Williston Observer

Contest emerges for three-year term

By Greg Elias
Observer staff

Though elected, listers quietly provide oversight rather than create policy-making controversy.

Listers oversee property assessments and hear property owners' appeals. Members of Williston's three-person Board of Listers occasionally appraise individual properties but mostly watch over the work done by town staff. At least one lister is up for re-election each year, but contested seats are uncommon.

This year, however, a race has emerged, albeit in part because of an accident in timing. Linda Ladd, an incumbent seeking her third three-year term, is running against Charles Coney, a retired accountant and former real estate broker. Gerald Huetz is running uncontested for a two-year term.

Ladd said she thought she was going to move and told as much to Dick Ransom, the town's assistant assessor. Ransom mentioned the potential open seat when he went to inspect Coney's property. Ransom said he's always on the lookout for lister candidates, and it appeared at the time that Coney would simply fill the vacancy. But then Ladd's plans to move fell through and the contest was on.

Though she'd like to continue to serve, Ladd said she is resigned to the possibility of losing the seat.

"It's been a great ride, and if it comes to an end, it comes to an end," she said.

Coney said he did not set out to unseat the incumbent. He just wanted to become more involved in the community and continue using his accounting and real estate skills.

Coney moved to Williston in 2005. He is a retired certified public accountant with nearly 20 years of experience. He has also worked as a real estate broker and supervised two Coldwell Banker offices. He currently works part-time at the Williams-Sonoma store in Burlington.

Ladd grew up in Williston and has lived here for most of her life. She is employed by the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, a Waterbury-based nonprofit that provides computer mapping tools and services. She has been a lister for the past six years.

Listers have no policy-making duties, making it tough for voters to choose candidates based on issues. This race, therefore, seems to boil down to experience and background.

Ladd points to her six years as lister and intimate knowledge of Williston as a longtime resident.

"My advantage is that I've been there before," she said.

Coney said his experience as a CPA and real estate broker makes him a good candidate.

"I probably don't have the visibility (of Ladd) but I'm qualified," he said.

Listers perform a key oversight role, periodically reviewing property values and hearing grievances from property owners. The job is especially important now with Williston in the middle of a town-wide reappraisal.

This reappraisal is a statistical analysis rather than a door-to-door inspection of each home and business. But regardless of the method, the idea is to make sure all homes and businesses are accurately valued so property taxes are equitable.

That is a big job in Williston, which for a town of roughly 8,200 has an unusually large tax base because of an outsized commercial sector. According to Ransom, the town has nearly 4,000 properties with a collective value of more than $1 billion.

Ransom said the last contest for lister he could remember was in 1995, when he ran for the position.

"We have three very good candidates for two positions," he said. "I'm glad to see people are interested. It's just unfortunate (the contest) turned out to be someone I respect against someone I really like."

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By Tim Simard
Observer Staff

A week of sun and warm temperatures can do a world of wonders for someone tired of winter in Vermont. Combine it with helping to build a classroom in a poor country, and someone can do a world of wonders for others.

Williston teen Brittany Mount, 13, had the opportunity to do just that in January when the eighth grader accompanied a local aid group, Hands to Honduras, to the Central American country. Mount and a volunteer group of 35 men, women and children – including Mount’s grandparents, Dave and Fran Mount of Burlington – helped build a new classroom in a very poor town.

“It was a lot of work, but it was so much fun,” Mount said.

Mount traveled to Honduras as part of her eighth grade challenge project at Williston Central School. She also collected over 150 pounds of school supplies from both Williston Central and Allen Brook schools, as well as from a local Girl Scout troupe, to donate to the Honduran school.

Hands to Honduras has been in existence since 1998, after Hurricane Mitch destroyed much of the Honduran Coast. The program was created under the umbrella of Rotary International, but the Vermont program, run by the Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club, distinguishes itself from others. According to club member Linda Gilbert, the Vermont Hands to Honduras Tela Program, named after the town they visit, has been aiding in construction, medicine and other needs since 2004. This year, over 70 local volunteers traveled to Honduras.

