DRAFT MINUTES
 | DRAFT MINUTES COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD August 25, 2020 @ 6:30 PM Colchester Town Offices 781 Blakely Road Outer Bay Conference Room, 3rd Floor __________________ |
1. Call Meeting to Order | Roll Call | Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Jeffrey Bartley called the meeting to order at 6:29 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
SELECTBOARD: Chair Jeffrey D. Bartley; Tom Mulcahy; Jacki Murphy; Pam Loranger; Julie Hulburd
STAFF: Aaron Frank, Town Manager, Lara Alemy, Finance Director, Bryan Osborne, Public Works Director
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Bridget Higdon, Colchester Sun and Robert and Gerry Couture.
2. Citizens to be Heard
None came forward
3. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of August 4, 2020
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to adopt the Consent Agenda as it may have been modified by the Board and to take the actions indicated for each item:
a. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of August 4, 2020
The MOTION carried 5-0.
4. ACTION | Special Business Items
a. Presentation on FY 2021 Capital Budget and Warn Hearing – Bryan Osborne, Director of Public Works
Mr. Osborne provided an overview of the FY 2021 Capital Budget and the five year capital plan, noting that it would be reviewed by the Planning Commission and then come back to the Selectboard for final consideration.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to approve the draft Town of Colchester FY21-FY26 Capital Budget Program as presented, per a memo from Bryan Osborne, Director of Public Works, dated August 25, 2020; and warn the Capital Budget Program for a public hearing on October 27, 2020; and submit the draft to the Planning Commission for their comment per state statutes.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
b. Grant Application Recommendation for Lakeshore Dr. / Blakely Rd. Intersection Improvement Project – Bryan Osborne, Director of Public Works
Mr. Osborne described the project and noted that it was determined to be the best option by the Selectboard in 2017 after considering public input and information gathered through a State required process called scoping. The roundabout solution was determined to have better outcomes in terms of stormwater, automobile throughput, and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to approve the submittal of a grant application to the Vermont Agency of Transportation for $168,000 in federal funds for the design and construction of the pedestrian elements of a single land roundabout at the Bayside Intersection, and provide a 20% local match from the Town’s Capital Transportation Program, Stormwater Utility, and other engineering design funds from the Public Works operating budget, for a total project cost of $210,000 per a memo from Bryan Osborne dated August 25, 2020.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
c. Small Business Proclamation- Shop Local - Aaron Frank, Town Manager
Mr. Frank noted that local businesses invest in our community, provide jobs and incomes, pay Town property taxes, State education and State income taxes and that shopping and spending locally helps keep local resources available to the community. Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy read the resolution.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to adopt the “Now is the Time to Shop Small” Proclamation in support of Colchester small businesses and urge the residents of our community, and communities across the country, to support small businesses and merchants now and throughout the year.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
d. Petition for Green Mountain Power Pole and Wire Placement – Bryan Osborne, Director of Public Works.
Mr. Osborne explained the pole’s location and purpose.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve the installation of a new power pole and overhead wires within the public right of way in front of 1980 East Road as shown on the attached site plan, and sign the provided Petition for Pole and Wire Placement form per a memo from Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer, dated August 19, 2020.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
5. ACTION | Approval of Petitions & Licenses
a. Action: Amusement License for Broadacres Bingo
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve an amusement license for 275 Lakeshore Drive Inc., Broadacres Bingo, located at 133 Broadacres Drive, Colchester.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
6. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
a. Town Manager’s Report
Town Manager, Aaron Frank, provided an overview of the report:
• Assessor completed a review of sales needed for State Education taxes
• Economic Development has been providing information to business on economic recovery
• Fire had 83 calls for service and 49 were during the day during the weekdays. The full-time staff and the number of volunteers during the weekdays are making a positive impact on both response times and number of members responding to these incidents.
• Library circulated over 1,100 digital items (a record in June with 543 e-books and 602 audiobooks) and is holding twice weekly curbside drop off and pick up while maintaining overall pre-COVID circulation numbers
• Clerks held a successfully election, mostly absentee and early voting primary election for state and national offices
• Planning and Zoning completed an update of our community rating system with FEMA that documents the Town’s efforts to reduce flooding and reduces household flood insurance cost
• Public works completed the Blakely Road and Laker Lane projects and is working on a multitude of stormwater projects
• Justin Pero joins us as public works coordinator replacing Melany MacKay who left for an opportunity in Montana.
