Crash claims three lives in Killington

Rutland Herald

By Dan Colton
and ANDY CLARK
Staff Writers | December 30,2015

 

Dan Colton / Staff Photo A tractor-trailer blocks all traffic lanes of Route 4 in Killington after a crash that killed three people Tuesday.

KILLINGTON — Vermont State Police said three people died Tuesday when a tractor-trailer and sport utility vehicle crashed on Route 4 in Killington.
Police have not identified the victims of the crash as of press time, but said seven occupants were involved. The cause of the crash has not been reported, but roads were slick with slush from the first major snowstorm of the winter.
The crash occurred around 2 p.m. Tuesday, at the bottom of the hill just east of Sherburne Pass. Route 4 was closed between Sherburne Pass and Killington Road well into Tuesday evening.
Police turned away a reporter at the scene and declined to answer questions.
Hundreds of motorists idled for hours, while others pulled out of the line and turned around. Some drivers exited their vehicles to smoke or investigate on foot. As of press time, the road was still closed.
The tractor-trailer appeared to be traveling east on the east side of Sherburne Pass when the crash occurred. The trailer blocked traffic in both directions. Its cab hung suspended over the opposite ditch and a large State Police presence illuminated the slick roadway with flashing lights.
A mixture of frozen rain and snow fell and threw a white haze across the scene.
“This investigation is still ongoing and the roadway will be closed for quite a few hours, late into the evening and potentially early into the morning hours,” Lt. Chuck Cacciatore said around 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Elsewhere, on Route 7 near the Rutland-Pittsford town line, three vehicles were involved in another crash blamed on slippery roads, though firefighters said there were no life-threatening injuries in that incident.
“They all got up and walked away, but they went to the hospital,” said Capt. Chris Clark of the Rutland Town Fire Department.
He said two cars — a Subaru Outback and a Chevrolet Malibu — slid into each other at around 6 p.m., colliding on their drivers’ sides. Those two vehicles were total losses, Clark said, and the third, a Toyota Prius, sustained minor damage.
“It just happened to be in the way,” he said. “It had a little scrape on it.”
The drivers of the Outback and Malibu had to be extricated from their cars — one by the Pittsford Fire Department and one by Clark’s crew. Route 7 was closed to traffic north of Pinnacle Ridge Road for about an hour and a half.
Roads throughout Vermont were rated as “difficult” Tuesday. While accidents mounted later in the day, police said motorists generally drove appropriately to the conditions for the morning commute, and highway crews were out early. Few accidents or vehicles off the road were reported in the morning.
“It also helped traffic levels to have this happen while kids were out of school,” Cacciatore said. “Those who did drive this morning were doing so safely and slowly.”
Lt. Kevin Geno, of Rutland City Police, agreed about the morning commute. “Our DPW was out fairly early and by 6 a.m. they had the roads in decent shape for commuters. The outcome was really good. People paid attention to the conditions and everyone was prepared for the severity of the storm. It was the perfect time for such a storm to arrive.”
Byron Hathaway, road commissioner for Rutland Town, said: “We were out salting early. It was bad when it turned to sleet, but the salt began to loosen up the accumulation and made roads drivable.”
Road conditions, however, deteriorated later in the day in some areas, especially higher elevations.
For purposes of rating road conditions, “difficult” is defined by the state Agency of Transportation: “Roadway is completely covered with precipitation. Accumulation is to the point that roadway markings are completely obscured making it difficult to differentiate between the roadway and its surrroundings. Surfaces are slippery and driver speeds should be reduced significantly.”
Green Mountain Power crews went to work early Tuesday restoring power to customers as snow and ice brought down trees and branches, causing power outages.
As of 11:30 a.m., power had been restored to more than 250 customers. Most of the outages occurred in Killington and Sunderland, GMP said. No outages remained in the region by Tuesday evening.

City man denies trail head break-ins

Rutland Herald

By Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli
STAFF WRITER | December 29,2015

 

A Rutland man pleaded innocent in Rutland criminal court on Monday to a felony charge of breaking into two vehicles at a hiking area in Mendon and stealing handbags from the cars.
On Nov. 14, Bryce Smith-Wallett, 23, was charged with felony grand larceny, two misdemeanor counts of unlawful mischief and one misdemeanor count of petty larceny.
If convicted, Smith-Wallett could be sentenced to a maximum 13 years behind bars.
A witness spotted Smith-Wallett running from one of the vehicles after smashing a rear window in an out-of-state car parked at the Brewer’s Corner hiking and parking area, according to Vermont State Police.
The witness, Ben Reardon, 18, of Pittsford, told police he was returning to the parking area after a long hunt when he saw a man in a brown hooded sweatshirt jump out of a Ford F-150. Reardon said he heard smashing and shouted from the top of his lungs. The man in the brown hooded sweatshirt ran from one of the cars, which had Massachusetts plates, and was carrying something in his arms, police said.
After responding to Reardon’s call for help, police said they asked several hikers on Wheelerville Road if they had seen a Ford F-150. The hikers said they saw the vehicle speeding toward Route 4, police said.
Robert Osnoe, 27, a tow truck operator, told police at that time, he followed the truck after it pulled off Wheelerville Road and onto Route 4 after hearing a call on his scanner.
Trooper Aron McNeil found the truck on Killington Road and asked the driver, Trevor J. Polcaro, 24, to step out of the vehicle.
Polcaro denied any involvement with the break-ins and told police his passenger, Smith-Wallett, broke the windows and stole the contents of the purses, then threw them out the truck window.
Conversely, Smith-Wallett told police that he and Polcaro had never been on Wheelerville Road and did not break any windows or steal any purses.
The unrelated victims of the break-ins, Adam Frankel, 31, of Massachusetts and Suzanne Lee, 37, of Hanover, N.H., told police they had been hiking for the day and when they returned to the trailhead, noticed their rear windows were broken.
Frankel said his wife’s purse had been stolen and it contained her Apple iPhone, wallet, credit cards, and an 18-karat gold tennis bracelet with diamonds and sapphires.
Police said the bracelet belonged to Frankel’s wife’s grandmother and was priceless to her, but that its estimated material value was $3,000. Frankel said their loss, including damage to the vehicle, was more than $4,000, police said.
Lee told police that a North Face tote was taken from her car, and it contained vehicle key fobs and clothing valued at about $200.
Later, at the Rutland State Police barracks, Smith-Wallett admitted to police he broke the windows in the vehicles and the thefts were to support an opiate addiction.
Smith-Wallett has a hearing scheduled Feb. 1 in Rutland criminal court.

Comment: What were they doing on Killington Road? Does Trevor Polcaro live there or were they at a friend's house. Where on Killington Road was the truck found? Was Polcaro charged with aid and abetting the break ins?

Dog drives into pond

Rutland Herald

December 26,2015

 

KILLINGTON — A therapy dog gave her owner quite a headache in June when the man’s car ended up in a pond at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel.
Nick Hayer’s Volkswagen Jetta rolled into the pond at the resort around 11:30 a.m. June 4 while his dog was sitting in the front seat.
Lucy, a 2-year-old English bulldog, was believed to have bumped the manual transmission into neutral, which caused it to roll into the pond.
Hotel employee Mark Venter jumped in the water to rescue the dog. Neither Venter nor Lucy were hurt during the incident.
While Hayer didn’t face any charges from Vermont State Police, Lucy was likely to get a talking to when the pair arrived home.
“Maybe from my wife,” Hayer said at the time. “I’m very easy on her.”

Killington Board Gets Serious About Town Manager Search

Vermont Standard

By Curt Peterson

Standard Staff

The killington select board met today to take the first action steps toward selecting the candidate who will fill Seth Webb’s shoes as town manager. With them were Citizen Search Committee members Gerri Russell and Walter Findeisen, as well as Webb and Dick Horner, the interim town manager. Webb’s last day will be Dec. 31.

Connected by Skype, Abigail Friedman, Director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns Municipal Assistance Center, also participated in the meeting.

