Omya contribution benefits all
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Published: December 9, 2008
Everyone is a winner with the Middlebury rail spur. Omya's generosity and creative thinking can be felt all the way from Middlebury to Rutland.
In most public works projects using federal money, there is a required match using "non-federal" money. "Non-federal" in almost every case means your state or local tax dollars. In the case of the Middlebury spur, Omya has offered to pay a user fee, which will be credited as match for other rail projects along the western corridor. The Rutland railyard relocation could be a a major beneficiary of this pool of matching money. For the spur only $2 million to $3 million will be needed to match federal money already committed to the project. Omya's overall commitment is $22 million. If you do the mat, between $19 million and $20 million will be left over to match other projects. The federal government usually requires a match of 20 percent. If $20 million is in the non-federal matching pool, it can be pledged against another $80 million in federal dollars.
Vermont's western rail corridor needs these matching funds to upgrade the rail line for both freight and passenter service. It is not as was indicated in the letter to the editor published on Nov. 26 that Omya is the only winner; it is because of Omya that we are all winners.
TOM MACAULAY
(Executive director,
Rutland
Redevelopment Authority)
Rutland
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