Discussion of Pownal's Planning Issues

". . . the greatest threat to civility - and ultimately to civilization - is an excess of certitude."
- George Will, "The Oddness of Everything"
I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts.
Mark Twain - Wearing White Clothes speech, 1907

Communication between Select Board and the Citizens of Pownal

Submitted by Ray Rodrigues: If you have recommendations for how the Town Meeting can be improved, please do share them. Or if other forums should be held in addition to the Town Meeting so that single issues can be addressed in an environment where the debate can be managed, please share your thoughts.

• Ray Rodrigues: This question for the Select Board: What are the rules governing open meetings? Must the Select Board approve every meeting that everyone wants to have about town matters? Or does the Select Board have to approve a meeting only when it is held in the Elementary School or another public building?

Cost of Sewer System

*Ray Shields. 01/15/08. Having asked the Selectboard, our Town Treasurer, numerous times, via letters and at meetings to explain how much money is being taken in on the flat tax for the sewer, how much of the $122,800. per year bond payment is a shortfall, not enough monies taken in, or how much is over, excess, and where does this money come from to make up the bond payment, how is delinquency dollar figures calculated without results. We have contacted the Vermont State Auditor office and have formally asked that an audit review of the proceedures in this matter be undertaken by their office (Certified letter Jan. 3, 2008) It appears that at first glance, sewer funds are being cojoined with non sewer funds, to make the $122,800. payment. You will also notice that nowhere in recent Town Reports, available for the March floor meeting, are these figures documented. With the millions in state and federal monies poured into Pownal for the sewer project, this is cause for serious concerns!

*Ray Shields. 02/01/08. Noteworthy information. This past years sewer bond payment of $122,800., authorized on 12/28/07, and acted upon on a warrant on 1/10/08, was paid from the Town of Pownals General Fund. Does it follow that delinquent, non-payers of their authorized taxes, there share would be made up from General Fund monies, and would that not increase the share of what taxpayers who do pay their taxes pay? So in fact that $76.50 in all likehood might be a bit more. And this being the 3rd payment of 30 for the $2 million dollar sewer bond.

*Ray Shields. 2/26/08. Looked over the annual report of Town of Pownal, cant find any recording of delinquency on the flat tax, amount, nor delinquency of the sewer users.
Why do you suppose that is?

*Ray Shields. 3/18/08. The recent sewer meeting, 2/28/08, a committee was formed with the auditor, town treasurer, and chief operator of wastewater treatment facility to seek out funding to meet operation & maintenance costs. Obviously, funding for the O&M is inadequate to sustain the plant, $400. for the sewer users. Now lets understand, we keep the rate, $400. charged to users, at a rate so that the O&M does not meet its needs? Does this make sense, or does it make sense that the ground work for a substantial increase in sewer rates is coming from the Town. I'm sure this will flush out pretty shortly.

*Ray Shields. 4/2/08. At the March sewer meeting, when the board was asked a question . . . what is the amount of the delinquency on the sewer project? . . . the current response is that the administration assistant no longer complies this information but it is the province of the delinquent tax collector. We have sent our delinquent tax collector a letter, under the open meeting/information law, to ascertain the amounts for the users, as well as the flat tax delinquency amounts. When we receive it, you will also.

*Ray Shields. 5/3/08. Well did you catch that the sewer users rate has increased by $16.00 per year. Selectmans meeting of May l, 2008. I for one always admire this board for the way they pat themselves on the back while reaching into the taxpayers pocket. With deliquency approaching $20,000. on the flat and sewer users fees, this is a bandaid approach. This is the first of the 5 year period, in which this board will raise the rates, as needed to support a spiraling cost with the plant and the almost 40 miles of inground pipes. With a majority of the users, mobile home residents, many others on fixed incomes this news is not good for our community.

*Ray Shields. 5/5/08. The story in this mornings Bennington Banner reported on the sewer rate increase and that it was attributed by the selectboard to the price of OIL. If you truly believe this I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

*Ray Shields. 6/11/08. With still no answer from the Town of Pownal on the amounts of flat tax delinquency and the user delinquency monies owed to the town, we have contacted the Vermont Attorney Generals office for assistance, as well as the Vermont Auditors Office, to be able to get from the town these dollar amounts. We are very confident that these individuals can and will assist in this matter.
It is important to every taxpayer in Pownal. Why? With the town putting all sewer monies, both user fees and flat tax fees into the general fund, and paying for the O&M for the plant, as well as the yearly $122,800. bond payment from general fund town monies, they are increasing the burden on all taxpayers. Residents you live outside the sewer use area, are paying more than the stated flat tax on their property bills. . . this is the result of not enough money coming in to pay for the bond. Users, who also pay the flat tax, are impacted as well as delinquency in the user area. It has been my contention that sewer monies, and I believe the state will agree, can only be used for sewer expenditures. General fund monies can not be used for support of the sewer project . . . to meet bond and recover delinquent monies owed to the town to support the sewer plant. Think about it!

*Ray Shields. 6/27/08. Read with interest the delinquent monies owed to the town from mobile home owners, cloudying ownership in some cases, and having the town carrying a unreported deficit, uncollectable deficit, on its books. Have sent this information along with the story to the Vermont Auditor as it might tie in with what I have been asking for quite some time. There must be some accountability in all this!

*Ray Shields. 7/31/08. Heres a piece of interesting information. Received from the Town a copy of Pownal WW Cash Flow 08-09 Estimates. Jan. 08, deficit 132,739, Feb. 08, deficit 150,141. As I get older my eyes and ears are not what they once were, did we hear or see from our Selectboard any indications of these deficits at the Town Meeting in March? And why not?

BARTELS LODGE

• Pownal Center eyes historic designation.doc

Board to act on Bartels property.doc

Hold that bulldozer--Editorial Bennington Banner< here.Click here to read the ATV club proposal as reported in the Bennington Banner. Click here for an editorial on this subject from the Bennington Banner.

*Amy Moore 6/13/07 - Just thought I'd weigh in since I'm the person who created those walking tours for Bennington.com in 1999. Some of the places on one of the original walking tours included diverse architecture such as Earl's Mobil station. I find the idea that a "historic area" must meet one particular "historic era" odd since, with few exceptions, most places have had people living there for so many generations to celebrate one seems silly. Every generation makes choices on the maintenance, expansion, demolition, and repair of structures based on economics and "best possible" decisions. Some times the choice to repair or not repair at all comes down to economics. Siding and roofing can dictate the future health of a building. Siding can be replaced later with higher quality. The installation of vinyl siding does not prohibit its future replacement with wood clapboard. If vinyl is what can be afforded now, that's better than nothing.

I would like to point out that under that poorly maintained, unsightly clapboard of the Walloomsac Inn (in Historic Old Bennington) is a sturdy brick building. In some generation, it was thought that the clapboard would look better than low maintenance brick and now, for all intents and purposes, there is a building that looks completely run down on that walking tour. That doesn't stop people from taking the tours or imagining the Presidents, dignitaries, and scoundrels that stayed there over a hundred years ago. The current (private) owners have no inclination of removing or repairing the siding. I have been inside that structure and it is gorgeous.

As an anecdote, there is a church on Rt. 2 in Massachusetts that has received earmarked federal funding (because Rt. 2 is a scenic byway and the church is considered part of the scenic) that needs a new roof to not fall beyond repair. But the $40,000 from Federal Highway will only pay for part of a new asphalt shingle roof with the removal of the "historic" slate roof. No one is willing to fund the replacement of slate (yet) and Federal Highway dollars won't finance boot-strap projects with in-kind donations.

There are many historic attributes of Pownal - Old Military Road being the first road in the State. No one complained when the Town paved part of it - it makes the road easier and safer to travel and maintain and it is still the oldest road in the state even with "ugly" blacktop on it.

I don't know all the issues around Bartel's Lodge. I do know energy would in be better spent by people who want to see a higher quality improvement investing it in securing funding that doesn't put greater demands on a town that, like every other Vermont town, struggles to balance a budget serving the greatest needs of the greatest number of taxpayers and residents. Tax revenues are not generated by Bennington's walking tours any more than they are generated by the incredible number of bicycle tours in Pownal. The walking tours, especially, are fine past times for people already here. When it comes down to it, Pownal has THE BEST walking tour in the state - it is called the southern terminus of the Long Trail [http://greenmountainclub.org/]- the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States. There is also the northern terminus of the Taconic Trail in Pownal as well.

• D. Stanley 2/23/08 No, the walking or bicycle tours may not generate tax dollars in & of themselves, Amy, but as the first writer explained, they BRING tourism to town & then tourist/day trip visitors can & do take advantage of the businesses (restaurants, motels, inns, retail shopping,) in the town where they are.

Be patient? NO, we want and need action now

*Ray Shields. 8/22/08. Noticed at the Selectmans Meeting, August 21, that lead and absetos might be of a greater concern with the Bartels Lodge than thought in the first place. Removal and also keeping in place, per regulations, might prove very costly in any rehab project for this building. I'm confident the selectboard will keep the community posted.

Need to Correct Maps

• (posted by Amy Moore) I love the map and I'm proud to be a part of it. However, the road that connects County and Old Military east of Barber Pond Road is called Schenkar Rd - not Schanker. I've contacted Jim at BCRC and he says he can't change it until 911 changes it. I've contacted our 911 coordinator and she says she's heard it many ways. As a business MOVING to Schenkar Rd. it is imperative to me to get these names right. The tax map at the town office is incorrect as well (but the tax BILL is right). The road signs are different too. At County it says Schankar. At Old Military it is correct with Schenkar. With 911 being incorrect, all the online maps and directories are wrong as well. With road signs mismatched - that could be a problem for providers. Maybe the wrong committee to complain to - but it would be nice if the next map was correct.
• (posted by Ray Rodrigues) What is the process for changing these maps? Is there an official appeal or petition process to the Select Board? What is the 911 coordinator, and what does she do? What is her name and title and telephone number? On a vaguely related matter, if one types in "Holt Road" on Google Earth, one gets a mysterious road that does not exist, but appears near our home. Is this a 911 coordinator matter too?

May 2008
Just as soon as the Zoning Administrator gives his monthly report to the town we will request a copy and post it here. We are hopeful that this will happen in July of 2008. We have requested this information, a letter to the Zoning Administrator, and we are hopeful with the emphasize on hopeful of receiving this information in August of 2008.

Lots of hits-few comments?

*Ray Shields. 8/19/08. Just wondering why so many people visit the wiki site(s) but very few participate or comment on community concerns? Witness protection? Whats your thought?

Pownal Community Growth Area

*Ray Shields. 9/24/08. Quite a bit of information out there on this issue. Seems like the Pownal Village area, along with the defunct racetrack property, areas across the river, and a bit up 346 as well as a small piece of Route 7 north are included. Also reports that 75 per cent of our school tax dollars/returned, can and will be spent in this outlined area to encourage growth. Another meeting at the school to be held in Nov. for further resident information. I hope that comments on this program for our community on this site would open a dialogue so that this issue could be explored fully by all. Do you share my concerns about tax dollars being spent to develope the green mountain racetrack? The developers, have since purchasing the property in 2004, done absolutely nothing . . . except seek state and local programs to assist them so that they could do something, why they cant even afford to cleanup the debri field! Another concern is that the Pownal business community, those businesses that have paid there dues so to speak, have weathered the years of community up and downs, are not included in this proposed growth area. My other concern is about the two remaining population centers, North Pownal and Pownal Center. Will development be more restrictive in these areas? If a 75 per cent portion of our school tax dollars/returned can go to this Pownal Village Growth Area, where does that leave North Pownal and Pownal Center. I sincerely hope that the community will participate in a healthy discussion on this issue here, letters to the editor, questions to our State Representative, questions to Smart Growth Vermont, as well as reviewing the legislation itself from the 2005-06 Vermont Legislature.

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