Weathersfield Select Board

Minutes

October 18, 2011

Present: Gordon Eglintine

Norman John Arrison

Dave Fuller

Richard Clattenburg

Dan Boyer

Others Present: Jim Mullen, Town Manager

Lisa Slade, Recording Secretary

Edith Stillson

deForest Bearse

Aleta Fenny-Brosseau

Paul Brosseau

Todd Hindinger

Alan Hudson

Michael Todd

Peter Korbet

Ian Lord, Eagle Times

Sandy Brown

Ron Brown

Martha Cass Giammatteo

Paul Giammatteo

Thomas Villars, NRCS

Alasdair Crawford

David Moore

Chief Brown

1. Call to Order: Mr. Fuller called the Weathersfield Select Board meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at Drumlin Road. Present for the site visit was Dave Fuller, John Arrison, Dan Boyer, Richard Clattenburg, Lisa Slade, deForest Bearse and Ron Brown.

The meeting was recessed and moved to the West Weathersfield Fire Station.

2. Comments from Citizens and Select Board: [7:00 p.m. West Weathersfield Fire Station]: Mr. Hudson asked what was being done to fix roads that have culverts and are filled with silt and the roads that have big ditches along the sides of them. Mr. Mullen said Mr. Hazeltine should be here and we can discuss this when we have an update on Hurricane Irene.

Mr. Todd asked for a copy of the agenda. Mr. Fuller said this is the last meeting this year that we are away from the Town Office and he said we will focus on having meetings at the Town Office from now on.

3. Review Minutes from Previous Meeting(s): Mr. Arrison made the motion to approve the minutes dated October 4, 2011. Mr. Clattenburg seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

4. Public Hearing:

Drumlin Road Reclassification & Discontinuance: Mr. Fuller opened the Public Hearing. He said the site visit just occurred on site at 6:30 p.m. and there was a quorum present for the site visit.

Mrs. Bearse said the Town is working with Ron and Sandy Brown to deed the Town a right-of-way from the end of the Drumlin Road fee simple parcel to the current turn-around in the gravel pit and once this is completed the Town can lay this out as a Class III town highway and discontinue the 1820 ancient road in its entirety. Mr. Brown said he is working with the Town and they will either deed a right-of-way or fee simple ownership to the Town. It was noted once this is on the Highway map as a Class III highway the Town will receive state funding.

Mr. Fuller closed the Public Hearing. Mr. Boyer made the motion to accept the reclassification and discontinuance of Drumlin Road as written and agreed to between the Town and the Brown's. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

Mr. Mullen said this will come back to the Board for their signature once the survey is made and a written decision has been completed.

Proposed Amendments to Zoning Bylaws: Mrs. Bearse asked Mr. Fuller to open the Public Hearing for only the amendments and continue it until the November 1^st meeting. Mr. Fuller opened the Public Hearing.

Mr. Eglintine made the motion to continue the Public Hearing on the proposed amendments to zoning bylaws until November 1, 2011 at the Town Office at 7:00 p.m., Mr. Boyer seconded the motion. Mr. Korbet asked if the proposals could be posted on the website, Mrs. Bearse said she can post them. Mr. Korbet said he believes these were worked on before Irene came through and the Streambank Conservation section should be looked at again. Motion passed unanimously.

5. New Business

A. Public Statement, Boards & Commissions/Annual Reports due on or before December 15, 2011: Mr. Fuller said written reports for the Town Report should be received before December 15, 2011 but the sooner the better.

B. Approve Written Decision on Discontinuance of Town Highway 115 & 116: Mr. Arrison made the motion to accept the finding of facts on discontinuance of Town Highway 115 & 116 as presented. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

C. Award Bid for Branch Brook Road Stabilization Project: Mr. Mullen said the bid award is based on unit pricing and the Engineer will review units of work done for payment. Mr. Eglintine said where the money is coming from should be in the motion. Mr. Mullen said eleven construction firms attended the site visit but only three bids were received. And, one of the three bids was not responsive because they did not provide page one of the two page bid form so really only two eligible bids were received.

Mr. Boyer made the motion to authorize the Town Manager to issue a purchase order to Willey Earthmoving Corp. for the Branch Brook Stream Stabilization, Bank Replacement and Road Repair Project based upon their 2 page bid form with money coming from the Town of Weathersfield and hopefully reimbursed by FEMA, Mr. Arrison seconded the motion.

Mr. Korbet asked if the intent was to rebuild it back at the same elevation. Mr. Hindinger said yes. Mr. Fuller asked about the pay structure. Mr. Mullen said the Engineer certifies and submits the pay request every two weeks for materials put in place.

There was discussion on the bid proposals pricing "structure" and it was said this is the standard bidding procedure for this kind of work; this is the same process VTrans uses.

Motion carried 3 - 2, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Arrison were the dissenting votes.

D. Approve Release of Bids for Bank Run Gravel: Mr. Mullen said we need to replace the gravel that was used for repairs from the storm. Mr. Arrison made the motion to release the request for bids for bank run gravel. Mr. Clattenburg seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

E. Establish Crown Point Road Committee's Membership and Purpose: There was discussion on who should be on this Committee and what its purpose would be. Mr. Arrison said he, Willis Wood and Susan Hunter are willing to be on the Committee. Dan Boyer said he is willing to participate as a Board member and it was said that Matt Birmingham (Attorney for Mark Roy) agreed to be on it as well. Mr. David Moore said he would like to be part of the Committee.

After discussion, Mrs. Bearse volunteered to notify all abutting land owners and others that are interested and to organize the meetings. She said she would be in charge of getting communication back to the Select Board

F. Tropical Storm Irene Update: Mr. Mullen said he is in the process of submitting invoices for reimbursement.

Mr. Thom Villars from the NRCS was present to talk to the Board about being a sponsor for the Giammatteo's home on Route 106. He said this is the only high risk site in Weathersfield that he is aware of. He explained the process to the Board and said the landowner is responsible for 25% of the cost and NRCS will reimburse the other 75%.

Mr. Fuller said his experience with NRCS through the farm bills is their payment is much more certain than FEMA's.

Mr. Giammatteo said he believes the State of Vermont and Agency of Transportation is responsible for this problem however, this is the option at this time.

Mr. Eglintine made the motion for the Town of Weathersfield to become a sponsor and authorize the Town Manager to fulfill paperwork obligations and sign the paperwork on behalf of the Town. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

G. Approve 2012 Police Patrol Contract, United States Army Corps of Engineers: Mr. Eglintine made the motion to approve the contract. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

H. Monthly Reports - no comments

I. Set Meeting Schedule, Select Board to meet with Department heads for Budget Discussion: Mr. Mullen gave the Board a tentative schedule for budget meetings.

6. State Appointments

A. Green Up Day Town Coordinator, Steve Aikenhead: Mr. Eglintine made the motion to appoint Steven Aikenhead the Town Green Up Day Coordinator. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

B. Deputy Health Officer, deForest Bearse and Lynnette Esty: Mr. Boyer made the motion to recommend the appointment of deForest Bearse and Lynnette Esty Deputy Health Officers. Mr. Eglintine seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

7. Appointments:

J. Zoning Board of Adjustment/Alternate, Michael Cohen: Mr. Arrison made the motion to appoint Michael Cohen as an Alternate to the Zoning Board. Mr. Eglintine seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

8. Future Meetings' Agenda Items: Policy on aid to residents in need, discuss opt-out medical insurance policy

9. Sign Treasurer's Warrants: Mr. Arrison made the motion to approve the Treasurer's Warrants as follows:

General Fund Payroll $17,822.18

General Fund Operating Expense $67,059.67

Highway Fund Payroll $13,206.15

Highway Fund Operating Expense $27,043.59

Solid Waste Management Fund Payroll $ 1,418.53

Solid Waste Management Fund Operating Expense $ 3,926.48

Library $ 604.34

Agency Monies $ 3,471.00

Reserves $55,688.00

Mr. Boyer seconded the motion. Mr. Arrison questioned the mileage paid to employees. Mr. Mullen said this was for the VLCT fair and other seminars that they attended. Mr. Arrison questioned the legal fees. Mr. Mullen said some of them were for the Perkinsville General Store zoning appeal. Motion carried 4 - 1 with Mr. Eglintine being the dissenting vote.

Mr. Arrison made the motion to approve $860 to Green Screen Graphics, $27,930 to People's United Bank, $8,337.50 to Bergeron Protective Clothing and $1,311 to Bergeron Protective Clothing, Mr. Boyer seconded the motion. Mr. Clattenburg questioned the need for 250 orange traffic cones. Mr. Mullen said they were needed to replace the ones the fire departments and highway department lost during the flood. Mr. Arrison said he feels we over spent, he said he doesn't believe 250 cones were lost during the flood and he doesn't see the need to purchase fifty public safety fire vests. Mr. Mullen said the decision to place this order was made during an emergency meeting in the heat of the storm. Motion carried 4 - 1, Mr. Eglintine was the dissenting vote.

10. Executive Session/Contract: Mr. Eglintine made the motion to go into executive session. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion which passed without dissent.

Mr. Arrison made the motion to Authorize Select Board Chair Dave Fuller to bid on properties at the 10/20/11 Delinquent Tax Sale on the Town's behalf. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

11. Adjourn: Mr. Boyer made the motion to adjourn. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion which passed without dissent. The Weathersfield Select Board meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lisa Slade

Approved by the Weathersfield Select Board on November 1, 2011