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Orwell Select Board weighs enforcement, safety after ATV ordinance fails by narrow margin
Summary
The Select Board discussed the April 18 ATV ballot (112 Yes, 121 No, 1 spoiled), reported concerns about ATV use on state Route 73 involving a child, and agreed the town should send the ATV ordinance to the Addison County Sheriff's Department while seeking guidance from the Secretary of State on vote administration.
The Orwell Select Board on April 27 discussed next steps after an April 18 townwide vote on an all‑terrain vehicle (ATV) ordinance failed 112 to 121, with one spoiled ballot. Chair Andrea Treadway said the Addison Independent reported the vote as taking effect immediately; Moderator Glen Cousineau said he had contacted the Vermont Secretary of State’s office for guidance on how the vote was run.
Board members discussed enforcement and public‑safety concerns. Diane Jackson told the board she had seen an adult and a small child riding ATVs off Raymond Hill Road and eastbound on Vermont Route 73, which she called dangerous because vehicles travel at high speeds on that state road. "Vehicles were driving around them," Jackson stated, and she said the child’s presence caused her particular concern.
The board directed that the ATV ordinance be forwarded to the Addison County Sheriff’s Department for enforcement consideration and noted an anonymous donor would order signage marking allowed/forbidden ATV routes. Mike Christian said Rob Barnes had information about the number and placement of signs the town would need.
Board members also critiqued the way the April 18 vote was administered, saying there was no designated handicap parking and no sound system at the polling place. The moderator’s contact with the Secretary of State was presented as a step to clarify what procedures were followed and whether any administrative corrections are needed.
The Select Board did not take a formal new vote on the ordinance at the meeting; the board’s recorded action was to transmit the ordinance to the county sheriff’s office and to pursue clarification about the administration and legal status of the ballot through the Secretary of State.
