approach emphasizing education and warnings before strict fines, noting that a $250 fine would route revenue back to the town rather than the state. The transcript shows robust discussion but does not record a clear roll‑call vote on the open‑container ordinance during the provided segment.Motion and outcomes: the Knox Box ordinance was adopted with a July 1 effective date (motion and in‑meeting question); the junk/junkyard ordinance was adopted with an amended delayed effective date and with warning letters to property owners planned; the open‑container ordinance was discussed and moved forward for further refinement rather than immediate adoption, according to the transcript.
