Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday November 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
At South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom
Board Members Present: David Carter/Chairman, Skip Brown/Board Secretary, Steve Robinson, Anne Zolotas, David Lane
Board Members Not Present: n/a
Other Town personnel Present: Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA, Sue Arguin, TA, Naomi King, TC. Also see sign in sheet. attached*Attendance 2025-11-24-2025
1. Called to Order:
– The meeting was called to order by Chairman David Carter at 7:00 pm.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
– none
3. Minutes:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to approve the minutes of November 10, 2025. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. None
5. New Business:
A. Gabby Viens of the SHVFD Auxiliary was present to discuss the upcoming Holiday parade. The parade will begin at the Keeler Bay fishing access and proceed on Sunrise Drive to Route 2, where it will travel to Community Lane and the South Hero Fire and Rescue building. The time for the parade is 4:00 pm on December 13, 2025. Note that permits for this parade are in place.
B. Miles Jenness of Vermont Heavy Timbers was present to discuss the work that the company is contracted for the Old South Hero Meeting House. The company will replace rotten beams and sill plates using the timber frame construction method. Once the building is stabilized, it will be lifted and rolled toward the North so the foundation can be replaced. Work in their shop will commence now and work on the building site is expected to begin in the spring of 2026.
C. Ray Allen of the Grand Isle County Sheriff submitted a budget request at $206,500.32. This is based on a 3% increase from the last budget based on $73.54/hour for 54 hours/week. Sheriff Allen advised the Board that he is getting a new K-9 “deputy” in the next few months to assist in drug enforcement and missing persons assistance.
D. Steve Robinson of the Cemetery Commission submitted a level funded budget request at $10,000.00. He stated that a new section of the cemetery has been opened and plans to plant replacement trees are being considered.
E. Bob Fireovid of the Conservation Commission presented a level funded budget request at $1500.00. A draft of a Forest Management Plan for a new South Hero Town Forest at a certain section of the Lavin Property was discussed. The Town with help from NRPC is working on wetlands mapping. Since the property was purchased using funds earmarked for wastewater, once the mapping is complete and all of the wastewater capacity has been explored, then plans for the rest of the acreage will be explored.
F. Town Clerk Naomi King submitted a budget request for the Town offices. Most of the line items are similar to last year. But, since a new Town office is expected to be complete in the next fiscal year, a figure of $10,000.00 has been added for new storage units and furnishings for the new office.
G. Dylan Degree of the Recreation Commission submitted a level funded budget request of 30,900.00.
H. Steve Robinson made a motion to approve and sign the Errors and Omissions document as presented by the Listers for a camper that has been removed from AIR Development (Apple Island) property. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Additional budget requests:
-The Champlain Island Parent Child Center presented a written budget request for $1500.00.
*Note that the budget requests will be included on the Town report and will voted on Town Meeting Day.
6. Town Administrator (TA) and Zoning Administrator (ZA) Reports:
A. See the written report from the ZA attached below with these minutes.
B. The DRB has approved the plan for the new Town Office with the stipulation that 4 more parking spots be added. Note the 18 spots shown on the plan meet the development regulations, but that does not appear to meet the needs of the building when there is a meeting or on election days. Note that while parking is allowed in the breakdown lane of Route 2, which is not a viable option for overflow parking. Another option using the abutting landowners land will be explored.
C. VHB has submitted a letter regarding the landfill property testing. More information will be at a future meeting.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. KAS has finished the testing for lead around the Old South Hero Meeting House. More information will follow on what the remediation/disposal will need to be done to any excavated soils.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. The upcoming Selectboard meetings for December will be on December 8 and a special meeting on December 15, as there will not be a meeting on December 22, 2025.
B. The letter written by the attorney to the Chagnon family re: Dubuque Lane was reviewed will be sent out.
9. Other Business:
A. Anne Zolotas made a motion to sign the orders 26-11 and have the Treasurer pay the bills as presented on the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Town Clerk/Treasurer updates: See above
C. Recreation Commission (RC) update: See above and https://southherovt.org/rec/ for more info.
D. Road Department update: The rebuilding of Lakeview Road was discussed. It will be broken up to a 4 year project with the South end reconstruction being the first to be done. The road will be fully dug out in certain sections. It will be ditched as necessary and then rebuilt and paved to a width of 24’.
