Springfield rejects petition on recreation center fund

A petition drive that town officials say is 14 years too late won’t appear on the Town Meeting ballot.

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Springfield rejects petition on recreation center fund By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer | January 06,2017 Email Article Print Article SPRINGFIELD — A petition drive that town officials say is 14 years too late won’t appear on the Town Meeting ballot. The Select Board voted recently to acknowledge the petition drive concerning a $3 million town endowment for the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center, but to firmly reject it because it didn’t meet state or town standards, according to Select Board Chairman Kristi Morris. Petition organizer Walter Clark submitted the petition, asking for a townwide vote on the $3 million endowment, whose income is given to the recreation center to support low membership fees for Springfield residents. The $3 million came from the state as part of the negotiated agreement between the administration of former Gov. Howard Dean and the town over hosting the state prison in Springfield. Clark, who didn’t return a call for comment, has long been an opponent of the recreation center, Morris said. State and local charters require recalls or reconsiderations to be done within 30 days, Morris said. “Not 14 years,” he said. “It was a dead issue before the petition.” The Select Board, while acknowledging the petition, voted 5-0 not to put it on the ballot. Selectman George McNaughton said Thursday he usually fully supports petition drives, but the issue needs to be put to bed. “This $3 million thing just keeps going on and on,” McNaughton said, adding that the town had voted twice on what to do with the prison money. “There were two referendums on the rec center, now (called) the Edgar May Center. The people who have been opposed to the Edgar May keep bringing this stuff up over and over and over. It’s just time to put a stop to it,” McNaughton said. “How many projects have two referendums?” he said. “Nothing was filed way back then.” Town Manager Tom Yennerell said he had consulted with the town attorney. “The petition requests a vote to be rescinded after the deadline has passed for such a petition to be legal,” he said. “The petition also asks to change the agreement between the town of Springfield and Southern Vermont Recreation Center Foundation. That agreement cannot be changed by petition.” McNaughton said the dissatisfaction in one portion of the Springfield community is largely because Springfield Medical Care Systems, the parent of Springfield Hospital, is now the owner of the Edgar May center, although it is operated by the Edgar May board. As a result, the recreation center doesn’t pay property taxes. “One segment of the community will never be satisfied,” McNaughton said. “It’s their intent to destroy, kill the rec center by taking away the endowment. It’s just an ongoing disagreement.” McNaughton and Morris noted some people who signed the petition have since publicly said they didn’t fully understand its intent and wished to withdraw their signatures. Two women, Hallie Whitcomb and Gae Mobus, made their intentions public at the meeting last week, McNaughton said. Town Clerk Barbara Courchesne said Clark’s petition had more than the required 340 signatures, and noted Clark said he had more signatures he didn’t turn in.