Next Tuesday, St. Albans Town residents will vote on a new Department of Public Works facility. The Nov. 10 special election asks for approval of a $2.4 million project to build a new garage facility on town property along Brigham Road.
Town officials say if not now, the project will surely have to be done in the future. That's because the current facility, built in 1983, sits right on the waters of St. Albans Bay, and is contributing runoff pollution into the lake. Many argue the garage is also too small to fit the town's equipment, including snow plows and salt trucks.
"The selectboard has not been unanimous on the issue," writes Elodie Reed, a reporter with the St. Albans Messenger. "While Bruce Cheeseman has participated in the DPW project steering committee since it was formed a year ago and has promoted the new building, Sam Smith has been reluctant."
She writes: "He’s said the project cost is too high, and that local option taxes – approved by voters in 2014 strictly for capital infrastructure projects – don’t seem to be the appropriate funding source."
Read more of Reed's reporting here.
