 | AGENDA COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD June 11, 2024 @ 6:30 p.m. 781 Blakely Road 3rd Floor Conference Room __________________ |
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; Norm Baldwin, Public Works Director; Bob Vickery, Town Assessor
Others Present: Joe Duncan, Karen Richard, JD Piette
Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Vice Chair Tom Mulcahy led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Citizens to be Heard*
There were no citizens to be heard.
3. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 5.28.2024 Selectboard Meeting
b. CCRPC FY25 Colchester Planning Advisory Committee Re-appointments
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo 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 May 28, 2024
b) Re-appoint:
i. Cathyann LaRose as the representative to the CCRPC FY25 Colchester Planning Advisory Committee for a 2-year term that will begin July 1, 2024 and expire on June 30, 2026
ii. Zach Maia as the alternate representative to the CCRPC FY25 Colchester Planning Advisory Committee for a 2-year term that will begin July 1, 2024 and expire on June 30, 2026
The MOTION carried.
4. Special Business Items
a. Information: Champlain Water District Update | Joe Duncan, CWD General Manager
CWD General Manager Joe Duncan shared information about CWD’s services to four retail water systems in Colchester, including: new water meters, recent lead service line inventories, a condition assessment, merging the four systems into one, and CWD’s goal to transfer ownership of the future combined water systems to the Town of Colchester
Selectboard Vice Chair Tom Mulcahy asked for Joe’s input on future water storage capacity, and Joe noted that the Town may need to consider increasing storage capacity if they expand growth beyond Severance Corners.
Selectboard Clerk Jacki Murphy asked about the role the Town would have in accepting ownership of the system, and Joe explained the Town would need to evaluate what they would be taking over and when it might make sense to do that.
b. Information: Review Authorization to Transfer and Assign FY 24 Funds | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that this year’s revenues will likely exceed expenses due to staff vacancies and that some future priorities could be funded through these transfers, including reducing the need to increase taxes; providing additional funding for fire department equipment, the construction of a salt shed, and the purchase of planning and zoning permitting software; and funding the removal of Ash trees. The Selectboard members asked clarifying questions about the need for and timing of these projects and other funding possibilities for them if not funded through the transfers.
c. Information: Review Proposed Tax Warrant and Tax Rate for FY 25 | Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager
Town Assessor Bob Vickery shared the Grand List estimate, adjusted for appeals, at $22,755,00, which is a 0.86% increase in Grand List value over last year. Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall then presented the draft FY25 municipal service tax rate of $0.6389 per hundred dollars of property value, which is set by dividing the net municipal liability by the Grand List value. The tax rate comes out to a 4.7% increase over last year’s rate. The Selectboard members suggested some clarifying edits to be included in the final presentation for the next meeting’s public hearing.
d. ACTION: Cancel Meetings and Warrant Authorization
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to cancel the Selectboard meetings on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 and Tuesday, August 13, 2024, and to authorize Aaron Frank, Town Manager, to sign the end-of-month warrants.
The MOTION carried.
5. Public Hearing | Licenses and Petitions
a. License Application
Amusement License for American Legion Post 91
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to hold a public hearing regarding the following:
Amusement License for American Legion Post 91, 8 South Street, Colchester, VT 05446
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.
6. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
a. Pictures of Progress
Town Manager Aaron Frank introduced the Town’s new Public Works Director, Norm Baldwin, and shared photos from recent Town projects and updates over the past few months.
7. Informational Items
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger commented on the carrying capacity in Malletts Bay for additional docks and moorings, the informative letter from Mallets Bay Sewer Project contractors that was sent to residents and businesses, and the current unwelcoming state of Stuart Avenue due to the large dirt pile.
8. Announcements
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger shared details about the Munson cemetery project workshop on June 15th and the Stormwater stenciling event on June 22nd. Selectboard member Charlie Papillo shared that the McClure Miller Respite House Fun Run raised $128,000 this year, and that Pam was a part of the Mazza team that raised around $10,000 of the total. Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin noted that the annual library book sale will occur at the end of the month.
9. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve Warrant #24-34 in the amount of $749,976.61 and Warrant #24-35 in the amount of $771,842.13.
There were no questions on the warrants.
The MOTION carried.
10. Deliberative Session | Licenses and Petitions
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin 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.
11. 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.
12. Adjournment**
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried.
The meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m.