1.    Call Meeting to Order | Roll Call | Pledge of Allegiance

 

Roll Call: Pam Loranger, Chair; Tom Mulcahy, Vice Chair; Jacki Murphy, Clerk; Charlie Papillo; Maureen P. Dakin

 

Staff Present: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager; Cathyann LaRose, Planning & Zoning Director; Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer; Seth Lasker, Emergency Management Coordinator; Jeff Barton, Special Projects Manager; Julie Graeter, Town Clerk & Treasurer; Kelly McCagg, Burnham Memorial Library Director

 

Others Present: Bruce Bourgeois, Dirk Reith

 

       Pledge of Allegiance

       Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

2.    Public Hearing | 6:35 p.m.

       a. Proposed Amendments to Colchester Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 ½ |Cathyann LaRose, Planning & Zoning Director

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to open a public hearing for the proposed amendments to Chapter 6 ½ of the Town’s Code of Ordinances related to development fees as outlined in a memo dated March 6, 2024 from Town Manager Aaron Frank and Planning and Zoning Director Cathyann LaRose and as shown in the attached copy of Chapter 6 ½.

 

Planning and Zoning Director Cathyann LaRose reviewed the updated fees and explained the process for how the fee adjustments will be made annually.

 

Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger closed the public hearing.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

3.    Citizens to be Heard*

 

There were no citizens to be heard.

 

4.    ACTION | Consent Agenda

       a. Minutes of 3.26.2024 Selectboard Meeting

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy 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 March 26, 2024

 

The MOTION carried.

 

5.    Special Business Items

       a.  Information: Laura Lane Solar Project Update | Aaron Frank, Town Manager

 

Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall provided an update on the Laura Lane Solar Project, stating its termination in response to concerns shared by residents, and reviewed more information about Town solar farms, solar siting and permitting processes, and current and future stormwater improvements for Laura Lane. Town Manager Aaron Frank thanked the public for their respectful input on this project.

 

Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin thanked the Town staff for their outreach and transparency efforts.

 

Bruce Bourgeois thanked Town staff for hearing residents’ concerns and for their response. He noted how federal agencies share information about proposed projects and shared his health concerns in regards to living near a solar farm.

 

Dirk Reith asked about the need for improved infrastructure and the storage of excess power required with additional solar farms, and Town Manager Aaron Frank explained there are State regulations the Town must follow when siting solar farms that address these concerns through incentives for placement of generation near electricity consumption.

 

       b.  ACTION: Approve Proposed Amendments to the Colchester Code of           Ordinances, Chapter 6 ½ | Cathyann LaRose, Planning & Zoning Director

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve the proposed amendments to Chapter 6 ½ of the Town’s Code of Ordinance related to development fees after holding a public hearing earlier in the meeting and as outlined in a memo dated March 6, 2024 from Town Manager Aaron Frank and Planning and Zoning Director Cathyann LaRose and as shown in the attached copy of Chapter 6 ½.

 

Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin noted the benefit of these amendments is that their adjustments will be able to be predicted each year, and she thanked the Planning and Zoning Department for their work on these amendments.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

       c.  ACTION: Annual Certificate of Compliance | Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to sign the provided Certification of Compliance for Town Road and Bridge Standards and Network Inventory in accordance with Vermont State Statute, Title 19, Chapter 3, § 309b, per the recommendation contained in a memo dated March 20, 2024 from Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer.

 

Town Engineer Amanda Clayton explained that in order to be eligible for State funding, the Town must annually approve their compliance with these codes and standards.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

       d.  ACTION: Annual Financial Plan (TA-60) | Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to certify that funds raised by municipal taxes are equivalent to or greater than a sum of at least $300.00 per mile for each mile of Class 1, 2, and 3 Town Highway in the municipality and sign the provided Annual Financial Plan – Town Highways form in accordance with Vermont State Statute, Title 19, Chapter 3, § 307 per the recommendation contained in a memo dated March 20, 2024 from Amanda Clayton, Town Engineer.

