Commentary: Senator Bill Doyle on the Vermont office complex in Waterbury

by Senator Bill Doyle. Last week, I had the opportunity to have a conference call with Secretary of Administration, Jeb Spaulding, Commissioner of Buildings and Grounds, Mike Obuchowski, Waterbury Representatives Rebecca Ellis and Tom Stevens, and Sen. Anthony Pollina. The Waterbury complex may not be repaired for many months, and the question is where would the state employees work or temporarily be relocated.
Spaulding said it would cost the state $20 million just to stabilize the present situation. On an optimistic note Spaulding said the federal/state match might be as high at 90 percent federal and 10 percent state. He made it clear that both the legislative and executive branches would be included in the short and long-term planning.
There was a concern expressed that the frequency of floods might increase because of global warming. There was also concern that the state complex was located in a flood zone. It was also discussed that many of the state buildings are historic sites. New techniques in building might make it possible to insulate or to greater protect buildings from flooding. This point of view was expressed by Representatives Rebecca Ellis and Tom Stevens of Waterbury. There was a general concern that the 1,500 employees removed from Waterbury would have a major impact on the economy of that town.
It was also discussed that perhaps the first floor of the Waterbury complex building could be used for parking and the second floor and the other floors used for work space for the employees. Some of the suggestions relating to finding a short-term workplace for the displaced employees included the facilities of the Vermont Student Assistance Corp located in Winooski, IBM, Rock of Ages, Howard’s Market in Barre, and Northern Power in Waitsfield. With regard to the State Hospital, Spaulding mentioned a two-year placement with the possibility that some patients being placed in New Hampshire.
There was considerable discussion with regard to at-home conditions for employees unable to work in the complex. Spaulding said, ‘From the Vermont State Employees Association perspective, they want to make sure there are adequate protections for state employees so employees won’t be abuse or put into precarious situations.’ Spaulding said, ‘That there are a number of reasons that employees are being instructed not to work from home, including the state’s inability to coordinate their efforts in a useful way.’
Connor Casey, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Vermont State Employee Association, said ‘The employees themselves were frustrated at not being able to work.’ Casey also expressed concern that, ‘Employees using home computers may suddenly expose their private lives to public records requests.’ He went on to say, ‘The Union needs to insure that state employees aren’t forced to subsidized internet connections associated with work at home arrangements.’ Casey said, ‘We just want to make sure that employees have rights when they are working at home, that their privacy is protected, and that they have the equipment they need to do the job.’
During the conference call we also heard from Waterbury Selectboard Chairwoman, Rebecca Ellis, who said that Waterbury has to move from a ‘voluntary-base action plan to a more sustainable, long-term recovery effort.’ At the meeting Ellis presented a draft ‘Local Plan for Recovery,’ which outlined the town’s immediate response to the flood and how Waterbury plans to move forward. She was thankful for the hard work of the volunteers, but she said a long-term model will have to be pursued and suggested that non-profit and outside volunteer organizations fill those roles.
The plan proposed by Ellis involves the creation of ‘ReBuilding Waterbury’ which would be a non-profit organization and work under the existing organization ‘Revitalizing Waterbury.’ This new organization would raise money to help families struggling to rebuild their homes. Ellis said that, ‘More than 200 Waterbury area homes and businesses were severely damaged by the flood.’
During the conference call Spaulding said he would work closely with the Waterbury representatives, state senators and other officials and other state officials.
September 14, 2011