• Jeremy Robare replaces Warner Rackley as capital projects manager
• Parks and Recreation added two weeks of summer camps to help out with child care with the changed school start date
• Colchester Rescue welcomes:
o Carl Berridge, a paramedic who joined Colchester rescue with extensive emergency medicine experience in Maine and New Hampshire, the New Hampshire National Guard, and most recently SMC dispatch. Carl replaces Kiley Baillargeon who left to attend graduate school for more medical training.
o Coline Redeker who is an advanced emergency medical technician and graduate of St. Michael's College. She was a member of their rescue squad prior to joining us. She replaces Clayton Cameron who joined the State Medical Examiner's Office.
• Colchester Police welcomed Communications Specialist (dispatcher) Mariah Griffin who began work as a trainee on Sunday, August 9. She replaces Tracy Tembreull left to spend more time with family.
b. Pictures of Progress. “Pictures of Progress” was omitted and we will share photos of the pickleball courts opening at the next meeting.
c. Finance Report – Lara Alemy, Finance Director
Ms. Alemy provided an overview of the July 2020 Financial Report. Town Manager Frank explained that furloughs put in place due to the economic impacts of COVID concluded August 3rd, but that currently open positions represent 15% of the Town’s staff. The openings include: Public Works-1; Parks-5; Planning and Zoning-1; Manager-2; Recreation-3; Library-4 (continued furlough due to the library space being closed to the public and inability to provide library programs). He noted that some positions would be filled but not all, due to concerns about Colchester unemployment still at 6.8% for July and considering the Town is responsible to pay $34M the state education taxes regardless of whether Town property taxes are paid by the property owners.
7. Informational Items
a. Week Ending August 21, 2020
Town Manager Frank noted that two years ago the Selectboard held a hearing on the issuance of a permit to sell fireworks in the Town of Colchester. The Selectboard declined to issue a permit considering the advice of the public safety chiefs who had concerns about the density and type of housing in Colchester and cited a recent incident where a firework caught a camp on fire in a difficult-to-reach location.
The Chittenden Superior Court upheld the Selectboard’s decision. The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed the Superior Court's decision; the Selectboard’s decision stands.
8. Future Agenda Items (Subject to Change)
• 9.22.2020
o Selectboard Input on FY 2022 Budget and Budget timeline
• 10.27.2020
o FY 2021 Capital Budget Hearing/Adoption
9. Announcements
• Town Manager Frank noted that Jeff Smail had retired from the Colchester Department of Public Works after 41 years of service to the Town. The staff celebrated with a socially distanced parade and event at Jeff’s home. Mr. Frank thanked Jeff for his work and camaraderie.
• Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy reminded people to fill out the census which takes just twenty minutes at https://my2020census.gov/
• Chair Jeff Bartley noted there was a Selectboard vacancy and encouraged residents who are enthusiastic about the Town to apply.
• Chair Bartley noted that the Town Clerk’s office had free masks for residents available at Town Hall from 7:30 - noon on weekdays.
10. ACTION | Warrants
a. Action: Warrants #20-42 and #21-06
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to approve warrant #20-42 in the amount of $81,688.24 and #21-06 in the amount of $915,385.35.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
11. Very Special Business
a. Resolution of Appreciation for Chair Jeffrey D. Bartley
Clerk Jacki Murphy read the resolution and Chair Bartley received a standing ovation and many thanks from the Selectboard for his service. Town Manager Frank provided Chair Bartley with a street sign, “Bartley Lane.”
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to approve a Resolution of Appreciation for Jeffrey D. Bartley, Selectboard Chair.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
12. Possible Executive Session: Contracts, Personnel and Litigation
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts, personnel and litigation would clearly place this Selectboard at a substantial disadvantage because the Selectboard risks disclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses the contracts and litigation in public.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to enter executive session to discuss contracts and litigation under the provisions of Title 1, Section 313 (a)(1)(a) and (b) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions; and personnel under the provisions of 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(3), Executive Sessions.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to exit Executive Session.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
13. Adjournment
At 7:47 MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 PM.
DRAFT MINUTES