Reporting to the select board, the town manager is expected to supervise 104 full and part-time employees, administer a $15 million budget and oversee just about every department. Depending on education and experience, the Select Board is offering $75,000 to $95,000 plus “an excellent benefits package,” which is not defined.

Webb passed out packets for everyone attending, which had been delivered to town hall by a VLCT employee minutes before the meeting. Besides instructions and timeline information, each packet contained complete copies of the sixty applications for the job that VLCT has received.

“Because this is an open meeting,” Webb said, “we have to be careful not to mention any names or discuss any individual candidate while anyone from the public or the press is here.” Resident Charlie Holland and two reporters were the only people not present officially, and who would be excluded from an executive session.

In each packet was a copy of the job description posted on the Town Website and advertised by VLCT as part of their backroom support of killington’s search. Highlighted in the description is the town’s fluctuating population—811 fulltime residents, 2,500 second home owners and 15,000 visitors during ski season or for special events during the year.

“The town seeks a leader who can support its goal of becoming Vermont’s premier resort community, offering residents a high quality of life and tourists a memorable mountain adventure,” the document says. In short, he or she will “Serve as the chief executive officer of the town.”

Regarding the police department and other town employees, the Manager will have the authority to appoint and remove employees and “fix their salaries.”

Qualifications include a bachelors’ degree and management experience, with advantage going to candidates having skills and expertise involving municipal management.

The board’s next step will be to review the sixty applications and rank them on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the most suited for the job, and 5 the least suited. Friedman called this “the winnowing stage.” She recommended the board try to come up with 8-10 top candidates and five or six second-tier applicants before they think about interviews.

“Keep in mind that many of these applicants have filed multiple applications for jobs in several towns, and they may accept one before you even approach them. It’s good to have an adequate number of qualified people identified, with a small group of back-ups,” Friedman said.

Chairman Patty McGrath suggested a meeting late next week to review everyone’s ratings and start to set up interviews. Findeisen and Bianchi thought the holidays and work schedules might get in the way of everyone reviewing the applications carefully that soon, so they agreed to meet Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. to see how far everyone has gotten with their rating process.

The board voted to go into executive session so they could discuss some of the information in the packet confidentially. As Charlie Holland was leaving he was asked jokingly if he had applied for the job.

“No, I didn’t,” he laughed, “But I have one qualification that I think is the most important one – I live in killington full-time. I think the new manager should be required to live here too.”

Seth Webb lives in Woodstock.

---

Big turnout for Killington job

 Big turnout for Killington job

By Lola Duffort
Staff Writer | December 08,2015

 

KILLINGTON — Sixty people are vying for Seth Webb’s job.
That’s according to the number of applications the Killington Select Board will get a first look at in a special meeting today as it embarks on its search for the town’s next manager.
The Select Board is scheduled to convene at 3:30 p.m. at the town office.
The town’s three-member citizen search committee will be in attendance, and a representative from Vermont League of Cities and Towns, which has been compiling the applications for the town, will video conference with the meeting.
The Select Board and the search committee are planning to rank applications to select candidates for interview within the week, Webb said, and are hoping to schedule initial interviews later in the month.
Webb ends his tenure in town Dec. 31. Planning director Dick Horner has been appointed to take the helm as interim manager as the town searches for its next top administrator.

Killington Board OKs Design For Donated Bridge

Vermont Standard

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

killington — Only three residents braved tough driving conditions to attend the Dec. 1 select board meeting, but they had questions about improvements proposed by the killington Pico Area Association that include replacing a bridge that’s part of the Gateway Project walkway.

The Gateway Project has been an ongoing dream in killington for more than 20 years, and only recently has expansion of the walkway picked up momentum. KPAA had come to the board some time ago proposing to replace the walkway bridge over Miller Brook that is across killington Road from its intersection with Dean Hill Road, with a covered bridge.

“It’s a decorative project,” said outgoing Town Manager Seth Webb.

The conversion will be privately funded with monies raised through KPAA efforts. When the work is completed, the new bridge will be donated to the town. For that reason the board required certification that the roof of the bridge would be able to hold up under the weight of heavy snow, and that the structure would be able to withstand high winds. KPAA hired Sellers Trebal Structural Engineers LLC from Shelburne to design the bridge and to certify its worthiness. Webb presented the engineering report and final design to the Board for approval.

Webb explained that the finished bridge would be gifted to the town by KPAA, which means the town will be responsible for maintaining and repairing it in the future.

Resident Charlie Holland asked why KPAA hadn’t included some kind of perpetual care funding for the bridge when they were raising the money.

“So far $5,000 has already been raised for construction,” Webb said. “If the board accepts the engineers’ plans and certification, KPAA will obtain bids from contractors for doing the work, and continue with fundraising until they have the amount needed. Then work can start.”

Selectman Chris Bianchi said the bridge will be a gift that will be part of the town’s walkway, that it will be an improvement and that the town will naturally be responsible for its upkeep.

“At this point, we’re just approving the design so KPAA can move ahead on the project,” he said.

The motion to approve the design, based on STSE’s plans and certification, passed unanimously.

Dick Horner, who has been appointed interim town manager, attended the meeting. Horner will serve from Dec. 31 when Webb’s resignation becomes effective, until Webb’s permanent replacement actually takes over the position. The board expects that will take place in February or March 2016.

Webb reported that the Vermont League of Cities and Towns has received 55 applications for his job so far. The VLCT Municipal Assistance Center has been handling advertising for the position, sorting, vetting and grading the applications, and will have presented their findings to the

search committee in time for a Dec. 8 meeting, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. Abby Friedman, who manages the center, will be available to the committee remotely via Skype.

Selectman Ken Lee had some questions regarding the fire department’s budget proposal for next year.

“I see a request here for $1,000 for something called handheld battery chargers. I don’t even know what they are or what they’re used for,” he said. “And $1,700 for snowshoes. Do we really need that many snowshoes?”

Chairman Patty McGrath couldn’t give Lee an answer about the battery chargers, but opined that the snowshoes were for killington Area Search and Rescue, which has become part of the fire department.

“They are trying to make it unnecessary for the responders to use their own personal gear,” she explained. “And if they have to go into the back woods, they need to have enough snowshoes.”

The selectmen all agreed the Fire Department and KASAR should include more details when requesting specialized equipment so the board knows what it is authorizing. Webb promised to find out more about the specific items Lee questioned.

The budget discussion ended with good news for killington taxpayers, according to the selectmen, as the proposed 2016-2017 municipal tax rate will rise less than 2 cents.

“We managed to keep spending very close to 2014 levels,” Webb said.

Resident Jim Haff objected to the method of reporting bond revenue and obligations, although he agreed in the end that all the funds were accounted for. The board will take up the Capital Plan at their next meeting, which Bianchi said should clear up any misgivings about treatment of the bond debt and how the borrowed funds are being used.

Police: Man uses snowboard to smash sunroof of vehicle at Killington Ski Resort

Michael Halliday of North Chittenden charged with vandalism

 

Published  8:29 PM EST Nov 27, 2015

Shaun Ganley/WCVB/File

KILLINGTON, Vt. —Vermont state police say a man at Killington Ski Resort used his snowboard to smash in the sunroof of a car in the parking lot, possibly because it parked too close to his.

Police have charged 42-year-old Michael Halliday of North Chittenden with vandalism, driving under the influence and two counts of giving false information to law enforcement officials. They also charged his passenger, 42-year-old Michael Rousseau of Brandon, with two counts of giving false information to law enforcement.

Authorities say a citizen who witnessed the incident took a picture of the suspect's vehicle, which police stopped in nearby Mendon.

Police say the victims' car had to be towed. A dog inside at the time of the incident was uninjured.

It was not immediately known if the men have lawyers.

Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This mate

Killington Select Board Disagrees About Town Pool Bond

Vermont Standard

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

Killington—After having two weeks to contemplate prefunding the replacement of the killington town pool, a $75,000 per year, 10 year proposal, selectman Ken Lee announced at Tuesday’s select board meeting that he objects to putting the plan up for vote at the 2016 Town Meeting. He preferred the town wait till the project needs attention, then wants to finance it with a bond as they have previous infrastructure expenditures.

“I’m 72,” Lee said. “Why should I pay for 10 years for something I may never see?”

Town Manager Seth Webb reiterated that the estimated total cost of the project, including necessary rebuilding of the recreation center and pool house, would be $1,400,000, and the $750,000 pre-fund will actually pay for only half of the cost.

Selectman Chris Bianchi, who has school-age children, defended the proposal, saying it makes financial sense for the taxpayers.

“We know we’re going to have to replace the pool in 10 years, and it’s better to put the money away ahead of time instead of waiting and having to pay interest on borrowed funds later.”

Three residents attended the meeting. All had opinions. Charlie Holland agreed with Lee.

“I like the idea of waiting and financing the project with a bond,” he said. “That way the people who live here when the pool has to be replaced can decide if they want to replace it at the time by voting for the bond issue or against it.”

“I just got a letter from Social Security,” Holland added. “They say I’m not getting an increase this year because the cost of living hasn’t gone up. But if we increase our taxes to finance replacing the pool ten years down the road, that’s an increase in the cost of living.”

Webb and Bianchi pointed out the prefunding idea would raise homeowners’ tax rate by one cent.

“On a $300,000 home,” Bianchi said, “this would mean only a $30 increase in taxes per year.”

Resident James Rich also objected to the pre-funding plan. “We might put $750,000 away over ten years”, he said, “and then the voters might vote not to replace the pool anyway. I’m 76—I might have helped pay for something I’ll never see.”

Bianchi implied he saw the argument as a generational issue.

“I represent all the people in town – not just the senior citizens who don’t want to pay ahead for anything and leave all the cost on my kids.

That’s how I look at it.”

Select board chair Patty McGrath stepped in to say she thought the discussion was valuable and that she saw both points of view. She thinks prefunding is a good idea, agreeing with Bianchi that for years the town has been catching up on overdue maintenance and infrastructure issues, and planning ahead financially makes good sense. She suggested a smaller amount of money, perhaps $25,000 per year, that would have less impact on taxes might be more appropriate.

“It’s good to hear everyone’s opinions on this,” she said. “Ken’s on one end of the spectrum and Chris is on the other. I’m in the middle.”

It was agreed that the board would give the issue more thought and revisit the discussion at the next meeting.

Seth Webb reported that three residents had applied to serve on the committee searching for his replacement as town manager. Since the board was seeking three committee members, they agreed to appoint Walter Findeisen, Chris Karr and Gerri Russell, the three applicants, to the committee.

Later, Webb said the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, which is providing backroom services in the Town Manager search, has received 35 applications for the job to date, and there are still 15 days before the deadline for applicants to file.

“Typically a lot of applications arrive at the last minute,” he said, “so we are looking forward to having a lot of choices.”

Like other towns, killington is spending considerable time on its 20162017 budget.

Green Mountain National Golf Club, a town-owned enterprise, performed well during the past season, according to David Soucy, golf pro and general manager.

“All the courses in the area are suffering this year, but we paid all our expenses and were able to pay back $39,000 to the town at the end of the season,” he said. “We’ve reduced expenses by $30,000, partly due to lower fuel prices, but mainly because of careful purchasing.”

McGrath, Soucy and Webb all said the course has a good reputation among golfers, which has enabled them to maintain steady membership numbers and to weather a wet spring.

Webb’s review of the general budget demonstrated an anticipated tax rate increase of less than 2 cents over last year, the goal set by the select board. He attributes much of the achievement to increased revenue and a proposed carryover of $175,000 from a large budget surplus this year.

Police Chief Whit Montgomery presented a budget for his department that is increased over last year’s only because of the addition of a second full-time officer.

Comment: Maybe the Selectboard should consider how to pay for stuff we have already incurred debt on , like the golf course. We have an approximately million dollar balloon payment due in a few years. If  Bianchi and McGrath are worried about paying interest they should be looking at funding that balloon payment. But of course that was never the plan - the plan was always to roll the balloon over and pay more interest on an already rolled over debt. So given that scenario, any concern about paying interest seems disingenuous at best.
Also  there are other significant financial challenges out there - funding a new firehouse, redoing the golf course irrigation system, oh and finishing the repaving of Killington road. Somehow the budget for phase two of the Killington Road repaving project disappeared such that it can only be repaved from West Hill to Schooolhouse Road instead of to Dean Hill Road. The road bond we voted for a couple of years ago was supposed to ease us through the project yet somehow we're lacking the funds to do the projects as planned. What happened????

Vito 

Killington Police Dept. Expands With Demand

Vermont Standard

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

killington — Hiring Brent Howard as their second full-time officer means killington’s police department has doubled in size in just over two years.

Chief Whit Montgomery says this is just one “baby step” in the department’s long-range strategic plan.According to Montgomery, the town employed elected constables as their first law enforcement resource in 1900. As the killington mountain ski resort grew in size and popularity, the constable system proved inadequate, and, at then-constable Montgomery’s suggestion, the select board approved formation of the new killington Police Department with a budget of $80,000 in 2013. According to a Vermont Standard article at the time, a rash of burglaries was a major inspiration for the vote. Montgomery was the department’s first chief and only full-time officer. Besides Howard and the chief, killington’s force now includes two part-time officers who help out during events and for other special details.

One important benefit of forming an official police department is the access to state and federal criminal record databases which constables do not enjoy. This access allows killington Police Department to check the criminal records of suspects and arrestees, and the status of automobile registrations, a valuable tool with so many out-of-towners present.

The town consists of 54 roads and 3,171 properties. While killington’s population is less than 900 souls on a slow weekend, Montgomery said, during ski season as many as 20,000 people occupy the town, just one of the factors that make policing in a resort town challenging. And the town is promoting more off-season events, which in turn means more demands on KPD.

“Assuming staggered scheduling,” he said, “the ratio of civilians to officers is often 20,000 to one. This puts enormous pressure on manpower and other resources.”

The Rutland County Sheriff’s Department and the Vermont State Police provide assistance and backup when the need arises.

“Otherwise, because backup can be more than miles away, the skill and training of the officers is all we have to rely on in difficult situations,” Montgomery added.

And difficult situations do arise. The chief said KPD duties have included serving search and arrest warrants, testifying in court, taking subjects into protective custody, performing search and rescue operations, handling people who are resisting arrest, and, yes, car chases.

“The most effective tool an officer has in many cases,” he said, “is his mouth – knowing how to calm people down and control potentially dangerous situations is the most important skill.”

Montgomery believes Officer Howard has those skills. Howard, who has 10 years’ experience in law enforcement, responded to a job posting on the town website and was vetted by Town Manager Seth Webb and the chief. He was hired at a wage of $18.60 per hour plus benefits, and started Monday November 9.

During his 14-year employment by the town, Montgomery co-organized killington Search and Rescue, a non-profit agency made up of volunteers who are skilled and experienced in wilderness search and rescue operations. With KPD direction the organization assisted neighboring towns and the State Police. Originally funded through donations and grants, KSAR is now under the auspices of the fire department.

In its strategic plan KPD recognizes the importance of community involvement in law enforcement. Montgomery pointed out the diversity of the vacationing population, including ages, languages, nationalities and backgrounds. He started a Neighborhood Watch program, enlisting full-time residents to keep an eye out for risky situations or suspicious activities.

“At this point the Watch doesn’t hold regular meetings any more, but citizens keep in regular touch to report anything they think the police department should be aware of,” he said.

State and FBI requirements include separate, locked office space for local police agencies. This summer KPD moved from an area shared with the Road Department to its own office on the second floor of the Chamber of Commerce building on Route 4. The office is currently open only Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. With Howard on board, Montgomery intends to expand the hours and adhere to more consistency.

As with any contemporary public agency, KPD has to balance perceived needs with the reality of finances. Montgomery hasn’t finalized his budget proposal for the 2016-2017 fiscal year yet, but he said he is not requesting any increase in his own salary, which is $45,726.

Early in the department’s history the chief suggested a regional law enforcement agency that would organize the resources and manpower of several municipalities and counties into one coordinated effort.

“It was a new idea,” he said. “But it makes sense – we could significantly increase the level of security and safety for our citizens while reducing costs by eliminating redundancies, duplications and overlaps. As officers we could be much more effective and for less taxpayer investment.”

He says a regional force is the logical future for improved local law enforcement at the lowest cost.

Killington Hires New Police Officer, Interim Town Manager

Vermont Standard

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

killington — Finding a replacement for Town Manager Seth Webb is a major project in killington, as it would be for any town. Select board chairman Patty McGrath updated attendees at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Seth’s last day will be Dec 31,” she said. “We are moving forward as planned, with Vermont League of Cities and Towns acting as our back office.”

McGrath said the process is expected to take 3-5 months. The board has appointed resident Dick Horner, who has been involved in town business for many years, as interim Town Manager. Horner will start Dec. 1, giving him a month to shadow Webb during his final days and to get up to speed on ongoing issues Webb was handling.

Employment ads and a job description are in the works - McGrath said the first stakeholder meeting, involving senior staff, went very positively and effectively. Another public meeting with appointed and elected officials as stakeholders will take place Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.

The deadline for applications is April 30. Vermont League of Cities and Towns will process all the applications, vetting and ranking them by qualifications and references, and turn them over to the board.

“During the following week we’ll choose 8 – 10 candidates to interview, with an additional five as alternates,” she said. Anyone wishing to serve on the selection committee should contact Webb on or before Nov. 9.

Marty Post announced the killington Energy Committee will host a round-table discussion about solar energy at the Sherburne Memorial Library on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. Participants will include residents and business owners who have installed solar energy systems, and a Green Mountain Power representative. People who are considering a solar option are encouraged to come and ask questions, hear about current tax incentives and rebates, about savings available through solar energy, and about new efficient heat pump systems. The theme of the discussion is, “Don’t Be Left Out In The Cold.”

The killington Police Department has a new full-time officer, McGrath announced.

According to Chief Whit Montgomery the new patrolman, Brent Howard, who is in his early 30s and lives in Poultney, has 10 years’ experience with the Rutland County Sheriff’s office, and the Castleton and Mendon police departments. He is certified to process suspected driving under the influence operators and will start Nov. 9.

“Brent’s talents include being an excellent communicator,” Montgomery said. “In a town such as killington, this is extremely valuable. You can be the only officer on duty on a weekend when there are 20,000 people in town and backup is some time away. At times like those, when something happens, your ability to communicate is your best and most effective weapon.”

Montgomery said that, other than uniforms, no additional equipment will be required for Howard.

“I’m salaried, but I often work way over 40 hours a week,” he added. “And our one part-timer is often putting in a lot of hours. Having Brent as a full-time officer will give much better coverage for the residents and businesses, and take some of the pressure off us.”

Much of the meeting involved budget discussions, as Webb made a slide presentation showing 2017 budget projections compared with past years, a task made difficult  by killington’s one-time, 18-month financial period necessitated by the town’s change from calendar to fiscal year accounting.

The anticipated expenses are $4,140,938 for the 12-month 2017 budget. Counted on to partially fund these expenses is non-property tax revenue of $1,408,825, which includes $870,000 from “Options Taxes” on rooms, meals and alcohol sales.

“We based this figure on the average Options Tax revenue for the last three years of $855,000,” Webb said. “It’s a 2 percent increase over that average.”

The options tax was instituted in 2008, and, according to Webb, there has been little opposition to it. Doing away with it would require a town vote.

“A couple of years ago, the Resort (killington Mountain Resort and Ski Area) talked about campaigning to repeal the options tax,” he said. “But nothing ever came of it and I’m sure they are not planning to try to have it repealed now.”

According to the proposed budget the residents’ tax rate would increase $.0267 in order to cover expected expenses.

“Costs have gone up,” McGrath said. “And the Grand List has decreased. That’s the reason for the rate increase in a nutshell.” She blamed lower Grand List values on years of successful appeals by individual taxpayers following a reappraisal that had resulted in a 20 percent increase in the Grand List total.

For a couple of years killington has been putting aside significant funds in their budget for specific future capital improvements such as culvert and bridge repairs and replacements. McGrath said this has worked out much better for planning than the old method of earmarking the same amount year after year without identifying specific needs ahead of time.

Comment: One thing that come up is that the Town is not going to finish the second phase of the Killington Road repaving due to lack of funds. It will only pave from West Hill to Schoolhouse Road. Jim Haff asked if the $1.4 million dollar bond voted for road repairs to Killington and West Hill Road  was supposed to cover expenses through phase two of the Killington Road repaving. I wondered that too. 

Seth Webb's response was, "That is incorrect." Well frankly I and many others recall the bond was sold to the taxpayers based on the plan to repave Killington Road from Rte 4 to Dean Hill Road.

I wonder what happened to that promise and what happened to that money. Perhaps it disappeared into the overruns at the Visitor Center parking lot - where scuttlebut has it that project cost in excess of $200,000 not the approximate $120,000 that was told the taxpayers.

Vito 

Killington to search for new manager (looking for search comittee volunteers)

Rutland Herald

November 05,2015

 

KILLINGTON — Residents who want to help the town choose its next manager should send in their letter of interest to outgoing Town Manager Seth Webb no later than 5 p.m. Monday.
The Select Board plans to appoint the citizen search committee, which will serve in an advisory capacity, on Wednesday. Webb says the board hopes to begin interviewing candidates for the manager’s position during the first week of December.
Letters of interest can be submitted at the town office or by email to sethwebb@killingtontown.com.

Dick Horner appointed interim town manager for the town of Killington

Mountain Times

October 22, 2015

October 22, 2015

KILLINGTON — The Killington Select Board has decided to hire an interim town manager to ensure a smooth transition. After executive session Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Board unanimously appointed long time Director of Planning and Zoning Administrator Dick Horner to the post. They expect him to serve two to five months while the Select Board finds a suitable long-term replacement for outgoing town manager Seth Webb.

“The Board wants to ensure the transition to a new manager is as smooth as possible,” Select Board Chair Patty McGrath said. “Seth will stay until end of year and work with the Board on the 2017 budget,” she explained.

Horner has over 25 years of experience working for the town of Killington. He has also served as a Select Board member of his hometown, Proctor, for 12 years, during which he was Select Board Chair for seven years.

“Dick knows the town, the people and the issues, and the Board is confident he will help ensure a smooth transition during this interim period,” said McGrath.

Horner will officially begin as interim town manager on Dec. 1, and will work alongside Seth Webb during the month of December.

During the interim period, Horner will also continue to fill his current responsibilities as Director of Planning and Zoning and Zoning Administrator. He will receive an additional $1,100 per pay period (paid bi-weekly) in addition to his current salary of $60,173 during this interim period, the Board announced.

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT), which has 30 years experience hiring town managers, will be assisting the Killington Select Board in their search to fill Webb’s position. VLCT will be acting as back office staff to the town to post ads, review and rank candidate resumes, schedule interviews, and coordinate meetings. The job description was posted on the town website last week and advertising will begin immediately.

“The Board also wants to make sure citizens and key stakeholders in town have input into the process, so that the Board may take their concerns into consideration when selecting a new manager,” McGrath said.

The Board will host a special meeting with senior staff from the municipality onOct. 27 at 4:30 p.m. to get their input on what’s important to them in a new manager.  This will be a public meeting that is designed to facilitate a conversation between the Board and staff on this topic.

