November 24, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 24, 2014

7 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Joey Stell, Police Chief and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 10, 2014:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, November 10, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 21, 2014:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants #116-#120 through November 21, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about First Niagra Bank for $4,564.25. Lynn Paradis stated that was the lease payments for the police cruiser and the vactor in the Sewer Department. Chris stated he thought the Village leased locally. Lynn stated it was through Municipal Banking and they then sell the lease. Chris also asked about the Iron Brook payment for $26,672. Reg Beliveau stated that was the last payment for the UV system at the Wastewater Plant. Eugene LaBombard asked about the payment to Swanton Village for $160. Lynn stated that was reimbursing the Village for petty cash taken from the soda fund. Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Superior Court of VT for $78.75. Lynn stated that was for a small claims court case, she said the Village has some outstanding miscellaneous accounts receivables such as car/pole accidents and the Village is taking those individuals to small claims because they haven’t paid the invoices. Chris Leach also asked about Lincoln Financial Group for $905.97. Lynn stated that is the Village’s life insurance and disability company. He also asked about Kansas State Bank for $3022.92. Lynn advised that was for the other police cruiser on the Town of Swanton contract. Chris Leach thanked Lynn and Reg for their explanations. Motion carried.

 

3. Electric Cost of Service Update:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, advised the Board that the Village received approval on their notice that has to go to the Village customers so that ad will run in the St. Albans Messenger Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. She said the ad notifies the customers that the Village has done this Cost of Service and telling the proposed rates vs. the current rates. She said the Public Service Board (PSB) has also requested all residential demand customers receive a notice mailed directly to them because the Village dramatically changed that rate class. She said all those customers will receive a notice in the mail. Chris Leach asked how far the Village is from getting this approved. Lynn said she hasn’t heard yet but the 30 days is just about up and the PSB will make a decision or recommendation to either approve it or to investigate it. She feels they will investigate it but she hasn’t received that notice yet. She is hoping for an implementation date of January 1, 2015. The new rates would be billed in February 2015. Lynn stated that if the PSB investigates this there will be a public comment hearing. She said it may be implemented in February 2015 instead of January but she just doesn’t know yet. Chris asked if the Village suggested these changes or if the PSB asked us to do these changes. Lynn stated the Village recommended these changes and the PSB will look at it and determine if this is reasonable or not. Lynn advised approximately 140 residential customers will come off demand billing and more than likely farmers and sugar makers will remain on it. Chris stated he thought GMP has off peak rates for their customers and said there must be a fair amount of customers who take advantage of that. He asked why the Village didn’t. Lynn stated they have smart metering where a meter reader does not go out and read their meters anymore. She said they can disconnect a customer directly from their office remotely. Adam Paxman asked once this cost of service update was complete, how long would it be before the Village had to do this again. Lynn stated it would happen again in five years or less as well as her depreciation study. She feels there will be some load changes within the next five years so the Village may do this hopefully sooner than five years. She said the last study was done in 2003 and this was way overdue. The Board thanked Lynn for her information.

 

4. Preliminary 2015 Budget Discussions:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, advised the Board she gave them an updated budget because she tweaked it some. She asked the Board if they had any questions for her regarding the budgets. Adam Paxman stated it looked like she adjusted the budgets based on the new rates. Lynn advised she broke out the different customer classes and said she needs to track that information. She said she can figure out what rate class is lagging and this is a double check for her. Chris Leach asked about the solar credits. Lynn stated there are more customers going with solar and the Village needs to give them a credit which is about 8.8 cents for everything they generate according to the net metering law. She said there is about 7 or 8 customers right now and that is very minimal. She said every couple of months another customer is going with solar so $3,300 could double next year. She said it is a moving target and something she doesn’t know for certain.  She said the net metering law states the Village has to pay them for each kilowatt they generate. Reg Beliveau stated there is a movement in which a customer doesn’t have to pay for poles and wires. He said even though they have solar you’re still connected to the grid so when the sun’s not shining they’re not producing and they need power, they need to help pay for the transmission to get that power. He said there are basic service charges that would be added to their bill. He said utilities still need to maintain the poles and wires and there is a certain charge for that. Chris asked if a customer goes south for the winter and shuts their power off and is using minimal power they still pay customer charges so why wouldn’t the solar customer pay that. Lynn stated they are still charged that but they also receive a solar credit and that can go against all those charges. Lynn advised this is what the Vermont Legislature put in place and she’s not aware of what other states do.

 

Adam Paxman asked Lynn about the Hydro Power generation number. Lynn stated that is for salaries at the Hydro Plant and it is being increased in part to more overtime up there right now because of the plant shut down maintenance. She said that will be over budget this year due to overtime there. She said there used to be five operators there but now there is only four, when someone takes a day off they are back filling which means someone is doing a double shift. She feels that what is driving some of the increase. Chris Leach stated they should look at those numbers to see if they make sense or not. Lynn stated the overtime per week is equivalent to a half time person. She said if they added another person there that number would go up. Chris stated to keep an eye on that. They discussed working 12 hour shifts vs. 8 hour shifts and what that cost the Village. She said Reg would be touching base on that later on. Adam stated that his only other gripe would be purchase power. Lynn stated she doesn’t have this year’s number yet and is using last year’s number. She won’t have it until December. She stated that the generation at the power plant is what is hurting the Village. The hydro plant produces more than what they really should have and it’s too volatile. She said it’s like 70% and they are not generating. She said the hydro plant should produce 50% generation and that would help those numbers, even 25% would be good. Lynn said the Village would need to file another rate increase in February to make this up. More discussion took place regarding purchase power. Lynn stated that five or so years ago the Village received good money for generating power and that is no longer the case. She said once the recession hit, it hurt the Village.

 

Adam Paxman also asked about customer service expense for outside services employed. Lynn stated that $31,000 of that is our normal outside services such as our software maintenance. She said $12,000 of that is because Unit #5 needs a software modification so that’s in there, $4000 is for IT services and $18,000 is for the accounting software upgrade.

 

Lynn asked if there were any questions on the Water Budget. She stated that first bond payment on the new transmission line would be in August 2015. She said they are looking at another rate increase in the water rates because when they pushed off the payment that added more to the debt. She said they are going to fund all depreciation expense and the debt service. Adam asked if there would be another rate increase next year and Lynn stated that once they bring the rates to where to they need to be it will remain stable. She said the only thing that would drive any change to this would be the bond payments that will be coming due. Chris Leach stated he was pleased that the Board controlled this and said their rates are still very cheap. Eugene said neighboring communities pay a lot more than the Village does. Chris stated he wanted to be more than competitive with our neighbors.

 

Lynn asked if there were questions on the Sewer Fund. She said page 12 shows a projection of where the rates need to go. She said there are a few issues at the plant that need to be addressed. She said one bond will be paid off in 2016 and another one will be paid a year after. She said there’s going to be repairs there needed as well.

 

She mentioned that in the Highway Fund that budget is going down. She said they cut paving because there is a Class I project coming through in 2016 so they were able to cut that budget. They are going to need to invest in a sidewalk plow very soon because it is used year around. She said Mike Menard is getting prices on that piece of equipment which cost around $140,000. She said his budget is going down but the bad news is they have to do something about this sidewalk plow which will probably increase this budget. Eugene asked about putting this on the ballot as a separate line item and Lynn agreed to this. If the voters approve this it would put his budget about where it was last year she said. She said the other issue with his equipment is the Kubota tractor which they use to mow the parks with. She said it’s like 17-18 years old and Mike got pricing on that as well. She said it cost approximately $25,000. He said he needs the sidewalk plow more than the Kubota so will push this out to the 2016-2017 budget but that will also be needed. Lynn stated that piece of equipment is used almost every day in the summer amongst all the plants.

 

Lynn went on to the General Fund. She said one thing not in the budget is the furnace for the Complex. She said the one there is 25 years old and a new is about $7,500. She said it’s not in this budget but she is considering whether she should or not. Chris Leach suggested she put it in and see what it does to the numbers.  She said Reg has asked to put $1,500 in the budget for the Swanton Enhancement Committee and said the Town would put in the same amount. Reg stated they are trying to get some grants for this Committee.

 

Lynn stated in the Fire Department they increased the salary budget a little bit. She said they will be over budget in this line item this year due to call volume. She said under equipment they wanted $30,000 for rescue tools and they decided to put that as a separate line item on the ballot if the Board agreed to this. Eugene asked if this was absolutely necessary or just nice to have. Reg stated the price was questionable but this equipment was necessary to have. Reg stated the Fire Department does have some cutter equipment but new equipment is necessary. He said the Fire Chief suggested they have this as a separate line item so the entire budget doesn’t get shot down. Chris Leach said he would agree to this and Eugene agreed as well. Reg stated the last time there was an increase in the salaries it was about five years ago. Lynn thought that was due to call volume. Adam asked for clarification on that issue.

 

Lynn asked if there were any questions in the Police Department. Chris Leach stated he supports our Police Department but said that is a lot of money. Adam asked if 2015 was the last year of the Town Police Contract and Lynn stated yes, it would go three months into 2016. The voters would need to vote on that and approve it once again. Eugene LaBombard stated he was surprised in the increase in salaries. He said he understood someone was in police training and they needed to cover that. He asked how much that cost. Chief Stell stated that they had an officer out twice due to injuries, non work related so they needed to cover those shifts. He said they are trying to train part time officers so that full time officers didn’t need to cover those shifts. He also mentioned the overtime necessary to investigate the bank robbery that took place. He said that resulted in a lot of extra man hours. He said the other driving factors are increased training requirements. He said they needed to send all officers to mandatory training classes. He said every time a law changes in the State they need to train their officers. Chief Stell said they are still covering the number of actual hours on. He said actual call in hours isn’t that high. Chris said he was trying to get the point out that they are at the optimum hours of coverage, and it is not cost effective to increase that. Chief Stell stated there is no fluff in this budget. Adam stated there is an increase in property insurance to life and disability and that is across the board. Chris asked about tractor trailer checks to bring in extra funds. Chief Stell said they have written tickets but the funds are not coming in and that has to do with how the individual pays their fines. Chief Stell said they’ve issued at least $25,000 to $30,000 in fines but have only received approximately $1800 paid. He said they have no control over how it is collected. He said since they’ve had their truck out there the average weight of the chipper trucks has gone from 104,000 pounds to 89,000 pounds so that will help the Village streets overall. Chief Stell said they have cut everything out of their budget that is not grant funded. He said everything else is a necessity. Chris Leach asked if they were still doing fingerprinting. Lynn stated yes they are and it generated about $11,000 so far this year.

