By ANGELO LYNN
PROCTOR — A lengthy discussion on how to move forward on a half-mile multi-use path from downtown Proctor to Beaver Pond dominated Monday’s selectboard meeting.
The proposed $620,000 path, funded mostly with federal funds, was initiated in 2018. But right-of-way issues with landowners affected by the path resulted in two further trail redesigns and have delayed progress for the past three years and passed along through three prior town managers.
Monday’s meeting, however, gathered all the affected landowners in the meeting room with the hope of getting everyone on the same page, said Town Manager Michael Ramsey. The hope, he said, was to move the project onto its next stage — working through right-of-way and easement issues with each property owner. At the meeting were: Frank Beyette, owner of Franklin’s; Judy Taranovich, owner of Proctor Gas; and Joel Blumenthal, representing OMYA.
After discussing each property owner’s concerns, it seemed as if each concern could be worked through. No property owner objected to the current path design, though each wanted more assurances that the use of their property wouldn’t be compromised in ways that prevented them from using their own land to its expected potential.
Ramsey said after the meeting that he thought each of the requests were “reasonable concerns that could be accommodated.”
“One of the reasons to have the stakeholders meeting last night was to move the project forward,” Ramsey said in an interview Tuesday. “I would love for construction to begin this summer, so the idea was to get any obstacle resolved so we might be able to get shovels in the ground this summer… While that would be the goal,” he added, “it also could be delayed until 2024, but at least there’s an end in sight.”
About a quarter of the path would be asphalt with the other half done in aggregate stone. While 80% of the path’s cost will be covered by federal transportation funds, the other 20% will be paid for by the town. Ramsey said the town was considering the use of some of the towns ARPA funding to cover the roughly $163,142 needed. Currently the town has already paid $124,000, leaving a final $39,142 to pay as the project is finished.
One resident suggested the whole project had been an expensive cluster and was reluctant to continue with the project, but selectboard chair Judy Frazier later explained that if the town pulled out now, it would not only lose what it had invested but have to pay back 80% of the $104,000 and end up with nothing.
The better option, she said, was to complete the project for $39,142 and have a useful ½ mile path.
CURBSIDE PICKUP
The other big discussion item of the meeting related to the town’s cost of curbside pickup. Representatives from the Rutland Solid Waste Disposal District attended the meeting remotely, along with representatives from Cassella. After explaining that Proctor residents were asked to pay a $15 annual fee to the transfer station as residents, then a weighed fee per trip to the transfer station (rather than a reported $60 annual fee), members of the selectboard simmered down. The cost for Proctor residents comes out to about $20 per person per month, which is a “very competitive price,” said Rutland County Solid Waste District representative Mark Shea. Also present at the meeting were Carrie Covey, Proctor representative to the RCSWD, and Randy Dupron, representing Casella.
BUDGET CONTINUED
The selectboard continued its discussion on the upcoming town budget with further discussion on the fire department’s purchase of a new fire truck. Ramsey said he hoped to have a second draft done of the town budget by the next meeting.
