Killington Board Race, New Budgets on Tap

Vermont Standard

2/23/17 

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

Killington – Killington’s Town Meeting process spreads over two days. The information meeting and vote on the Killington Elementary School 2017-2018 budget will take place at the school at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 6. The town government information meeting is also at the school on Monday, March 6, and starts at 7 p.m. At that time votes will be taken on the issues listed in the Town Meeting Warning.

On Tuesday, March 7, the polls at the Town Offices on River Road are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to vote via Australian ballot for candidates.

Article 1 of the Town Warning lists the offices up for election. Only one election is contested this year – Selectman Ken Lee’s re-election bid is challenged by Jim Haff. Haff has run unsuccessfully in the past against both Chris Bianchi and Patty McGrath for their seats on the Select Board.

In Article 2, voters will be asked to approve reducing the number of property tax installment payments from 4 to 3. If approved, the new payments will be due Aug. 15, Nov. 15 and Feb. 15. The current 10-day grace period will continue with the 3-payment plan – if tax bills are paid within 10 days of the due date no interest or penalties will be charged – after the 10 days extra fees are charged retroactively.

Article 3 asks voters to approve the proposed 2018 fiscal year budget, in which total expenditures would be $4,508,505. A sum of $179,000 will be applied from the previous budget, $2,829,605 will be raised from property taxes and $1,499,900 from non-property tax revenue.

This is an increase of $353,166 over last year’s budgeted expenses. Selectmen estimate the 2018 non-school tax rate to be $.3623, which would be a $.0289 increase over the 2017 $.3334 rate.

The proposed budget includes the much-discussed $100,000 commitment to support a 2018 FIS Women’s World Cup Ski Race event, should one be staged in Killington. According to Town Manager Deb Schwartz, this line item accounts for $.0133 of the $.029 increase in the new proposed tax rate.

Other drivers of the increase, according to Schwartz, are the addition of a full-time office assistant and a significant increase in property/casualty insurance premiums.

Voters will also be asked to rescind the 1 percent retail sales tax portion of the Killington Options Tax on meals, alcohol and accommodations. The tax would continue during the 2017-2018 budget year if Article 4 is approved, but disappear as of July 1 2018.

A special meeting was held to add Article 7, inspired by a petition to change from the Australian ballot system for approving the Town Articles back to the traditional voice vote system. The petition was circulated and signatures solicited by M. B. Neisner, who is running unopposed for Town Moderator.

Killington keeps getting better

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

It’s a great time to be part of Killington.
This winter marks my 18th season as a business owner (of Sushi Yoshi) in Killington and my 21st season as a Killington Mountain pass holder. From a personal, recreational and business perspective Killington is the best that it has ever been.
The development of resort activities combined with multi-use municipal trails, mountain biking, hiking, beautiful improvements along the access road  and incredible family-friendly events have created an entirely new community feel in town. Myself and my staff can access amazing hiking, biking, golfing, swimming, and just about everything else within five minutes of our workplace. There are few places in the world that can boast such bragging rights. We frequently do our weekly meetings on the chairlift or somewhere along the access road or Kent Pond. It’s a true benefit to my staff and myself and my family to have such easy access to all that we do here in Killington.
It seems to me as though these changes have come about mostly in the last few years. We were stagnant for so long in town and although business was good, there was never that true family and community feel that I am witnessing now. All someone would have to do is attend one free outdoor summer concert to see the way the community has evolved.  Killington has always been a fun place with amazing skiing, but now it has really come to be an amazing year round place where my children attend summer camp, my staff wants to live, my family can enjoy, and we are all lucky to be a part of it.
In fact, this year for the first time ever, we are going to operate Sushi Yoshi year-round. We made the decision based on what I have seen in the last two years. The amount of effort and energy that the community, resort and town have put into positive momentum in the last few years is staggering. Myself, my family and my staff are proud and excited join this positive movement. It’s truly an amazing thing to witness what is happening all around us in this town. I’m so happy to be able to keep my incredible staff gainfully employed all year. I am proud to be able to service the needs of the community by providing a year round place for the community. I’m excited to see where the town goes in the next few years. For all of us at Sushi Yoshi, it just keeps getting better and better.
Thanks to everyone who has made this by far the best time to be a part of Killington!