“Our youngest volunteer was 8-and-a-half and our oldest was 78,” Gilbert said. “Everyone is a volunteer and everyone pays their own way.”

Mount’s grandfather, Dave, suggested Brittany take part in Hands to Honduras for her challenge. Dave Mount volunteered in Tela in 2007 and was changed by the experience.

The Mounts were part of the first group traveling to Honduras this year. They arrived in the country on Saturday, Jan. 26, for their weeklong service. They traveled an hour by bus from the airport to get to Tela. Once there, they had a day to relax before work began.

Mount’s group was assigned to build a new classroom in the rural village of Jazmin. To get there, the group had to take a “really, really bumpy road,” she said.

Mount said the classroom they were replacing was tiny, like a hut with no walls, and a grass roof. Past Hands to Honduras groups had visited Jazmin and built other, better-standing structures for the school. The 2008 group continued that effort.

Mount was surprised at the level of poverty in the region.

“They were super poor,” she said. “They lived in small shacks, sometimes with 20 people living in a small room.”

The group’s job in the first days was laying the foundation for the new classroom, as well as moving huge rocks to make way for the building. Mount played a lot with local children early on, until the heavy lifting was done.

“Every day we had over 30 children playing, jumping rope, playing cat’s cradle,” she said. “I tried lifting one of the big rocks one day, but it didn’t work out so well.”

Once the foundation was finished, she collected small rocks to fill in the gaps between mortar and bricks.

Mount said that the classrooms did have blackboards, some paper and school supplies, but her collection of 150 pounds of pens, paper, rulers, and more was a great help. The Mounts traveled with extra suitcases to make sure they could carry all of the supplies.

The supplies were given to the school principal on the last day of work. In an effort to avoid a “small riot” from the locals, Mount kept the goods in the suitcases to avoid attention.

“There were always lots of people around the worksite,” Mount said. “A stuffed animal fell out of my backpack and I was swarmed by close to 50 people all wanting one. I gave away the five I had, but disappointed the other 45.”

Besides building another classroom, the Hands to Honduras group helped repair the home of an elderly woman. Mount said the woman lived in a run-down shack, and couldn’t get around well due to a bad leg. Because of this, she was badly malnourished.

The group was initially told not to rebuild the house, since it would be considered an insult to help. Still, the group felt obliged, Mount said.

“We ended up completely rebuilding her house as a bonus,” she said. “Once the neighbors saw what we were doing, they helped out, too.”

The group also chipped in to buy the woman a new wheelchair to help her get around more easily.

Understanding the locals

Mount said she takes Spanish at school, but only understood a little of what people were saying.

“Sometimes you understood what they said and they were very relieved,” she said.

Despite the language barrier, Mount said she was invited to two local homes for snacks. At one, she ran into a translation issue.

“They kept saying ‘cocoa’ and asking if we wanted some,” she said. “We said sure, thinking it was chocolate. It wasn’t chocolate. It was coconut.”

Mount said she tried it, but didn’t like the native Honduran coconuts, preferring the kind you can find in a supermarket.

“I found out it doesn’t look like it does in the movies,” she said.

On the last days of their trip, Mount and her grandparents visited Mayan ruins and a butterfly palace, but she got sick partway through the sightseeing.

“We were supposed to go to Macaw Mountain, but I was too busy throwing up,” she said. “That part wasn’t very fun.

She said the experience was an amazing one and that she can’t wait to travel again in the future. Mount’s grandfather is thinking about next year and the help he can bring. He’s proud of Brittany’s work and knows she learned a lot from the experience.

“She really got an opportunity to see the Third World,” Dave Mount said. “We saw a lot of Third World situations.”

Brittany Mount also sees it as a life-changing experience and, like her grandfather, looks to next year, as well.

“I’d like to go back and see the friends I made and help out people in countries that are less fortunate,” she said.

