Man charged with Killington burglary

June 28,2013

Rutland Herald

 

A Rutland man has been charged in connection with a burglary in Killington.

Vermont State Police charged Nicholas Seck, 31, with possession of stolen property. State police responded to a burglary complaint on Cubs Concourse on May 16. Police said Seck was located on Crescent Street with an item stolen from the residence.

“Obviously, it’s good news, not only for the property owner but for the community,” said Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery. “Any time you take someone off the streets, it sends a message that these crimes will not be tolerated.”

Killington saw a rash of burglaries during the late spring. Residents have begun holding monthly neighborhood watch meetings. The next meeting is at 7:30 p.m. July 18 in the Sherburne Memorial Library.

Seck is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 28 in Rutland criminal court.

Killington developer objects to suggested permit conditions

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 28,2013

Rutland Herald

KILLINGTON — The developer behind a proposed $100 million project on the mountain has objected to Act 250 permit conditions suggested by three regional planning commissions.

S.P. Land Company has big plans for Killington Mountain. The Village Master Plan includes 2,300 housing units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space. While the scope of the project is monumental, S.P. Land has applied for a permit for the first phase, consisting of 198 residential units, 32,000 square feet of retail space and 32 subdivision lots.

The state Agency of Natural Resources has granted party status to the Rutland, Southern Windsor County and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee regional planning commissions. It’s up to the Environmental Commission to decide what conditions will be required of SP Land to receive a permit. However, the Environmental Commission solicited suggestions from the three regional planning commissions.

At one point earlier this year, the three regional planning commissions issued a joint letter, suggesting S.P. Land be required to partially fund a traffic study encompassing more than 100 miles of highway from Waterbury to Bellows Falls.

Since then, the Rutland Regional Planning Commission withdrew its support of the joint letter and issued its own. The remaining two planning commissions went forward with a joint letter. Rebuttals issued jointly by Steve Selbo, president of S.P. Land, and Stephanie Hainley, a consultant working for S.P. Land, address both letters.

In the case of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, the two object to language requiring S.P. Land to include 495 units of affordable housing during the construction of the entire project, with portions of that number of units to be included in each phase.

“Phase I has already been designed and no workforce housing has been included within the plans because this is not necessary given the current housing stock within the Town of Killington and Rutland Region,” Selbo and Hainley state, referencing a June 4 letter from the Town of Killington which asserts “workforce housing is currently not an issue within the Town of Killington.”

According to approved minutes from the May 30 meeting of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, the workforce housing suggestion was prompted by a requirement of an Act 250 permit issued in 1998 to a different landowner for the same project. That project never broke ground and the permit — for the entire development, not just the first phase — is long expired.

Selbo and Hainley also object to the letter from the Southern Windsor County and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee regional planning commissions, requiring S.P. Land to partially fund the traffic study, which would be performed after the completion of the first phase. A completed traffic study has shown the first phase will not have any traffic impacts.

“We have no idea whether any future phases of the Village Master Plan will ever be constructed, and if so, how large they will be, which parcel they may be on and when they may occur,” Selbo and Hainley state.

Their letter cites a 2010 court decision that upheld an Environmental Commission’s decision regarding a proposed development in St. Albans. In that case, the Environmental Commission declined to consider possible future developments’ impact on traffic in an area where future developments have not yet received permits and might occur at an undetermined time in the future.

The Environmental Commission is expected to issue a decision about the Killington project in the near future.

josh.ogorman

@rutlandherald.com

Permit delays hurt region

June 27,2013

Rutland Herald

 

After reading the article concerning the delayed permit for the Killington ski village in the June 19 issue of the Rutland Herald, I am disheartened to see an opportunity well wasted. I am a junior in high school and dream to one day have a home in Vermont. Many of the young adults in my generation are ready to graduate high school and leave Vermont as fast as possible. The open door for job opportunities is closing at a rapid pace, as many of the small businesses that make up the towns of Rutland, Killington and Mendon are out of business or soon to get there. These hiccups that keep occurring are weakening the community that we live in, and unless something is done it will be hard to rebuild.

Being an avid skier I have been privileged enough to travel to many parts of Vermont to ski. After being to two of the well-known areas like Stowe and Stratton, you can see how their villages have such an attraction. For someone knowing a lot about the history and construction of Killington — my grandfather Joe Sargent was one of the founders — it concerns me that the empire, which Pres Smith and he built, does not have the draw it used to. Killington, known for its great terrain, abundance of trails, and the Burton Stash, is losing its competitive appeal compared to other big mountains in Vermont, such as Jay Peak, Stowe, and Stratton.

The continued delay in the permit process is depressing to see because it is such a large opportunity wasted. The village would offer so much more than just housing; it would offer job opportunities. With jobs being as scarce as ever, the opening of shops, restaurants, and hotels would create jobs and revenue, as well as an appeal that would compete with the other big mountains. The two old lodges that rest at the bottom of Ramshead and Snowshed are the original lodges. It is hard to find such a big ski area with lodges as old as these. The town of Killington is small; it leaves guests nowhere to explore and limited places to shop. I wish to see the delays and shenanigans of the permit process stop, so opportunities for this struggling community and my generation can open.

ABIGAIL JONES
Mendon

Commission not so supportive

Rutland Herald

June 22,2013

 

Thanks, Tracy, for clarifying your stance regarding the Killington Ski Village (Rutland Herald, June 19). Having been witness to the proceedings regarding the commission’s recommendations to the Act 250 commission and your participation in the regional issues committee and the full commission discussions regarding same, I can confidently state that you are sincere in your support of the ski village and the economic health of the Rutland region.

However, by the same token, I believe other more vociferous (and thus by my estimation, more influential) members of the commission were working towards intractable demands upon SP Land, such as making them responsible for fixing “adverse and unsafe conditions” in the Route 4/100/103 corridor from Killington to routes 89 and 91. That is 133 miles of road and 17 major intersections. That demand, once exposed to the full commission, was removed, thank heavens.

The housing requirement that you allude to was brought up at the last minute without even going through the regional issues committee, with no public or applicant comment allowed before a vote on it in the full committee.

Add to that, after the vote, when public comment was allowed, Chris Bianchi, chairman of the Killington Select Board, stated there was plenty of housing available in Killington already. Never mind the glut of empty homes in the surrounding area.

And to boot, the original recommendation letter (which ended up being rescinded by the RRPC after it was considered by the full committee) was never seen, discussed or approved by the full commission.

There are forces at work behind the scenes within your commission which are trying to sidestep full commission consideration for their own agendas, whether to quash development entirely or to extract every last pound of flesh from the developer.

While I respect your stance and word on your commitment, I cannot accept your stating the same on behalf of the whole commission

VITO RASENAS

Killington

Killington board considers adoption of records policy due to Neisner requests

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 20,2013

Rutland Herald

KILLINGTON — The Select Board is considering the adoption of a public record policy after being inundated by a deluge of requests from a town official.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in public information requests. We’ve provided thousands of documents that have been requested,” said Town Manager Seth Webb during Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting. “Currently, we have a request that would cover 100,000 documents from the town.”

Many of these requests have come from Melvin Neisner Jr., an attorney in Killington and the town moderator as elected by the residents. Neisner declined to be interviewed for this story Wednesday, saying, “I don’t talk to the Rutland Herald.”

According to a June 13 memo from Webb to Neisner, Neisner has requested, among other documents:

All long-distance telephone bills for the Town Hall for the last three years;

Mileage and vehicle reimbursements for Webb;

Maintenance and insurance records for town vehicles;

All legal bills for the past four years;

All of these documents have been copied and have been available at the Town Office since early November.

While some record requests can be quickly filled, others — either due to their subject matter or simply the sheer size of the request — have proved more difficult.

Webb receives $50 a month from the town in reimbursement because he uses his personal cellphone for town business. Neisner requested Webb’s phone records, including his account numbers and “known personal calls related to family, friends, medical, health and personal legal expense,” records state.

Webb, who began working for the town in February of 2010, turned over the phone bills he had from October 2011 to February of this year, with personal calls and account numbers redacted. Neisner appealed the redaction, but the decision was upheld by the Select Board, which in a written decision stated “(i)nformation as to a person’s personal cellphone account numbers and records of calls made to family, friends, medical, health, and personal legal expense is not information produced or acquired in the course of agency (town) business, and accordingly, not a public record or document that must be produced under (public record law).”

According to the memo, Webb did not have his earlier phone records, but could get them from Verizon at a cost of $5 a month, if Neisner would care to pay the cost.

Neisner has also requested all texts and emails from Webb related to town business, a request that is estimated at more than 100,000 documents. Currently, state statute allows 208 reasons for a town to not make a document public, with reasons ranging from personnel issues to contract negotiations.

“To comply with this request, we would have to examine more than 100,000 documents to see which exemptions apply,” Webb said Wednesday.

At one minute an email, it would take one person — working 40 hours a week — 40 weeks to review the emails. Town officials estimate the total cost to comply with Neisner’s records request as between $36,000 and $45,000.

State statute allows a town to adopt and enforce rules to prevent the disruption of town business when responding to record requests, as well as requiring the person requesting the record to bear the cost, if the request exceeds 30 minutes of town staff time.

The Select Board took under consideration a model public record policy from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns that would create the above rules for the town.

The Board took no action, but expressed its support in adopting such rules.

Comment:
If there's nothing to hide, give him the records, they are public after all. In this town we've had a lot of stuff go on that did not see the light of day. To limit access to public records for any reason is to allow sub rosa dealings to go unnoticed and tacitly condone such actions via town policy.
Neisner may be a pain in the ass but he is within his rights AND he may be on to something that he is looking to document before stating anything publicly. I know I've heard rumors about some unsavory goings on at the Town office which if proved to be true would put egg on some people's faces.
Vito

Commission backs Killington project

June 19,2013

Rutland Herald

 

Due to recent articles and letters to the editor, it is important to clarify for the public the Rutland Regional Planning Commission position regarding the Killington Village Plan.

As vice chairman, I can state with certainty that the RRPC’s priority for the region is responsible and effective economic growth. We fully support economic development in the Rutland region in all its forms, and have strongly supported the Killington Village Plan. This project represents a very large commitment to Killington and is a significant and critical investment in the future of our region. Throughout our state-mandated review process the commission has unanimously endorsed this project and the benefits it promises.

It is the commission’s legal obligation to review projects and to comment in order to insure that the goals of the region and towns are fully addressed. This is especially true for projects with regional and statewide impact — even when these impacts are enormously positive.

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission is not a “roadblock” in this process. We serve to inform the public and assist developers in traversing what is often a highly complex and difficult path toward approval. The commission is composed of committed volunteer officials from every municipality in the region. We seek to serve the public interest to the very highest standards. The commission continues to be highly supportive of the Killington project and wants it to move forward as quickly as it can, in a way that benefits all Vermonters.

Killington/Pico is the finest ski resort in the East and the addition of a project like the Killington Village will make it even more attractive for skiers and winter enthusiasts from around the world.

We are deeply saddened that despite this commission’s efforts to recommend highly favorable conditions and opportunities for the developer, SP Land continues to represent that it feels blindsided. The commission and its staff have worked with SP Land over many months in an effort to provide the desired support and framework for a successful review and approvals. We have attempted to make every appropriate accommodation.

We understand that SP Land and its affiliate E2M (www.e2mpartners.com/) remain concerned about a sentence in our letter that simply states workforce housing needs to be considered when dealing with such a large project. Our letter does not require the building of workforce housing. There are many ways to accommodate the opportunity for housing that this project presents, from innovative design within the project, to provision of housing from the existing underutilized housing stock in the town of Killington and surrounding areas. Our letter is simply an observation of a very real circumstance related to this project.

Housing is one of many legitimate concerns for our region. It is simply disingenuous for SP Land to behave as if they haven’t already considered the amount of housing necessary for the workers for this project. In fact, the prior owners of this project offered substantial contributions toward addressing the need for housing to mitigate these impacts. The commission letter simply pointed out the obvious.

We all agree — this is a great project for the Rutland region and want it to move forward to great success. The Rutland Regional Planning Commission letter submitted to the Environmental Commission, if incorporated into the final order, clears the path for SP Land to move forward. A successful Killington can only benefit the Rutland region and the state of Vermont.

I will state it as clearly as possible: I support the Killington project and want it to move forward.

WILLIAM TRACY CARRIS

(Vice chairman,

Rutland Regional

Planning Commission)

Rutland

 

Comment:

Thanks Bill for clarifying your stance regarding the Killington Ski Village. Having been witness to the proceedings regarding the commission's recommendations to the Act 250 commission and your participation in the Regional Issues Committee and the full commission discussions regarding same, I can confidently state that you are sincere in your support of the Ski Village and the economic health of the Rutland region.
However by the same token, I believe other, more vociferous (and thus by my estimation, more influential) members of the commission were working towards intractable demands upon SP Land, such as making them responsible for fixing "adverse and unsafe conditions" in the Rte 4/100/103 corridor from Killington to routes 89 and 91. That is 133 miles of road and 17 major intersections. That demand once exposed to the full commission was removed, thank heavens.
The housing requirement that you allude to was brought up at the last minute without even going through the Regional Issues committee, with no public or applicant comment allowed before a vote on it in the full committee.
Add to that after the vote, when public comment was allowed, Chris Bianchi, chairmen of the Killington Selectboard stated there was plenty of housing available in Kilington already. Nevermind the glut of empty homes in the surrounding area.
And, to boot, the original recommendation letter (which ended up being rescinded by the RRPC after it was considered by the full committee) was never seen, discussed or approved by the full commission.
There are forces at work behind the scenes within your commission which are trying to side step full commission consideration for their own agendas, whether to quash development entirely or to extract every last pound of flesh from the developer.
While I respect your stance and word on YOUR commitment I cannot accept your stating the same on behalf of the whole commission

Act 250: Another delay for Killington ski village

By Bruce Edwards
STAFF WRITER | June 19,2013

Rutland Herald

Provided image

The proposed ski village is seen in this architect’s rendering.

More than a year after the District 1 Environmental Commission concluded four days of hearings on the proposed Killington ski village, it will be a while longer before the commission issues a decision on whether to grant the project a state Act 250 land use permit.

The commission this week granted a partial extension requested by Steven Durkee and his company, Mountainside Properties.

Durkee asked for time to respond to storm water permits that were recently issued by the state to SP Land Co., the project’s developer.

In a June 12 letter to the commission, Durkee’s lawyer, Nathan Stearns, said SP Land “did not submit to the District Commission, or provide to the Mountainside Properties, the complete set of information that they provided to ANR (Agency of Natural Resources) in connection with applicant’s application for the stormwater permits, including, without limitation, stormwater runoff calculations …”

Stearns also noted that SP Land had “requested and received numerous extensions” for filing final rebuttal that have extended for 10 months.

The letter went on to say that because they did not receive the information from ANR until June 10, Mountainside “requires additional time to complete a review of the information in order to submit final rebuttal responses, if any, on the related Act 250 criteria.”

