The Barnard Selectboard will continue the bidding process for three repair projects after FEMA and the state of Vermont approved a requested extension of funds.
The projects to receive funding include the Mount Hunger bank slide, the Chatauguay Road bank slide, and the repairs to Bridge 33.
According to Barnard selectboard member Richard Lancaster, engineering studies are necessary before the official bidding can begin; the two bank slides are still in the request stage for a study, while an engineering study of the bridge has been completed. When asked how the FEMA funds might eventually alleviate the tax burden on residents, Lancaster explained the intricacies of the funding process. “Because the town has to pay up front,” Lancaster told the Standard, “there is an initial line item in the budget to raise that money. If things go well, one project will be completed and reimbursed before the next project is bid. The caveat is that all the work has to be done in the time allocated by FEMA.” Once the earlier funds are reimbursed, those funds can then be used for the next projects, said Lancaster.