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By Tim Simard
Observer staff

Should Vermont change the civil union law and allow gay marriage? Local residents voiced their opinions on the matter when the debate came to Williston on Monday night for a two-hour public forum.

The Vermont Commission of Family Recognition and Protection, a state committee studying Vermonters' reactions to changes in the current civil union law, wrapped up its four-month, eight-stop tour through the state at the Williston Central School auditorium.

About 100 people, many of them gay and lesbian couples from around the Champlain Valley, attended the event, with more than 40 people voicing their opinions. The overwhelming majority spoke in favor of changing Vermont's civil union law to allow gay marriage. Speakers ranged from gay couples to heterosexual couples, from parents of gay individuals to a child from a gay household and from preachers to justices of the peace.

Only three individuals spoke out against changing the law, though commission chairman Tom Little, an attorney and former legislator, admitted some opposition groups have boycotted the proceedings because they feel the commission was unfairly set up.

Supporters spoke about how civil unions fall short when it comes to the financial and legal benefits of marriage, never mind the issue of equality.

"It's time to end the distinction. It's time to end this discrimination," said Maggi Hayes of Williston.

About the commission

The Vermont Commission of Family Recognition and Protection was created in July 2007 by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham County and Speaker of the House Gaye Symington, D-Jericho to gauge the public's reaction to gay marriage and civil unions.

In 2000, Vermont became the first state in the country to allow same-sex couples a civil union. Since then, more than 1,200 Vermont couples have joined in civil union, with more than 8,000 couples from other states and countries coming to Vermont to do the same.

Little, who was chairman of the House Judicial Committee during the civil union debate in 2000, said the commission hoped to study three topics during its statewide tour: First, are civil unions doing what they're supposed to do? Second, why is there a separate legal precedent for same-sex unions? Third, what's the current perspective on marriage?

Little said the hearings, which have been held in Johnson, Bennington, St. Albans and points in between, have seen public sentiment mostly in favor of gay marriage, though that could be a result of the opposition's boycott.

"We only see two, maybe three (opponents of civil unions and equal marriage rights) a meeting," Little said.

On the support side, Robyn Maguire, field director for the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, said she's been encouraging same-sex couples to attend and give public statements. According to Maguire, the Task Force has been leading the fight for equal marriage. She believes that the current unions fall short of equality.

Civil unions do not provide social security survivor benefits. Also, states that do not recognize civil unions will not recognize a Vermont union. This can pose problems if a medical emergency arises.

"The intangible benefit of marriage is very valuable," Maguire said. "Marriage is universally understood."

The public speaks

After an hour-long informational meeting about the civil union and equal marriage debate, Little opened the proceedings to public comments. Some read statements and others spoke briefly without written aid.

Williston resident Carol Tandy spoke about getting a civil union in 2001 to her partner, Martha, on their 30th anniversary of being a couple. She brought up their concern about the lack of social security survivor benefits and next of kin status in states that don't recognize Vermont civil unions.

Tandy said some days it feels "ridiculous" and "preposterous" that some believe a gay couple wouldn't want the added benefits of marriage.

"Why wouldn't we want our full service rights as well?" she asked the commission. "It's now 2008. How long do we have to wait for our right to marry?"

Rev. Joan O'Gorman, of   Williston Federated Church, spoke about the first time she performed civil unions for gay couples. She said same-sex couples are happy to join in union, but want more.

"Each and every instance, these couples have desired the right to be married," O'Gorman said. "The legislature is in a good position now to allow same gender marriage."

John Grimm of Burlington said he and his wife of 10 years believe the right to marry is an equality issue.

"We can't believe we're still talking about this issue," Grimm said. "Separate is not equal."

Mike Armstrong of Essex Junction compared the freedom of marriage debate to the civil rights issues of the past. He believes that people will look back at this time period 40 years from now and be shocked that we discriminated in such a way.

