CRAFTSBURY – Comments by Sterling College President Dr. Scott Thomas at last Tuesday’s select board meeting about that school’s decision to end degree programs after this academic year were eclipsed by the announcement of a federal lawsuit against the town regarding operation of its gravel pit.
photo by Paul Fixx
Plaintiffs James LaRock and Melanie MacEachern filed suit in Federal District Court, saying they own a home at 151 Gateway Drive in Craftsbury, adjacent to the gravel pit. They allege “numerous years-long violations of the federal Clean Water Act at the Town of Craftsbury’s municipal gravel mine,” which the plaintiffs are asking the court to abate.
The complaint identifies issues dating back to before 2007 and a long list of complaints that begin, “Defendant Town of Craftsbury has failed to adequately govern or oversee its active industrial facility or follow the most basic requirements of its permit.”
A motion made and approved at the meeting called for posting a statement that had been approved by the town attorney, which appeared later in the evening on the town’s homepage at craftsbury.gov/public_notices/notice-of-a-federal-lawsuit-over-the-operation-of-the-towns-gravel-pit/ where they wrote, “Because the matter is now in active litigation, the Selectboard and Town officials cannot comment further on the specific allegations or legal arguments. However, the Town continues to operate the gravel pit responsibly and underscores that the pit remains an important resource for maintaining the Town’s public roads.”
While town staff and the select board declined to comment further, the posted statement provides some context, where it says, “The Selectboard would like to emphasize the following key points for Craftsbury residents:
”First, the Town has operated the gravel pit under state-issued stormwater authorization for many years. This authorization is subject to oversight by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Town has worked with DEC to ensure its operations comply with applicable environmental regulations. Craftsbury will continue to coordinate with DEC to maintain compliance.
”Second, these same two plaintiffs previously brought litigation against the underlying property owners — Kurtis and Margot Mellett — regarding the gravel pit property. This new lawsuit against the Town appears to be a continuation and escalation of that earlier litigation, designed to draw Craftsbury into costly, time-consuming, and ultimately unnecessary litigation — requiring the expenditure of significant Craftsbury taxpayer resources on claims the Selectboard believes are unfounded.”
The full complaint is linked in the town’s statement.
Select board member Alison Blaney said, “I’m very sad you’re here” when the Sterling College agenda item came up, expressing her feeling about the college’s announcement several days earlier, but also that she was glad to have a chance for the board to hear more. Others on the board and in the room concurred.
Thomas was joined by Sterling’s Dean of Academics Dr. Laura Spence and shared that it’s no secret Sterling has always been struggling financially. He acknowledged “this disruption is of consequence to everybody in Craftsbury.”
The college has reduced all possible expenses as much as it can, noting those expenses include $55,000 in tax payments to the town and $10,000 for water. It will need to do still more to meet its budget goals, said Thomas.
The current 27 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff will fall to 17 after January 1, through a combination of staff and time reductions, he said.
Thomas said Sterling is seeking partnerships that will allow a seamless transition to what comes next.
He expects a systematic consideration of next steps, with the board building a process that involves the school’s many internal resources to hear from the a mix of people with different levels of interest in the college,
Thomas said he “appreciates the support and interest of the select board in this process.”
“There’s going to be a lot of thrashing for a few weeks,” as there have been in the last several days since the announcement, Thomas said.
He’s looking for “a more rational, collective process” once the initial disruption passes.
During the discussion, Blaney recalled her mother working at Sterling and the many ways students have stepped up to help her family and the time when various needs arose.
Spence said she’s become attached to Craftsbury and “doesn’t want to leave a gaping hole in the Common.”
The select board acknowledged the difficulty facing the college and town, offering their help as the process of envisioning another iteration of Sterling’s future begins its public phase.
The remainder of the meeting concerned the usual items that come before any select board, that included renewing a plowing contract, discussing a contract for road crew uniforms, personnel policies and repairs for a damaged plow.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
