Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday February 8, 2021 at 6:00 PM
South Hero Town Hall
Board Members Present: Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), David Carter, Ross Brown in person and Anne Zolotas via Zoom.
Board Members Not Present: none
Others Present: Janet Yates, Town Clerk and Martha Taylor-Varney. Also see sign in sheet of in person and Zoom attendees.Attendance SB 02-08-2021
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called by Chairman Shaw at 6:00 pm
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-Add Executive session to the end of the meeting
3. Minutes:
-David Carter made a motion to approve the minutes of January 25, 2021. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. none
5. New Business:
A. The Auditors have recommended some new and updated policies for the Town.
-David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Trustees of Public Funds Investment Policy. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Credit Card Policy. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Capital Program and Budget Policy. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Debt Management Policy. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Investment Policy. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. There will be new Town/School Clerk and Town/School Treasurer after Town Meeting. Currently the position is combined and the Town/School Clerk and Town/School Treasurer is a salaried position. David Carter made a motion to pay the new Town/School Clerk and Town/School Treasurer at the rate of $28.00/hour without benefits (except to the mandatory State retirement fund). The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. When new hours are settled into, the position may once again become salaried.
6. Administrative Assistant Report:
A. See the written report filed with these minutes in Town Hall or www.southherovt.org.
B. Ross Brown made a motion to appoint Sherry Corbin as the 2nd alternate position to the DRB with the term ending on December 31, 2021. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Ross Brown made a motion to approve the Town of South Hero Application for Major Subdivision Final Plan Review zoning form. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-Ross Brown made a motion to approve the South Hero Town Highway Permit application. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. Sidewalks in Town are in the State right of way. The State does not clear them of snow. Some options are for each business or resident to clear the sidewalk in front of their property, have the Town road crew purchase equipment to do it, or to hire some entity to do it. The sidewalks are very close to the road so that snow gets piled onto them frequently when the State plows Route 2. Janine Bellinghiri, who lives on Route 2, confirmed that the State plows frequently and she concurs that it would be impractical for the Town to do anything. Mostly, slush and sand gets pushed up, which then usually freezes.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. See other business
9. Other Business:
A. David Carter made a motion to approve and sign orders 21-16 and to pay the bills associated with the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the following liquor license renewal applications:
-Snow Farm Vineyard
-Simons Island Beverage
-#173 Jolley South Hero
-Victoria’s Café
The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Due to Covid-19, Town Meeting will be different. There will not be in in-person informational meeting and all voting will be done by Australian ballot. The voting for Town meeting will be either by absentee ballot or in person. The Town will not mail a ballot to every voter, so if a resident chooses to vote by mail, then they must request a ballot. Instructions are included with the Town Report.
-The actual Town meeting vote will be March 2, 2021. The informational Town portion will be via Zoom at a regular Selectboard meeting on February 22 at 6:00 pm and the school portion will be separate at a date and time. -The School Informational meeting will be via Google meet on Thursday, Feb 25, 2021 at 6:00 pm.
-See the Town Website www.southherovt.org Warning and Agenda link for instructions on how to join a meeting.
D. David Carter made a motion to go into Executive session at 7:00 pm for legal matters regarding the Zlotoff lawsuit. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Note that Martha is being deposed and that Jonathan will attend mediation. Executive session ended at 7:20. No action was taken after executive session.
10. Adjournment:
-David Carter made a motion to adjourn 7:20 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown Jonathan Shaw, Chairman
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Administrative Officer’s Report to Selectboard February 8, 2021
Discussion Items:
1. The DRB had a hearing on 1/13 for a proposed Arbor Farm Market change of use for the old CIDER building at 324 US RT 2. One of the curb cuts used for access to this location is on the Town’s lot for the Old White Meeting House. At the Jan 11 SB meeting, the Board agreed to allow Arbor Farm Market the use of the curb on the Town’s Old White Meeting House parcel to access their parking area. In anticipation of a DRB condition of approval, I have written a letter for the Board to approve and sign giving the Farm Market permission to use this access onto RT 2.
2. I am scheduled to be deposed on February 18 as part of the Zlotoff appeal of Zoning violations that is currently before Environmental Court.
3. The application for the Implementation Grant for Bayside Crossing will be submitted this week. The previous application did not receive funding, but we are hopeful that this application will be approved. The VCDP Board meets at the beginning of April.
4. The Environmental Review for the Bayview Crossing project has been received by the Dept. of Housing and Community Development.
5. I have two draft zoning application forms for the SB’s review and approval. The Planning Commission approved both forms at their Feb. 3 meeting. John Beaulac has approved the draft form for the Town Highway Permit.
Planning Commission:
The Planning Commission is now holding meetings via Zoom.
A. The Planning Commission is looking at its long-term schedule to update the Town Plan by August of 2023. Previously, the Plan was required to be updated every 5 years, but after the 2015 update the State requirements changed to every 8 years. I have contacted NRPC to inquire whether there may be a need to apply for an MPG for this update.
B. No word yet on the “Better Places” grant application for a pocket park at the ‘honeymoon cottage’ ad a second behind the Worthen Library. There were many applicants, and the Commission is hoping that the uniqueness of South Hero’s application will help.
C. The Planning Commission has received positive feedback about a possible Small Business Saturday to include all the Grand Isle County communities in November. Michele Gammal will be meeting with Sherry Potvin of the Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation and Randy Smith of Buy Vermont Local in March to further discuss ideas.
Development Review Board:
-The DRB approved the Site Plan for Arbor Farm Market to operate in the old CIDER office structure and accepted the Town’s permission for the use of the RT 2 access partially on the Town’s property there.
-I’d like to recommend that the Selectboard appoint Sherry Corbin to a 1-year term as second Alternate on the DRB. Sherry’s background as a past ZA, in addition to long-time member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and recent full-time member of the DRB makes her very qualified.
– The DRB is scheduling hearings into March 2021. All hearings are being held via Zoom for the foreseeable future.
– Recent DRB hearing decisions can be found posted on the Board outside the ZA’s office or can be emailed upon request.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney (ZA)