Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday July 22, 2024 at 7:00 PM
At South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom
Board Members Present: David Carter/Chairman, David Lane/Vice Chairman, Skip Brown/Board Secretary, and Anne Zolotas
Board Members Not Present: Ross Brown
Others Present: Town Personnel: Sue Arguin/TA and Kim Julow/Treasurer. Also see sign in sheet of in person and Zoom attendees. *Attendance SB 2024-07-22-2024
1. Called to Order:
– The meeting was called to order by Chairman David carter at 7:00 pm. Ross Brown sent an email to the Board at 6:44 pm stating that he has quit the Selectboard. David Carter and the Board would like to acknowledge the appreciation for the years of service to Town, including as the highway department liaison, feasibility committee, salt shed oversight, work on sidewalks, etc. By State statue, postings will be made to look for someone to fill the seat until the next election.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
-David Lane made a motion to approve the minutes of July 8, 2024. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. none
5. New Business:
A. Joe Connelly of RunVT was present to discuss the Island Vines race at Snow Farm Vineyard that will occur on September 15, 2024. The event will be similar to the past years with the starting time at 9:00 am and expected finish by 11:00 am. There will be signage and personnel at strategic places to warn motorists about the event. See Attached* RunVT 2024 Race Plan – RunVT Race Timeline – RunVT 2024 course map Anne Zolotas made a motion to allow the Island Vines event on September 15, 2024. The motion was seconded. David Lane abstained from voting, the others so voted and the motion carried.
B. Andy Julow of Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corp. (LCIEDC) was presented information about the SHORE Wayfinding and Road Etiquette Plan. See the attached 29 page document outlining the findings *SHORE Report Draft_CouncilVersion. Included in the presentation is a recommendation for a suggested bike route through South Hero and suggested signage. Anne Zolotas made a motion to allow the SHORE group to install the suggested signage as listed and have the Chairman sign a Private Landowner Permission Form *See Attached. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Treasurer Kim Julow presented the documentation setting the FY 2024/2025 Tax rate. See Attached for the breakdown*2024-2025 FY Tax Rate Skip Brown made a motion to set the homestead tax rate at $2.7501 and the non-homestead tax rate at $2.593. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Note that the majority of this rate is the State Education tax rate and the Town did not set that rate.
D. The Town Hall building committee has done due diligence with a scoring system and the Committee has unanimously chosen the South side of Route 2 near the exiting Town hall for a new building. See attached for the site selection information *Building Committee Site selection recommendation 7.11.24. David Carter acknowledged the diligent work done by the Committee and made a motion to accept the site recommendation. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Note that the Committee is will now look into getting plans and a cost analysis done so that the bond vote can happen by the March Town Meeting.
E. The Town Hall Building Committee has a vacancy and has recommended David Roy. David Lane made a motion to appoint David Roy to the vacancy in the Town Hall Building Committee. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
F. The Island Craft Shop lease is up on July 31, 2024. David Lane made a motion to approve and sign a new lease between the Town and the Island Craft Shop from August 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025 in the amount of $480.00/month. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
G. The Town received a letter from the State DEC about chloride leaching into the ditch behind the sand/salt pile. This is why the salt shed is being built and it should solve the problem when the pile is moved.
H. Anne Zolotas made a motion to approve and sign the errors and omissions as presented by the Listers due to changes in the Veteran Exemption adjustments. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
6. Town Administrator and ZA Reports:
A. See the written reports posted with these minutes.
B. There were no letters of interest for the Planning Commission. An ad will placed in the Islander and info will be on Front Porch Forum to solicit for members.
C. A caller notified Sue that there are goose droppings by the Town beach. The geese are probably temporary and there is no feasible way to prevent them from area.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The salt shed RFP is still being finalized. Apparently Ross Brown got a verbal quote for trusses from an Amish company in the amount of +/-$29,000.00. Since Ross has now left the Board, more info will be necessary to follow up on the other estimates that are still pending. A RFP still has to go out for bids for the labor portion of the job. Anne Zolotas and Sue Arguin will look into where the project stands.
B. Anne Zolotas made a motion to allocate the $600.00 grant that was awarded to the Town for the Conservation Commission kestrel project in FY 2024/2025. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. none at this meeting
9. Other Business:
A. Anne Zolotas made a motion to approve and sign the orders 25-02 and to pay the bills associated with the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Town Clerk/Treasurer updates: See above. Also the Town audit is scheduled for August 7 and 8.
C. Recreation Commission (RC) update: The matter of issuing day passes at the Town beach was discussed. Sue will bring this up with the RC.
D. Road Department update: See above.
E. Old South Hero Meeting House (OSHMH) project: See above and read the OSHMH minutes for updates.
F. ARPA updates: Information will be at the next Selectboard meeting
G. Wastewater (WW) update: Additional archeological test pits at Allenholm may be dug.
H. Town Hall Committee update: See Above.
10. Adjournment:
-Anne Zolotas made a motion to adjourn at 8:30 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown, Secretary David Carter, Chairman
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July 22, 2024 ZA’s report to the SB
1. There are no mobile vendor license applications for the Boards approval tonight.
2. I received a survey from FEMA at the end of June titled “National Floodplain
Administrator Training Needs”. It’s a survey to help design a training program for
floodplain administrators. Has the SB designated a flood plain manager?
3. The Agency of Natural Resources is updating their Vermont Significant Wetlands
map. South Hero may be receiving new wetlands maps showing previously
unmapped wetland areas or could see changes made to previously mapped
borders. Landowners are encouraged to consult these maps before planning any
development on their property.
4. I’ve been asked about the classification of the part of Hill Rd. that extends directly to
the lake. Hill road is a public right-of-way until it turns west where it becomes a
private right-of-way which was primarily the Gardner subdivision, approved in 2000,
and on which several homes have been built or are under construction. The section
that extends from the curve directly north to the lake extends between 2 properties
owned by Phil and Cynthia Reynolds. I can only find that there still exist utility rights-
of-way down this portion of Hall Rd., but no other restrictions or easements there.
The General Highway Map for the Town of South Hero produced by VTrans shows
Hill Rd. continuing north directly to the lake. Is this considered a public right-of-way?
Planning Commission
A. The PC met on July 17. Priorities include continuing discussion on
maintenance/repair of existing sidewalks. The next meeting is August 7 at 6PM.
B. The Commission is still seeking 2 additional members.
Development Review Board
The next DRB meeting will be this Wednesday, July 24. Hearings are so far scheduled
through August 14.
Recent DRB decisions are posted on the Town website.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA
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Town Administrator’s Report
Monday, July 22, 2024
- The MERP Grant (Municipal Energy Resilience Plan) are scheduled to come and do assessments on both the Highway Garage and Museum Monday, August 12th. They will be starting with the highway garage at 10AM then the museum at 1-2PM.
- I received an email from Peter Zamore regarding the wastewater project and they are moving forward with the Archaeological Phase I at Allenholm Farm. (Please see packet).
- The Board of Listers received a letter from the State of Vermont mandating South Hero to have a town wide reappraisal. We will need to work with our District Advisor on a detailed compliance plan to have it back to the state by November 15, 2024.
- There has been a settlement for Opioid Remediation for towns and cities throughout Vermont. South Hero is entitled to between $248.88 and $300.00/year if we want it. The only issue I see is that these funds would need to be spent on just Opioid Remediation and I do not know of any programs like that set up in South Hero.
- There are upcoming Grants for Recreational Facilities that you may find would be helpful with our town park. (Please see in with your paperwork the details.) I would like to know if you would like me to apply for one.