Fairfax Town Land Purchase Meeting Presentation

[ohhman]

I am not sure the land is "landlocked" but just too many unknowns still; too many things to do in order to get the new town office....too many variances I think is the word I should use.  Maybe we should have been provided an agreement to read; but still think there are too many road blocks to this purchase.  Other questions that I have heard now: the road that would need to be put in, the seller has agreed to pay half BUT what is that cost going to be? Seems like a long road to go yet!  What other ideas could be possible for this land? Can't put town garage there so the idea of everything "under 1 roof" doesn't fit.  Since land has not been subdivided, & IF voters feel it's a good idea, can there be less land purchased?  There were people there @ the mtg that had other questions; I wish discussion had NOT ceased.
I am not against a land purchase, but maybe again explore other options.  If all we need is for a new office that meets codes, why do we need more than 2 acres?  Why is the land on the corner of Huntville & Main St being not being considered?  How much space & parking is needed for our Town Office?  Just things that we are hearing.... ( & I did attend an informational mtg the town had a few wks back)

[Mummy]

Just like Full-day Kindergarten, I vote NO!

Listen to the News .... NY state had to close state campgrounds and parks this past year!  State of Vermont had to close rest stops along the Interstate!  I Vote NO and so should YOU!

[roadkill]

Please dont tear down the old bus garage Dave, We need the storage space.

[mirjo]

So, what's wrong with the old Country Pantry site? I forget all the legal ramblings about "town center" qualifications and interest rates... It's an existing building with the infrastructure already in place. Considering the place has historically put out hundreds of breakfasts on a given weekend, I think the water/sewer that exists could handle the town employees. With a few modifications, it would work fine. I would agree with the argument on sprawl if there weren't already existing businesses there...

I think this project needs a little more discussion, before $250K is dropped on a piece of land that honestly, didn't look like a great place for the town office from the perspective of the map.

[DrewCrash]

I am back...and I would like to thank Chris for putting a link to this discussion on FranklinOne.com. And for my following rant, you all have to thank Chris because it's his fault. If he didn't provide the link, I wouldn't have been typing. Do enjoy...

1. The first statement in the presentation is, "A positive direction for the town of Fairfax municipal operations." Where in this presentation does it explain why a positive direction is needed? This is like me saying to my boss, "Hiring 20 people will create positive feedback from the community of Fairfax." Who cares? Why is a positive direction needed? People threatening to quit? Or could there be a true explanation that the town wants to build a new garage. Let's say because the current facility prevents the town from completing its own tire changes and therefor has to spend an extra $200,000 a year on private industry to do tire changes. (Please note this is a complete hypothetical situation I just proposed.) My point is this, will someone explain why the town needs a positive direction by buying this land. What is this Vision 2020. I FEEL LIKE THE LAND HAS TO COME BEFORE WE KNOW OF WHAT THIS VISION IS. Is the vision simply to own land? That's a swell vision.

2. A long range planning tool for the community. A planning tool for what? Someone explain the what first. Identify what the problem is and what is going to be solved by this Vision 2020. Instead we are going to focus on buying land. And since when is a planning tool require land? Why can't we make a long range planning tool for the community first and then whatever those plans are, we execute them. Instead, we are buying land to facilitate community planning. I understand that creator was likely implying that VISION 2020 is the planning tool. But I disagree. I think that the entire planning tool is the land. That is what the entire focus is on, getting land. I feel my argument is well supported by the 3 phase implementation plan.

3. A 3 phase approach to implementation. P1 = LAND ACQUISITION. !!! We have an implementation problem. We are acquiring land. We still have no clue why we are acquiring land. Sure, maybe you want to tell me that the presentation is poor, but that is just it. In any political arena, the issue to getting what you want is by identifying a problem (legitimate or illegitimate) and then convincing the public you can solve it. This is why I keep getting hung up. Those behind this issue continue to tell us we need the land. That is priority 1. When you identify the solution as being the first step, then you have not identified the problem and solved it. Fundamental business problem solving. Is any of this going on? It just doesn't seem like it or maybe I just need to attend town meetings, which I likely won't ever do. (Here is a problem: Fairfax doesn't have public access television. An argument could be made. The statement is true. It would be the town's decision to then determine if they wanted to solve the problem. I would like to note that I wouldn't support tax payer dollars be spent on a public access station.  I would support an online streaming of meetings, if it could be done on the affordable. I'd even pay a small web fee for it.)

We are setting a solution, the land, as the first thing that needs to be done. We don't know how the land is going to be used? What is needed for it? etc...

