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.