This page is maintained by Swanton Village, Inc and is intended to be the official online posting of public meetings and minutes in accordance with Vermont’s Open Meeting law (Amended July 1st, 2014).

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

December 21, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING

Monday, December 21, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Chief of Police Joey Stell; Officer Chad Parah and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

Chris Leach, Village Trustee, welcomed all to the Special Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Chief of Police Joey Stell asked to make a presentation to Officer Chad Parah. He introduced him to the Board of Trustees and said that the Department gives “Service Bars” at 5, 10 and 20 years of service. Chief Stell presented Officer Chad Parah with his 5 year bar.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, December 14, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, December 14, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, December 18, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#137-#140) through Friday, December 18, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion:  Chris Leach asked what vendor James A Kiley Co. for $210,757 was for. Lynn Paradis explained that was for the digger truck in the Electric Department. Chris Leach asked what the difference between VEEU and VPPSA were. Reg Beliveau explained and said the Village pays VEEU (Efficiency Vermont) monthly. He said each ratepayer is charged a fee based on their consumption and that is sent to the State each month. He said the Village pays VPPSA for their purchase power. Motion carried.

 

ice rescues.

5.      Discuss 2016 Budgets:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, further explained the 2016 budgets to the Board of Trustees and answered any questions they had.

 

6.      Sign Electric Line of Credit:

 

Lynn Paradis informed the Board that the Electric Line of Credit documents were prepared and needed to be signed by the Board. Board members signed the Line of Credit.

 

7.       Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that he received an Electric Emergency Management Certificate in recognition of the Electric Department’s help during last year’s storm.

 

Any Other Business: Lynn Paradis advised the Board that the software upgrade went well. She gave the Audit Board Inquiry to Adam for completion.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated there are five fire fighters in the Fire Department that have completed level FFII. Reg Beliveau advised this was training. Adam stated that Bill Getz was awarded Firefighter of the Year and Gary Longe was awarded Cadet of the Year.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated two individuals have told him how nice the park looks. Reg Beliveau also stated they just finished Operation Happiness. Reg stated he needed an Executive Session for Personnel.

 

8.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

9.      Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 8:02 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:50 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

10.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Special Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:50 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Chris Leach, Village Trustee, adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

December 14, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, December 14, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Fire Chief Tim Girard; Jason Cross; Jason Butler; Chief of Police Joey Stell; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Neal Speer stated they will move Item #7 up to #5 so the Fire Chief can give his report and not sit through the budget discussions.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 23, 2015:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, November 23, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, December 11, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#126-#136) through Friday, December 11, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion:  Adam Paxman asked what Johnson Hardware was used for. Reg Beliveau explained that’s where Swanton Village buys their linemen clothing. Adam also asked about the Department of Public Safety. Lynn Paradis explained that was for the Police Department’s internet connection and data base. Motion carried.

 

5.      Discussion with Fire Chief Tim Girard:

 

Fire Chief Tim Girard stated he brought along Deputy Chiefs Jason Cross and Jason Butler. Tim stated the call volume so far this year is down but is right on track. He said the duration of the calls has been a lot longer and that has caused salaries to be over budget.  He said it is projected to be over $5000 this quarter. Chris Leach asked if Tim could show a chart showing this information over the last five years. Tim said he prints that in the annual Village Report. Tim said there have been a lot of new members added to the Fire Department. He said two thirds of them are Level I and Level II certified. He said because of the structure fires in the first half of the year payroll was almost gone in the first quarter of the year. Adam Paxman asked how the Village determines the Town Fire Assessment. Lynn Paradis said it is based on a 5 year rolling average. She said that her number is subject to change and she’s waiting on the grand list number from the Town. She stated none of these budgets are finalized yet. Chris Leach stated the Town grand list has grown considerably. Lynn stated because of the Dollar General store going in that will increase the Village grand list also. Neal Speer said that the Town fire assessment will go up if the grand list goes up because they are covering more places. Chris Leach stated they should show the school fire prevention program in the Village report. Tim Girard stated they went over budget on that as well stating they served 500 kids for about $800 for the week.