The Board will host a second special meeting with elected officials and appointed officials (members of Boards, Commissions and other statutorily appointed posts) on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. to facilitate a similar conversation.

The Board will also establish a citizen search committee to review candidate resumes and serve in an advisory capacity to the Select Board. This committee will be advisory only; the Board and current Town Manager Seth Webb will participate in the committee meetings. The citizens appointed in the candidate search will not participate in candidate interviews and final selection.

To initiate this committee, the Board made a motion last night to issue a call for interest on this advisory committee, asking interested parties to submit their names and letters of interest via email to sethwebb@killingtontown.com. Letters of interest are due on Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. The Board will appoint the committee onNov. 11. The Board expects to start interviewing candidates in the first week of December.

Tax sales in Killington today

Rutland Herald

October 28,2015

 

KILLINGTON — The town has scheduled tax sales on four delinquent properties today.
Minimum bids on the properties range from $1,736.67 to $15,678.06.
The properties are a unit at the Slopeside Village at Pico Condominium, a unit in the Mountain Green Condominium, and both halves of a duplex in the Topbridge at Sunrise Mountain Village.
The owners can redeem the properties by paying the outstanding balance in full up to one year after the sale.
The auction begins at 10 a.m. in the town office at 2706 River Road.
Another tax sale is scheduled for Dec. 10.

Killington starts work on budget

Rutland Herald

By Lola Duffort
STAFF WRITER | October 26,2015

 

KILLINGTON — With big repairs ahead, town voters will likely be asked just how much they support their municipal pool and library on Town Meeting Day in March.
Under excessive pressure because it was built below the water table, the Johnson Recreation Center pool had about 10 years left in it with regular repairs and maintenance, Town Manager Seth Webb told the Select Board last week. A cost to replace it then would probably be around $750,000.
The town could put out a bond when it comes time to rebuild the pool, he said — or it could start saving now and save on interest. That’s provided people in town decide they want to continue operating a pool, he said.
“I would definitely like to see a ballot item that would give us an idea about the support in town,” Select Board Chairwoman Patty McGrath said.
Webb suggested the board put an item on the ballot asking voters if they would like to establish a restricted fund for the pool with an initial contribution of $75,000.
That would poll support for the pool in town and, providing a majority of voters do support the initiative, set up a town savings account for its replacement. If the fund is established, the town could continue to contribute $75,000 each year, he said, or feed it with grants and donations.
The Sherburne Memorial Library would like $207,730 from the town to run its normal operations next year, board of trustees chairwoman Diane Rosenblum told the Select Board — exactly the same amount it got in 2015, the last time the town had a 12-month fiscal year.
But with poor ventilation, almost no insulation, and shingles “flying off daily,” the library’s roof is in bad shape, she said. A rough estimate to replace it put the cost at about $150,000.
The library would like an item on the ballot approving a loan for that amount, she said — one that the library plans to pay back with money already budgeted in its capital budget, and without needing to raise taxes, Rosenblum said.
Work would ideally start in April 2016, she said.
Webb also told Select Board members Tuesday that he was consulting with Killington’s lawyer about whether it would be advantageous for the town to join a class-action lawsuit against the shingle manufacturer.
These kinds of investments in the town’s assets are important for attracting buyers to Killington, McGrath said.
“We’ve all talked about how it’s hurt us to have our population drop below a thousand — in several different ways. And as part of our strategic plan, we’re really looking to have people move into Killington. And some of the best ways is to have the amenities of a town that would attract them,” she said.

Killington: We’re hiring

Rutland Herald

By Lola Duffort
STAFF WRITER | October 23,2015

 

KILLINGTON — The search is on to find the town’s next manager.
With a replacement unlikely to be in place by Town Manager Seth Webb’s Dec. 31 departure date, the Select Board Tuesday night voted to appoint Dick Horner, longtime director of planning and zoning administrator, to the position on an interim basis.
Horner will begin work Dec. 1 and work with Webb in the last month of his tenure.
“Dick knows the town, the people, and the issues, and the board is confident he will help ensure a smooth transition during this interim period,” Select Board Chairwoman Patty McGrath said.
An employee of Killington for more than 25 years, and once the Select Board chairman in his hometown of Proctor, Horner will continue to serve in his current capacities during the interim period. He will receive $1,100 twice monthly in addition to his current annual salary of $60,173.
According to a draft job posting, Killington will offer to pay their next manager between $75,000 and $95,000, depending on education and experience, to oversee its $15 million budget and 104 full- and part-time employees.
With the town home to two resorts and about 2,500 second homeowners, Killington’s officials say they plan to pick a manager with a view to the town’s growing tourism economy.
“The town seeks a leader (who) can support its progress in becoming Vermont’s premier resort community, offering residents a high quality of life and tourists a memorable mountain adventure,” the posting reads.
Killington is casting its net widely: A posting will be advertised in regional newspapers, job-hunting websites, and sent out to municipal associations in other states, Webb said Wednesday.
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns will help Killington in their recruitment efforts, compiling applications, reviewing and ranking them, scheduling interviews and coordinating meetings. They may bill the town up to $5,000 for their services, Webb said.
The board will solicit input from residents, and is recruiting for a three-member citizen search committee to serve in an advisory capacity during the process. They will not participate in candidate interviews or the final selection.
Letters of interest to serve on the committee are due to Webb by Nov. 9 at 5 p.m., and the Select Board plans to appoint the committee Nov. 11.
The board has scheduled two meetings with town government leaders to touch base about their priorities in the search: One at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday with senior municipal staff, the other at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 with elected and appointed officials from the town’s boards and commissions. Both meetings will be held in town offices and open to the public.

Killington Board Chairman Addresses Stop Sign Issue

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

killington — When the agenda item, “Select Board Member Concerns” came up, chairman Patty McGrath wanted to say a few words about a “thorn in the sides of some in the community” regarding the stop sign on West Park Road, a subject that caused selectman Chris Bianchi to accuse David Rosenblum of “ambushing” the board at the last meeting. In short, Rosenblum had accused the select board, the town manager and the road foreman of negligence for not replacing the sign for months, for using a non-regulation sign as a replacement, and for leaving the broken sign post sticking up out of the ground thus creating a safety hazard. At that meeting McGrath had promised to look into the matter.

“Records show the sign in question was reported down approximately Jan. 14, 2014,” she reported, “and was replaced on Feb. 14, 2014.” She explained that the old post had been snapped off close to the surface, so it couldn’t be used to mount a replacement, and the ground was frozen so hard that none of killington’s equipment could penetrate it deep enough to set a new signpost.

“We finally got a contractor to bring in the right machinery, and even then it took several tries to get the signpost into the ground,” she said. “But the truth is, the sign was replaced as soon as it was possible to do so.”

“And I also checked — the sign does satisfy regulations,” she said.

Immediately after the incident the town purchased a jackhammer, which will enable the road crew to replace any signs snapped off in frozen ground in the future.

“Safety is our main concern,” she said, and thanked “the citizens who called the situation to the Board’s attention.”

Rosenblum, who was present, acknowledged McGrath’s report with a nod.

McGrath went on to recognize Seth Webb’s contributions to killington during his years as Town Manager, crediting his major contribution in developing the town’s strategic plan and for teaching the board how to use partnerships and collaborations with groups and agencies to leverage financing for important projects at minimum cost to taxpayers. Webb submitted his resignation during executive session at the last meeting, to become effective Dec. 31.

The board has begun a search for his replacement, a process the Vermont League of Cities and Towns says will take 3-6 months. VLCT has been helping communities find key personnel for 30 years, McGrath said, and they will be handling advertising, gathering and reviewing resumes, and rating applicants’ skill sets for the town. Meanwhile, the board is meeting Oct. 27 at 4:30 with senior employees, and on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. with appointed and elected officials to get their input regarding qualifications and the job description for Webb’s replacement.

“In the meantime,” McGrath said, “we will be engaging an interim town manager to provide necessary services for the period between Seth’s departure and when the new permanent town manager comes on board.”

