Williamstown Selectmen Tepid to Trolley Proposal
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Joyce Harsch was particularly disappointed when she learned the board had discussed the grant proposal during its brief meeting, raising issues she'd hoped to reply to and coming to no decision on whether to support the effort.
"One of the things in the grant is the community has to support it, the Selectmen have to support it," she said. "The amount of time [the grant takes], I'm not willing to do that unless I get support from local folk."
Harsch is willing to take on the onerous task of writing a grant for federal stimulus funds to set up a transit system of four electric vehicles, which would be based at the town's Department of Public Works. She estimated the research and writing process would take about eight weeks — very near the September deadline for submission.
The Selectmen were intrigued but concerned what would happen when the funding ran out in three years.
"My concern is if this grant's a wash, the town will be in a position to take over the cost," asked Selectman David Rempell. If the town had to take over the trolley system, it would have to find the money or shut it down. "I would hate to be in a position to do this."
Town Manager Peter Fohlin, who managed a public transit system on Martha's Vineyard, said he had the same concerns, especially with the town at its levy limit. "We cannot simply lay this on the taxpayers and say 'let's do it.'"
The monies would come from more than $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds set aside for transportation initiatives. Harsch is also in talks with the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority to see if the Williamstown grant can be rolled into funding requests being made by the BRTA.
"It really has to be under an umbrella," said Harsch, who estimated the grant would run around $3 million to $4 million. "They are the federal agent [for transporation funding] over the Berkshires."
The Selectmen said expanding support for the project with other services, groups and agencies would make sense; Harsch said that was the plan all along. Support from local and state representatives was a prime consideration.
"This could be another profit center for the town," said Paul Harsch, owner of Harsch Realty. "This would be self-supporting, this would be handicapped equipped. ... Here's a free handout. I don't understand why they're not interested."
The Harsches had planned to give a PowerPoint presentation on the proposal but there was a delay getting it on the Selectmen's agenda; Chairman Thomas Costley said on Monday that a Selectmen's meeting wasn't the proper place for such a presentation although he passed out printouts of the PowerPoint to his colleagues. After discussing the issue at the meeting, he said, "I'm sure she can take guidance from what we've said."
Harsch is hoping to get the board together to give her a firmer answer - not just guidance - on whether to proceed.
"I haven't given up on it. I feel the townspeople will really want it ... I believe it would be a marvelous benefit to the town."
Update: The Harsches say in a letter e-mailed to Selectmen early Monday morning that if the board cannot provide a positive answer by next Monday they will abandon their effort for lack of time.
