As Hartford’s current Selectboard chairman, I would like to respond to the recent Valley News editorial “Off Track in Hartford,” in the hopes of allaying any fears about Hartford’s management that it may have evoked.
First of all, the editorialist has correctly identified three areas of concern for our town. It is regrettable that the state Legislature has decided against ratifying the charter amendments (including the Local Option Tax and a move to revise a defeated budget via Australian Ballot rather than a floor meeting). There are concerns that call for immediate action regarding the required work to Fairview Terrace. And it is an egregious shame that it has taken almost five years to resolve the issue of the pocket parks at the entrance to Quechee Village.
I would like to comment about each of these. The reason that the charter amendments were voted down was that all of the edits to the charter, including language removed, were not presented to voters in the voting booth. This was a requirement that we were unaware of, and we accept full responsibility for this mistake. The way forward is for the town to bring these two changes before voters at the November election. We are currently discussing the value of bringing forward additional minor charter amendments that were identified at the same time.
About the slow settling of portions of Fairview Terrace, I would add the following: If we are going to keep this road open for two-way traffic, the repair to the buttressing of this section will be very expensive, likely between $2 to $5 million. We have not received an indication from the hired engineers that this road is prone to sudden catastrophic failure. There is, however, a concern for pedestrian safety, particularly during the winter months. The plan to address this portion of road that was consistent with the engineer’s recommendations and that was presented to the Selectboard by staff involved bonding for a full repair during fiscal year 2018-19. We are committed to resolving this problem sooner, perhaps if time allows, two years sooner. If this can be done, voters could expect to see a bond for this purpose on the ballot at the next election in March 2017. In the meantime, we are working with staff to create a safe pedestrian walkway on this road. This may involve reducing the road to one-lane traffic in the short term.
Regarding the pocket parks, the delays in this project have resulted from a wide variety of causes including restrictions and requirements by two federal agencies (FEMA and HUD). We deeply regret that it has taken so long to come to a final decision and the citizens of Hartford are owed an apology for these delays. However, those who have been connected with this project can rest assured that the board is not currently considering Plan A, an option that would not allow Hartford residents and visitors a place to enjoy this spectacular part of our landscape. This decision-making process and the concurrent quest for the requisite permits and approvals are both on the fast track and we believe that we are on our way soon to a conclusion that most if not all will be happy with, even if the timeline is not what any of us would have wanted.
The idea that the incoming town manager will be asked to “bring order out of chaos” is without basis. The staff has done an impressive job in stepping up to help us bridge the gap between full-time managers. The management of the town provided by interim Town Manager Pat MacQueen is of the highest quality and be rest assured this board is diligently working to complete these projects while keeping the taxpayers in mind.
Dick Grassi is chairman of the Hartford Selectboard.