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.