 

Tim Girard stated that by the year 2023 all air packs need to be replaced to meet state standards. He said this will cost approximately $6000 per pack plus face pieces. Tim said there’s some grant money out there and they are trying to get that. He said they would like to do at least six packs per year which cost $32,500 and another $7000 for the face pieces. Jason Cross stated this will increase annually by at least 5 to 7%. Jason Butler said if the face pieces can’t handle the temperature of fires they need to be replaced. Tim Girard stated he would like to reduce the radio equipment line item by $3000 and add that to the personal protective equipment line item. He stated they are asking for a $2000 increase in the personal protective equipment line item as well. He stated last year the fire department wages were brought up to minimum wage and that the firefighters are not in this for the money. Lynn Paradis stated that over the last three budgets the fire department’s budget has increased from $227,000 to $284,000. Tim Girard stated they don’t have a lot of control over line items such as Workmen’s Comp., rent, and dispatching. Reggie said that Swanton has the first fire prevention program documented fire save in the State of Vermont. Reg said if they gradually upgrade the air packs it would take six years to get it done and then the department would be in compliance. He said you could argue needs and wants but it’s equipment and viable for the fire department. Tim Girard stated they do a lot of specialty stuff such as boat rescues, hazmat calls and ice rescues. Eugene LaBombard asked what percentage the department is up from last year. Lynn stated there’s an 11% increase and their tax rate is going from .0391 to .0439. She said on a home costing $150,000 there would be a $66 tax bill. Lynn stated that in 2015 a home costing $150,000 had a tax bill of $56. Eugene LaBombard stated he feels Tim will meet some resistance from the Town. Eugene said he feels that they will ask some very hard questions. Reg Beliveau said to present this budget as preliminary. Chris Leach said it’s a very defensible budget and the safety of the people is important. He said it’s great that young people are joining the department also. Reg asked about the truck replacement fund. He said they have two years left and then the ladder truck is the next truck in rotation. Chris Leach asked how well we collect on invoices that are billed out. Tim stated we’re at 100% for the year 2015 and the year 2014 was about 50-50. Eugene stated a $10 increase sounded okay to him. Neal Speer stated they don’t have any choice regarding the air packs. Lynn stated they could go to the voters with a separate line item to purchase the air packs. Chris Leach stated he didn’t have a problem with the budget and Adam said he didn’t either. Lynn stated the budget is up $18,000 from last year. Adam said he appreciated Tim’s time and effort and Neil said the board stood behind him. Tim thanked the voters for all their support and thanked the Board of Trustees as well.

ice rescues.

6.      Discuss 2016 Budgets:

 

Police Department: Lynn stated salaries are going up by about $20,000 in this department. She said it’s because of having to cover five part time shifts. She also said telephone and Internet coverage were going up because Comcast raised their rates. She said they had a savings with them at first but now their rates have increased. Lynn stated that the property insurance was going down in this department but that workers compensation was increasing. She said this is because of an increase in claims this past year. She said a claim in the electric department will affect all departments. Chris Leach asked about the school resource officer. Lynn stated that the high school covers those expenses. She also said health insurance was up by about 5% and dental coverage had a and dental small increase as well. She said their training line item was also increased a little bit. Lynn said the Town contract is the same as last year but said she wasn’t sure if they’re going out to bid on this for next year. She said five part time shifts would decrease if they don’t have the Town contract. Chief Stell said the training budget is up due to new legislative mandates. He said there are rule changes taking effect in January which will mean more training for all officers. Lynn said the tax rate in this department is up .3 cents from last year and on a home costing $150,000 the tax bill would be $555. Last year’s bill would have been $513. Lynn stated if they don’t have the Town contract the dispatching expense goes away. Adam Paxman stated everything is justified in this department and thanked Joey for keeping it as low as possible. Chief Stell said he would need an executive session to discuss personnel.

 

General Fund: Lynn stated this fund covers mostly the Complex building. She said salaries are up in this fund due to a straight increase. She said there are no new personnel. Lynn said property insurance was staying the same but workers compensation was increasing. She said there is a 5% increase in health insurance and dental insurance was staying the same. She said there is a big increase in plant maintenance because that covers cleaning, fixing sidewalks, the lunchroom repairs, parking lot signs, an awning over the front entrance, furnace repair, painting, sprinkler and fire alarm service work. She said rent is figured on square footage and she can determine what each department pays for tax purposes. She said overall this budget is down a little bit.

