Town set to decide on new teen center

Author: Tamara Hilmes

On Tuesday Dec. 19, the Middlebury Selectmen voted to add the request for $25,000 for the proposed teen center to the annual town meeting's agenda. After approving the proposed budget with the understanding that the details would be decided at a later date, the board decided to place the fate of the center in the hands of the Middlebury community.

The Addison County Teens and Friends (ACT), asked the Selectboard to consider appropriating $25,000 in funds to start the proposed program. Emily Joselson, a leader of ACT, told the Selectboard that the teen center had already received two anonymous donations totaling $25,000 earmarked toward the budget for the teen center.

Joselson explained that ACT was hoping to receive an additional $25,000 in funding from the town of Middlebury.

ACT had proposed a $50,000 budget for the startup of the new teen center, along with an additional $10,000 coming in from other communities within Addison County. The majority of the requested funds will go toward the salary of a full-time center coordinator, a position that will be created specifically for the management of the new teen center, which is currently located in the Russ Sholes Senior Center, in the Middlebury Municipal Building.

ACT hopes that, along with providing the requested funds, the town will also absorb some of the responsibilities associated with the startup of the center, which will provide supervised activities for local teens during afternoons and evenings.

Town Selectman Bill Perkins had concerns about adding an additional employee to the town's payroll. Selectman Perkins said that while the Selectboard hopes that the town will vote to provide funds for the coordinator position, "an employer-employee relationship with the town is not likely."

While the Selectboard expressed doubts about absorbing the administration of the teen center into a town department, it did want to ensure that ACT had adequate resources to construct the new teen center.

Selectman Perkins moved that the proposed $25,000 be raised to $30,000, explaining that the original proposed budget was not quite sufficient. "It was felt that $50,000 would not be adequate to fund all the startup costs in addition to salary," Perkins said. "Amounts for benefits, office space, support services, travel, insurance, phones, etc. will be substantial."

After much discussion, the Selectboard put the issue to a vote and the increase in budget was approved with four in favor, two opposed and one absent.

The Selectboard approved the allocation of $30,000 toward the startup of the center, but ACT must still wait for the citizens of Middlebury to approve the article that would provide the funding for ACT.

The Middlebury community will vote on the issue at its annual town meeting on Mar. 5, 2007. Joselson was pleased with the Selectboard's decision, but realizes that the program still relies on the support of the town.

"The Selectboard supports the teen center, but ultimately, the town voters will decide," Joselson said. Although ACT must wait until March to learn of the town's decision, Joselson said they have every hope that the community will choose to support the teen center.