Manager update: Following up on state shelter proposal
February 2, 2024 | By Tom LeitzI wanted to provide a brief update to the community regarding the armory. I also want to note this will not be on the agenda for the selectboard this coming Monday. If individuals wish to attend the meeting and provide their comments to the selectboard that can occur at the start of the meeting, your input is always welcome. We do plan to have a more formal discussion at the selectboard meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, at which time we hope to have more concrete details to share.
First, since the meeting at the fire station, we don’t have any more official information from the Department for Children and Families to share with you. This past week there were several state legislative hearings where the armory was discussed, and many of the questions asked by state lawmakers echoed the themes we heard at our own public meeting.
At the selectboard meeting on Monday DCF Commissioner Chris Winters expressed that he did not believe the state needed any permits to proceed with the project. Our position is different, and we believe they will need a change of use permit. We have made the state aware of this requirement.
The permit application, once received at town hall, is subject to the approval of the Town’s Development Review Board. The permit will be an agenda item during a public meeting, and we will be sure the public is notified well in advance of this meeting. The job of the DRB, in short, is to ensure this proposal is consistent with our land use regulations.
I want to note the state does not operate homeless shelters directly. Rather, they enter into contracts with shelter operators. Our research to date indicates that homeless shelters that are well run appear to have a minimal impact on the communities in which they are located. In Barre, for example, the Chief of Police and City Manager noted their experience with the shelter operated by Good Samaritan has been positive. In short, we have learned we need to have a seat at the table to ensure the state enters into a contract with a competent and capable shelter operator.
During the recent selectboard meeting Commissioner Winters went into detail, to the extent he could, about the targeted cohort for the planned shelter in Waterbury. He noted that this type of emergency shelter was not a good option for families. Since that meeting, in an email to me he noted that, once families are ruled out, that increases the likelihood the shelter would be utilized for elderly and disabled persons.
Over the next week, my plan is to rewatch our public meeting, review all of the emails I have received, and confer with the selectboard to ensure I understand their specific concerns. I will then prepare a letter on behalf of the selectboard to Commissioner Winters that specifies these concerns. This letter will be a public document that will be posted on the Town website. The intent of the letter is to take an official position on the matter and to specifically outline some of the safeguards we would like to see in place for the community, and for the individuals residing in the shelter.
I thought the attendance of the commissioner at our meeting was a positive signal to the community and the message I received is that, while this is indeed a matter that is very fast-moving, there is still a desire by the state to work with Waterbury to try to address our shared concerns. I sincerely hope my judgment on the matter is correct.
I am always available via phone or email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Town Manager Tom Leitz can be reached at tleitz@waterburyvt.com or at 802-244-7033