The board is also soliciting three volunteers to serve on an executive search committee to assist them in finding the right candidate. Citizens interested should contact one of the selectmen by Nov. 6.

Diane Rosenblum, one of the trustees of the Sherburne Memorial Library, reported on the library’s year-end status.

“We’ve had a banner year regarding usage of the library,” she said, adding that technology tools they have obtained have been very popular.

Library Director Jane Ramos confirmed this, saying e-book downloads have increased over the last twelve months. “The biggest increase in visits involves people coming in for help writing resumes and to learn how to find jobs,” she said.

Rosenblum thanked the board for the town’s funding for the library, but stressed that donations are a significant portion of their budget. “We raised $50,000 to buy the shelving as part of the bonding requirements to build the Library,” she said, “and all of the furnishings were purchased with donated funds.”

The library roof is a major concern, Rosenblum said, as shingles continue to come loose and fall off the roof at a steady rate. The roof was installed sixteen years ago when the library was built, and the shingles were warrantied for forty years. Seth Webb said there is a class action suit by people whose roofs were covered with this type of shingle, demanding that the manufacturer fulfill the warranty. He is looking into the process of joining the suit.

Meanwhile, faced with possible interior damage, Road Foreman Chet Hagenbarth has obtained an estimate of $150,000 for replacing the roof, installing missing insulation and increasing inadequate ventilation. Resident and library trustee Chris Karn has volunteered to head a fundraising committee so the building can be protected independent of any action against the shingle company.

Webb, reporting for the Recreation Department, announced that the town pool, built 40 years ago and resurfaced recently, is expected to last only another 10 years. Wetlands regulations require that a rebuilt pool will have to be raised at least to the level of River Road. “Even if the town provides the necessary fill and grading, the cost is estimated to be $750,000,” he said. He asked the board to approve a warrant for the 2016 Town Meeting to set aside $75,000 in restricted funds each year for 10 years to accumulate the pool replacement funds ahead of need. “The net effect of this will be a 1 cent increase in the annual tax rate for the decade,” he added.

David Rosenblum suggested that, since the majority of killington’s current debt will be paid off in ten years, they could forgo setting aside any funds now and use the freed-up debt reduction funds to pay for the pool going forward. “That way we wouldn’t have to raise taxes,” he said.

Bianchi and McGrath pointed out that other obligations will come along during the ten years, so the idea that there will be no town debt service costs in 2025 is unlikely. They also felt that by proposing this pre-funding idea now the voters will be able to consider whether they want a town pool or not.

“We finally got a contractor to bring in the right machinery, and even then it took several tries to get the signpost into the ground. But the truth is, the sign was replaced as soon as it was possible to do so.”

Patty McGrath, Select Board Chairman

Killington Leadership Changes Are Needed

Vermont Standard

To the editor,

Curt Peterson does an excellent job reporting on the killington select board.

In regard to the last meeting on Oct. 6, I was astounded that the board felt ambushed when presented with facts and the means to verify them. The town manager had been informed of the issues and took no action. Hagenbarth, who is supposed to perform the duties of road foreman, should have been aware of the issues without anyone telling him. Therefore the select board needed to be apprised that their “experts” (Bianchi’s term) were asleep at the wheel in regard to issues of public safety.

I note that Chris Bianchi, who was the selectman quoted in the article appearing in your Oct. 8 edition, is the only selectman presently on the board who was a selectman when the present town manager was appointed. The appointment was made without any due diligence review intended to ensure that the appointee had the education, experience and training for the position as required by statute. When due diligence is not done the results are often disappointing and occasionally catastrophic.

Incidentally the remnant of the old steel sign post left in the ground was removed within two days of the select board meeting. Why did it take eight months and not done until the select board was informed of it?

As I write this letter a “No Parking” sign has been laying on the east side of killington Road across from Miller Brook Road between the firehouse and the killington Market for over two weeks waiting for someone to trip or drive over it!

Am I the only one who sees the need for some changes?

David Rosenblum killington

---

Killington to review trash fees

Rutland Herald

By Lola Duffort
STAFF WRITER | October 15,2015

 

KILLINGTON — The town’s trash bill is up — way up — and the Select Board will review user fees in view of escalating costs.
Minus the fees it collected, Killington spent between $17,000 and $24,400 annually between 2010 and 2013 on trash and recycling services, according to figures compiled by Town Manager Seth Webb. In 2014, the town subsidized trash collection to the tune of $27,000. And just two-thirds of the way into 2015, its costs outstripped its revenues by close to $29,000.
Webb told the Select Board at its Oct. 6 meeting that an uptick in recycling, and especially commercial recycling, was contributing to the town’s increased costs. But rubbish markets have also taken a hit, he said, and the money the town gets back for the sale of its recycling has gone down.
Webb suggested the town consider raising its sticker price — now at $10 for a two-year sticker — or start charging businesses for recycling. The sticker price for the Killington transfer station hadn’t been raised in years, Webb said, and many towns charged about $20 for a one-year sticker.
The town cannot charge residents for recycling, but it can charge businesses for it, Webb said. The town could consider charging for commercial recycling collection, he suggested.
“I think we should look into both,” Select Board Chairwoman Patty McGrath said.
Selectman Chris Bianchi agreed, even joking that the town hadn’t raised its sticker price since he’d returned from college — about 20 years ago.
Webb told the Select Board he’d run the numbers on a few proposals for review at future meetings.
While the town does want to “keep up with expenses,” Webb said after the meeting, it won’t be trying to raise prices enough to break even.
“The town is still going to subsidize trash collection,” he said. “We think it’s an important service.”
Unsurprisingly, recycling went up in Killington after the town switched to no-sort recycling. According to figures provided by the Rutland County Solid Waste District, while the Killington transfer station collected 75 tons of recycling in 2012, and nearly 82 tons in 2013, that number jumped to almost 104 tons in 2014, the year Zero-Sort was introduced.
RCSWD district manager Jim O’Gorman said that a lot of towns have seen trash go down since the recession — and especially with the introduction of Zero-Sort. But that didn’t happen in Killington. In fact, the Killington transfer station collected nearly 20 tons more solid waste in 2014 than in 2013, when residents and businesses dropped off almost 191 tons of waste.
“It’s not major, but it is interesting that those numbers have gone up,” O’Gorman said.

Comment How much did we spend on maintaining the visitors center? How much did we spend on all the plantings of flowers and dying trees along the roadside. How much did we spend on promoting events and paying the full salary and benefits of the KPAA's (a private concern) director? We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in support of businesses in this town and it can't support recycling which is a benefit to all. A $29,000 shortfall can't be covered? The town manager makes over $100,000 in salary and benefits. Maybe we should look there.
 

Killington: Major ski race coming

The Associated Press | October 10,2015

 

KILLINGTON — Killington Resort says it will be hosting a women’s World Cup giant slalom and slalom race next season.
A Killington spokesman said the resort received confirmation from the International Ski Federation that its offer to host a race has been approved.
The women’s giant slalom and slalom races will be Nov. 26 and 27, 2016.
Aspen, Colorado, typically holds the World Cup event over Thanksgiving weekend. But since it’s hosting World Cup Finals in March 2017, there was an opening on the calendar.
Killington is the first resort in the eastern United States to host a World Cup event since Waterville Valley in New Hampshire in 1991.

Killington town management has been negligent with road signs

Mountain Times
October 8, 2015

Dear Editor,

In February of this year the stop sign and attached street sign at West Park Road and Killington Road was knocked down, allegedly by a town snow plow. The sign and the post lay in the snow for several weeks until they disappeared. During at least two successive Selectboard meetings I brought the situation to the attention of the Selectboard and the town manager. I even quoted from “Setting Speed Limits—A Guide for Vermont Towns,” published by Saint Michael’s College in May 2012. The guide clearly states on page 19: “Missing STOP signs should be considered an emergency and replaced immediately.”

