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