Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday April 12, 2021 at 7:00 PM
At South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom
Board Members Present: David Carter/Chairman, Skip Brown/Board Secretary, Anne Zolotas, Ross Brown, Chuck Hulse
Board Members Not Present: none
Others Present: Erin Morse/Town Clerk, Kim Julow/Town Treasurer and Martha Taylor-Varney/ZA. Also see sign in sheet of in person and Zoom attendees who actively participated.
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called by Chairman Carter at 7:00 pm
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
-Ross Brown made a motion to approve the minutes of March 22, 2021. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. Janine Bellinghiri supports that the Selectboard may pursue working with VTrans on no parking zones in certain areas of Route 2.
5. New Business:
A. Mike Servidio of Technology Consultants Inc (TCI) presented plans and estimates to update preventative enhancements to internet technology in Town Hall. Currently there are no great firewall monitoring or back-up systems in place. His company is also able to update the old phone system as the current 25+ year old system is not adequate. Ross Brown made a motion to table this discussion until the next meeting. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Guy Maguire of South Hero Land Trust was present to discuss the plans for the upcoming Green Up Day on May 1, 2021. To summarize, green bags will be available at the Library and cleanup crews will be asked to social distance. Visit www.shlt.org for more information.
C. Several homeowners on Martin Rd. and in Shadowland have written letters to the Town regarding parking on Martin Rd. near the Fish and Wildlife (F&W) access and to the seasonal bike ferry run by Local Motion. The number of cars and disrespect of parkers appears to be a safety concern. Karen Yacos and Tom Clark of Local Motion were present, and they stated that their organization has no jurisdiction of the F&W access. They want to partner with F&W and the Town to help control the situation. Right now, the F&W access is poorly marked and trees have overgrown so that the entrance is hidden. Many vehicles drive past it and will then turn around in private roads and driveways. Lack of signage seemed to be a consensus of all who participated. F&W will put up signs on the path, but that will not help until someone is actually on the access. Local Motion will install better signage and also remind visitors that parking is available at the Folsom Educational and Community Center Town owned parking lot, as well as at Allenholm Farm and Snow Farm Winery. The Town will install some no parking signs on certain areas of Martin Rd. Note that Martin Rd. is scheduled to be re-ditched, graded and paved in 2021, but in all likelihood that will not happen until the Fall. There is a possibility of adding some widened shoulders to give more room for parking, but that will have to be looked into to see if it is feasible.
D. Anne Zolotas made a motion to re-appoint Bob Buermann to the as district representative to NWSWD. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
6. Administrative Assistant Report:
A. See the written report filed with these minutes in Town Hall or www.southherovt.org.
B. Anne Zolotas made a motion to allow Arbor Farm Market to have a sign on the roof of the old CIDER building as well as on the East side of the building to show the name of the business as well as parking. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. At the last meeting, the Selectboard was asked to review the site plan and to offer an opinion for the proposed BayView Crossing senior housing. In error, the Board made a motion and approved what they saw. Chuck Hulse made a motion to rescind the motion that approved the site plan. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The Delinquent Tax Collector position was discussed. The residents voted at Town Meeting that a Delinquent Tax Collector can be appointed by the Selectboard. The Town Treasurer, Kim Julow, will prepare necessary warrants for the Delinquent Tax Collector for overdue taxes. A Delinquent Tax Collector handbook was purchased from VLCT. There are specific guidelines per State Statute to be Delinquent Tax Collector. Chuck Hulse has prepared a summarized job description and an advertisement will be listed for the position on FPF and in the Islander.
B. The Town Constable position was discussed. The residents voted at Town Meeting that the Town Constable can be appointed by the Selectboard. There are specific guidelines per State Statute and VLCT to be Town Constable. Chuck Hulse has prepared a summarized job description. If the Constable does not train for law enforcement, there are not many duties for the position. A question was raised if the Town even has to have a constable. More info will be forthcoming.
C. Skip Brown advised that 2 estimates were received to update the Town website platform. More information will be forthcoming.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. See other business
9. Other Business:
A. Skip Brown made a motion to approve and sign orders 21-20 and 20-21 and to pay the bills associated with the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. There will be a lottery for out of Town beach parking passes. So far there are 47 requests for 40 passes.
C. Recreation Commission (RC) update: GMCS has been asked to prepare a contract for a parking attendant at the White’s Beach area. Some no parking signs marking the emergency access to the Lake will be moved to better mark the location.
