Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of September 10, 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:
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.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
-none
3. Minutes:
-Anne Zolotas made a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of August 27, 2018 as written. The motion was seconded, Sharon abstained, the others in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. M. Lamothe of the Vermont State Police (VSP) was present to check in and advise the Board. The VSP works well with the Grand Isle Sheriff, and understands that the lack of Sheriff Sunday coverage can lead to a longer wait time. There is a drug problem in the whole state, and Grand Isle County is not immune. The VSP is seeing an increase in cocaine use, since many drug users are wary of using heroin laced with fentanyl.
5. New Business:
A. Road Foreman, John Beaulac, was present to advise the following:
-The dump body on the small dump truck is rusted and rotted through, and may not make it through another snow season. He recommends that the Town purchase a new dump body with an integral sander built in. He received 3 bids, the lowest being $20,098.00. David Carter made motion to authorize the Road Department to purchase the new dump body and to install it at the Town Garage at a cost of $20,098.00, using funds from the “equipment replacement fund”. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-The Road Department received 3 bids for paving, the lowest being $68.00/ton from Engineers Construction Inc. (ECI) for approximately 1500 tons of material to pave East Shore Rd. from Landon Rd. to Whipple Rd. and the unpaved part of Whipple Rd. David Carter made a motion to approve and sign the contract for the paving work from ECI. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-The Town does not currently own a backhoe. John recommends that a backhoe would be useful for digging out culverts and snow plow work, as the excavator is sometimes too large for small jobs and the larger loader is necessary to load plow sand into trucks. He has located a used backhoe that seems suitable for the job. David Carter made a motion to authorize the Road Department to pay up to $33,500.00 using funds from the “equipment replacement fund” for a used backhoe. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-Per Town vote, the old white fire training building is to be torn down. John will look into the cost of dumpsters and begin to prepare the building for demolition in the near future.
B. The back emergency stairs of the “Old White Meeting House” (AKA Granny’s Attic) building have heaved due to frost. Anne Zolotas received an estimate of $250.00 from Maxham Construction to shorten the heaved post and to have the post set upon a concrete pad. David Carter made a motion to have the work done at a cost of $250.00. The motion was seconded; Anne recused herself, the others in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. David Carter made a motion to execute and sign the Municipal Planning Grant resolution/application for a study of the “Old White Meeting House” (AKA Granny’s Attic) building. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
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 appoint Michele Gammal to the vacant spot on the Planning Commission (PC) with the term ending June of 2019. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
C. Martha recommends that there be a fee of $150.00 is established for sketch plan reviews, as there is work involved to warn and set up the meetings. Currently, if the applicant does not follow through, then there is no payment. Anne Zolotas made a motion to establish a $150.00 fee for sketch plan review that will be applied to the final minor or major subdivision fee. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. The Island Craft Shop Cooperative is interested in possibly renting the former Rescue Building. They submitted a proposal about leasing the space at the last meeting. The Craft Shop will have to go before the DRB, as there will be a change of use. A possible move in date will be April of 2019 and the terms will need to be finalized. The consensus of the Board is that this will be the building rather than have it sit empty.
B. There was a Summary Judgment hearing at the Grand Isle County courthouse regarding the Arnold Zlotoff tax appeal for his exotic car garage on Landon Rd. Jonathan attended the hearing and advised that the next step is to wait for the judge’s decision.
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. The Listers have advised the Board that 2 trailers were removed from Apple Island Resort before April 1 and recommends that Errors and Omissions for lots DW002 and PC022 be completed. David Carter made a motion to accept the Errors and Omissions and to have the Chair sign the document. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
9. Other Business:
A. David Carter made a motion to sign orders 19-05 and pay the bills associated with this order. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. The upcoming dates for Selectboard were discussed. There will not be a 5th Monday meeting on October 29, 2018 or December 31, 2018 or a regular meeting on December 24, 2018.
C. Skip Brown made a motion to go into executive session at 8:10 pm for personnel matters. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Executive session ended at 8:30 pm. Upon exiting executive session, Jonathan Shaw made a motion to re-appoint Martha Taylor-Varney as Zoning Administrator for a 3 year term. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
D. Anne Zolotas, Tree Warden, discussed the emerald ash borer and how best to plan for the future. Some ash trees may be in the Town right of way and others may be in the VEC right of way. The Town should plan to budget funds for some of the trees eventual removal when they become a danger.
10. Adjournment:
-Skip Brown made a motion to adjourn 8:40 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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Administrative Officer’s Report to Selectboard September 10, 2018
Discussion Items:
1. I put an ad in the Islander, to appear in the 9/11 issue, for the position of Animal Control Officer. Deadline for letters of interest is October 1st (probably should have put October 8).
2. VLCT Fall Zoning and Planning Forum will be October 17, 2018 at Lake Morey Resort. I plan to attend. Sessions include Local Regulations of Working Farms, Roles and Responsibilities of the Zoning Administrator, and a discussion on signs. Planning Commissioners and DRB members are also encouraged to attend.
3. I received a letter from James Surwillo of the Solid Waste Management Program of the Vermont DEC regarding PFAS testing at the closed Town landfill. The Johnson Company will be testing the landfill in October. Attached to the letter is a Sampling Analysis Plan for PFAS in groundwater. See Martha for additional info or to read the letter.
4. There is a fifth Monday in October (10/29). I would like the Selectboard to plan on meeting with the Planning Commission and DRB that evening.
-Planning Commission: Michelle Gammal met with the Planning Commission during their September 5th meeting. Unless the PC disagrees, it is my hope that the Selectboard will appoint her to complete a current 3-year term that ends on June 1st, 2019.
-Development Review Board: The Town is an ‘Interested Party’ in the DRB’s Conditional Use and Site Plan hearing for Granny’s Attic’s use of the Red Firehouse bldg., scheduled for September 12. Will there be someone representing the Town at the hearing?
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA and Asst. to the Selectboard