 | COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD March 26, 2024 @ 6:30 p.m. 781 Blakely Road 3rd Floor Conference Room __________________ |
1. Site Visit at 0 Laura Lane 6:10 p.m.
2. Call Meeting to Order |Roll Call |Pledge of Allegiance | Citizens to be Heard* 6:30 p.m.
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; Karen Adams, Technical Services Manager; Lara Alemy, Finance Director; Scott Crady, Fire & Rescue Chief; Mark Bilodeau, Assistant Fire Chief; Kelly McCagg, Colchester Burnham Memorial Library Director
Others Present: Bruce Bourgeois
Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger led the Pledge of Allegiance.
There were no citizens to be heard.
3. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 3.12.2024 Selectboard Meeting
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 12, 2024
The MOTION carried.
b. Board and Commission Re-Appointments
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to re-appoint the following Board and Commission members, all to begin on April 1, 2024:
· Bryan Osborne as the Colchester Tree Warden for a one-year term ending March 31, 2025
· Theresa Carroll as a member of the Cemetery Advisory Commission for a three-year term ending February 28, 2027
· Wanda Morin as a member of the Cemetery Advisory Commission for a three-year term ending February 28, 2027
· James D. Piette as an alternate representative for the Champlain Water District for a one-year term ending March 31, 2025
The MOTION carried.
4. ACTION | Adjourn to Meeting of Board of Sewer Commissioners
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 Board of Sewer Commissioners.
The MOTION carried.
5. Special Business Items
a. ACTION: Approve Rathe Salvage Inc. corrected Salvage Yard Certificate | Julie Graeter, Town Clerk & Treasurer
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve the Rathe Salvage Inc. corrected Salvage Yard Certificate with the corrected landowner’s names as described in a March 12, 2024 Memo from Town Clerk, Julie Greater.
The MOTION carried.
b. ACTION: Approve Updated Fund Balance Policy | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve the attached updated fund balance policy dated March 12, 2024 which sets goals of fund balance for operating expenses at a minimum of 1.5 months of the prior years’ operating expenditures and at a maximum of 2 months of operating expenditures.
Town Manager Aaron Frank shared that this update is in response to the Selectboard’s request for a review after considering that the policy had been written prior to the voter-approval of the Local Option Tax (LOT) and that it also addresses other needed edits since the policy’s last update in 2014.
Selectboard Vice Chair Tom Mulcahy asked for the item to be tabled and revised before being brought to the board again in order to provide further clarification for the percentages versus months of savings referenced in the policy.
The MOTION did not carry.
c. ACTION: Approve Major Amendment to Park Capital Plan | Glen Cuttitta, Parks and Recreation Director
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve a Major Amendment to the Park Capital Plan to improve the functioning, appearance and accessibility of the restrooms in Airport Park and the Bathhouse at Lower Bayside Park as outlined in a March 13, 2024 Memo from Glen Cuttitta, Parks and Recreation Director.
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall explained the need for bathhouse improvements at Lower Bayside Park and Airport Park.
Selectboard member Maureen P. Dakin asked about what constitutes a “major amendment.” Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall explained that there are varying definitions of amendments included in the Capital Budget Program, and that while this amendment qualifies as a minor amendment that wouldn’t need to be brought to the board for approval, because it included more public-facing facilities, it seemed appropriate to bring it before the board.
The MOTION carried.
d. Information: FY 24 Financials through February | Lara Alemy, Finance Director
Finance Director Lara Alemy summarized the February financials, including that expenditures are 5.7% under and revenues are 1.9% over, and shared several continued departmental expenditure or revenue trends.
e. ACTION: Approve Major Amendment to Fire Department Capital Plan |
Scott Crady, Fire & Rescue Chief
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to authorize a Major Amendment to the Fire Department Capital Plan to replace the Fire Department’s Air Packs, Bottles, Masks and Regulators, as outlined in a March 18, 2024 Memo from Scott Crady.
Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Crady summarized the need for specific equipment replacements and the funding sources for these replacements.
Selectboard member Charlie Papillo asked what can be done with the old equipment, and Scott explained that some items are at the end of their useful life, but they may be able to sell some back to the vendor and some will be saved for training purposes.
Scott also introduced the Town’s new Assistant Fire Chief Mark Bilodeau.
The MOTION carried.
f. ACTION: Approve Acceptance of American Rescue Plan Act Funding |
Aaron Frank, Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to accept a grant of $5,121,542.99 in American Rescue Plan Act funds as outlined in a March 22, 2024 memo from Town Manager, Aaron Frank and Finance Director, Lara Alemy.
Town Manager Aaron Frank noted this action to accept and obligate these ARPA funds into the Town’s General Fund follows the “standard deduction” approach approved by the U.S. Treasury Department. This action was also recommended by the Town Auditor, Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the National League of Cities.
The MOTION carried.
g. ACTION: Authorization and Transfer of Funds | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to authorize a transfer $5,352,957.59 from the General Fund to the Wastewater Fund for the Malletts Bay Sewer Project as outlined in a March 22, 2024 Memo from Town Manager Aaron Frank and Finance Director Lara Alemy.
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained the prior motion accepted the ARPA funds to the Town’s possession, and that they can now be transferred from the General Fund to the Wastewater Fund for the voter-approved Malletts Bay Sewer Project.
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. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
a. Local Input on VT Senate Bill S. 220
Colchester Burnham Memorial Library Director Kelly McCagg encouraged the Selectboard to write letters and reach out to elected representatives to clarify the proposed bill S. 220, as its current ambiguity in certain language and definitions in Section 6 may affect how the involved managing bodies of different types of libraries can work together. The Selectboard Chair directed the Town Manager draft a letter to the State legislature for her signature addressing the concerns.
On the topic of bills, Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger also thanked Colchester Representative Patrick Brennan for making an amendment to H.875.
8. Informational Items
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall and Town Manager Aaron Frank provided information on the upcoming solar eclipse and recommended residents stay home if they can on April 8, and if they must travel, to be prepared for significant traffic disruptions, especially if they live in the Bay, West of West Lakeshore and Blakely.
9. Announcements
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger noted a Seven Days article that shared that Green Mountain Transit is looking for funding from the Vermont State Legislature and plans to conduct ridership studies to determine potential service cuts.
10. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve Warrant #24-27 in the amount of $1,858,380.83.
There were no questions on the warrants.
The MOTION carried.
11. Executive Session
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo 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 Charlie Papillo 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 9:03 p.m.