Selectboard Minutes
Regular Meeting of Monday September 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM
At South Hero Town Hall and via Zoom
Board Members Present: David Carter: Chairman, David Lane: Vice-Chairman, Skip Brown: Board Secretary, Steve Robinson, Anne Zolotas
Board Members Not Present: none
Other Town personnel + public present: Public: Peter Zamore, Janine Bellinghiri and Ron Phelps
1. Called to Order:
– The meeting was called to order by David Carter at 7:00 pm.
2. Adjustment to Agenda:
– none
3. Minutes:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to approve the minutes of September 14, 2026. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
4. Public input:
A. none
5. New Business:
A. Janine Bellinghiri of the SHVFD Auxiliary was present to ask about using the Folsom Educational and Community Center parking lot for Trunk or Treat. Steve Robinson made a motion to allow use of the Folsom Educational and Community Center parking lot for the Halloween Trunk or Treat between the hours of approximately 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
B. Peter Zamore of the Wastewater Committee discussed updates for the project:
-The current wastewater permit shows the mounds on Lot #8 as separate units and they are assigned to specific lots. Currently lots # 2 and 3 are assigned lots interspersed with the mounds assigned to the Town. It would be advantageous for the Town to have contiguous mounds. Steve Robinson made a motion to hire the engineers Weston & Sampson to amend the current wastewater permit to swap the mounds assigned to each lot so the Town mounds will be contiguous. The estimate for this permit amendment is up to $5100.00. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried. Note that the Town will pay for this amendment with the hope that future grants may pay for this work. The Treasurer will work on which account will be used.
-There was a meeting with State representatives on Sept. 25 that Peter Zamore, David Carter, Steve Robinson and Skip Brown attended regarding the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP). CHIP uses TIF financing and seems like it will be appropriate for the Town. More information will follow as the wastewater project proceeds.
C. CIDER has hoped to build a senior center. When they purchased lot #3 on the Lavin parcel, that was the intended site. The cost to develop a center there was prohibitive, so they have been looking for an alternative. The Old White Meeting House committee has hoped to have an annex built with bathrooms, an elevator and catering kitchen as a future phase. The CIDER board has voted to explore financing for the annex and then using the meeting house as a senior center during weekdays for approximately 20 hours/week. The Town would still own the building, and a MOU would be drawn up about shared uses and expenses. This is a new development and more info will be ongoing.
D. Scheduling for budgeting is beginning.
6. Town Administrator (TA) and Zoning Administrator (ZA) Reports:
A. See the ZA report filed with these minutes
7. Old and Ongoing Business:
A. none at this meeting
8. Announcements and Communications:
A. Note that due to the transition between the old and new Town Halls, the October 26 and November 9 Selectboard meetings will be held in the Worthen Library. Other boards and commissions will also have alternate locations, so make note and plan for where they will be held.
B. The voting for the mid-term elections on November 3 will be at the Congregational Church of South Hero on South St.
9. Other Business:
A. Steve Robinson made a motion to sign the orders 27-07 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: Hero Haulers was hired to clean out the 2nd floor of the Town Hall and it was completed. Hero Haulers will be hired to move and install the vault shelving when ready to move.
C. Recreation Commission (RC) update: https://southherovt.org/rec/ for more info.
D. Road Department update:
-The crew has been working on the new driveway for the Meeting House and the Town Park and is hauling stone.
-The wish is to enclose and heat the north shed overhang on the Salt Shed structure to house the payloader in the winter. The estimated cost is +/- $91,000.00. The Road Dept. has a surplus and would plan to use this to finance it. This seems high and should be looked at when the highway budget is presented. More info will follow.
-Steve Robinson made a motion to hire Colin Marcotte to parge the cement foundation on the Town Garage at a cost of $850.00. The motion was seconded, all in attendance so voted and the motion carried.
-Paving of Whipple and a portion of West Shore Rd. will begin soon. A dip over a culvert on South St. will be repaired.
E. Lister Updates: Appraisals are ongoing
F. Old South Hero Meeting House (OSHMH) update: See above.
G. Lavin Property update: See above
H. Town Hall Committee update: See above plus: https://southherovt.org/town-office-building-committee/
I. Tree Warden Update: none
J. New Town Park updates: The driveway and parking area has started soon now that the Meeting House has been put back on the foundation and is out of the way.
K. Liquor License/Mobil vendor applications: none
10. Adjournment:
-Steve Robinson made a motion to adjourn at 8:40 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
September 28, 2026 ZA’s report to the SB
1. I attended VLCT’s Fall Zoning and Planning Forum on Montpelier on September
16. Topics included the Statewide Conservation Law (Act 59), how Act 181 is
being implemented in Rutland County – with a presentation and discussion with
the Brandon, VT town administrator, and a look ahead at the 2027 Legislative
session. Not a lot out of it that pertained to South Hero, but always interesting to
meet Planners and ZA’s from around the State.
2. I will be working remotely, from Tennessee, from December 10 th to the 20 th .
Planning Commission
The Commission currently has 4 members, with the recent addition of Marian
Fritz. The Commission is a 5-member Board. Anyone interested in becoming a
member please contact me at [email protected].
The Commission is finalizing draft updates to the Development Regulations,
including measuring height and setbacks, some updates to definitions, and
changes/additions required by the HOME Act and Act 181. The Commission has
agreed to postpone the approval process until after the New Year (and the holidays, and
the move to the new office,….) since it is a long process that includes specific
schedules for public meetings (Planning Commission and Selectboard), dates of
warnings, and lists to whom those are sent (NRPC, Vermont Community Development,
etc.). Proposed changes to the Regulations no longer go before the voters since the
passage of the HOME Act (June 2024), unless the SB agrees to send it instead to a
public vote. Public hearing dates will be publicized in advance to allow for public
comment. The PC meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6PM, and
public participation is encouraged.
Development Review Board
The DRB has scheduled hearings through the end of October. Due to the preparations
for moving to the new building, the October 14 and 28, and November 11
meetings/hearings will be held at the Worthen Library. There will be only one meeting in
November due to Thanksgiving, and one meeting in December (if needed) due to the
Christmas holiday.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Taylor-Varney, ZA