LUDLOW, Vt. – On Monday, Aug. 5, the Ludlow Selectboard met for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting, continuing their discussion of ARPA funding and the ongoing issue with a class 4 section of Preedom Hill Road.
Prior to those discussions however, Ludlow resident James O’Malley addressed the board regarding the Jewell Brook Dam spillways, two of which are in need of repair, telling the board that “75 miles difference in those thunderstorms [on July 10], and we’d be in a very different situation.” Town manager Brendan McNamara explained to O’Malley that the designs and approval for the spillway remediation project were completed, but that that the town was waiting on the federal government to begin the work. The total cost for the project is $750,000. O’Malley questioned the decision to wait on the federal government, asking “Do we think it’s wise…to rely on an entity that’s $35 trillion in debt?” McNamara conceded that this was a “valid point.”
Next on the agenda, Tim Calabrese, director of Ludlow Area Sport Trails (LAST), rose to request from the board an allocation of ARPA funds totaling $193,000. These funds, Calabrese explained, would be used to complete the mountain biking trail project running behind Fletcher Farm and into Cavendish, as well as in the other direction toward Plymouth.
While the board was largely supportive of the work LAST has done and continues to do on the trails, most members felt that the amount requested was too much for a single project. Calabrese argued that mountain biking is becoming a large driver of economic activity in the non-skiing seasons for many towns, which would justify the large investment. However, the board largely remained firm on their stance, and board member Noah Schmidt asked Calabrese what amount he would need to “keep the project going.” Calabrese told Schmidt that, to finish a section he referred to as the “back 40,” LAST would need around $46,000. The board then tabled the discussion for the next meeting, as the agenda item was not warned as a possible allocation.
Two more ARPA funding allocations were then made. The first was for Fletcher Memorial Library in the amount of $30,700, for necessary repairs and maintenance. The second went to Ludlow’s emergency services departments, to reposition radio repeaters and provide a command vehicle to Fire Chief Ben Whalen, to allow him to respond more effectively to calls without resorting to his personal vehicle, which McNamara described as a “liability” for the town. Echoing past discussion, some board members, particularly Hyjek and Schmidt, felt that using ARPA funds this way was a missed opportunity to expand recreation, as they felt town voters would support an increased emergency services budget. However, board member George Tucker reminded the board that the original intended use of ARPA money was for emergency services and infrastructure, and that use for recreation was added later.
The board also continued discussion of what to do about class 4 roads in Ludlow, specifically in regards to a class 4 section of Preedom Hill Road which has had a recent problem with ATV traffic. McNamara enumerated the options previously discussed, those being reclassification as a trail, or a class 4 road ordinance prohibiting ATV use. The board, however, generally felt that the issue was one of enforcement, believing that no ordinance could be properly enforced without wasting police department resources that were better applied elsewhere.
Without naming names, Tucker pointed out that the main offenders were “known quantities,” and that the board had discussed a plan of action “internally” with regard to these specific individuals. McNamara determined to follow this plan of action and report back at the next selectboard meeting as to whether it had any impact on the ATV issue. The board then tabled the discussion, taking no action.
The next Ludlow Selectboard meeting will be held on Sept. 2, Labor Day, at 6 p.m., in the Heald Auditorium.