Nate Freund, Killington

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/%ef%bb%bfkillington-keeps-getting-better/#sthash.o6tbFSgt.dpuf

Supporting the World Cup

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

In addition to voting to sunset the 1 percent local sales option tax, which I wrote about last week, I believe our town should also support the financial investment of contributing to hosting future World Cup events.
In November of this year, one of our town and Killington Resort’s proudest moments occurred, when the entire community came together and executed the Women’s World Cup. This event exposed our great community to an international audience, and we did it better than anyone thought we could have. The resort incurred a great expense in fulfilling this fantastic event. With hopes that the World Cup returns to Killington within the next few seasons, we as a community should do everything that we can to retain this world class event. It would be a tragedy for the town of Killington, if another community in the East was given the opportunity to host this event. Killington’s hosting of the World Cup exceeded both the participants and organizers expectations.
I truly hope this can continue to be the our signature event. It is my hope that the voters in our town can come together and support the return of the World Cup and look to sunset the sales and use options tax in the future.

Chris Karr, Killington

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/supporting-world-cup/#sthash.jxJpUdCK.dpuf

Don’t rescind sales tax yet

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

The proposal to eliminate the sales tax portion of the options tax that is being put before the voters should not be approved at this time. Revenue from this tax is reducing the burden imposed by the education tax in a manner that was anticipated by the state legislature at the time the option taxes were authorized. Perhaps when the golf course debt and debt incurred for a new fire house are paid off then the options tax issue should be revisited.
By the time these debts are retired the Village hopefully will become a reality. The Village will increase our tax base. The increased tax base could provide revenue that would make it more practical to eliminate all or part of the options tax.
Hence let’s wait before we eliminate the sales tax.

David Rosenblum, Killington

letter to the editor

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/dont-rescind-sales-tax-yet/#sthash.Zzf1pxQW.dpuf

Vote “yes” on school board merger

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

Attention Killington taxpayers and residents: on Tuesday, March 7, you will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” to a potential Act 46 merger of our local school board into a new consolidated board consisting of members from other towns in our present supervisory union. After 18 months of meetings to explore this potential merged school board and its impact on the town of Killington, we are asking you to support this merger and vote “yes” on the Australian ballot. We believe that a merged district board will best serve the students of Killington, Killington Elementary School and our community.
We want you to clearly understand what a “yes” or a “no” vote means.
A “yes” vote means:
A unified board with one budget, much like our current unified middle school/high school, that would be voted on by Australian ballot by all of the member towns
Retention of small schools grants (the individual grants would be merged into the district wide budget)
Tax incentives over four years
Transition grant (applied to the district wide budget)
Total potential incentives of approximately $2.5 million in the first four years. (This amount is the approximate incentives given to the taxpayers of all six towns if all six towns merge, not just Killington; the potential tax savings to Killington residents is approximately $300,000 over four years.)
Commitment to a more flexible system, implementing potential campus restructuring and intra-district choice
A place on a new unified board. (Killington will have two seats on an 18-member proposed board—two each from Killington, Barnard, Reading, Bridgewater, Pomfret, Plymouth and six from Woodstock. Once Killington joins this unified board, it would be extremely difficult to leave such a board. Like the middle and high school board, there would have to be a vote of all towns to release one member town from the union.)
A “no” vote means:
Requiring our local school board to find other partnering districts to merge with, and submitting an alternative plan to the state by November 2017
If no alternative plan is submitted, the state will merge our Killington school district as it sees fit by 2019. (This means either leaving the WCSU or being merged anyway according to the current proposal.)
Loss of small schools grant. (This is not guaranteed but highly probable; Killington presently receives approximately $70,000 per year as a small schools grant from the state.)
No tax incentives
Exposure to steeper increases in per pupil spending and penalties if the excess spending threshold is exceeded.
We understand that this is an important decision for our community. Local control of Killington Elementary School and our local school budget has always been paramount to our town and a source of great pride. We come to you with this proposed merger because we care so much about our school and its continued sustainability and viability. We believe this merged board is the best way to ensure continued quality of educational programming and the academic excellence that will follow.
We believe that it is very important to be a part of the proposed new board at its inception. This way we will have a strong voice on that new board as we plan for our collective towns’ future. Two current school board members (Jennifer Iannantuoni and Jim Haff) are running for Killington’s two seats on this board.
We want to give you an opportunity to learn about Act 46 and its implications and to ask questions. Please come to the Killington Town Hall on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. for an Act 46 information session. All minutes, draft reports and data relating to the proposed Act 46 consolidation can be found under the Act 46 tab at www.wcsu.net.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Iannantuoni, KES board chair
Walter Findeisen, KES board member
Laura McKenna, KES board member
Jim Haff, WUMSHS board member
Roger Rivera, WUMSHS board member

