Waterbury economy in forefront

Whether Waterbury turns into another Burlington anytime soon remains to be seen.

But, despite some disagreement on the pace of development, town and village leaders continue to fund projects intended to build the municipality into a greater economic force, with quality-of-life features such as a dog park with a water fountain.

At a joint meeting, the town select board and village trustees tentatively decided to continue to employ an economic development consultant — a job left vacant in August — while the community continues to recover from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

When new jobs are created at restaurants and other businesses, there’s a “multiplier effect,” with broad effects for many, said Bill Shepeluk, the municipal manager.

Not all development is popular, and “I’m not sure there’s anything where everyone’s going to be a winner,” Shepeluk said. “But empty storefronts don’t help, and new businesses pay taxes.”

Fauna Hurley, executive director of the nonprofit Revitalizing Waterbury, said it’s important to have an economic development director.

She also likes the idea of having a Waterbury Area Development Committee as “a community advocacy group. We also have a retail market analysis acting as a guide, giving green or red lights on what is possible.”

Shepeluk said local businesses favor development assistance from the town, and recommended that selectmen and trustees appoint 11 people to staggered terms on the development committee: six members to two-year terms and the other five to one-year terms.

The boards also authorized Shepeluk to recruit a new economic development consultant — the contract pays $56,000 a year, with $30,000 coming from the town government and $26,000 from the village government.

The boards want development committee members from a variety of backgrounds — including law, banking, accounting and real estate.

However, the board and trustees also plan to take another look at the consultant’s job as they prepare the annual budgets for next year. Not all board members are wildly enthusiastic about promoting development.

“Ultimately, I’m interested in what is the bottom-line goal we’re trying to achieve,” said Selectman Chris Viens. “To reduce the cost of property taxes? My opinion is that, as more development occurs, it comes at a cost to the quality of life.”

Karen Miller, vice chair of the select board, said any consultant working to develop Waterbury should live in the area, rather than out-of-state.

Library budget

The town and village approved funding $250,000 of the Waterbury Public Library’s $272,000 budget proposal, a 2 percent increase in taxpayer funding. Shepeluk said the library commissioners expect to cut spending for new books from $17,000 to $11,000, but maintain funding for acquiring e-books.

Most of the overall budget, $175,000 per year, is for personnel.

The library will move into Waterbury’s planned municipal complex next year; it’s now in cramped quarters in a historic house. The library will rent the space for $4,000 per month.

Recreation plans

The boards heard from recreation director Chad Ummel about a string of successful events, plus some fundraising efforts.

The department broke even this year on its “Wicked Waterbury” Halloween event, and expects it to be a lucrative fundraiser in future years, Ummel said. In addition, “we can say the town owns a haunted house, with all of the materials needed,” Ummel said.

The department’s Chess Night has been sparsely attended, Ummel said, but Parents’ Night Out remains a popular service that’s offered monthly, usually on a Friday. For $15 per child, the recreation department offers “drop-and-go” child care from 6 to 9 p.m., staffed by a qualified volunteer.

Ummel said steps are being taken now to ensure pedestrian safety for children attending camp next summer at Thatcher Brook Primary School. The school has more “elbow room” and shelter on a rainy day than is available at town facilities, but campers will still use the swimming pool at the recreation department on Butler Street.

Campers who walk will be able to avoid the new roundabout at Routes 2 and 100, where finishing touches will be applied next year, Ummel said. Camp enrollment is capped at 80 children, and it will not interfere with the YMCA day camp held at the recreation center, where children also receive tennis lessons.

Dog park

The boards authorized a Kickstarter campaign for the community’s new dog park.

Ummel wants to raise $1,500 toward construction costs for the new dog park, and wants to use the Kickstarter online fundraiser, which includes a 7 percent administrative fee on donations.

“One of the reasons we endorsed this Kickstarter program was to start nationally — maybe a dog park in Colorado has some extra funds — and then go to locals for donations,” Ummel said.

Gordon Miller, a volunteer with the recreation department, said the fundraising would repay debts already incurred for construction costs.

Total construction costs for the dog park will reach $23,000, with maintenance budgeted by the recreation department.

“It’s been the goal of the dog park not to cost the town money,” Miller said, noting that the recreation department plans to run a water line to the park and adhere to a maintenance plan with nominal costs.

The boards authorized the recreation department to accept two grants it has already won, with a third grant proposal still in the running. The department won a $2,400 grant from the state’s buildings and general services administration, and $2,500 from Vermont Community Foundation for “small and inspiring projects.”

The department has also applied for a grant of up to $10,000 from the Lintilhac Foundation of Shelburne.