
LUDLOW, Vt. – The Ludlow Selectboard met for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 3, beginning by discussing a municipal planning grant application for flood proofing and zoning modernization, appointing board member Noah Schmidt as the selectboard representative to the Ludlow Planning Commission, and approving a Sons of the American Legion coin drop on Saturday, April 6.
The board then heard a detailed presentation from Ludlow Fire Chief Ben Whalen, explaining the need for replacement of two pieces of fire apparatus, and laying out the schedule for future replacement of all relevant apparatuses within the department. Currently, Ludlow’s Engine 3 and tower truck are in need of replacement, having been put into service in 2004 and 1994 respectively. Both pieces of equipment are past their expected lifespans, and Whalen said that Engine 3 has broken down during service calls in the past. “We have now had multiple calls where that truck’s pump has died while we were doing firefighting operations,” Whalen said, emphasizing that this makes for a dangerous situation for both firefighters and the community at large.
Whalen’s plan included recommended replacement schedules for all new and future department apparatuses, recommending 20 year service lives for pumps, and 25 years for tower trucks and tankers, as well as shorter periods for other, smaller department purchases. The schedule also recommended bonding any piece of equipment with a lifespan of 20 years or more, rather than utilizing the department’s equipment fund, which Whalen explained to the board is for other, interim, typically less costly purchases. The total cost for both trucks, including discounts for purchasing both trucks at the same time and payment up front, would total $3,079,550. The purchases will be put to the voters of Ludlow at Town Meeting.
The board then discussed the lease of the Black River High School building to the Expeditionary School at Black River (ESBR), with town manager Brendan McNamara telling the board that the school and town had a new proposal for $12,000 per year. ESBR Board member Gary Blodgett told the selectboard that the school currently has 13 students, and is continuing its outreach and expansion efforts.
However, Ludlow resident Eric Alden spoke to the board regarding his concerns about the high school building, noting that the board, when they had accepted ownership of the building in 2020 after the closure of the school, had set a five-year timeline to decision the future of the building. “That decision has been kicked down the road,” Alden said, “The town has spent, since it has owned the building, about $500,000…and it has received back about $20,000.”
Board members broadly expressed support for ESBR, though board member Noah Schmidt did acknowledge that, “Ultimately, we need to get to the point of not having the taxpayers subsidizing [ESBR].” Selectboard Vice Chair and Acting Chair Justin Hyjek suggested that the board could form a committee to explore options for the future of the building, though no motion could be made, as the discussion was not warned specifically, and was part of the municipal manager updates portion of the meeting.
McNamara also informed the board that the there would be another local options tax public forum on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and that the upcoming vote on the merger of the town and village would take place at the Village Annual Meeting in early April. He also noted that Ludlow had found a new police chief in Sgt. Jeff Warfle, who will replace Police Chief Jeffrey Billings in early April. Warfle has been a member of the Ludlow Police Department for five years.
Ludlow will hold its public informational meeting on Monday, March 3, at 7 p.m., to discuss and vote on the articles on the Town Warning. Australian ballot voting will be held the following day, Tuesday, March 4, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., at the Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall.