Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company Closes on $2.5 Million Financing Round

Woodstock Early Bird can vouch for this housing need still existing. WEB knows of four to five hard-working young people who are looking for a home to share. They are employees of the Woodstock Inn and other area businesses who wish to remain here and continue as part of our workforce. Unfortunately, these folks were living in “subsidized” Woodstock Inn housing at below market rents. Their wages do not allow them to pay Woodstock market rates. Having been flooded out of “Inn Housing” they need a new place to live at a reasonable, if possible, below market rent.

One of these people is a former tenant who WEB  can vouch for as having been exceptional in caring for my property. This group of wage earners looked at one second-home but the owner will  not come down from the $1800 to a $1500 price (which does not include utilities). WEB just wonders wouldn’t it better to have responsible people paying some rent and taxes than having a place empty?  We know, it’s a risk and everyone has a different point of view. Still. There is a need.

From Woodstock Flood Response Housing Coordinator Joanne Boyle  at 802-457-7057

There is still an immediate need for short and long term affordable housing in Woodstock.

As families who are in “emergency housing” (staying with family or friends) are reassessing their needs, I have had some more calls.

Could people who have a places to offer who have not called me because they heard that everyone in Woodstock was all set, please call me now?
There is a particular need for homes for families with pets.   Thank you for your generosity.

The Hartford Transfer facility recently allowed Woodstock area residents to bring in the flood debris and dump it for free at their Route 5 site.

 They have reported back to Town Manager Phil Swanson that some $15,000 worth of trash came in from Woodstock residents. They were able to track this through requests for license I.D. information.

The FREE program is now over. However, the Woodstock Selectboard last night agreed to pay for forthcoming  ”dump fees” for those who still need to get rid of  flood-related debris at the Hartford facility.

In order to take advantage of it continuing to essentially be “FREE”, you will need to show your driver’s license to prove that  you are a resident of Woodstock.  The Hartford facility will on-pass the bill to the Town of Woodstock for payment.

From our Montpelier Vermont Journalism Trust friends up the road at www.vtdigger.org

http://vtdigger.org/2011/09/21/irene-peter-shumlin-vermont-municipal-bond-bank/

By Anne Galloway

The Shumlin administration announced on Tuesday a package of financial assistance programs for communities in southern and central Vermont that were devastated by the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene.

Gov. Peter Shumlin said he anticipates the total estimates for post-Irene reconstruction will exceed $1 billion. State highways alone sustained $700 million in damage. The impact on the nearly 40 towns that were damaged by Irene’s floodwaters has not yet been tallied, but the state is bracing for several hundred million dollars worth of repairs to municipal roads, bridges and buildings.

Though federal relief programs, including the federal highway emergency relief fund and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will provide direct financial support for the state and towns, the big question at this point, is just how much federal money will be available. Congress is in the middle of a political battle over FEMA, and it is unclear how much of the cost of reconstruction will be borne by state and local taxpayers.

“We recognize that whatever the local share might be, this is going to put a financial strain on local government at a time when they need it the least,” Shumlin said.

Read related VTDigger.org story about extent of state highway damage and details of federal aid programs.

In the meantime, the state is setting up loan programs to ensure that communities aren’t tapped out as they wait for federal reimbursement money.

Vermont banks, the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank and the state Treasurer’s Office announced a financial assistance package to help ease the financial stress on municipalities as they rebuild over the coming year.

The state will advance $24 million in payments that are already slated for town highway aid ($6.2 million), current use ($12.3 million) and payment in lieu of taxes ($5.8 million).

Local banks will “immediately” open lines of credit worth several hundred thousand dollars to millions of dollars to cash-strapped municipalities. In the event that a municipality reaches the lending cap, the originating bank will turn to a “loan pool,” in which other banks offer more capital.

In the short-term, banks that have exhausted other avenues can turn to the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank for cash to meet short-term municipal needs, according to John Valenti, chair of the bond bank board.

The bond bank will also finance long-term debt for towns through bond financing, once the total amount of losses have been determined and reimbursements from the federal government have been distributed.

The loans from banks and the bond market will tide municipalities over, but the long-term costs of rebuilding gutted downtown centers, bridges and backroads, will likely to fall to local property taxpayers –unless the federal government increases aid to the state.

“I don’t know whether we’re getting a 100 percent, a 90 percent or a 75 percent match — when you’re working with $1 billion the details matter,” Shumlin said.

Shumlin says it’s impossible for the state to make concrete budget plans until he knows what the federal match will be for disaster aid. The match rate may vary depending on whether the state can obtain waivers for caps on federal aid and whether Vermont qualifies for the 90 percent match rate for federal emergency highway relief funding.

“There is no question this is going to cost Vermonters money, and it’s coming at a time when we don’t have tax capacity — in a recession, with an economy in tough shape,” Shumlin said. “What we’re trying to do is get the best possible arrangement we can (with the federal government). We’re trying to draw down most ambitious matches we can.”

The governor emphasized that he is loathe to increase taxes, and he acknowledged that local property taxpayers may be hit hard. He didn’t rule out a gas levy, saying it would be “irresponsible” to take anything off the table.

“Vermont was in trouble financially before Irene,” Shumlin said. “We were struggling to balance the budget and Vermonters are struggling to pay property taxes and buy gas. They’re struggling to pay all taxes in a tough economy.”

One prominent lawmaker, however, is already pushing for a gas tax to defray the impact of reconstruction costs on municipalities. Rep. Margaret Cheney, D-Norwich, (who is married to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch) told reporter John Gregg of the Valley News last week that she would sponsor an “Irene gas tax” to support recovery funding. The gas tax is currently about 26.5 cents a gallon, and each penny brings in $3.3 million, Gregg reported.

Motorists currently pay 26.5 cents a gallon in various state taxes at the gas pump in Vermont, and each penny raises $3.3 million in revenue, said Cheney, who noted that the gas tax was raised temporarily to pay for roads and bridges damaged in the Flood of 1927 in Vermont.

“It makes sense because it’s a use tax,” said Cheney, who warned of “crushing increases in property taxes” in some towns otherwise

As a way to pay Irene Flood Disaster  bills before federal and state assistance comes in, the Town of Woodstock has asked for bank bids on a municipal line-of-credit for ”infrastructure rehabilitation”. 

Last night the Selectboard approved the application of  the short-term three-million-dollar  loan from Lake Sunapee Bank which offered a loan interest rate of half a percent (.5%).

Town Manager Phil Swanson explained that it’s not known when emergency reimbursement for flood costs will come in from the federal government. He noted that some Vermont towns that got hurt in flooding last spring still haven’t gotten their “emergency” funds back.

“We are in a position of needing to pay our bills and this is a fantastic interest rate..”, Swanson said of the Lake Sunapee Bank offer.

Woodstock Early Bird Update: We’ve learned this Wednesday morning that there is still some confusion over whether the currently un-heated portion of the Grange Hill church will continue to be needed even after FEMA vacates the office portion of the building. Thus, there may still be a need to funding to keep the church heated.

We hear that some anonymous donors have come forward with generous offers to provide heating assistance for the Grange Hill facility.  However, the various parties involved are still discussing whether there is a need to keep the clothing donation center open through the winter or not.  Also, we have not yet heard exactly how long FEMA wishes to continue its work here in Woodstock. There had been some talk that the clothing donations collected for Tropical Storm Irene victims  would be “folded-in” to the Glad Rags Sale. However,  that decision and news has NOT yet been made.   Jim Pierce of the Grange Hill Community says that obviously if there is not a need to keep the building open through the winter, the group would, of course, withdraw its request. The group is not seeking any funds from the Town of Woodstock except as needed for keeping  the Disaster Flood Recovery Center open. WEB

In one of the quirkier mysteries of the federal government, we have learned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is not required to pay and will not be paying  any rent for use of space for its  ”Disaster Recovery Center.” 

The Grange Hill Community has been providing the space (the old “Rock Church)  for both the FEMA center and a clothing distribution point.  But, use of the building is not without costs.

Last night Grange Hill representatives Patsy Highberg and Jim Pierce asked the Woodstock Selectboard for financial assistance to cover the cost of electricity, heat, water and so forth for the building now being used by FEMA that  they had all but moth-balled.

Pierce says FEMA was offered several options for space in Woodstock but liked the West Woodstock location for its ability to provide privacy  for those seeking help and that it was in also along a visible Route 4  location. They were able to set up in the Grange Hill space within a half day and have been operating out of there since. It’s not known yet how long they plan to be there although Pierce says an agreement had several potential end dates including November 6th. The deadline for FEMA applications is October 31st.  However, Pierce says there is  now a FEMA center in White River Junction and that FEMA officials here may “stand down” sooner than that.  Still, there are bills to be paid.

The Selectboard responded that it understood the problem but until it knew what the costs are, it could not take any action.  However, Town Manager Phil Swanson said there have been some funds donated for general flood response that may be appropriate for paying some of the Grange Hill “rent”.  Also, he said, People’s Bank may be able to help. He suggested that going forward that Highberg pass along bills and that Swanson will present them to the Selectboard for review and possible payment out of unrestricted flood response funds.

Do you like to “muck it up”?

Woodstock Flood Response volunteer coordinators are trying to coordinate “work crews” for this coming weekend. The work going into Week Four since the Tropical Storm Irene deluge is now calling for slightly more skilled workers, but we’re told even those who “just want to help” can be provided with duties.

Also, the Woodstock Flood Response Volunteer Center is now operating weekends out of the Town Hall. If you simply need to stock up on your fave masks and gloves for continued “projects”, you can pick up your stuff there.

If you are someone who needs help with a project, you may also let the volunteer coordinators know. The best way to hook up with the volunteer effort going forward is to call Woodstock Dispatch which is keeping a list of people who need help or may continue to want to help this weekend. The number is 802-457-2337. The Volunteer Coordinators are Rep. Alison Clarkson and Hasse Halley who you may also contact directly.

Something to consider: We are getting into some grey areas about what is and what is not an “appropriate” volunteer project. Some projects calls for skilled tradespeople who will need to be hired or  whose services must be asked for at that level. Other projects may not really be “appropriate” for volunteers if the homeowner can pay or hire people to perform  the work  themselves.  Do we want our well-meaning volunteers really squirming through Haz-mat materials? Probably not. Is it appropriate to ask a 60-year-old volunteer  to do that? 

The Flood Response Volunteer effort will now be just on weekends through mid-October.  Call Dispatch and sign up.  The Volunteer Coordinators thank you.