SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Visitors: Susannah Blachly, Brett Engstrom, Rich Phillips

At   7:05 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

Consumer Price Index Up-date:

John Warshow updated the board with new figures for the CPI , which is now  1.1%.  The Board had based salary increases of 4.5% on an earlier CPI.  Because of the new information, Chris moved and John seconded to re-set the salary increases to 3%.  All in favor.  Bobbi will re-do the budget figures with these new numbers.

Susannah Blachly:

Susannah had questions about her 2009 paycheck and the health plan costs that were deducted.  Bobbi will set up a meeting with Susannah, a Selectboard member and a Library Trustee and herself to discuss Susannah's salary and health plan.

Special Meeting Date:

The Selectboard will meet at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 to sign the loan documents for the tax anticipation loan and work on the budget with all the figures we have.

Library Budget:

The latest library budget figures need to be reduced another $1772 to be in line with the Selectboard's goals.

Tax Sales Lawyer:

John moved and Chris seconded to authorize Bobbi to hire a lawyer to proceed with tax sales.  All in favor.

Old Town Forest Report:

Brett Engstrom updated the Board with his estimate of 52 acres for the Old Town Forest property.  He has walked the known boundaries with Chris, John, and others.  He has used the Reconnaissance map made by Dwight Baker and found the marking made by Dwight.  Using GPS and GIS systems he has determined that, in his best estimate, that there are 52 acres in the tract.  He noted that the Warranty Deed held by Drew Mountain Associates, excluded the acreage of the Old Town Forest of 50 acres, and did not include it in their forestry management plan. The Conservation Commission would like to do an inventory of the plants of the area before the town decides to keep the land or sell it.  The Board will take this request under advisement.

Budget Committee:

Tom Maclay will re-set a meeting date for the Budget Committee meeting. The Board met with him briefly to hear about the requests.

Rich Phillips:

Rich told the Board about two grant opportunities regarding energy use reduction.

1.Vermont Community Mobilization Grant—This grant would allow volunteers from Marsh field to be trained in recognizing ways for residents to reduce their energy needs.  These volunteers would be able to go into homes of people who request their services,  and recommend changes the homeowners could make to reduce their energy needs. There is no town match needed.  Marshfield, Plainfield and East Montpelier Energy Committees have submitted an application for a grant.

2.Agency of Natural Resources, Climate Change Program Grant - There are grants of $12,000 available, with a 10% match required from the town, to become leaders in the area of power reduction for the town.  Rich has some ideas for such projects, such as added insulation for the attics of the Old Schoolhouse Common and the Town Garage, insulation added to the foundation of the Old Schoolhouse Common, etc.  He will talk to the Energy Committee to hear their ideas.  Innovation is an important part of the grant proposal.  There are two rounds of grants available in 2009.  The Board endorsed the idea for the Energy Committee to proceed with the application, subject to the Board's approval.

Rich up-dated the Board on the status of the Martin Covered Bridge project: The design specifications have changed to include using new timbers to replace all the partially rotted timbers so that longevity and stability is ensured.  He gave the Board a tentative schedule of dates for advertising for bids and the dates of opening and awarding the bids. This will be completed by March 9, 2009, if all goes as anticipated.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson,

Selectboard member and temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the January 6, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe

At 4:50 p.m. the meeting was called to order by John Warshow

Budget:  The Selectboard reviewed the budget and instructed Bobbi to pay for ½ of a new york rake out of the equipment fund, and include ½ of the cost in the 2009 budget.  The total cost of the rake is $7,000. This brings the projected increase in taxes to less than 4%.  This assumes that the library budget is reduced another $1700 as requested, and they have asked the budget committee to level fund the requests from outside service agencies.

Pagers: The Selectboard approved a contract with Rinkers Communications for pagers for the Road Foreman to call out the Road Crew in case of bad weather.

Equalization study:  The Selectboard instructed Bobbi to file an appeal of the town’s common level of appraisal, based on an error on one property’s appraised value.

Tax Anticipation Note: The Selectboard executed a tax anticipation note with Chittenden Bank in the amount of $375,000 at 2% interest.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.

The meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the January 13, 2009 Selectboard Special Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors: Anne Reed (Planning Commission), Will Schwarz, Tim Maclay and Tim Morris (Fire Department), Kevin Marsh and Ken Robie (AOT)

PUBLIC HEARING ON ZONING AMENDMENTS

At 7:10 p.m. the public hearing was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

The Selectboard discussed how the amendments would be inserted into the existing zoning regulations.  The effect of the amendments would be to split the floodplain and water conservation district into two separate districts.  If approved, the amendments would replace the flood plain and water conservation district with a flood hazard district and a watercourse conservation overlay district.  There will now be 5 districts instead of 4.  Section 440, Floodplain and Water Conservation District will be replaced with a new Section 440 Flood Hazard District, and Section 450, Watercourse Conservation Overlay District.  There will be minor changes to Section 180 dealing with the definitions of streams and surface waters, to Section 390 dealing with construction of ponds, and Section 235 item 11 requiring DRB review of development near bodies of water is deleted because it is dealt with in Section 450.

The Board discussed whether to vote the amendments as one article or two.  The Board had questions about what would happen if one article passed and the other failed.  The Flood Hazard amendment needs to be passed in order for property owners to be able to get flood insurance, but the deadline to pass new flood hazard regulations is unknown because the regulatory deadline keeps changing.  Laura feels that the regulations are two very different topics; flood hazard regulations are necessary but the watercourse conservation overlay district is not a requirement and voters should be allowed to decide whether it is something they want.  Anne feels that both districts have always existed and both amendments are needed to clarify the two districts.

John feels that if the watercourse conservation overlay district passes and the flood hazard district does not, we will have regulations that contradict each other.  The new section would allow structures but the existing section would not.

If the flood hazard regulations pass and the watercourse overlay district does not, there will be a flood hazard district but no protection for watercourses.

Tim Maclay wondered if the amendment could be written so that each amendment would replace only part of the existing regulations.  The Board explained that if they change the amendments now, they would have to start the process all over again.

Chris closed the public hearing at 7:55.

Zoning:  Laura moved that the Selectboard warn the amendments as two separate articles on the warning for town meeting.  Chris seconded the motion.  He noted that he would hate to see just one of the amendments pass.  All in favor.

The Board discussed whether or not they should put something in the town report explaining the amendments, and whether or not they should ask people to vote in favor.  Laura doesn’t feel that the Selectboard should ask people to vote in favor or against the regulations.  John explained that people look to the Selectboard for guidance and he thinks it is appropriate to say that the Board is in favor of the regulations.

Fire Department: The Fire Department is celebrating their 100^th anniversary this year.  They brought some photos for the Selectboard to look at for inclusion in the town report.

Personnel: At 8:15 p.m., Chris moved to enter executive session to discuss a personnel issue.  John seconded – all in favor.  The Board returned to open session at 8:25.

Route 2: Ken Robie and Kevin Marsh from the Agency of Transportation came to answer the Board’s questions about the Route 2 project.  Ken explained that several years ago when the wetland mitigation site plan was developed, it incorporated the Cabot-Danville project and a Marshfield-Plainfield project.  In the years since the mitigation plan was developed, the Marshfield project has been put on hold.  Because there is no Marshfield project in the works right now, they have asked to have the Marshfield project removed from the Army Corps permit.  The paving that was done in 2006 is expected to have at least a 10 year life, and AOT is working to extend the life of the pavement even more.  At this time they don’t foresee any substantial projects in Marshfield in the next 10 years.  Anne asked about the bridges on Route 2, but Kevin explained that bridges would be considered as a separate project.

Stranahan property:  The Selectboard will accept bids for tapping the maple trees along the western end of the Thompson Road on the north side.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the December 29, January 6, and January 13, 2009.

The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the January 20, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors: Richard Baker (Planning Commission Chair)

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

Zoning appeal:  The Development Review Board approved the conditional use permit for Dennis Fortin at Onion River Campground, but he is appealing the approval to Environmental Court.

Planning Grant: John moved to authorize Chris to sign a contract with Regional Planning Commission in the amount of $2,371 to conduct a build-out analysis of the Village.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  The contract will be paid for with a municipal planning grant.

Planning Commission: Rich notified the Selectboard that the Planning Commission is currently working on subdivision regulations.

Martin Covered Bridge:  John moved to waive the requirement for bonding in the remaining covered bridge contracts, provided that the contractors have sufficient liability insurance.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Energy and Climate Change Committee: The Selectboard authorized John to sign a grant application for insulation for the Old Schoolhouse Common attic and foundation, and the town garage attic.  The grant would be $12,000, and the Town would match $1,392.  The grant would pay for materials, and the Town will ask for volunteers to do the work.  Rich Phillips has calculated that the payback for the work would be between 3.7 and 8.4 years if oil is $2.50 per gallon.

Town Garage: The Selectboard discussed whether the Town Garage should have internet access to allow them to check the weather and shop for better prices for parts.  If the Road Crew could get up to the minute weather forecasts, it would help maximize resources.  The Selectboard authorized it.

Snow:  Bobbi has received a couple of calls from residents asking to have the snow removed from the intersection of Route 2 and School Street.  The Selectboard will contact the state, because it is their responsibility to clear snow from Route 2.  The Town has also been asked to have the snow removed from the sidewalks along that section of Route 2.  The Selectboard asked Bobbi to check with Joshua Gouge to find out how much it would cost.

Senior Meals: Winnie Mundinger has retired from cooking the senior meals.  The Selectboard would like to thank her for her years of service.  Roger Huntington has taken over as chef.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the January 20, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the February 3, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Health Officer Madelyn Hamilton; James & Christi Mulligan, Dawn & Rodney Dimick, James Barlow, John Walker, Janet Ancel, Nathan Phillips, Rich Phillips

At  7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

Dog Hearing: Dawn Dimick explained that a dog belonging to James & Christi Mulligan came to her house and got into a fight with her dog.  She tried to separate the dogs and was bitten on the hand.  She was bleeding pretty badly and went to the hospital.  Her daughter was also bitten but did not bleed or require medical attention.  The dog has been vaccinated and licensed.  Dawn has talked to Mrs. Mulligan in the past about Rex coming to her house.  She also spayed her female as a result of the dog coming to her house.  She reported the problem to the Town last fall and the Town sent a letter to the Mulligans in November.  James reported that when they received the letter, they made a great effort to keep the dog home.  Dawn acknowledged that she hasn’t seen the dog at her house very often since the letter.  John Warshow explained that the Selectboard is holding the hearing as required by the ordinance.  He also explained that the Board must decide what to do to prevent another bite, and their options include euthanasia or requiring confinement, chaining or muzzling.  The Selectboard discussed the options that the Mulligans have to keep the dog on their property.  They noted that the dog has been allowed to run at large in violation of the ordinance.  The Selectboard stressed that the dog must be kept on their own property or on a leash if he is off the property.  They reiterated to the Mulligans that the dog is a danger and they must take whatever steps are necessary to keep the dog at home, and if there is another incident the Board will have no choice other than to have the dog destroyed or relocated.  The Board also suggested that the Mulligans should be responsible for the medical bills.

Ballfield: Jim Barlow and John Walker approached the Selectboard to discuss a promotion from the Kellogg company to pay for makeovers for athletic fields.  Jim would like Selectboard permission to nominate the ballfield at the Old Schoolhouse Common for one of the makeovers.  There is no match or obligation on the part of the Town. John moved to authorize Jim Barlow and others to apply to the Kellogg Cereal Company Frosted Flakes Plant a Seed Promotion for a makeover of the ballfield at the Old Schoolhouse Common.

John Walker explained that he is on the OSC Board and Recreation Committee.  He is very involved in Little League baseball.  He has approached the OSC Board about selling advertisements to be hung on the fence as a way to raise funds for the Recreation Committee.  The OSC Board has approved the idea.  The Selectboard does not have a problem with the advertising. 

He also discussed separating the Recreation Committee from the Old Schoolhouse Common Board.  The boards were combined because there were not enough members to fill two boards, but the Selectboard would split the boards again if they had enough members.  John will try to get volunteers before Town Meeting.

Legislative Issues:  Janet Ancel spoke with the Selectboard about the federal stimulus package.  Bobbi will follow up with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns to let them know about projects that are needed in Marshfield, including repaving the Cabot Road, painting the roof on the Town Garage, and energy efficiency improvements for the Old Schoolhouse Common.  She discussed the various pieces of the stimulus package.

Covered Bridge Bids:  The bids were opened and read aloud.

Bridge Rehab

Knob Hill Joinery                               $     89,400

3G Construction                                $   134,000

Neil Daniels, Inc.                               $  119,500

Building Heritage                               $     75,450

Blow & Cote                                     $  149,645

Kingsbury Companies LLC               $   185,891

Wright Construction                           $   120,763

Civil Work

                                                                     Base                  Alternative 1     Alternative 2

EE Packard                                       $  133,873                  $    8,879            $ 20,018

Neil Daniels, Inc.                               $   123,900                  $  12,000            $ 15,000

Capitol Earth Moving                         $     87,856                  $    5,200            $ 11,994

GSB Excavation                                $     86,586                  $ 11,586            $ 14,400

Bowen Excavation                             $     93,819                  $    9,546            $ 20,506

Salvas Paving Inc.                              $     87,500                  $ 10,576            $ 14,500

Kingsbury Companies LLC               $   117,100                  $    9,500            $ 15,000

Rich will take the bids and analyze them for responsiveness and references, and look at the budget.  The Board will meet again on February 25, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the bids.  The Selectboard will try to think of a way to express their thanks to DeWolfe Engineering for all of the time they have donated to the project.

Stranahan Tree Tapping: The Selectboard received one bid for tapping the 100 taps adjacent to the Thompson Road.  Laura moved to accept the bid from the Light family for .60 per tap.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll: Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. They approved the minutes of the February 3, 2009 Selectboard meeting.  They approved a liquor license for Tim’s Convenience.

The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the February 17, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members Christopher Martin, John Warshow and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe

Chair: Laura moved to appoint John Warshow chair.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Appointment of Officers:  The Selectboard appointed the following town officers:

Fire Chief: Thomas I Maclay II

Cemetery Sexton: Ronald Pitkin

Recreation Committee: John and Karen Walker, Jim Barlow

Planning Commission: Parker Nichols

Development Review Board: Charles Bohn and Vince Feeney

Zoning Administrator: Robert Light

Pound Keeper: Cheryl McQueeney

Dog Officer: Jo Guertin

Fence Viewers: Richard Phillips, Ronald Pitkin, Dwight Baker

Tree Warden: Ronald Smith

Inspector of Lumber, Shingles & Wood: Harold Hayward

Weigher of Coal: Albert St. Cyr

Town Service Officer: Beth Stern

OSC: Ellen Cooke, Dennis Florio, Janet Nielsen, John Walker, Karen Walker

Building Superintendent: Ernie Penley

Conservation Commission: Allen Banbury, Steve Fiske, and Bob Popp

Tax Sale: John moved to authorize the Assistant Town clerk to bid at the tax sale in an amount to determined after consultation with the Town Attorney.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Covered Bridge: Rich notified the Board that he has not received the State’s approval of the bid and bidder. 

Insurance: The Selectboard received a letter from an insurance company regarding a car accident on the Maple Hill Road.  It will be referred to the Town Attorney.

Personnel Policy: The Board discussed whether town employees should lose their overtime in a week if they are sick one of the days.  They agreed that the policy should stay the way it is – that is, overtime pay is only paid when the employee actually works more than 40 hours.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  The Selectboard approved the minutes of the February 17, 2009 Selectboard meeting with minor corrections.

The meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the March 3, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow and Laura Johnson; Visitors: Richard Phillips

Building Heritage Contract

John Warshow signed the contract with Building Heritage.   All was in order including the Insurance Certificate, the letter from Eliot Lathrop concerning his exclusion from Workman's Compensation and the approval from AOT.  The bid was $75,450.

Authorization by Selectboard Members

John moved and Laura seconded that any member of the Selectboard was authorized to sign documents with payment requests and other matters concerning the Martin Covered Bridge, if authorized by Rich Phillips.  Approved.

Letter of Intent to Award Contract to Capital Earthmoving

John Warshow signed the Letter of Intent to Award Contract to Capital Earthmoving for $105,050.

Energy Committee

John moved and Laura seconded with all approving to re-appoint the following members of the Energy Committee for the present year:  Dan Chodorkoff, John Morris, Saul Gresser, Richard Phillips, Ann Miller, Lawrence Black and Andy Perchlik.

Town Service Officer

Beth Stern was appointed Town Service Officer and the paper work was sent in to the State.

StandardContract

The Selectboard approved the “Standard Contract” format for small jobs for the town to use.

Town Meeting Minutes

The Selectboard approved the Minutes of the 2009 Town Meeting.

Grant for Access, Trails and Signs

The Selectboard approved the grant agreement for access areas, trails and signs in the Stranahan Town Forest.   John Warshow signed the grant agreement for the Selectboard.

Planning Commission

The Selectboard discussed the concerns heard relating to the Selectboard's appointments and non-reappointments to the Planning Commission.  They decided to send a letter to the Planning Commission acknowledging the lack of sensitivity on the Board's part and of their resolve to work on improving their level of communication regarding these matters.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the March 12, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members Chris Martin and Laura Johnson; Visitors: Rick Dutil, Anne Reed, Brett Engstrom

Acting Chair Chris Martin opened the meeting at 7:15 pm.

Overtime Pay

There was a discussion with Rick Dutil concerning how Overtime pay is figured when a person has a sick day(s) in a pay period.  The Personnel Policy, as it stands, says that sick pay hours are not added into the week’s total and are paid at the regular rate.  Rick is asking that the policy be changed so that sick pay hours are figured the same way that holiday time is figured.  The Board reviewed scenarios and decided to table any decision until the next meeting.

Anne Reed

Anne wanted the Board to talk to her about the reasons she was not re-appointed to the Planning Commission.  Anne had a one year appointment and the Board decided to not re-appoint her because of a possible conflict of interest since she was on the Conservation Commission as well.  The Conservation Commission can weigh in on zoning amendments, but it is felt that it should not have a vote on the Planning Commission, as amendments were sent forward for Selectboard and town consideration.

Brett Engstrom

Brett brought his concerns that the Selectboard felt the Conservation Commission had overstepped its role in town governance.  The roles of the Conservation Commission were reviewed and Chris and Laura felt the Conservation Commission was working within the parameters of the rules set out in Chapter 118 of Title 24.

Letter for Planning Commission

Chris made a motion and Laura seconded it and both approved of the draft letter to the Planning Commission from the Selectboard contingent on John's opportunity to review the letter and approve it the following day.   (John did approve it on 3/18/09 via phone call.)  The letter will be sent to the Planning Commission.

Ellis Tax Sale

The Ellis Tax Sale and two other tax sales will be held 3/18/09.  The Selectboard authorizes Winnie Valenza to bid up to $4,000 for the Ellis land.

Letter from Chuck Bohn

Chuck Bohn will accept the DRB appointment for only one year.  The Board approved his request.  A letter will be sent acknowledging his one year appointment.

Liquor License

The Selectboard signed the liquor license for Rainbow Sweets.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the March 17, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault; Visitors: Rita Copeland, Rich Phillips

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

Senior Center: Director Rita Copeland approached the Board to discuss the Twin Valley Seniors. They have revised their procedures and are now preparing only fresh food for the senior mealsite. Their program is growing so much that they are running out of room to seat everyone.  They have also begun preparing the Meals on Wheels and they need more space for that.  (They are currently preparing and delivering 89 Meals on Wheels each week).  She has been looking at various sites in Marshfield and Plainfield but the sites that have been offered are on the far ends of the towns, and she would rather have something more centrally located.  She asked whether the Old Schoolhouse Common could be remodeled to house a bigger senior center.  She would be willing to fundraise and apply for grants to pay for the remodeling.  She will also be talking to the other towns that are served by the Twin Valley Seniors.  The Selectboard is supportive but not sure what they can do right now.  Chris stated that as space becomes available, the Seniors could be offered the space first.  

Covered Bridge:   Rich Phillips stated that the covered bridge will be finished by the end of the month.  He praised Eliot Lothrop and Building Heritage for the work they are doing.  He explained the signs that are being created for the project.  He informed the Board that the grant amount has increased by $53,000.  The landscape plan has been modified to have fewer trees in front of the bridge.  John moved that upon Rich’s approval, any Board member is authorized to sign the contract with Capitol Earthmoving to do the civil work.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Energy Committee:  Rich Phillips addressed the Board about the grant that he applied for to make energy improvements to the Old Schoolhouse and Town Garage.  We did not get the grant in the first round because we hadn’t done a blower test.  Rich has since had a blower test conducted and will resubmit the grant application.  The blower test showed that the partitions are not sealed in the attic.  In the new application, he will include the partition sealing, insulating the outside of the foundation, and insulating the attic at the Town Garage.  When he is finished with the covered bridge, he will begin working on energy issues at Twinfield.

Winter Sand:  Albert St. Cyr has approached John and Chris individually to inquire about winter sand this year.  Road Foreman Dan Tetreault had issues with the delivery schedule last year, and the sand plugged in the sanders.  In the past we have purchased washed sand, but last year we did not get washed sand because it is more expensive.  The unwashed sand freezes and doesn’t spread as well, and the Road Crew has to handle it three times.  The driver had to get out and shovel to unplug the sander.  The Board discussed whether they should buy washed or unwashed sand.  They decided on washed sand.  Bids will be due April 21^st.

Road Tour:  The Selectboard will meet on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. at the Town Garage.  They will view road conditions and projects, and look for ordinance violations.

Paving: John submitted an application to the Agency of Transportation for a paving grant for the Cabot Road.

Bridge Work on Depot Hill:  Jeff Trombley has finished the work on the bridge on Upper Depot Road.  He fixed the I-beam on the south side, and fixed one of the guard rails.  Dan has inspected it and is happy with the work.

Overweight Permits:  The Selectboard looked at the overweight permits issued to date.  There are several fuel companies and others that have not applied for permits.   John will research possible enforcement and increased permit fees.

Planning Commission Appointment:  John moved to appoint Jon Groveman to the vacancy on the Planning Commission.  Laura seconded.  All in favor.  The Selectboard is waiting to hear whether Parker Nichols will accept his appointment.

The Selectboard revised the letter that they drafted to the Planning Commission at their last meeting.  They also discussed procedures that they can follow in the future for appointments.

Cemetery Maintenance: The Board reviewed the request for bids.  They will add the fire station lawn as an optional separate item.  The bids will be due on April 21, 2009.  They received a proposal from Peter Fischer for $1,980 to repair the stone walls at the Hollister-Rich Cemetery.  John moved to accept his proposal.  Chris seconded – all in favor.  Chris will talk to Andy Tibbitts to see if he knows where the boundaries are, because there are some trees outside the walls that could be cut.

Bobbi noted that the cemetery fund has a CD that is maturing.  The Board told her to purchase a short-term CD for now until after the road tour when they will have a better idea of the work that needs to be done.

Old Schoolhouse Common Mowing:  The Board reviewed the request for bids.  The bids will be due on April 21, 2009.

Personnel Policy:  The Selectboard discussed the policy for paying overtime when a sick day is taken.  The Board decided to change the policy so that sick time is counted towards hours worked when calculating overtime.

Stranahan Property: The Selectboard discussed the income potential from the Stranahan property. The Board agreed that the revenue should replace the revenue that would have been generated by taxes and perhaps additional income would be used for maintenance and expenses related to the town forest.

The Board will put the haying out to bid again.