 

Highway Fund: Lynn stated she really hasn’t had a chance to sit with Mike Menard yet. She said wages are really the only thing that will change in this fund. She said the equipment number may change because this department needs a new backhoe. She said the one they have is a 2001 and they’ve only put tires and normal maintenance into it. She said Mike has gotten two or three quotes and with municipal discounts and the trade in they are looking at very good prices. She’s wondering if they ask the voters on a separate line item for a loan or if they should lease it. She said the interest rate on the digger truck is 2.25%. After a discussion the board asked her to put a separate line item on the ballot for voter approval. She said the tax rate is going from .2887 to .2924, a very small increase.

 

Electric Department: Lynn stated she is recommending they file for a rate increase in this department. She said her depreciation rates are not the same as what’s being booked and bond payments are coming out of depreciation rates. She stated purchase power is at $2.1 million dollars and those two items alone will drive a rate increase. She said wages at the power plant are budgeted to go down because of the new swing position. She said this has cut overtime hours considerably. She said when this operator isn’t working at the plant he’s working in the maintenance department. She said maintenance of plant is over budget because they are now doing a lot of preventative maintenance. She said purchase power is up to $2.9 million dollars from $2.6 million dollars. She said they are projecting 2016 purchase power costs to be over $3 million dollars. Lynn said there are salary increases in this budget and uniforms are up because of requirements. She said the new linemen need their gear. She said tree trimming is up as well.

 

Lynn also said bank charges are up due to the number of people paying by credit card. She said their SCADA system needs an upgrade this year also. She said workman’s compensation increased a lot as well as conventions, meetings and training because two linemen are in classes. She said this is the final year for the 1988 bond payment. She said she talked with VPPSA about a rate increase and they recommend between 7 and 10% for an increase.

 

Water Fund: Lynn stated chemicals were up in this fund and testing was about the same as last year. Reg stated they should be thinking about new water meters very soon for this department. He said he is going to have a demonstration done. Lynn said she reduced the training in this fund also. She said she is recommending a rate increase in this fund also, going from $22.14 to $23.18 for the fixed rate and $2.28 to $2.53 in the variable rates. This is for a Village residential account.

 

Sewer Fund: Lynn said they need a rate increase in this fund also. She would like to go from $29.39 to $35.50 in the fixed rates and from $3.61 down to $3.55 in the variable rates. She said there is an increase in the electric costs due to the aerators not working properly, chemicals have increased, testing costs are up and maintenance of lines labor is up. She said they made their final payment on one of the CSO bonds and there is one remaining bond for 2016.

 

Commercial Building Fund: Lynn said it is time to increase the rent in this fund but said everything else remains the same. She said she added a plant maintenance line item in this fund as well.

 

Lynn said she would like to meet next week with the board because she would have more solid budgets for them. She said she factored in a 3% wage increase as well. The board thanked Lynn for all her hard work on these budgets and agreed to meet on December 21st to review the budgets again.

 

7.      Electric Line of Credit:

 

Lynn Paradis informed the Board that last year she drew funds out of the Village’s Return of Contingency bonds. She said she has paid some back but not all of it and she is requesting permission to open a $1.5 million dollar line of credit. She said she received a quote from Union Bank for .84% and from People’s United for 1.39%. She said she would like to go with Union Bank for the line of credit. She said it needs to be paid by the end of next year and she will put any excess money on that line of credit to pay it down.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, to open a $1.5 million dollar line of credit with Union Bank with an interest rate of .84%. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.       Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Lynn Paradis stated this past weekend Boy Scout Troop #823 went to Arlington National Cemetery for the Wreaths Across America project. She said they raised $8000 over the last year for this trip. She said this was a great experience for them and they got to see several monuments and the Air & Space museum.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he has received a copy of the Memorial United Methodist Church (MUMC) parking lot agreement and it looks good. He said they covered everything and downtown Swanton needs the parking spaces. Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Village Manager Reginald Beliveau to sign the final parking lot agreement between the Town of Swanton, Memorial United Methodist Church and the Village of Swanton. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman asked Reg if the Village was going ahead with ICloud. Reg stated it’s looking like it will be up and running the first quarter of 2016. He said they have a contract in place for it.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he wanted to thank everyone who attended Christmas in the Park. He said over 600 people attended and they are working on getting a second carriage for next year.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked about the FERC visit to the Hydro Plant. Reg said the rubber bag was inspected and they said it’s the best they’ve seen for the age of it. He said they  need to address a few things on it and will be getting a report. Chris asked if Reg has heard anything more about the gas compacting company. Reg said he hasn’t heard anything.

