Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday June 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM
At South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom
Board Members Present: David Carter: Chairman, David Lane: Vice-Chairman (arrived at 7:05pm), Skip Brown: Board Secretary, Steve Robinson, Anne Zolotas
Board Members Not Present: none
Other Town personnel + public present: Sue Arguin, TA. + Public: Doug Patterson and Peter Zamore
1. Called to Order:
– The meeting was called to order by Chairman David Carter at 7:00 pm.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
– Peter Zamore re: Wastewater and Anne Zolotas re: the July 4 Parade to New Business
3. Minutes:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to approve the minutes of May 25, 2026. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. Doug Patterson asked when the salt shed conditions will be complete. The DRB approval included environmental remediation of the former salt pile and additional screening plantings. Anne Zolotas said that the road dept. has been busy and that they will complete when they are able to. More info will be shared at the next Selectboard meeting.
5. New Business:
A. Peter Zamore stated that the engineering company would like to dig additional test pits at the Lavin Property. He asked if the Town can do the digging. Note that no archeological sampling will be necessary. The actual location of the test pits will dictate if the Road Dept. would have to dig with the excavator or backhoe. Steve Robinson made a motion to allow the Town to dig the test pits with a tentative date of June 22. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Anne Zoltatas brought up the July 4 parade:
-The Grand Marshall possible participants were discussed.
-The Fire Dept. members will help with traffic control.
-The parade theme of “We the People” seems appropriate for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
-Anne would like to purchase some bubble machines.
6. Town Administrator (TA) and Zoning Administrator (ZA) Reports:
A. See the written report attached to these minutes.
B. David Roy has decided to retire after 12 years on the Planning Commission. David Lane made a motion to adopt a resolution thanking David Roy for his 12 years of service to the Town. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The Purchase and Sale agreement for purchase of the small parcel to the East of the new Town Hall has been signed. No closing date has been set.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. None at this meeting
9. Other Business:
A. Skip Brown made a motion to sign the orders 26-25 and have the Treasurer pay the bills as presented on the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Town Clerk/Treasurer updates: none at this meeting
C. Recreation Commission (RC) update: https://southherovt.org/rec/ for more info.
D. Road Department update:
-Stone hauling for the parking lot at the new town park has been ongoing
-Brad Sheridan has been hired to mow roadsides.
-A car crossed the center line and hit the 10-wheeler dump truck. The truck has been repaired and is having an alignment done. The insurance of the car that crossed is covering the expenses.
E. Lister Updates: Appraisals are starting up again.
F. Old South Hero Meeting House (OSHMH) update: The building is now lifted off of the foundation to begin to fix rotted sills. The building has begun moving to the north to fix the foundation and to excavate the contaminated soil. No additional asbestos has been found in the 2nd floor.
G. Lavin Property update: See above, plus: A community walk of the property is scheduled for June 14
H. Town Hall Committee update: See https://southherovt.org/town-office-building-committee/ No change orders during this period. Note that there is a lot of “stuff” stored in the second floor of the existing Town Hall. It is suggested the it get unloaded and decide what gets dumped, or donated or reused.
I. Tree Warden Update: Dying ash trees along the Route 2 ROW are not the responsibility of the Town. Each landowner will have to decide what to do with them.
J. New Town Park updates: The parking area has been staked out.
K. Liquor License/Mobil vendor applications:
– David Lane made a motion to approve Mobil Vendor license application from Kooza & Co., LLC that will be at Simons at the corner of 314 and Route 2. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
10. Adjournment:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to adjourn at 7:55 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown, Secretary David Carter, Chairman
For a video of the meeting, see: www.lcatv.com
June 8, 2026 ZA’s report to the SB
Planning Commission
Two Planning Commission members’ terms are expiring on June 30. Joan Falcao, who
is finishing Sandy Gregg’s term when she retired in 2024, is asking the Selectboard to
appoint her to a full 3-year term. David Roy, who has been a member of the Planning
Commission for 12 years, has decided to retire at the end of this month. David has
been an integral part of the PC through several major projects, including the
comprehensive update of the Development Regulations, approved by the Selectboard
in 2020, and the 2023 Town Plan update. He became Chair in 2024 upon Sandy’s
retirement. The Commission members and I will miss his expertise and sense of
humor. As an architect, he has been instrumental in helping to update both the
Regulations and a vision of South Hero’s future. I hope the Board will join me in
thanking David for his years of service to South Hero. I am placing an announcement in
the Islander this week, under South Hero News, announcing the open position.
The Commission has forwarded draft definitions and clarifications of measuring
setbacks, measuring building height, and natural grade/pre-construction grade to the
Development Review Board for their comments. The DRB had requested the Planning
Commission clarify these for them.
Development Review Board
The Board’s schedule on June 10 includes 2 hearings — the continuation of a setback
waiver hearing from the May 27 meeting, and a sketch plan review for a combined
hearing of a major subdivision/Planned Unit Development.
I will be out of the office on Wednesday to attend a memorial service.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA