By STEPHEN SEITZ
Special to the Eagle Times
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Declaring that something must be done before someone gets hurt, Bellows Falls’ board of trustees decided to get a closer inspection of the abandoned YMCA building on Atkinson Street.
The trustees also sent a request to the Rockingham selectmen to close off half of School Street Extension, which is where the Central Elementary School is located.
“I’ve inspected the exterior,” Fire Chief Shaun McGinnis told the board. “I find there is merit to the complaint about falling slate.”
Village President Deborah Wright concurred.
“After seeing the photos, I’m more concerned than ever about about that building,” she said. “The entire roof may need to be replaced. The building is shifting. The next piece of slate won’t land on the sidewalk. It’ll fall on the street.”
Municipal Manager Wendy Harrison said she had asked an engineer about the likelihood of slate falling into the street.
“I did check,” she said. “The slate is likely to fall into the street.”
Trustee Jonathan Wright said he thought some things could be done now.
“I think we could do some more,” he said. “We could put up some Jersey barriers and safety netting.”
Rockingham School Board chair Rick Holloway said student safety was his chief concern, especially in light of comments that even now, children ignore the sawhorses blocking the sidewalk, and in the winter they play on the accumulated snow next to the building.
“There are more than 100 kids in the area,” he said.
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In other action, the trustees listened to the concerns of Westminster officials, who want to update their water and sewer contract with Bellows Falls. The original contract hasn’t been revisited since it was signed in 1982. Rates aren’t based on metering, but on a formula established at the time.
Westminster Town Manager Russell Hodgkins said a number of people were behind in paying their bills.
“We’ve placed some liens,” he said. “That’s woken some people up.”
Trustee Stefan Golec said, “Was it the hope that Bellows Falls would take over the billing?”
Deborah Wright said no.
“We don’t necessarily have the authority to go into another municipality to enforce payments,” she said.
Jonathan Wright said there should be an inventory of current users to determine flow rates.
Westminster resident Gail Rogers asked, “”Why are we being charged for the upgraded pumping stations? We don’t have any in Westminster.”
Deborah Wright it wasn’t a matter of location.
“It’s upgrading the entire system,” she said. “Therefore, everyone gets charged.”
The board took no action on the request.
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