 

Any Other Business: Reg stated he had a meeting with Paul Nolan and a potential developer of the Lower Dam. He told them the Village wants to keep the dam and are interested in a small 500 KW generating facility. He said he would like this to be a training tool in renewable energy for local students. He said he needed an executive session for personnel also.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said Marianna Gamache would like a tour of the Hydro Plant and he’d like to ask Brian Savage too. He said they’d like to do this before the legislative session starts back up.

 

9.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

10.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 9:37 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 10:25 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

11.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 10:25 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 10:25 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

November 23, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 23, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 9, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, November 9, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated he wanted more clarification on his statement regarding the Wind Project meeting. He said this project doesn’t fit the definition of “public good” as set by the Public Service Board. Motion carried with clarification.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 20, 2015:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#120-#125) through Friday, November 20, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked if Warrant #124 for Swanton Enhancement Project was the water project or the community enhancement project. Adam Paxman stated this was for the community enhancement project and said it is grant money that is dispersed through Swanton Village. Motion carried.

 

5.      Discuss Gilles Tremblay Gifting 41 Brown Avenue to the Village of Swanton:

 

The Board discussed this item again and stated Swanton Village has no interest at this time in that property. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to decline Gilles Tremblay’s offer to gift 41 Brown Avenue to the Village of Swanton. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried. The Village of Swanton will send a letter to Mr. Tremblay thanking him for his offer but declining it.

 

6.      Delinquent Tax Collector’s Request to Hire Attorney Vaughn S.P. Comeau to Asisst in the Completion of Tax Sales:

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, explained that Swanton Village Delinquent Tax Collector Betty Cheney hires Attorney Vaughn S.P. Comeau to assist her in the process of tax sales. She is requesting permission to have him assist her for 2015. Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Delinquent Tax Collector Betty Cheney to hire Attorney Vaughn S.P. Comeau to assist her in Village tax sales for 2015. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

7.       Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked about the vactor he has seen on Spring Street lately. Adam Paxman stated VT Gas hired Hardigan’s to inspect the sewer line on Spring Street to see if there were any leaks in it after all the work done there by the gas company. He said they found and repaired three sewer leaks at the expense of VT Gas Company. He said they are also cleaning the sewer line before the paving project next year. He stated Mike Menard is aware of this and has made sure the leaks were repaired to his standards.

 

Chris Leach also stated that Rep. Marianna Gamache sits on the State of Vermont Energy Committee and has stated she would like to tour the Hydro Plant. He said he would like to take her with Reg Beliveau’s permission as well as the staff there. Chris also asked if the Police Chief would be attending a Board meeting to give an update on the drug problem in the community. Village Clerk Dianne Day stated he would attend their next meeting in December.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he met with the Town Selectboard last week regarding the Methodist Church parking lot. He said the Town Administrator will handle the leasing of the church parking lot. Adam said the Town and Village will swap each year plowing the lot. He said he suggests the poles remain in the parking lot until after snowfall. Adam said Joel Clark was a very big proponent of this agreement and is very happy with the outcome. He said there will be added parking for the community.

 