 

Adam Paxman asked about the transportation expense. Lynn stated that consists of fuel, oil changes and maintenance on the cars. She said there are four cars in the fleet. Chris Leach asked about the crimes that get reported and asked if there is a percentage of those solved. Chief Stell said their major crime solve rate is around 84 to 87% and the misdemeanor solve rate is about 51%.

 

Lynn showed the Board the estimated tax rate. She said General is staying pretty close to the same as last year. She said the Fire Department is going up about a half a penny, the Police Department is going up just under a penny and a half, and Highway is going down about a penny and three quarters but if the sidewalk plow gets approved that would make them about even. She said in total the tax rate is going up a very small percentage, 1.4% without the tractor and furnace. She said this is the first run through number. She said she’s not sure what the Police Department would do to the budget yet. She said that may increase the budget by about 3%.

 

Lynn mentioned the Memorial Building downtown and said she increased the property insurance just a little bit and reduced the maintenance budget so total expenditures would be the same.

 

Lynn stated the personnel numbers included a blanket 2% increase in wages and she also ran it with the employees contributing 4% toward their health insurance premium. Eugene stated he felt comfortable with a 2% blanket wage increase. Chris asked if there were any employees that were grossly underpaid. Lynn stated no she didn’t feel that. She said utilities that have a union are getting about a 3% wage increase. She said they need to be careful that they don’t lose employees to neighboring utilities. Chris asked when this budget needed to be finalized and Lynn said next month. Reg stated the Town of Swanton has also asked for the Fire Department budget for their early December meeting. They discussed the amount the Town of Swanton pays to the Village for Fire coverage. Lynn stated it’s based on a five year rolling average and it’s about 75%. She said if you look at call volume it’s about the same. The Board thanked her for all her hard work and information regarding the budgets.

 

5. MVUHS Substance Free Committee Request for a Coin Drop for April 2015:

 

Reg Beliveau stated that Joel Clark was the point of contact for this Coin Drop request. Adam Paxman asked if this would be the only one approved for this class. Reg stated yes as far as he knew. Adam Paxman made the motion to approve MVUHS’s request to hold a coin drop for their Substance Free Committee on April 11, 2015 with a rain date of April 18, 2015. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

6. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that he had a meeting with the Swanton Enhancement Committee and said that Hank Lambert is going to help him apply for grants regarding buildings.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated the Chamber of Commerce will host Christmas in the Park on Saturday, November 29^th. He also stated he has stepped down as Chamber President this coming season. He thanked everyone for their support.

 

7. Executive Session to Discuss Personnel:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 8:42 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:02 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:02 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:02 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

October 27, 2014

 

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, October 27, 2014

7 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Tuesday, October 14, 2014 Meeting:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Tuesday, October 14, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman requested Kyle Bouchard’s last name be added to his name. Reginald Beliveau informed the Board that vendor AW Chesterson was used for gaskets for the penstock at the Hydro Plant. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 24, 2014:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants #104-109 through Friday, October 24, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked about IMS Real Estate vendor for $2,743. Reg Beliveau stated he couldn’t remember but would look that one up for the next meeting. Chris Leach asked about the refund to a customer on Warrant #105, we explained Swanton Village owed her money when she closed her account. Motion carried.

 

3. VPPSA Project 10 Dispatch Agreement Update:

 

Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, stated that Swanton Village employees have always dispatched for VPPSA’s Project 10 site but stated they have never had a formal agreement in place. He stated they have now come up with a formal agreement and VPPSA has agreed to pay the Village of Swanton a one-time payment of $19,500 to construct an addition to the Highgate Hydro Plant to help with the dispatching of Project 10. Adam Paxman asked Reg if he was comfortable with this agreement and Reg stated he was. Eugene LaBombard asked when the construction of the addition would begin. Reg stated they were supposed to start two weeks ago but didn’t. He said it would be an 8x8 addition with a garage door on it with heavy duty flooring.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to authorize the Village of Swanton’s Manager Reginald Beliveau to enter into a formal dispatching agreement with VPPSA’s Project 10 site. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

4. Electric Cost of Service Update:

 

Reginald Beliveau informed the Board he received a draft today from the Class Cost of Service Study to make sure the burden was appropriate across all categories. Chris Leach asked if Swanton Village could do a comparison of what a farmer pays on Swanton Village rates compared to Green Mountain Power or VEC. Eugene LaBombard asked if there was anything controversial here and Reg stated no he didn’t believe there was. Adam Paxman said they should have Lynn Paradis come in and explain it to them one more time before it is approved. All Board members agreed to this.

 

5. Hydro Improvement Line of Credit:

 

Village Clerk Dianne Day presented the Board with the Hydro Plant Improvement Line of Credit documents to be signed which were approved at their October 14, 2014 meeting. The Line of Credit was approved for $850,000 at a rate of 1.05% with People’s United Bank. The Board members signed all necessary documents.

 

 

6. Water Line Project Line of Credit:

 

Village Clerk Dianne Day presented the Board with the Water Line Project Line of Credit documents to be signed which were approved at their October 14, 2014 meeting. The Line of Credit was approved for $500,000 at a rate of .97% at the Union Bank. The Board members signed all necessary documents.