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/vote-yes-school-board-merger/#sthash.RFfILWQI.dpuf

Vote “no” to repeal option tax until debts paid off

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

The golf course owes the town of Killington $390,741.45 as of Jan. 31, 2017, even after paying the town $200,000 during the year for borrowing $361,737.53 in 2015. This number was a footnote on page 72 in the Town Report for 2015. When I asked why the golf course needed to borrow such a large amount and when it would be paid back, I was told that it would be paid back from revenues in the year 2016. Well, this did not happen! These numbers do not include payroll and other expenses for the months January through May, which will run at about $22,500 per month or about another $112,000 before the golf course opens again. Also, looking at current bills, taxpayers need to look at golf course improvement and capital expenses. On page 70 of the 2015 Town Report we can see Green Mountain National Golf Course’s capital plan is set to spend $165,562 in 2017, $158,000 in 2018, $112,000 in 2019. The new budget for the golf course as I received it today, Feb. 14, 2017, for capital improvements is now $108,120 which is down from $165,562. Also, there was $55,000 per year to pay for new golf carts.
Yes, the debt has been paid down to approx. $2,900,000 from over $5,000,000 in 2010 thanks to the EDTC monies, but one must look at how it is paid. Divide $2.9 million by five years (2022); $580,000 per year. Add to this the capital expenses, salary increases and benefits, new golf carts and improvements to the irrigation system (which includes four-five new pumps on a 20-year old system). On average over the past six years the debt has been paid down from approx. $5,000,000 to $2,900,000 or about $350,000 per year. We must assume that the Vermont bond is paid off at this time. By the way, the golf carts are now paid for on the lease at about $49,000 per year. We might get another year, but it is now budgeted at $55,000 per year.
So, if you want to change the option tax and reduce the monies coming into the general fund by $400,000 to even more, one must ask how the town of Killington will be able to pay for the golf course debt, capital needs and improvements.
Why does GMNGC need to borrow from the town? How do we get to an operating profit of $101,000 for 2017 when the town is paying all of the borrowed money and loaning $390,000 to the golf course? This does not make sense!
Voting on the change for the option tax is “stupid” not just for the resort or the town but for the taxpayers. Do not forget, we pay into this tax, too! And, do not forget that the irrigation system on the golf course will need to be replaced by 2022. Our town government needs to think about this cost of $1.5 million. This needs to be addressed. I would like to hear from you taxpayers if you think anything about issues in our town.
We should keep the option tax as it is until the golf course is paid off and that will take many years.
The selectmen and women have been sold a bill of goods and taxpayers will feel the effect.

Edwin J. Fowler, Killington

debts

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/vote-repeal-option-tax-debts-paid/#sthash.mEzo07tb.dpuf

If you lived here you would be home now

Mountain Times

February 22, 2017

Dear Editor,

Before I moved to Killington in 1970, I spent several weekends a year skiing here as well as at other ski areas. I will never forget what happened on one occasion when leaving Killington when I saw a banner over the Access Road that said, “If you lived here you would be home now.” It hit me right in the head as I thought what I could do to make a change. The opportunities appeared to be limited if one wanted to earn a living.
Enjoying the outdoors and the skiing, I decided to make the move and that was 46 years ago. At that time a lift ticket at Killington was $7.50. Inflation has taken care of Vermont’s future.
So, I write this short memo asking a few questions: If Vermont is losing students, approximately 25,000 in the past 12 years, it must also be losing parents, workers, and taxpayers. Fewer taxpayers means less revenue to the state of Vermont and less revenue to the state means bigger budget deficits.
Perhaps Vermont and Killington in particular should put that sign up again.
Summer business seems to be picking up and skier days average 700,000 in Killington alone. Who are these people? Well, they come from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. From what I understand a lot of these visitors make a lot more money than in Vermont and many own their own businesses or work from home.
Bringing talented people to Vermont requires more effort and that is currently not being done. Such people who want to have a better lifestyle for themselves and their children should be encouraged to think about their future. Opening a business in Vermont will provide more jobs, more taxes to the town and the state, and more students to fill our empty schools.
Let us think about some things that could be done. We could open a Google location or a credit card information center or a digital help center and a
data-based back-up location. Innovation in Vermont is one of its strengths and its hard working people are hungry to earn a higher wage.

