By Kara Herlihy
Moretown Select Board member Clark Amadon updated town officials on the ongoing search for a new town office at the April 2 meeting. The town office search committee held a public forum two weeks ago that Amadon said had a “reasonably good turnout.”
After flooding caused by Hurricane Irene destroyed the former town office, municipal employees have been working out of the town’s fire station. The town offices will be moved at the end of the month to a space at the Moretown Landfill on Route 2 until a new site is selected.
Amadon said the committee is investigating several potential sites that are already owned by the town including the recreation field behind the current town office, the Town Hall,MLI, as well as a town-owned parcel onFox Farm Road.
Amadon said he met with FEMA mitigation experts about potential funding and reimbursement options for the current town office. The building would have to be raised above the August high water mark for 75 percent of the total cost, to be reimbursed by FEMA.
One of the options, he said, is to raise the building. “The cost of concrete is not all that significant; if we raise it up and put the offices back there, there would be money to do that. If we raise it up and put an addition on the back, they’d pay for the original footprint,” he said.
In response to questions about the costs covered by demolishing the current town office, Amadon said, “Whether you raise it or go through the second process and demolish it first, there are some resources we could get.”
There is money for demolishing, he said, but it would depend on an analysis of the value of the building compared to what the insurance gave the town.
After looking at the Town Hall as a potential site, Amadon said the FEMA representative said outside of installing a moat, there was nothing that could be done that would qualify for funding.
“They didn’t say you can’t use it, but nothing can be covered that is in there already,” Amadon continued.
Town officials discussed the feasibility of using the town garage as a potential site for the new town offices. Moretown resident Eric Howes told select board members that the town garage should have never been built in the village.
The town has approximately $1 million invested in the garage that was built four years ago.
“Especially after the flood, we’ve realized that the town garage should never have been there, the town office and other buildings should have been sited together 10 years ago,” Howes added.
Amadon said that the committee plans to speak with neighbors adjacent to the rec field site and theFox Farm Roadparcel to assess the feasibility of relocating the town offices to either location.
In addition to setback concerns on the rec field, Amadon said there are unanswered questions about the septic system and zoning requirements on the site.
Select board assistant Cheryl Brown said since the building would be a business, not a home, the state standards are less rigorous.
Amadon further expressed concerns about using the Town Hall site because of limited parking, inability to safeguard documents and the possible negative public opinion should the Town Hall use change.
The committee will continue to gather and solicit information to see what the next step is, Amadon said, including seeing what’s available and “what we don’t have to pay for,” he continued.
The next meeting of the town office search committee is scheduled for Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at the Moretown Elementary School. For more information, visit www.moretownvt.org.
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