Adam also stated Christmas in the Park will be held on Saturday, November 28th from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and hopes everyone comes out and enjoys the Christmas tree in the bandstand as well as all the lights in the park. He said they have some big surprises lined up this year and is looking forward to a great event. Chris Leach stated the use of the park lately has been great. Adam said a lot more families are attending these events with enthusiasm, smiles and respect.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he met with one of the men fundraising for the Skate Park to be built at Marble Mill next year. He said this looks like it’s going to be a great Skate Park.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard reminded residents about the Village Winter Parking Ban to begin on December 1st and run through April 15th from midnight to 6 a.m.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated he is still working on the lighting issue at Merchant’s Row. He said the canopy needs repair and the lights there are very dim. He said he would like to see a change in the type of lights installed and have the underneath lit up and match the upper lights. He said the only light there is by Swanton Rexall and they pay for it. Chris Leach stated the Village owns that sidewalk and therefore should budget street lighting for it. Eugene LaBombard stated the ally way gets very icy and very slippery during the winter months so wanted to make the public aware of this. Chris Leach stated they would mention that to Mike Menard and see that it gets salted.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated Jerry Duffy passed away and he was a Village Trustee for many years. He said Swanton Village appreciates Mr. Duffy’s years of service and sends their sincere condolences on his passing.

 

8.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

9.      Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

10.  Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 7:25 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

November 9, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 9, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, October 26, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, October 26, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 6, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 6, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion:  Chris Leach stated there are a lot of credit unions and banks the Village of Swanton makes payments to.  Motion carried.

 

5.      Interfund Borrowing Agreement Renewal:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to renew the Interfund Borrowing Agreement. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Village Clerk Dianne Day explained this was part of the 108 filing that the voters approved last year regarding interfund borrowing in the Electric Department. She advised that it needed to be renewed on a yearly basis. Motion carried.

 

6.      Discuss Gilles Tremblay Gifting 41 Brown Avenue to the Village of Swanton:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he talked with Zoning Administrator Ron Kilburn last week regarding this parcel of land. He said this is considered a wetland and is assessed at $21,100 and is owned by Gilles Tremblay and Ed Hemond. Adam Paxman stated the Village should take it and subdivide it and sell to the other property owners. Eugene LaBombard stated he didn’t feel the Village should put any expense into that piece of property. He said if the neighbors wanted it they could buy it from Mr. Tremblay. Reg stated he wanted to call Gilles Tremblay and Ed Hemond and find out more information before they decide on taking the property. This item has been tabled until further notice.

 

7.      Adopt Utility Pole Ordinance:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adopt the Utility Pole Ordinance as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Fairpoint and Comcast will be notified of the new ordinance and it will be posted in five public places. This ordinance will take effect on January 8, 2016. Motion carried.

 

8.       Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated the Chamber of Commerce had a successful Halloween In The Park event and MVUHS had a successful Trunk or Treat the same day. He said the Fire Department and Rescue Department was there as well. He stated their next project will be Christmas in the Park. He said they received donations for Christmas lights and is very thankful for that. Adam said he is still working on the Methodist Church parking lot issue and said hopefully they will come to an agreement soon. He said they are discussing who is responsible for snow removal between the library and the church. He said he is waiting to hear back from them and said he will keep the Board updated. He said they would like to begin this January 1st, 2016.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if the new water line has been run under the river yet. Reg Beliveau stated not yet but they are planning on doing it by the end of November. Chris asked if the sluice way was fixed yet. Reg stated not yet, he is waiting for a diver to go in first. He said their diver was doing some work at the Reservoir and he needs to get him to dive in the river. Reg stated he is continuing to work on this issue but said he may need a permit to get it done.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated with the heroin and drug problem being a big issue right now, he wondered if the Chief of Police could come in and talk with the Board to inform them as to what’s going on in the community. Reg thought that was a good idea and said the Drug Task Force should also come in. Neal Speer stated that there is also a problem with drugs in the work force. He said he talked with Kathy Lavoie regarding this. Reg stated they are hoping to get a lineman course here as well. Chris stated the linemen should join the Job Expo. Reg stated he sent Jim Irish to MVUHS and Swanton Village ended up getting an intern from that. He said the Village of Swanton has some big employers here such as Vermont Precision Tools, Mylan and TDI. Chris also asked if Reg has heard anything about the gas company coming into Swanton. Reg stated he believed they would be breaking ground next month. Chris also asked if employee evaluations were done. Reg stated they would be working on those next month.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Swanton Enhancement group will hold a community dinner to recap the year.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach mentioned the public works crew is doing a great job picking up leaves in the Village of Swanton. He also mentioned the Wind Project meeting was held here at the Village Complex and went well. He said he doesn’t believe this project meets the Public Service Board’s definition of “public good” and also said the power to be generated from this wind project is not needed by the State of Vermont.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated there is a group of residents working on putting a skate park in Marble Mill and they will be doing some fundraising for that project. Reg also said Operation Happiness will be held here December 14th through December 19th. He said food boxes will be picked up on Saturday, December 19th.

