Barre City Council OKs promissory note to finance new public works garage at 277 Morrison Road

Barre City approved a promissory note on Tuesday to codify interfund borrowing for the purchase of 277 Morrison Road and move forward with plans to build a new public works garage.

City Manager Nicholas asked the council to “approve a promissory note, to codify the interfund. Borrowing… we’re proposing to pay for this with a $2,000,000 loan from the waterfront and then $1,000,000 from the capital improvement fund,” and said the note “sets a term of repayment for 15 years at 1.05%.”

The council discussed permitting and schedule after the vote. Nicholas said permitting is likely to extend into November and that construction would start in the next construction season; he said some initial work could allow partial occupancy earlier. Council comments focused on timing rather than opposition to the financing terms.

The motion was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. No recorded roll-call tally was given in the meeting minutes; Council President presided over the discussion after the mayor recused himself for this item.

Councilors and staff said the permitting process will be complex and will require stormwater and site studies because of new impervious surfaces. Nicholas said engineers had met and “everything’s looking positive,” but that permitting will push the schedule out and the earliest move from the current Burnham Street site is “hopefully, sometime next year.”

The council’s action codifies the financing plan and clears the way for the city to proceed with acquisition and design; subsequent steps — permitting, final design and construction — remain subject to separate approvals and timelines.

Two substantive clarifications from the meeting: the purchase financing consists of a $2 million waterfront loan plus $1 million from the capital improvement fund, and the promissory note sets a 15‑year repayment schedule at 1.05%.