Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of January 9, 2017
South Hero Town Hall, Monday 7:00 PM
Board Members Present Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), Anne Zolotas, Carol Tremble.
Board Members Not Present: George Rice
Others Present: Sharon Roy, Town Clerk. Also see sign in sheet.
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called to order by Chairman Shaw at 7:00 pm.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
– Carol Tremble made a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of December 19, 2016 as written. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
5. Public input:
A. Terry Delano of the Planning Commission (PC) advised that the park and ride is complete. Since the Town highway department did most of the work, there is a surplus in the grant money of approx. $3,000.00. The State does not want this money returned. Instead, the money should be used. Some suggestions were a bike rack and some landscaping. Terry will be pleased to have more suggestions.
B. Herman Fossi and Nancy Franz of South Hero Rescue were present to discuss the fact that the ambulance needs a full chassis replacement and the current box needs to be refurbished. An article will be presented to be included the Town Report asking for $140,000.00 for this work.
C. Sandy Gregg mentioned that there are some sumac branches blown along Kibbe Point Road due to the recent high winds. Anne Zolotas will ask the road crew to clear them.
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.
7. New Business:
A. Ken Kowalewitz of the Library Trustees discussed the final draft of a proposed article requesting that the Community Library designation be changed to a Municipal Library structure.
8. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. South Street reconstruction project from Landon to Martin Roads updates: The bid process is finalized and a timeline is included with the AA report.
9. Other Business:
A. Anne Zolotas made a motion to sign orders 17-14 and pay the bills associated with this order. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. The Islander does not always publish notes from the Selectboard when submitted. Complete minutes are always on the Town website. Carol had a concern that not everyone has access to a computer and that the Islander is good resource for these people . The notes will still be sent to the Islander with the understanding that it is the paper’s discretion whether to print them.
C. Carol Tremble read an email from George Rice regarding future planning for the office. See it attached with these minutes.
D. Anne Zolotas made a motion to accept highway budget as presented. The motion was seconded, Carol Tremble voted no, the others in attendance so voted yes and the motion carried.
E. The financing and term of the new fire/rescue building was discussed and will be added to the general town budget.
F. The general town budget was worked on and a final draft will be presented at the next meeting.
G. Skip Brown made a motion to sign the Certificate of Highway Mileage as presented and to have Sharon send it into the State. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted, and the motion carried.
10. Adjournment:
-Anne Zolotas made a motion to adjourn 9:21 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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TOWN OF SOUTH HERO Administrative Officer’s Report to Selectboard January 9, 2017
Discussion Items:
1. All signs are now installed at the Park and Ride. Shield on light will be installed within the next few weeks. Entire project will come in about $2000 under budget – grant was for $15,635.00.
2. South Street –
• Coordinating with JoAnne Fryer of CDL for bid advertisement. Must be posted in 3 places. VTrans has approved the ad.
• Will include on Town website, vtbidsystem.com, and Works in Progress to meet 1/11/17 advertising date. CLD agreed that placing an ad in the newspaper (Islander/Free Press/Messenger) would not garner any additional interest since contractors generally go to vtbidsystem.com or Works in Progress.
• I have created a user acct in my name for electronic posting on vtbidsystem.com.
• Must also post electronically for Works in Progress – I will do this.
• Pre-bid meeting scheduled for 1/25/17 at Town Office – 1PM
• Bid opening scheduled 2/9/17 at Town Office – 2PM (changed from 2/10)
Planning Commission: Meeting with NRPC on January 18 to continue Development Regulations updates. No longer have review responsibilities for subdivisions and site plan since DRB will now include those.
Development Review Board: All new members have been notified. Will have mandatory training scheduled for January 11, 2017 with NRPC at 7PM. DRB members from Grand Isle and North Hero have been invited, as have Planning Commission members from South Hero and other GI communities. As of 1/5, no DRB hearings have been scheduled.
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LETTER FROM GEORGE RICE
Skip,
As you know, I will not be present for the first meeting in January but expect to be for all the following ones through town Meeting. I think it is important that we address the transition issues with everyone in town so am requesting that we have at least two meetings prior to town meeting to address them. We must include funds for a real audit that should go out to bid. I think any new treasurer will want all accounts audited to include town, highway, fire, and rescue. While I realize that Sharon co mingles all those funds, along with school funds, that will have to stop with the next treasurer.
I also believe that we must have an inventory of all town property, especially the highway equipment, tools, vehicles, inventory, parts, etc.
Having said all that, we need to budget an appropriate amount for a computer system that will include all of the above. Those funds will be spent between July 2017 and February 2018.
In summary, we should notify all selectboard candidates and anyone interested in being clerk or treasurer a year from now to those discussions and invite them to attend. I also want to once again reiterate the need to form a committee of volunteers to help us through this process, even to include a personnel plan and policy for the future elected officials and employees of the town.
G