Williston
ELECTION COVERAGE: Look for the Observer’s candidate Q&As in the following two issues, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.
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Williston tables F-35 resolution BY JASON STARR Observer staff
F-35 fighter jets have been flying out of Burlington International Airport since 2019. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
F-35 Noise Exposure Map update PUBLIC MEETINGS Oct. 23, 6:30-8 p.m. Chamberlin Elementary School, South Burlington Oct. 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Winooski High School More information: www.btvsound.com
While surrounding cities have stepped up pressure this fall on the U.S. Air Force to rid the Vermont Air National Guard of disruptively noisy F-35 fighter jets, Williston leaders are not ready to jump on the bandwagon. Since September, city councils in Burlington, Winooski and South Burlington have all passed resolutions asking Vermont’s Congressional Delegation to request a new mission for the Vermont Air National Guard — one that would take the F-35s out of Chittenden County airspace and be more compatible with the population centers surrounding the Air Guard’s headquarters at Burlington International Airport. The F-35s have been based there since 2019. Noise monitors placed near the airport’s runways in Willis-
ton, Winooski and South Burlington show that the planes regularly break 100 decibels of sound when taking off. It is a level of noise “generally not considered suitable for residential use,” according to the Air Force’s Environmental Impact Statement it prepared prior to its decision to base the F-35s in Burlington. In September, the Burlington and Winooski city councils approved a lengthy resolution citing evidence of harm to residents from the noise, suggesting alternate roles for the Vermont Air National Guard and asking Vermont’s members of Congress — Sens. Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Becca Balint — to “contact the Secretary of the United States Air Force requesting they replace the current F-35 mission with a mission that causes no harmful noise to the people living around the airport, no substantively adverse
economic impact to the airport or community, and a mission that is fully compatible with residential neighborhoods.” The South Burlington City Council passed a similar, though much shorter, resolution on Monday. Long-time F-35 opponent Rosanne Greco of South Burlington asked the Williston Selectboard to join in passing the anti-F-35 resolution during the board’s Sept. 17 meeting. The board held an informal discussion of the proposal on Oct. 1, but put off any action on it until at least February. “We have a lot on our plate,” board member Jeanne Jensen said, noting that the board will be working on the upcoming fiscal year budget throughout the fall and early winter. Before considering a vote on the resolution, board members asked town administrators to orsee F-35 page 11
Firefighters reach three-year employment contract BY JASON STARR Observer staff The Williston Selectboard approved a new three-year contract with the town’s firefighters on Oct. 1. The firefighters union, representing 22 employees of the Williston Fire Department, had been working under an annual extension of its previous contract, which expired in June of 2023. The new contract was approved to be retroactive to then, meaning the firefighters are due the salary increases in the new contract dating back roughly 16
months. The new contract expires in June of 2026. Represented by the International Association of Firefighters, the firefighters joined town administrators and members of the selectboard in a series of closed-door negotiating sessions in recent months leading up to the agreement. Negotiations began in the winter of 2023. “It was a lot of work on both sides to get this done,” selectboard member Jeanne Jensen said. The contract continues with the previous contract’s annual salary increases based on cost-of-living in-
creases tied to the regional consumer price index. The annual increases are capped at 4 percent and must be at least 1 percent, Town Manager Erik Wells said. Additional 2 percent salary increases for longevity are unchanged from the previous contract. There are also no changes to the firefighters’ health insurance provisions, Wells said. The new contract does increase compensation for advanced certifications such as EMT (from a 2 percent salary increase to 5 percent) see FIREFIGHTERS page 7
The Williston Selectboard approved a three-year employment contract with the town’s firefighters last week and recognized the fire department for 75 years of service. ‘The Williston Selectboard sincerely thanks all members of the Williston Fire Department, past and present, for their service to the community and congratulates the department on achieving 75 years of service,’ a resolution that the board approved states. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
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