Initial budget figures are in

Work on the fiscal year 2013 budget is nearly completed. Initial estimates show an increase in the proposed General Fund budget of 5.06 percent. This estimate includes the agency requests as submitted.

It includes the costs for the repairs to the Recreation Center pool area walls, roof, and mechanicals that are to be funded from the voter-approved $680,000. The proposed Highway Fund budget indicates a decrease of 1.78 percent. The Fire Department budget increase is proposed at 3.15 percent.

Department heads worked very hard to minimize increases in the individual department budgets. It is clear they took this task very much to heart. At this writing, the total of all the budgets combined is up 2.96 percent over last year. Our revenues are under review. It is the combined effect of the revenues and expenditures divided by the Grand List that gives us the tax rate.

The temperate weather has been a blessing to the community. Several important projects are underway, even now. The Roaring Branch river channel flood mitigation work continues. A final completion date is mid-January. The water system repair work has been bid and construction to replace the intake in Bolles Brook should be completed in January as well. When this is accomplished, the water system will be fully recovered from the damages Tropical Storm Irene caused.

The town is working with CVPS and Efficiency Vermont to replace the high-pressure sodium street lighting with LED fixtures. This project, when finished, should create savings in the range of 30 percent to the town’s street light electric bills. This would be a savings of $40,000 annually. The LED fixtures focus the light more, thereby reducing the spread of light. The colors are in the blue/white spectrum, eliminating the yellow glow of the sodium lights.

The Park and Ride grant of $44,830 is now expended and awaiting State closeout certification. It helped improve the upper Pleasant Street parking lot by adding solar lighting, signage, improved entrances, and installing pedestrian amenities in concert with the multi-modal transit center work undertaken by the Green Mountain Community Network, our public transportation provider.

The Network is utilizing a federal earmark of $328,000 from the town and funds from USDA to improve the transit facility and renovate the Network’s offices.

The long-awaited Union Street enhancement project has been bid and is now under review. In general, we like to see more bidders at the table because it keeps the process competitive and may mean a lower cost for the project. We had only one bidder on this project.

It is hard to gauge how competitive the bid price is when only one bidder participates. We still hope to begin construction this spring. This project will bring some of the streetscape improvements to the westerly portion of Union Street, Silver Street and Valentine Street. The project was planned, and cost estimates generated for grants, more than five years ago. Today’s costs and available grant funds will dictate how much of the project gets done.