Milton voters approve spending for mold repair, wood heat

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Milton voters approve spending for mold repair, wood heat

BurlingtonFreePress.com - Burlington,VT,

Published: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

By Matt Sutkoski

Free Press Staff Writer

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20061129/NEWS01/611290316/1009/NEWS05

Milton voters Tuesday approved a $3.5 million bond to cover repairs

and construction related to a mold infestation in the town

elementary school. The vote was 445-190 in favor of the work.

Bonds for wood burning heating units at the elementary and high

schools also won easy approval from voters. Each unit would cost

$1.4 million. Voters approved the wood heat, 431-203 for the

elementary school and 431-204 for the high school, Town Clerk

Cushing said.

The town's taxpayers won't pay for the entire cost of the projects.

The town is eligible for $1,050,000 in state aid for the elementary

school mold spending. The state will cover 90 percent of the wood

heat project's costs, leaving Milton taxpayers to pay about $280,000

for the new heating units.

School Board Chairman Doug Stout was pleased with the voting

outcome. " It looks like the articles passed by a two to one margin, "

he said. " If we take the time to explain to our voters what needs to

be done and come to them with the facts, they ultimately will do the

right thing. "

For the owner of a $200,000 property in Milton, taxes will rise by

about $47 next year now that the bonds have been approved, Stout

said. People eligible for income sensitivity tax breaks under state

education financing laws would pay less than the $47, Stout noted.

A severe mold infestation surfaced earlier this year at the town's

elementary school. Workers had to gut portions of the building,

extensively clean the structure and rebuild classrooms and offices.

The bond that voters approved Tuesday will pay for that work, Stout

said.

This isn't the end of it, Stout cautioned. The school district must

design some drainage and ventilation improvements at the school to

prevent mold problems from recurring. That means more bills for the

school district, though Stout said nobody has yet determined how

much the new work would cost.

The school district wants to convert the heating systems in the

schools from the current gas and oil to wood chips because

administrators think the move will save a lot of money, Stout said.

Heating costs could drop by $60,000 to $100,000 per year after the

new heating system is installed, Stout said. With the state

reimbursement, it won't take long for Milton to recoup the money it

will spend on installing the new heating systems, Stout said.

Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or

msutkosk@...