Tax Sale: Bobbi notified the Board that the Town was the successful bidder for the Haycook property.  Richard Mears bought the Christiansen/Ladd property, and Dan Mulligan bought the Ellis property.

Zoning: Bobbi asked the Selectboard’s permission to get an opinion from the Town Attorney regarding whether roads constitute a subdivision.  The issue has come up in regards to a recent decree of distribution from Washington Probate Court.  They agreed.

Laura noted that the Field Notes included a note in the Planning Commission minutes that the FEMA regulations regarding floodplains have changed again.  Bobbi will check with the Planning Commission to see if our new regulations have been approved by FEMA.

Town Funds: Bobbi reported that there was an apparent $50 discrepancy in the number of dog licenses issued and the fees collected at the recent rabies clinic.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.

The meeting adjourned at 11:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the April 7, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault: Visitors Dianne Lashoones, Jean Matthew

At 7:07 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Event:  Dianne Lashoones addressed the Selectboard to discuss a fundraiser that she will be holding for Rhythm of the Reins, a therapeutic riding program that she hosts at Water Tower Farm.  The Selectboard explained that since this is a one-time event, there will be no town permit required.  The organizers have planned for parking and facilities, and there will be no alcohol at the event.  The event will be a barbecue.  She will notify the neighbors.  The Selectboard thanked her for taking the time to come in and notify them about the event.

Planning Commission: Jean Matthew read a letter to the Selectboard, expressing her disappointment with the Board’s decision not to reappoint her or Annie Reed.  She feels that the Board did not reappoint her because of private interest, and she feels that the dismissal was handled in a cowardly way.  She questioned whether anyone on the Selectboard knows what the Planning Commission has been doing.  She also feels that the Board’s decision sabotaged the current work of the Planning Commission.  She has attended many training classes at her own expense, and was interested in involving more people in the planning process, people who do not trust town officials.  She feels that the way this was handled will increase people’s distrust.

Parker Nichols came to speak to the Board about whether he would be willing to serve on the Planning Commission.  He would like to hear more about how the Boards communicate, because he has heard that Jean and Annie are unhappy with how the appointment/reappointment process is handled.  He was surprised to get a letter in the mail saying he had been appointed, and he was not happy with how his interest in the Development Review Board was handled a few years ago.

John explained that the Selectboard recognizes that their communication with Town boards and individuals could be improved. Laura is working on a policy to address appointments.  He also explained that when the DRB vacancy came up a few years ago, it was because an attorney resigned, and they felt that they needed to have an attorney on the Board since it is a quasi-judicial board.

Laura explained that people are appointed for a limited time.  She explained that the Selectboard felt like having someone on both the Conservation Commission and the Planning Commission could be a conflict of interest.  She agrees that the Selectboard did everyone a disservice by not having a policy in place.  She feels that the Selectboard had to do what they felt was best for the Town.  She feels that Parker will be a good addition to the Planning Commission because of his interest in agriculture, and because he doesn’t have a history with any one group in town.

John feels that it would be good for the Selectboard and Planning Commission to have a joint meeting to discuss the work of the Planning Commission, to improve the communication between the Boards.

Parker noted that in talking to the Planning Commisssion, it seems that they put a lot of work into the floodplain regulations only to find out that the Selectboard wasn’t happy with the direction they were going in.  Chris acknowledged that he has never been to a Planning Commission meeting, and he agrees that the Selectboard should be more involved in the process.

Laura explained that the new floodplain regulations need to be reworked again because FEMA has changed the requirements, and the Planning Commission found out in February but did not notify the Selectboard at that time.  She also noted that the riparian buffer issue was a separate issue from the floodplain regulations, and the Selectboard was not aware that the riparian buffer issue was going to be considered.

Bobbi offered to forward the Planning Commission minutes to the Selectboard.  When the minutes are approved, they are emailed to Bobbi.  She will ask them to send draft minutes.  She noted that the DRB minutes are a year overdue.  The Selectboard noted that this does not comply with the public records law, and they will ask the DRB chair about it.

Parker offered to help facilitate communication between the Boards. 

John noted that the Town has had zoning for 40 years, and has been supported by the voters because of trust. 

Parker will take the job.

Boundary Dispute:  Dwight Duke thanked the Selectboard for losing him a sale of his property, and wants to know when he will be compensated for the property he has lost due to the riparian buffers.  He feels that in the old days farmers knew how to take care of the river banks.  He then left the meeting.  Bobbi explained that the reason Dwight was on the agenda was because he feels there is a discrepancy on the tax maps between his property and the Bean property.  The Selectboard explained that the tax maps are not surveys, and if the property owners have a survey the Town will have the tax maps updated.  They asked Bobbi to send him a letter.

Winter Sand:  The Selectboard opened and read bids:

Albert St. Cyr:  Unwashed sand, $9.40 per ton in place, 5000 tons, for a total of $47,000

Pike Industries:    4000 tons @ 15.15 cu yd to Marshfield                    $46,615.38

                           1000 tons @ 14.00 cu yd to Plainfield                      $10,769.23

                                                                        Total                          $ 57,384.61

These prices are for delivery before July 1, after July 1 the price will go up 1.75/cu yd

Stone Trucking:  278 loads, $78.75                             $21,892.50  (hauling)

                        Washed sand $9.70/ton                       $48,500

                        Total                                                  $70,392.50

Dan doesn’t want to use the sand from Pike because it is crushed ledge and it doesn’t work well. He would prefer to use washed sand, but we didn’t get any bids for washed sand.  Washed sand from McCullough is $8.95 per ton, but they did not submit a bid for hauling.  The Board discussed whether the short time requirement in the bid stopped some from bidding.  Bobbi offered to resend the bid.  Dan doesn’t want to get sand in the fall because the Road Crew should be cutting brush in the fall.  He noted that washed sand works much better because the screened sand freezes up and the road crew has to chisel the sand out of the sander at times.  Albert noted that at his price the Town could buy more sand or save money.  The budget is $55,575.  Dan would rather have more of Albert’s sand rather than less washed sand.  Laura moved to award the bid to Albert.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Old Schoolhouse Common Mowing:

Maplecrest Enterprises $75/week, averaging $325 month (5 months would be $1,625)

Hunts Tree Farm                      $2950 for the year

Diversified Landscape Maintenance                  $2,400

John disclosed that Diversified Landscape Maintenance mows his lawn at home.

John moved to hire Maplecrest Enterprises.  Laura seconded – all in favor.

Cemetery Mowing:

Diversified Landscape Maintenance $6,900

John moved to hire Diversified Landscape Maintenance for cemetery mowing.  Since there were no bids for burials, Bobbi will contact Dale Blair to see if he is still interested in doing burials.

Old Schoolhouse Common: The OSC Board needs new members.  In the meantime, John will be the contact person should any problems arise.

Change of time: The Selectboard meeting on May 5^th will be at 6:00 and the Board of Civil Authority will meet at 7:00 to review the checklist.

Personnel Policy:  The Selectboard discussed the personnel policy.  They agreed to pay the employees mileage from their house if they have to come to work more than 5 times a week in the winter, or 4 times a week when they are on summer hours.

Appointment Policy: The Selectboard reviewed their new appointment policy.  At their next meeting they will have a final draft to send out to the committees for comment.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved a liquor and tobacco license for Derek’s Quik Stop.  They approved the minutes of the April 7, 2009 meeting with minor changes.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the April 21, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault, Visitor Wilmer Brandt

The purpose of the meeting was to tour the town of Marshfield to see the condition of the roads, culverts, improvements in the town and see how the ordinances are being followed by the residents.

Letters to residents:

It was decided that the Selectboard, at their next meeting, would look into the process of final enforcements in regards to people who do not follow the ordinances.

Tom Robinson

As requested by Tom, the town will dump a load of extra ditching material where he wants it so he can fix his culvert.  A used culvert will be given to him by the town road crew.  Tom will do all the work

Cemeteries

Dwinell Cemetery:  Some grave markers need to be re-set.

Rich-Hollister Cemetery: Chris Martin talked to Andy Tibbitts about the trees on the outside of the stone wall.  Peter Fisher will be re-building the stone walls.  Andy will talk to Peter about getting some stone from Andy and Andy’s willingness to work on removing the trees that are in the way.

Eaton Cemetery: A tree needs to be removed from the east side of the cemetery and some grave markers need to be reset.  Chris Martin will contact Kaye Roberts to find out if they are still in the business of cutting trees.  As needed, Chris will research who could cut the tree.  Chris will contact Mr. Walbridge about re-setting of the grave stones in all the cemeteries.

Maple Hill Cemetery: The town will cut the tree that needs to be removed.  Some grave markers will need to be reset.

Loveland Cemetery: The Selectboard will ask the person who has the cemetery mowing contract to work on the Loveland Cemetery by mowing and trimming.

Bunker Hill Circle

1.  Mr. Carroll wants his culvert dug up and re-set.  Dan will talk to him about this.

2.  The Selectboard looked at David Lawrence's property and decided he will have to fix his own problem.

3.  The Selectboard stopped and observed the property of Donna and Dennis Bryer.  Bob Light investigated their complaint and found the building and truck to be under 100 sq. ft. and therefore  not in violation of the zoning ordinances.

Ordinance Violations

Letters of ordinance violations will be sent to:  Mr. Holm, Lloyd Robertson and the May family.

The meeting was officially ended at 9:35 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Acting Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the May 2, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

**********************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors Richard Phillips, Albert St. Cyr

At 6:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair Christopher Martin.

Covered Bridge:  Rich Phillips notified the Selectboard that the bridge rehabilitation is complete and he is satisfied that Building Heritage should be paid their final invoice.  The next contractor will begin work this week on the parking area and seating wall.  He hopes to have a dedication ceremony in July.

Old Schoolhouse Common: Rich has finalized the grant application for energy improvements to the Old Schoolhouse Common.  The project will require a town match of approximately $3,000, but there is approximately $5,000 in the Old Schoolhouse Common building fund, and the cost to the Town will be made up over time in fuel savings.

Personnel: The Selectboard adopted revisions to the personnel policy as discussed at the last meeting.

Cemeteries: Chris contacted Winton Walbridge to repair stones in the cemeteries.

Trash Complaint: A complaint about trash on the Lovely property on Route 2 has been referred to the State’s Environmental Enforcement Officer.

Concerts:  Librarian Susannah Blachly sent a letter to the Old Schoolhouse Common Board of Directors, requesting that they contribute $300 towards the summer concerts.  This amount was included in the budget in previous years but was not included in the 2009 budget.  The Selectboard noted that at the end of 2008, the concert fund had a surplus of over $900.  They will revisit the issue when preparing next year’s budget.

Truck: Clark’s Truck Center has offered $19,000 as a trade allowance on the 2004 truck.  Road Foreman Dan Tetreault feels this is a fair offer.  John moved to accept the offer. Chris seconded – all in favor.

Winter sand: Albert St. Cyr presented a bill for the sand that has been hauled to date.  The Selectboard approved the payment.

Vermont Center for Geographic Information: The Selectboard has received a request from the Regional Planning Commission to share Marshfield’s parcel data with VCGI.  The data would not include any personal information such as landowner names or phone numbers.  The Selectboard approved the request, provided that the data include a disclaimer that we are not responsible for errors.

Thompson Road: John reported that the concrete blocks have been moved by someone other than the town. Someone has been mudding and damaged the trail.  The blocks have since been put back and more blocks have been added.  The State Police have been notified and they are investigating.

Senior Housing: Chris suggested that the Town should look into developing senior housing in Marshfield, similar to the project in Cabot.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved a liquor and tobacco license for Dolly’s Country Store.  They approved the minutes from the March 3, March 12, March 17, April 21, and May meetings with minor corrections.