 

7. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach stated he lives adjacent to the Sewer Plant and said he has been hearing a lot of shooting taking place out there. He asked if anyone has been hunting out there. Reg Beliveau stated he didn’t think so but said he would look into it. Chris also stated that the Brown Foundry property has been cleaned up. Adam Paxman stated that David Fosgate purchased it and will be doing light industrial business there.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated that the Chamber of Commerce will be holding Christmas in the Park on November 29, 2014 with a tree lighting ceremony, horse drawn carriage rides, etc. He said they plan on purchasing a banner that says “Merry Christmas” and hanging it on the swan pond. He said Reg Beliveau contacted VLCT regarding this and they suggest a banner being hung on Village owned property shouldn’t state this. The Board suggested his banner state “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.” Adam stated that if there was a complaint the Chamber of Commerce takes full responsibility and said this has nothing to do with the Village of Swanton. He said because VLCT cautioned the Village his banner will state both on it. He said the event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. with music, food, Santa, a memorial tree where folks can buy a ribbon for a memory of a loved one that’s passed away and they will hold a moment of silence. He also stated that this Friday they will hold Halloween in the Park. There will be pumpkin carving, candy, storytelling, a DJ, costumes, etc. He said 20 businesses have signed up to participate and the event is from 5 to 8 p.m. He also said the Abenaki’s are having a dance on Grand Avenue at their building with a haunted garage in the back.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked about the basketball hoops down at Marble Mill. Reg Beliveau stated that they are looking into it and said they are now 3 to 4” too short because they re-surfaced the court.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated it was time to start working on budgets soon. Reg stated that Lynn has been working on them. He asked if they have been working on appraisals yet and Reg said they have just begun that process. Chris Leach stated he would rather see a dollar amount this year instead of a percentage. The Board agreed they should start working on budgets soon.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he would be stepping down from the Solid Waste District Board of Directors early next year. He said they are in a very good place and it’s time for him to get done so if anyone is interested in joining their Board of Directors to contact him and step forward.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he needed an Executive Session to discuss real estate. He also stated he is still working on the Storm Water Grants for Marble Mill. He said they are still trying to acquire some property on Webster Terrace but are having some difficulties. He said there is another area they are looking at to reduce phosphorus entering the river and lake.

 

8. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate at 7:50 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:36 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:36 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:36 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

October 14, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

REGULAR MEETING

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

7 PM

 

PRESENT: Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Kyle Bouchard and Jeff Austin, Fairpoint Representatives.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Chris Leach, VillageTrustee, called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 22, 2014 Meeting:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, September 22, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked if the Merchant’s Row signs have been ordered yet. Reg Beliveau stated he would check into that and talk to Mike Menard about it. Eugene LaBombard also asked if he could check signs that were blocked by trees. Reg also stated that he found out what the vendor VT Electric Power asked about at last meeting was for and it was to purchase power. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 10, 2014:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 10, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked what Millennium Power Services for $94,093.70 was for, Reg Beliveau stated that was to purchase a butterfly valve at the Hydro Plant. He stated that regular maintenance from now on will be much less expensive. Adam Paxman asked what AW Chesterton for $4618.23 was for, Reg stated he wasn’t sure on that on but would find out for next meeting. Adam also asked about Prime Electric for $24,470, Lynn Paradis stated that was for a repair on a breaker at the Hydro Plant that Al Mosher needed. Adam also asked about the Department of Taxes warrant, Lynn stated they now pay the taxes separate like this because it’s a cleaner entry for the auditors. Motion carried.

 

3. Visit from Fairpoint Regarding Pole Ordinance:

 

Jeff Austin stated he has been working closely with Daren Plouff and Duane Couture in our Electric Department as well as with other engineers from Fairpoint. He said their relationship goes way back. He said Kyle Bouchard has gone out with Daren and Duane looking at old poles looking to see when they can do transfers and remove the old poles that have become an issue in Swanton. He stated they plan on removing some on Route 78, Spring Street and First Street and plan on having bi-monthly meetings with Swanton Village to make sure progress is being made. He said they wanted to meet with the Board, come up with a plan of reporting and address the issue of dual poles. He said they have a vested interest and want to take care of these transfers in a timeframe that works for both Swanton Village and Fairpoint. He would like to propose bi-monthly phone calls with himself or Kyle, Daren, Duane and Reg to see what they have accomplished and what needs to be done. He said they feel they can reduce this by 25-30 poles relatively quick and will continue on until completed. Chris Leach asked if they could ask Fairpoint where to prioritize their work first and said Swanton Village is very flexible. Reg Beliveau stated that since there has been a change of hands at Fairpoint progress is being made but wondered if Swanton Village could trust that work would get done and questioned whether or not to put an Ordinance in place. Adam Paxman stated he strongly feels Swanton Village needs a Pole Ordinance. Eugene LaBombard asked if a pole could be easily removed in the winter, Jeff explained yes and how they did it. Eugene asked if all three entities could transfer their services all at the same time. Kyle stated it’s possible but not likely because it’s a lot of work and very hard. More discussion took place about setting poles and what’s involved in that. They also discussed Burlington’s Pole Ordinance and Jeff said it wasn’t enforced all that much. Adam stated in some places there are dual poles that have been there for six years and they don’t know what else to do. He feels an Ordinance will stop this from happening in the future and this will protect the Village whether it’s enforced to the max or not. Jeff asked if the timeframe could be changed from 45 days to 90 days. They discussed putting language in the Ordinance that stated the Village Manager would have discretion on extending timeframes on pole transfers if needed. Jeff and Kyle stated they just wanted the Board to know they are more than eager to work with the Village of Swanton to get these dual poles removed and to continue to have a good working relationship with the Village of Swanton. Chris Leach stated the Board understood their technical difficulties and would be willing to work with Fairpoint when necessary and said their goal is to beautify the Village of Swanton and feels this Ordinance will help do that.

 

4. Electric Cost of Service Update:

 

Lynn Paradis advised the Board that Swanton Village was granted an extension to file their Class Cost of Service Study and said she had until November 3^rd to get it done. She said one of the biggest changes they are looking at is the residential demand tariff. She said they will keep the 1800 kwh range for violation but it will go on a rolling 12 months average. She said this will result in approximately 140 residential customers coming off demand rates but those customers who use an average of 1800 kwh per month will remain on demand rates. She said farmers and sugar makers are more likely to remain on this rate. She also stated instead of staying on demand for 11 months if the customer can prove they can go under these numbers in 3 months they can get off demand. She said this is a work in progress but wanted to update the Board with what she had so far. She said it also looks like they may go in for another rate increase in February. She said she would update the Board further at their next meeting.

 

5. Financial Policies:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, handed out a Financial Policies Handbook that she would like the Board members to take home and review. She stated she would like the Village of Swanton to adopt this handbook before the end of the year. She said this covers setting purchasing limits, accounting, auditing and financial reporting policies. She feels it’s necessary to have these policies adopted and set in place and would like the Board to review them and go over it at their next meeting.

 

The Board moved to item #8

 

8. Transco Equity Purchase:

 

Lynn Paradis advised the Board that Swanton Village receives dividends quarterly from Velco and Transco in the form of a check. She stated she was notified that the equity purchased through Velco last year on behalf of Swanton Village will be assigned to VPPSA and that VPPSA will also refinance the units that were purchased in 2012. Lynn stated that VPPSA needs authorization from the Village to move forward with these items.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, to sign the Notice of Intent on behalf of the Village of Swanton for the 2013 Membership Units Previously Assigned to VELCO and for the 2014 Membership Units Offered by VT Transco. Eugene LaBombard seconded. VPPSA is expected to finance these purchases for a term of 7 years at a fixed interest rate (approximately 4.4%), with principal paid based on a 20 year amortization. Motion carried.

 

The Board moved to Item #10

 

10. Hydro Improvement Line of Credit:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, advised the Board she received three quotes from area banks for a line of credit for the purchases needed for the Hydro Plant repairs, and for the new utility truck and digger truck in the Electric Department. She said the rates came in fairly close but Peoples United was the lowest with a rate of 1.05% as a line of credit, 1 year note due next year and it’s renewable. Merchants Bank came in at 1.29% as needed for a line of credit and Union Bank also came in at 1.29%. Lynn stated Peoples United came in lowest and it would be easiest setting it up online with them since we already do business with them. She recommends the Village go with People’s United for this line of credit.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, to open an $850,000 line of credit at People’s United Bank with a rate of 1.05% for Hydro Plant Improvements, a Utility Truck and a Digger Truck. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

The Board moved to Item #11

 

11. Water Line Project Line of Credit:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, advised the Board that the $500,000 line of credit due on the water project came due last week and the Village paid that off. She said she got in touch with Union Bank to renew it for another $500,000 and they gave her a rate of .97%. She said she doesn’t have the paperwork in hand yet for the Board to sign but will have it for the next meeting.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, to open a $500,000 line of credit with Union Bank with a rate of .97% for the Water Line Project. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

The Board moved to Item #12

 

12. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, presented the Board with her new and revised Depreciation Schedule. Reg Beliveau stated this is what the Public Service Board wanted the Village of Swanton to have in place and abide by. Lynn stated they didn’t like how she was depreciating some of her items and now she has this new schedule to abide by. She said this was just for their information only and this is something the Village now has to go by.

 

The Board moved to Item #6

 

6. Copier Lease:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated the Village looked at a new color copier and will save approximately $160 per month on a new lease. He just wanted to keep the Board updated on this information.

 

The Board moved to Item #7

 

7. Utility Truck Bids – Electric/Vactor Bids – Sale of Old Vactor:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated they received two bids for the old vactor, one for $20,000 and one for $26,001. The Board agreed to award the bid to the highest bidder which was Cyrus Marsano for $26,001. The Village will notify them Wednesday morning. Drummac offered the $20,000 bid. Reg also notified the Board that the Electric crew also received bids to build their Utility truck from EJ Barrette and Champlain Chevrolet. He said Champlain Chevrolet came in $3,000 less so they will go with that bid if the Board agreed. All agreed to this so the new Utility truck in the Electric Department will be purchased through Champlain Chevrolet.

 

The Board moved to Item #9

 

9. Advertise for Lineperson:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Board that Swanton Village never filled Gordy Ledoux’s position after he left the Village and he said they have two guys in that department over 60 years of age. He feels they should get another lineman in there and trained. The Board of Trustees agreed to go ahead and advertise to hire for a new lineman in the Electric Department.

 

The Board moved back to Item #12

 

12. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau advised the Board he received a letter from the Downtown Enhancement Committee thanking Mike Menard and his crew for all they have done in helping with the flower planting enterprise.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said he wanted to compliment the Police Department for all their hard work they did for the speeding trucks on Spring Street.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked if the Village has installed anymore LED streetlights this year. He said Canada Street doesn’t have any. Reg Beliveau stated the first round was done with an ARRA grant.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Hydro Plant was back online as of today.

 

13. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:03 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Chris Leach, Village Trustee, adjourned the meeting at 9:03 p.m. Motion carried.

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

September 22, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 22, 2014

7 PM

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 8, 2014 Meeting:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, September 8, 2014 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked if there was any progress made with getting Unit #2 back on line at the Hydro Plant. Reg Beliveau explained that Al Mosher was still working on it. Chris Leach stated the Minutes said an expert was coming in. Reg stated he couldn’t figure it out either and said Al Mosher has ordered a part and it will be in this week. Eugene LaBombard asked how long it has been down. Reg stated it has been down for several different reasons lately but this last one is a certain part they are trying to figure out. More discussion took place regarding this Unit and the Board stated they were disappointed this wasn’t up and running by now. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 19, 2014:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 19, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked what Three C Electric payment for $42,000 was for. Reg Beliveau stated that was for breaker work and testing at the Hydro Plant during the shut-down. Adam Paxman asked what ECI was for? Reg stated that was for paving Second St. and Fourth St.  Adam Paxman also asked about VT Electric Power, Reg stated he wasn’t sure on that one but would find out for them and let them know. Motion carried.

 

3. Electric Cost of Service Update:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that after the first round of going in for a rate increase of 10.69% they were intending on going in for a Class Cost of Service update with the Public Service Board. He said the Village is filing for an extension for that update for November 1, 2014. He said this is just time consuming and requires a lot of work so they need this extension. Chris Leach said he agrees because there appears to be some inequities with the demand metering. Reg stated they wanted to raise those numbers some and the Board stated they would like to make it easier for customers to be able to get off demand metering if they get their numbers below the proper numbers. Eugene LaBombard also stated this will bring them up to date on other issues as well. Reg stated he would keep them up to date on this issue.

 

4. Interfund Borrowing Resolution:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated this is part of the 108 filing that the voters recently approved regarding interfund borrowing in the Electric Department. He said this was the Resolution drawn up by the Village Attorney and he needs a motion as well. Adam Paxman made the motion to adopt the Village of Swanton Interfund Borrowing Resolution for $1.3 million dollars to be signed by Village Clerk Dianne Day. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

5. Transco Equity Purchase:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated the Village of Swanton purchased some equity last year but did so directly through Velco. He said this year VPPSA would purchase our equity from Velco and finance it for a term of seven years with a fixed interest of approximately 4.4% with a principal paid balance over a 20 year amortization. Chris Leach asked when does Swanton Village see the fruits of our labor here? Reg stated he believed it was yearly we receive dividends from Transco from this. Adam Paxman stated it looks like we have a little bit of time here before we have to make a decision. Reg stated we had a month to decide. Chris stated he had a lot of respect for John Morley and his work. Chris Leach made the motion to table this item until they found out what the pay-out schedule was and what form it is in. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

6. Swanton Enhancement Project Update:

 

Adam Paxman stated he wanted to update everyone that things are looking up. He said MVU and Swanton Schools are now on board with the head of the Supervisory Union Mr. Wynn Goodrich as well. Reg stated they have endorsed the Enhancement Committee partaking in the community visit. Adam said they are still looking for people to help support them but are still plugging away getting ready for the community visit hopefully at the end of January. Reg stated they will have another public meeting at the end of October and they encourage people to attend. He said they are informative and gives people the opportunity to see what’s going on and see what they need help with.

 

7. Utility Pole Ordinance:

 

Reg Beliveau stated this Ordinance has been in the works for some time now and they are trying to figure out the correct spot in the Ordinances to put it. He said they could put in under Traffic Ordinances or Miscellaneous. Chris Leach asked where is it stated you aren’t allowed to attach anything to any of Swanton Village’s utility poles. Reg stated that is something they could add to this Ordinance. He said he has a video from NEPPA showing what would happen to a lineman if his glove were to get punctured from something as small as a needle. When people post signs to utility poles with staples or nails they are endangering our linemen who climb these poles. Eugene LaBombard stated this is a State law and we should find the language on that. More discussion took place regarding the language of the Ordinance and making it clearer and easier to understand. The basic rule of this Ordinance is so that old poles are being removed in a timely manner and that utility companies are switching over to the new poles in a timely manner. Reg stated he would work on the language a bit more and would bring it back before the Board for approval.

 

8. Merchants Row Signs:

 

Adam Paxman stated the Chamber of Commerce office has been open quite a bit more this summer and he said he had someone come in and ask him where Merchants Row was. Adam stated he pointed across the street and said it is right there. The customer said “I’m from out of town, how would I know that? There are no signs.” Adam asked if there was any way they could have a sign made stating “Merchant’s Row”? The Board agreed this was a good idea, just having street signs made and placing one by Ferry Street and placing one at the top of Merchants Row by the VFW. Adam stated he could work with Mike Menard on this. Chris Leach asked if Mike Menard could do a street sign survey at some point and put it on next year’s budget plan and fix them as they come up. Eugene LaBombard asked who’s responsibility it was to clean Merchant’s Row. Chris stated he thought the Mason’s cleaned the front of theirs. Eugene asked if anyone agreed with him that it needed cleaning. The Board all agreed it did. Eugene thought maybe the Downtown Enhancement Committee group could contact them and take an interest in cleaning it up. Reg stated he’s had complaints from business owners about the smoking taking place outside and when they open their doors they smell smoke. He said he’s ordered three signs and hopefully that will help. Adam said he would like to see better store front signs there, he said there’s a couple that could be replaced. Eugene stated if you looked above your head on Merchants Row it’s terrible and needs repair. Adam said it’s getting the store owners to buy in and want to help clean it up. Adam said maybe there are some grants available to help with the lighting there but said the store owners need to take some responsibility there as well.

 

9. Discussion of a Building Inspector Position:

 

Adam Paxman stated he brought this up at the JLB meeting and the more he thought about it the more he feels they need to seriously consider having someone do building inspections in the Village and in the Town. He said this has become a necessity and he said in St. Albans City the Fire Chief is currently doing it. He said was hoping to hear back from some people he contacted in the south to see who’s doing it there or if they actually hired someone to do it. He said if they really want to clean up some of the areas in the community they need to take a step forward and consider this. He wanted some feedback from the Board. Chris Leach asked to what standard are you inspecting to and who is going to enforce what you want to do? Adam stated it should be State standards like fire safety and building inspections. Chris asked if this applied to single family homes, does it apply to only businesses in manufacturing and rental properties? Chris asked what would the enforcement be? Reg Beliveau stated first they would do an inspection and give a certain number of days to fix any infractions. If not you would then be fined for whatever the violation would be. Chris asked what would be the penalty and who gets the money and what happens if they don’t pay. Reg stated if it was a local person the fines would go to the community and you could condemn the property if was deemed unsafe. Eugene LaBombard asked what’s the property owner’s recourse? Reg stated if it’s life safety you need to fix it. Reg stated if a landlord doesn’t have smoke detectors or has junk blocking fire escapes that’s a life safety issue. He said a building inspector could help a landlord evict a tenant for issues like these. He said if you have a good tenant but a bad landlord and they’re not willing to come and make repairs then you would fine the landlord. Eugene stated there wasn’t much response to this at the JLB. Adam stated that was because he didn’t come prepared and said he still didn’t have all the information he wanted to have. Neal Speer asked if this would be another full time employee of Swanton Village. Adam stated it could be the Village or the Town. Chris asked why couldn’t it be for a bunch of towns, he didn’t feel it would be a 40 hour position. Reg stated there were 220 rental properties in Swanton. Adam stated if the municipalities got together and hired a building inspector for Franklin County that would be great. Reg stated there’s only two building inspectors working for the State right now. Reg said he could put Adam in contact with the State inspector for more information. Eugene LaBombard stated this sounded like more of a zoning issue responsibility within the community. Reg stated in some municipalities the inspectors salary is actually paid by the fines generated. Adam said he would reach out to the State inspector for more information and would like to get the ball rolling on this. He said there is a great need for this. Eugene stated there are a lot of eye sores in the Village that should be cleaned up. Adam said he would report back to the Board when he had more information. Chris Leach also stated he would need to report the financial plan on what this would cost and who would pay for it.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked how Dianne Day was doing. Reg stated he brought her a plant and she was doing better. He said the next meeting they have she is going to Facetime the meeting. Chris also asked about the Maintenance Position. Reg stated the new guy has been hired and is working out well.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he had a meeting with the State today regarding paving First Street in 2016. He said they are going to do 1.6 miles of Route 7 and Route 78. They are going to start on Route 78 by North Country Bait & Tackle and come in to the Village right where they started paving by the Complex and the other is on Route 7 on Grand Avenue up to the Town line on Spring Street. Eugene LaBombard asked Reg to make sure he mentions the intersection at North and South River Street because he feels the asphalt there isn’t of very good quality. Reg stated he was told the Town of Alburg used the same asphalt as they did on First Street and theirs is already starting to ripple up as well. Adam stated the intersection by Route 207 is doing the same thing also. Chris Leach asked if they should consider using concrete on those intersections. Reg stated that was mentioned and they are going to look into it. He said they have some paving money left over and he said Mike Menard is going to get some heavy duty aggregate and fill it in to help with plowing this winter. Reg stated he would need an Executive Session for Personnel.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer asked who is cutting trees down by the dam? Reg Beliveau stated Mike Menard went in and cleared out some small shrubs.

 

 

11. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 8:00 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:25 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

ADJOURN: Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:25 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

Village BOT 9/8/14

 

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 8, 2014

7 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed everyone to the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, August 20, 2014:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, August 20, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard commented that Chris Leach was listed as present but he was not, correction made. Adam Paxman stated he didn’t think it was a Special Meeting, Neal stated it was because it was held on Wednesday in order to have Wayne Elliott attend. Motion carried with correction.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 5, 2014:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 5, 2014 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked about Jeffords Steel & Engineering. Reg Beliveau stated that was for work done at the Hydro Plant. Adam also asked about Mountain Air Systems, Reg stated that was for work also done at the Hydro Plant. Eugene LaBombard asked about SD Myers, Reg stated that was for repairs to the Sub-Station because one of the transformers was leaking. Motion carried.