In its response, SP Land objected to the extension and the assertion that it was responsible for the numerous extensions.

“The Durkee parties and the commission know that, in fact, the extension requests and delays were caused by the inability of the Agency of Natural Resources to timely issue stormwater permit(s) …in part due to the Durkee parties’ extensive intervention in the permit applications before ANR,” Peter D. Van Oot, a lawyer for SP Land, wrote in his June 13 letter to the commission.

In opposing the extension, Van Oot also argued that Durkee has been “broadly aware” of the permit proceedings before ANR, including filing extensive comments in connection with the stormwater permits.

This is not the first time SP Land and Killington businessman Durkee, a neighboring landowner, have had disagreements over the project as well as other issues.

Durkee previously had raised questions about the project’s parking and environmental permits.

The first phase of the $133.4 million ski village and parking lot, to be built at the base of the ski area, includes 193 condominiums, nine single-family lots, 23 duplex lots, 31,000 square feet of retail space, and a 77,000-square-foot base lodge that would replace the Snowshed and Ramshead base lodges.

SP Land also wants to build a 1,276-vehicle parking lot that would be located just north of the Mountain Inn.

Durkee and Mountainside Properties requested an extension until July 12 to submit a final rebuttal and to submit proposed findings.

The commission gave the parties until June 25 to file final rebuttal and set a July 9 deadline for submitting proposed findings, conclusions and permit conditions.

The commission’s original deadlines were June 5 and June 26 respectively.

SP Land owns the land around the base area. The ski area is owned by Powdr Corp.

Comment: So, one of the prime movers and beneficiaries of the Economic Development initiatives in Killington is spending all kinds of money on delaying the biggest development project to come down the pike since the ski resort was established. Our town is so hypocritical. We have turned our town inside out in the name of economic development yet support the very person who is putting the kabosh on the biggest development project to come along in years. Durkee is one of the Bill's Country Store 5, purchasing it in partnership with Chris Carr, Phil Black, Howard Smith and Aris Spanos. The town wrote a grant application to "monetize" that property by improving drainage and paying for a "park and ride" facility on the property. Durkee was involved in negotiations with the owner of the Fireside when the town was considering buying it (costing the town a $25,000 binder fee and thousands in property taxes and other foregone fees as part of an agreement to keep it off the market until it came to a town vote). The price was going to be about a million give or take and guess what, Durkee purchased it at auction for less than half that. You think he has the best interests of the town at heart?
If he can go around snapping up the Fireside and Bill's country store and spend tens of (if not hundreds)  of thousands of dollars thwarting actual private economic development in our town, he does not need the town "monetizing" his investments and giving his company hundreds of thousands in municipal contracts. Because then we are in fact funding his efforts to obstruct and delay the village project.

Vito

Town weighs upgrades to Killington Road

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 14,2013

Rutland Herald

 

KILLINGTON — Improvements to mass transit and better year-round property maintenance were two of the ideas generated during a public forum on the future of Killington Road.

Earlier this year, the town received a $15,000 planning grant from the state Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development.

“This is a discussion about what’s appropriate for the future of Killington Road for the next 25 years,” Town Planner Richard Horner said to the two-dozen or so members of the public attending Wednesday night’s meeting of the Planning Commission.

The town has retained the services of LandWorks, a landscape architecture company from Middlebury, to develop a plan.

David Raphael, principal and landscape architect for LandWorks, led a brainstorming session, asking the public to think about what works and doesn’t work on Killington Road.

“The most important thing is for Killington Road to succeed as both a corridor and as a destination,” Raphael said, referring to the importance of having a road that both connects Route 4 to Killington Resort and also promotes the vitality of the shops and restaurants along the way.

Raphael had the audience break up into three groups, which considered questions of what works well on Killington Road, what doesn’t work well, what town can do and also what the private land and business owners can do to make things better.

The brainstorming session consumed the better part of an hour, with residents batting ideas back and forth and commiserating over heavy weekend traffic. But in the end, the ideas generated by the different groups were stunningly similar.

“It’s amazing, the synchronicity between groups one, two and three,” Raphael said.

There was a general agreement that there should be designated stops for the buses transporting guests and workers up and down Killington Road. Currently, the bus picks up and drops off wherever people request it

Raphael noted his time in Park City, Utah, during the 2002 Winter Olympics, when people huddled by the side of the road as they waited for buses, and suggested that construction of bus shelters along Killington Road might increase ridership.

Another common issue was the appearance of business signs up and down the road.

“There was discussion of a need for a consistent look from beginning to end,” Raphael said.

Horner noted the importance of businesses maintaining their properties — such as keeping the grass cut — during the summer months when many Killington Road shops are shuttered for the season.

“Sometimes it looks like you’re not only closed, but abandoned,” Horner said.

LandWorks will take the public comments and use them as it drafts a plan to present to the town Planning Commission, which — per the terms of the grant — has until June 2014 to put a plan in place.


Comment: No matter what else they do, the road needs to be paved and maintained better and more consistently than it has been. While people complained about shut down business looking seedy, nobody mentioned the moonscape between Glazebrook and East Mountain Road or the gaping chasms at the bottom of the road where it meets Rte 4.
Vito

Killington will hold a forum on the future of the Killington Road Commercial District. June 12,2013

Killington forum scheduled tonight

KILLINGTON — The public is invited to discuss the future of the Killington Road Commercial District at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

The Planning Commission, along with design consultants, will take public input about what improvements might be made to Killington Road, all as part of a municipal planning grant kick-off meeting.

For more information, visit the town’s website www.killingtontown.com.


Comment: The meeting will be at the Town Offices, I imagine in the lower meeting room. It seems they're not counting on a lot of people showing up. If you are at all interested in the future of the town and the way the town's resources and taxes are going to be used please be there with your input.
Vito

Why blindside important project?

June 12,2013

 

As a former member of the regional planning commission, I find it very disappointing to learn of their recent blindsiding of SP Land’s proposed development in Killington. This project is an important economic development opportunity that should have the support of the entire region. Planning commission members are appointed to represent the best interests of their community and region, not to throw last minute curve balls that will either delay or prevent this project from going forward. Why weren’t their concerns brought forward in their previous submission? From the outside looking in, it doesn’t look good. Should our commission really be thwarting economic development efforts at the last minute? I hope that common sense prevails and this project is allowed to move forward.

Sen. KEVIN MULLIN

Rutland Town

Killington names first police chief

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 10,2013

Rutland Herald
 

KILLINGTON — Whit Montgomery is the first chief of police of the newly formed Killington Police Department.

“Whit is highly regarded by Vermont law enforcement, and his experience as constable and knowledge of Killington made him the obvious choice,” said Town Manager Seth Webb. “We are fortunate to have him at the helm of our new department.”

Webb, along with Selectwoman Patty McGrath and Richard Gauthier, executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council, served on a search committee that reviewed applications from four candidates. After background checks and personal interviews, Montgomery was the unanimous choice of the committee.

“I’m honored to accept this important job, in this community that I love,” said Montgomery. “My roots and my future are here in Killington, and I am totally committed to working with town officials, businesses, citizens, and the resort to make our new police department successful and well respected.”

A 14-year law enforcement veteran, Montgomery started his career in his hometown of Killington in 1999 after graduating from the Vermont Police Academy. He served as second constable until his election to first constable in March. He also co-founded Killington Search and Rescue, a nonprofit organization that specializes in back-country rescues.

In his new role as chief of police, Montgomery will work under Webb’s supervision and be responsible for managing a department consisting of up to two part-time special officers, and overseeing contractual services for animal control and other special details as needed. The job is effective immediately.

The job calls for Montgomery to work 32 hours a week with an annual salary of $35,000 a year.

Montgomery is the first chief of a police force that was created in February, following a vote by the Select Board.

“We wanted to create a police department that better prepares our officers and increases their effectiveness by giving them increased access to criminal history and information sharing with other law enforcement,” said Chris Bianchi, chairman of the Select Board.

Montgomery is the town’s only police officer. Currently, the town contracts for additional police protection from the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department. Webb said the town will soon begin advertising for a part-time special officer.

TOWN NAMES WHIT MONTGOMERY CHIEF OF POLICE

TOWN NAMES WHIT MONTGOMERY CHIEF OF POLICE

Local Law Enforcement Veteran is Unanimous Choice to Head New Department

Killington, VT - Killington's longtime constable Whit Montgomery has been named as the Town's first chief of police - a job that was created in March after the Selectboard approved the formation of a new police department in February.  The announcement was made Friday, June 7th by Killington Town Manager Seth Webb. 

Montgomery's appointment comes following a full assessment of applicants by the hiring committee, made up of Webb, Selectboard member Patty McGrath, and Richard Gauthier, Executive Director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council.  The town received four applications for the position.  At the conclusion of the process, which included personal interviews and an extensive background check, Montgomery was the unanimous top selection of the committee. 

A fourteen-year law enforcement veteran, Montgomery started his career in his hometown of Killington following his 1999 graduation from the Vermont Police Academy.  He served as Second Constable for virtually all of that time, until his election to First Constable in March of this year.  He is also the co-founder of Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR), a nonprofit organization that specializes in back-country rescues.  

In his new role as Chief of Police, Montgomery will work under the supervision of the Town Manager and be responsible for managing a department consisting of two part-time special officers and overseeing contractual services for animal control and other special details as needed.  The job position is effective immediately.

Montgomery's plans for the new department include creating performance measures for local law enforcement, and introducing a greater focus on Community Oriented Policing, including a Neighborhood Watch, an anti-bullying program and a drug and alcohol awareness program within the Elementary School and more.

The transition from a constable department to a municipal police department began in February of this year when the Killington Selectboard unanimously voted for the change.  The Board wanted to create a police department that better prepares town officers and increases their effectiveness by giving them increased access to criminal history and information sharing with other law enforcement.  

The Vermont State Police has been very supportive of Killington's transition, and will continue to provide patrols when the department is not on duty.

Killington, home to Killington and Pico Ski Resorts, is a resort community located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 4 and Vermont 100.  While the year round population is under 1,000 people, the Town has over 2,500 second home owners and plays hosts to tens of thousands of tourists on any given weekend. 

Comment:

Congratulations Whit!

Improvements slated for dangerous road

• By Brent Curtis
  Rutland Herald

  STAFF WRITER | June 08,2013

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Valley News Photo Sue Minter, deputy transportation secretary, and Gov. Peter Shumlin speak about plans to improve safety on Route 4 between Hartford and Woodstock. From left are Woodstock Town Manager Phil Swanson, Rep. Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock, and Sen. John Campbell, D-Quechee.

  Gov. Peter Shumlin announced Friday some short-term safety measures for a dangerous section of Route 4 that has been the scene of three fatal crashes in three months this year.
  
  Since March, three crashes have claimed the lives of four people on portions of the winding two-lane highway in Bridgewater and Quechee. A head-on crash Thursday in Quechee sent a 72-year-old New Hampshire woman to the hospital in critical condition.
  
  The series of crashes prompted a meeting Friday in Hartford where Shumlin and members of the state Agency of Transportation, Windsor County senators and representatives and officials from Woodstock and Hartford sat down to hammer out some quick ways to improve safety.
  
  While Shumlin said it’s not clear why Route 4 has been the scene of an unusually high number of serious crashes this year, he said the $300,000 worth of improvements agreed on Friday is expected to make a difference.
  
  One of the improvements was being put into place on Friday — four portable message boards that planners say will advise drivers to stay alert and focused.
  
  “We want people to pay attention on the roads and just put down the cellphones and focus on safety,” said Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter.
  
  The plan also calls for new paving over damaged portions of the road and installation of a center-line rumble strip to alert drivers when they veer into the oncoming lane.
  
  Minter said the rumble strips would be installed on curves in the road and straightaways alike, but not in villages along the highway where the noise from the vibrating devices might disturb residents.
  
  The rumble strips have been a safety measure long sought by Hartford Fire Chief Butch Sutherland.
  
  “I’ve been putting pressure on the state for 20 years to have those rumble strips installed,” Sutherland said. “A lot of people tend to hug the center line because the shoulder is so narrow and rough. I’m delighted that they’re going to put them in and the message boards too.”
  
  While the message boards were being put in place Friday, the paving improvements and rumble strips will take a little longer. Minter said the state will accept bids on the project next week with plans to begin paving the road as soon as possible in July.
  
  “Route 4 has obviously been on our radar,” sh said. “Every single accident, particularly fatal ones, we take seriously.”
  
  The state and the towns are also working on road improvement plans moving forward, including an engineering review to determine what further safety measures may be warranted.
  
  In the decade to come, Minter said, the state plans a major rebuilding of the road, including removal of concrete slabs that serve as the foundation of the highway.
  
  Those slabs, she said, have proven to be part of the problem as severe ruts have developed along the edges of the road in some places, leaving drivers with little room to maneuver.
  
  brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com

Resorts rebound with 4.5 million slope visits

By Bruce Edwards
Rutland Herald 

STAFF WRITER | June 05,2013

 

The state’s ski industry rebounded this season for the second-best season on record as more than 4.5 million skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes of the state’s 18 resorts.

The 4,513,041 skier and snowboarder visits represented a 16 percent increase over the dismal 2011-12 season, the Vermont Ski Areas Association reported Tuesday at its annual meeting in Stowe.

This season was the best season since 2001 and the second best on record since VSAA began collecting data in 1992.

Parker Riehle, president of the VSAA, attributed the turnaround to several factors.

“We had perfectly timed snow around the holiday periods, plus we had our 80 percent snowmaking coverage, coupled with early season temperatures that allowed several resorts to post record early openings,” Riehle said in an interview prior to the annual meeting.

He also said the “backyard syndrome” that gets skiers down-country in a skiing frame of mind was no small factor.

“They had several blizzards in our down-country markets that buried their backyards,” Riehle said, “so there was no question that winter was alive and well in their minds.”

March was a turnaround month as well. He said March snowfall helped propel the season to a strong finish.

“We saw numbers in the month of March that we literally had not seen in years,” Riehle said. “The month of March was a huge reason why our overall numbers for the season came in so strong.”

Riehle said this season netted the state more than $170 million in tax revenue from the rooms and meals and sales taxes combined, surpassing pre-recession levels for the first time.

He said “that’s a real strong indication of how well the resorts were doing” with all ski areas posting double-digit increases in skier visits and revenue.

The jump in skier visits also had a ripple effect on businesses in and around the state’s ski resorts.

Business levels in the seven towns that comprise the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce were up over the previous season, said Marji Graf, the chamber’s CEO. For example, Graf said, February consumption tax receipts for all of her member towns were up across the board but remained shy of the record set in February 2011.

“We are recovering a little slowly but we’re getting there,” she said.

Nationally, there were 56.6 million skier and rider visits this season, the largest one-year increase in 30 years. Riehle said the Northeast registered the biggest gains in the country.

Vermont ranked number one in the East and third nationwide in skier visits behind Colorado and California.

The annual meeting held at Stowe Mountain Resort was attended by a record 300 industry members and partners.

