Selectboard Stirrings, July 2. 2025
Howard Center Outreach Program Funding explained; vote taken to boost contribution. Overall budget shortfall issues emerge.
By Lynn Monty
The Record Staff Reporter
What looks like a one-size-fits-all service shouldn’t warrant such a steep jump in cost to the Hinesburg Police Department’s budget, Selectboard Chair Merrily Lovell said, but it seems there has been a stark change in its usage since the resignation of Police Chief Anthony Cambridge.
The proposed Howard Center Community Outreach Contract is a $12,500, three-year contract, up from the budgeted $5,000. The current contract, shared with the Richmond Police Department, expired at the end of June. A new contract will be on the agenda for formal approval July 16. Richmond is on board with approving their half, which is also $12,500.
While the $25,000 might seem like an extreme increase, it’s not just Hinesburg and Richmond’s anguish, every town has seen a significant increase due to the Howard Center losing a substantial grant. Their services are called upon when there is a mental health crisis so that folks can be treated by professionals who specialize in this kind of support.
Howard’s Community Outreach Coordinator Hannah Toof said in the three years she has worked with Hinesburg, there has been a change in operation in the past six months with interim Police Chief Frank Bryan. Under Cambridge she said her team wasn’t welcomed by the Police Department.
“It felt like a contentious relationship,” she said. “That was not the case with other towns we partner with.”
Howard serves nine local towns. “Chief Cambridge shared publicly that he called Howard Center and we were not responding,” Toof said. “I did not find that to be the case, and I would have loved to open a conversation and actually look at any miscommunication or if a different number was being called.”
Toof welcomed a meeting with Chief Bryan. “He is very responsive to open communication about issues in town,” Toof said. “Chief Bryan has been very forthcoming and the working relationship is beneficial for both of us.”
Toof said she was shocked to find that Hinesburg officers had no information about Howard Center’s Community Outreach Program until after Cambridge resigned. Since then there have been 30 incidents where the program has come to the aide of a community member.
“We are gaining momentum and it feels good,” she said. “Additionally, we have other partnerships. The Chittenden County Sherriff uses us when he does evictions. We co-responded just last week in Hinesburg for that service. We are trying to support community members in Hinesburg at all levels.”
Toof has also teamed up with Hinesburg Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau. They worked together at the recent mock crash at Champlain Valley Union High School. “The last time there was a mock crash, we were not embedded,” she said. “So now if something like that were to happen, Howard would be one of the tools deployed to support the community.”
Selectboard member Paul Lamberson said Hinesburg residents need access to Howard services, whether point-of-contact was made through the Police, Fire or Sherrif’s Departments. He suggested it be a line item in the budget not directly related to the Police Department: “It’s about the quantity of services Howard is providing to Hinesburg regardless of how the contact was made.”
“This is extremely helpful,” Lovell said about Toof’s question and answer session with the Selectboard. “We didn’t know. We knew there were issues with our former police chief, but I did not know about this. I am not surprised. I am really sorry. I am really disappointed.”
Selectboard member Dennis Place asked Odit to find the added $7,500 needed. “This is an important service,” Place said.
Hinesburg resident Ruchel St, Hilaire spoke up virtually in the online Zoom portion of the meeting to defend former Chief Cambridge. She asked if he had originally created the bond with Howard at the outreach program’s inception. The Selectboard suggested she reach out to the Howard Center for that information.
Other Selectboard News:
Discussion took place about a bond vote for water and highway projects. An immediate bond vote was previously approved for the installation of a water main this summer, but there are a number of other pressing projects, Odit said.
These are:
Beecher Hill Crossings repair. FEMA covers about 75 percent, so local funds are needed. It’s slated to cost about a million dollars or more.
Bridge 9 on Hollow Road needs a new deck and the estimate there is $600,000. A State grant of $175,000 is on a reimbursement basis, so funds are needed to cover the complete project cost.
Lincoln Hill culvert replacements have been in the works since 2021. One was replaced last summer. There are two remaining. The Town has applied for FEMA mitigation funds. The cost for the remaining two are anywhere from $250,000 to $350,000.
Commerce Street Canal culvert requires an Act 250 permit to be replaced, which will trigger environmental reviews that will increase the cost of the project.
While a lease-purchase agreement for the water transmission line for Well #6 was accepted (a four-year $213,000 loan with Northfield Savings Bank with an interest rate of 4.7%), there are more expenses that go along with the project estimated to be between $500,00 and $750,000. Bond payments related to this project would be paid by users of the water system only.
Because of all of these projects, the Selectboard would like to have an estimated $3 million bond vote before the fall season so funds would be available for these projects to begin March of 2026.
The Selectboard reviewed a Budget Status Report. Because of severe storm repairs, expenses are about $550,000 more than revenues. There was an unassigned $675,000 after FY24, Odit said. The FY25 budget included a deficit of $125,000. The Town is expecting $260,000 from FEMA. “It is, by far, the worst year we have had because of flooding,” Odit said.
Tax revenues will start coming in in August. For now a line of credit for about $1 million is being pursued to keep the Town running smoothly. Odit said folks whose properties went up more than a hundred percent in value after the reappraisals will see a higher tax rate than property owners whose property went up less than 65%.
As always, you can watch the Selectboard meetings on Zoom and on Media Factory. Click here to view.