Sincerely,
Edwin J. Fowler,
Killington

homeKillington

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/lived-home/#sthash.QEjzZkde.dpuf

Options tax needs revision

Mountain Times

February 15, 2017

Dear editor,

Despite the various and differing views printed here on a weekly basis, our community has come a long way to come together in a short few years. In the early 2000s our town identified a problem in Killington. Simply put, our community was not united. We were lacking a sense of community in our town, and our residents and businesses were suffering for it. In 2008, our town leaders met with Paul Castello from the Vermont Council Rural Development, looking for resolutions. This organization works throughout the state to foster community development and build local business. What we learned in these meetings, is that we needed to work together, create more for our town, and ultimately build a community in which others would want to work and reside. Being left no other funding mechanism to bring this to fruition, we became the first town in the state to vote in the 1 percent option taxes for the purpose of economic development.
In the years that followed, the funds collected were added to the town’s general fund. The options tax funds originally intended for economic development are now being used for various other town expenses, and not what we had originally purposed the tax.
Since all of this has taken place, there has been some success we can attribute to implementing the options tax. Our business community and the Killington resort have worked together to unify and enhance our winter business, and also develop a plan to drive summer tourism. A positive change in leadership at the resort proved to be a great catalyst in stimulating this change, and summer business has grown tremendously in the past five years. From the promotion of concerts, races, mountain biking, weddings, golf, events and the outdoor adventure center our town has seen a massive increase in summer traffic. We should all be aware that some of these changes have come from investments made through option tax dollars, and a lot of the changes have also stemmed from major investments made by Killington Resort from their own funds.
Residents of Killington are now looking at an article on our town ballot that has the potential to further support our growing community, by fixing the flaws in the rules of the options tax. Our townspeople should vote to repeal a portion of the option tax that has been flawed since its inception. Currently, the way the tax is structured, our towns businesses collect 1 percent on all sales & use, and on rooms & meals and alcohol. This tax is collected by our businesses, and paid to the state of Vermont, who then retains 30 percent of these funds. Our town only sees 70 percent of the funds collected. If we can repeal this flawed portion of the way this tax is written, our town has the opportunity to retain our current level of funding for both the EDT and KPAA events, without it costing the town’s consumers and resort such a large amount of money. It makes far greater sense for property and business owners in Killington to retain the dollars they contribute to sales and use. The resort and the KPAA can handle the financial burden of promoting summer and community events without this 1 percent. The options tax on rooms and meals, however, is necessary to continue to pay the golf course debt and fund other growth initiatives for our town. If we can vote to fix these flaws, these changes would first have effect on the 2018-2019 town budget.
It is my hope that the voters in our town can come together to sunset the sales & use options tax.

Christopher Karr, Killington, Vt.

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/options-tax-needs-revision/#sthash.pAqnncb5.dpuf

Fact checking important details of the 1 percent local option sales tax repeal

Mountain Times

February 15, 2017

By Mike Solimano

“The 1 percent local option sales tax component of the options tax contributes approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to the annual General Fund budget. Who do you think is going to make that up if it is rescinded? You and me in our property taxes. As it is, we have an increase this year, with the full options tax a part of the budget,” was stated in a recent letter to the editor.
There’s been some confusion around this that I’d like to clarify. Currently, the town spends $280,000 on marketing and events (funded by the 1 percent option tax), and this year’s proposed budget includes an additional $100,000 to support the 2017 World Cup, should the resort hold that event (and only if). This brings the town’s events and marketing contribution to a total of $380,000 for fiscal year 2017– and this general fund expense would be removed from the town’s budget entirely in fiscal year 2018 if the “sales and use” portion of the 1 percent option tax is repealed.   The World Cup contribution is not a new tax expense to the town, rather a reallocation of the approx, $160,000 scheduled reduction in payments against the Green Mountain National Golf Course debt, which the Select Board determined in 2011 qualified as “economic development” spending. This means the currently proposed $380,000 in economic development spending for the coming fiscal year does not feature an increase of $100,000, but rather a reduction of $60,000 from last year. ​
With the 1 percent option tax, it’s important to understand that 1/3 of all money collected goes, by law, to the state of Vermont and that money is spent in other towns. The average tax revenue to the town of Killington from the “sales and use” portion of the 1 percent option tax over the past 7 full years was $445,000, and if this portion of the option tax is repealed for fiscal year 2018 the town of Killington will also be relieved of $380,000 of general fund expenses. The resort and KPAA will take over and pay for these marketing and event expenditures, leaving no gaps in summer programming and no negative impact to the town’s general fund.
Many in the town have argued that the town should not be in the “events” business, and the repeal of the “sales and use” portion of the option tax would allow the town to focus on public infrastructure improvements and municipal services and shed obligations for future events and marketing. All the while, the town’s general fund continues to benefit from the growth of the “meals and rooms” portions of the 1 percent option tax, which will remain intact and continue to grow each year in tandem with the resort’s summer business levels.
“The other question I have is, why 2018? Is it possibly so that when building the village, no sales tax will have to be paid on all the materials needed? Whose interests is our Select Board looking after? I don’t think they are looking after mine,” the letter-writer continued.
There’s a simple explanation as to why the Select Board is looking to the next fiscal year (July 2018) for the tax change, and it has nothing to do with the proposed Killington village. When citizens raised the issue of this tax repeal at a Select Board meeting a few months ago, the original proposal sought to move forward for fiscal year 2017. The Select Board decided it would be most prudent to delay for one year as the 2017 budget was already nearly complete and the extra time would allow for proper planning, debate and education, which is what we’re seeing in the community now.
I want to be clear: this tax change is expected to have little to no effect on most residents and local businesses, aside from 1 percent in savings on most purchases. If the repeal is passed, the entire Killington community will retain several hundred thousand dollars annually to be better invested in our community.

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/fact-checking-important-details-1/#sthash.LyZdTHww.dpuf

Petition OK’d After Deadline

Vermont Standard

2/16/17 

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

Killington – The  Killington Select Board held an Emergency Meeting on Feb. 3 to approve acceptance of a petition filed after the Jan. 24 official deadline.

“M. B.” Neisner, who is running unopposed for Town Moderator, filed the petition, which asks voters to consider returning from the current Australian ballot system that was adopted in 2011 to the traditional voice-vote method of voting at Town Meeting. The Select Board voted unanimously to include the question as Article 7 on the Town Warning.

After the meeting Select Board chair Patty McGrath said the number of voted counted were about 350 using the Australian ballots, whereas about 200 residents attended the Town Meeting to exercise hand votes, drawing the conclusion that the current system provides more participation.

She noted, for instance, that a fire alarm call during Town Meeting can instantly reduce the number of voters as firemen leave to respond, and that, because many people have to work on Town Meeting day, the hand-vote system favors retired people who may have a different point of view on tax and budget issues than those who are working.

In an email to this reporter, Neisner claimed the select board has misled voters in the past about the budget, and he said a floor vote provides the chance to make changes to the budget at the meeting.

“A floor vote allows changes in the budget (along with other questions) as opposed to an up or down vote,” Neisner wrote. “In addition, most voters are uninformed as to what is being done in our town and just vote assuming that the selectboard and town manager have thoroughly reviewed and understand the budgets, especially those voters who actually pay property taxes.”

Kate Wanner, Project Manager for The Trust for Public Land, and Chris Mattrick, ranger for the Green Mountain National Forest, requested a “letter of approval” from the Select Board referencing the TPL’s purchase of 230.53 acres of land in Killington to add to the GMNF property. The Killington purchase would be part of a 2,800 tract, referred to as “Rolston Rest,” that TPL has contracted to buy from at least three owners. Almost all the land is heavily forested, but there are also wetlands and headwater streams.

Besides the Long Trail, the tract contains part of the Catamount Trail and buffers the Appalachian Trail, all popular hiking routes. Green Mountain National Forest is within a day’s drive of 80 million people.

The State of Vermont had purchased 57.7 acres of the land to protect the Long Trail, and is now ready to sell it for addition to the GMNF.

According to Wanner TPL is purchasing all the timber rights on the land, which will also be turned over to GMNF, who will apply ecologically sound harvesting strategies to the forests.

“Rolston Rest … supports breeding bear habitat, a high density of moose, and a deer wintering area,” says a TPL brochure. “Threatened long-eared bat, turkey, grouse and other species also thrive in the area.”

Wanner said TPL won’t purchase land in towns that object, so the Select Board’s letter of approval is an important part of the process. Selectmen unanimously approved a motion to provide the letter.

The Rolston Rest tract transaction is being funded in part by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, but TPL needs to raise an additional $400,000 in private money to complete the purchase.

Town Manager Deb Schwartz announced the town has signed a contract to purchase the new Pierce Fire Truck in time to affect a 3 percent, or approximately $30,000, savings prior to a scheduled price increase.

During a recent visit to Killington U. S. Congressman Peter Welch offered to look for federal funds that might help the Killington Volunteer Fire Department with the fire truck purchase. Although his visit was scheduled for a half-hour, Welch spent over 60 minutes with town officials reviewing Tropical Storm Irene FEMA support and other infrastructure issues.

Deb Schwartz reported the town was paying off a $400,000 tax anticipation note on Feb. 08, saving taxpayers about $300 in interest charges by retiring the debt early.

Longtime Killington Market employee fondly remembered

Mountain Times 

2/15/17

By Evan Johnson

For 17 years, visitors picking up a morning coffee on the way to the mountain or a sandwich for the long drive home could count on a friendly face at the Killington Market. According to her friends and co-workers, Ann Seibert was reliable, friendly and hardworking. In 2011, when Tropical Storm Irene devastated portions of the state, she was one of the first people to find a way from Pittsfield to Killington, driving over a washed-out culvert to make it to work. She loved golf and skiing, cribbage, the Denver Broncos and an occasional Gran Marnier.
Seibert died at home on Feb. 10. She was 61.
Seibert was born in Defiance, Ohio, and she graduated from St. Wendelin School in Fostoria, Ohio, in 1973. She graduated from Rhode Island College in 1980. She moved to Colorado in 1984 and worked as a psychiatric nurse until 1986. She returned to Ohio briefly before moving to Vermont in 1987. A passionate photographer, she worked as a photographer for Reflections of Killington. It was during this time that she met her husband, Jim Creed. They were engaged to be married until he was killed in a car accident in 1993.
When Reflections closed, she began working at the Killington Market, where she did everything from making sandwiches to working in the front of the store. She came to know many regular customers on a first-name basis.
“She would help anywhere she needed to help,” Killington Market owner Steve Durkee said. “She enjoyed the store, the customers and we enjoyed her.”
When she wasn’t at work, her other two great passions were the Denver Broncos and her golf game. She golfed regularly at the White River Golf Course and eventually came to work there part-time.
On Monday, Durkee said he and the rest of the staff at the Killington Market were still processing the news.
“She was a key part of our team at the market and a very good friend,” he said. “She is very, very badly missed by all of us.”
She was pre-deceased by her father Roger and mother Joanne. She is survived by her family: Daniel Seibert of Fostoria, Ohio; William Seibert of Middlebury, Vt.; David Seibert of South Lyon, Mich.; Catherine Seibert of Belle Center, Ohio; Richard Seibert of LaGrange, Ind.; Jean Seibert also of Belle Center; and Timothy Seibert of Livonia, Mich. She is also survived by two nieces and eleven nephews, eight grand-nieces and seven grand-nephews, two great grand-nieces and one great grand-nephew.
There will be a Catholic Mass held for Seibert at St Mary’s parish in Middlebury on March 4 at 10 a.m. There will be a celebration of her life at the White River Golf Course in Rochester, Vt. 1-4 p.m. Charitable donations can be made to The American Heart Association, the Killington Fire and Rescue squad or local food shelf.

- See more at: http://mountaintimes.info/longtime-killington-market-employee/#sthash.bCLz3DuH.dpuf

Town Meeting and Informational Meeting Warning

Comment: Notice Article 7. This would give us back Town Meeting instead of Australian ballot. Although I don't have a lot of faith it would pass I endorse it as it gives citizens more power over the budget in that we then could vote on line items in the budget versus an up or down vote on the whole budget. This is good because if a line item is objectionable it can be removed without voting the whole budget down and having it go back to the Select Board for reconsideration and then having a Special vote on the reconsidered budget.

Fight ends in court

Rutland Herald | February 15, 2017

By GORDON DRITSCHILO

STAFF WRITER

Travis Trites

Police said a Rutland man tried to clobber his boss with a chair during an argument about shoveling the back steps.

Travis J. Trites, 41, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Rutland criminal court to a felony charge of aggravated assault with a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of simple assault. If convicted, he could face a maximum 16 years in prison. He was freed on the conditions he stay away from witnesses in the case and out of the Wobbly Barn nightclub at Killington.

Trites was working at the Wobbly Barn on Monday night, according to affidavits, when his manager, Zachary Steinhart, told him to “go outside and look at the steps that were not shoveled.”