 

Town Engineer Amanda Clayton noted this is another annual certification required by the State to be able to receive State aid related to Town highway maintenance.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

       e.  ACTION: 2024 Local Emergency Management Plan Approval | Seth Lasker, Emergency Management Coordinator

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to adopt the updated 2024 Local Emergency Management Plan (LEMP) as required by the State of Vermont Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management and as authorized by the Code of Ordinances for the Town of Colchester, Section 16-2(b) and Section 16-4(a), per a memo from Seth Lasker dated March 26, 2024.

 

Emergency Management Coordinator Seth Lasker summarized the annual adoption of this plan, which include some updates, and noted that the plan was put into practice with Monday’s Solar Eclipse Emergency Operation Center.

 

Town Manager Aaron Frank also named and thanked the many individuals who worked over three months to prepare for and exercise day-of teamwork when managing potential public safety risks in Town on Monday’s Solar Eclipse. He noted that while the day went without any major incidents, this type of emergency operation exercise had not been done on this scale since before COVID and that it was beneficial to practice with the involved personnel.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

       f.   ACTION: Catering Permit Approvals | Julie Graeter, Town Clerk & Treasurer

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to continue the Catering Permit approval procedures that designates the Town Manager to approve the applications. The approval will be contingent on the application review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Dept. and Police Dept. In addition, the Selectboard will receive notification of all approved permit applications.

 

Town Clerk and Treasurer Julie Graeter explained the history of liquor licenses review processes by departments and clarified that the Selectboard would be notified of future approved catering licenses, rather than having them brought to the board to approve. 

 

The MOTION carried.

 

       g.  ACTION: Approve Updated Fund Balance Policy | Aaron Frank, Town Manager

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to approve an updated fund balance policy with a goal to maintain a general fund balance of 13-17% of annual expenditures as explained in a March 28, 2024 memo from the Town Manager, Finance Director and Town Clerk and detailed in the fund balance policy attached thereto.

 

Town Manager Aaron Frank defined what a fund balance is and explained the Town’s need and use of it to maintain a cash flow, manage unexpected expenses, reduce costs of borrowing, and aid in tax rate stabilization.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

6.    Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations

       a. Information: Library Staff and Programming Update | Kelly McCagg, Burnham Memorial Library Director

 

Burnham Memorial Library Director Kelly McCagg provided an update on library activities, including storytimes, school vacation programming, year-round special programs, and teen and adult programming, and noted staffing trends.

 

Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy asked if there is a reason that the number of program participants appear to have increased, and Kelly explained it is likely a mix of efforts, including word-of-mouth marketing, Front Porch Forum postings, and a strong presence and following on Facebook.

 

The Selectboard members thanked the library staff for the range of programming the library has offered and how they continue to grow.

 

       b. Picture of Progress

 

Town Manager Aaron Frank shared photos of Town events and work, including stormwater improvement projects, Town Meeting Day, Police swearing in ceremonies, Library offerings, and the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

 

7.    Informational Items

 

Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy asked about the Capital Paving bids and noted her surprise in the closing of Ace Hardware. Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that paving costs have increased, but there are many factors that determine bid prices. He added that he believes someone has bought ACE Hardware and has been able to offer jobs to most employees.

 

Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin asked about the letter regarding the proposed language changes for bill S.220, and Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that the letter was shared with the Town’s representative and the House Government Operations Committee.

 

Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger asked about the new proposed moorings in marinas in the Bay, and Town Manager Aaron Frank noted that some of the marinas have recently provided input to the Army Corps in order to coordinate open lanes when where new moorings are proposed.

 

8.    Announcements

 

Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger shared the announcement of Senator Mazza’s resignation from the Senate after 42 years of dedicated service. On behalf of the Selectboard, she thanked him for the years of service he has committed to supporting and representing the Town and wished him and his family peace and time together.

 

9.    ACTION | Warrants

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve Warrant #24-28 in the amount of $1,187,648.53 and Warrant #24-29 in the amount of

$1,139,951.78.

 

Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy asked about the numerous Recreation credit card refunds and fees listed on the warrants, and Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall explained the amounts on the warrants are the total of all the separate refunds.

 

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, 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 Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin 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.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

11.  Adjournment**

 

MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to adjourn the meeting.

 

The MOTION carried.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m.