 | COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD September 26, 2023 @ 6:00 p.m. (Public portion beginning at 6:30 p.m.) 781 Blakely Road 3rd Floor Conference Room __________________ |
Correct filing of minutes: here
1. Call Meeting to Order | Executive Session I | 6:00 p.m.
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts would clearly place this Selectboard at a substantial disadvantage because the Selectboard risksdisclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses these issues in public.
The MOTION carried.
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to enter Executive Session to discuss contracts under the provisions of Title 1, Section 313 (a)(1)(a) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions.
The MOTION carried.
2. Roll Call | Pledge of Allegiance | 6:30 p.m.
Roll Call: Pam Loranger, Chair; Tom Mulcahy, Vice Chair; Charlie Papillo; Maureen P. Dakin
Staff Present: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager; Doug Allen, Police Chief
Others Present: Charlie Baker, Andi Higbee, Ralph Perkins, Gayle Pezzo, Jeanne Perkins, Spencer Hurlburt, Michael Scrod
Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger led the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Citizens to be Heard*
There were no citizens to be heard.
4. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 8.22.2023 Selectboard Meeting
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy 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 August 22, 2023.
The MOTION carried.
5. Special Business Items
a. ACTION: Request to Acknowledge Creation of Municipal Village at Westbury
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to concur that the necessary steps have been taken by the residents of Westbury Mobile Home Park to create an incorporated municipal village, in the area owned and controlled by Westbury Homeowners Association, Inc., and as described exactly in Attachment A and as depicted in the survey in attachment B, and as is required by State of Vermont law, Title 24, Chapter 39, declare that an incorporated municipal village, the Village of Westbury, has been created whereby residents and property therein are now both residents and property within both the Town of Colchester and the Village of Westbury, and whereas the voters of Westbury are aware of the parameters of managing an incorporated municipal village, the Selectboard will continue to provide the level of services to Westbury that it provides to other areas within the Town and wish the Village residents goodwill in their endeavor.
The MOTION carried.
b. Presentation: CCRPC Annual Report | Charlie Baker, Executive Director, CCRPC
Charlie Baker, CCRPC Executive Director, explained this presentation acts as CCRPC’s annual check-in about the services they provide to the Town and proceeded to outline the CCRPC’s budget, projects they collaborate with the Town on, and the potential for future state and federal funding for housing and clean water efforts.
Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin asked about CCRPC’s housing construction goals, and CCRPC Executive Director Charlie Baker confirmed that in the first five years of their housing campaign, they set a goal of 750 and increased it to 1,000 for the past two years, but noted that while the need for housing is there, factors like increased costs have made it difficult to reach this higher goal.
c. ACTION: Resolution to Honor Retiring Police Chief Doug Allen
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger shared her gratefulness for Police Chief Doug Allen’s noble service and long-standing record of commitment to Colchester and emphasized his bountiful heart, gracious humanity, impeccable integrity, bedrock values, staunch dedication, and golden measure of leadership that infused his role as Colchester’s foremost law enforcement officer with empathy, compassion, and sound judgment.
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve a resolution in honor of Doug Allen’s 39 years of service to the Town of Colchester:
WHEREAS, Douglas Allen began employment with the Town of Colchester as a Police Officer in 1984 following three years as a police officer in Wilmington, Vermont; and
WHEREAS, Doug was promoted to Corporal in 1988, after which he established Colchester’s D.A.R.E. program as the department’s Youth Services Officer, helped develop other programs that interacted with the youth of the community, and was responsible for investigating child abuse and neglect cases; and
WHEREAS, Doug was promoted to Sergeant in 1991 where he oversaw patrol shifts, major incidents and investigations, and became a leading crash investigator; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, Doug was promoted to Lieutenant and his duties crossed all aspects of the department, including scheduling, budgeting, and policy development; and
WHEREAS, Doug worked with Colchester School District to strengthen partnerships and develop safety protocols and procedures still in use across the district; and
WHEREAS, Doug has demonstrated a commitment to the community by volunteering with Colchester Rescue as a Life Member, and being active in coaching and leadership roles for youth sports; and
WHEREAS, Doug was selected as Chief of Police in 2018 and during his tenure, strengthened collaborations with Colchester School District, Community Outreach and other public safety partners, developed a new employee evaluation process, and led the department through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide calls for police reform; and
WHEREAS, Doug has studied and exercised leadership in emergency situations and understands the needs of the community and responders in times of crisis; and
WHEREAS, Doug has demonstrated how to work under pressure and has continually served the community with respect, honor and humility; and
WHEREAS, Doug has demonstrated his leadership abilities on a statewide level serving as the Vermont D.A.R.E. Coordinator and President of the Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police; and
WHEREAS, Doug was honored as a Distinguished Alumni by Lyndon State College in 2020 and named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Vermont Department of the American Legion in 2021; and
WHEREAS, Doug professionally led the Colchester Police Department management, and the Colchester Selectboard to succeed in their mission to protect and serve the Town of Colchester; now therefore,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, on the occasion of his retirement from the Town of Colchester on September 28, 2023, the Colchester Selectboard, on behalf of his co-workers and the citizens of the Town of Colchester, hereby extend their most sincere appreciation to Douglas Allen for his dedication and service to the Town, and wish him all the best in the future.
ADOPTED THIS 26 DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2023 BY THE COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD.
The MOTION carried.
d. ACTION: General Contractor Contract Approval for Colchester Recreation Center | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to authorize Aaron Frank, Town Manager, to execute a contract with Engelberth Construction, Inc. to provide General Contractor Services for the Colchester Recreation Center project and for the Town Manager or his delegates to execute contracts for all other smaller contracts, and changes to the General Contract, as required to complete the project.
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that Colchester voters approved the Colchester Recreation Center on Town Meeting Day 2023, following 90 public meetings over 22 years, including a prior vote to purchase the land for the Recreation Center in 2004. He added that Town staff put the project out to bid first to qualify contractors and then to receive bids from qualified contractors. Three firms were asked to be qualified, and two were: ReArch and Engelberth. Two bids were received, and Engleberth was the lower bidder. He concluded that this approval was an expected step towards construction and opening the Colchester Recreation Center by Spring of 2025.
The MOTION carried.
e. ACTION: Board and Commission Re-Appointments
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to appoint or re-appoint the following Board and Commission members, all to begin on October 1, 2023 and end on September 30 of the years stated:
To the Board of Ethics:
• Inge Schaefer for a three-year term to expire in 2026
To the Colchester Conservation Commission:
• Liz Hamlin-Volz for a four-year term to expire in 2027
• Lisa Halvorsen for a four-year term to expire in 2027
• Spencer Putnam for a one-year term to expire in 2024
• Dylan Tompkins for a one-year term to expire in 2024
To the Development Review Board:
• Bert Severin for a one-year term to expire in 2024
To the Planning Commission:
• Rich Paquette for a two-year term to expire in 2025
To the Recreation Advisory Board:
• Scott Perren for a two-year term to expire in 2025
• Ruth Blauwiekel for a two-year term to expire in 2025
• Adriane Martin for a two-year term to expire in 2025
To the Winooski Valley Park District Board of Trustees:
• Susan Gilfillan for a three-year term to expire in 2026
The MOTION carried.
f. Information: Future Resource Needs | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
Town Manager Aaron Frank presented staffing changes from FY14-FY24 and outlined possible resource needs in regards to budgets, equipment replacements, and staff that could come to fruition in the future for varying Town departments.
g. Discussion: Selectboard Input Regarding FY2025 Municipal Services Budget
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall provided an overview of preliminary budget considerations for FY25 including external budgetary pressures and constraints, a reduction in the labor force, the approach and process to drafting the Town’s budget, the inflationary metrics and price indexes that are used, and the timeline for drafting the budget, which includes opportunities for recommendations and guidance from the Selectboard.