The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the May 5, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitor: Dan Fowler

At 6:45 p.m. the meeting was called to order at the Wooster Cemetery by Chair John Warshow

Cemeteries:  The Selectboard viewed the Wooster Cemetery.  Two birch trees on the corner nearest Cabot (the northeast corner), and a cherry tree overhanging the cemetery have to be taken down and the wall has to be repaired.  The growth needs to be cut back along the river.  There are stones that need repair.  The Board will put the work out to bid as separate projects.

Stranahan property: Dan Fowler came to the Selectboard meeting to discuss the draft management plan.  He has some concerns.  He recognized that this might be premature because the Board hasn’t received a copy of the draft.  John explained that the Selectboard will receive a future draft and will have a chance to edit it and then adopt it.

Dan has the following concerns:  He asked to have fur trapping included as a permissible use, since it has been a historical use on the property.  It was not included in the first draft of the plan.

Access to the property is from Hollister Hill Road and Jake Martin Road.  His sister is dismayed that there will be a parking area across from her house.  He wonders how there could be a curb cut there.  John explained that he and Dan did measure and the town did apply to itself and grant itself a curb cut.  Dan asked why the Town doesn’t put a parking area on the Thompson Road.  Closing the road to traffic closes access to the property for the elderly and disabled people.  He feels that the Class 4 section of the road should be reopened.  He also explained that when the property is logged, part of the logging contract could require the logger to fix up the Thompson Road at no cost to the Town.  Laura asked how to prevent mudders from wrecking the road.  Dan feels that if you take the mud away, the mudders will go away.  The cost of fixing up the road will be prohibitive, but perhaps volunteers could be used to fix it up.  John noted that there is grant money available to fix up the road, but the Town will be hesitant to re-open the road afterwards only to have it damaged again by 4x4’s.

Dan also mentioned the possibility of setting up a small sugaring operation but there would need to be access.  He also mentioned the possibility of pasturing animals for local beef, and he thinks the Town should consider a community garden, to give people a hand up rather than a hand out.

He noted that trails have been cut and chainsaw work has been done in the fifty-foot buffer zone. He wondered what would happen if a logger did that.  There is a waterfall on the property and the plan suggests that the area should be exempt from logging activities.

He noted that opinions in favor whole tree harvest were included but he has spoken to the county forester and he doesn’t know of studies in Vermont that show what the benefits are of leaving the tree tops in the woods.  He doesn’t think there should be a blanket policy against whole tree harvesting.  He also noted that disallowing whole tree harvesting would prevent most Marshfield loggers from bidding on the project. 

He also questioned the suggestion to require the sugarmakers to follow NOFA standards.

He hopes the Selectboard will consider broader opinions than just those of the few people on the committee.  He noted that the minutes and the plan do not accurately reflect the statements of everyone on the committee.  He also feels that the stakeholders’ group has tried to micromanage the property.

Chris feels that since the property belongs to the whole town, the Selectboard needs to manage the property to benefit the whole town.

The plan suggests only paying back the taxes lost, and keeping the rest of the money in a fund for the property. Dan feels that the money earned from the property should go back into the general fund.  He noted that if the property was still on the grand list, there could have been more houses and more taxes for the Town.

Cats: Dog Officer Jo Guertin asked Bobbi to ask the Board whether they want her to pick up stray cats.  She doesn’t have a place for them in the winter.  The Selectboard instructed Bobbi to explore our options.

Community Garden: The Town Clerk received a request for a community garden at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  The Selectboard is in favor of the idea.  Anyone wishing to organize such a project should contact the Selectboard with a proposal.

Appointments: John moved to appoint Marilyn Davis to the Old Schoolhouse Common Board of Directors.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  Laura moved to appoint Nancy Everhart to the Regional Planning Commission.  Chris seconded – all in favor.  Both of these positions are 1-year terms, to expire on Town Meeting Day.

Concerts: John noted that the Selectboard completely supports the concerts, and he noted that they have done a terrific job of fundraising.  It doesn’t appear that they need any taxpayer money at this time.  They are welcome to come to the budget meetings in the fall.  They also noted that organizing the concerts was initially a volunteer position but is now a paid part of the librarian’s job.

Covered Bridge Loan: The Selectboard executed a renewal of the grant anticipation loan.  The loan will be paid off when the grant is reimbursed.

Grand List: The Selectboard authorized the Listers to apply for an extension for filing the grand list.

Appointment Policy:  The Selectboard discussed a policy for appointing/reappointing people to Town boards and commissions.

Vacancy: The Selectboard noted that there is a vacancy on the Conservation Commission.  Bobbi will post notices around town and on the website.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the May 5, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the May 19, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Visitors Richard Phillips and Rita Copeland

At  7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

Twin Valley Seniors: Rita Copeland and Rich Phillips came to discuss some options that they have been exploring on expanding the senior center at the Old Schoolhouse Common. Three options were presented with pros and cons to each option. Of the three options, the Selectboard expressed more interest in option #3. Rita is still talking to the surrounding towns to see how much interest they have and what kind of commitments they are willing to make. The Selectboard will talk to the existing tenants to get a feel fro what their long term plans might be. The Board is still not in favor of removing any of the current tenants. Chris mentioned that he had talked to Beth Stern regarding senior housing in Marshfield. She was going to talk to the head of Barre Housing Authority to set up a meeting in the future to discuss it.

Signs: The Selectboard approved the signage designs for the entrances to Marshfield.

Covered Bridge: The Selectboard approved the wording and pictures for the plaques at the Martin Bridge park. The Board felt that the material presented for the environmental setting plaque would be more appropriate for a pamphlet that would be available on site.

The Board authorized John to sign payment request #2 from the Agency of Transportation for the Martin Bridge project.

Rich asked the Board to look into having the mowing at the covered bridge contracted out. He is currently mowing the trails.

The date for the dedication was set for July 11^th at 2:00 at the bridge. Refreshments will be served.

Energy: Rich updated the Board on the Energy Committee. He said transportation seems to be a high priority for the state and federal government. A meeting will be arranged with the Green Mountain Transit Authority and towns along Route 2 to learn more about options. Rich will get back to the Board with a time.

Dogs: The Selectboard signed the warrant to kill unlicensed dogs.

Cross Vermont Trail: The CVT asked if they could use the Old Schoolhouse Common parking lot as a parking location for the Cross Vermont Trail. The Board felt that would be fine.

Stranahan Town Forest: Bids for haying the Stranahan fields were accepted. Stanley Martin will hay the field at the end of Jake Martin Road for the sum of $350.00. Steve Newton will hay the two fields to the right side of Jake Martin Road for $25 per acre.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll: Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. They approved a bill from Albert St. Cyr for winter sand. They approved the minutes of the May 19, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the June 2, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record. Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors: Mike Zahner, Road Foreman Dan Tetreault, Kevin Carroll

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

Stranahan Town Forest: Mike Zahner presented the draft management plan for the property.  He noted that the committee includes several naturalists who have spent quite a bit of time in the woods, inventorying the property.  County Forester Russ Barrett has prepared a forest management plan. Mike noted that the Selectboard has a couple of decisions to make.  One involves sugaring.  There was consensus among the stakeholders that sugaring should be allowed in two of the stands that have been tapped historically, and the woods roads in those stands should be kept open and sugaring should be conducted in a way that would allow continued use of these trails.  Another issue for discussion is fur trapping.  It hasn’t been mentioned in the conservation easement but Mike has spoken with the Vermont Land Trust and they feel that trapping is considered a form of hunting, and hunting is a traditional use.  Mike isn’t sure if there are compatibility issues with hiking, walking dogs, etc. but Dan Fowler has raised this as a traditional use.  The Selectboard noted that they have received a proposal from Bob Light to pasture some animals on one of the fields.  The Selectboard noted that pasturing would be a good way to keep some of the fields open, those that are not suitable for haying.  The Land Trust is in favor of keeping the fields open.  There is also a recommendation in the draft management plan to keep a couple of areas as natural areas.  The issue of whole-tree harvesting versus leaving the tops in the woods will have to be discussed.  The Board discussed the procedure  that they will follow now that they have the draft plan.  The Selectboard will discuss the plan on July 7, and they will meet with Mike on July 28.  They will then schedule a public hearing in August. 

Bob Light has requested permission to pasture animals on one of the fields on the Stranahan property.  He has offered to pay the Town $50 per year.  He has requested a 5-year lease because of the expense of putting in fencing.  The field is overgrown and is not suitable for haying.  The Board is reluctant to sign a 5-year lease until they have adopted the management plan.  They will offer to let him lease the pasture land for this year only, and revisit the issue when the plan is ready.

Cemetery Bid: The Selectboard received one bid to repair the wall in the Wooster Cemetery and install rip-rap.  The bid is from Ran-Mar construction in the amount of $20, 877.41.  The work would require temporary removal and reburying of two graves.  No bids were received for tree removal.  The Board did not make a decision because they do not have enough information.  The proposal from RanMar is good for 30 days.  John will talk to Patrick Healy about what is involved in relocating the graves, and Chris will contact tree service companies.  John will apply for a stream alteration permit.

Cemetery Funds:  Some of the cemetery investments have matured in the last 2 days.  Since the bid for cemetery work was not decided, Bobbi will keep the funds in a money market until the Board finalizes plans for the project.

Winter Sand: Albert St. Cyr submitted the final bill for winter sand.

Holidays: The Selectboard discussed with Dan the policy for holiday pay.  The Board will set up a calendar at the beginning of each year, and if a person has to work on the day that is scheduled as a holiday, they will get paid overtime.

Fuel: The Selectboard asked Bobbi to get bids for fuel oil for the next year.

Trees: The Friends of the Winooski planted trees in front of the dry hydrant on Route 2.  The trees have been removed at the Selectboard’s request.

Dogs: The Town received a complaint from Sharon Fitzpatrick about dogs running at large on Bunker Hill Circle.  Bobbi has talked to the Brickeys and they will keep their dogs on their own property.

Land Records:  The legislature has increased the recording fees for land records.  The Selectboard authorized Bobbi to put the additional $2 per page into the computerization and restoration fund.

Appointment: The Selectboard appointed John Medose to the Energy and Climate Change Committee.

Ordinance violation: Jay Strauss reported to the Selectboard that his neighbor has been burning trash in a burn barrel.  The Selectboard instructed Bobbi to send a letter to the homeowners, with a copy to Sean McVeigh, state enforcement officer.

Executive Session: John moved at 9:20 p.m. to enter executive session to discuss litigation.  The Baord returned to open session at 9:25 p.m.

Covered Bridge: The dedication is planned for July 11^th.  The Selectboard authorized Rich to spend money on the dedication.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the June 16, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors Hannah Newton, Elizabeth Newton, Emily Davis, Caleb Kennison, Sarah Dutil, Mary Lou Wells, Louanna Dutil, Fire fighters Will Schwarz, Tim Morris, and Tim Maclay

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Route 2: A group of students from Twinfield Union School approached the Selectboard with a petition to put a safety light on Route 2 in front of Twinfield Union School, creating a safety zone, and lowering the speed limit to 40 mph while school is in session.  The students have collected 264 signatures on the petition, in only a few days.  John explained that Route 2 is a state road and they don’t have authority to make the change, but would support their efforts.  He noted that the Town has tried to get a safety light at one time and they were not successful.  The students have set up a meeting with Janet Ancel, and they have spoken with Phil Scott, who suggested speaking with the Selectboard first.  Laura offered to go with the students to meet with state officials.  John suggested that they also speak with Doug Newton.  Members of the Fire Department voiced their support for anything that would reduce speed in that area, since they have attended many accidents in that area.  The Selectboard will send a letter of support to the state, along with a copy of the petition.

Fire Department: The Fire Department has scheduled a 100-year celebration for October 10^th at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  They will present the history of the Fire Department, and have refreshments.  They will invite state officials that have worked with the Fire Department.  The Selectboard suggested having the fire trailer that is used for training, and maybe information about smoke detectors.  They will ask for volunteers to help with refreshments.  There will be some live music.

