Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of August 13, 2018
South Hero Town Hall, Monday 7:00 PM
Board Members Present: Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), David Carter, Sharon Roy, Anne Zolotas
Board Members Not Present: none
Others Present: Janet Yates, Town Clerk & Martha Taylor-Varney Admin. Assistant/ZA
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called to order by Chairman Shaw at 7:00 pm.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
-David Carter made a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of July 23, 2018 as written. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. Sandy Gregg suggested that Sarah Kjelleren volunteered to touch up the Welcome to South Hero sign. The Board thinks that this is a nice gesture and Martha will follow up and see if she is still interested.
5. New Business:
A. Regarding White’s Beach, Jonathan apologized to David Hobbs and the Recreation Commission for confusing statements at a meeting in July of 2017. White’s Beach has been crowded in this hot, dry weather. The signs that state: “Parking for South Hero residents and their guests” are being ignored, and Grand Isle County Sheriff, Ray Allen, states that he cannot enforce that policy as it is too vague. But, moving forward, what is the future of White’s Beach and how to control overcrowding. The consensus of the public in attendance, as well as the Board, is that something has to be done. The only way to make any rules enforceable is to enact an ordinance.
Some suggestions that will be discussed for an ordinance are:
-Keep the beach for South Hero residents and their guests only from at all times. (Or, at least from Memorial Day-Labor Day or Columbus Day).
-Sell stickers so that there is a method to tell who is authorized to use the beach. ($5.00/sticker for residents was suggested. If non-residents can use the beach, charge a higher price.)
-Ban dogs entirely. (Or, at least ban dogs during set busy daylight hours.)
-Hire someone to watch over the area. (Or, at least have volunteer stewards who can call authorities.)
-Ban smoking.
-Ban all glass containers.
-Carry garbage in/carry garbage out.
-Consider closing the “boat launch” area to power boats in July and August except for emergency service boats.
-Consider temporary speed bumps in the road behind the parking area.
Keep in mind that these are preliminary discussion items to consider, and the Recreation Commission along with the Board will hold a public hearing when a draft of a possible ordinance is developed.
B. The Island Craft Shop Cooperative is interested in possibly renting the former Rescue Building. They submitted a proposal about leasing the space. (A hard copy of the proposal can be seen in Town Hall filed with these minutes or on www.southherovt.org.). More discussion will be had at a future meeting. Island Craft Shop Proposal
6. Administrative Assistant Report:
A. A written report was submitted. A hard copy with discussion points can be seen in Town Hall filed with these minutes or on www.southherovt.org.
B. To date, no letters of interest for the open Planning Commission spot have been received. Any interested person may submit a letter of interest to Martha and does not have to be South Hero resident.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The Board of Granny’s Attic modified the MOU that was discussed at the last meeting. After discussion about their concerns, David Carter made a motion to alter the document as discussed and to allow Jonathan to sign it for the Selectboard. It will be re-submitted to the Granny’s Attic Board for their signature. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. Sharon Roy made a motion to accept the “errors and omissions” report submitted by the Listers for 2 seasonal trailers that were removed from Apple Island campground last year, but the Town was never notified. They are HU004 in the amount of $22,600.00 and SL008 in the amount of $12,000.00. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
9. Other Business:
A. Anne Zolotas made a motion to sign orders 19-03 and pay the bills associated with this order. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. The Highway Department hired a consultant to assess the intersection of East Shore Rd. and Landon Rd. The sight lines due to the hill on Landon Rd. dictate that East Shore Rd. will have to be moved farther to the east than it is now. But, that land is owned by the State and is in land trust, plus would end up near a small wetland. Therefore, it may not be feasible to change it. More info to follow about possible changes.
C. Sharon Roy made a motion to go into executive session to discuss a personnel matter at 8:30 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Executive session ended at 8:48 pm. Upon exiting executive session, Sharon Roy made a motion to direct Martha to write a letter to Everett Dubuque ending his service and thanking him for his years as Animal Control Officer (ACO). She will also write letters to Mandy Hotchkiss and Thereza Cononi regarding the death of Thereza’s chickens by Mandy’s dogs to suggest that they try to work things out. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Coletta Greenbaum will be considered for the job as South Hero ACO. Grand Isle ACO, Todd Boutin, will fill in until the new South Hero ACO is ready to take over.
10. Adjournment:
-Sharon Roy made a motion to adjourn 9:00 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown Jonathan Shaw, Chair
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Administrative Officer’s Report to Selectboard August 13, 2018
Discussion Items:
- FEMA has formally approved the Town of South Hero 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan. With the Plan approval, the Town of South Hero is eligible to apply to the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for mitigation grants administered by FEMA. In order to maintain eligibility for mitigation grant funding, the South Hero Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018 must be reviewed, revised as appropriate, and resubmitted within 5 years of the approval date of July 16, 2018.
- I will be attending a ½-day class in for Floodplain Administrators in Littleton, NH on August 16 (this Thursday). The workshop is intended for community officials who administer and enforce floodplain regulations, review applications and/or issue permits for development in floodplain areas, and for community officials who are interested in learning more about a community’s responsibilities as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). I hope to take the Certified Floodplain Manager exam next year.
- 2019 Municipal Planning Grant application deadline is October 1st, 2018. Online applications are currently available. NRPC explained to me that an MPG could be used for historic preservation, and not necessarily only a specific Planning Commission project. Taylor Newton explained that since we have a designated village center, that the revitalization and/or re-use of town-owned property could be considered and MPG prospect. I can get further information if the Town is interested.
–Planning Commission: As yet, I have received no letters of interest for the open position on the Planning Commission. I received some suggestions from Bob Buermann (who is unfortunately unable to join due to his schedule with NRPC) and will continue to follow up. A reminder that members of the PC need not be a resident of the town but must have a significant and related interest (for example, a business owner, etc.). Please contact me with any ideas of possible candidates. The Board continues to review the draft regulations and plans to have a final draft for the September 5th meeting.
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-Development Review Board: There is one hearing on 8/22. Granny’s Attic Conditional Use and Site Plan has been pushed to September 12 due to the length of time anticipated for the 8/22 hearing.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA and Asst. to the Selectboard