Bond Vote set for 11/4, Info Meeting 10/15
Selectboard also hears of Police/Fire Public Informational Meeting on Oct. 22
By The Record Staff
Town voters will have the opportunity on Nov. 4 to vote on two bond issues — one for $1 million for the town’s share of three bridge/culvert projects and $2.1 million for the cost of connecting new Well 6 to the town water supply.
The Hinesburg Selectboard approved the necessary paper work to move forward on the votes and also announced a public informational meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at town hall and on Zoom at this address: https://uso6web.zoom.us/j/87642083142?pwd=Dw4iULiCMdGcTqqkx5xix6woxkf3FC.1
Select board vice chair Maggie Gordon questioned if the FEMA money would materialize for the bridge and culvert projects.
Town Manager Todd Odit replied, “This is an authorization to borrow up to that amount, it’s not a requirement to borrow that amount.” He said that if things change, they can choose to not move forward.
Selectboard member Paul Lamberson expressed his support for the bonds, saying, “These are the steps we need to take right now to proceed with anything.” Regardless of how much of the work they choose to do, he added, “We won’t have these options if we don’t proceed with this [bond resolution] now.”
The $1 million bridge/culvert bond vote includes the town’s share of three projects:
The Hollow Road bridge which is badly need of repair from natural deterioration. The project is estimated to cost $700,000 but the town has received a $200,000 state grant to offset the cost.
The projects on Beecher Hill Road are Bridge #23 (on the North Road side near the entrance to the Town Garage) and Bridge #28 (halfway between Rte. 116 and North Road). Both were damaged in the July 2024 flood, and both are eligible for 75% FEMA funding. The bridge bond would cover the town’s estimated share of the project — 25%. However, once the projects were completed, the town would be eligible for an additional 12.5% - 17.5% reimbursement from the state’s Emergency Relief Assistance Fund. The total cost of the two repairs is estimated at $1.5 million, but the town’s share would total $115,200 if the FEMA and state money are realized. The FEMA money would have to be in hand for the project to move forward, Odit has said.
The Well #6 project — $2.1 million — would run a three-phase electric line to the well to power the pump and to install the transmission pipe from the well to the town water treatment facility. Well #6 — drilled by the developers of Haystack Crossing and given to the town — was originally planned to serve future development by adding 120,000 gallons of available daily water to the town’s existing output of 160,000 gallons. However, since Well #5 is no longer usable as a back-up, Well #6 would also serve as a backup.
The proposed project would also install stand-by generators at the treatment plant and at the cemetery pump station to allow the town to continue to provide water during a power outage. Odit said the town is waiting for cost estimates from Green Mountain Power for installation of the three-phase power needed for the pump. The route they will take is under Rte 116 from the Riggs Road back to the well. He mentioned possibly coordinating excavation with other current projects. The cost of the conduit installation is included in the bond total.
In his explanation document (see below) to the board, Odit wrote:
“While all voters can vote on the Well #6 bond, only users of the system will be responsible for paying the annual debt service. A 20-year estimated repayment schedule with an interest rate of 4.42% results in annual debt payments of $158,000. A mix of fees charged to new development and rates charged to users of the system will be used to pay the annual debt service.
“For example, new development has to pay a connection fee of $2,000 per living unit and an allocation fee of $25,40 per gallon per day of water allocated to each unit. At this time there are 472 units that have received some level of approval by the town that have not been constructed yet. Assuming all those units are built, that equates to $944,000 in expected connection fee revenue. The allocation fee could also generate $1,000,000 or more in revenue.”
In other action:
Odit, along with the Interim Police Chief Frank Bryan and Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau, will hold a public safety informational meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The chiefs will talk about service levels in their departments and are looking for feedback about what level of service people want, and how much they are willing to pay for that service.
The last phase of the water treatment facility project will require a loan of $42,800 for flood plane restoration design, Odit said. The cost of this would be borne by wastewater users. He added that testing is about to begin for the new wastewater plant.
The board officially praised Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau for his recent recognition as Vermont’s local Emergency Management Director of the Year.
The consulting company helping Hinesburg hire a new police chief will be meeting this week with “stakeholders” — select board members, town department heads, current officers and what Odit described as “key agencies we work with” — to find out what they want in a police chief.