Selectboard Vice Chair Tom Mulcahy requested the FY25 budget be equal or less than the 8.3% increase in the current year and suggested that staff explore if any Town services can be reduced.
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger shared her concern about cutting services, and Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin agreed and also encouraged Town staff to look at a five-year period of what services the Town will need to provide, as to not get behind by cutting services that will be essential in the future.
Selectboard member Charlie Papillo noted that attracting employment candidates to work in public versus private sectors has always been difficult, and suggested that efforts to increase economic development to help build tax base should be examined. Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin agreed and added that the Town may need to adjust employment packages accordingly to make Town employment more desirable.
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall highlighted the impact of the reduced labor force and difficulty of there being so few people to employ, but ensured the Selectboard that Town staff will continue to look for efficiencies in the manner we provide municipal services in an effort to bring forward a budget that is equal to or less than 8.3%.
6. Public Hearing | Licenses and Petitions
a. License Applications
• Carters License for Duffy’s Waste and Recycling Inc.
• Carters License for Casella Waste Systems Inc.
• Carters License for Gauthier Trucking Co., Inc.
• Carters License for Myers Containers Corp.
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to hold a public hearing regarding the following Licenses:
• Carters License for Duffy’s Waste and Recycling Inc.
• Carters License for Casella Waste Systems Inc.
• Carters License for Gauthier Trucking Co., Inc.
• Carters License for Myers Containers Corp.
All information included in the packet related to such application is considered part of the public hearing, and, whereby the Colchester Selectboard shall enter a deliberative session later in the meeting to consider the matter and then issue a permit or denial in writing to each applicant via staff through the US Mail and will share the outcome publicly by placing the permit or denial as an informational item in the next Selectboard packet.
The MOTION carried.
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger closed the public hearing.
7. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
a. ACTION: Contract with American Federation of State, Local County and Municipal Employees | Town Manager, Aaron Frank
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to ratify and authorize the Town Manager and Selectboard Chair to execute a contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027, subject to: 1) approval of the Town Labor Attorney and 2) the prior ratification by AFSCME.
The MOTION carried.
Town Manager Aaron Frank summarized that this agreement was negotiated over five meetings over the course of four months between the bargaining teams made up of Town employees and AFSCME members and will cover three years.
8. Informational Items
Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin asked that any missing board and commission meeting minutes be brought up to date.
Town Manager Aaron Frank noted that seven comments were received from citizens regarding safety on US Route 2 and Clay Point Road, and that the Town is waiting to receive the accident report from the State, and will hopefully have it before the scheduled hearing in October. Selectboard Vice Chair Tom Mulcahy added that this wait time is unacceptable to the patient citizens who were affected.
9. Announcements
Town Manager Aaron Frank congratulated Lucas McClanahan and Mev Bahonjic for successfully completing their year-round officer training and noted that they can now patrol alone.
10. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to approve Warrant #24-09 in the amount of $506,603.39.
There were no questions on the warrant.
The MOTION carried.
11. Deliberative Session | Licenses and Petitions
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to meet in deliberative session under the authority of 1 V.S.A. § 312(e) for the purpose of considering licenses and petitions which were specifically noted on the agenda and for which a hearing was held earlier in the meeting. The Selectboard will issue a permit or denial in writing to each applicant via staff through the US Mail and will share the outcome publicly by placing the permit or denial as an informational item in the next Selectboard packet.
The MOTION carried.
12. Executive Session II
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts, pending or probable civil litigation, and personnel issues 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 Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to enter executive session to discuss contracts, pending or probable civil litigation, and personnel issues under the provisions of Title 1, Section 313 (a)(1)(a)&(e) and (a)(3) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions.
13. Adjournment**
MOTION was made by Charlie Papillo and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried.
The meeting adjourned at 9:14 p.m.