Ascutney Fire District #2 Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting for the Ascutney Fire District #2 will be held on May 3, 2010, at Martin Memorial Hall at 7:30 PM. The Warning for the Annual Meeting includes the usual articles for electing positions, how to conduct business and a proposed budget of $6,000.

First of all some clarification of the Fire District - The "Fire District" name is not one that makes a person think that this entity deals with a public water system which is the purpose of the entity. Vermont Statutes allow "Fire Districts" to develop, own and operate public water systems. Ascutney Fire District #2 does not have any connection to either of the Fire Departments in the Town of Weathersfield.

Why Fire District #2? - The original Ascutney Fire District was formed in the mid-1970's to try to help improve the privately owned water system within the Village of Ascutney. The Country Estates Water System, then owned and operated by Roland Smith, needed improvements and by forming the Fire District, improvements could be made as a municipal entity without having to go through a lengthy and costly Public Service Board process for increasing user rates and the permitting that is required for improvements.

The original Fire District was dissolved at a Public Meeting of the Fire District around 1976, and none of the records were retained. As a result, those of you who recall the most recent work of the Prudential Committee in 2006/2007 resulted in a resident looking into the previous Fire District history and found the vote in the Weathersfield Weekly newspaper that reported on the meeting where the District was dissolved. The Selectboard and Fire District Prudential Committee then decided to abandon the efforts of the Prudential Committee in 2007 and formed Fire District #2 so there would be no question of the legal authority for the current Ascutney Fire District #2.

What are the boundaries of the Fire District #2? - The Fire District #2 is bounded by the Connecticut River to the east, I-91 to the west, the town line to the north and the southerly side of Routes 131 and 12.

What is a Prudential Committee? - A Prudential Committee is much the same as a Town Selectboard, in that the Committee oversees the business of a Fire District. The District has the same powers as a town and is considered a municipal entity that can tax, borrow money, receive grants, gifts, etc.

What has the current Prudential Committee done since September 2009 when the new Fire District was formed? - The committee has been working with the Town Manager and state officials to seek a resolution of the maintenance and operation issues of the Country Estates Water System that serves more than 280 users within the Village of Ascutney. The current owner of the system has asked that a Fire District investigate ownership of the system to enable the District to operate and maintain the system and gain access to state and federal grants and loans for upgrades and replacement of parts of the system.

The Committee has reviewed and established By-Laws for the Fire District, discussed the legal and other issues surrounding the operation and maintenance of the water system, met with state officials to discuss what needs to be done for immediate improvements, and has applied for a received approval of a Planning Loan from the Agency of Natural Resources to perform an Engineering Study of the system. The Committee has retained an engineering firm, Forcier and Aldrich, to perform the study for a fee of $9,900.00 to be paid from the Planning Loan. The Study will:

• Review Existing Data and Records,
• Review Existing Water System,
• Develop Design Criteria,
• Development of Water System Alternatives,
• Recommendations,
• Report,
• Meetings at various stages of study development for the residents.

The study will investigate two water sources: one the current system with the wells located adjacent to the Connecticut River; and, a second that will access the Town of Windsor water supply along Route 5. Windsor has expressed interest in supplying the water for the system.

How will the Study be paid since it is a "Loan" not a grant? - If the District voters vote to go ahead with construction improvements as recommended in the study, the loan will be rolled into the construction loan for the project and be paid over a period of years along with the construction costs.

If the District does not proceed with construction, the loan has to be paid off over a period of ten years. The first five years do not require any payments. If we divide the $9,900 over ten years and assume there are 400 properties in the Fire District, each property will be assessed approximately $2.50 per year. If we want to pay it off in one year the cost to each property would be about $25.00.

Why does the Fire District need to assess taxes this next Fiscal Year? - The Fire District budget has been set at $6,000 to pay for postage for mailings to District residents. Anticipated legal expenses to provide opinions on the process of owning and operating a water system, liability insurance, and miscellaneous expenses are also included. The Town has been paying for minor costs of operating the current Fire District.