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NOVEMBER 27, 2019
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Hold your fire
WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Bird feeders
Board tables noise ordinance after gun club neighbors speak out
lanes, among others. None of those affected by shooting noise had at tended the meetings to voice their concerns while the agreement was in negotiations. That changed last Tuesday, when the board held the first of two By Jason Starr required public hearings on the Observer staff amendment. It appeared the North Country Along with sportsman’s club Sportsmen’s Club and the Town president Bob Otty, several of the of Williston, guided by a 2017 surrounding neighbors attended, ruling from the Vermont Supreme criticizing the proposal as an exCourt, had reached an agreement pansion of the club’s historic use this fall about the amou nt of and reminding board members activity that would be allowed of the impact the club has on the under the town’s noise ordinance neighborhood. at the club’s Old Creamery Road “The first shot of the day is shooting range. always the most The agreestartling,” said ment was Par tridge Hill hashed out over La ne resident a series of openSt uar t Meyer. door selectboard “ It ’s n ot l i ke meetings, culi t ’s l o u d a n d minating in Ocit’s hurting my tober with the ea rs, but it is board endorsing shocking and it an amendment –Stuart Meyer has a big effect to the ordinance Partridge Hill Lane on people and that would allow animals.” the club to opNeighbors erate Su nd ays have grown acand Wednesday customed to inaf ter noons and host up to 20 cessant gunfire during the club’s “special events” and up to four regular Sunday and Wednesday hunter education classes per year, afternoon hours. Their primary any day of the week. objection to the proposal relates The agreement was written to to the allowance for Saturday align with the Supreme Court’s special events. determination that the town could Through negotiations, Otty and not restrict shooting at the club the selectboard attempted to hone to anything less than the club’s in on what had been happening activity circa 2006, when state at the club around 2006, per the law was amended to limit munic- Supreme Court’s guidance. That ipal oversight of sport shooting year there were 16 special events, ranges. according to Otty, who referred Underlying the dispute is the to old club newsletters to piece club’s impact on sur rounding together a picture of the club’s homeowners — residents of Old historic use. Creamer y and Oak Hill roads and Partridge Hill and Bradley see GUN page 6
‘It is shocking, and it has a big effect on people and animals.’
Observer photo by Al Frey
John Emanuele presents his turkey and other food donations to Ginger Morton at the Williston Community Food Shelf’s annual ‘turkey day’ on Saturday. See page 2 for more images of the event.
Town given A grade for fiscal health
Williston was rated as the most fiscally healthy municipality in Vermont in a study released this month by the Ethan Allen Institute. The Montpelier-based institute — a think tank promoting libertarian principles of individual liberty and limited government — partnered with the like-minded Reason Foundation, headquartered in Los Angeles, on the study: “Towns in Trouble: Assessing Municipal Fiscal Health in Vermont.” Thirty of Vermont’s most populous cities and towns were studied. The foundation looked at audited financial statements and rated each municipality over five categories, including the ratios of total assets to total expenses, debt to revenue and general fund balance to general
fund expenses. Williston’s score of 92 (out of a total possible score of 100) outpaced all other municipalities. The next highest score was Barre’s 89 and Essex’s 83. Those were the only municipalities considered “healthy” in the study. The rest of the municipalities studied landed in the “marginal” or “distressed” categories. Contributing to Williston’s high score was its total assets of $10.5 million, covering 75 percent of its $14 million in total expenditures. It also has an available general fund balance of $3.3 million. The town was also rated high for its growing population at about 100 new residents a year, growing home values and steady employment rate. “No material weaknesses or
accounting lapses were found,” the report states. The town was noted for $11.3 million in long-term debt, which is 75 percent of its total revenue. “Any analysis of this type does not always paint a complete picture of what is going on,” Town Manager Rick McGuire said. He noted that the town incurred a significant amount of debt to build a new fire station and improve its police station, but that debt is now half paid off with no major projects on the horizon. “I am pleased with the ranking and believe that it ref lects the prudent fiscal policies adopted by the selectboard over the years,” McGuire said. —Jason Starr
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