The signs were not replaced until several months later. When they were replaced they were done with signs and a post inferior to what had been there.

At the Sept. 24, 2015, meeting of the Rutland Region Transportation Council, on which I represent the Town of Killington, the subject of signs was discussed. Many town managers and road foremen with decades of experience serve on the council. There was a unanimous opinion that missing stop signs are replaced within 24 hours. Other missing signs are replaced usually within four days.

Recently the Selectboard spent a great deal of time deliberating what to do about the excessive speed of vehicles on West Hill Road. The obvious solution is tough enforcement of the speed limit. Anyone who drives through Mendon or Bridgewater is aware of the effectiveness of this method. Up until very recently this method was not possible on West Hill Road because the 25 m.p.h. speed limit sign at the top of West Hill Road was missing for many months!

In regard to West Hill Road there was also a failure to see that the millings used on the shoulders were used correctly and that the lines painted at the traffic light were painted with the proper dimensions.

The above represents gross negligence on the part of our town road foreman and town manager. The Selectboard needs to take action to ensure the above positions are occupied by people who perform their responsibilities in a diligent and timely manner.

David A. Rosenblum, Killington

Bill’s LLC on track with original plans, owners down to three

Mountain Times
October 8, 2015

Dear Editor,

As most Killington residents are aware, in 2012 a group of Killington businessmen embarked on a mission to purchase Bill’s Country Store to create a Welcome Center and home for what is now Killington Pico Area Association. Through a combination of private and public funds, the former store front is now a beautiful gateway to Killington Resort.

Recently, the partnership entity that owns the real estate has changed. The remaining owners of the property have opted to purchase the interests of Steve Durkee and Aris Spanos. This transaction was done with no gain to either party and we wish to thank both Aris and Steve for the initial investment in the property, as well as assisting in driving this project to where it is today. Without them, it could not have been done.

As the project continues to move forward, the remaining members of Bill’s LLC are committed to the project as originally designed. While taking longer than we’d originally hoped, our goal is to assist the KPAA in developing the property so they may in turn purchase it from us in the coming year — understanding, this purchase will occur with no gain to the members of Bill’s LLC.

Once again, we wish to express our thanks to both Steve and Aris for their contributions and support.

Respectfully,

Chris Karr, Member

Howard Smith, Member

Phil Black, Member

Killington Select Board: Sign Complaint An ‘Ambush’

Vermont Standard

10/8/15

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

killington — David Rosenblum, a regular at killington select board meetings, reported that he attended a Transportation Council Meeting on behalf of the town recently, and was embarrassed when he told other representatives about the signage situation in his town. During the winter of 2014-2015, he said, the stop sign at the end of West Park Road was knocked down, and was not replaced for four months.

“Not only that,” he said, “when it was finally replaced, the new sign does not conform to current requirements — it doesn’t have a white border around the edge, which is the new regulation!”

He went on to say that two inches of the old steel sign post were left sticking up out of the ground, creating a dangerous hazard for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

Rosenblum then cited sign regulations stating missing stop signs must be replaced on an emergency basis, which, he was told at the council meeting, means within 24 hours. He then handed the board a list of three names of officials in other towns with their contact information.

“Call them. You’ll see that I am tell- ing you the truth!”

When Rosenblum issued a demand that the board look into the matter and hold Seth Webb, the town manager, and Chet Hagenbarth, the road foreman responsible for negligence, selectman Chris Bianchi took issue.

“It’s out of line for you to make demands on the selectmen to do this or that about stop sign regulations,” he said. “You can ask us to look into the matter, which we will do. But the proper avenue would be to ask either the town manager or the road foreman about it directly. They are the experts.”

Rosenblum referred to previous board meetings at which speeding on West Hill Road had been a source of major concern, saying that Police Chief Whit Montgomery was unable to enforce the speed limit because the speed limit signs were missing, adding that the town would face a major lawsuit if there was a serious accident due to the missing stop sign or speed limit signs.

Hagenbarth explained that the ground was so frozen when the West Park Road stop sign had been knocked down that a new one couldn’t be installed for some time. And when it was replaced, he used a new sign that he had in inventory, assuming that it was better to put something up than to be picky about the white border, and wanting to use up existing signs before ordering new ones.

Regarding the West Hill Road signs, Hagenbarth said the signs that have been there were there before he came to work in killington, and were not changed until his crew installed new ones recently.

Emotions continued to intensify as Rosenblum repeated his remarks and Chairman Patty McGrath and Bianchi tried to end the discussion.

“One more thing,” Bianchi said. “David, I’m tired of you coming to these meetings and ambushing us with complaints that we know nothing about until you bring them up in public. I’ve been on the board for six years and you’ve been doing it over and over. If you have something on your mind, bring it up with one of us or with Seth (Webb) or with Chet (Hagenbarth) and we’ll look into it. But don’t come in here trying to make us look bad and to get TV exposure.”

The two men exchanged words over whether or not Rosenblum had demanded that Webb and Hagenbarth be fired, which Bianchi said was not going to happen in any case.

Vince Chiarella, killington Pico Area Association treasurer, and Amy Morrison, KPAA director, gave an encouraging report on the group’s accomplishments over the past year, including improved efficiency, increased revenues, four new major summer events, 31 new members and significant enhancements at the Visitors’ Center on Route 4. More than 15,000 people visited the center this year.

The New York Post recently called killington one of their top 5 resorts to visit, and, Morrison said, the Resort’s application to host the 2016 Women’s World Cup ski races “looks very promising.”

“By coordinating efforts by the Chamber, individual businesses, the town and the Resort,” Morrison said, “we’ve built an organization that encourages local businesses to try something new, knowing through KPAA all the other business members will support their effort.”

Seth Webb added, during his Town Manager’s Report, that USA Today readers voted Route 100 in killington “one of the top ten scenic highways in the U.S.”

As part of their campaign to educate the public about the need for a new killington Volunteer Fire and Rescue facility, the department is holding four Open Houses at the existing firehouse, one each Tuesday in October, 6 to 7 p.m. During their first event, Chief Gary Roth took visitors for a tour of the building and grounds and explained the shortcomings the firefighters and rescue squad face.

“To start with, about half of what you see out here is on land belonging to the Durkee family who own the market next door,” Roth, said standing in the parking lot. “Our propane supply, our water supply and most of our parking space are available to us only because of the Durkees’ generosity.”

The original land was given to the town in 1955 by Patrick Bates’s grandfather. The oldest part of the present facility was built shortly after. There have been at least two additions since.

Roth pointed out a shipping container nestled against the building and used for storage space.

Inside the firehouse a man has to turn sideways to walk in the aisles between trucks and between trucks and walls.

“Firehouse bay ceilings are supposed to be two stories high,” Roth said, pointing upward. “Ours are less than one-and-a-half stories. There is barely enough room for the trucks and the overhead door mechanisms.” He added that they have had to purchase trucks based on the dimensions of the building rather than primarily on what they needed.

The water used to fill the tank trucks comes from a 30,000 gallon tank underneath the firehouse. The contents of the tank are replenished by pumping water from the Ottauquechee River, which flows past the rear of the parking lot.

“There are a lot of Americans With Disabilities Act and public building regulations faults in the building,” Roth said. “We have only one bathroom and it isn’t handicapped equipped. Access to the building, particularly to the upstairs kitchen, meeting room and emergency center facility, is not compliant with the ADA. And we have only one egress from the second floor. If there’s a fire in the kitchen, which is between the offices and the stairs, we’ve got no way out.”

The building is very close to killington Road. When their long bucket truck pulls out of the building and has to make a right turn, by the time it is clear of the garage door the bucket is swinging over the top of the walkway on the other side of the road.

“We’ve hit the side of the garage door twice”, Roth said.

Last year the Department had a study done, the conclusion of which was that they need to find a new location and build a new facility.