Gov. Peter Shumlin opened the meeting and Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association, presented the national perspective and continued efforts to attract new skiers and snow boarders to the sport. Bill Stenger, president of Jay Peak Resort, was presented with the Industry Achievement Award, and Jeff Boliba, vice president of Global Resorts at Burton Snowboards, received the Friend of the Industry Award.

Career Employee Awards were presented to two longtime employees at Okemo Mountain Resort, Barry Tucker and Barbara Johnston.


Comment:
I imagine Killington's 1 percent tax collections will be up. The Bill's 5 should have enough money from this ski season to build their dream Visitors Center without relying on the town to subsidize it.
Vito

Select Board Denies Neisner Public Records Appeal

In a hastily called Special Select Board Meeting Killington selectman voted unanimously to deny M.B. Neisner appeal for additional phone records from Seth Webb's cellphone. The board issued a letter of denial after conferring with the Town's attorney in Executive Session.
Speculation is rampant as to what the public information request by Neisner actually means.

Killington board gives approval for historical society to use former teen center

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 06,2013

 

KILLINGTON — The Select Board has voiced its support for what promises to be an uphill battle to transform the teen center into a home for the Sherburne Historical Society.

“I’d rather see this building remain standing and used for this purpose than demolish it,” said Chris Bianchi, chairman of the Select Board, during a meeting Tuesday night.

The teen center is really only that in name. The building in question was built as a schoolhouse in Bridgewater sometime during the 19th century. At some point during the latter half of the 20th century, the town bought the building for $10 and paid another $40 to move it to its current location.

The building was home to the town library, and later the Killington Teen Center, which has been inactive for at least the past three years. In 2011, flooding from Tropical Storm Irene damaged the building.

The town has $10,000 remaining in flood insurance money. By coincidence, the town has received an estimate to demolish the building for $10,000.

The Sherburne Historical Society received a $250 matching grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont — matched by a loan from the town — to pay a contractor recommended by the Preservation Trust to survey the building’s condition. Town Manager Seth Webb discussed the results of that survey during Tuesday’s meeting.

The greatest problem the building faces is its foundation, which is cracked and leaks water. The building does not contain any kind of heating system. According to Webb, to fix the foundation and make repairs sufficient enough to use the building during warm-weather months would cost an estimated $77,050. Renovations to allow year-round occupation — which would require the installation of a heating system, insulation and new drywall — would cost an additional $25,000 to $30,000.

Webb called these estimates conservative, a position echoed by Selectman Bernard Rome, who said he believed repairs would cost more than the estimates provided.

“The immediate challenge is that we have $10,000 left in insurance money, but that’s not enough to bring the building up to speed,” Webb said.

Margaret Mowle, president of the Sherburne Historical Society, said her organization will write grants to make up the remaining amount.

“We’d like the $10,000 in flood money, but what we really want is acknowledgement the Historical Society can take over the building,” Mowle said.

“If the $10,000 gets you in the building faster, I think that’s a good thing to do,” said Bianchi.

Time-wise, there will be no quick fix. May is the deadline for many grant applications, meaning the Historical Society is looking at waiting a year to apply for grants that would not be awarded until later in 2014. The delay might be a blessing, because many grants require matching funds, funds which will need to be raised by the Historical Society.

“This is a big thing we’d be getting into and I don’t want to be misleading about the cost,” Webb said.

Comment:
Hopefully the Historical Society can fund the renovation through grants and private fund raising. The problem is stabilizing the building until then. As stated in the above article it will likely take a year at least to get through the grant process. Given that one of the major problems with the building is water and condensation build up due to a compromised foundation and leaky roof, the cost to mitigate the resulting mold infestation would increase the current estimated cost.
One thing not mentioned in the article is that Chamber of Commerce member and recent appointee to the EDTC Bill Mercier , speaking on behalf of the Chamber, stated the Chamber was fully supportive of the Historical Society's efforts and is setting aside space in the property formerly known as Bill's Country Store for the Historical Society. While that's all nice and goodIf they're setting aside space in Bill's Country Store what do they need the Teen Center for? It's all very confusing until you look at it through the prism of public relations.  To me this Chamber endorsement is just a blatant publicity stunt to garner goodwill for the Bill's Five who want their Visitor's Center project subsidized by the town. Now we have the fox in the chicken coop as well since Mr. Mercier, the Chamber liaison to the EDTC has been appointed to the EDTC.

Hopefully this situation does not result in further funding fiascoes as we have with the golf course, the Fireside property, Bill's Country Store, the squandering of the 1% tax and so on. But don't bet on it. My money is on someone coming to the town at some point with their hand out.
And speaking of the Visitor's Center - I thought the idea of Economic Development and Tourism was to get people to come here. The Visitor's Center is not going to attract people, it's going to be used by people who are already here. 

Vito

Notice of denial of my application to the EDTC

Thank you all for your interest in serving on the Economic Development and Tourism Commission.  At their meeting last night, on June 4, the Selectboard made the following appointments to the Commission:

Gerrie Russell – 1 year term

Bill Mercier – 2 year term

Bill Ackerman – 3 year term

The Board and I appreciate your willingness to serve the Town of Killington and look forward to working with you.

I will send a follow up email shortly to schedule a meeting with the full commission.

All the Best,

Seth

Seth Webb

Town Manager

Town of Killington

2706 River Road

Killington, VT 05751

sethwebb@town.killington.vt.us

802.422.3241 (office)

917.693.7216 (cell)

           www.killingtontown.com

Summer on the slopes

By Karen D. Lorentz | June 04,2013

Rutland Herald

 

PROVIDED To ramp up business during summer and fall, Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, NH has added attractions such as aerial courses.

The hot trend of adventure parks and challenge courses heats up at Upper Valley ski resorts in New Hampshire and Vermont this summer with special events like Tough Mudders joining an assortment of activities that include attractions, festivals, and special events.

Among the latest offerings are water parks, zip-lines, canopy tours featuring treetop challenge courses, Segway tours, mountain coasters, bungee trampolines, and climbing walls. These have joined traditional lift rides to scenic mountain tops, lift-served mountain biking, golf, tennis, horseback riding, hiking, children’s day camps, and special events like cycling competitions, hill climbs/foot races, and music, food, craft beer and wine festivals.

Major areas in both states now offer an expanded summer slate, and even smaller areas like Granite Gorge in Keene, NH and Magic Mountain in Londonderry, VT are joining the major resorts in a bid to achieve year-round business.

Jay Peak in Vermont recently achieved this distinction. “Summer business levels now equal winter visitation rates,” spokesman JJ Tolland said. “Between May 31 and September 30, 2012, we had approximately a quarter of a million visitors to Jay Peak, with a majority of those visitors spending at least two nights in one of our lodging properties.”



New Hampshire’s ski-resort summer

In New Hampshire, summer “has become an increasingly vital part of our business structure,” said Karl Stone, marketing director for Ski New Hampshire. “For the state as a whole, it’s critical to attractions as well as to lodging, dining, and other retail.

“Approximately 40 percent of our tourism takes place during the three summer months, when families are able to enjoy time together with kids,” said Stone. “Most of our ski resorts are located near where these families are already vacationing (at lakes and mountains), so it’s an ideal fit to take advantage of the traffic near the resorts.”

Attracting summer guests, he added, also provides “a great way to be able to offer valued staff year-round employment, so resorts don’t run the risk of losing them [employees] to other jobs over the summer months.”

Stone called the summer 2012 season New Hampshire’s “most significant thus far,” and said he’s confident that with attractions continuing to be added, “business levels will once again exceed the previous summer.”

