Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of November 12, 2018
South Hero Town Hall, Monday 7:00 PM
Board Members Present: Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), David Carter, Anne Zolotas, Sharon Roy
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. The meeting was opened with a moment of silence in honor of Veterans Day.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
-Anne Zolotas made a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of October 22, 2018 as written. The motion was seconded, David Carter and Skip Brown abstained, the others in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. Sandy Gregg asked for an explanation of the “School and Ministerial” budget line. This amount is used to help offset the school taxes and actually will save the taxpayers money since this money is not added to the State payment (who keeps more than half of the school tax payment sent to them). This money stays with the school, dollar for dollar, in support of the Community use of the building.
5. New Business:
A. Budget requests:
– The Road Department submitted a budget request, reflecting approximately a 2.7% increase over last year.
– The Grand Isle County Sheriff submitted a budget request of $137,228.00, reflecting a $10,140.00 increase over last year, mainly due to higher insurance premiums and a cost of living increase in pay for the staff/deputies.
– The South Hero Bicentennial Museum presented a budget request of $6200.00, reflecting an increase of $425.00 over last year.
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. David Carter made a motion to adopt and sign the “Cash receipts, petty cash and returned check policy” for the Town. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Martha would like assistance with cleaning up out of date files and help when she is on vacation. Some work may be done with volunteers, but a paid assistant may be budgeted for in the future.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. David Carter made a motion to allow the Chairman to sign the stipulation of the Evslin tax appeal settlement when it is ready. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Gauthier Carting previously sent the Board a proposal for a price increase of the sticker program for $11.45 for one 30 gallon garbage bag and 30 gallons of mixed recycling and attended a Selectboard meeting in October. South Hero is one of very few towns in the State with a garbage sticker program.
After discussion, David Carter made a motion to:
-Stop the garbage sticker program effective January 1, 2019
-From now until December 31, 2018 all new stickers will cost $11.45 (unless a different price is negotiated).
-There will be a flyer mailed to all Town taxpayers advising of the changes and options for residents going forward.
-Current unused stickers may be redeemed for $7.55 each at the Town Hall until Sept. 1, 2019.
The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
8. Other Business:
A. David Carter made a motion to sign orders 19-09 & 19-10 and to pay the bills associated with this order. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. David Carter made a motion to re-appoint Thomas Chagnon, David Hobbs and Mike Wickenden to the recreation Commission for a 3 year term with the end dates agreed upon. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. The General Town budget was worked on.
9. Adjournment:
-Sharon Roy made a motion to adjourn 9:45 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 November 12, 2018
Discussion Items:
1. I attended a Planning and Zoning seminar on Friday, October 26th at the ANR offices in Essex Junction. Subjects included investigations of violations of State permits, State-wide trash issues, Emerald Ash Borer, and Shoreland Protection. There will be 2 upcoming discussions on EAB in the area – Monday, Nov. 26 from 5:30 to 7PM at the Milton Artists Guild; and a meeting at the Grand Isle Fire Station on Dec. 4th from 6:30 to 8PM. This meeting will be for Grand Isle County Tree Wardens and representatives from each Selectboard with the intention of forming a county-wide task force dedicated to EAB response. I believe Janet received some information on this.
2. I have Section 3 of the Financial Policies Handbook for the SB’s signature. I made the edits and can go over them with you if you’d like. Each SB member has a copy. We’ll need one signed for Janet to include in the finished handbook copy.
3. I’ve been asked by Tyler Hermanson of the State’s E911 office to consider naming the ROW off of RT 2 that was created between the 2 new lots facing RT 2 and will also be the access to the rest of the Lavin property. This new road will be the address for any future development on either of the new lots approved in the spring by the DRB or any other development in the parcel behind. VTrans does not intend to create any new access off RT 2 for that parcel.
4. The DRB has a Conditional Use and Site Plan review for Island Crafts to use the old Rescue Building this Wednesday, 11/14. I am requesting a member of the SB attend the hearing as a representative of the Town.
5. Town departments attending the November 26 SB meeting to discuss their budgets will be the Library, Fire Department, and Rescue. Fire and Rescue will have individual budgets in addition to a combined budget for the new emergency services building.
6. The next Certified Floodplain Manager’s exam is scheduled for January 11, 2019 in Montpelier. I would like to take that exam. I’ll have more information at the next SB meeting.
-Planning Commission: There will be no second meeting in November (originally scheduled for he 21st). The only meeting in December will be the 5th. The Commission will return to their 2 meetings-a-month schedule in January.
-Development Review Board: There is one hearing on Nov. 14 and 2 deliberatives. So far, I have nothing scheduled for the 28th (too late now to warn one). I have been contacted to possibly schedule a couple hearings in December, and another tentatively scheduled for late January/early February. The DRB has had an extremely busy Fall and has earned some time off.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA and Asst. to the Selectboard