Squealing and "Flapping" noise

I do have one more question. So, I have thought about what I am going to do having limited resources and such at work. Theoretically, if I am going to replace the belt anyways, I have debated just cutting it. My question is though, is there anything that the idler pulley does that will be affected by removing the belt? That is my only remaining concern as the final pulley will still be engaged by the remaining belt. If I get to it before you see this, I will let you know how it goes. LOL

So, I did this, and it worked. The belt was okay, actually, but it’s a cheap belt I’m not too worried about. The bigger issue is the idler pulley. It’s in pretty bad shape. Looks like whoever did the belts last tightened it a little too much because it’s super worn down and almost melted looking. I will be looking to repair that sometime, though I may wait till it gets warmer out, lol.