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Town administrator reports $125,000 paving grant, $217,321 in road repairs and STR licensing updates
Summary
Town administrator Adam told trustees the town won a $125,000 KETO paving grant for Old Hochatown Road (funding pending state commerce approval), reported $217,321.01 spent on road repairs to date, and gave short-term rental licensing and tax-collection updates.
Town administrator Adam gave the board a wide-ranging report on staffing, roads, grants and licensing. He said the town received 20 applications for fire chief and 38 for police; interview panels are narrowing those applicant pools and in-person interviews will take place in Hochatown.
On roads, Adam reported multiple site visits and cost estimates for asphalt paving on specific streets, and said a KETO panel approved a $125,000 grant for paving Old Hochatown Road. "So it goes to [the State Department of] Commerce for final approval and then they'll release the funds," he said, estimating an award and funding release in late January or early February. Adam also said the town has spent $217,321.01 on road repairs so far and expects the number to grow as additional invoices arrive.
Adam gave the board figures on lodging taxes and other revenues; the treasurer separately reported lodging taxes totaling $261,338.93 and total assets of $6,590,082.18. On short-term rentals, Adam said the town had 123 STR licenses processed since switching to a new system and recorded more than 215 tax payments through the new system; staff corrected 77 licenses left incomplete by a previous vendor and urged owners with issues to contact town hall.
Adam also reported that the town has completed finalist interviews for its first comprehensive plan and is working to implement an online municipal code system to make ordinances easier to search, as well as identifying grants for trails (one grant at $750,000 with a 15% match requirement and another at $300,000).
Next steps: staff will prepare more detailed road cost estimates and hold a special meeting to prioritize road projects and comprehensive-plan vendor selection.
