Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday December 14, 2020 at 6:00 PM
South Hero Town Hall
Board Members Present: Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), Anne Zolotas, and David Carter in person.
Board Members Not Present: Ross Brown
Others Present: Janet Yates, Town Clerk in person and Martha Taylor-Varney via zoom. Also see sign in sheet of in person and Zoom attendees.Attendance SB 12-14-2020
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called by Chairman Shaw at 6:00 pm
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-Change the order of the meeting
3. Minutes:
-David Carter made a motion to approve the minutes of November 23, 2020. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. none
5. New Business:
A. Members of the Recreation Commission presented an estimate from GMCS for a parking attendant at White’s Beach. The estimate is for a person to be at the beach for 6 hours every weekend and holidays from May 31-Sept.6. This company and these dates are just a starting point for budgeting purposes and may change as the need is further assessed. Note that the main part of the budget is level funded, with the assumption that some of the programs, such as the swim lessons, can proceed.
-Note that all budget requests will be reviewed by the Selectboard, will be included in the Town Report and will be voted on by the Town residents in March of 2021.
B. Everett Dubuque is resigning as Constable effective December 31, 2020. The Town is required to have a constable. The Selectboard will try to find a replacement to complete the term. Right now, the Constable is an elected position, but the Board will look into appointing someone for the next term.
C. David Carter made a motion to appoint Bill Rowe, Nate Hayward and Jim Brightwell for 3 year terms as regular members to the Development Review Board (DRB) and Sue Arguin and Mike Welch to 1 year terms as alternates. 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. David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the Resolution to Designated a Public Agency (NRPC) to help administer grant funding for the Old White Meeting House. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. David Carter made a motion to adopt new language to the Zoning Bylaws so that they will conform to State Standards: Article VII: Specific uses and Structures/Section 701: Accessory Structures. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
D. David Carter made a motion to approve the Town of South Hero Mobile Vendor license application form. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. There has been vandalism to some of the signs at White’s Beach in the form of graffiti and political stickers applied to some signs. Jonathan will ask the Road Crew to remove the signs from the posts and to clean the graffiti and stickers over the winter. Also, the Recreation Commission will look into a sign explain the name of the beach area.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. See other business
9. Other Business:
A. David Carter made a motion to approve and sign orders 21-12 and to pay the bills associated with the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. The general Town budget was worked on.
C. Note: There will not be a Selectboard meeting on December 28, 2020
10. Adjournment:
-David Carter made a motion to adjourn 7:25 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 December 14, 2020
Discussion Items:
1. An article on the new Mobile Vendors ordinance, by Mike Donoghue, was in the December 9 issue of the Islander. Mike told me that he may do a follow-up article later in the winter to help publicize the new requirements for conditional use and site plan review before the summer season begins.
2. The Ordinance has been posted on the Town website under Laws and Ordinances. I have had several emails and phone calls from people who can’t find it. Could it be posted on the home page until it becomes effective on Jan. 22, then moved back to Laws and Ordinances?
3. I submitted an ad to the Islander for anyone interested in serving on the DRB and have received no response. I would recommend that the Selectboard re-appoint Jim Brightwell, Nate Hayward, and Bill Rowe to 3-year terms as regular members of the Board, and Mike Welch and Sue Arguin to 1-year terms as Alternates.
4. I have been notified by David Dewyea that delivery of the new computer for the Zoning Office has been delayed until after the new year.
5. The Implementation grant for Cathedral Square was not awarded by VCDP at their November Board meeting due to a lack of available funding. VCDP encourages S. Hero to re-apply in time for their April 1 meeting. The S. Hero SB will need to re-adopt the Resolution for Application, and a new public hearing will be required with an anticipated approval. I will be in touch with Cindy Reid to begin this process.
6. I am currently working from home but will be in the office, as needed, on various evenings and Fridays to take care of business that cannot be conducted from my home. I anticipate being back in the office full-time by the second of January.
Planning Commission:
The Planning Commission is now holding meetings via Zoom.
A. In an act related to promoting affordable housing, the State’s Planning and Development Act has changed its requirements regarding accessory dwellings. These differ from the Town’s current definition – 1BR dwelling, clearly subordinate to a single household dwelling; measuring up to 50% of the total habitable floor area of the single household dwelling but may not exceed 700sf. The State’s new definition allows for additional bedrooms (as long as there is sufficient wastewater capacity) and to be as large as 900 sf or 30% of the floor area of the principal dwelling (whichever is greater). The Planning Commission finalized the new language for Sec. 701 of the Development Regulations and will be asking the Selectboard at their Dec. 14th meeting to approve the amended language in the Regulations.
B. The Planning Commission will only hold its first Tuesday of the month in Dec. The second regularly scheduled meeting will be canceled.
Development Review Board:
– The DRB has scheduled hearings currently into February 2021. All hearings are being held via Zoom.
– The DRB approved Cathedral Square’s Preliminary Site Plan for the proposed senior housing. There are still parking and traffic circulation issues to be worked out. No Final Site Plan reviewed has been scheduled yet.
– The Board will not be holding their regularly scheduled second meetings during December due to the Christmas holiday.
– 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)