“I’m actually pretty worried,” Selectboard Chairwoman Rebecca Ellis said of the prospect of losing those jobs.
Tropical Storm Irene’s floodwaters heavily damaged Waterbury homes, businesses and the sprawling state office complex. Those offices have been closed since the storm last month and workers farmed out temporarily to offices elsewhere.
It’s unclear how long it might be before the state office buildings are fit to be used or whether some long-term changes might be appropriate. Ellis said Waterbury wants to make sure it’s a key part of whatever the solution is.
“Everybody I talk to talks about the state office building,” she said. “This is a critical juncture in the history of Waterbury.”
KSE Partners has been hired to do a 14-day media push to make the case that the bulk of state government offices should remain in Waterbury. The firm will be paid $3,000, Ellis said.
MacLean, Meehan & Rice, another Montpelier lobbying firm, will be paid $2,500 for a month to make Waterbury’s case to state officials, she said.
The money will come from a village economic development fund, as local officials concluded the 1,500 state jobs are key to Waterbury’s economy, Ellis said.
Not only do state workers eat, drink, shop and sometimes live in Waterbury, they also frequently have their cars repaired there and conduct their medical appointments there, she noted.
“They’re the lifeblood of our economy,” she said of the state workers. “It would be a completely different community.”
Ellis, who is also a state legislator, said she and other village and town officials have been working straight out responding to flood issues. They felt like they needed looking out for the state jobs.
“What our role is is just making sure the town’s perspective is heard,” said Todd Bailey, an associate with KSE.