 

3. Appoint Assistant Village Clerk and Assistant Village Treasurer:

 

Reginald Beliveau informed the Board that Village Clerk Dianne Day will be out due to back surgery. He advised that due to State Statute the Village Clerk needed to appoint an assistant. He said Dianne Day appointed Trish Foote as Assistant Village Clerk and appointed Lynn Paradis as Assistant Treasurer. Chris Leach made the motion to appoint Trish Foote as Assistant Village Clerk and Lynn Paradis as Assistant Treasurer. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

4. Discuss NEPPA Conference:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated the NEPPA Conference was a huge success and he said the discussion was geared more toward leadership this year. Neal Speer stated it was information they certainly could use. Reg stated that on Tuesday afternoon they focused on legislative issues. Chris Leach stated it would be a good idea to ask our local legislators for email updates occasionally. Reg stated the focus of Investor Owned Utilities is the bottom line, they are in it to make money. He said the rates are very different in a public power company than in an IOU company, he said the rates are a lot different. Chris Leach stated Vermont is the only state in the United States that governs their utility companies, he said other states do not do this. Chris Leach stated he would like to see more trend data being available. The Board members all agreed that the NEPPA Conference was very informative this year.

 

 

5. Electric Rate Case Discussion:

 

Eugene LaBombard said he wanted to thank those involved in this rate case. Reg Beliveau stated that when the VPPSA members were here recently they asked what they could do differently this time with the Department, meeting with them regularly and asking them what they think. He said this time around there was an adjustment on how they reviewed rate cases and he said they learned a lot. He said this will change a lot of our accounting procedures here at the Village, will change when the Village gets quotes and purchase orders from vendors for work, they have to have a very good paper trail showing this is in the best interest of the rate payers. He said this will have to be done for each project. He said this past rate case they went in for a 7.42% rate increase and the Public Service Board approved a rate increase of 6.07% effective September 1, 2014. Reg stated last year Swanton Village put in the rates ahead of time before they were approved and had to refund 9% back to the customers. He said this year they didn’t do that and because of this increase they will now be able to maintain the infrastructure, getting work done and reliable. He said the taxpayers also approved the 108 filing a couple of weeks ago approving two electric bonds and even with this and the rate case Swanton Village will still be below the 10.69% they asked for last year. He said this will help improve Swanton Village. Chris Leach said he has sat on this Board a long time and has scrutinized everything electrical that he can. He said there’s a reason we have the lowest rates in the State and that’s because of the people who work here. He said the State doesn’t need to scrutinize Swanton Village to this extent. Reg stated he had this argument with the Public Service Board but is pleased with what they approved for a rate increase. He also thanked all the voters for their support on the two electric bonds that were approved.

 

 

6. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach wanted to comment on how good the striping looks downtown. He said it was too bad that they lost the red crosswalks. Adam Paxman stated his only concern while they were doing it was the traffic flow and said people need to really slow down when they see people working in the road. Chris Leach mentioned the island going in on Academy Street. He asked what lane are you supposed to be in when you’re turning into Academy Street from Grand Avenue. Reg stated this was a rain garden being installed and he drew a diagram on the board for the Trustees. Reg stated there is another rain garden site they are working on but are having issues with the landowner. He said that would take care of about a third of the phosphorus runoff going into the river.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated the Chamber of Commerce would be holding a “Halloween in the Park” next month on Halloween night. He said if anyone is interested in helping them they can email the Chamber at info@swantonchamber.com for more information. He said they are always looking for volunteers. He said on Saturday, November 29^th the Chamber will be holding their Christmas in the Park and they could also use volunteers for that as well. Reg stated People’s United and Champlain Insuring are helping out with the Halloween in the Park event and said if any other businesses want to donate to contact the Chamber. Adam also stated the Swanton Enhancement Project is still going strong and said there are a bunch of people looking to make the community a better place to live. He said they will be meeting in January if interested.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if the power plant was back up to 100% yet. Reg stated it was but Unit #2 went back down again and they have a guy coming in Tuesday to look at it. Chris asked about the paving being done on Route 78 and asked if the Village was going to get any paving done. Reg stated not until 2016. Neal stated there was a big difference already between here and Highgate.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked if there was any information the public can have regarding the recent break-ins. Reg stated he hasn’t heard anything recently but knows the police have made an arrest or two. Adam stated he knows they’ve made two or three arrests and one of the persons were apprehended and they can tie that person to several recent break-ins. Eugene thought a press release may be a good idea as long as it didn’t jeopardize this case.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that FERC was coming up to do a visit and inspection at the Hydro Plant on September 15^th at 3:30 p.m. to make sure all FERC listings and postings are in order and kept up to date. He said most of this is already done he was just informing the Board about this inspection.

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board he needed an Executive Session to discuss personnel, real estate and customer accounts.

 

7. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 7:48 p.m. to discuss personnel, real estate and customer accounts. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:46 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Chris Leach made the motion to remove the NIPA block from each customer’s electric bill. He stated that this was discussed with VPPSA and Ron Barrins and they support the removal of this NIPA block from Swanton Village’s rate structure. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees at 8:48 PM. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:48 PM. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date