 | MINUTES COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD December 8, 2020 @ 6:10 PM Via Conference Call __________________ |
1. Call Meeting to Order | Roll Call | Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Members Present: Pam Loranger, Chair; Julie Hulburd; Tom Mulcahy; Charlie Papillo; Jacki Murphy
Staff Present: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager; Cpl. Steve Gutierrez; Stephanie Gingras, Animal Control Officer; Julie Graeter, Town Clerk; Lara Alemy, Finance Director; Bryan Osbourne, Public Works Director; Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer
Others Present: Katrina Messenger, Edwin Montgomery
2. Executive Session
a. Interview of Prospective Conservation Commission Student Members
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to enter Executive Session for the purpose of interviews for consideration of youth appointments to the Colchester Conservation Commission, as authorized under the provision of Title 1, Section 313 (a) (3) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions. The MOTION carried.
3. Hearing on Potentially Vicious Dog
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger explained the process for the hearing, swore in witnesses, and took testimony from Ms. Messenger, Mr. Montgomery, Animal Control Officer Stephanie Gingras and Colchester Police Corporal Gutierrez. Selectboard members asked questions of most parties. Selectboard Chair Loranger explained the Selectboard would deliberate and issue an order within the next few days.
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Citizens to be Heard
Selectboard Chair Loranger explained the options for participating in the meeting and providing input to the Selectboard
6. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 11.10.2020 Regular Selectboard Meeting
b. Minutes of 11.17.2020 Selectboard Budget Meeting
c. Minutes of 11.18.2020 Selectboard Budget Meeting
d. Minutes of 11.19.2020 Selectboard Budget Meeting
e. Minutes of 12.1.2020 Selectboard Budget Meeting
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to adopt the Consent Agenda as it may have been modified by the Board and to take the actions indicated for each item:
a. Minutes of 11.10.2020 Regular Selectboard Meeting
b. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of 11.17.2020
c. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of 11.18.2020
d. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of 11.19.2020
e. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of 12.1.2020
The MOTION carried.
7. ACTION | Special Business Items
a. Town Meeting Approach and Mandatory Voting Items
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that the Town Clerk and Town Attorney provided an outline of how to approach Town Meeting 2021 considering the Town Charter, State law, and the strong likelihood we will still have substantial restrictions to keep us safe from COVID in early March. He explained that the Selectboard has the authority to hold Town Meeting as an Australian ballot only and the only items that are mandatory to vote on are the Town budget and the Public Safety Capital Plan. Selectboard Member Julie Hulburd noted that she was uncomfortable not having a vote on the Selectboard stipend. He explained that according to State law and as practiced in some neighboring communities, the Selectboard stipend doesn’t have to be voted on annually unless you want to change it.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to address Town Meeting Day 2021; that there are significant advance planning requirements and that it will likely not be possible to meet in person on Monday, March 1, 2021 due to COVID; the Selectboard will warn Town Meeting 2021 for Australian Ballot with the Town Budget and Public Safety Capital Plan proposed by the Town Selectboard as the only Articles.
The MOTION carried.
b. Approval of Town Meeting Voting Process –
Town Clerk/Treasurer Julie Graeter proposed to the Selectboard that the Town mail out postcards that inform voters of alternative voting options to reduce the number of people who vote in-person on March 2, 2021.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve a plan to send a postcard to all active, registered Colchester voters. The intent is to reduce the number of in-person voters by giving them the opportunity to request an absentee/mail-in ballot for the Town Meeting Election on March 2, 2021.
Tom Mulcahy felt this language could be interpreted as an attempt to discourage voting.
Charlie Papillo made a revised MOTION and it was SECONDED by Julie Hulburd:
“The Colchester Selectboard moves to approve a plan to send a postcard to all active, registered Colchester voters. The intent is to provide an alternative to in-person voting by giving them the opportunity to request an absentee/mail-in ballot for the Town Meeting Election on March 2, 2021.
The MOTION carried.
c. Review Draft of Town Meeting Warning –
Aaron Frank and Julie Graeter provided a draft of the Town Meeting warning, assuming we won’t have an in-person Town Meeting and will do everything by Australian ballot. They asked the Selectboard to review the draft tonight as we might need legal input, depending on the wording of different items.
d. Appointment of Get Engaged Conservation Commission Members
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to appoint Maeve McCullagh and Logan Mock to the Colchester Conservation Commission as Get Engaged youth members, both for a one-year term beginning December 8, 2020 and ending on September 30, 2021.
The MOTION carried.
e. Authorization to Transfer Fire Funds – Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager
summarized the purpose of the transfer from the Fire Department operating budget into Fire Capital for funding the replacement and maintenance of long-term capital items.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to authorize a transfer of $226,033 from the Fire Operating Budget to the Fire Capital Fund.
The MOTION carried.
f. Authorization to Transfer Cemetery Funds –
Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager summarized the purpose of this transfer from the General Fund into the Cemetery Fund for capital improvements to the Town cemeteries.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to authorize a transfer of $35,000 from the General Fund to the Cemetery Fund.
The MOTION carried.
8. Monthly Reports
a. Financial Report – Lara Alemy, Finance Director, presented her financial report for the month of October.
b. Town Activities – A summary of the departmental activities was included in the packet.
9. Meeting of Board of Sewer Commissioners (separate agenda) (see draft minutes)
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to temporarily adjourn the meeting of the Selectboard and convene a meeting of the Board of Sewer Commissioners.
