Town of South Hero
Meeting House – Preserve & Revitalize Project
NOTES
Date: MONDAY, Dec 4, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM In person at Town Office or via ZOOM –
Attendees: David Carter-Chair, Michael Carroll, Pamela Surprenant, Mary Harwood, Terry
Robinson, Carol Tremble, Linda Seavey-ZOOM, & Sandy Gregg.
Public & Invited Guests: Rebecca Arnold-Arnold & Scangas. Via ZOOM: Emily Klofft-Northwest
Regional Planning Commission, Jenna Lapachinski-PTVT, Julia Connell-VCDP. Ross Brown
arrived half-way through the meeting.
Absent: Sarah Kjelleren
1. Called to order at 2:05 by David C.
2. VCDP Planning Grant Update & More:
Note: Patrick Scheld on Paternity leave…congrats to Patrick!
Overall: the VCDP Planning Grant is close to completion.
Contract Update: Emily K. will need to update the contract for administrative services. Sept 1st
was the last update on record. Must get to South Hero Selectboard in time to be signed at their
Dec 11 meeting. Email directly to: [email protected]
Drawing down funds: Emily K. check in with Julia C. about this. Emily K. will also communicate
with SH Town Treasurer, Kim Julow about this process. Julianne Sherman – VCDP Compliance
Staff contact. $15,000 drawn down to date…check this with Kim Julow.
Note: VCDP holds 10% of funds until all is approved etc.
GEARS status: Emily K. be sure all is updated in the grant portal GEARS. Susan Arguin is Town
Administrator and has access to GEARS.
Work Products: Found in Attachment A in the Grant. Julia C. listed the work products from the
Grant. These will need to be finalized and approved by the Town at a Selectboard (SB) warned
Public Hearing which can be part of a regular SB meeting.
Environmental Assessment Section 106:
Bruhn Grant requires their own and takes care of getting it done at no cost to the Town.
VCDP Planning Grant requires their own to be done and is paid for through their grant.
Check with Grace & Gretal-VCDP Environmental Assessment contacts. Emily K. check with them
and let the Town & Arnold & Scangas (A&S) know the status and what, if anything, needs to be
updated due to expiration of first letter/report.
Allow 6 months for the phase work to assess site for environmental review/HUD.
Julia C. stated that once the Environmental release letter is obtained HUD allows the project to to
construction. There is no expiration on it as long as the scope of work does not change.
BID Process may start after Environmental release letter obtained (VCDP) and for Bruhn Grant
after NPS OKs plans.
Closing out VCDP Grant: Public hearing must take place BEFORE March 31,2024 with warning
posted in The Islander 15 days prior to meeting date. All agreed the SH SB should plan on
closing out this VCDP grant by March 31,2024. VCDP Grant MUST BE CLOSED BEFORE
Bruhn Grant Implementation Grant begins.
Schematics: Emily K. asked what is the status of the schematics? Rebecca A. answered the
smaller addition is the current schematic and was the one provided to Jenna L. for submission to
the NPS for their 50% pre-review process.
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VCDP Implementation Grant: Can be applied for when VCDP Planning Grant is closed out.
Emily K please note that South Hero will wan to apply for this grant so kindly get us in the queue
in your work schedule.
• NOTE: Shovel in the ground spring 2025
Review by NPS should be completed by late March 2024.
Construction Docs are part of the VCDP Planning Grant
Clarification of combining Engineering Ventures/A&S 2×12 framing to code with Vermont Heavy
Timber framing. Load limits & standards need to be met. Bob Neeld/A&S and Heavy Tiber
representative need to meet, discuss, and advise the Town.
NOTE: Contractors who are capable of lifting and moving the Meeting House building are few. All
are already booked out through 2024. The earliest this project can begin is spring 2025.
Question to Jenna L.: If the NPS requires changes to the plans how do we pay for those
changes to be done if the VCDP Grant funds are all gone?
3. Phase 1 Etc.:
A&S – Rebecca Arnold to get all invoicing up to date through December 10,2023.
Bathrooms: There was consensus that the bathrooms will be included Phase 3.
Occupancy check: Rebecca A. will recheck with the Fire Marshall that until such time as Phase
3 is completed that porta-potties are acceptable for the interim period.
4. Grant(s) Updates –
• Mary H. reported she continues to research grants. Reminder: Many of the grants will come
into play only when our project is “shovel ready”. For example, ADA accessibility grants for
outside ramp and the elevator.
• 2025 Congressional Discretionary Spending (CDS) Grant through Welch’s office is ready for
an ask of $800,000.
• Waiting to hear about VT State Historic Grant for Timber-Framing (late Dec).
• MERP Grant: Sue A. keeps asking the status of this one. Hoping for $50,000 toward
electric/HVAC for the Meeting House.
• Petition: to ask voters to raise $150,000 through one-time tax payment in 2024. Impact would
be $30 per $100,000 property value. Example: $400,000 property would be 4 X $30 = $120
one-time tax payment. Deadline for petition: Jan 2,2024.
5. Public Comment & Announcements:
• Motion by Sandy G. and seconded by Pamela S. to authorize payment of Mary Harwood
Consultant Invoice #239, 11/29/23, in the amount of $420. Vote was unanimous. David will
pass invoice to Town Treasurer for payment.
• Town Report: Report from this committee to the Town is dues bb Dec 31st for inclusion in
the Town Report. 1st Draft will be reworded by Mary H. and circulated for feedback and
comment.
6. Next Meeting – Monday, Jan 8,2024 at 4:00 PM at the Town Office & by Zoom.
7 Adjourned at 4:05 PM
Respectfully submitted by, Sandy Gregg, Volunteer Scribe