Greetings Williston Community –

There are several topics to update you on this month from the Town Manager’s Office as we close out 2024 and prepare to welcome 2025.

Budget Development for Town Meeting

The Williston Selectboard will be working in January to finalize the fiscal year 2026 municipal services budget to be considered on Town Meeting Day (March 4^th). Earlier this month, I transmitted a draft budget to the Selectboard to begin this process. The municipal budget is the Town’s spending and funding plan to deliver core public services to the community. I encourage you to engage in the budget development process. Visit town.williston.vt.us/budget to view the draft budget transmitted to the Selectboard, along with a recording of the town department budget review Selectboard meeting. The budget document includes a comprehensive overview of all Town expenses proposed and a discussion of options to raise revenue to balance the budget, along with the various budget pressures the Town is facing. It’s a starting point, not the finish line. There is a lot of work undertaken by the Selectboard in coordination with Town staff to get the budget to its final draft version in January. Your input and feedback are a critical part of the process. If you have questions about any component of the budget, please reach out to me.

The Selectboard is holding a public hearing to receive feedback on the municipal budget at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 in the Beckett/McGuire Meeting Room at Town Hall (2^nd floor). A remote option to join using zoom is also available. You can also share written feedback by sending me an email at ewells@willistonvt.org.

Project Updates – Bridge Repairs & Town Hall Parking Lot

The Selectboard has advanced three important projects with construction/repairs targeted for 2025 utilizing Federal ARPA funds.

The Industrial Avenue Pedestrian Bridge replacement is on track to occur in late spring or summer. There is a 6-month wait between ordering the replacement bridge and having it delivered. The Town has a local contractor in place to complete the work once the new structure arrives. The scope of work will also include attaching a sewer main to the new bridge. Please drive with caution in the area while the modified pedestrian crossing on the vehicle bridge is in place.

The footbridge that spans the Allen Brook adjacent to Village Community Park was damaged in early 2024 from new channels that opened in the brook following a storm. The Town is planning to have the bridge repaired in 2025 and funding has been allocated for this project.

The Town Hall Parking Lot project has a revised scope that will address the immediate safety concerns of poor drainage and lack of lighting. Expansion to the parking lot has been removed from the scope. The revised project is estimated at about $600,000 and will be funded using ARPA dollars and a State of Vermont Downtown Program grant. The timeline for this project is anticipated to be summer/fall 2025.

Winter Operations Season

It’s winter operations season and I want to take an opportunity to thank our dedicated Public Works staff for all they do throughout the year. Our staff manages and maintains our critical infrastructure that includes roads, sidewalks, culverts, bridges, water & sewer systems and stormwater systems. The work can be unpredictable, and that is especially evident during winter operations season. The staff is on call to respond to whatever weather gets thrown our way. Our plow operators have dedicated routes, each designed to take about 4 hours to complete. In addition, in 2023 the Town began plowing all sidewalks and paths and expanded its equipment fleet to make that possible. With the changing weather patterns, we are seeing snow melts occur throughout the winter season and the ground not staying frozen. As a result, you may observe some grass disturbance from winter operations by the Town during the winter months. In the springtime the Department will clean up any areas that need attention, please reach out and let us know.

Temporary Family Shelter

The State of Vermont temporary shelter to provide housing to families in need has been operational at the former State Police Barracks on Route 2A since early November. A big thank you to the community for your support in welcoming the guests at the shelter to Williston.  

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.

-Erik Wells, Town Manager