 

9.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

10.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

11.  Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 7:55 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 7:55 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

October 26, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, October 26, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Village Clerk Dianne Day advised that she had the 3rd quarter SQRP report to be reviewed under Any Other Business.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 28, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, September 28, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 23, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 23, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion:  Adam Paxman asked about the Burlington Communication invoice for $4624.00. Reg Beliveau advised that was for repair on the electric line truck radios and Public Work’s truck radios. Eugene LaBombard asked about the Business Card invoice for $4009.48. Reg advised that was for the NEPPA Conference.  Motion carried.

 

5.      Electric Line of Credit Renewal:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to renew the Electric Line of Credit for $850,000 with People’s United Bank. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried. Board members signed all necessary documents.

 

6.      Water Line of Credit Renewal:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to renew the Water Department Line of Credit for $500,000 with Union Bank. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. Board members signed all necessary documents.

 

7.      Discuss Gilles Tremblay Gifting 41 Brown Avenue to the  Village of Swanton:

 

Chris Leach asked if there was any access to this property. Adam Paxman stated he thought the only way to access it was through Daprato Drive. He said he didn’t think you could access it because it was wetland. Chris asked what the size of the property was and Ron Kilburn stated it was .61 acres. Chris asked why the Village would want the property. The property is assessed at $21,100 and the 2015 tax bill was $156.29. The Board stated they wanted to look into this further so have tabled this item until further notice.

 

8.      MVUHS Educational Travel Group request Coin Drop for November 7, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve MVUHS’s Educational Travel Group’s request to hold a coin drop on Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, with a rain date of Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. He stated they needed to comply with a certificate of insurance and have proper safety vests and signage. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried with two yays, one nay.

 

9.      Utility Pole Ordinance Update:

 

Adam Paxman stated he has drafted the Utility Pole Ordinance after the City of Burlington’s ordinance. He said he’s made a few changes to it and would like to get this adopted quickly. He said this has become a nuisance and needs to be fixed. He stated the Chief of Police has read through it and has no problems with it. Chris Leach asked how the penalties would be collected if it came to that. Adam stated he believed tickets would be handled like a parking ticket in the Village. He has requested this be put on the next agenda for adoption. Reg Beliveau stated Fairpoint and Comcast would receive notice of this Ordinance.

 

10.  Swanton Walk-Bike Safety Action Plan from Healthy Communities Summit Update:

 

Reg Beliveau stated he met with Katelin Brewer-Colie from Local Motion, and they are trying to secure a grant through VTrans that will review Swanton’s Walk-Bike path plans. He said there are five communities in the State that will be awarded this 40 hour review from VTrans so he will continue to work with Local Motion and hopefully enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with them. He said he would keep the Board updated.

 

 

11.   Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach stated the SQRP report measures how well the Village executes work orders, bills etc. He said he can see the Village beat the baseline in every category and has done very, very well again this quarter. Adam Paxman stated the Board acknowledges receiving this report for the third quarter.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the paving project for 2016 is in its final design stage. He said they will be paving from the town line on Route 78 up to Merchants Row. He said he is recommending they do night time work to help alleviate traffic congestion. Adam Paxman stated if this happens they will notify residents, tenants, etc. Reg also said they are able to get 500 ton of scarified filler that will be stored at the Town garage and used between the Town and the Village. He said they are also trying to figure out a mini round about by Merchants Row.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that the water project is coming along good and the only thing left to do is the river crossing. He said everything else has been tied in and tested. He also said their contractor backed out last minute so TDI may do the river crossing.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated the Village is picking up leaves and residents can pick up their paper bags here at the Village Complex. He asked what the saw horses were for in the Village Green. Reg stated that five bike racks are being installed. They will be at Lady Liberty, one by the Post Office, the Town Office, the Chamber of Commerce and one at Swanton Beach. Chris asked if Reg has heard anything regarding the Border Patrol building on Grand Ave. Reg said he has not. He also asked Reg if he has heard anymore on the Dam issue. He asked if the sluice was fixed yet. Reg said not yet but said it will be fixed.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard advised Reg to purchase a new refrigerator for the office staff because the one they have no longer works.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he is waiting to hear back from the Methodist Church trustees regarding the parking lot. He also said there will be Halloween in the Park on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Arts Council. He said the Library will be showing a scary movie afterwards. He also said Christmas in the Park will be held on November 28th from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

 

12.  Public Comment:

 

Ron Kilburn thanked the Board for putting up with him for the last 12 years as Zoning Administrator. He said his last day on the job is Friday, October 30th. He said it’s been a positive experience and overall a great opportunity. Adam Paxman wished him the best of luck. Neal Speer stated he appreciated his efforts and wished him well.

 

13.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

14.  Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:10 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

September 28, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 28, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Adam Paxman stated he would need an Executive Session to discuss Real Estate.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 14, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, September 14, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 25, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 25, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: 
Adam Paxman asked about Advanced Emergency Products. Lynn Paradis and Reg Beliveau stated they couldn’t remember that one but would look it up and let them know. Lynn stated it would be for either the Fire Department or the Police Department. Reg Beliveau informed the Board that Northrup Grumman was where they purchased their meter reading equipment. That question was asked at the last Board meeting.  Motion carried.

 

5.      Sign Electric Digger Truck Loan Documents:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, explained to the Board of Trustees that the loan documents were prepared and ready to sign for the Electric Digger Truck that Swanton Village voters approved in August 2014. She said the truck should arrive in October. She stated that she checked rates at Union Bank, Peoples United and Merchants Bank. Union Bank was 2.25%, Peoples United was 2.5% and Merchants Bank was 2.75%. The loan amount is $212,000 and she went with Union Bank because they had the lowest interest rate. Lynn advised the Board she needed approval to secure the loan through Union Bank as well as signatures from the Board.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, to secure a loan with Union Bank in the amount of $212,000 with an interest rate of 2.25% to purchase the Electric Digger Truck. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach asked if they would be selling the current truck and Reg Beliveau stated they would. He said the Village of Swanton would put a bid out “as is” for the old truck and said he believes they will get more for it selling it outright rather than trading it in. The Board members signed all necessary documents pertaining to the loan.

 

 

 

6.      August Financial Statements:

 

ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT: Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, advised that the bucket truck has been ordered for this department and said it would take a year to get it built. She also said that the September 2015 billing is the first bills under the new tariff so this is showing a little bit more revenue for the Village. She also said they are approximately $300,000 over budget in purchase power because KW sales are higher than what VPPSA budgeted for. She said power supply expenses are forecasted to be over budget at year end and distribution expenses are under budget by about $72,000. She said Duane Couture, Electric Line Foreman, still has tree trimming to do and said they have been extremely busy with line jobs and estimates. Lynn also said bond payments are coming due and it looks like there is a profit on paper but in reality there isn’t. She said the Village has a bond payment due this fall and one more next year and that will free up about $500,000 per year. She said as of right now the numbers aren’t supporting a rate increase. She said they need to start working on their FERC renewal next. Chris Leach asked if their new strategy of managing the pond has helped any. Reg stated they need to look at the generation. Lynn said the KW’s are going up but they are being paid less for them because there is too much product on the market.

 

WATER DEPARTMENT: Lynn stated at year end they will be under budget but not too bad. She said water sales are off a little bit maybe because people are conserving more. She said this department is looking good overall. Labor is over budget because of heating costs. She said maintenance of plant labor is under budget and maintenance of service is over budget because of frozen pipes in the winter. She said overall this shows a profit on paper but she will be paying off debt service. Chris Leach asked if a rate increase was necessary at this time and Lynn said she was hoping to not have a rate increase in 2016. She said their first bond payment on the current project will be due in 2017 so a rate increase will be necessary then.

