DRAFT MINUTES
 | COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD March 28, 2023 @ 6:30 PM 781 Blakely Road 3rd Floor Conference Room __________________ |
1. Call Meeting to Order
Roll Call: Pam Loranger, Chair; Tom Mulcahy, Vice Chair; Jacki Murphy, Clerk; Maureen P. Dakin
Staff Present: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager; Bryan Osborne, DPW Director; Karen Adams, DPW Technical Services Manager; Lara Alemy, Finance Director;
Others Present: Cheryl Andersen, Tyler Andersen, Jack Kenish
Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Citizens to be Heard*
There were no citizens to be heard.
3. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 3.14.2023 Selectboard Meeting
b. To re-appoint Bryan Osborne as Colchester Tree Warden for a one-year term beginning April 1, 2023 and ending March 31, 2024
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin 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 the meeting of March 14, 2023.
b. To reappoint Bryan Osborne as Colchester Tree Warden for a one-year term beginning April 1, 2023 and ending March 31, 2024.
The MOTION carried.
4. ACTION | Adjourn to Meeting of Board of Sewer Commissioners
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.
5. Special Business Items
a. Information: Meadow Drive Ditch Update |Bryan Osborne, DPW Director
Bryan Osborne provided an update on the steps that have been taken to determine the cause of the water issues. The result of the study determined there is an extremely high groundwater table in this area. He stated that the recommendation to these property owners is to continue to utilize the sump pumps. He further stated that DPW provided guidance on the positioning of discharge pipe, to be out of the ditch line, so it doesn’t freeze in winter. Responsibility for upkeep is on the property owners based on the original easement agreement.
Jack Kenish expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Bryan Osborne and his Department of Public Works and Town Manager Aaron Frank. He stated that the town sent out a questionnaire and only 5 out of 7 property owners expressed concern. However, Mr. Kenish noted that based on conversations with his neighbors, he was concerned with the costs these landowners are incurring to remediate these issues. He hoped the town could look into grant opportunities or state and federal funding to help these folks resolve this issue.
Tyler Anderson who lives on New England Drive, adjacent to Meadow Dr., acknowledged that some of the issue is that landowners need to do more work to better maintain their portion of the ditch. He stated his house also has a spring and has a high-water table. Landowners need to ensure their lines are high enough and above grade to drain properly. Mr. Anderson noted he does do work on the ditch to clean it out. However, since the town has access to the ditch, he wondered if Bryan could have DPW come in and scrape out the ditch to make it deeper and wider to allow for a faster run-off. He requests the town look at it as a stormwater problem that should be addressed.
Mr. Kenish added that the diagram he provided to the board includes blue dots indicating where FEMA did do work previously. Where they stopped, they installed different types of overflow drains. He feels that was a solution that could be used in the Meadow Drive neighborhood and encouraged the town learn what FEMA did and then explore state or federal grants that might pay for that work.
b. Financial Report | Lara Alemy, Finance Director
Finance Director Lara Alemy reported on the February financials and noted that we are 66% of the way through the fiscal year. Expenses are currently 5% under budget and revenues are 1% over budget.
c. ACTION: Fort Ethan Allen Solar Permitting |Aaron Frank, Town Manager
Town Manager Aaron Frank discussed the town’s longstanding goal of producing 100% of the electric energy consumed in the provision of municipal services through local, affordable and renewable energy. He stated that the town has successfully implemented two solar projects which produce 66% of the town’s energy consumption. Staff have made two attempts, on different town-owned properties, to permit a third solar farm and have been denied each time, for different environmental reasons, by VT Agency of Natural Resources. He stated that this third location doesn’t appear to have any environmental flags and is located on an 8.4-acre town owned parcel on Route 15 that also hosts the Fort Ethan Allen Cemetery. He noted that there is plenty of room for both and staff are proposing additional screening for aesthetics, including both the Act 248 required stockade fence and 35 six-foot-tall blue spruce. The next step in this process is to enter into a contract with AEGIS Renewable Energy, Inc for permitting.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to authorize the Town Manager to enter into a contract for up to $41,000 with AEGIS Renewable Energy, Inc to permit a solar power generating facility on an 8.4-acre town owned site off of Rt. 15 which also includes Fort Ethan Allen Cemetery.
The MOTION carried.
d. ACTION: Contingency Plans for Non-Schedulable or Cancelled Meetings
Maureen Dakin asked how often meetings have had to be cancelled, for unforeseen circumstances, in the past. Manager Frank replied that it doesn’t happen very often. He stated that the Selectboard had adopted a similar policy a few years ago related to COVID. He also shared that a recent meeting would have been cancelled due to weather but without a policy like this in place, we had to move forward with the meeting in order to get the warrants approved so we could pay our vendors in a timely manner.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve a temporary policy for warrant approval:
Effective March 29, 2023, the Town Manager or Acting Town Manager, with written authorization of the Selectboard Chair (or Selectboard member in charge in the Chair’s absence), is hereby authorized to sign warrants under the following conditions: a regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting is cancelled or not held due to lack of a quorum or other unforeseen circumstance, and disclosure to the Selectboard and the public is made of such warrant signing at the next Selectboard meeting following the warrant signing, and that no further advance approval is necessary for the duration of this policy which shall expire on the date of the Selectboard’s organizational meeting in 2024 unless affirmatively acted upon by a majority of the Selectboard prior to its expiration.
The MOTION carried.
e. ACTION: Amendment to Capital Budget Plan |Aaron Frank, Town Manager
Manager Frank explained that the Parks & Recreation Department has bid out a tractor that was scheduled to be replaced in FY24 and has the opportunity to save $15,000 if it is purchased now. To do that, requires Selectboard approval since the FY24 capital budget program hasn't been approved yet. He stated that it has become increasingly harder to obtain equipment since COVID and when we find it at favorable pricing, we like to take these opportunities for the town's advantage.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to authorize a major amendment to the Capital Equipment and Facilities Plan (CEFP) to purchase a replacement tractor in FY23, which was scheduled for replacement in FY24, in order to take advantage of availability and beneficial pricing as outlined in a March 23, 2023 memo from Town Manager, Aaron Frank.
The MOTION carried.
6. ACTION | Adjourn to Meeting of Liquor Control Commission
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to temporarily adjourn the meeting of the Selectboard and convene a meeting of the Liquor Control Commission.
The MOTION carried.
7. Informational Items
8. Announcements
Chair Loranger highlighted achievements of Dr. Christine DiBlasio of Colchester that was recently recognized for her work with sexual assault survivors. She also recognized Shadow Cross Farms upon their recent announcement of their retirement. She stated this family-owned business has been operating in Colchester and was an important part of our community for the past 40 years.
9. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve Warrant #23-27 in the amount of $394,404.26.
The MOTION carried.
10. Executive Session
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin
to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts would clearly place this Selectboard at a substantial disadvantage because the Selectboard risks disclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses these topics in public.
The MOTION carried.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to discuss contracts under Title 1, Section 313, (a)(1)(a) and (e) and (a)(2) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Session.
The MOTION carried.
11. Adjournment**
MOTION was made by Tom Mulcahy and SECONDED by Jacki Murphy to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried.
Meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m.
DRAFT MINUTES