E. Lister Updates: The Town wide re-appraisal process has begun soon and letters have been sent to homeowners when inspections will begin in their area. There will not be any inspections in December.
F. Lavin Property updates: See above.
G. Town Hall Committee update: See above and https://southherovt.org/town-office-building-committee/
H. Tree Warden Update: The 7 large poplar trees at the South end of South St. that are in the Town ROW and also under the power lines were removed last week.
I. Steve Robinson made a motion to go into executive session at 8:28 pm to discuss personnel and salary issues. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. A motion was made and executive session ended at 8:50 pm. After the executive session ended, the consensus of the Board, Anne Zolotas was tasked with exploring the option of hiring a mediator to advise on personnel/salary matters.
10. Adjournment:
-Skip Brown made a motion to adjourn at 8:52 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted, Approved by,
_______________________________ ________________________________
Graham Brown, Secretary David Carter, Chairman
For a video of the meeting, see: www.lcatv.com
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November 24, 2025 ZA’s report to the SB
1. Attorney Peter Raymond of Sheehey Furlong & Behm has entered an
appearance on behalf of the Town of South Hero to Environmental Court (VT
Superior Court – Environmental Division) regarding the appeal by Joanne Naas
of the Zoning Administrator’s approval of a boundary adjustment between
Chippen Point and Wright Family Partnership on West Shore Rd. My
understanding is that attornies for Naas and the Applicant, Chippen Point, are
communicating. I will hopefully have more information for you at the next
meeting.
2. A recent denial by the DRB of an application by Mitchel Richardson of a site plan
amendment and renewal of an expired conditional use approval has been
appealed by Mr. Richardson to Environmental Court. Mr. Peter Raymond has
entered an appearance to the Court on behalf of the Town. It is still early in this
process and I have received no further information at this time.
3. I attended a Zoning Roundtable discussion on Thursday, November 20 in St.
Albans, hosted by Northwest Regional Planning Commission. Discussion
included the Governor’s recent executive order promoting housing construction
and rehabilitation. These changes include reinstating the Residential Building
Energy Standards of 2020, rather than the recently updated 2024 standards;
wetlands modifications that reduce required buffer widths; priority permitting for
housing development; and changes to the Act 250 regulatory process. From my
understanding, there may be some pushbacks related to the Residential Building
Energy Standards and wetlands buffers.
Planning Commission
The commission has finalized clarifications in the Development Regulations related to
“average natural grade” and “pre-construction grade.” These are now being passed on
to the DRB for their comments. In addition, the definition for measuring setback
distances is under reconsideration. The DRB has asked the Planning Commission to
redefine setbacks measurements from the structure’s walls rather than the dripline,
while giving the Board the option to measure from the eaves when reviewing setback
waivers.
Development Review Board
1. The DRB recently approved the conditional use/site plan review for the new Town
Office. The hearing was held on October 22 nd . A site plan review for a Planned
Unit Development (PUD) in the open space west of the Fish and Wildlife parking
and Near Coastal Holdings’ property on the north side of RT 2 closed on
November 12 and the Board will finalize their decision at their December 10
meeting. Also scheduled that night is a setback waiver application on Kibbe
Farm Rd.
2. The tentative date for a hearing for the Meeting House is scheduled for January
14, 2025. This will be a conditional use/site plan review for a change of use for
the first floor only, from storage to public assembly.
3. I received word today that DRB Chair Tim Maxham will be retiring at the end of
his current term, on December 31 st . Tim has served on the ZBA/later DRB for 52
½ years. I hope that the Selectboard will recognize Tim’s extraordinary
contributions to South Hero and help the DRB celebrate his many years of
service to his town.
4. The Board’s next meeting is November 12, 2025. There will only be one meeting
in November and one in December due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas
holidays.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA