[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6307943,"mediaKeyId","2426025-70865d512e3f1872ebbc31b20ccb8652","parentId",2426025,"title","City staff propose half‑million‑gallon tank at Houghton Park, recommend $4M bond to curb overflows into Stevens Brook and St. Albans Bay","audioSeconds",572,"startMs",48000,"endMs",620000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2426025-70865d512e3f1872ebbc31b20ccb8652&start=48&end=620","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2426025-70865d512e3f1872ebbc31b20ccb8652/thumbnail_48000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307943/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/City-staff-propose-halfmilliongallon-tank-at-Houghton-Park-recommend-4M-bond-to-curb-overflows-into-Stevens-Brook-and-St-Albans-Bay","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307943-0793b98597c509e0cda144b8373ef85b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206814&Signature=kxqX~XzxYZMeUxYIw2~I-LwU0rp-ffgNpZx6ZX6UyQcyTMOekV6M4AVckg-nFW2wWsAk8a6IcLh9grFIxAvGfqz6radkGodQpWNmu-Zm4gb4O7496L95CQyrmjrnPCbTTFFwcLdUN6WFnq4VXlKOk24JTEBvtzg7Uh8DeN-I32DYU9pHNZWzFBUdyuz5O3AHhsbgJcVmTEcifzZuaNZxx9eeiMrGzmFXxJcfqxdUF4LKueKH8vKIXXk8E2TOKuVWnyY5rruA6bZ7Uq7q1zGR2ojQCUQSKI1teE1EnRBER2NAJeWxdERWqxMdxq2tWYYBLm0XeTZEyRtAYbykJrPdIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Albans City, VT","date","2025-02-25T18:29:57Z","article","Chip, a city staff member, told the meeting the city’s combined sewer system — which carries both sewage and stormwater — overflows into Stevens Brook during storm events and large snow melts and that the city is under a state order to mitigate the discharges.

“The city section of our sewage system that also takes in stormwater is considered our combined sewer system,” Chip said. “During storm events and also big snow melts, it will be too much … it will actually overflow at the intersection of the South Elm and Lower Weldon. It goes into Stevens Brook.”

Chip described a proposed engineering solution: an underground storage tank at the edge of Houghton Park large enough to hold about 500,000 gallons of combined sewage and stormwater. He said that volume would “eliminate the vast majority of the overflow events that we typically get,” because most overflow events are under 500,000 gallons, and that storing the water would allow the city to monitor and decide next steps with the state.

The project cost is $6,800,000, Chip said. The city has about $2,800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds available that expire before 2026, and staff expect a $1,000,000 state grant; the remainder — roughly $3,000,000 — would be financed with a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan. Because the state loan program requires voter authorization of the debt and the grant in the bond article, staff proposed a $4,000,000 bond article to voters to enable use of the loan and the grant.

Chip stressed that the city would likely incur only about $3,000,000 in new debt because some additional forgiveness or subsidy could become available when the loan is taken out. He also said debt service on the loan would be paid from wastewater user fees and would not be assessed on the city tax bill.

City officials and other speakers compared the storage approach with full sewer/stormwater separation. One attendee asked whether separating systems would be preferable. Chip responded that separation would be “a much larger undertaking,” involving digging up streets and relocating utilities, and that state technical staff (DEC) had told him centralized storage is the more practical solution.

Officials discussed timing: if voters authorize the bond, staff expect to go to bid within a couple of months and aim to begin construction in August; the build is expected to take roughly 18 months. Chip said the tank can be sited to avoid disrupting the portions of Houghton Park most used by community groups; staff noted they would coordinate with the Steelers about temporary game locations during construction.

Questions raised at the meeting included whether the ARPA and state grant funding would be available when the city needs them and whether delays or loss of those funds could raise the city’s share toward the full project cost. One speaker warned that if grant funds are not available, the city could face the larger $6.8 million cost or more.

Next steps described at the meeting: staff plan to include the $4,000,000 bond article language for voter consideration (town meeting language), pursue the state grant and Clean Water SRF loan, and go to bid if voters approve the bond and the other funding pieces fall into place. Final financing terms, grant awards and any additional subsidy were not determined at the meeting.

