July 11, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, July 11, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Amanda Holland, Northwest Regional Planning Commission 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. He also asked for a Moment of Silence for all the shooting victims all over the United States.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau advised that he would discuss the Electric Rate Case under Any Other Business. He said he would need an Executive Session to discuss Real Estate and Legal Matters.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, June 27, 2016:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, June 27, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, July 8, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#77-#79) through Friday, July 8, 2016 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

5.      Amanda Holland, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, Water Quality Presentation:

 

Amanda Holland, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, explained to the Board that she was there tonight to explain Act 64 the Vermont Clean Water Act 2015 and Lake Champlain TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) which is phosphorus that's allowed into Lake Champlain. She said one of the things that has come about with the Clean Water Act since 2015 is the emphasis that "We're All In". She said this will affect agriculture, State and Municipal roads, developed land, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Municipal Separate storm and sewer systems (MS4) permits and Natural Resources for forests and streams requirements. She said this will get actions on all fronts to help with the quality of water in Lake Champlain. She said this is called the Clean Water Fund. She said there is funding that can help fund some of these improvements. Reg Beliveau stated that the Village received a $74,000 grant to install swirl basins in at Merchants Row. He said there is more grant money available but they are still in negotiations with a landowner where they want to install a filtration system. He also said that he and Jim Irish have looked at prototypes for filtration systems to reduce phosphorus and they are very interested in one of them. He said they will remain proactive with this.  Amanda said she wanted to talk about Stormwater Management: Municipal Roads Purpose of the Municipal Roads General Permit. She said

 Municipalities would need to bring priority or "connected" road drainage systems up to basic maintenance standards by the end of the year. She said this is based on proximity to streams.  She said they would have to implement additional corrective measures necessary to reduce erosion to meet Lake Champlain Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of phosphorus. The following information was part of her slideshow presentation given to the Board of Trustees:

Road Permit Framework

•       Draft permit in 2016

•       Final permit by end of 2017

•       Phase in permit coverage across state

–      all municipalities regulated under the permit by 2021

 

Municipalities would need to develop a Road Stormwater Management Plan which would entail inventory, prioritize and implement. She said an example of this would be:

Town has 50 total local road miles

•       25 miles are 'priority' road segments

•       25 miles not considered 'priority', no BMP work is needed

•       15 miles currently meet the MRGP standards

•       10 remaining miles to be brought up to MGRP standards over 20 years, .5 miles per year

àEquates to 0.5 miles of road per year would need to be brought up to standards for 20 years

Amanda said key factors in identifying and prioritizing projects would be:

•       The area of concern is near a stream or other surface water

•       Sediment from the road is reaching surface water

•       Degree of impact (function of topography, road condition, and length of ditch runs)

 

Amanda stated that Support for Roads – Educational, Technical and Financial Assistance, would come from:

VTrans: Local Roads Program, Better Roads Grants, VTrans District staff

 

DEC: Ecosystem Restoration Program Grants

 

OTHER:

•       Regional Planning Commissions,

•       Watershed groups, and

•       Natural Resource Conservation Districts

More of Amanda's slideshow presentation included:

Stormwater Management: VTrans – New TS4 Permit (Transportation Separate Storm Sewer System)

•       Entire state transportation network and facilities

•       Requires prioritized impervious surface retrofits

•       New permit requirements for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)

•       Only designated Cities and Towns

Amended MS4 permit requirements will include:

•       Long-range Phosphorus Control Plans (PCPs)

•       Municipal Road permit requirements

•       Entire municipality will be designated (including areas outside of the UA & SW impaired watersheds)

Existing Development >3 Acres. She said the goal here is to treat stormwater runoff from existing impervious surfaces.