Granite Gorge in Keene is getting into summer operations with lift-served mountain biking, Segway tours, Frisbee golf, and concerts; it also will host functions for its first summer season. In addition to offering food services, the area is providing free shuttle service to Keene to facilitate guest visits.

Mount Sunapee’s new Adventure Park — Canopy Zip-Line Tour, Segway tours, miniature golf course, and disc golf — opened May 25 and features a 50-by-50-foot AcroBag airbag slated to debut June 29. With a ramp made of artificial snow, guests will be able to hit the bag on skis, a snowboard or on a snow tube, said marketing director Bruce McCloy.

“We are also adding two more loops to the aerial challenge course” for a total of “two loops with 16 challenges and four loops with 32 challenges, ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced,” McCloy said. In addition to chairlift rides to the summit, Mount Sunapee will host many events, including a Mountain Mucker 5K obstacle race, a traditional clambake, a family night, the 80th annual League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair, a beer pairing festival, the New Hampshire Mustang Club Fall Harvest Show, and a fall foliage pig roast.

At Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, “Summer and fall business is growing,” said spokesman Greg Kwasnik. “People are starting to realize that we’re much more than just a winter resort. Over the past five years, we’ve worked hard to build our summer offerings and events and to broaden our appeal to families.”

Loon added bungee trampoline, a zipline, a rock-climbing wall, and Segway Tours, and opened the first phase of its Aerial Forest Adventure Park last July. “This will be the first summer that all five courses in the Aerial Forest will be open to the public,” said Kwasnik. Among popular summer events are the White Mountain Cycling Classic and the Monster Mud Run, a 5K adventure race with obstacles.

At Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, a Tough Mudder has been added this summer, with a June 1 and 2 event expected to draw 12,000. Tough Mudder events are hardcore, 10-to-12-mile obstacle courses designed to test competitors’ strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.

Gunstock also offers an Aerial Treetops Adventure Course with 12 zip lines, 22 ladders, and 91 course challenges spread over eight courses, Segway tours, a ZipTour, and expanded campground.

Rounding out mountain offerings in New Hampshire are new stand-up paddle boards at Waterville Valley Resort, which offers golf, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, an ice arena, and skateboard camps; a canopy tour, ziplines, guided rock climbing, indoor climbing wall, mountain biking, and disc golf at Bretton Woods; and ziplines, Segway tours, the Aerial Adventure Course, Mountain Coaster, and Adventure Park with a giant swing, summer tubing, bungee trampoline, Spider Mountain, and bouncy houses at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway.



Vermont’s expanding ski-resort summer

“While summer is a significant season for Vermont’s overall tourism economy, which is essentially split into thirds between summer, fall and winter, I would put the overall ski-resort business percentage at 10 to 15 percent, while individual resorts like Smuggs and Jay Peak would see a higher percentage with their summer park infrastructure,” said Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association.

“Smugglers’ Notch truly led the way on the summer business angle in Vermont’s ski industry, with others like Bromley and Jay Peak coming online in the years since with summer park attractions aimed at boosting visits and business in the off-season. In addition to the golf courses at seven of our state’s ski resorts, the ski areas have constantly been on the move to expand their summer offerings with mountain biking, disc golf, zip lines and canopy tours, in addition to pushing hard for wedding business,” Riehle said.

“Canopy tours have seen the biggest growth in recent years, with Smugglers’ Notch, Bromley, Okemo, and Magic Mountain offering these tree-top ropes courses for our warm-weather thrill seekers.”

Okemo unveils a new wedding garden that can accommodate 200 people and be used to host receptions, family reunions and other gatherings at an idyllic Jackson Gore location where an old barn once stood. Among Okemo’s destination attractions that appeal to wedding and summer guests are the golf course and Adventure Zone — zipline tours, mountain coaster, miniature golf, trampoline bungee jumping, inflatable big-air bag, climbing pinnacle, disc golf, and Segway tours. The resort also hosts free concerts on Friday evenings, several festivals, and Camp Gokemo.

At Magic Mountain in Londonderry, “TimberQuest [Park] has a new course . . . so there will be more variety for repeat visitors to the park during the summer and fall,” said marketing director Geoff Hathaway. The area is also hosting field trips for camps, and offering day or overnight adventures for children in fifth grade and up.

“For the first time, we will have ongoing business at Magic from Memorial Day through Columbus Day with the TimberQuest Park,” he added.

The high tree ropes and obstacle courses launched at TimberQuest last August “brought many new visitors to Magic seeking adventure — some who did not even realize there was a ski area in Londonderry,” Hathaway said. “Therefore, we think the summer park actually helps our winter business.”

Stratton Mountain debuts its Triathlon Training Workshops in June and July. The Wolverine Challenge — a six-mile course with 25 military obstacles — is scheduled to start July 13. Also planned is a yoga retreat and teacher-training certification week with Beryl Bender Birch in August.

Stratton’s returning line-up includes the Wanderlust Yoga extravaganza June 20 to 23, weekly concerts, and weekly activities like paintball, golf and tennis schools, and children’s camps.

Rounding out summer resort offerings: Killington Resort offers disc golf, mountain biking, golf course, and gondola rides; while Bromley Mountain offers 23 rides and attractions including its Kids’ Park, Alpine Slide, ZipRider, water-slide, and Aerial Adventure Park with 63 tree-borne elements, in addition to family shows, live bands, deck barbeques and events.

Jay Peak Resort, which has a new wedding and event space called The Barn located adjacent to its golf course, also added two additional weeks of summer camps. Smugglers’ Notch Resort debuts Splashville, a water playground for youngsters six and under, with features such as water misters and sprays, pulsating fountains, and a water slide.

Killington development project hits setback

Killington development project hits setback

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | June 04,2013

 

A suggestion from the Rutland Regional Planning Commission would — if supported by Act 250 officials — force the designers of a proposed $125 million development on Killington Mountain to return to their drawing boards.

The commission has sent a letter to the District 1 Environmental Commission suggesting that SP Land Co. incorporate 495 units of affordable workforce housing into its planned development, a suggestion that caught the president of the company by surprise.

“It’s not going to happen,” said Steven P. Selbo, president of SP Land. “This came out of nowhere. We’ve spent millions on this. We have architectural designs, sewer designs and engineering designs. This came as a shock and a real disappointment.”

SP Land has applied for an Act 250 permit to build 198 residential units, 32,000 square feet of retail space and 32 subdivision lots on Killington Mountain. The Agency of Natural Resources has granted party status to the Rutland, Southern Windsor County and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee regional planning commissions.

It’s up to the Environmental Commission to decide what conditions will be required of SP Land to receive a permit. However, the Environmental Commission solicited suggestions from the three regional planning commissions. The commissions together drafted a letter suggesting SP Land be required to pay as much as $25,000 for a transportation improvement plan for routes 4, 100 and 103 as they connect Killington Resort to interstates 89 and 91. Under the proposal, the plan — which is estimated to cost upward of $70,000 — would be a public-private project funded by SP Land, the Agency of Transportation and the three planning commissions.

That plan encompasses 133 miles of road — including Route 100 all the way to Waterbury — and 17 major intersections. A completed traffic study has shown the first phase of the project — the only phase for which SP Land has applied for a permit — would not have any major traffic impacts.

Last month, the Rutland Regional Planning Commission voted to withdraw its support of the joint three-commission letter and instead write one of its own. The revised letter softens the language around the transportation improvement plan, and it instead suggests SP Land be strongly encouraged to participate in the plan.