Ending: The project is presented as the city’s immediate approach to comply with the state order and reduce pollution into Stevens Brook and St. Albans Bay. Key unresolved items are final grant awards, the exact loan amount and any additional state forgiveness that could reduce city debt; those items remain to be decided after voter consideration of the bond and state/federal funding approvals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Albans City Informational Meeting | 02/24/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chip, a city staff member, told the meeting the city’s combined sewer system — which carries both sewage and stormwater — overflows into Stevens Brook during storms and snow melts and that staff propose a 500,000‑gallon underground tank at Houghton Park to eliminate most overflows.","taxTitle","St. Albans City, Franklin County, Vermont","taxId",69030,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307939,"City presents FY26 general fund budget with 4% increase; police and dispatch driving levy rise",844,644000,1488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2426025-70865d512e3f1872ebbc31b20ccb8652&start=644&end=1488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2426025-70865d512e3f1872ebbc31b20ccb8652/thumbnail_644000.jpg","/articles/6307939/St-Albans-City/Franklin-County/Vermont/City-presents-FY26-general-fund-budget-with-4-increase-police-and-dispatch-driving-levy-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307939-a79dc3e6c450fe40cfe6f44e5f4bb32e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206814&Signature=eBAKU441V-o0AJwJQQ1~ELKjDGlq-qoRkUPL2ZPZ-tsYwAIK9cwi1qjCSJiPkl2bI2~DP1U~1S5KmZqZoessBSUhFbsIESKFQASKiUo8rxgP6bQfs7nhLkxk6TJNmWnDzXSs4yYVof05SViU5X6lZHk3DKMqatWs85YdAFgquZda02Ta9RFsjUcnUhKYap1hvBKo3OHIF-gTtaRW-OEK0oF18D963WTRYjKzpVF1NHT16NORs6ct16MnuqaN-1b3mg-QOFFsOyymSOs~lFTGlAlTHGV~Z8jD2P1Hnm1vnULBSIQFHLPjuXvjcLwaq0jPyaFHqkycjCgI9GWB-KOv6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sarah, a city staff member, presented the highlights of the proposed fiscal year 2026 general fund budget, saying the total proposed general fund budget is $14,377,912 — about a 4% increase from FY25, or roughly $560,000.

“The number one priority in this budget … is public safety,” Sarah said, noting that police and dispatch expenditures are increased by $710,000, a change larger than the overall budget increase because several other cost centers were reduced.

Sarah said the property tax levy in the proposal is $5,687,096, an increase of about 8.9% from FY25 (about $466,000). She said the average assessed residential property value in the city is $200,000 and that for a home with that assessment the proposal would mean roughly a $188–$190 increase for the year (about $47 per quarter), as presented to the meeting.

To offset costs, staff eliminated two budgeted positions: the previously proposed director of economic vitality (not filled) and a recent vacancy in the fire department; duties were reshuffled rather than creating new positions. Sarah said staff also delayed some capital purchases and proposed one new debt item in FY26: a lease‑purchase of one police cruiser. The budget also includes $20,000 to pay down outstanding debt on the Weldon Building.

On the fire truck previously authorized by voters, Sarah said the debt issuance of $835,000 was approved in FY23 and the truck is expected to be delivered in April; the related debt service was included in the budget. She also said the city plans to apply to the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank for the fire truck financing to obtain favorable rates.

Recreation was highlighted: recreation programs reported $1,400,000 in revenue in 2024 and staff budget conservatively for $1,560,000 in FY26. Sarah said recreation’s total budgeted costs are $1,780,000 and the program relies on the tax levy for about $200,000.

Public works retains a $300,000 annual paving allocation and a $12,000 capital request for a roller. Parking operations reflected reduced staffing and the recent move to ParkMobile and online permitting; staff project reliance on the tax rate for parking at about $38,000 in FY26, down from $108,000 in FY25 and closer to a four‑year average of $81,000.

Sarah said the Restorative Justice Center is mostly grant funded and grants are expected to exceed $1,150,000 in FY26.

Council members and attendees asked questions about timing, the fire truck delivery, the street‑crimes unit and budget tradeoffs. Eric and Marie expressed support for the overall public safety focus: Eric called the budget “thoughtfully created” and said the city needs to watch inflation and “support our police officers.” Marie said the budget “has been pretty well addressed” and supported the public safety emphasis.

The proposed budget was presented and discussed at the meeting; no formal adoption vote was recorded during this session.

Ending: Staff asked the public for support where voter approval is required; the meeting moved on to other business and eventually adjourned. Final adoption and any voter referenda would follow the city’s regular budget approval process and timelines.","City staff proposed a $14,377,912 FY26 general fund budget, a roughly 4% increase driven primarily by a $710,000 rise in police and dispatch expenditures. The property tax levy would be about $5,687,096, an 8.9% increase over FY25; no formal adoption vote was recorded at the meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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City staff propose half‑million‑gallon tank at Houghton Park, recommend $4M bond to curb overflows into Stevens Brook and St. Albans Bay

City presents FY26 general fund budget with 4% increase; police and dispatch driving levy rise