The second phase is P2 = PLAN / DESIGN. Brilliant. Does anyone think that the plan and design should come first? You identify what you think the problems are. I repeat, we are buying land for something we don't even have a plan or design for. If I give you ten acres to 'play' with, I have feeling someone will do everything they can to best utilize the land which will cost $$$$$$. If you give someone only five acres to 'play' with, they are going to design it to best utilize the land which will cost $$$. The plan and design needs to come FIRST. By planning and designing something, maybe it turns out that we only need 4 acres. Or maybe it turns out that we need 20 acres. WHO KNOWS ?!?!?!?! But this is why you do the planning and design first !!! When you know what you have designed and planned, then you can determine what resources you need. By buying this land without a plan or design, the town's tax dollars are being foolishly spent. I consider all tax dollars to be a resource and I don't like to see waste. What if we spend the $250,000 and then the plan says that the design is going to cost $5,000,000. What if the town doesn't want to spend that? Then what?

PHASE 3 - BUILD




Sorry. I had to get back in my chair. Haven't fallen out of a chair in a long time. Build. I think we should buy the land first, then hire the contractor now for the building phase. See, if we hire the contractor now we can save money.



I love the second slide. You tell me what it's going to do to my taxes. Thank you. But you still haven't told me why we need this land. Or what the long term costs are going to be for the project.

I think I see a slide that is going to tell me why all of this is needed. I probably should have read all of the slides before I started typing. No wait, I think I did read all the slides. But let's review why we are going to buy the land. This is why I have been complaining.

a) Opportunity to buy land at a cheap price in a growth center? SO WE WANT OUR GOVERNMENT TO BUY LAND IN A, AND I QUOTE - GROWTH CENTER !!! WHAT? So we want to take away tax revenue from the town by acquiring the land ourselves? BRILLIANT. This is a good way to generate revenue. If the plan and design came first, maybe my opinion would be different. But all I am reading is that the town wants some inventory of land. Maybe we should buy us a a hook & ladder truck. If we buy one now, we will save money. And you never know, Microsoft my relocate their headquarters to a new 20 story high rise in Fairfax. (I am not serious about the hook & ladder truck.)
b) Relocate town offices. WHY? I have heard rumors as to why, and they make sense. But its not explained. Its not explained if renting office trailers for a year to be able to rebuild on the existing site would be a cheaper plan. Then using the other money to enhance the riverfront park. The argument will be made that the town doesn't own the land or something. So then buy that .10 acres. But explain this.
c) Current town office is inadequate and not ADA compliant. GREAT! I get an explanation to my complaint above. Why is it inadequate? Because someone said so? If it is less than $250,000 to make the building the ADA compliant, then shouldn't we just do that? I don't know. No one explained this to me. Maybe it has been done. I hope it has been done. I am just asking questions and hoping to get answers. If there are very valid reasons, this entire project could be supported. I don't know.
d) Save $$$$....there is on old saying that money makes money. So the theory here is that spending our tax money on this property, we are going to be spending more money and somehow we are going to save? Sounds like the COSTCO theory. I think it's great that you can buy a package of 144 toilet paper rolls. The savings comes out to like $0.10 a roll. The problem is you bought 2 years of toilet paper. You had to spend more to save? If there was more information on this, if it was explained, then maybe this could be supported. I am sure it was done. Just wish there was a way to hear about besides joining a committee or going to meetings. Just tell me how it's going to save money.

My closing arguments: IF THE GLOVE DON'T FIT YOU MUST BUY LAND THEORY:

We are also going to spend 4 years to design the building? Was this decision to purchase the land a decision that has been going on for 4 years? Because it seemed like an awful short period of time from when I learned about the proposal to the time we got to vote on it. But seriously, 4 years? The design process needs 4 years? Build me 10 offices, two conference rooms. Is it that hard? Or is it more complicated than that? I don't know. Maybe there are grand plans that our town office will turn into a building that would make NRG proud of. Maybe they want to build an ice climbing facility like the brilliant idea out of Burlington several years ago.

Ultimately, I can't comprehend why the design and plan phase isn't this first phase. We are just expected to support this in blind trust and hand over our tax money? I understand it seems to be 'short' money on the land for the tax payer, but ultimately it is still $250,000, with additional costs yet unexplained. I feel like a broken record.

Once again, thank you Chris for the link and to Henry for allowing me to make a spectacle of myself. Enjoy the April Fool's Snow Storm !!!