The transportation plan had been a sticking point for SP Land, which doesn’t want to be required to participate in the study as a permit condition and balked at being the only developer required to participate. The letter suggests SP Land be joined in funding the study by “all major traffic generators.”

The other two planning commissions have submitted a revised joint letter which still suggests SP Land be required to participate in the study.

SP Land got what it wanted from the Rutland Regional Planning Commission regarding the traffic study — its participation is suggested instead of required — and got a letter solely from the Rutland commission as requested. But the affordable housing suggestion — a remnant from an Act 250 permit issued in 1998 to a different developer trying to do the same project that never broke ground — didn’t sit well with SP Land.

“This has been a biased and disrespectful process,” said Stephanie Hainley, a consultant working with SP Land. “This has not been a collaborative process.”

A decision on what Act 250 conditions will be required of SP Land is expected by the end of June.

Summit takes aim at long-term economic plan

By Bruce Edwards
STAFF WRITER | June 04,2013

Rutland Herald

 

Anthony Edwards / Staff Photo

Businesses and organizations from around the state gathered at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland for an economic development conference on Monday.

Vermont business leaders and policymakers put their heads together Monday at the start of a process to create a statewide comprehensive economic development strategy.

The daylong conference at the Paramount Theatre was billed as the state’s first Economic Development Summit.

The conference examined a half-dozen issues, including workforce development, leveraging Vermont’s brand, global competitiveness, infrastructure, finding a balance between development and the environment, and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Mark Waterhouse, of the Garnet Consulting Service, gave the 170 attendees a primer on what constitutes a comprehensive economic development strategy, or CEDS, and why devising such a plan is important to the state’s future.

Waterhouse said a statewide economic blueprint is important in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene and to better prepare the state to cope with disasters.

Although rare, he said, a comprehensive strategy will more importantly “position the state of Vermont very attractively and competitively for future economic development.”

He also said a CEDS isn’t a one-shot deal that involves the public and private sectors.

“It is supposed to be a continuing process,” he said. “You just don’t do this now and stop planning for another 20 years.”

Having a CEDS will also make priority projects eligible for federal Economic Development Administration grants and could make those projects eligible for additional federal and state funding.

As an example of how the marketplace has changed, Waterhouse shared data that showed the number of major projects in the U.S. declined from 12,529 in 2000 to just 5,580 last year. In Vermont, there were 62 such projects built during that period that met one of three criteria: at least $1 million in capital investment, creation of 50 or more jobs, or at least 20,000 square feet.
Even more ominous is what Waterhouse called the Baxter effect. Baxter is a $22,000 utility robot that can be set up in one hour, runs on open source software, and is projected to eliminate up to 30 million U.S. jobs over the next 10 years.

A sister robot, called Patty, can make, cook and package hamburgers for the fast food industry, potentially eliminating some of the lowest-paying jobs, he said.

The state hired Garnet Consulting to coordinate the CEDS, which is expected to take up to 12 months to complete.

Workforce development was a major issue during the first of two panel discussions.

“For us, we have to have highly skilled and highly motivated people,” said Tommy Harmon, president and CEO of Sonnax Industries in Bellows Falls. “And in southeastern Vermont, it’s just hard to find those people.”

Harmon said what’s needed in the long term is for Vermont to become a leader in early education. He also expressed frustration with Act 250, calling the review of two expansions “slow and tedious.”

He said the frustration almost led the company to relocate the second expansion to Tennessee. Vermont won out only when the Ben & Jerry’s warehouse in Bellows Falls became available, said Harmon, whose company makes parts for the automotive aftermarket.

On the positive side, Harmon praised the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center for its lean manufacturing workforce training program. He also said Vermont is a leader when it comes to employee-owned businesses. Sonnax made the transition to becoming a company owned by its workers through an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP.

The workforce problem was also noted by Steve Arms, who started and later sold MicroStrain, a high-tech company in Williston.

Arms, who has gone on to start Swarms Ventures, said there are ways companies can enhance workforce training including the use of paid internships and co-op programs.

Another panelist, Joe Fusco, of Casella Waste Systems, said a company the size of Casella has a relatively easy time doing business in the state. But he said smaller companies that don’t have the same resources often struggle to make ends meet. And he said that should concern everyone.

“Our challenges as a business are that person’s challenges as a business,” Fusco said. “We do not grow, we do not thrive, unless that kind of business — small businesses, family businesses, businesses that employ 10 or less people in the state — thrive as well.”

Fusco said Vermont has as many resources, if not more, than other states, including easy access to state officials.

When it comes to branding, Fusco said, “Vermont’s brand is anti-business, the way Apple’s brand is anti-technology.”

By that, Fusco said, both have a way of doing business that is different but successful.

“Vermont’s brand is this to me: Come here, lead differently, live differently and profit differently,” he said. “I think that is very different from what the rest of the world is doing.”

Smugglers’ Notch Resort owner Bill Stritzler, whose branding experience includes stints with Wells Fargo and AT&T, said money alone won’t solve a problem unless the behavior changes. He said that if in fact Vermont is a good place to do business, then the state “should tell the world” in a very focused way.

Gov. Peter Shumlin opened the conference signing a bill, H.337, that will help reduce the cost of new housing developments around the state’s downtowns and village centers. Among its provisions, the bill makes it easier for cities and towns to redevelop blighted properties.

Shumlin and Green Mountain Power President and CEO Mary Powell singled out Rutland for its redevelopment efforts. Shumlin noted the resurgence in manufacturing jobs around the state, including the local GE Aviation plants.

GMP’s new downtown Energy Innovation Center on Merchants Row has already served as a magnet for three other businesses, said Powell, whose company sponsored the conference.

Comment: The following quote says it all, "Vermont’s brand is anti-business,".
Vito

Vt. home sales are picking up steam (but not necessarily Killington)

By Bruce Edwards
STAFF WRITER | June 02,2013

Rutland Herald

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur / Staff Photo

The median sale price for an existing single-family home in Vermont is about $15,000 higher than at the same time last year. This home is for sale on Terrace Street in Montpelier.

Existing single-family home prices in Vermont are up nearly 8 percent so far this year, in line with a nationwide trend showing the housing market making a comeback.

The median price of a home sold in the state through April was $205,000, compared to $190,000 a year earlier, according to the Northern New England Real Estate Network, which tracks home sales in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Sales during the first four months of the year have soared nearly 17 percent with 1,240 homes sold. Statewide, there are 3,433 homes on the market, a 4.2 percent increase from a year ago.

“The buzz is just crazy — it’s amazing,” said Isaac Chavez, chief executive officer of the Vermont Realtors Association.

Chavez said his members “are saying this is the best start to the year they’ve had in six, seven years.”

“I had one person tell me they had more sales in the first quarter than they had in all of last year combined,” Chavez said.

He attributed the boost in sales to an uptick in consumer confidence. In Vermont, he said that’s tied to the state having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

And while interest rates are starting to creep up, Chavez said mortgage rates remain very low.

(Nationwide, the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller home price index was up 10.9 percent in March compared to a year earlier. The index tracks home prices in 20 cities across the country).

Based on the Northern New England Real Estate Network data, the number of sales of Multiple Listing Service properties were up in all but two of the Vermont’s 14 counties. The exceptions were Rutland and Grand Isle counties.

Six counties experienced a decline in the median sale price.

Rutland County sales through April were flat compared to a year ago with 102 homes sold. However, the median price of $149,750 was up 7 percent from a year ago.

In Chittenden County, the state’s largest, sales were up 12.2 percent this year with 267 homes sold. The median sale price of $281,500, was up 12.6 percent.

Bennington County sales have risen 20.3 percent with 83 homes sold. The median price increased 15.6 percent to $222,000.