"(President) Eisenhower had to force (Alabama Gov.) George Wallace to integrate schools," Armstrong said. "I don't think we want to put ourselves in the George Wallace category."

There were a few dissenting opinions as well. Phil Ronco said he believes the country is based on "biblical foundations" and that "homosexuality is immoral" as seen through church teachings.

Ronco added, "Those of us who are against gay marriage are also against the bullying and harassing of the gay community."

Charles Simon of Williston prefaced his statement by saying he was the "bump in the road" at the meeting. He argued for the traditional family structure and said this issue was "really about the children."

Jennifer Bradford of Hinesburg spoke after Simon, countering that her children were "thriving" in her same-sex household.

Looking ahead

With the hearings now complete, Little said the committee must compile the public opinions and submit the findings to the legislature this spring.

"We're going to try to present the facts as we find them and let the legislators decide what to do next," he said.

Since Vermont's law was enacted, several states have also accepted civil unions for same-sex couples. Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire now allow them, with California and Oregon allowing what they call domestic partnerships. Only Massachusetts recognizes gay marriage in the United States.

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Sassorossi plays up her town governance experience

By Greg Elias
Observer staff

If an election is akin to a job interview, then Judy Sassorossi would be the confident candidate who touts her experience and says she can hit the ground running.
Sassorossi is the incumbent in a two-person contest for a three-year seat on the Williston Selectboard. She is running against Bob Blankenheim, a first-time candidate who asserts the town needs a break from business as usual.

Sassorossi has been a fixture in town governance for the past decade and a half. She is completing her first two-year term on the Selectboard. Before that, she served on the Williston Planning Commission for about 12 years and on a traffic study committee.

Sassorossi, who works as an employee benefits specialist for a South Burlington insurance brokerage, said she is often asked by companies she works with if she knows of someone who can fill an opening. So she easily frames her run for public office in terms of the private job market.

“When employers are looking for people, they are always looking for people with education and experience for the job they are going to fill,” she said. “And I think right now Williston really needs people with education and experience. If I was the employer in this situation, I’d want me for the job.”

Wearing an aqua sweater and sipping a diet soda, Sassorossi spoke about her life and fielded questions about issues facing Williston during an interview last week at Chef’s Corner Café Bakery.

Sassorossi grew up in tiny Madison, N.H., a town near Conway. Her school was so small that there were only five children in her elementary school class.

Her dad was road agent in Madison, a position akin to a public works director. Several of her friends served on municipal boards.

“So I just grew up very aware of municipal government, and that towns don’t run themselves,” she said.  
She and her husband, Kenn, have been married 33 years. They have two grown children and live in the Meadow Brook subdivision off Route 2A.

Sassorossi moved to Williston in 1985, when Taft Corners was still largely undeveloped. That area has since become a commercial hub that includes the town’s much-criticized big-box stores.

Much of that change took place during the dozen years Sassorossi served on the Planning Commission starting in 1993. The experience gave her a front-row view on the development wars that roiled Williston throughout the 1990s and the early part of this decade.

Not surprisingly, her positions are those of a hard-headed realist rather than someone who worries that Williston is viewed by some as the poster child for poorly planned development.  

“People often forget that we are really a nation of individual rights and responsibilities, and individual rights color a lot of what happens,” she said. “The town is not at liberty to pick and choose what business comes or goes. If a person comes to town with a project, and it meets the zoning and planning parameters, we have no choice but to approve it.”

On budget issues, Sassorossi is equally focused on nuts and bolts. She spoke about the need to continue basic services such as snowplowing and to maintain capital investments like fire trucks.

Her opponent has criticized the board for formulating the proposed municipal budget based on a 5 percent spending increase. He said the town should have started from scratch and justified each expenditure, as is done in the business world.

Sassorossi said Blankenheim clearly did not understand the town’s budget process before making the statement.

“I find it better to know about something before I criticize it,” she said. “To pay someone to sit down and rebuild a budget every year would be wasteful.”

The proposed landfill in Williston is another point of contention between Sassorossi and Blankenheim.
She said residents voted to host the facility and noted that the subsequent agreement with the Chittenden Solid Waste District has been worth millions of dollars in revenue and services for the town.

Blankenheim, who lives near the landfill’s proposed site, argues that the facility is not needed. He said it will reduce property values and threaten the environment.

The disagreement is more than an abstract policy difference: Sassorossi was on the Planning Commission in 1996 when it approved the subdivision where Blankenheim lives. The Chittenden Solid Waste District asked the commission to require the developer to notify homebuyers about the proposed landfill, but the commission declined.

Williston had no established process that would permit such a condition of approval, Sassorossi said. The decision to forgo the notification requirement was made based on advice from the town’s attorney.
“When you serve on a board, you have to go by the legal advice the town paid for,” she said.
Though she emphasizes her experience, Sassorossi acknowledged that “it is a little weird” to be considered the establishment candidate. 

“I’m a pretty independent thinker, and I always have been. I’ve never had an agenda on any board I’ve been on. I read the material and I give my dispassionate view. I try to facilitate us getting from where we are to where we want to be.”

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Judy Sassorossi
Address: 89 Hickory Hill Road
Age: 55

Number of years living in Williston: I’ve lived in Williston for 23 years.

Employer name and job description: I work for Fleischer Jacobs Group in South Burlington as an Employee Benefit Specialist. I work with companies throughout Vermont and the Northeast, of all sizes and types, helping them construct benefit packages for their employees.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: In Williston, I have served on the Williston Area Traffic Study Committee, the Planning Commission and the Selectboard. During my tenure on the Planning Commission, about 12 years, I worked with various subcommittees as we revised the Town Plan (as mandated by the state) every five years. In my tenure on the Selectboard I have worked on subcommittees reviewing the host town agreements for the landfill and transfer stations and the discharge ordinance, and have worked with staff on personnel policy.

What is the most important issue facing the town of Williston? How should the town address this issue?
There are several important issues facing the town, as would be expected in a town that is a focal point for growth. A portion of Williston’s land area is located within a triangle with points at the state’s largest private employer, the airport and an interstate exit. In real estate parlance this is location, location, location. Over the last 20 years, much thought and effort has gone into planning development in this area and it continues today. Growing pains are difficult; there is no doubt about that. One needs to keep in mind that we live in a land of private property rights, the town should guide development but it cannot stop it.

The town may face a financial squeeze over the next few years, with falling sales tax revenue and a potential recession reducing available funding for municipal services. If there is a budget crunch, would you cut services, raise property taxes, or do both?
Municipal government is a service entity. Unlike the private sector, which can choose to eliminate a product or division, town government is mandated to provide certain services. When it snows, we expect our roads to be plowed; when we sell property, we expect records to be on file at the Town Clerk’s office; when we call 911, we expect people to respond. Williston is very fortunate to have staff and board members committed to providing excellent service efficiently. We are also fortunate that more than half of our revenue comes from non-property tax sources. By spreading revenue sources, the effect of an adverse impact on any one is diminished. Please remember that the municipal taxes on a $300,000 home are less than the average cable television bill.

Some residents oppose a proposed landfill in Williston. The landfill would produce revenue for the town but those living nearby fear pollution and falling property values. Do you support or oppose constructing a landfill in Williston? Why?
The voters of Williston voted to host a regional landfill. A town meeting vote is binding upon town government. As a result of the vote the Selectboard at the time entered into a host town agreement with the Chittenden Solid Waste District. We have accepted millions of dollars in cash and services from CSWD, including the transfer of management responsibility for the capped landfills at the Redmond Road site to CSWD. Should CSWD come forward with plans to build a landfill at the site, it will be incumbent upon the boards of the town and the state regulatory agencies to ensure that there are no adverse impacts. Meanwhile, the host town agreements continue to be a valuable revenue stream for the town.