The Fire Department is applying for a stimulus grant to expand the fire station.  The Selectboard signed a letter of support for the project.

Roads: Tim Morris notified the Selectboard about a washout on the railroad bed between Route 232 and Lanesboro.  It appears that the washout is in Peacham. 

Trees: Tim Morris asked who is responsible for trees that are hanging over the Winooski River near the Wooster Cemetery.  Chris noted that a tree service will be coming to look at the trees in the cemetery, and they can look at those trees at the same time.

Personnel: The Library Trustees asked for clarification of the Town’s personnel policy.  No benefits are provided for part-time employees working l

Covered Bridge: The Selectboard confirmed that the Town ordinance covering town-owned property would apply to the covered bridge property.

Tax Rate: The Selectboard set the Town tax rate at 0.592, a 2.78% increase over last year.  When the school tax rate is figured in, the homestead rate is 1.9342, up 6.65% over last year.  The total for non-residential property is 2.1594, up 4.37%.

Cemeteries: The Selectboard discussed the Wooster cemetery project. The state does not require a stream alteration permit. Farr’s tree service will look at the project in the next week.  The Selectboard is looking at some less expensive alternatives for the wall.

Old Schoolhouse Common: The Town received the energy efficiency grant to insulate the Old Schoolhouse Common.

Grants:  Bobbi suggested that the town should have a grant policy.

Field Notes: The Town received an invoice from Twinfield Union School for $4,021.78.  The Selectboard instructed Bobbi to pay the budgeted amount, $3,333.  We will consider an increase when we prepare next year’s budget.

Warranty: John explained the extended warranty for the new truck.  The warranty is $5,830.  The warranty will cover the truck for 7 years.  The Selectboard approved the purchase.

Roads: The Town received a report that someone was logging off the old railroad bed and using town property to store the logs.  Road Foreman Dan Tetreault looked at it and didn’t feel that it is a problem.  Dennis Ducharme only stored logs temporarily.

Appointment policy:  The Selectboard discussed the appointment policy.  Laura will work on a draft.

Fuel Bids: The Selectboard opened and read bids for diesel and

                                    Heating Oil                                           Diesel

Gillespie:                                                                                        

Wholesale                                1.8530                                             1.9419

Adder                                        .26                                                   .26

Tranportation.                            .085                                                 .085

Cost plus on July 1^st:              $2.1980                                           $2.2869

Fixed price                               2.29                                         no bid

Gillespie offered a .10/gallon discount if both heating oil and diesel are purchased from Gillespie and paid in a timely fashion.

                                    Heating Oil                                           Diesel

Northern Petroleum:                                                                      

Wholesale                                1.819                                               1.913

Adder                                        .35                                                   .15

Tranportation.                            .109                                                 .109

Cost plus on July 1^st:              $2.278                                             $2.172

Fixed price                               2.499                                               2.64

John moved to accept Gillespie’s bid for both heating oil and diesel, with the floating price option.  He asked Bobbi to notify Gillespie that the Town will likely buy less gallons of heating oil because of the insulation to be done at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Stranahan Town Forest: The Selectboard discussed the draft management plan.  They asked Bobbi to postpone their meeting with Mike Zahner because they will need more time to study the plan before meeting with him.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the June 2 and 16, 2009 Selectboard meetings.

The meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the July 7, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors Rich Phillips, Saul Gresser, Dan Chodorkoff, Michael Horowitz, and Anne Miller, members of the Marshfield Energy Committee; Tawnya Kristin from Green Mountain Transit Agency (GMTA).

At 7:05 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Energy:  Rich Phillips explained that the Clean Energy Development Fund has grants available for planning energy projects.  They have put together an application for planning a solar project at Twinfield.  The grant would pay for load studies, a cost-benefit analysis, and specifications, with the idea that the end product would be plans for a project that is shovel-ready.  Federal stimulus money or other grants would then be sought for construction.  The energy committee has approached the School Board and they are in favor of applying for the grant.  The Town would administer the planning grant, but when the time comes for construction, the school would apply for those grants.  The group discussed how to best fund the 10% match that is required for the planning grant.  The Selectboard instructed the energy committee to ask the school to reimburse the town for the 10% match, and if that is not possible, to ask the Town of Plainfield to pay for half.

John moved to apply for a grant from the Clean Energy Development Fund in the amount of $4,682.00, and to pay the $518 match, and to authorize any Selectboard member to sign the application.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  The committee will seek reimbursement for the match. 

The Selectboard and energy committee discussed the upcoming insulation project at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  The materials for this project will be paid for with another grant.  The town equipment and road crew will be used to expose the foundation, and volunteers will be sought to help with the labor.

Transportation: The Energy Committee has set transportation issues as one of their priorities.  They are investigating the possibility of setting up public transportation between Marshfield and Montpelier.  They have met with representatives from the Council on Aging, the Towns of Cabot, Plainfield, and East Montpelier.  They have agreed to approach the Towns of East Montpelier, Plainfield, and Marshfield to see if they would contribute to the cost of a commuter route.  Tawnya Kristin explained that the Towns of East Montpelier and Plainfield have agreed to support the project.  GMTA is applying for a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant for a commuter route to serve the Route 2 area between Montpelier and Marshfield.  This grant would require a 20% match.  They are asking each town to put an article on their warning for town meeting, asking for voter approval, in the amount of $8,333.  The grant would be for 3 years, to get the route going.  Voter approval would be sought each of those three years.  The  hope is that after the three years is up, if the route is successful, VTrans would take over the route.  The Selectboard agreed to send a letter of support for the project.

Covered Bridge: The Selectboard signed a change order for the covered bridge project.  Rich feels that more fence is needed to keep vehicles off the trails.  The Selectboard authorized him to go ahead with that.  They also authorized him to purchase picnic tables for the covered bridge park.  He has been mowing the park but the Selectboard will put the mowing out to bid next year.

Speed Limit: The Selectboard has received a request to change the speed limit to 25 mph on the Johnson Road.  The Board doesn’t think it would be practical to enforce for the few houses on the road, but they will direct the sheriff to spend some time on Johnson Road.  They signed a contract with the Washington County Sheriff for traffic enforcement.

Personnel Policy:  The Selectboard amended the personnel policy to make people eligible for health insurance on the first day of the month following a thirty day probationary period.

Stranahan Forest Management Plan: The Selectboard is continuing to work on the plan.

Appointment Policy: The Selectboard revised the appointment policy.  They will submit it to the various boards and commissions for their comments.

Cemeteries:  Rich would like to apply for a grant to put a picnic area near the Wooster cemetery. Chris will submit the preliminary application.

Chris met with John Farr of Farr’s Tree Service.  He will trim and/or remove several trees from Wooster and Eaton Cemeteries.  The price for this work will be $3,500.  The Selectboard authorized him to proceed.

Stranahan  Town Forest:  The Selectboard authorized Jenny Warshow to clean up the existing trails on the Stranahan property.

Grand List: The Selectboard signed one request from the Listers to change the grand list for the Allen property due to an error.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the July 7, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the July 28, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors Lynette Combs, Merrick Grutchfield, Road Foreman Dan Tetreault

At 7:10 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Road signs:  Lynette Combs was recently in an accident at the corner of Hollister Hill Road and Beaver Meadow Road.  Her insurance company would only pay 80% because the intersection is unregulated.  There is a yield sign on Beaver Meadow Road but it is several feet back from Hollister Hill Road, making the intersection ambiguous.  She would like to have signs put up to remove the ambiguity.  Merrick Grutchfield stated that she has seen many accidents there, and she sees many people who never stop at the intersection.  There are many children who live near the intersection.  Chris would like to see stop sign there, but having the triangle makes it confusing when deciding where to put a stop sign.  Road Foreman Dan Tetreault has been hit in the plow truck at that intersection.  He feels that the triangle should be removed and the intersection should be made a 90^o intersection to make it safer.  Chris moved to reconfigure the intersection at Beaver Meadow Road and Hollister Hill Road to improve safety, and to put in a stop sign on Beaver Meadow Road.  John seconded – all in favor.  Dan hopes to get to the project by mid to late September.

Chris has been contacted by Pete Copping about a tree on Hillside Drive.  The Road Crew trimmed a tree that was overhanging the road, and Pete wanted them to cut the whole tree.  Dan told him he can’t cut the whole tree because it is too close to the house and other trees.

John has been talking to VTrans, and the Town may get enough money to put a skim coat on the Cabot Road.  It will only be enough to patch it up for now.  Dan reported that there are areas on the road that can’t be plowed because there are areas that have sunk.

Dan reported that he needs fire-proof fire cabinets for the town garage.  The Selectboard authorized him to order them.

The Road Crew wants to change uniforms.  The new uniforms would be jeans and t-shirts.  Chris will check with other companies to see what they would charge.

Dan needs to buy tin for the roof on the town garage.  It is leaking and the bathroom ceiling is collapsing.  Dan will get a price on a new roof for next year’s budget. 

The Selectboard discussed the project to insulate the Old Schoolhouse Common.  John will ask Tim Davis if he would be willing to do the digging on the weekend using town equipment.

Animal Complaint:  Albert St. Cyr has contacted the Selectboard about property damage caused by cows owned by Philip Leibold.  The Selectboard has no jurisdiction, but 24 VSA §3807 allows him to seek damages in civil court.  John will let him know.

Stranahan Town Forest: The Selectboard continued to work on the management plan.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.   They approved the minutes of the July 28, 2009 Selectboard meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the August 4, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow and Laura Johnson

John and Laura reviewed the contract with Will Fitzpatrick for insulation work at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  It was approved by John and Laura and signed by them.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the August 10, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson (arrived late); Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault; Visitors Paul Bishop, George Longenecker, Barbara Bendix, Fred Rudi, Dianne Lashoones

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Town Garage: Dan has received several estimates for replacing the roof on the town garage.  They range in price from $14,000 to $21,000.  He is waiting for a couple more estimates.  He received a quote of $16,000 to recoat it.

Dan reported that beavers have plugged an 8-foot culvert on Eaton Cemetery Road.  They removed the sticks but several feet of mud remain in the bottom of the culvert.  They will need to do more digging downstream in order to get the culvert cleaned out.

Beaver Meadow Road: Barbara Bendix and Fred Rudi came to discuss the Selectboard’s plan to reconfigure the intersection of Hollister Hill Road and Beaver Meadow Road.  Barbara explained that they take care of the intersection, keep the snow down, etc.  Barbara has talked to Secretary of State Deb Markowitz.  Ms. Markowitz indicated that this is not an unregulated intersection because there are signs warning that the intersection is dangerous, etc.  Barbara talked to an AOT engineer who indicated that 4-way intersections are used to get cars through quickly, but on rural roads, keeping the curves slows people down, and having a slip lane improves site distance over a 4-way intersection.  Barbara stated that the person who hit Lynette Combs was a local person who knew the road.  Barbara has a petition to leave the intersection as it is, and most residents of the area signed it.

George Longenecker has lived on the road for 30 years.  He doesn’t think it’s a dangerous intersection – he thinks the problem is dangerous drivers.

Dan Tetreault stated that he almost got hit at that intersection on his way to the meeting.  He stated that the other driver was going too fast.

Fred Rudi reported that there have been 6 accidents in 25 years.  Most of the accidents involve people not paying attention, not driving safely.  He feels that more signs are a better solution than reconfiguring the intersection.

John asked whether the proposed reconfiguration would make the intersection more or less dangerous.  After speaking with the AOT engineer, Barbara thinks the current configuration is safer.  John asked how they would feel if the Selectboard moved the sign closer to the intersection.  Chris feels that the sign should be at the intersection like all other intersections.  John agreed that there should be stop signs at each leg of the intersection.  Fred asked whether aesthetics play a part in the Selectboard’s decision.  John suggested that they will try to site the signs in a way that will be unoffensive as possible.

Fred indicated that he thinks Merrick Grutchfield and Lynette Combs will be satisfied with this decision.