Steinhart told police they got outside, and he noticed Trites holding a knife. Steinhart described Trites putting down and picking up the knife repeatedly during their discussion before pointing it at him and taking a step forward, at which point the manager said he ran into the dining room.

Witnesses describe Trites following Steinhart into the dining room, picking up a chair and lifting it up over his head to swing at Steinhart, at which point other employees tackled both men to the floor, according to police. Steinhart told police Trites still managed to connect with a punch to his neck.

Police said Trites told them he lost his temper but was tackled before he make contact with Steinhart.

In court Tuesday, the state asked that one of the conditions of Trites release be that he stay 300 feet away from the Wobbly Barn, a provision opposed by Trites’ lawyer.

“Practically speaking, judge, if he’s working on the mountain, the access road goes right by the Wobbly Barn,” Public Defender Amanda Mowle said.

Deputy Rutland County State’s Attorney Peter Bevere said that if Trites found other work on the mountain, the state would revisit the condition, but Judge Cortland Corsones said public safety would be satisfied with a requirement that Trites simply stay off the property.

gordon.dritschilo @rutlandherald.com

Two sides of the 1% sales tax question

Mountain Times
February 8, 2017

Do not rescind the 1 percent local option sale tax

Dear Editor,

Is the Select Board crazy?

The 1 percent local option sale tax component of the options tax contributes approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to the annual General Fund budget. Who do you think is going to make that up if it is rescinded? You and me in our property taxes. As it is, we have an increase this year, with the full options tax a part of the budget.

If the town is so flush, why were all of the departments asked to keep our budgets so lean this year? I can only assume the golf course debt is paid off. Is there is a magical source of money to cover this shortfall in the general fund budget that is not the taxpayers?

The resort management seems to be under a misconception about the purpose of the options tax though I have corrected them several times. Originally, it was voted in for economic development, but that was changed at a subsequent town meeting, when it was voted on to go into the General Fund to pay off the golf course debt, use some some money for economic development and go to paying other town expenses.

The other question I have is, why 2018? Is it possibly so that when building the village, no sales tax will have to be paid on all the materials needed? Whose interests is our Select Board looking after? I don’t think they are looking after mine.

Diane Scappaticci Rosenblum, Killington

Response

MountainTimes
February 15, 2017

The right side of the option tax proposal
Dear Editor,


In response to last week’s letter to the editor from Diane Scappaticci Rosenblum regarding the local option sales tax vote to rescind. First I’d like to start off by saying I have a lot of respect and regard for Mrs. Rosenblum, so Diane please don’t take this as an attack. While reading your opinion, which I take with respect, I noticed you’re question is: If the local option tax contributes approximately $400,000-$500,000 to the general fund, who do you think is going to make up the difference if it is rescinded? You went on to state: “you and me and our property taxes.”


Diane, the fact and the truth is there’s a second part to this proposal of rescinding the one percent option sales tax. I’m not sure if our board or town has clearly explained this other part, which is simple: The town no longer would fund the marketing and events and employees for this department that was created with the option tax funding. So with $400,000-$500,000 less in revenue one must realize in order for this to work there would be $400,000-$500,000 less in expenses.


So, Diane, there may be a difference to make up by taxpayers, but no where near $400,000 to $500,000. The truth may be under $100,000, as I see it. But let’s remember, we’re not allocating money as expenses for our town manager and other departments spending time with special events, marketing and other items hidden in the budget away from EDT. Sorry, I had to do this in a letter to the editor, but your letter went out first without the understanding of the expense and revenue side. Once again, just making sure that we are looking at all sides of the equation.

Thanks,

Jim Haff, Killington

New Jersey snowboarder dies at Killington

Burlington Free Press Published 5:54 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

A snowboarder from New Jersey died Saturday at Killington Mountain, Vermont State Police reported.
James Meyers, 26, of Toms River, N.J., was snowboarding with friends at the Killington Ski Resort when he left the trail they were on and collided with a tree, police said.
Meyers was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, according to state police.
He was transported to the Rutland Regional Medical Center by the Regional Ambulance Service. Meyers died of injuries he sustained in the accident and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Missing skiers found

Rutland Herald 

February 05, 2017

Staff report

KILLINGTON — Three skiers who went off trail and were reported lost were safely found Friday.

