Pursuant to 17 V.S.A. §2680, the qualified voters of the City of Winooski are hereby warned and notified that a Public Informational Meeting will be held on March 4, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Winooski School District Auditorium, Winooski, Vermont. The object and purpose of this hearing is to consider indebtedness for the purpose of improvements for the City, known as the Burlington-Winooski Bridge Project, consisting of planning, design, construction and relocation or reconstruction of the bridge across the Winooski River between the City and the City of Burlington, including environmental remediation and improvements for traffic, bike path and pedestrian use, traffic control and related park improvements. The current estimated total cost of the improvements is between $60,000,000 and $80,000,000, with the City responsible for a portion of such total project costs. The amount of bonds or notes or other indebtedness of the City proposed to be issued is $4,600,000. In the event that the City secures federal or state grants and funding from other sources for the Burlington-Winooski Bridge Project, the City would use proceeds of such bonds or other indebtedness to fund capital improvements and repairs to the two railroad bridges on Main Street and Weaver Street (the “Rail Bridge Projects”).
The article as it will appear on the City ballot is as follows:
Shall the bonds or notes or other indebtedness of the City of Winooski in a principal amount not to exceed Four Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars
($4,600,000), be issued for the purpose of the planning, design and construction of improvements for the City, known as the Burlington-Winooski Bridge Project, consisting of planning, design, construction and relocation or reconstruction of the bridge across the Winooski River between the City of Winooski and the City of Burlington, including environmental remediation, improvements for traffic, bike path and pedestrian use, traffic control and related park improvements, and for a term not to exceed 30 years, with the understanding that if the City secures funds from other sources for such Project, it could issue such bonds or notes to pay for improvements for the two Rail Bridges?
The above question will be voted by Australian ballot on March 5, 2024, at the Winooski Senior Center, 123 Barlow Street, in the City of Winooski between the hours of (7:00) seven o’clock in the morning, at which time the polls will open, and (7:00) seven o’clock in the evening, at which time the polls will close. The legal voters of the City of Winooski are further notified that voter qualification, registration and absentee voting relative to said meeting shall be as provided in Chapter 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.