DOVER- It was all about town assets, energy, economic development, and respect. Those were the four issues that dominated the Dover selectboard candidates forum, sponsored by the Deerfield Valley Rotary Club.

This year, incumbent and vice-chairman Becky Snow, Randy Turk, and Eddie Barber are candidates for the two-year selectboard seat, while Dwayne Coneeny and William “Buzzy” Buswell are candidates for the three-year selectboard seat. The election takes place on Town Meeting day.

Up to 40 residents attended Wednesday night’s forum at Town Hall where the candidates fielded several questions. Outgoing selectboard member Jim Martin asked the candidates, “What do you consider to be Dover’s greatest asset?” Barber said “our people” because there are several individuals who care about the town and involve themselves in town government.

Snow said the town’s greatest asset is “its employees.” Coneeny acknowledged Mount Snow because of the jobs they provide. He added that Dover has a “unique environment and geography” that should be emphasized. “Being the gateway to the rest of the state, Dover has a lot to offer,” said Coneeny. “People come because of Mount Snow, but once they look around, they realize there’s more to see.”

Buswell said it was quality of life issues that makes Dover special. He said that Dover is “our town” and joked that people can argue over differences “and then five minutes later, drink a pint together at the bar.”

Turk acknowledged the Dover community. He said he admired the resident’s civic-mindedness, their volunteer efforts, and their ability to work together to get things done. He highlighted the town’s efforts to put on the Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival and the Winter Dew Tour as two examples. “Without people getting together we wouldn’t have these events. The people do everything they can do to make it what it is,” said Turk.

David Buck asked the candidates where they stood on local energy issues. Coneeny gave a broad answer and acknowledged there were some things people could affect locally. He suggested the town offices could switch over to alternative energy sources, conserve energy, and reduce costs. Buswell disagreed with Coneeny because money is tight and there are more pressing issues the town is facing. “Energy is important but we need to stabilize our tax rates,” said Buswell.

Turk said alternative energy costs are decreasing and the town may want to consider solar and wind power. “They should look at it when the costs will save money for the town,” said Turk. “It might cost the town now, but the payback would offset our use of existing energy sources.”

Snow said she supports wind and solar power initiatives. Barber strongly advocated against relicensing the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. He did not think solar was the best alternative because “there aren’t enough sunny days” and that wind could be a better alternative.

All candidates expressed concern over Vermont Yankee and believe many questions remain unanswered as to the plant’s safety.

Ken Black asked what the candidates would do in terms of telelcommunications development. Snow said it would have to be a bi-town effort with Wilmington or a communitywide effort because it entails a lot of resources. She supports the proposal put forth by John Mullin, a consultant to the Tri-town Economic Development Committee, that would entail further outreach to outside providers.

Coneeny stressed that Dover needs “to reach out to providers, find out what their hot buttons are, and reach out for grant funding.” He said the task would be best suited for the town’s new economic development specialist Patrick Moreland.

Buswell said telecommunications “will take some time” because the state is in the middle of a recession and Fairpoint Communications is on the brink of bankruptcy. Like Snow, Buswell supports a bi-town plan and Moreland’s help would benefit the town.

Turk agrees that the town needs telecommunications if they want to attract new business. The crux of the matter is “finding a way to make it economically feasible. We need to sit down and have a conversation with the providers. There are a lot of ways to generate funding. We need to start exploring those opportunities and gather all the resources to assist that,” said Turk.

Barber believed the lack of telecommunications is “all political” and it would take a lot of work for the town to obtain universal coverage.

Kathy Martin asked whether the candidates would support expediting DEDC finances and funding requests to Moreland instead of DEDC volunteers. All of the candidates agreed that the responsibility is best suited for DEDC and that Moreland has more important priorities to work on.

Laura Sibilia asked the candidates how they handle contentiousness and what they would do to enhance cooperation. Snow said the selectboard got together with the DEDC for a meeting and it went well. She encouraged more conversations between both groups so that everyone will be on the same page. Coneeny said it’s about treating people with respect and fostering support for everyone. Buswell called for respect “from all sides” and having “an open mind.”

Turk said cooperation comes from listening and understanding “what they tell you” and not coming into the position with “predetermined goals.” Barber suggested the selectboard take in everybody’s ideas “and talk them over.”