State police were called at 5:18 p.m. after Cameron Goulet, 18, Alec Goulet, 20, both of Winsted, Connecticut; and Todd Bertulis, 20, of Thomaston, Connecticut, went missing on the Juggernaut Trail.

A search was launched and the Killington Ski Patrol located a set of three tracks off the trail. They found the missing skiers a little over half a mile off the trail, and transported them back to the Killington Medical Clinic. No injuries were reported.

Killington Fire Department and Killington Search and Rescue also took part in the search.

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The West Hill Snowman Is Back!

Two men charged in lodge burglary

Rutland Herald | February 03, 2017

KILLINGTON — Two men spent the night in the Rutland jail after trying to steal food and drink from Bear Mountain Lodge in Killington, police said.

Michael Parie, 20, of Rutland, and James Cornell, 26, listed as a transient, were charged with burglary when Censor Security found them inside the lodge after hours Wednesday night, according to Vermont State Police.

Parie was also charged with violating his conditions of release, police said.

Bail was set at $10,000 for both, and they were still in jail as of Thursday evening, according to the Department of Corrections. 

Town Projects Tax Rate, Orders New Fire Truck

Vermont Standard

2/2/2017

By Curt Peterson

Standard Correspondent

Killington – The Killington Select Board announced a .289-cent increase in the projected 2018 nonschool residential property tax rate at their Jan. 24 meeting. On a home assessed at $200,000 this would mean an increase of about $60 per year over the 2017 rate.

The rate includes the controversial $100,000 commitment to support a 2017 FIS Women’s World Cup Ski event, if the event returns to Killington. Selectman Chris Bianchi has said in the past the World Cup support represents about 1 cent of the increase.

There are lingering objections to the ski event commitment. Both David and Diane Rosenblum commented to the Board that the money would be better spent on maintenance of infrastructure.

Diane Rosenblum is on the Shelburne Memorial Library board and said she resents having to restrict the library budget while the Select Board is dedicating funds to a big event in town and reducing revenue by eliminating the retail sales tax portion of the Options Tax, about $400,000.

“I don’t own a business,” she said. “I’m retired and just a homeowner. I’m not going to get anything back out of this donation.”

The Board has described the World Cup support contribution as an investment in local businesses on the basis they are the ones who are collecting it for that purpose. In the past in an average year the town has received $875,000 in Options Tax revenue, including a 1-percent sales tax on retail sales in the village. One of the items voters will consider at the 2017 Town Meeting is rescinding the sales tax as of July 1, 2018, which will not affect revenue this coming fiscal year.

Rosenblum’s husband David concurred, citing a recent minor head-on collision that he attributes to lack of maintenance on Killington roads.

Robert “Sal” Salmeri, owner of Mogul’s nightclub, would like to see the $100,000 contribution spent on bus stops and other infrastructure issues.

Gary Rath and Alan Naylor, representing the Killington Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD), said the Department is satisfied with the 2018 budget negotiations.

Rath and Naylor recently traveled to KME Fire Trucks in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, near Stroudsburg, where the new fire truck purchased last spring was ready for final inspection.

“There were a few failures regarding specification issues,” Rath said.

Because of space limitations in the current firehouse custom dimensions had been part of their order, but a few of them had been missed by KME when the truck was built, so they are busy remedying the problems.

“It will be another month and a half before it’s ready for us to inspect again,” Rath said. “We won’t accept the vehicle until it is done the way we ordered it.”

Once the KVFD approves the truck it will be sent to New York for another week of equipment mounting.

The firemen also announced they are reducing the number of vehicles in their fleet by one – a “platform truck” with specialized uses will be sold, along with another truck that is due for replacement. The replaced trucks would be traded in for a new purchase or sold privately to recoup their value. Rath asked for authority to order an aerial truck called a “quint” from Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. in Appleton, Wisconsin, at a price of approximately $1 million.

A quint, or “five” truck has five functions: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders. According to Rath, Pierce is the best place to purchase a quint. KME does not make them.

“We can save 3 percent by ordering it before the end of January,” Rath said, which would amount to about $30,000.

The fleet reduction would provide multiple benefits, the firemen said, including lower maintenance costs and smaller space requirements for the new firehouse.

The Board unanimously approved ordering the truck.

At previous meetings the Board had been advised KVFD has found an appropriate site for their proposed new firehouse on the access road. Naylor and Rath asked the selectmen for their support in pursuing purchase of the land – they would like to negotiate an option that would hold the parcel for them while their due diligence is completed.

The Board approved moving ahead with the project.