Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of October 14, 2019
South Hero Town Hall, Monday 7:00 PM
Board Members Present: Jonathan Shaw, Skip Brown (also Board Secretary), Anne Zolotas, David Carter, Sharon Roy
Board Members Not Present: none
Others Present: Martha Taylor Varney. Also see sign in sheet.
1. Called to Order:
-The meeting was called by Chairman Shaw at 7:00 pm
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
– none
3. Minutes:
-David Carter made a motion to accept the minutes of September 23, 2019 as written. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. David Hobbs was present to ask the Selectboard for support in order to apply for a trail grant. He will prepare a letter and will have it ready for the next meeting.
5. New Business:
A. Janine Bellinghiri of the SHVFD Auxiliary was present to discuss “Trunk or Treat” at the Folsom Educational and Community Center parking lot. David Carter made a motion to allow the use of the Folsom Educational and Community Center parking lot for Trunk or Treat on October 31, 2019. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Members of the Chagnon family were present to discuss traffic on Dubuque Lane. Dubuque Lane is a private Rd., but the Town has access to the former landfill property. The Dubuque Lane residents may put up signs since it is a private road. It was suggested that the Sherriff be consulted to make sure that the working on any signs will be enforceable. More info will be required to see if there are restrictions to the right of way on the road to the landfill.
C. The lease agreement between the Town and the Island Craft Shop will be up in April. David Carter made a motion to approve a lease renewal at the rate of $350.00/month and to allow the Chairman to sign the lease. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
D. The schedule for the 2020/2021 budget preparation was discussed.
6. Administrative Assistant Report:
A. See the report on www.southherovt.org or filed with these minutes.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The Grand Isle County Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) working group has received a grant for public education of the pest. An informational meeting will be held in each Town of the County. More info on a date for the South Hero meeting will be discussed at a future meeting.
B. David Carter made a motion to sign and approve the Conflict of Interest and Ethical Conduct policy as presented by VLCT. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. The final report from the Old White Meeting House was finalized. See the full report on www.southherovt.org or filed with these minutes.
-David Carter made a motion to accept the findings and recommendations of the Old White Meeting House Feasibility Study and to authorize representatives of the Selectboard, Old White Meeting House Steering Committee and municipal staff to meet with representatives from the Vermont Community Development Program and/or the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to investigate grant opportunities and to fund further planning and pre-development work. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-David Carter made a motion to have the Selectboard investigate waste water sites for future use and possible development of the property. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
D. There was a discussion about the possible senior housing proposal that is being studied by Catherdral Square. Some changes in the current zoning by-laws may need to be updated so the project can go forward. More info will follow at a future meeting.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. See other business
9. Other Business:
A. Anne Zolotas made a motion to sign orders 20-07 and 20-08 and to pay the bills associated with the orders. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Anne Zolotas said that a local news journalist has expressed interest in possibly doing a story on South Hero Rescue and the shortage of volunteers. Including how do volunteers balance work, family and the volunteer duties and what resources may be available in the future. The Selectboard does not have an opinion of who can be interviewed or not, as that is up to each person.
C. Anne Zolotas made a motion to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters at 8:45 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Executive session ended at 8:58 pm. No action was taken after executive session.
10. Adjournment:
-David Carter made a motion to adjourn 8:59pm. 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 October 14, 2019
Discussion Items:
1. There will be a meeting in Burlington on October 29 hosted by FEMA to discuss the upcoming Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) Discovery meeting for the Lake Champlain Watershed. Risk MAP is a FEMA program that helps communities identify, access, and reduce their flood risk. At the meeting, participants will review the flood risk data gathered to date and discuss flood history, flood risk concerns, and mitigation. Shall I plan to attend?
2. There will be a FEMA NH Floodplain Management Program review class held on November 7 in Lancaster, NH. I’m still hoping that a Floodplain Managers exam will be held in Northern New England or NY in the future, but these review classes are a way to brush up on the information presented at the week-long class I attended in January 2018 in Essex.
3. The 2020 Municipal Planning Grant application was submitted on September 24th. Northwest Regional Planning Commission prepared an application for a 2020 Municipal Planning Grant for the Town of South Hero, to pay for a feasibility study for water and/or wastewater infrastructure for South Hero. The Town should be notified in early December if the grant will be awarded.
4. Cathedral Square resubmitted an application for a planning grant after a location for septic for proposed senior housing had been determined. The grant is a federal grant to be administered through the Vermont Community Development Program. Federal grants require the applicant to have an active DUNS number. The current number has apparently expired and doesn’t show up under any search results on SAM.gov. The Town needs a DUNS number in order to be awarded a Federal grant. We have a number that Janet says we’ve used for FEMA. Ideas?
-Planning Commission: The Planning Commission public hearing for the final draft of the updated Development Regulations was Wednesday, Oct 2, at the Library. The PC will be discussing comments from that hearing at their meeting this Wednesday (10/16).
-Development Review Board:
– The hearings scheduled for the next meeting (10/23) are a final plat a 3-lot subdivision on Whipple Rd., and a variance request. The August 28th Conditional Use and Site Plan review for RL Vallee to build a Maplefields at McKee’s was recessed to November 13. There will be no second DRB meeting in November due to Thanksgiving. December 11 will have a sketch plan review for a 2-lot subdivision and another variance request. As with November, there will be no 2nd DRB meeting in December due to the Christmas holiday. Recent decisions can be found posted on the Board outside the ZA’s office.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, Zoning Administrator and Assistant to the Selectboard