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East Long Pond owners ask Woodbury to host dam‑rehab fund and help broker three‑way agreement with Hardwick Electric
Summary
Representatives of the East Long Pond Owners Association asked the Woodbury Select Board to let the town hold a capital account to receive donations for rehabilitating the aging, high‑hazard East Long Pond Dam. Association members outlined potential grant paths (BRIC/FEMA), past Nichols Pond experience, and requested a draft MOU among the association, Woodbury and Hardwick.
Representatives of the East Long Pond Owners Association told the Woodbury Select Board that the East Long Pond Dam is about 100 years old, in poor condition and classified as a high‑hazard dam that could worsen flooding risk downstream if it failed.
"We're here to seek your participation and support... especially to do a rehab on the East Long Pond Dam," said Greg Farn, a representative of the association, asking the town to create a separate capital account to receive donations and to help the group prepare for federal or state grant applications.
Association members cited the Nichols Pond repair (2007–08) — an effort in which the town held funds and private camp owners raised money — as a possible model. One speaker recalled that repair then cost roughly $350,000 and that a single donor supplied about half the cost, with the remainder raised by the association and private donors.
Presenters said engineering and hydrologic reviews are in progress (Du Bois and King has been engaged for assessment) and that preliminary design/repair estimates had ranged as high as a few million dollars; they also discussed BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) and other matched‑fund programs with 65/35 or 90/10 match structures.
Board members asked about liability if the town holds funds; presenters pointed to provisions in a draft operating agreement that address additional costs and fund return if the project does not proceed. Members said the town would need a clear legal agreement spelling out roles, oversight and liability before agreeing to serve as treasurer of such a fund.
The board agreed to research its 2007–08 files, to consider a draft MOU and to meet again after outreach to Hardwick Electric and review of the draft document. The association asked the town to broker a three‑way agreement with Hardwick Electric (dam owner), the association and Woodbury to coordinate fundraising, design and permitting.
What's next: association and staff will rework the draft operating agreement, contact Hardwick Electric, and return with a revised draft MOU for board review in about a month.