Washington County sales jumped 27 percent with 89 homes sold. The median price was down slightly from a year earlier at $166,000.

Windsor County sales posted a nearly 24 percent increase through April with 150 homes sold. The median sale price was up 18.4 percent to $219,000.

The Vermont Housing Finance Agency — a funding source for first-time homebuyers — is reporting a surge in loan demand.

“VHFA’s loan volume is actually up about 35 percent from 2012, in part because volume was very slow the year before,” VHFA spokeswoman Leslie Black-Plumeau said in an email. “Our borrowers are very rate-sensitive and it was hard to get a lot of advantage from conventional rates.”

Black-Plumeau also said VHFA now has available a “Down Payment Assistance Program, which helped (loan) production this spring.”

Statewide, condominium sales remain in the doldrums. Sales year-to-date are down 2.3 percent with 293 units sold. The median sale price was $178,000, a modest 1.2 percent increase from a year ago.

In the ski resort town of Killington, condominium and single-family vacation home sales continues to reflect a tough market.

Condo sales are flat with 20 units sold so far this year compared to 21 a year ago, said Heidi Bomengen of Prestige Real Estate. She said the median sale price of $144,250 is down slightly from a year earlier.

Bomengen said so far this year three single-family homes have sold compared to nine a year ago.

“What I will say is the homes that did close this year were significantly higher priced than last year,” she said.

She said the median price of the three homes sold this year is $555,000, compared to $205,000 for the nine homes sold a year ago.

Bomengen said an additional six homes are under contract that haven’t yet closed. She said one of the homes is listed at close to $1 million and another is listed at $439,000.

She said condos in particular remain a tough sell because banks regard those properties as a higher risk requiring a 25 percent down payment.

Even financing on single-family vacation homes is often a struggle. Bomengen said two of the three homes sold this year were cash transactions. She said buyers who make a cash offer can often get the seller to come down in price to avoid the uncertainly of bank financing.

Peggy Smith of the Macdonald Real Estate Group in Stowe said there’s no question the market is in a recovery mode.

“We are selling more properties,” Smith said. “We have more people interested looking at properties but our pricing is not going up.”

Smith’s assessment goes hand in hand with data from the Northern New England Real Estate Network that shows 55 homes sold in Lamoille County through April, a nearly 20 percent increase from last year. At the same time, the median sale price in Lamoille County has fallen nearly 11 percent to $205,000.

“I think that the reason is because we’ve had reluctant sellers, who have taken quite a few years to realize that they are not going to get what they wanted for their properties,” Smith said. “So now they’re tired and they just decided, OK, for whatever reason, they’re taking the offers they would not have taken a year ago or two years ago.”

In the resort community of Stowe, she said 15 homes sold in the first quarter, the same as last year. Of that number, 11 sales were under $500,000.

Smith said condo sales are on the upswing with 10 units sold in the first quarter compared to four a year ago. She said five of the 10 condos sold for under $200,000.

The rebound in home sales has translated into a bump in the number of people selling real estate. The Vermont Association of Realtors forecast 1,515 members in 2013. But not even halfway through the year, the number has grown to 1,602 members, Chavez said.

“So that’s a huge increase in just a short time,” he said.

He said roughly half of the new members are new to real estate while the other half are returning members, who may have left the business during the Great Recession.

Chavez also said there is renewed interest in the five-day prelicensing classes for selling real estate in Vermont.

The Northern New England Real Estate Network tracks Multiple Listing Service sales in Vermont and New Hampshire. It does not include all properties sold and marketed for sale.

Reformulated EDTC candidates

APPOINTMENT	APPLICANTS	NOTES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM COMMISSION Jeanne Karlhubert – 2013 – VACANT Nicole Levesque - 2014 Robert Megnin – 2015 Joelle Jarvis – 2016 – VACANT	Gerrie Russell	Retired with background in teaching and health care management.  Officer of Condo association and Board member of two local non-profits Served on the Selectboard’s committee for Community Growth See attached letter
	Bill Ackerman	Head of Retail The Vermont Country Store See attached letter
	Vito Rasenas	Degree in Economics and experience on development projects as a financial analyst See attached letter
	Bill Mercier	Owner of Mountain Meadows Lodge and teacher at Castleton State College Killington Chamber of Commerce Board Member who served as the EDTC liaison for the last year.  Member of Rutland Catholic Schools Board Background in intellectual property

Ex. Officio members could include the directors of the Rutland Economic Development Corporation and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission

 ACKERMAN LETTER OF INTEREST

From: Bill Ackerman [backerman@vermontcountrystore.com]

Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 9:44 PM

To: Seth Webb

Subject: Killington's EDTC



Seth,

 

Thank you for taking time out of your morning to discuss Killington's EDTC. 

 You clarified my questions regarding the vision for economic development in 

town and the mission of the commission.  

As you know, increasing the numbers of visitors to Vermont is an integral part of my mission as   

      Head of Retail at The Vermont Country Store.  Many of my daily functions are directly 

related to  tourism and economic development here in southern Vermont.

I would like to offer my time, as well as my expertise in economic development and marketing, 

to serve on the commission.  I firmly believe in advancing the initiatives established and among 

other things, increasing the number of year-round Killington visitors.  

I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the economic success of our 

town through the EDTC.  

Thanks for your consideration. 

Respectfully,  

Bill Ackerman 
Head of Retail 
The Vermont Country Store 
Backerman@vermontcountrystore.com 
802.282.2648
The Vermont Country Store: Purveyors of the Practical and Hard-To-Find Since 1946. 
www.vermontcountrystore.com
The Vermont Country Store: Purveyors of the Practical and Hard-To-Find Since 1946.
www.vermontcountrystore.com

 Vito Rasenas LETTER OF INTEREST

From: Vito & Susan [Marla@vermontel.com]

Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 7:31 AM

To: Seth Webb

Cc: Chris Bianchi; Bernard Rome; Bernard Rome

Subject: EDTC Appintment



Seth,

 

I am interested in being appointed to the newly reconstituted Economic Development 

and Tourism Commission to represent a more balanced viewpoint.. I fully support the 

major private development initiative in town, that of the ski village. I have taken 

concrete steps in that direction by supporting SP Land's permit effort at the town and 

regional planning commissions and will continue to do so. I believe private investment 

is the way to develop the town not spending taxpayer dollars in what amount to 

stimulus plans for a narrow set of interests in the town, i.e. the bars, restaurants and 

motels. That viewpoint needs to be represented on any Economic Development 

Commission going forward.

As you know I have been active in town issues for a couple of years now and have participated in efforts to promote development in town. 

Those efforts include meeting with state and local leaders in regards to state support of 

the town’s development efforts as well as attending the Regional Planning 

Commission meeting to support the SP Land’s efforts to accelerate it’s development 

efforts. I have met and conferred with the major players in town. And, as you well know, 

I forward to you pertinent news relating to our town’s profile in the media as well as 

possible economic development ideas.   

While I don’t support certain current efforts in total I do believe the town does need to 

adapt to a changing economic and environmental conditions. I believe the way to 

develop the town’s economy is to promote private investment in the town and support 

those efforts in a manner consistent with providing basic municipal services, i.e. roads, 

water, sewer, police and fire protection. 

The town government’s role needs to be providing the proper infrastructure and 

environment for businesses to function.

I have a degree in Economics and have worked on development projects as a financial 

analyst so I bring that to the table as well.

 

Vito Rasenas

 Although noted as attached no LETTER OF INTEREST from Russell was posted on the town website.

No letter of interest was noted at all from Mercier