The Fire Department building is very important to the town”, Roth said. “During the Tropical Storm Irene disaster, we served as the emergency logistical center for the whole town for two weeks. We had phone lines, radios and other equipment here and we were able to coordinate and provide assistance quickly wherever it was needed twenty-four hours a day.”

The town is working closely with the department to find a location and help finance the new facility.

Comment: I think the Select Board's complaints of being "ambushed" is totally disingenuous. Dave Rosenblum has been complaining about this since last winter. He has approached the town manager and the Select Board previously regarding this issue, so for them to state patronizingly he should follow the chain of command which he had already done is totally without merit and self serving.

It is they who did not follow up! Furthermore I have found out that the town manager was alerted before the meeting that Dave Rosenblum was going to lambast them regarding the stop sign issue, so either they knew already or the town manager failed to inform them. So stop the bs already!

As far as the firestation goes I encourage one and all to see for themselves what the condition of the firehouse is.

Vito 

Killington manager leaving

Vermont Standard
10/8/15

Town Manager Seth Webb announced his resignation on Wednesday morning after six years leading the town.

He’ll step down Dec. 31 to take a new position advising Internet startup companies as the managing director at Tusk Ventures in New York.

“It was a great opportunity to use my skills in an innovative new frontier of business,” said Webb, 41, who was recruited to the position. He’ll be based in Vermont.

The town has already started the search for Webb’s replacement, saying that it will commission help from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

The select board is hoping to find someone who can continue to develop killington as a “premier resort community,” Webb said.

“We’re happy for Seth, but this is a loss for the town. He has made some tremendous contributions, acting both as town manager and economic development director, and filling his shoes will be a challenge,” said select board chair Patty McGrath in a news release.

Webb was paid $86,700 in 2014. He was hired as the economic development and tourism director in early 2010 until he was named interim town manager in August 2011. He was appointed town manager March 2012.

Webb received the Governor’s Award for Marketing Excellence in 2011 and Vermont Business Journal named him as one of Vermont's most accomplished young leaders at its Rising Stars event, the press release said. Webb is credited with spearheading the establishment of U.S. Routes 4 and 100 as Vermont Byways, improving the relationship between the town and resort and with more than $1 million in grants and sponsorship to support town projects.

Webb oversaw the creation of the police department and assisted with the establishment of killington Search and Rescue as a division of the killington Fire Department. He created partnerships with local landowners and built and permitted new hiking, biking and kayak trails.

“The town is a better place because of Seth’s work and he will be missed,” said select board member Chris Bianchi in a press release. “Seth brought a strategic approach to town government and got people to work together towards a common goal. His efforts not only ensured steady day to day operations but also helped grow our economy and make our community a more viable place to live and work.”

---

Killington Town Manager Seth Webb resigns

According to sources, Killington Town Manager Seth Webb tendered his resignation at last night's Select board meeting, effective 12/31/2015. He will be assuming a post with a public relations firm.

VLCT to hold Town Fair 2015 (in Killington)

Rutland Herald

October 06,2015

 

KILLINGTON — The Vermont League of Cities and Towns, or VLCT, will host Town Fair 2015 and its annual meeting Thursday at the Killington Grand Resort in Killington.

More than 500 local officials, VLCT staff and board members, and vendors from around the state will gather for this full day of workshops and a trade show exhibiting products and services for municipalities.

Town Fair is an opportunity for local officials to network with others who share their responsibilities.

Details of the day’s events are posted at www.vlct.org.

Killington offers firehouse tour

Rutland Herald

October 06,2015

KILLINGTON — To show the town’s voters why a new fire station is in order, Killington Fire and Rescue is hosting tours of the department’s facilities every Tuesday evening in October, starting today.

“This question is really going to be up to the voters. This is a good opportunity for them to really understand the question that they will face in March,” said Town Manager Seth Webb.

Bringing the current facility up to code would cost in the environs of $2.5 million, according to findings by the town’s five-member Fire Department Facilities Review Committee, and still leave the department with a facility too small to accommodate its needs. Therefore the committee is on the hunt for a new site.

The tours go from 6 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 27. The fire station is located at 1973 Killington Road.

US Ski Team targets Vermont resort (Killington) for World Cup stop in '16

Boston Globe
10/2/15

Killington

AP | 10.01.15 | 4:41 PM

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association will submit a proposal for Killington, Vermont, to host a women’s World Cup giant slalom and slalom race next season.

The plan will be presented this week at the International Ski Federation meetings in Zurich. The dates are Nov. 26-27, 2016.

Traditionally, Aspen, Colorado, has held the World Cup event over Thanksgiving weekend. But since the resort is hosting World Cup Finals in March 2017, there’s an opening on the calendar. If selected, Killington would become the first resort in the eastern United States to host a World Cup event since Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, in 1991.

USSA presented the bid in conjunction with its resort partner Powdr Corp.

Tiger Shaw, the president and CEO of USSA, says he’s confident ‘‘Killington is well suited to produce an exceptional early season World Cup.’’

Bike, pedestrian grants total over $1M

Rutland Herald

By Emily Cutts
staff writer | October 02,2015

 

Five towns in Rutland County received more than $1.14 million in grants for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Across the state, more than $4 million was awarded through the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Program for design, construction and scoping projects.

“Across the country we are seeing folks choosing to walk and bike more for transportation,” said Nicholas Meltzer, assistant bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. “(Vermont Agency of Transportation) is helping communities meet that need with this grant program.”

Meltzer said the current grant program has been in existence since 2012.

In Rutland County, grants were awarded to Killington, Middletown Springs, Rutland City, Pittsford and West Rutland.

“We’re very excited. We did our homework. We worked with the Safe Routes to School program and they identified the five missing links in this study and that’s what we ended up applying for,” said Mary Ann Goulette, West Rutland town manager. “We really wanted to concentrate on getting our village 100 percent pedestrian friendly.”

The town was awarded $821,000, including a 10 percent local share, to design and construct 3,305 feet of sidewalk along Campbell, Thrall, Clarendon, Ross and Fairview streets.

Goulette said those portions of the pedestrian system are more difficult projects.

Without the grant, Goulette said the five segments would have taken the town years to accomplish. Goulette said the project will likely go out to bid in the next few months and construction would hopefully begin next year.

In Killington, the $30,000 grant, including the town’s match for a scoping study for pedestrian crossing and connectivity as well bus stop locations.

“This grant will pay for the plan for us to implement Complete Streets on Killington Road and create crosswalks, bus stops and other amenities for travelers,” said Seth Webb, Killington town manager. “It’s not only an issue of preventing accidents but also to make us a more viable tourist destination and a more livable community.”

Complete Streets is a state law that requires municipalities to consider bicycle and pedestrian improvements during road projects and to document how they make decisions during those projects.

“People should be able to walk places and not be worried about their safety,” Webb said.

The scope would look at the 2-mile section of Killington Road between West Hill Road and the Killington Resort. Webb said that portion of road connects over 40 restaurants, hotels and residences as well as schools.

“It’s the primary access for hundreds of thousands of visitors and cars every year,” he said.

Pittsford received $187,000, including a 10 percent local match, for a 2,400-foot sidewalk extension running along Arch and Pleasant streets.

Town Manager John Haverstock said the town had applied for the grant when they realized the current project funding would fall short and that they we’re pleased to get the grant.

Haverstock said they expect to build the sidewalk either spring or summer 2016.

“We think it will be a wonderful addition to bicyclists and pedestrians and will allow for better safety for kids coming and going to school,” he said.

Middletown Springs received $38,500, including the local match, for a scoping study for the Middletown Springs Path study.

Rutland City received $70,000, including the local match, in additional funding for construction of Rutland Creek Path Segment 4 from Monsignor Park to River Street.

The largest grant in the state, about $1.1 million, went to Bennington for the construction of the “Ninja Path.” The trail runs about 2 miles along the Wallmomsac River and is intended to connect Bennington’s downtown with North Bennington. Also in Bennington County, Manchester received $580,000 to enhance a portion of Depot Street, one of the busiest roads, to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.