Selectboard discusses uptick in emergency services at Harbor Place; VNA rep addresses social service allocation

By Heather McKim

Attempted murder, drugs, assaults, and drunk and disorderly conduct were some of the reasons for the 185 calls from Harbor Place to the Shelburne Police Department during the past year. The amount of Shelburne Emergency Response resources utilized by Harbor Place was one of the issues on the agenda at the Dec. 9 meeting of the Shelburne Selectboard.

Police Chief Jim Warden and Michael Monte, Chief Financial Officer of Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), both spoke before the board regarding the situation.

“[Harbor Place] has caused our emergency services, in particular our police, a significant amount of time there,” Warden said and spoke of the 185 calls and 14 arrests that had been made.

“I will say they’ve tried to help,” Warden said of CHT, noting the addition of a fence and better cameras.

In addition to the 185 police calls, there are Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls just about every day. EMS personnel have requested that the police accompany them on these visits.

The problems have not been confined to Harbor Place property. Nearby businesses have reported thefts with either proven or suspected ties to the facility.

“We want this to work,” Selectboard Chair Gary von Stange said of Harbor Place. He noted that Monte had volunteered to come speak with the board regarding the issues.

CHT has offered to make some reimbursement to the town for strains placed on emergency services. Von Stange said that seemed appropriate.

Monte said that the facility is not currently operating as a hotel. There had been thought given to allowing people to stay on the premises as hotel guests, a move discouraged by the police department, since it might allow drug dealers and prostitutes to set up shop there.

At this time, there are no plans to extend Harbor Place as a hotel, since it is fully occupied.

For as many emergency services as Harbor Place has been taking, Selectboard member Tim Pudvar pointed out that the previous incarnation of the place had been worse. As an Econolodge, it was the site of the largest drug bust in Shelburne history.

Another matter discussed at the meeting was the social services allocation to the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA). Last year, the Social Services Committee had chosen to devote the entirety of the allocation to the United Way.

Ann Irwin, Vice President of Development and Community Relations, spoke of VNA’s disappointment at that decision. She said that the organization had explained the situation to the United Way and received a $20,000 allocation. However, there is no guarantee that will happen again.

Irwin called for the town to support the organization, which provides numerous health services including family and children’s, adult home care, end of life and more.

“We do see ourselves as an essential service,” Irwin said, explaining what sets the VNA apart from other social services organizations.

David Cranmer, Social Services Committee Chair, said that his committee had not wanted to have to make the decision between different groups. So, the members had turned over all of the money to the United Way so that organization could make those decisions. “Our system works,” Cranmer said, pointing to the $20,000 the VNA received from the United Way.

Irwin again urged the town’s support of the VNA. However, von Stange expressed concern at overriding the Social Services Committee that had been tasked with making such decisions.

Jerry Storey was appointed to the Development Review Board (DRB) as a full-time member, and Steve Gibbs received appointment as an alternate.

Fixing an oversight from quite a few years ago, the board voted to accept utility, water, and sewer easements for Lot 8 at the Shelburne Business Park.

Also on the agenda was discussion of the direction of the FY2016 General Fund Budget. This year, things are being done a bit differently than in the past. While the budget will not be in the hands of the board until January, there are meetings during December for the purpose of providing Town Manager Joe Colangelo with some additional guidance.

Finally, a first reading was made of the proposed amendments to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest ordinance, which had previously been presented at the Nov. 21 meeting. A second reading will be held on Dec. 17.

A Selectboard budget work session will be held on Dec. 17.