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By Rebecca Tobin Schrader
During its Feb. 9 meeting, the East Montpelier Selectboard agreed to spend $35,000 toward the $100,000 cost of building a 25-foot by 35-foot timber frame shelter on the East Montpelier Recreational Fields.
The town’s Recreation Board has secured a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation that will cover half the cost.
Recreation Board Treasurer Nick Van Den Berg presented an updated comparison of costs for a timber frame versus pole barn structure, noting that the board preferred the timber frame structure because it is more durable and long-lasting. Van Den Berg said roughly $15,000 of the funds needed will come from in-kind contributions from the Recreation Board and other volunteers, leaving a $35,000 gap.
Additionally, the grant is reimbursable, so the town must pay up-front costs before it receives those funds. The Recreation Board has roughly $25,000 in its accounts, Van Den Berg said, adding that it is not currently set aside for the project.
Recreation Board Chair Karin Cioffi and other members added that fundraising efforts to this point have been muted, but once they begin fundraising in earnest, they feel confident they can raise much of the required match. Selectboard member Tom Brazier agreed that fundraising for this type of project would likely be successful, particularly from local businesses.
Selectboard Chair Seth Gardner said in his experience, reimbursement for grant-funded projects can be slow, and the project may require more than the matching funds during design and construction to ensure that there aren’t delays. He also expressed concern about raising taxes to fund the project, saying there is little public appetite for that, particularly when property taxes have been rising steadily over the last few years.
Brazier suggested using the town’s Carlton C. Smith Recreational Fund instead. Gardner added that the town’s Opportunity Fund from the proceeds of the Hudson House sale in 2025 could be another source of funding for the project.
The Selectboard voted unanimously to provide $35,000 for the project from the Smith and Opportunity Funds. Selectboard members expressed support for the project and encouraged the Recreation Board to return if upfront funds were needed.
“We’ve got your back,” Gardner said.
In other items, Town Administrator Jen Devine said the town is looking for volunteers to serve on boards and committees, including the Development Review Board, Cemetery Committee, Central Vermont Solid Waste Management board, and the Four Corners Schoolhouse board. See eastmontpeliervt.org/community/east-montpelier-jobs-recruiting.
Disclosure: Rebecca Tobin Schrader is a member of the Planning Commission for the Town of East Montpelier.