Williston has struggled over the past 20 years to balance commercial and residential growth with a desire to maintain the town’s small-town character. Is Williston growing at the right pace? Should the town tighten or loosen existing controls on growth?
Williston is probably the most experienced town in the state at managing growth. The Town Plan has evolved over the years to guide and structure growth in a manner that has allowed us to protect and acquire vital resources such as open space and various types of pedestrian paths. We have focused growth within the sewer district where services can be delivered efficiently, thereby keeping much of the land area of Williston open. The transition from rural community to regional growth center has been and continues to be a challenge. However, the policies we have in place guide development to areas where it can best be supported.

Census figures show most people who work in Williston don’t live here while most Willistonians commute to other towns. The situation is caused largely by a lack of jobs in town that pay people enough to afford Williston’s relatively high cost of housing. How can the town address this disconnect between employment and housing, which leads to traffic congestion and pollution?

Affordable housing is a county and statewide issue. The fastest growing areas in Vermont are the counties surrounding Chittenden County. The dense development at Taft Corners is a start at concentrating housing and commercial activity. We are just seeing the start of a new housing development in this area. The recent designation as a growth center will help give us the tools we need to complete the infrastructure and continue to develop in a smart growth manner.
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Selectboard offers new opportunity for TV producer

By Greg Elias
Observer staff

Joel Klein chose Williston when he decided to move away from Los Angeles. Now he hopes Williston chooses him.

Klein, a television producer by trade, is vying for a two-year term on the Selectboard. His opponent is Christopher Roy, a lawyer and native Vermonter with a lengthy record of public service.

Though he has never before held elected office and only moved here about six months ago, Klein said his experience – most notably as executive producer of the hit television show "Fear Factor" – will serve him well on the Selectboard. And because he is a newcomer, Klein said voters need not worry he has an agenda beyond seeking a stronger connection to his new hometown.

"I look at it as a positive because I'm coming in with fresh eyes and open ears," he said. "I'm not bringing any baggage into the situation. I don't have a gripe. I'm not here because there's this one issue and I want to fix it."

Klein talked about his background and views during an interview Monday morning at Bagels Plus. He wore a dark sweater and a perpetually bemused expression, fitting for someone who has spent most of his adult life in the entertainment industry.

As a boy growing up in Jamestown, N.Y., Klein knew before he hit his teens that he wanted to work in television.

He attended community and state college in New York before earning a master's degree in television, radio and film from Syracuse University.

Klein moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and landed a job as a production assistant on "Hollywood Squares." The show had name recognition but the job was less than glamorous: tasks included fixing a toilet and fetching a dog's lunch.

He steadily moved up the ranks, working as a writer, segment producer and finally executive producer. Klein said he has worked on about 85 shows during more than two decades in television, including pilots that never aired.

His recent credits include "Fear Factor," which tested contestants' ability to complete seemingly dangerous or stomach-turning tasks; "Scream Play," where teams reenacted stunts based on scenes from famous movies; and "E! Hollywood Hold'em," which combined poker-playing celebrities with a talk show.

Klein said he recently concluded that he had accomplished his goals in television. And he said he and his wife, Abby, were tired of Los Angeles and wanted a better place to raise their 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.

During their research, Vermont kept appearing on best-places-to-live lists. The couple settled on Williston after looking at other towns in Chittenden County. They bought a home on Turtle Pond Road, in a small subdivision near the village's historic district.

Klein said he and his wife decided they would only move to a blue state. He is a self-described liberal who admires Vermont's civil union law and tradition of independence.

Klein said growth is the most important issue facing the town. He spoke of managing new development to maintain Williston's quality of life and said growth should remain concentrated around Taft Corners.

Those principles are already spelled out in the town's Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance. But he does propose one change: offer incentives that will draw small businesses to Williston so the town does not become populated solely by big-box stores.

Asked if he would raise taxes or cut services should the board face a budget shortfall, he said the decision would depend on the circumstances. When pressed, he said the town should raise taxes if the alternative is cutting an essential or popular service.