D. Road Department update: Ross Brown noted that the new floor for the Town garage was poured as well as the new external apron. The front of the Town garage will be painted. Some cars are cutting off of West Shore Rd. and driving over grass where it joins Rte. 314. The Town will look into ditching or adding some other barrier to prevent it.
E. Anne Zolotas made a motion to approve and sign the following Liquor License renewals for: After Noonies/DBA Blue Paddle Bistro and for South Hero Fermentation/DBA Two Heroes Brewery. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
F. Anne Zolotas made a motion to approve and sign the Mobile vendor license for Lola’s Kitchen that will be located at the Candy Lab and for After Noonies/DBA Blue Paddle Bistro that will be at Keeler Bay Marina Campground. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
G. 2 large poplar trees on Hill Rd. and 1 one East Shore Rd. that were in the Town ROW were recently removed.
10. Adjournment:
-Ross Brown made a motion to adjourn 9:55 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
10. Adjournment:
-Ross Brown made a motion to adjourn 9:55 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown David Carter, Chairman
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Administrative Officer’s Report to Selectboard April 12, 2021
Discussion Items:
- Ross Brown has added himself as the new Municipal Authorizing Official (MAO) for South Hero on the State’s GEARS system.
- A condition for the planning grant awarded to the Town for the Old White Meeting House includes that the Town must have adopted policies and procedures for Financial Management that have been approved by the Selectboard. VCDP had already received these as a condition of last year’s Bayview Crossing Planning Grant and agreed that they fulfil the conditions of this grant.
- I have not had time to work on the Town’s request to VTrans to consider adding “No Parking” signs on portions of RT 2 in South Hero Village and Keeler Bay Village. Terry Robinson and Ron Phelps have requested parking space be reserved on RT 2 for the Museum. My responsibilities as Zoning Administrator leave me little time to pursue this right now.
- I attended the VCDP board meeting (virtually) on April 1st as the Town representative for the Board’s consideration of the Cathedral Square application for an Implementation Grant for Bayside Crossing Senior Housing. The first application in November 2020 for this grant was not awarded, so this is our second attempt. The Board will be making their decision on or before April 23rd.
- I received an email from Megan Roush of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency re the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and forwarded it to the SB members. SB Chair David Carter responded that he had already spoken with Ms. Roush and the SB has already sent letters of support and does not need to take any further action.
- The Sign Ordinance currently allows for only one building-mounted sign identifying a business. I have a request from Alisha Utter and Kyle Bowley of Arbor Farm Market – approved by the DRB for a change of use of the old CIDER offices – to be allowed to utilize CIDER’s old roof-mounted sign that faces RT 2 and to have a wall-mounted sign on the south side of the structure that would be visible from the road by westbound traffic. This second sign would also direct cars to parking on that side of the building. The site plan for the DRB does not provide parking in the front. Now that signs are regulated by an ordinance andtaken out of the Development Regulations, the Selectboard can waive a requirement of the sign ordinance in special circumstances. The additional building mounted sign will encourage parking on the east side of the structure, improving safety and traffic flow in an already busy shared parking area.
- I have 3 Mobile Vendor licenses for the SB to sign tonight.
Planning Commission:
The Planning Commission continues to hold meetings via Zoom.
- The Planning Commission’s April 7 meeting included discussions with Greta Brunswick of NRPC. Discussion included whether the Town will want a municipal planning grant for the 2023 Town Plan update, changes to Act 143 and 179, and if these changes contradict anything in the current Development Regulations. Greta informed the Commission that changes to the 2020 Development Regulations previously approved by the Selectboard were considered substantial changes. These include changes to Table 2.1 (Allowed Uses) for Accessory Uses and the State-mandated change in the definition of “accessory dwellings.” The Planning Commission will need to warn a public hearing, then followed by a Selectboard public hearing. The PC will be discussing this further at their April 21 meeting.
Development Review Board:
– I am scheduling DRB hearings into late May 2021. All hearings are being held via Zoom for the foreseeable future.
– There are 3 scheduled hearings on April 28th to complete the requirements for new mobile vendors’ license.
– Upcoming hearings also include the final site plan review for Bayview Crossing on April 14, the continuation to April 14 of a Conditional Use/Site Plan review begun on March 10, a combined subdivision/planned unit development review continued to May 26, and a CU/SP review for the Zlotoff Foundation’s Car museum. Once this review is complete, the Foundation’s current notice of violation will be resolved.
– Recent DRB hearing decisions are posted on the Board outside the ZA’s office or can be emailed upon request.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney (ZA)