 

SEWER FUND: Lynn said they haven’t raised the rates in this department in a couple of years but said they will need to in 2016.  She said sales are off track and one of their special sewer accounts is using less water. She said as of right now they are over budget by about $17,000 because the solar aerators are not functioning properly. Reg stated he had a phone call with the company and is contemplating hiring an attorney to negotiate a new contract with them. He said they seem to only get about 8 months of the aerators working properly then they have trouble with them. Lynn said chemicals were over budget by about $7000 and said this could be a timing issue but said she would check it out further. She said they will end the year with a net loss in this department. She said they have one final payment on the CSO project and she is funding depreciation in the rates. Chris Leach asked if they heard any more about the storm water issue. Reg stated there is one resident holding them up but is hoping to get it resolved soon. Adam Paxman asked why outside services employed was up and Lynn said that was for engineering services at Marble Mill but said grant money will be coming in to offset that.

 

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: Lynn said street lighting in this department is over budget but said she doesn’t have cost of service factored in yet. She said the Village hasn’t completely changed to LED lighting yet but would be phasing it in over the next couple of years. She said summer streets labor is under budget and they will break even in winter streets labor. She said the crew just finishing a new sidewalk in the Village Green, She said if everything goes as planned they will profit approximately $1500 in this department. Chris Leach asked with oil prices going down are paving prices down. Reg said he needed to check on that and also said he is going to bargain with the chemical companies to get shipping costs down.

 

GENERAL FUND: Lynn said the Downtown Enhancement grant is in this fund and she doesn’t have the offsetting numbers yet. Adam Paxman asked about the miscellaneous general expenses and Lynn said the Village received a wellness grant and planted a garden with the funds as well as a healthy lifestyles coach, and purchase fruits and vegetables for the employees. She said this fund also shows a profit at year end.

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Lynn stated there are some miscellaneous billings not budgeted for such as hazmat calls. Because of this their salary line is over budget by about $6000. She said as of now they are under budget on transportation, fuel and testing. She said last year they had a $12,000 repair on one of the trucks so that can blow their budget real fast. She said as of right now they are showing a profit in the department.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT: Lynn said salaries are over budget by about $10,000 and she is not sure why. She said full timers must be covering shifts that the part timers cannot. She said as of right now they are showing a $3600 profit. She said they sold the old Crown Vic cruiser. Chris Leach asked what they were doing with the Army surplus vehicles. Lynn said one is being used in the maintenance department and they are looking into selling the other one.

 

COMMERCIAL BUILDING FUND: Lynn said plant maintenance and supplies are under budget and that is what is driving the profit for year end in this department.

 

Lynn said she is budgeting for next year so asked the Board to let her know if there is anything they want added to her budget. Chris Leach said he would like to see the Village continue to fix old water pipes throughout the Village. Lynn said when the transmission line project is done they plan on doing one street at a time.

 

7.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Eugene LaBombard stated he noticed some tree stumps on Taylor Drive that need removing if possible. Reg Beliveau stated he would check it out. He said he also plans on doing a tree replacement program where the Village will replace a tree cut with a new tree. Eugene also said he has noticed a lot of overgrowth on the Village sidewalks. Reg stated the Village plans on pulling the sidewalk near the Civil War Cemetery on Church Street.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer said there is a light in front of Swanton Rexall that is out. Reg asked if they noticed a difference over there because one of the store owners changed a light and it brightened that area up quite a bit.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau informed the Board that he had a discussion with the State of Vermont regarding the 2016 paving project. He said the State confirmed they are going to put in bike lanes where they can, and two new crosswalks – one on Liberty St. and one on Greenwich St., using high visibility paint. He said Merchants Row will be striped and have new signage. He said Mark Fenton will be here on October 9th working on the traffic flow and walkability of downtown. He said he also asked the State about raising the railings on the bridge and bringing it up to code.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated there has been a lot of talk lately about the sluice way on the lower dam. He said he contacted the State of Vermont and asked if they knew of any funds available to help with repairing the dam. He was told no. Reg stated they have money to help take it down but don’t have any to help repair it. He said they are claiming that when the water is low this is starving endangered fish in the river by Marble Mill, on the other side of the river. He said he has contacted an engineer regarding some restoration on the dam and is also waiting to hear back from their attorney Paul Nolan. He said he would keep the Board updated.

 

8.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

9.      Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate (attorney-client privileged information) at 8:07 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session and re-enter Open Session at 9:08 p.m.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, to move forward with an RFQ for the Lower Swanton Dam and to also take into consideration repairs/restoration of the dam. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

10.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:09 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:09 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date