Reorganizational + Regular Selectboard Meeting
Minutes of Meeting of March 09, 2026
South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom, Monday 7:00 PM
Board Present via Zoom and in person (after swearing in): David Carter, Steve Robinson, David Lane, Graham “Skip” Brown, Anne Zolotas
Board Not present: none
Others Present: Naomi King: Town Clerk, Sue Arguin: Town Administrator (TA). Also, see sign in sheet of in person and Zoom attendees. *Attendance 2026-03-09-2026
1. Called to Order: The meeting was called to order by Naomi King at 7:00 PM.
2. Board Reorganization and appointments:
A. The meeting was opened by the Town Clerk, Naomi King, for reorganization. David Carter and Steve Robinson were sworn in by the Town Clerk and signed the necessary documents.
B. Naomi King asked for nominations for the Chairperson of the Selectboard. Anne Zolotas made a motion to nominate David Carter as Chairman of the Selectboard. The motion for David Carter as Chairman was seconded. The nominee did not vote, the others voted for the nominee and the motion carried. The meeting was then turned over to David Carter.
C. David Carter made a motion to appoint David Lane Vice Chairman to the Selectboard. The motion was seconded. The nominee did not vote, the others voted for the nominee and the motion carried.
D. David Carter made a motion to elect Skip Brown as clerk to the Selectboard. The motion was seconded. The nominee did not vote, the others voted for the nominee and the motion carried.
E. Anne Zolotas made a motion that the regular Selectboard meetings will continue to be at 7:00 pm at Town Hall and via Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, unless otherwise noted. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
F. Steve Robinson made a motion that the postings of agendas and other official posting locations will continue to be the Town Hall, the Post office, The Worthen Library and the Town website. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
G. Steve Robinson made a motion that the Islander will continue to be the paper of record for legal notices. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
H. The following appointments will continue until otherwise changed:
– Jim Benson will be Animal Control Officer.
– Anne Zolotas will be the Tree Warden.
– John Roy will be the Road Commissioner.
I. Skip Brown made a motion that David Carter will be the Emergency Management Officer. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
J. David Lane made a motion that one Selectboard member may sign orders for payment in a timely matter. The full orders will be reviewed at the next Selectboard meeting. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
K. David Lane made a motion to approve and sign the FY2026/2027 Selectboard Rules of Procedure. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
3. Adjustment to the Agenda:
-none
4. Minutes:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to accept the minutes of meeting of February 23, 2026 as written. The motion was seconded. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
5. Public input:
A. Roz LaVallee from the Granny’s Attic group was present to discuss upcoming information.
-The Granny’s Attic committee are applying for grants to build a permanent structure. The estimate for a new 4000 square foot building is about $425,000.00. To date, the group has about raised about $170,000.00 from community support. Over the last decades, the volunteer Grannies group has donated over $350,000.00 to the community. The Granny’s Attic committee has asked for a letter of support from the Selectboard to be part of the grant applications. Steve Robinson made a motion to have a letter of support drafted acknowledging the Granny’s Attic group and the economic development that they bring to the community. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-The Granny’s Attic hopes to open this spring in the former red fire station and in a tent as they did last year. With the restoration of the Old South Hero Meeting House, logistics for parking and other matters are being worked out. More information will follow.
B. Sandy Gregg and Mary Harwood were present to discuss the need for a line of credit in the amount of $200,000.00 for the Old South Hero Meeting House project. Note that several grants have been obtained totaling over a million dollars, but they are mostly reimbursable grants where the bills have to be paid before the grant money is received. It was questioned if $200,000.00 line of credit is enough? Also, note that any interest cost will be included with the cost of the project. More information will follow at a future meeting.
6. New Business:
A. Andy Julow of the Lake Champlain Economic Development Co. (LCIEDC) was present to discuss some items:
-The Norther Border Regional Commission (NBRC) has grant money available and South Hero has been a recipient of some of the grants. As of now, per the project scoring matrix, the South Hero Community Wastewater Project scores the highest, but that only one grant can be used at a time and the above Meeting House project has an existing grant in use. More info will follow.
-The SCORE bicycling project is still ongoing. The proposed Apple Island Loop for cyclists from the Local Motion Bike Ferry around South Hero still needs signage installed. Signs will be placed this year on existing posts and 8 new posts that will be installed by the South Hero Road crew. Hopefully signs will be installed by Memorial Day weekend when the bike ferry opens.
B. Peter Zamore of the Wastewater Committee was present to discuss a few items:
– David Lane made a motion to resolve that the Selectboard Chair is authorized to sign a contract on behalf of the Town of South Hero with the firm recommended by the Wastewater Committee to undertake a wetlands delineation at the Lavin Property at a cost not exceeding $15,000.00. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Note that the funds will be from already obtained grant and ARPA money.
-The Wastewater Committee will be sending out an RFQ to engineering companies for design of a wastewater system. Note that there is $104,000.00 in ARPA funds sill available and the RFQ will state that the contract will have a stipulation that this amount will be maximum for this part of the design.
-Steve Robinson made a motion to resolve that the Selectboard Chair is authorized to sign a letter on the behalf of the Town of South Hero supporting a request for congressionally directed spending from Senator Welches’s office, for the Wastewater project on the Lavin Property. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Anne Zolotas made a motion to allow the Road Commissioner and/or Road Foreman to sign road permits and postings. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
D. Steve Robinson made a motion to re-appoint Jonathan Shaw as delinquent tax collector. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
E. There will be a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the mowing of Town properties drafted. More info will follow.
7. Administrative Assistant Report:
A. Martha presented a report. See the written report available in Town Hall or on the Town website for all of discussion points.
8. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. none at this meeting
9. Other Business and announcements:
A. Skip Brown made a motion to sign orders #’s 26-18A and 26-19. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Town Clerk/Treasurer update: none at this meeting
C. Recreation Commission update: There will be a survey sent out for naming of the naming of the new Town park
D. Road Dept. update: See above. Also a culvert was blocked and was cleared
E. Lister Updates: Inspections are ongoing.
F. Wastewater update: See above
G. Town Hall project: The former rescue building will be removed by the Town Road Crew beginning this week. Billy Lawrence has agreed that land that he owns to the west of the existing Town Hall may be used for Town employee parking while construction occurs, but must remain open for farm equipment. A MOU will be drafted.
H. Tree Warden updates: There is a tree across the Roy Marsh trail and an arborist has offered to remove it. More info will follow.
I. Lavin Property updates: See Above
J. Liquor License applications: none submitted
10. Adjournment:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to adjourn at 8:31 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown David Carter, Chair
March 9, 2026 ZA’s report to the SB
1. There is still no change to the status of the appeal by Joanne Naas’ regarding the
ZA’s approval of a boundary adjustment between Chippen Point and Wright
Family Partnership on West Shore Rd.
2. Things appear to be moving a bit on Mitchel Richardson’s appeal of the DRB’s
denial of his application last year. I hope to have additional information at your
next meeting.
3. I have been asked by the Grannies when they will be able to open this spring.
They will be operating out of the Red Fire Station again this summer but are
concerned about whether renovations of the Meeting House will affect their
schedule.
Planning Commission
The commission met with Northwest Regional Planning at their March 4 meeting to
discuss amendments/additions to the Development Regulations required in the HOME
Act and Act 181. There are several which will delay the Commission’s plans to present
updates they’ve been working on and the required public hearings, etc.
Development Review Board
The Board’s began a required conditional use/site plan review on February 25. The
hearing has been recessed to May 13 for the Meeting House to gather some additional
information needed by the Board. The delay will not affect the ongoing renovation
plans.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA