August 20, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

7 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Wayne Elliott, Aldrich & Elliott; and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed everyone to the Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees and called the meeting to order at 7:25 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, August 11, 2014:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, August 11, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, August 15, 2014:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, August 15, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked what the First Niagra Leasing payment for $4,564.25 was for. Reginald Beliveau stated that was for the police cruiser and vactor lease payment. Motion carried.

 

3. Wayne Elliott – Discuss Phase III Recovery for the Archeological Investigation on Waugh Farm Rd:

 

Wayne Elliott stated their main concern at this time is the lower part of the Waugh Farm Rd. He said UVM found some sensitive areas and now need to do further field work. He said they have had several meetings with the State of Vermont Historic Preservation Committee and UVM and the field work recovery dig will cost approximately $317,294. The work will include digging 4' deep in a 1000' section on Waugh Farm Rd. This will allow Swanton Village to then shallow bury the pipe in that area only. They are looking at about 30 days of field work. Adam Paxman asked if UVM could exceed that $317,000 amount. Reginald Beliveau stated they don't have the ability to negotiate it. Wayne agreed with Reg and stated he feels this price is in line with other recovery's they've seen. Eugene LaBombard stated the price is lower than we he expected. He asked where would they display the artifacts they find. Reg stated he would like to have them displayed at Swanton Village for some time since they are paying $317,000 for the recovery of them.

 

Wayne stated the other amendment he needs to make the Board aware of tonight is the Rail Trail Amendment #3. He said initially they were going to follow the Rail Trail but now the Federal government is saying one day they may return that rail trail back to the rail bank and so Plan B is to minimize the impact to the Rail Trail. He said they will go along Waugh Farm Rd., Route 78 and Lafar Drive instead of going down the middle of the Rail Trail as originally planned. He said they need to update some permits with VTrans and get some easements. Adam Paxman asked when he thought they would begin construction. Wayne stated next spring would be realistic. Wayne also stated that the Fourth St. and Second St. job came in under budget and the archaeological dig is over what they planned. He said the numbers are still coming in good with construction so they are keeping an eye on everything.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the Archaeological Phase III Scope-of-Work for Data Recovery Mitigation at Site VT-FR-12 Within the Village of Swanton Water Transmission #2 Project at a cost of $317,294. Adam Paxman seconded. Eugene LaBombard also moves to give Village Manager Reginald Beliveau authority to sign all necessary documents pertaining to this Project. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Amendment #3 Rail Trail and Waugh Farm Road Archaeological A&E Project #13032 at a cost of $37,000. He also moves to give Village Manager Reginald Beliveau authority to sign all necessary documents pertaining to this Project. Adam Paxman seconded. Motions carried.

 

4. Set 2014 Swanton Village Tax Rate:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, provided the Board with the 2014 Village Tax Rate. Village Clerk Dianne Day stated that because the Grand List is a bit lower and the voters approved $10,000 in holiday decorations the tax rate for 2014 will be .7231 if approved. On a home assessed at $175,000 the 2014 tax bill will be $1,265.47 and a home assessed at $200,000 the 2014 tax bill will be $1,446.25. This amounts to a 5.61% increase this year. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the 2014 Swanton Village Tax Rate at .7231. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

5. Sanitary Survey of Swanton Village Water System:

 

Reginald Beliveau informed the Board that State Inspector Matt Guerino inspected the Water Treatment Plant on August 12, 2014. He stated he received a letter from Matt stating "the Water System appears very well operated and maintained. There were no significant or minor deficiencies identified during the survey." The Board was pleased with this report. Neal Speer stated Brian Bishop is doing a good job as usual. Reg stated that he keeps such good records and the state was impressed with this.

 

6. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman thanked everyone for their support and voter approval on Tuesday, August 19th on the electric bonds. He also reminded everyone to come out and vote on the MVU budget on Tuesday, September 9, 2014.

 

7. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 8:12 p.m. to discuss a customer's account because it is confidential and to also discuss Real Estate due to discussing the facts in open session could hinder negotiations. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:40 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

 

ADJOURN: Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees at 8:40 PM. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:40 PM. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

August 11, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

INFORMATIONAL MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, August 11, 2014

7 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Ronald Reynolds, Glen Gurwit, Chris Goodman, Gary Guilmette, Darla Blondo, Butch Patch, Lloyd & Lorraine Collins, and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed everyone to the Informational Public Hearing and Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees and called the meeting to order at 7 o’clock.

 

1. Informational Meeting & Public Hearing – Electric Bond Articles:

Village Manager Reginald Beliveau read the Articles to the public that was in attendance:

 

Article I: Shall the voters of the Village of Swanton approve a note not to exceed $1.3 million dollars for the purpose of establishing a line of credit facility to support the operation of the Swanton Village Inc. Electric Department?

 

     Article II: Shall the voters of the Village of Swanton approve a note or notes not to exceed

     $1,450,000 for the purpose of purchasing utility vehicles and making capital improvements to

     its Orman Croft Generating Facility?

 

He asked if there were any questions from the audience members. Butch Patch stated he was concerned why the Village didn’t vote on this at Town Meeting Day in March. Reginald stated that Swanton Village applied for rate increase last year for 10.69%, they only received a 1% rate increase. He stated because of that they needed to file additional paperwork and were finished with that at the end of May. Lynn Paradis stated the Public Service Board needs to approve that paperwork and because of that approval time they were not able to vote on this at March Town Meeting day. Butch stated if they voted on it in March they would have a better turnout. He was concerned that very few people would show up on Tuesday, August 19 and that very few people would approve this.

 

Lynn Paradis advised everyone there that Article II is two years worth of work at the Hydro Plant. She stated at the end of 2016 the original bond payment will be paid off and that will free up about $400,000. She also informed the public about the outages they’ve had at the Hydro Plant and the costly repairs that they’ve had to endure. Christine Goodman asked about hiring another maintenance technician at Swanton Village. Reginald stated it was necessary to have another maintenance technician on hand due to the five-year preventative maintenance plan that is now in place at all Swanton Village plants. He said they need to maintain these plants and cannot do it with two people.

 

Chris Leach stated that the Public Service Board is being very strong on all utilities in Vermont now and he stated Swanton Village is the first utility to go in for rate increase since Green Mountain Power merged with CVPS. He stated the Public Service Board is being hard on Swanton Village and that they are the biggest Hydro Plant in the State of Vermont and that they are very unique.

 

Ron Reynolds asked why the Electric Department wasn’t voted on Town Meeting day like the General Fund, Police Department, Fire Department and Highway Department. He asked about Article 1 and Lynn advised this was for internal accounting purposes only and she said this would not affect the rates. She stated it would be a 0% interest line of credit and it would handle internal accounting functions here at Swanton Village. Ron asked why the Village needed to purchase new vehicles. Lynn stated the pickup truck in the Electric Department is a 2005. She stated they were interested in buying a bigger utility truck so that they could take that on outages rather than taking the bucket truck out every time. Ron stated his frustration with the Public Service Board and asked who governed them. He asked what would happen if Swanton Village told them no on some of these issues.

 

Darla Blondo asked what would happen if the vote didn’t pass on Tuesday. Lynn stated they wouldn’t be able to do the work scheduled at the Hydro Plant and they would run the risk of major repairs needing to be done. She stated they could have longer outages if the electricity were to go out and safety issues would arise as well. She also said they would be in violation according to the PSB and she doesn’t know what they will do to Swanton Village if Article I doesn’t pass.

 

Christine Goodman asked where all the cash has gone. Lynn Paradis advised they had been depleting the cash since 2008. She stated they have been over budget on purchase power, have done major line improvements, have done a substantial amount of work at the Swanton Village substation, and purchased a huge transformer. Lynn stated they were $600,000 over budget last year alone on purchase power and have had to budget higher for that line item.

 

The Board of Trustees thanked everyone for attending and urged them to come out and vote on Tuesday, August 19. They asked the Village taxpayers to support these two Articles and vote in favor of them on Tuesday, August 19^th.

 

2. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, July 28, 2014:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, July 28, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

3. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, August 8, 2014:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village warrants through Friday, August 8, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked who vendor ECI was for. Reginald Beliveau stated that was for the bridge job. Eugene also asked why the payment made to Wesco was so high. Lynn Paradis stated that amount included several invoices in one payment and that was for electric inventory. Motion carried.

 

4. Electric Rate Case Discussion:

 

Lynn Paradis stated Swanton Village filed a rate increase three and half weeks ago. She said the Public Service Board has until Friday to approve or litigate and said she is waiting to hear back from them. She stated Swanton Village pulled a few things out of the rate increase and they dropped from a 7.4% to a 6% rate increase. Lynn stated the Public Service Board wanted a cost-benefit analysis done stating when a vendor would arrive and when the vendor would leave as well as signed quotes. Lynn said another utility has agreed to do this so now Swanton Village will have to. She said they are creating a base level of standards. She stated they also had to do a depreciation study and Swanton Village paid $10,000 for that study when normally it would cost $40,000. Lynn stated as soon as she hears from the Public Service Board regarding what they been approved for a rate increase or whether or not they will litigate she would let Board know.

 

5. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman wanted to remind everyone that the Downtown Enhancement Committee will hold a meeting on August 28^th at Holy Trinity Church at 7 PM. He urged everyone to attend and check it out.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard wanted to remind everyone to come out and vote on Tuesday, August 19 from 7 AM to 7 PM. He also stated the MVU budget revote will be held on Tuesday, September 9 from 7 AM to 7 PM here at the Swanton Village Complex. He also stated there will be a JLB meeting on September 10 at 7 PM here at the Village Complex.

 

Any Other Business: Reginald Beliveau stated he received the tree survey back from UVM. He said this was a report on all trees in the Village right of way. He said the study named the species, size and health of all trees here in the Village. He said the study was done at no cost to Swanton Village and they also included a replacement schedule on these trees.

 

6. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into executive session at 8:35 PM to discuss Real Estate in regards to Municipal Parking. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:10 PM. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman will talk to landowner to discuss options for parking.

 

 

ADJOURN: Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Informational Public Hearing and Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees at 9:10 PM. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:10 PM. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

July 28, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, July 28, 2014

7 PM

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed everyone to the Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7 o’clock.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, July 14, 2014:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, July 14, 2014 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion:  None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, July 25, 2014:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion:  Eugene LaBombard asked about the Radio North Group payment, Lynn Paradis advised that was the grant for the Fire Department for their new radios and that it would be reimbursed at 100%. Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Iron Brook, Reginald Beliveau explained that was for the Ultra Violet system at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.  Adam Paxman asked about the payment made to Bergeron Protective Clothing, Reginald Beliveau explained that was for the Fire Department. Motion carried.

 

3. Section 108 Update Discussion:

 

Reginald Beliveau presented of Board of Trustees with an insert that will go into the utility bills explaining the two articles coming up for a vote on August 19, 2014 if approved by the Board. Neal Speer read aloud the insert. Article one is asking the voters to approve $1.3 million dollars for the purpose of establishing a line of credit facility to support the operation of the Swanton Village Electric Department. Chris Leach asked if this was normal accounting practice and Lynn advised it was and stated one way around it would be to have a separate checking account for each department. She stated she would need to modify her software program in order to do this and maybe in the future the Village would work on doing so. Lynn stated these figures were not in the rate case yet and said that the ratepayers would not be affected by this until 2015. She said this year they have gone in for a 7.42% rate increase and that still keeps Swanton Village the lowest in the state. Chris Leach stated the insert is very informative and he would approve it being mailed soon as possible. Lynn stated article 2 is asking the voters to approve a note not to exceed $1.45 million dollars for the purpose of purchasing utility vehicles and making capital improvements to its Orman Croft Generating Facility. The only change the board thought should be added to the insert was to add the length of the loans. Lynn advised she would make those changes and get that insert mailed as soon as possible.

 

4. Approve and Adopt Special Warning for Electric Bond Vote August 19, 2014:

Chris Leach made the motion to Approve and Adopt the Special Warning to vote on the two Electric Bonds August 19, 2014 with a public hearing to be held on Monday, August 11, 2014 at 7 PM at the Village Complex. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

5. Wayne Elliott – Discuss Phase III Recovery for the Archaeological Investigation on Waugh Farm Road:

 

Wayne Elliott didn’t show for this article, the Board of Trustees decided to table this item until further notice. Item tabled.

 

6. Electric Rate Case Discussion:

 

Reginald Beliveau stated that as of the last meeting they hadn’t filed their rate case yet so he couldn’t discuss the percentage being asked for. He said as of this week they have filed and they are asking for a 7.42% rate increase in the electric department. He said their consultant has met with the Public Service Board and some of the items they are working on include purchase orders and quotes. He said the Public Service Board has 30 days to review their requests and he would keep the Board updated as soon as he heard anymore on this rate increase. Reg stated in the maintenance budget they are increasing it from $45,000 to $100,000 and the Public Service Board wants to know why. He said they have now included a five year maintenance plan in each department at the Village and will be hiring a new maintenance technician. He said Swanton Village has a very good accountant and his hat goes off to Lynn Paradis for all her hard work. Lynn stated the Public Service Board wants to see financial policies in place for all utilities and wants them to be very similar in nature. Lynn also stated she is waiting to hear back on her depreciation study and she also wants to hear from the Village auditors to see if they are on board with that study. Reginald advised the Board he would keep them updated as soon as he had more information regarding this rate increase.

 

7. Second Quarter SQ RP for Review:

 

Lynn Paradis presented of the Board of Trustees with the second quarter SQRP report for review. She explained there was one escalation issue out of almost 11,000 customers. Chris Leach stated the percentage numbers were always very low and that Swanton Village employees always do a good job. Board of Trustees accepted this SQRP report.

 

8. Discuss the Sale of Used Vactor In Sewer Department:

 

Lynn Paradis advised the Board she has had interest expressed in purchasing of the old vactor. She asked the Board if she should put it up for sale and if so should she put on reserve/minimum bid on it. Neal Speer asked if they should get it appraised. Lynn advised they were given a value on the old vactor when they bought the new vactor. Chris Leach advised to go ahead and use that as the minimum bid. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the Village of Swanton selling the old vactor in the Sewer Department with a reserve/minimum bid in place. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

9. Tree Inventory Discussion:

 

Reginald Beliveau read a letter of thanks from the UVM students that were in Swanton Village doing a tree study in the Village. He said UVM will be hosting a community celebration on Thursday, July 31, 2014 from 6 to 8 PM and said anyone from the Board was welcome to attend. He said UVM will send a complete report on their findings in the very near future.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated he would like to thank Jay and Duane from the Electric Department for painting the old utility poles. He said they look brand new and he has heard nothing but great things. He said it’s the little things that make a big difference. Adam also stated he would like to thank everyone for coming out to the Car Show. He said they had 154 cars and had a very good turnout. He said he wanted to thank the Public Works crew for all their help and said the parks and streets looked great. He also wants to thank the Swanton Village Fire Department for their help on the car fire. He said he wanted to thank the Village for supporting on their annual car show each year. Neal Speer stated the park has never looked better.

 

Any Other Business: Reginald Beliveau stated that Friends of Northern Lake Champlain held their BBQ last week at Marble Mill Park. He said that’s a great place to hold an event because you can have restricted access. Reginald stated that on Thursday, August 14 Northwest Access TV and the Swanton Recreation Department will be hosting a Movie Under the Stars event. They will be showing the movie Shrek at 8 PM at Marble Mill Park in Swanton and that it is free for everyone to attend. He said bring your chairs, blankets and bug spray and come out and enjoy a fun evening at Marble Mill Park. Reginald also stated at the Vermont State Firefighters Association two local firefighters were recognized. John Greer was named Maintenance Technician of the Year and Ronald Young Jr was named Firefighter of the Year. He said Swanton did a great job.

 

Any Other Business: Village Clerk Dianne Day advised the Board that there was interest expressed in the Food Arts Riot being held in Burlington.  She advised them they could check their link out on Facebook.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked to reschedule Wayne Elliott at his convenience.

 

11. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate and Personnel:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into executive session at 8:05 PM to discuss Real Estate Personnel. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:30 PM. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Eugene LaBombard made the motion for Swanton Village to begin advertising to hire a Maintenance Technician. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to revisit the agreement regarding the Woodshill property and seek legal advice. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ADJOURN: Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees at 9:32 PM. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:32 PM. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

 

Trustee Minutes: July 14th, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, July 14, 2014

7:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; 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, June 23, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, June 23, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated he wasn’t in attendance at that meeting and asked who Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, had to file the Financial Questionnaire for. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he couldn’t remember but said he would find out and let him know. Chris also asked about the scaling on the bridge that was mentioned. Reg stated the bridge job did get moved up on the priority list, with a date of 2016 for planned work. Chris also asked if the walking bridge by the Hydro Plant was re-opened yet, Reg stated it was now repaired and open. Motion carried with one abstention.

2. Approve and Accept Warrants through Friday, July 11, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Warrants through July 11, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked about the payment made to Primmer & Piper for $2,555.35. Reg Beliveau stated that was for attorney fees for the rate case. Adam also asked about the payment made to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for $1227.60. Reg stated that was for traffic control on the bridge job. Chris Leach asked about payment made to Taser International, he asked if the police department now carried tasers. Reg stated they do carry tasers and this was for supplies. He also asked about the payment made to St. Albans City Police Department for $55,593.55. Reg stated that was for dispatching services and the Fire Department was charged for 24% of that bill and Missisquoi Valley Rescue was charged for 76% of it. Motion carried.

3. Waste Water Treatment Plant UV System Purchase Discussion and Approval:

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that the funds for this purchase were built into the rates in depreciation and that the money was in the savings account. He said they were initially quoted $470,000 to replace the UV disinfection system at the Waste Water Plant. He said Jim Irish and Joe Letourneau researched this more and found that these UV lights can be replaced and upgraded at a cost of $66,000. He said this is with the original installer of the UV lights at the plant and they are confident in this system.

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Swanton Village to purchase a UV disinfection light system at a cost of $66,000 for an upgrade at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

4. Section 108 Update Discussion:

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, explained to the Board that from this point forward Swanton Village would have to get voter approval for any purchases or capital expenditures in the electrical department to comply with the Public Service Board 108 Rules. He explained that when they had gone in for their last rate increase this was something the Board requested Swanton Village comply with in the future. He said they are going to be requesting $1.3 million dollars for the purpose of establishing a line of credit to support the operation of the electric department and $1.45 million dollars to purchase utility vehicles and do capital improvements to the Orman Croft Generating Facility in the very near future. The Board discussed the importance of explaining this to the Swanton Village residents who will be voting on this and decided to table this item so they could figure out a date to hold the vote, public hearings and also print inserts to be mailed with the utility bills. Item tabled.

5. Electric Rate Case Discussion:

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that the attorney’s were still working on this rate case and they haven’t gone to the Public Service Board yet with an amount. He said he would keep them informed as soon as he had more information regarding the rate case.

6. Any Other Necessary Business:

Chris Leach asked if the generator at the Hydro Plant was still down. Reg Beliveau advised it was because they were still waiting for parts to come in. The Board was concerned about the revenue being lost because of this and advised Reg do whatever it takes to get this back up and running.

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked about the sidewalk study being conducted for the pedestrian/bike path being proposed for First Street and South River Street. He said he hoped this would help find funds to pay for the project.

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he attended the Smart Meter seminar in Arizona last week and said it was very informative. He said he has more information to study and said he would report more back to the Board when he finished reading a book he purchased at the seminar. He did say that the price has come down on installing smart meters but he still feels this is a fit for Swanton Village at this time. He said Swanton Village has a great SCADA system that tracks power outages and peaks. He said he would keep the Board informed on any further information he has on smart metering.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated this is a very busy time of year and asked motorists to please show down in the Village and to watch for pedestrians in the crosswalks. Reg Beliveau stated the Police Department had a police officer out and a about looking at this problem.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated that on Tuesday, August 5^th the Swanton Village Police Department would be hosting their 5^th annual National Night Out. He also said the Chamber of Commerce would be hosting their Car Show on Saturday, July 26^th from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. He said the Fire Department would be having a BBQ afterwards this year at 4:30 and then the Nobby Reed Band will be playing in the Park at 6 p.m. He urged everyone to attend these events and have a good time.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated the Swanton Enhancement Committee would be hold a public meeting the third week in August and urged people to attend.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain would be holding their annual meeting and cookout on Thursday, July 17^th from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Marble Mill Park in Swanton. A few highlights of that event are local food will be served including a pig roast, live music from the Missisquoi River Band and guest speaker Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power will be in attendance. He urged everyone to attend this event.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau advised that two of Swanton Village’s firefighters will receive awards at the State Convention this coming weekend. They are John Greer, receiving Maintenance Tech of the Year award; and Ronald Young Jr, receiving Firefighter of the Year award. Reg also stated that Fire Chief Tim Girard is recommending promoting Jason Butler to the position of 1st Assistant Chief and promoting Jason Cross to the position of 2^nd Assistant Chief. He said he would like these positions to become effective August 1, 2014. The Board of Trustees and Village Manager accepted his recommendation.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau advised that Brian Bishop, Water Treatment Plant Operator, was featured in the TPO Magazine (Treatment Plant Operator). He was pictured doing testing on water. Reg also stated the UV system in place at the Waste Water Plant is doing a good job and said the lagoons need to be churned. He said they will be getting the lagoons de-sludged.

7. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate at 8:15 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:30 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: The Board of Trustees recommended Reg Beliveau review other municipalities procedures or ordinances regarding abandoned and/or vacant properties in their communities.

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:30 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m.

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                                     Date

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                              Date

Trustee Meeting Minutes - June 23rd, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, June 23, 2014

7:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; 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, June 9, 2014:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, June 9, 2014 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

2. Approve and Accept Warrants through Friday, June 20, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Warrants through June 20, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

3. Financial Management Questionnaire to be Reviewed and Signed by Board of Trustees:

Reg Beliveau advised the Board this was a Financial Internal Control completed by Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager. It describes the Village’s daily functions and what employee is doing the job such as Cash Receipts, Cash Disbursements, Inventory, Cash, Billing, Electric Disconnections, Water/Wastewater Disconnections, Payroll, Customer Work Orders, Property Taxes, Grants, Financial Statements, Fixed Assets, Electric Inventory Controls, Water Inventory Controls and Record Retention. Eugene LaBombard made the motion that the Board of Trustees reviewed and received the Financial Management Questionnaire. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. They signed document.

4. Public Hearing on Bike/Pedestrian Grant 2014:

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that this Public Hearing was being held to discuss the VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant Application. He said Bethany Remmers is working with the Village and Town of Swanton on this project to get approval to go ahead with a sidewalk feasibility study. The purpose of the project is to identify options for accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians traveling to and from Missisquoi Valley Union High School along VT Route 78 and the Swanton Recreation Path along South River Street to the existing sidewalk network. The cost of this sidewalk study is $30,000, $27,000 Preliminary Engineering cost and $3,000 Administration/Local Project Manager Cost. The $3,000 would be the Village/Town 10% match for this study, costing each $1,500 if approved by the Board. Reg stated Bethany is looking for Board approval tonight along with a letter of support.

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize the Village of Swanton to pay $1,500 toward a $3,000 match grant for a Sidewalk Feasibility Study to the Transportation Alternatives Program and to also submit a Letter of Support for such application grant. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

5. Swanton Village Fire Department Coin Drop Request for July 13, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Swanton Village Fire Department’s request to hold a Coin Drop on Saturday, July 13, 2014 (rain date July 20, 2014) from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman stated there have been numerous coin drops lately but said he hasn’t heard any complaints from the residents. Reg Beliveau stated that the Fire Department used to hold Bingo each week and raised money with that to purchase things needed for the Department. He said this is necessary to help out with equipment, etc. Motion carried.

6. Ben & Jerry’s Coin Drop Request for August 16, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Ben & Jerry’s request to hold a coin drop on Sunday, August 16, 2014 (rain date August 23, 2014) from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked who this benefitted. Village Clerk Dianne Day stated this was to raise money for Relay for Life. Motion carried.

7. Any Other Necessary Business:

Eugene LaBombard asked Reg for an update on the water line that was repaired on the bridge. Reg Beliveau stated that Mike Menard, Highway Foreman, completed the project and said he is happy with the job. He said the pieces that were taken off the bridge were in real bad shape. They put on a new wrap and support bolts and this should last a good 25 to 30 years. Adam Paxman said he met with Mike McCarthy from the Transportation Committee and he took pictures of the bridge scaling last week. He said hopefully this project will get moved up on the priority list because of the condition of the bridge. Reg stated he heard the bridge did get moved up on the priority list.

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated a resident asked him when the paving would be completed on Second Street and he told them later in the summer because of this bridge job. Reg stated that is correct. Eugene also thanked Reg for the new lighting in Flat Iron Park and in the Village Green. Reg stated they added electrical outlets in Marble Mill and at the Swanton Beach so more events could be held in both parks. Neal Speer stated there are a couple of lights out by Swanton Rexall, Reg stated he would let the light crew know about that.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated that at their last meeting it was requested by Friends of Northern Lake Champlain that they be able to serve alcohol at their BBQ being held on July 17^th at Marble Mill Park. He advised that the Chief of Police stated the Village Board of Trustees could amend the Village Ordinance per an event if they so choose. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to amend the Village of Swanton’s Ordinance to allow alcohol to be served at the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain BBQ on Thursday, July 17^th from 5 to 8 p.m. at Marble Mill Park. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Champlain Insurance will host a fire extinguisher training here along with Fire Pro Tech on September 5^th. He said he will have more information to come on this in the near future.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said in July UVM will be conducting a tree inventory on Village owned property. He said they will work with Village employees on maintaining trees, tree scaping, the health of existing trees, etc.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he is working with Friends of Northern Lake Champlain again about a retention pond located at Marble Mill. He said this was put on hold because a property owner was selling his property. He said that is now complete and they are now having issues with another property owner but are working on that. He said this retention pond is necessary in removing phosphorus from the river. He said he would keep the Board updated on this.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated Jim Irish and Joe Letourneau have been working on the UV system at the Waste Water Plant and have done some research. They found that this system can be purchased for $66,000 and not the $470,000 that was quoted to the Village last year. They will have the redundancy needed and this will fit in the existing footprint so will be considered an upgrade. The Board of Trustees were happy with this news and asked that it be added to the next agenda for further discussion and approval.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the historical walking bridge by the Hydro Plant will be closed to the public June 24^th through June 26^th for repairs. He said they will have to lower the dam because of this. Reg stated he needs an Executive Session to discuss real estate.

8. Executive Session (If Necessary):

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate at 8:06 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.

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:50 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m.

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

Trustee Meeting Minutes - June 9th, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, June 9, 2014

7:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; David Mullett, Brian Callnan, and Steve Farman, VPPSA 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 7:08 p.m.

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, May 12, 2014:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, May 12, 2014 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

2. Approve and Accept Warrants through Friday, June 6, 2014:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Warrants through June 6, 2014 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

3. VPPSA Purchase Power Discussion:

Reg Beliveau explained to the Board that David Mullett, Brian Callnan and Steve Farman were present tonight to explain to them what they do for Swanton Village, how the last rate case evolved and how that affects Swanton Village. David started the discussion by stating how VPPSA was a joint action agency that was formed in 1979 and went on to explain some of the responsibilities of VPPSA and what they do for Swanton Village. Adam Paxman stated that the Board was concerned over the purchase power budget and said that’s why they wanted VPPSA here to explain why they are so over budget on that number. Chris Leach asked if Swanton Village was the largest hydro in VPPSA and David said yes they are.

Steve Farman went on to explain the process of the rate increase beginning with budgets. Reg stated how stringent the Public Service Board was during their last rate increase on Swanton Village. He said that caught the Village off guard. Steve explained the rate case failures and discussed depreciation.

Brian Callnan discussed the purchase power budget and stated that VPPSA gave Swanton Village a $2.2 million dollar budget but ended up charging $2.8 million dollars. He further explained how the market affects the rates and also how the weather does. They discussed how things have affected the Hydro plant since 2008 and how the rates have worked since then also.

Chris Leach stated he wants to go ahead with a rate increase and to be in a position where Swanton Village can’t be bought out and also be able to make purchases without voter approval. David Mullett said those days of purchasing are probably over and said the Village would have to get voter approval on large purchases. The Board thanked David, Brian and Steve for coming in and explaining everything to them. They exited at 8:40 p.m.

4. Any Other Necessary Business:

Adam Paxman stated they had a very successful Memorial Day Parade and said he would like more support towards next year’s parade. He said Col. Joel Clark did an excellent job on his speech and said they had a very good crowd. Chris Leach asked when the Farmer’s Market would be set up on the Village Green. Adam said on June 21^st from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. He said they have approximately 10-12 vendors coming in and said Jack, Hannah and Sharon did an excellent job getting this set up.

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated the Border Patrol Building on Grand Avenue is going to be up for grabs here shortly. He said Bruce Cheeseman told him they would like to donate that building to the municipality. Reg stated this would be great because the Police Department could use the building we are in now for their space.

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked where we were getting the money for the pipe work being done on the bridge. Reg stated he believed Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, has some money in savings for this but said the rest will have to go into a loan. Chris also stated the park looks excellent with all the new trees. He also said when the Boy Scout memorial goes up the park they can take down the wooden one that’s in the Village Green.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Betsy Fournier from the Recreation Department contacted him and said they are having issues with people smoking by the fence at the ball field. She said they want a no smoking policy put in place. Reg stated he told her that the Village put up “Thank You For Not Smoking” signs in the park because they would have a hard time policing this policy. He said he would continue to work with Betsy on this issue until they get it resolved. He said he would let the Board know what happens. Reg also stated he was contacted by Friends of Northern Lake Champlain about a BBQ they are having a Marble Mill Park on July 17^th. He said they have requested permission to serve alcohol at one of their booths that evening. The Board stated that the Village Ordinance states no alcohol in the Village Parks and suggested Reg ask the Chief of Police his thoughts on this before they make a decision on their request. Reg stated he would ask the Chief his thoughts and get back to the Board.

5. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss Real Estate at 9:08 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:22 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: None.

ADJOURN: Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:22 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:22 p.m.

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

Trustee Meeting Minutes - May 12th, 2014

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, May 12, 2014

7:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; 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 7:10 p.m.

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, April 28, 2014:

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, April 28, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

2. Approve and Accept Warrants through Friday, May 9, 2014:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Warrants through May 9, 2014 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about the Holland Company payment for $3618.65. Reg Beliveau stated that was for purchasing chemicals. Chris also asked about the payment to Kansas State Bank for $3022.92. Reg stated that was the lease payment for the Police Department cruiser. Chris asked about the US Bank Operations payment on Warrant #46 for $193,422.10. Reg stated that was for a bond payment.  Motion carried.

3. 2014 VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Grant Discussion:

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that he had discussed this a couple of years ago with VTrans but they had changed the amount of money they would match so they had to declined. Reg said VTrans have brought it back up and Swanton Village is interested in looking at it once again. He said the funds wouldn’t be ready until 2015 and said this would entail making a bike and walking path from McDonald’s under the Interstate overpass up to MVUHS. He said they would try and connect to the MVU access road on the Frontage Rd. Chris Leach said he sees a lot of kids walking up Route 78 towards the school so said this is necessary for their safety. All Board members agreed that they wanted Reg to move forward with this and work with Bethany Rimmers on obtaining a grant from VTrans to install a bike/pedestrian trail. Reg said she is going to contact the Town of Swanton as well and said he would keep the Board informed.

4. Any Other Necessary Business:

Chris Leach asked if anything more has happened with the parking issue on Merchants Row. Reg Beliveau stated they are still working on getting larger signs and putting maps up. He said they are trying to be sensitive to everyone’s needs and said all these customers are good for business on Merchants Row. He said the new gym is handing out maps to their customers showing the municipal parking lots.

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked how the table top exercise went. Reg Beliveau stated there was a very good collaboration with the Swanton Police Department, Border Patrol, Hazmat, St. Albans Police Department and Fire Department, St. Albans Dispatch and Public Works Department. He said the meeting went very well. Chris asked when the Hungry Hearts forum would be held. Reg stated on May 13^th at 7 p.m. at the Village Complex. He stated that Swanton had the largest attended forum and this was a follow up on that. He said they would show the video again and have follow up discussions and the public is invited to attend. Chris also informed the Board that the Solid Waste District has an amendment to A148 and he’s trying to find out if it passed or not. He said it has to do with pushing out the dates on A148 because the infrastructure will not be able to handle it. He said he would find out and let the Board know.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated that he and Joel Clark are on the Memorial Day Committee this year. He said the Memorial Day parade will be held on Monday, May 26^th and people who are in the parade will meet at the Raleigh Memorial Ball Field at 2:30 p.m. and will proceed to the Park. Adam also stated the swans will be in the park by Friday, May 16^th. Adam also stated that there was recently a poll done by a real estate company stating that Swanton Village was the 8^th best place to live in Vermont. Adam asked Reg how the power production was going at the Hydro Plant. Reg stated it was going very good and said that Unit #1 was still down. He said they are going to wait until the water stops spilling before they fix it because there would be too much pressure behind it.

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard informed the Board that Mike Menard brought to his attention the water pipe that runs across the Merchants Row bridge and what bad shape it is in. The brackets that hold it have broke and the pipe is sagging and the insulation looks very bad. Eugene stated he feels they need to do something about this very soon. Reg passed around photos of the pipe showing the brackets, missing insulation and poor condition of the pipe. Reg stated that ECI will be coming up this week to do an inspection and give Mike Menard a quote on repairing the pipe. Eugene stated there should be two pipes across that bridge not one. He said if something happens to this one they will be in a bad situation. The Board members agreed that this pipe needed to be repaired as soon as possible and advised Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, to move forward with this repair.

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated he was trying to find some old archaeological records there were done previously on the dam job, specifically the boring’s that were done for the dam in the 1980’s. He asked Reg if anyone has found them yet. Reg stated not yet but advised we would call George Lague, the previous Village Manager, and ask him if he is aware of where they may be stored.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he needed an Executive Session to discuss personnel and to discuss real estate.

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated that he has contacted someone regarding the lighting on Merchants Row and he is waiting for them to come up and take a look in front of Swanton Rexall and in front of the New Beginnings fitness center. He said the fitness center is doing great even though there is a parking issue. He said the Masonic Lodge is working on changing the sewer line in back of the building right now because it keeps plugging up. He said the line is buried 13’ deep and it is quite a lot of work but will be nice when complete. Neal also stated he went to the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last week and he said there are numerous plans going on at the Franklin County Airport. He said the old hangars on the left as you are going in are coming out because they are going to add 1000’ on to the  existing landing strip. He said three new hangars will go up and they are going to remodel the terminal. He said they briefly discussed the bridge and paving projects for 2016 in Swanton Village.

5. Executive Session (If Necessary):

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss Personnel and Real Estate at 8:00 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:32 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: The Board of Trustees approved Swanton Village conducting background checks on employees who are associated with the Hydro Plant if necessary, to comply with NERC (National Energy Regulatory Commission).

ADJOURN: Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:33 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:33 p.m.

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date