Alburgh Village voters head to polls on Tuesday to decide on new water tank

By MICHELLE MONROE, 
Islander Contributor
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​ALBURGH – On Tuesday, voters in the Village of Alburgh will decide whether or not the village will get a new water tank.
 
The cost of the tank will be paid by users of the village water system.
 
The full cost of the project is $2.2 million, and that is what voters will be asked to authorize. However, the village is borrowing the funds through the state’s revolving loan fund for water projects, and those loans are almost always partially forgiven.
 
Alburgh Village does qualify for loan forgiveness, but until the project has been sent out to bid the village will not know how much will be forgiven, explained Cheryl Dunn, the chair of the board of trustees. “I think we’ll qualify for quite a bit,” she said.
 
The current tank was installed in 1985, but wasn’t properly maintained by previous boards, said Dunn. As a result, the cost of replacing the tank is less than the cost of the deferred maintenance.
 
Water superintendent Jason Beaulac said a feasibility study had looked at five or six alternatives, with this one being the least expensive.
 
The water system serves about 500 connection, with over 400 in the village and another 70 or so in South Alburgh, according to Beaulac.
 
Voters can learn more about the project on Monday at 6:30 p.m. during an informational meeting at the bingo hall. The engineers will be there to answer questions.
 
“We’re at shovel-ready for this project,” Dunn said.
 
Polls will be open at the Alburgh Town Office on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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