George Jewett Road: Kevin Hudson has asked permission to cut brush and small trees.  John asked him not to cut anything until the Selectboard discussed it with Dan, because cutting too much could undermine the bank.  Dan will go out and check the road and then call him. 

Cemeteries:  Mrs. Johnson is upset that there is a sink hole near her stone.  This is in the middle section of Eaton Cemetery.   The lower road is washed.  There are also tree limbs that need to be trimmed. 

Old Schoolhouse Common: Dianne Lashoones approached the Board for permission to park horse trailers for a fundraiser trail ride.  They will provide a certificate of insurance and they will clean up after the horses.

The stage area is available for rent.   The current tenants will be notified.

Development Review Board:  Bobbi notified the Selectboard that minutes are still not being sent to her, and DRB decisions are not being prepared until almost the 45^th day.  John will talk to DRB chair Paul Brierre.

Covered Bridge: Laura will touch base with Rich Phillips to see when the plaques will be ready.

Stranahan Town Forest: The Selectboard worked on the management plan.  The draft is basically done.  They are just arranging the appendices and doing a final cleanup.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the August 4, 2009 Selectboard meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the August 18, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors Road Foreman Dan Tetreault, Rich Phillips, Tim Maclay, Tim Morris, Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette).

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Town Garage:  The Selectboard received bids for the roof.

$14,420 Kevin Rand Construction (galvalume metal – has aluminum)

$14,500 MG Builders (29 gauge galvanized metal)

$9,600 Schumacher Construction (29 gauge galvanized metal)

$21,600 Bob Ailes Roofing (29 gauge galvanized metal)

$15,000 Bob Ailes Roofing (spray on rubber coating)

$16,000 Ron Bryan (29 gauge galvanized metal)

$16,200 Ron Bryan (painted metal)

Chris wondered if the board should check into the galvalume metal to see how it compares to galvanized roofing.  Schumacher Construction is the lowest bidder and also presented the most complete proposal. Chris moved to accept Schumacher’s bid without specifying the material to be used, until the board can get more information on the difference between galvalume and 29-gauge metal.

Cemeteries: Dan reported that he has fixed up the road in the Eaton Cemetery.  He fixed a sinkhole, reshaped the road, and trimmed trees and bushes.  He only trimmed trees that are hanging into the road; he wasn’t sure how much trimming he should do.  The Selectboard thinks it would be appropriate to trim as much as he thinks necessary.  The Selectboard also discussed the Wooster cemetery.  Some of the trees have been removed but the brush needs to be cleared and the fence needs to be repaired.  Chris offered to help Dan on a weekend.

Cabot Road: The Town may receive some money to put a skim coat on the Cabot Road to get through this winter.

Personnel Issue: At 7:35, Laura moved to enter executive session to discuss a personnel issue.  John seconded – all in favor.

Conservation Commission: The Selectboard discussed the Conservation Commission plant sale income.  The town budget includes $600 to be raised, and $300 in expenses over and above the plant sale.  The Commission actually raised much more, and they would like to have the entire amount transferred into their designated fund.  The Selectboard agreed to have the funds raised put aside in their fund, but not the $300 that the town had appropriated for expenses, in light of the amount raised.

Fire Department:  Tim Maclay and Tim Morris updated the Selectboard about the plans for the Fire Department centennial celebration to be held on October 10. 

Old Schoolhouse Common:  Rich Phillips updated the Board on the insulation project.  In order to insulate the outside of the foundation, we would need to dig down 9 feet, and slope back to the parking lot.  Two trees would need to be removed, and the stairs on the outside of the building would have to be removed.  Rich thinks it would be easier on the driveway side to insulate the inside of the gymnasium and stage area, and frame another interior wall.  He is going to talk to Building Superintendent Ernie Penley to see what would be involved in doing that.  He also discussed the possibility of only insulating halfway down the wall, or insulating inside with spray foam.  On the playground side it would be easier to insulate the outside of the building, but they would only have to dig down 5 feet. 

Volunteers are needed to bag up the cellulose insulation in the attic over the Town Clerk’s Office.  When the cellulose is out of the way, the attic will be spray-foamed, and the cellulose will be put back.

Dog Issue: The Selectboard has received two complaints about a dog belonging to David and Amanda Mangan.  The Selectboard asked Bobbi to invite them to the next Selectboard meeting.

Stranahan Town Forest:  The Selectboard continued to work on the management plan.  It is nearly complete and the Board intends to hold a public hearing when it is finished.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. They approved the minutes of the August 4^th, July 28^th, and August 18^th Selectboard meetings.

The meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the September 1, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Visitors David Mangan, Diane Dufresne, Leif Richardson, Rich Phillips, Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette)

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Dog Complaint: The Town received a letter from Diane Dufresne about a dog belonging to David Mangan.  David reported that his dog used to be loose but now he has an electric collar.  He has only been loose twice and has been caught immediately both times.

Diane stated that the dog has gone after her, her husband, and her children in her own yard, growling, with hair standing on end, frothing at the mouth.  She has reported this to the dog officer three times.  She stated that the dog is in attack mode as soon as anyone is near.  She has had other dogs come to her yard but this is a safety issue, rather than a nuisance.

This summer Jennifer Skinder was chased into her house by the dog.  Her husband Leif Richardson indicated that the dog came into their yard and chased Jen into the house, and when she was in the house, it continued to jump at the door. He and his wife like dogs but they feel that this is a safety issue, especially since they have children.

Diane is upset that she didn’t feel that the dog officer took the complaint seriously.  Bobbi has talked to Jo Guertin and she indicated that she has talked to Mr. Mangan in person once, and visited the house a second time when no one was home and left a note.

David indicated that they will be moving to Cabot in about a month, so the dog will no longer be there.

John explained the ordinance.  If anything happens from this date forward, the dog will be impounded and there will be fines.  Laura explained that if the dog is loose again, it will be impounded and there will be fines and impound fees.

The Board noted that the ordinance requires that a written complaint be filed after the initial phone call.

Old Schoolhouse Common: Rich notified the Board that the insulation for the foundation will be finished by Friday.  They will do the attic insulation next week.  They will have some very large boulders to get rid of.  They will probably hire a 10-wheeler to haul them to the old gravel pit.  They will use volunteers to help with the attic work.

Building Superintendent Ernie Penley is concerned that the Old Schoolhouse Common Board of Directors has not been meeting and he doesn’t have anyone to bring issues to.  John has spoken with Janet Nielsen and she will call a meeting of the OSC Board.

Seniors: Bobbi notified the Selectboard that the propane usage has tripled since the Senior Center has taken on the Meals on Wheels program.  The Board instructed Bobbi to send them a letter stating that their rent will be increased next year because of the increased propane and electricity usage.

Development Review Board: Bobbi will advertise the vacancy on the DRB.

Cabot Road: John has been notified that no state money will be available for paving the Cabot Road. 

Appointment Policy: The Board prepared the draft of the appointment policy and asked Bobbi to send it to all of the boards.  They intend to adopt the policy at their next meeting if there are no issues.

Ancient Roads:  John discussed the legislation that requires old roads to be identified prior to July 1^st, 2010.  The Selectboard will invite a group of long-time residents to come to a meeting and look at the maps.

Stranahan Management Plan:  The Selectboard will allow tree stands in the town forest, provided they meet the guidelines established for state wildlife management lands.  Anyone wishing to put up a tree stand will have to register with the Town.

Specifications have been prepared for work on the Thompson Road, and for a gate.  Bobbi will advertise for bids.

Personnel: The Selectboard discussed the overtime policy for holidays.  They will ask the Road Crew to come in to the next meeting to discuss the policy.

Cemetery: The Selectboard authorized Bobbi to invest $60,000 of the cemetery funds into bonds.

Garage Roof: Galvalume is a little bit cheaper material, and it comes with a 25 year warranty.  The 29-gauge steel doesn’t come with any warranty.  Chris has spoken to Michael Schumacher and he will take care of the metal disposal.  He will deduct 2¢ per square foot for galvalume.  There was a question about whether flashing was included.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. The Board approved the minutes of the September 1, 2009 Selectboard meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the September 15, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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 Minutes of Selectboard meeting on Sept 30^{th @} Laird Pond Rd.

Called to Order at 4PM

Present

John Warshow

Chris Martin

Laura Johnson

Dan Tetreault

Andy Carlo Fountain Forestry/Evergreen Timber

Brian Kilburn Fountain Forestry

Brewer Kilburn K9

The primary purpose of the meeting was to inspect and act on six (6) curb cut applications filed by Evergreen Timber LLC pursuant to 19 VSA 1111.

Curb cuts for Lots 7 and 8 were approved as is with the provision that should the Town ditch the East side of the road in the future than an 18” culvert will be required. As per our policy, the Town will install the culvert. The owner will pay for the culvert and materials at cost and the Town will provide the equipment and labor.

The proposed location for Lot 6’s curb cut was unacceptable due to inadequate site distance to the south. Evergreen proposed to move it south so that it will be located 100’ from the NW corner of the lot and 250’ from the SW corner of the lot. It was approved as modified in the field. The same culvert condition as lots 7 and 8 was imposed. As this curb cut was already constructed without a permit and in an unacceptable location, the site will need to be restored and replanted to a point 65’ from the centerline of road. This is matter is under the jurisdiction of the DRB and the Zoning Administrator.

Lot 5 has a preexisting logging access. An existing water bar at the SW corner needs to be preserved for proper road drainage. No culvert required. Approved to convert from logging access to permanent curb cut.

Lot 4 curb cut approved with 18” culvert required with standard terms.

Lot 3 curb cut was approved but moved 20’ further towards SE and an 18” culvert was required with standard terms.

Lot 1 curb cut was approved with an 18” culvert required with standard terms and require to trim and keep trimmed brush to the SE corner of the property.

Board authorized any member to sign Schumacher contract for new garage roof.

Board authorized John and Dan to work out details of minor paving repairs to Cabot road ASAP.

Board authorized Bobbi to send letter to Kevin Hudson permitting the cutting of 6-8 small trees marked with Dan on the George Jewett road at his own expense.

John Warshow

Selectboard Chair

The foregoing is a true copy of the minutes of the September 30, 2009 Selectboard meeting.

Attest, _________________________________________________, Town Clerk

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 SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Planning Commissioners Rich Baker, Bob Light, Parker Nichols, Nancy Everhart, Jon Groveman; DRB Member Paul Brierre; Visitors Tom Daley, Mike Fritz; Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette)

At  7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Planning Commission Chair Rich Baker. 

Zoning Regulations:  The first part of the meeting was a joint session between the Planning Commission and the Selectboard.

Rich explained the purpose of the joint session – to give the Selectboard a heads up about what the Planning Commission is going to bring to their hearings.

Flood District: Rich explained that last spring, after the flood district amendments had gone through the public hearing process, FEMA made more changes to the requirements.  These latest amendments are technical changes to comply with those requirements.  In comparing the two sets of maps it appears that 20 buildings may now be in the flood district when they weren’t before, 35 buildings are in the flood district in both the old and new maps, and 29 buildings were in the flood district but now may not be.  He noted that the risk of flooding hasn’t changed but the accuracy of the maps has.  He explained that if a building is going to be in the floodplain when the new maps are adopted, the owners may need flood insurance, since mortgage companies require it.  He noted that the new regulations provide for grandfathering these properties at a lower insurance rate, but only for a limited time.  After discussion it was decided that the Planning Commission will prepare a letter for the Selectboard to send, alerting owners of the situation.

Owners whose properties appear to be in the flood zone on the maps have a couple of options if they think the building is not subject to flooding.  They can get an elevation certificate, showing that the floor of the house is above the flood level, or they can apply for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA); both options involve hiring a surveyor.  Rich will try to get someone from the state’s floodplain management division to attend a meeting with affected landowners, to explain the process.

Subdivision Regulations:    At this time, the Planning Commission is presenting changes that deal with procedural issues surrounding subdivision applications.  They will deal with design criteria at a later date.  There was discussion about whether the subdivision regulations should require a sketch plan review.  The current regulations require a sketch plan meeting, but the new proposal does away with this step while still allowing for an informal first meeting if the applicant wishes.  There are mixed opinions about whether a sketch plan review should be required.  Some felt that the sketch plan review is an unnecessary step; others felt that the sketch plan review is problematic since neighbors are not notified at this step in the process.  Others worried that if the requirement for sketch plan review is removed, the applicants will not bother with the informal meeting but will proceed directly to the public hearing with an incomplete application or with a project that  could not be allowed under our zoning, and it would be easier/less expensive for the applicant to find out before proceeding with a public hearing.

Rich suggested that this issue may be discussed in more depth at the upcoming public hearings, since this meeting is just a chance for the Planning Commission to inform the Selectboard.

The Selectboard and Planning Commission discussed opportunities to deal with curb cuts earlier in the subdivision process.

Technical Amendments: The Planning Commission is proposing changes to the way building height is calculated.  The Selectboard suggested that they add an exemption for steeples, cupolas, etc.  The Planning Commission is proposing a requirement for a conditional use review for a change from one business to another.  They are also proposing regulations for non-transparent fences within the setbacks, and for a limit on the number of exempt small structures.

The Selectboard suggested that the zoning regulations need to be changed to require review when 500 cubic yards of material is moved, rather than 1000, with an exemption for digging foundations.  This issue will probably not be dealt with during this round of amendments, due to time constraints.

Rich notified the Selectboard that the Planning Commission needs someone to take their minutes.  The Selectboard is willing to pay someone for that work.

At 9:40, the Boards separated.

Stranahan Town Forest:  The Selectboard will meet at the site of the parking area to review the curb cut.

Covered Bridge: The Selectboard signed a grant modification agreement.

Old Schoolhouse Common: The Selectboard granted permission for the Christ Covenant Church to sell food on the Old Schoolhouse Common grounds during the Fire Department Centennial celebration.

The Selectboard signed a contract with  All Seasons Urethane Foam to spray foam insulation in the attic over the Town Clerk’s Office and Library.

Paving: The Selectboard received quotes from Johnson Paving and Green Mountain Paving for skim coating over culverts and the worst spots on the Cabot Road.  They will hire Johnson Paving to do this work, at a cost of approximately $8,000.  The Town will apply for a paving grant again next year to pave the Cabot Road.  They have applied for several years in a row, and they are hopeful that this project will be chosen for funding next year.

Curb Cuts: The Selectboard signed 7 curb cut permits for Evergreen Timber on Laird  Pond Road, and one for Kabba and Binta Colley on Bunker Hill Circle.

Executive Session: John moved at 10:05 to enter an executive session to discuss a personnel issue.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  The Board returned to open session at 10:25 p.m.

Personnel Policy: The Selectboard discussed the Town’s overtime policy.  Bobbi will check with other towns to see how they handle overtime during holiday weeks.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.

The meeting adjourned at 10:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the October 8, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson

The Selectboard met at Chris Martin's house at 4:30 pm.  They drove to Bunker Hill Circle and  met  Dave Lawrence at his home to view the storm water run-off situation.  It is understood that Plainfield is up-dating the water line in that area.  The Selectboard will consult with Jay Jewett of Plainfield about their plans and make a decision about the ditching and need for culverts in that area.

The Selectboard traveled to the Stranahan Town Forest to look for possible sites for a curb cut for the parking area.  After measuring and siting various locations, it was decided that the best place for a curb cut was where the previously chosen curb cut was located.

The meeting adjourned at 5:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the October 19, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 7:00 p m, Old Schoolhouse Common

Present: John Warshow, Chris Martin, Laura Johnson, Merrick Grutchfield, Rich Phillips and Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette)

At 7:09 p m, the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow.

Chris moved and John seconded the motion that the Selectboard approve the check for the foam part of the insulation project with the condition that Joe Foss, Four Seasons Urethane, sign the contract. Approved.

Insulation Project: Rich Phillips up-dated the Selectboard on the progress of the insulation project at the OSC. The attic work should be done by this coming Saturday. The below ground work is completed. The cost of the work is staying within the budget that includes the grant and the local share. Rich noted that 125 hours of labor has been volunteered by town residents.

Mentoring Program: Merrick Grutchfield told the Selectboard about the mentoring program she is running for students in grades 4 through 9. She is looking for more mentors.  Mentors are screened , trained and supported by the mentoring program, during the 3 monthly sessions that mentors meet with their student. She explained that this is a full year commitment on the part of the student and mentor. The many positive benefits of the program for the students, adults and community were explained. The Selectboard supports the program.

DRB: No volunteers have come forth to apply for  the vacancy on the DRB. The DRB's last decision was delivered to the applicant in a timely manner.

Old Schoolhouse Common: Karen Walker, a member of the OSC Board, and Laurie Martin sent a letter to the Selectboard requesting that the Recreation Committee, which has recently been incorporated into the OSC Board, be reinstated as a separate committee from the OSC, as it was in the past. The Selectboard will decide about this at a later time. Karen and Laurie also asked the Selectboard for $100 to fund a Halloween Party for the town's children. Laura moved and John seconded the motion that they be given $100 for the party. In the future, they would like the Recreation Committee to sponsor other holiday events.

Ancient Roads: The Selectboard will host a meeting of residents on November 14th, at 10:00 a.m. at the OSC for the purpose of identifying old roads and trails in Marshfield that should be put on the town map by July, 2010.

Stranahan Forest Management Plan:  The Selectboard reviewed the missing parts of the plan.  The Trails part is missing, as is the A and B-line information in layman's terms. The letter from VLT has been received regarding the ability to pasture some of the land within the buffer zone.

Flood Insurance Program:  VLTC requested the town review the dollar amounts of the value of the town's buildings and the contents of the building. Bobbi will check the figures for accuracy of the contents of the town garage with Dan and Chris will check the value of the Town Garage building using a dollar amount per square foot.

Expenses, Permits, Payroll and Minutes: The Selectboard read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  The minutes of October 8th and October 19th were approved.

John moved to enter executive session at 8:55 p.m. to discuss a personnel matter. Laura seconded – all in favor.  They came out of executive session at 9:05 p.m.

The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Johnson, Temporary Secretary

The foregoing is a true copy of the minutes of the October 20, 2009 Selectboard  meeting.

Attest, _________________________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Crew Tim Ksepka and Rick Dutil; Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette)

At 7:10 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

Personnel Issue: The Selectboard and Road Crew members discussed the Town’s overtime policy.  The current policy allows for holiday hours and sick time to be counted towards hours worked.  Rick suggested that the Road Crew should be paid for overtime if they worked over 8 hours a day, or over 10 hours a day when they are on the 4-day work week.  Bobbi reviewed the overtime policies for several other towns.  Laura feels that sick time and vacation time should not count towards hours worked.  Chris countered that hours worked on a weekend should be paid at time and a half regardless of whether the employee took a sick day or not.  The Board discussed several scenarios.  The Board amended the personnel policy to state that holidays falling on a Saturday will be taken on a Friday, and holidays falling on a Sunday (or a Monday if the employee is on a 4-day work week), the holiday will be taken on the next work day.  If an employee actually works on a holiday, they will be paid overtime in addition to the holiday pay.

Peacham Request: The Selectboard received a request from the Town of Peacham to maintain a section of Onion Point Road.  The Selectboard will discuss the request with the Road Foreman to see if he can do this and how much it will cost.

Bunker Hill Circle:  the Selectboard has received calls about the speed limit sign that was recently put up on Bunker Hill Circle.  The Selectboard will ask Dan to take the sign down until spring, and they will have a traffic study in the spring.

Village property: The Town received notice from the State that the Village property outside of village boundaries is taxable.  Bobbi sent a letter to the Village Trustees explaining that they will have to pay taxes next year.

Tax Appeal: the Town received notice that the 2008 tax appeal by Dan and Florence Mucherino  will be heard on November 23^rd.

Request for Veterans’ Exemption: The Board received a request to increase the veterans’ exemption for property taxes.  John noted that there is a bill in the legislature addressing this issue.  The Selectboard chose not to put it on the warning at this time.

Zoning Regulations: The Selectboard received a letter from Tom Daley regarding the proposed amendments to the zoning regulations.  The Selectboard will consider the letter more fully when they receive the proposed amendments from the Planning Commission.

Zoning Administrator Bob Light has been asked about whether the Town has any development standards for private roads.  The Selectboard agreed that this should be addressed in the zoning regulations.

Recreation Committee: Laura moved to appoint Laurie Martin to the Recreation Committee.  John seconded.  John and Laura in favor - Chris abstained. 

Loans Available: the Central Vermont Community Land Trust notified the Town that they have money available to make loans to homeowners for health and safety improvements, weatherization, and other upgrades.

Ancient Roads: The Selectboard will hold a meeting with knowledgeable townspeople on November 14^th to discuss ancient roads.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  They approved the minutes of the October 20, 2009 Selectboard meeting.

Personnel: John moved at 9:26 to enter executive session to discuss a personnel issue.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  The Board returned to open session at 9:50 a.m.

The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the November 3, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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Minutes of Special Select board Meeting Sat Nov. 14th at 10AM to discuss Ancient Roads pursuant to Act 178 of 2006 and  Act 158 of 2008.
 
The Select board, in addition to its regular Warning had invited a number of town elders, local surveyors and past select board members and town clerks.
 
In attendance were John Warshow, Laura Johnson, Chris Martin, Tom Maclay, Janet Nielsen, Lisa Ginett of Sunrise Surveying, Dwight Baker, Ruth Orton, Hap Hayward, Mervin Wells, Elizabeth Larson.
 
John reviewed the law and the purpose of the meeting: To determine if there are any unidentified corridors in town and to check the accuracy of the Town Highway Map with special regards to class 4 Roads and trails, and the need to advise the State of Vermont (V Trans) of our findings by February  2010.
 
There was an extensive review of the current map and previous versions dating back 70years (1939).
 
Other maps and surveys dating back to at least1858, more than 150years, were reviewed and discussed.
 
Various Select board orders with regard to road discontinuances dating back more than 50 years were reviewed as well a 1990's court case involving the Sleeper Road.
 
Both surveyors were cautious in their responses due to potential conflicts of interest with clients, but were supportive the direction the town is taking.
 
After about an hour and a half of review and discussion there was a consensus that the current (2003) version of the V Trans Town Highway Map is true and correct and that there are no known Unidentified Corridors in the Town of Marshfield, VT.
 
The board decided to put an ad in the newspaper and Field notes to alert property owners of our determination and to proceed toward a filing with VTrans in February.
 
The board also decided to advise Tinker Goslant (land in Lanesboro) who was invited but did not attend of our intentions.
 
The board also decided to put a Notice in the town report of our actions.
 
Adjourned 11:40 AM
 
Notes by Laura Johnson
Transcribed by John Warshow

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the November 14, 2009 Selectboard Special Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault; Library Trustee Jill Wilson; Energy Committee members Rich Phillips and Dan Chodorkoff; Will Walters (Hardwick Gazette)

Zoning: The Selectboard changed language in the technical amendment proposal to allow 10’ extra height for cupolas and 25’ for church steeples and bell towers.  There were no other significant changes.  John moved to warn a public hearing for the three amendments on December 29, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Roads: Road Foreman Dan Tetreault informed the Board that there is a granite marker at 2426 Maple Hill Road that needs to be moved to the other side of the ditch, so that it doesn’t obstruct or get hit by the town plows.  Chris will call the owner.

Dan notified the Board that a homeowner on Beaver Meadow Road still has not installed a culvert as agreed.  John will call him.