"This is where we live," he said. "I don't think we want to sit there and start lowering our quality of life to save $50. I think ultimately you pay for what you get."

Klein is now teaching a film production class at Burlington College and continues to pitch ideas for television and film. But he pledged to pick only projects that will allow him to work from home and don't require long stays in Los Angeles.

He thinks his television experience, where he had to oversee wildly varying budgets and listen to widely divergent opinions, will help him sort out residents' needs and wants and make sound decisions.

"My job as executive producer was to steer the ship, run the ship, get us to our end goal," Klein said. "It's the same thing I'll bring to the Selectboard. There's a lot of different opinions, but we all want what is best for Williston."

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRe

Name: Joel Klein

Address: 194 Turtle Pond Road

Age: 44

Number of years living in Williston: Six months

Employer name and job description: Self-employed. I have worked in television for over 20 years, the last five or six years as an executive producer. I currently am consulting and writing for television and film. I am also teaching Film Production at Burlington College.

Previous experience in elected or appointed positions, or community service: In Los Angeles it was much more difficult to get involved in local politics. I was, however, actively involved with youth sports and was appointed to the boards of various sports organizations.

What is the most important issue facing the town of Williston?   How should the town address this issue?

The single most important issue facing the town of Williston is future growth. We need to encourage growth but also manage that growth so we can keep our small town charm while continuing to grow commercially and residentially. Every issue that arises ultimately relates to the big picture of managing our growth.

The town may face a financial squeeze over the next few years, with falling sales tax revenue and a potential recession reducing available funding for municipal services. If there is a budget crunch, would you cut services, raise property taxes, or do both?

Before I could make the decision to either cut services or raise property taxes I would have to look at the bigger picture of life in Williston. The citizens of Williston expect certain services: police protection, fire protection, road maintenance, parks, hiking trails etc. We rely on these services. We expect a certain quality of life. Raising property taxes would discourage new residents from moving into our town while a cut in services would have a similar effect. So as revenue decreases, we would look at each individual service and weigh the pros and cons of maintaining it. If it's something the citizens feel we can do without, we'll cut it. If it's something we want as residents then we might have to raise taxes to pay for it.

Some residents oppose a proposed landfill in Williston. The landfill would produce revenue for the town but those living nearby fear pollution and falling property values. Do you support or oppose constructing a landfill in Williston? Why?

The proposed landfill on Redmond Road is a very tricky situation. I wasn't a resident of Williston when the initial votes took place to make the agreement with the Solid Waste District, but if I had been, I would have voted against the landfill. The transfer station and proposed landfill would generate a substantial amount of revenue for the town, but at what cost?

I would like to think there are better ways for Williston to generate revenue. With that being said, we have an agreement in place with the Solid Waste District that was voted on by the residents of Williston. Therefore, we need to move forward with that agreement and at same time, work towards a solution that takes into consideration the concerns that have been expressed.

Williston has struggled over the past 20 years to balance commercial and residential growth with a desire to maintain the town's small-town character. Is Williston growing at the right pace? Should the town tighten or loosen existing controls on growth?

Managing Williston's growth is the number one issue we face as a community. The best way to do this is to focus our efforts on the existing growth center at Taft Corners. Traffic is becoming a mess and we have been inundated with big box stores. As a community, we need to start managing the growth and steering it in the direction we want. For example, we need the developers to start paving the grid streets to help reduce traffic congestion. With proper guidelines, we can set building standards that keep the architecture and the development in line with the history and charm of our town. We should also create some incentives to attract local, independent businesses to set up shop, so we're not just known as the "box store community."

Census figures show most people who work in Williston don't live here while most Willistonians commute to other towns. The situation is caused largely by a lack of jobs in town that pay people enough to afford Williston's relatively high cost of housing. How can the town address this disconnect between employment and housing, which leads to traffic congestion and pollution?

[Read more...]