The MOTION carried.
10. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
a. Action: Cancel Meeting of December 22, 2020 and Authorize Town Manager to Sign Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to cancel the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 and to authorize Aaron Frank, Town Manager, to sign the end-of-month warrants.
The MOTION carried.
b. Presentation of FY 22 General Operating Budget and Warning for Public Hearing
Town Manager Aaron Frank noted the Board packet included detailed information about expenses and revenues. He explained that along with the Selectboard, he and the Town department heads had been working on the budget since September when the Selectboard directed that tax rate increases be kept to a minimum.
He explained that Colchester’s municipal services tax rate is expected to increase by 2% for FY 22. For a residential property valued at $300,000 in 2011, the increase would be $34 for the year or 65 cents a week. He went over the Town’s approach to budgeting: reduce expenses and use property taxes as the “last dollar in;” assertively pursue grants and aggressively bid and negotiate contracts; $312,000 in capital grants, $600,000 in COVID grants, and a 4% health care increase in the current year were examples. He noted that the Town reduced six cost centers, added 20 hours a week of emergency management staff, and has made a part time management position full time in the form of a Deputy Town Manager, both of which are already paying for themselves in terms of fiscal recovery from the impacts of COVID through grants. Other changes include cemetery capital improvements; more sand and gravel and increased cost of salt; and more staff time and equipment for the mechanics who are now maintaining the fire trucks.
He showed a pie chart demonstrating how we use financial resources to provide Town services in Colchester. Public safety receives the largest portion of resources, followed by public works; then parks and recreation; and then the library.
He explained that the Municipal Service Tax rate is set by the Selectboard by taking the voter approved budget, subtracting non-tax revenues, adding voter approved capital, subtracting local option tax funded capital, and then dividing the result by the grand list (value of all property in Colchester, divided by 100. This yields the Municipal Service Property tax. For a home valued at $300,000, the municipal service tax would be $1,678, and the increase over FY 21 would be $34
He noted that Colchester’s municipal service property tax is the third lowest per resident in inner Chittenden County among communities with similar levels of service.
The Selectboard asked that the tax bill be explained to the voters to distinguish the Colchester Municipal Service Property Tax from the State Education Tax set by the Legislature in Montpelier.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to warn a public hearing on January 12, 2021 for public comments on the proposed FY 2022 General Operating Budget, as presented by Aaron Frank, Town Manager on December 8, 2020.
Julie Hulburd opposed.
The MOTION carried.
c. Discussion: Public Safety Capital Plan / Draft of Ballot Language –
Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager, presented the Public Safety Capital Plan that is up for reauthorization in March. The board had an opportunity to ask questions, provide comments and review the draft ballot language for this item.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to agree to the following language for consideration at its January 12, 2021 meeting, with a vote on whether said language shall be placed on the ballot for the March 1, 2021 Town Meeting.
“Shall the Town of Colchester reauthorize the Selectboard to maintain a reserve fund accumulating annually in the amount of Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($30,750) for a period of five years, for the purpose of financing public safety equipment replacements and upgrades?”
The MOTION carried.
d. Addendum to Town Purchasing Policy –
Aaron Frank explained the addendum’s purpose was to simplify purchasing for Public Works and the Fire Department which have operations away from Town Hall and are equipment-dependent, but still require purchase orders and tracking of obligations.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to adopt a Purchasing Policy Addendum for the Department of Public Works Equipment Maintenance, Highway, Buildings, Wastewater and Stormwater Divisions, and the Fire Department as recommended in a memo from Town Manager Aaron Frank dated November 16, 2020.
The MOTION carried.
e. Proposed Amendments to the Colchester Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12, Traffic –
Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer, discussed the proposed amendments to the Colchester Code of Ordinances related to the construction of Vicenza Way, a new 0.08-mile roadway located off of Windemere Way. It is anticipated that a request will be made to the Town to accept this as a Class III public street. The proposed amendments include:
o Vicenza Way
· Speed posting of 25 mph
· No parking designation along both sides of the roadway
· Placement of stop sign at intersection of Vicenza Way with Windemere Way
f. Warning for Public Hearing on amendments to the Colchester Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12. Traffic –
Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer, shared a draft of the warning for the public hearing that is scheduled for the January 12, 2021 Selectboard meeting.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve for First Reading the following amendments to be added to the Colchester Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12, Traffic: Vincenza Way: - A speed posting of 25 mph; - No Parking designation along both sides of the roadway; - Placement of a Stop sign at the intersection of Vincenza Way at Windemere Way and to warn a public hearing for January 12, 2021, per the attached memo from Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer, dated November 25, 2020.
The MOTION carried.
11. Informational Items
12. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to approve Warrant #21-16 in the amount of $672,881.24 and #21-17 in the amount of $237,952.97.
The MOTION carried.
13. Upcoming Selectboard Meetings
• January 12, 2020
o Budget Hearing and approval of Warning
o Public Safety Capital Plan Hearing and approval of Warning
o Town Meeting Warning
14. Deliberative Session
Selectboard Chair Loranger made a statement that the Selectboard would temporarily adjourn the public meeting to enter a deliberative session for the purpose of consideration of vicious dog hearing, as authorized under the provisions of Title 1, Section 312 (e) of the Vermont Statutes, Deliberative sessions within the context of a quasi-judicial proceeding.
15. Adjournment
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried.
The meeting was adjourned.