The Town has received a request from the Town of Peacham to have the Marshfield road crew maintain the Peacham Pond Road from the town line down to the boat launch.  The Selectboard set a price of $8,000, and offered to pay the Road Foreman $2,000 extra for the extra hours that he will have to put in, because he is on salary and does not get paid extra for overtime.  Dan will call the Peacham Road Foreman with the price.

The Selectboard adopted the same road policy that is used by the Town of Underhill.  Laura will put the policy in field notes. 

Budgets:  Jill Wilson presented the first draft of the library’s budget.  The preliminary budget includes an increase of 1% in the town appropriation, but that is subject to final numbers for property and liability insurance, rent, and health insurance, which are not available yet.

Old Schoolhouse Insulation:  Rich Phillips informed the Selectboard that the addition that was put on the back of the building in 1930 has little or no insulation, and it wasn’t discovered until recently.  He is suggesting that the Town use the money that had been earmarked for insulating that part of the concrete foundation that is above ground on the outside of the building.  The Selectboard supported the idea of doing the dense pack cellulose insulation.  Rich will get an estimate.  The Board feels that the extra cost will be made up in fuel savings.

Commuter Bus: The Green Mountain Transit Authority (GMTA) applied for a grant for a commuter bus from Marshfield to Montpelier.  The grant was awarded jointly to GMTA and the Rural Transportation Authority, based in St. Johnsbury, for a commuter bus from St. Johnsbury to Montpelier.  The grant will fund the bus for three years.  Each town will have to vote to fund the local share.  The first year, the local share for the Montpelier-to-Marshfield leg will be $25,000, split between Marshfield, Plainfield, and East Montpelier, or $8,300 each.  St. Johnsbury has already voted to pay the local share for their end of the route.

Energy Assessment District: Members of the Energy Committee explained a new law that gives towns authority to borrow money and loan it to residents for weatherization improvements.  Homeowners would submit projects in advance.  The Town would then obtain the financing, either as a bank loan or a bond.  The repayment would then be made as part of the homeowner’s tax bill.  Only those taking part in the program would have to pay for it.  The law sets conditions on the loan, including the amount of the loan, the energy savings to be realized, etc.  Costs of administering the program can be included in the cost of the loan.  The Selectboard raised several questions about the program.  The energy committee will do more research and come back to another Board meeting.

Conservation Commission: John moved to appoint Ed Jalbert to the Conservation Commission.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

School Tax: John moved to pay the school just what we collected in school tax, and pay the rest later as allowed by law. Chris seconded – all in favor.  In the past, we have paid the entire amount due, and absorbed the delinquencies, but the Board feels that we can no longer afford to do that.

Health Code complaint: Lawrence Drown owns rental property on Route 2 in Marshfield.  After receiving a complaint from the tenant, Health Officer Madelyn Hamilton and Selectman John Warshow inspected the premises. They found many health violations, including garbage that has been dumped around the property by the landlord.  The Health Officer has notified Mr. Drown that he has to clean up the garbage and make repairs to the building.

Stranahan Town Forest: The Selectboard will hold a public hearing on December 29, 2009 following the zoning hearing, which begins at 7:00.  The Selectboard will meet after the hearings.

Snow Removal: The bids for removing snow from the village sidewalks will be due December 1^st.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. They approved the minutes of the November 14, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the November 17, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Energy Committee Member Rich Phillips, Road Foreman Dan Tetreault; OSC Board Members Ellen Cooke and Marilyn Davis; Historical Society President John Johnson

At  7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

Old Schoolhouse Common: Rich Phillips is putting in a grant application for pellet boilers for the town garage and Old Schoolhouse Common.  The grant will be for a maximum of $75,000, with a local share of 10%.  John moved to authorize any Selectboard member to sign the grant application.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Energy Assessment District: The Energy Committee has decided to drop this project for now, in favor of other projects.

Commuter Bus: There is a meeting with area towns on December 9^th at 6:00 at the Old Schoolhouse Common.

Old Schoolhouse Common: Marilyn Davis and Ellen Cooke presented the budget for the Old Schoolhouse Common.  The budget includes an increase in rent for the Twin Valley Seniors only, to reflect the increase in expenses resulting from the Meals on Wheels operation.

Historical Society: John Johnson reported that the Historical Society will be out of funds as of December 2010 unless their appropriation is increased or they need an idea for a fundraiser.

Personnel: John moved at 7:50 p.m. to enter executive session to discuss a personnel issue.  Laura seconded – all in favor.  The Board returned to open session at 8:20.

Highways: Dan submitted his budget to the Selectboard.  He notified the Board that the shop needs painting, and the siding needs to be replaced on one end.  The lean-to also needs to be replaced, and more space is needed to store equipment.  Dan and Bobbi will revise the budget and bring it back to the next meeting.

The Town of Peacham has decided not to have our Road Crew maintain the Peacham Pond Road to the boat launch.

The Selectboard has received a call about a beaver dam at the end of Bailey Pond.  John has been in contact with the State and a State engineer will be investigating. The property owner has been notified as well.

Dan told the Selectboard that he will not be able to plow SASS Avenue unless the turnaround is cleared.

The Selectboard discussed several issues related to the school and Chris and John are going to look into some of the issues.

Trash: The Town has notified the State Enforcement Officer about trash that is being dumped on Laird Pond Road.

Health Complaint: The garbage has not been removed from the Drown property on Route 2.  The health officer is preparing a health order.

Dog Complaint: Chris and John received a complaint about dogs being loose on Bunker Hill Circle.

Snow Removal: The Selectboard received bids for snow removal on the village sidewalks.

            Onion River Excavating: $2,500

            Cabot Heights Cleaning Services: $75 per storm, for all of the sidewalks

Laura moved to accept the lump sum bid.  John seconded – John and Laura in favor; Chris recused himself.

Health Insurance: The Selectboard reviewed all of the options for health insurance for the town employees.  Laura moved to keep the same high deductible health plan that we currently have.  Chris seconded – all in favor.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. They approved the minutes of the November 3^rd and 17^th Selectboard meetings.

The meeting adjourned at 10:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the December 1, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

*****************************************************************************************************

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Road Foreman Dan Tetreault

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

Road Crew: Rick Dutil has given notice that he will be taking a new job.  The Selectboard and Dan discussed how to fill the position.  The Board authorized Dan to make an offer if he finds a suitable applicant. They discussed the possibility of hiring a fourth road crew member to cut down on overtime and to fill in for vacations.  The Selectboard discussed the possibility of putting an article on the warning for town meeting.

The Selectboard discussed changes to the personnel policy to add disciplinary alternatives and a code of ethics.  They discussed the job description for the road crew.

Salt: Dan has notified the Selectboard that Twinfield has been using Town salt for the walkways at school for many many years without paying. The Selectboard has decided to charge the school for the salt and for hauling.   The Town is paying $71 per ton for salt, which amounts to $300 per load when Dan delivers it to the school.

SASS Avenue Bridge:  The State sent a letter to the Town instructing us to close the bridge if the water comes within a foot of the bridge.

Beaver Dam: The beaver dam on Bailey Pond has been lowered and the water level is now safe.  The property owners will continue to maintain the dam at a safe level.

Budgets:  The Selectboard reviewed the budgets for the library, the fire department, and highways.  Chris will meet with Dan to measure for a new lean-to, so that we can get an estimate for next year’s budget.

Health Issue: The Court has ordered Larry Drown to stay off the property that he owns on Route 2.  The Tenant has been cleaning up the tires but the property is in foreclosure so the future of the complaint is uncertain.

Recreation Committee:  The Committee has asked permission to put festive winter decorations at the Old Schoolhouse Common.  The Selectboard gave permission to put up lights and greenery.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll. The Selectboard approved the minutes of the December 1, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the December 15, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Present: Selectboard members John Warshow, Chris Martin, and Laura Johnson; Town Clerk Bobbi Brimblecombe; Planning Commission members Richard Baker and Jon Groveman; Mike Zahner; Russ Barrett; Matt Leonard; Tom Daley; John Johnson; John Domey; Brett Engstrom; Allen Banbury; Bob Popp; Jim Brimblecombe

At 7:00 p.m. the meeting was called to order by Chair John Warshow

ZONING HEARING:  John opened the hearing and asked Planning Commission chair Richard Baker to explain the zoning amendments.  He noted that the subdivision amendments were suggested by the Development Review Board and they participated in the process.  The technical amendments were suggested by the Zoning Administrator.  The flood hazard amendments are required to allow residents to continue being able to purchase flood insurance.

Tom Daley stated that section 1040 B of the proposed subdivision amendments is incoherent.  Jon Groveman suggested alternate wording that did not change the substance of the paragraph but made it more clear.

 Bobbi suggested clarification to one sentence in the technical amendments.  The Selectboard agreed.

John moved to warn the three amendments with today’s changes, as three separate articles on the warning for Town Meeting.

STRANAHAN HEARING: John opened the hearing by thanking the members of the stakeholders group, the conservation commission, Brett Engstrom, the county foresters and Ed Jalbert, and Laura and Bobbi.

John Johnson suggested a few changes that highlight the cultural and historical importance of the property.  He also questioned why the stewardship committee is being limited to 5 members, where 3 would be a quorum and 2 could make a decision.

John asked about the natural communities map.  Brett explained that it was done by a student at Lyndon State College, and he plans to revise it.  He explained that natural community mapping attempts to show what the land would be naturally, without human interference.  It does not show current vegetation, but what would be there if left untouched.  He explained that when the natural community map is completed, it will be accompanied by a report.  Discussion centered around whether the plan should include a description of what a natural communities map is. John suggested that the way the plan is currently worded, it implies that the management decisions will be made in a way that will encourage the property to return to its original state, and that is not necessarily the goal – for instance, the fields that have been cleared for agriculture may be kept as fields rather than letting them revert to their natural state.  Bob Popp explained that natural communities maps are used when planning forestry operations, etc. and can be used when making some decisions but they don’t have to be followed in all cases.  Chris explained that the Selectboard wants to retain the ability to make future decisions without being pinned down by one criteria.  Matt Leonard suggested that natural community maps are only one factor that the Town could use when making decisions.  Brett explained that the map could be used to predict what will happen if areas are left untouched.  The language was changed to reflect that the map is one of the tools that will be used to make decisions.

Mike Zahner recommended that the word “shall” is used in the conservation easement and should be used in the plan.

Mike pointed out that the plan mentions a trails committee but there is nothing that explains how the trail committee will be formed.  It was agreed that the Stewardship Committee will oversee the trails.

Brett suggested that the Selectboard should strengthen the section that deals with leaving the slash when timber is harvested.  He stated that leaving the tops in the forest leaves some of the nutrients in the soil.  He stated that there will be times when whole tree harvesting is necessary but he thinks the overall goal should be to leave the tops.  Chris replied that the Board wanted to have the leeway to do the harvest either way.

Bob Popp explained that there are other reasons for leaving the tops; for example, if there are too many deer in an area, leaving the tops would protect new shoots to aid in regeneration.   The county foresters explained that it is important to leave the door open because there may be times when whole-tree harvesting is the only way to get the job done.

The hearing adjourned at 9:00.

SELECTBOARD MEETING

Conservation: Members of the Conservation Commission asked that the Selectboard do what is necessary to establish a conservation fund.  There already is conservation money set aside in the designated funds.

Mike reported that he is applying for a minigrant for trails on the Stranahan property.  John moved to allow any Selectboard member sign the application.  Laura seconded – all in favor.

Budgets: The Selectboard worked on department budgets.

Change of date: The Selectboard meeting regularly scheduled for January 19^th will be changed to January 21^st to allow the Selectboard to sign the warning for town meeting.

Expenses, Permits & Payroll:  Selectboard members read and signed reports for General Expenses and Payroll.  The Selectboard approved the minutes of the December 15, 2009 meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 11:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bobbi Brimblecombe, Town Clerk

The foregoing is a true copy of the Minutes of the December 29, 2009 Selectboard Meeting.

A True Record.  Attest, ______________________________________, Town Clerk

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