•       Current target: Parcels with ≥ 3 acres of impervious surface

•       Require stormwater retrofits of existing impervious surface

•       New Stormwater Standards developed as part of permit development process

•       ANR to adopt a general permit by January 2018;  Parcels in Champlain Basin must have permit by 2023

 

She showed examples of what Impervious Surface on >3 Acres would be:

BFA High School – St. Albans

•       Parcel = 7.08 acres

•       Impervious = 5.67 acres

•       Grass/Trees = 1.41 acres

 

St. Albans Town Educational Center

•       Parcel = 11.02 acres

•       Impervious = 5.89 acres

•       Grass/Trees = 5.13 acres

 

Swanton Elementary/Middle School

•       Parcel = 16.08 acres

•       Impervious = 5.69 acres

•       Grass/Trees = 10.39 acres

 

Swanton Village Office Area

•       Parcel = 4.51 acres

•       Impervious = 3.53 acres

•       Grass/Trees = 0.98 acres

 

Tactical Basin Planning – Clean Water Implementation

•       15 Planning Basins & 5 Staff

•       Basin Plan stages :

•       Monitoring + Assessment

•       Planning

•       Implementation

•       Plans revisited every 5 years

•       Plan Implementation table updated continuously

 

Amanda then showed what the requirements for Agriculture would be:

Agricultural Water Quality

•       Accepted Agricultural Practices (AAPs), to be referred to as "required agricultural practices (RAPs)

•       Past spring 2^nd draft comment period

•       Proposed rule released May 13, 2016

•       RAPS are working to define "Small farms" which would need to be certified for RAP compliance annually after 2017

Revisions to the RAPs:

•       Reduces the "tolerable soil loss" from field erosion

•       Increases restrictions on manure stacking near water

•       Increases nutrient management planning on ALL farms, including small farms

•       Increases vegetative buffer standard for:

•       Surface waters − 25 feet**

•       Ditches −10 feet**                              (**Noted Minimums)

•       Require standards for:

•       Livestock exclusion from waterways

•       Soil conservation such as cover cropping in critical areas

•       Tile drainage by January, 2018

•       Eliminates requirement that AAFM pay for water quality BMPs on farms

•       Enhances the AAFM's authority to bring enforcement actions against persons that violate RAPs and other WQ protections, including

•       Emergency orders

•       Ability to remove land from the Use Value Appraisal program;

•       Requires farmers to receive training on agricultural water quality practices

•       Requires training and certification of commercial manure applicators

 

Wastewater Treatment Facilities

•       Reductions from currently permitted phosphorus loads at 25 of 59 facilities in the Lake Champlain Basin

•       Discharge permits issued according to five-year tactical basin planning schedule (2016-2020).

 

Amanda then talked about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and how much money is available. Currently there is $83.4 million dollars available.

STEPS:

Planning/Feasibility à Design à Construction

LOAN OPTIONS:

S  CWSRF Planning- 5, 10, 15 years/0%

S  CWSRF- up to 30 years/2%

S  Subsidy

S  Delayed Repayment

S  Technical Assistance and Project Oversight

Amanda informed the Board that the role of Northwest Regional Planning Commission is to offer Municipal Technical Assistance, Clean Water Advisory Committee by designating a volunteer member, to offer education and outreach and help with tactical basin plans. The Board thanked her for her slideshow presentation and all of her information.

 

6.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that they are working on another rate case and it looks like there may be a 4.5% increase in the electric rates. He said purchase power costs are up significantly and the wholesale market price is down. He also said workman's compensation rates went up across the board as well as benefits and insurance costs and this is what is driving this rate increase. He said they may file this in a couple of weeks. Chris Leach stated Swanton Village has been known for having the lowest rates in the State of Vermont but this doesn't seem to be the case anymore.  The Board advised Reg to move forward with this rate increase.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he has been doing research on the rubber bag issue at the Hydro Plant. He said to replace the bag it would cost approximately $620,000 and to repair it would cost approximately $778,000. He said the cost of the rubber bag itself is around $1 million dollars and it would be cheaper to replace the bag instead of repairing it. He said he still needs to talk to an engineer about concrete vs. rubber and would also need to get permits in place beforehand. He said the initial rubber bag has a lifespan of approximately 30 years and it has already been 25 years since it was installed. He said they have been monitoring it very closely and will continue to do so.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said he stated at the last meeting that the basketball nets were fixed. He said they were not, they had just received some parts to fix them. He said they are now fixed and ready to be used.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman asked the public to have patience while exiting I89 because of the backed up traffic. He said if people continue to get stuck there they should call the State of Vermont. Adam also stated the Chamber of Commerce will be holding their Annual Car Show on Saturday, July 31^st in the Village Green. He said they are expecting a great show and urged everyone to come out and support their community.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if there will be a National Night Out this year. Reg stated there is and it's going to be held on August 2^nd in the Village Green. Chris said the park looks great, the flowers are real nice and the flags and flag poles look great also.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked if the training manual for the power plant operators was in place. Reg said the manual is done now they just need to implement it.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated an ATV woke him up Saturday evening because it was very loud and driving up Spring Street with no lights on. Reg said he would talk to the Police Department about that.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated there was an article in Fridays St. Albans Messenger about the lower Swanton Dam. He said it's aggravating that the State doesn't contact the Village and ask what they can do to help with the situation rather than contact the media with their concerns. He said the Village is working with a developer whose company shows river improvements. He said they will continue to work on this issue until it's resolved. He said it's not only the State working against the Village it's also the Walleye Association. Reg said it's disturbing they use the media instead of calling the Village and offering to help. Adam Paxman said he was not surprised by this.

 

 

7.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

8.      Executive Session (If Necessary)::

 

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 8:27 p.m. to discuss Real Estate and Legal Matters. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:58 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

 

9.      Adjournment:

 

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:58 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:58 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

June 27, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 27, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; 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 7:00 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised he needed an Executive Session to discuss Real Estate. Dianne Day, Village Clerk, advised she had a water allocation request to bring up under Any Other Necessary Business.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, June 13, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, June 13, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard stated he wanted the word “defensive” changed to “aggressive” under Any Other Business. Chris Leach asked if the basketball hoops were fixed, Reg advised they were now fixed. Motion carried with correction.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 24, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#70-#76) through Friday, June 24, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked about the Ironbrook payment. Reg Beliveau advised that was for the ultra violet system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Chris Leach mentioned the VPPSA payment and Reg stated so far the Village is under budget for purchase power. Motion carried.

 

5.      Village Police Department Update:

 

Chief of Police Joey Stell informed the Board that Sgt. Eugene Rich is on light duty due to an injury he sustained to his shoulder after the Memorial Day Parade. He said he injured his rotator cuff and just had an MRI to determine if he needs surgery or not. He said Sgt. Rich and Don Gilbert have switched places so this minimizes the need for overtime. He said this also gives them more commercial truck stops because Officer Gilbert is DOT (Department of Transportation) certified. He said Officer Gilbert is still doing some administrative duties because Sgt. Rich isn’t familiar with everything. Chief Stell said his department received a $10,000 Governor Highway Safety grant for a digital speed sign. He said this is a zero matching grant so no local funds need to be spent on this. He said this sign will be movable between the Town and Village and it counts traffic and records speeds. He said the speed spy they’ve been using needs some major repairs and it’s not feasible to have that done. He said there are a couple of areas that have been complaining about speeding but he said the streets are very short so he doesn’t believe cars are able to go that fast. He said loud exhaust and shorter streets can be perceived as speeding.

 

He said the Village has seen a huge increase in kids from other towns hanging out. He said they are trying to identify them and address the issue. He said the summer months cause their call volume to go up as well as the warmer weather. He said the department has a new badge thanks to the Swanton Arts Council. He said they ran a contest for a new badge design and Anita Parah had the winning badge design. He said Sgt. Rich worked with the Arts Council on this contest and the new badge artwork is phenomenal. He said it displays the Swanton dam and gives ownership to the Police Department. Chris Leach asked if there were any big issues with the local drug problem. Chief Stell advised there are no changes and that his department works closely with the State and with other police departments on combating the drug problem. He said there is a lot of heroin on the forefront because of its cheap price. He said some of this heroin can be laced with fentanyl making it very strong and potent. He said this has caused several overdoses. He said drug manufacturers have taken abused narcotics and made changes where they can’t be crushed and snorted. He said those users are now on heroin. Adam Paxman asked if the police department had to use Narcan very often. Chief Stell said this reverses the affect of the narcotic and has saved a few residents in this town. He said Missisquoi Valley Rescue uses it maybe 1 to 2 times per month. The Board thanked Chief Stell for coming in and giving them an update.

 

 

6.      Update on Water Transmission Line Work on Canada Street:

 

Reg Beliveau said the Water Transmission Line on Canada Street is going good. He said tonight they have the water shut off so they can put connections on. He said by the end of the week they should be into the square by Merchants Row and by the end of July the job should be complete. He said the State has been onsite making sure there is no ground water contamination and that has been going good. Reg also said Mike Menard and his crew are improving the storm drains on Canada Street that he has had some problems with.

 

7.      Update on Paving Project (Change to Parking in the Square):

 

Adam Paxman asked if the Village was still on schedule for the paving project in the square by Merchants Row. Reg said he hasn’t heard anything and believes everything is on schedule. Adam asked if the State was making changes to the parking plan there. Reg said he would take a look at the design one more time and bring it back before the Board. He said that plan is just striping and won’t be affected by the paving. He said LocoMotion is supposed to come back and do some work and he will check with them and also with VTrans. Chris Leach said there should be a way to point people to alternative parking. Adam Paxman suggested getting parking signs like the ones that are in downtown Burlington area. He said those really stand out. Reg said Mike Menard would be using some leftover paving material in the parking lot behind the Chamber office.

 

8.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Water Commissioner’s Meeting at 7:29 p.m. to hear a water allocation request. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. Dianne Day advised the Board that Mark Hungerford was requesting a water allocation of 400 GPD (gallons per day) for a new three bedroom home at 324 Maquam Shore Road. Mark is aware of the fees associated with this new connection. Chris Leach made the motion to approve Mark Hungerford’s request for a 400 GPD water allocation for a three bedroom home at 324 Maquam Shore Rd. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:31 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business:  Chris Leach asked if there was any information on the oil leak in the river. Reg Beliveau stated they have no point of origin on the leak but do know that it was heating oil not diesel. He said they have no clue as to where it came from and said the State of Vermont is investigating it. Reg said this didn’t come from any of Swanton Village’s storm drains.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked how the storm garden was coming at Marble Mill. Reg Beliveau stated the materials have been ordered and should be in by the end of July. He said it will take a huge crane to install the 66,000 pound swirl basin and two dog box manholes. Reg said this is all being done with grant money except for Swanton Village’s labor. He said they will come in under budget on this and may look at other areas. He said they are still working on Webster Terrace.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked how the fundraising was going for the skate park at Marble Mill. Reg said a Zumbathon was held to raise money and he said the families are still working on it. Reg stated that Betsy Fournier from Parks and Recreation and Fit N Healthy was quite involved and he appreciated her efforts. Reg asked that people not stereotype the kids that go and hang out and play at Marble Mill, he said there are a lot of good kids there but if people are causing problems to please let the police department know.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard said the Town didn’t get awarded the economic development position grant. Reg Beliveau said they still have a part time position allocated for so the Town might still go ahead with a part time position to serve the Village and the Town.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated the new patch for the Police Department looks really nice and he said there was a great article in the St. Albans Messenger about it.

 

 

 

 

9.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

10.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 7:43 p.m. to discuss Real Estate. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:49 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

 

11.  Adjournment:

 

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:49 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:49 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

June 13, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 13, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Mark Rocheleau, Chamber of Commerce 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:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised he needed to add Customer Account discussion to the Executive Session. Dianne Day, Village Clerk, advised she had a coin drop request she would bring up under Any Other Necessary Business.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, May 23, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, May 23, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked if there was any more information on the Property Ordinance discussion. Adam Paxman advised that topic was tabled until further notice. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 10, 2016:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#60-#69) through Friday, June 10, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

5.      Chamber of Commerce to Discuss Swans and Map at the Chamber:

 

Mark Rocheleau advised the Board that Rise VT has asked the Chamber to post a sign on the Chamber’s property showing the bike/walking paths in the Village and Town. He said he is asking the Board’s permission on this since the Village owns the property. He said it’s a 4’x3’ sign. Adam Paxman asked if they could hang the sign under the state road sign. Eugene LaBombard stated he didn’t think that was allowed. Chris Leach stated the sign should be posted at the Village Office, the Town Office and the Chamber of Commerce’s office. He said they should check with the Zoning office to make sure a permit wasn’t needed. Reg Beliveau advised he would look into this further. Mark Rocheleau also stated the Chamber has done some renovations to their office and he would like to invite the Board to stop over on Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m. to see what they have done. He said they have some historical items on display and their goal is to attract tourists to the area.

 

Adam Paxman advised the Board that the swans they had last year in the Park have died. He said the State of Vermont will no longer give permits to people to raise swans because they are invasive to the State. Adam said there is no problem in getting some from surrounding areas but because of this issue they can’t put a pair in the Village Green. He said the Chamber is taking the lead and contacting the local officials and representatives and is asking residents to do the same. He said he doubt’s they will have a pair for this summer but are hoping they can for next year. Chris Leach stated they should put up a sign in the swan pond stating this. Adam said he is hoping that letters of support on this issue will help. He said they are a tourist attraction and people look forward to having them in the park. Adam also said Swanton Lumber donated some shingles and he has volunteers that are going to replace the roof on the swan house.

 

 

 

6.      Village of Swanton Employee Handbook Earned Time Change:

 

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, added a change to the Village of Swanton handbook regarding part time employees receiving earned time. She also updated the disability insurance information. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the earned time change to the Village of Swanton Employee Handbook. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

7.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Neal Speer stated the Police Department is having a ceremony at the Swanton Library to display the patch design contest held by the Swanton Arts Council. He said Anita Parah won the patch design and he advised everyone to look for the date and time and attend this ceremony.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated a concerned resident contacted him regarding the height of the basketball nets at Marble Mill. Reg stated he will look into this, that he hasn’t pursued it because he had higher priorities. He said he would go down and check it out this week.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated he wanted to remind people to drive more carefully. He said he has seen so much aggressive driving lately and this needs to stop. He said a lot of New York vehicles are speeding throughout the Village and he wants a higher police presence out there. Reg Beliveau stated he would talk with the Chief of Police tomorrow about this.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he wanted to recognize Reg Beliveau’s efforts regarding the Dollar General Store. He said the store looks great and he appreciates his efforts in getting them to dress the store front up. Reg stated it was a joint effort by the Town Selectboard and the Village Trustees. Chris stated the Village should send them a letter thanking them for their efforts. Chris also said the residents on Gallup Court really appreciate the new LED street lights. He also asked about the Sidewalk Study meeting with Peter Cross held last week. Neal Speer stated they had a really good turnout. Eugene stated he walks a lot throughout the Village but hesitates to go on South River Street because it’s dangerous walking there.

 

Any Other Business: Village Clerk Dianne Day stated the Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile is requesting permission to hold a coin drop on Saturday, July 9, 2016. Chris Leach made the motion to approve the Bookmobile’s request to hold a coin drop on Saturday, July 9, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried with 2 yays, and one nay.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the water line project began today on Canada Street. He said he wasn’t sure when the State would be doing their repaving project but said the water line job would be done beforehand. He said the Village did new curbing on Church Street and the Electric Department also installed new LED street lights throughout the Village. Reg also stated the Village will again be receiving Hydro Incentive Program funds. He said last year the Village received approximately $54,000 and this year they are getting $21,886. He said they have already applied for next year’s program and hope to receive funds next year too. Reg said the Village hopes to finish the storm water project at Marble Mill by the end of July. He said he would like to revisit the Webster Terrace area one more time and hopefully be able to utilize the land there. He said there is one homeowner that doesn’t want this done on their property. Reg also said they are doing the final changes on the car charging station and that should be up and running soon.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said he wanted to thank everyone for attending the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. He said it was a very good turnout and Joel Clark did an excellent job on the monument. He said if anyone is interested in joining the Memorial Day committee to look him up.

 

8.      Public Comment:

 

None.

 

 

9.      Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 7:40 p.m. to discuss Real Estate and Customer Accounts. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:22 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

 

 

 

10.  Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:23 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:23 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

May 23, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, May 23, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, 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 7:06 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, May 9, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, May 9, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, May 20, 2016:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#55-#59) through Friday, May 20, 2016 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated VPPSA is getting paid quite a bit, Reg Beliveau stated production is good right now at the Hydro Plant. Motion carried.

 

5.      Sign Loan Documents for Bucket Truck in Electric Department:

 

Dianne Day advised the Board that the loan documents were prepared and ready to be signed for the new bucket truck in the Electric Department. She said the voters of Swanton Village approved this purchase last year, which cost $209,000. He said this loan is through People’s United Bank with an interest rate of 2.60%. Adam Paxman made the motion for all Board members to sign the Electric Department Bucket Truck loan documents, borrowing $209,000 with an interest rate of 2.60% through People’s United Bank. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried. Board members signed the necessary documents.

 

6.      Property Ordinance Discussion:

 

Adam Paxman asked if this item could be tabled until he is able to further investigate this topic. Reg Beliveau stated he talked with the Health Officer and the Zoning Administrator and they have no control over some of the topics mentioned. They said the Village would need an Ordinance in place to enforce those things. Item tabled.

 

7.      SQRP Report for 1^st Quarter 2016 Ready for Review:

 

Chris Leach stated the Board of Trustees have reviewed the first quarter SQRP and are happy with everyone’s performance.

 

8.      Missisquoi Valley Rescue Requests Coin Drop on Saturday, October 1, 2016 with October 8^th as Rain Date:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve Missisquoi Valley Rescue’s request for a coin drop on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with a rain date of Saturday, October 8, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

 

9.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman mentioned the Memorial Day Parade being held on Monday, May 30^th at 2:30 p.m. He said there will also be a ceremony in Flat Iron Park honoring those who died during WWI and on. He asked everyone to fly their flags to honor our veterans – past, present and future.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman gave a reminder that the speed limit on Spring Street is 30 miles per hour. He said there are a lot of bikers, pedestrians etc on the road and they need to be more careful.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated the swans are not in yet this year and the Chamber of Commerce is working on getting a pair of swans with the Agency of Natural Resources. He said they hope to have some soon and to please be patient.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said the Board will need to meet with Engineer Peter Cross at the Town Selectboard Meeting on June 7, 2016. He said they need to discuss the sidewalk study that’s been done.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Village needs to get the Personnel Handbook to their attorney for review and said they needed to add a workman’s compensation change. The Board agreed to have an attorney review the handbook.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Canada Street water line project will begin the first week of June and will take approximately 6 weeks to complete. He said it will be done prior to the State paving Canada Street at the end of July or beginning of August.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said he wanted to thank Joel Clark for all his hard work on the Monument in Flat Iron Park, as well as the Village crew for the work they did on the sidewalk there. He said it looks great. Reg stated they all worked very well together. Chris also mentioned the flowers in the park and on the bridge and said how nice they look. Reg stated they are looking for volunteers to help keep them watered so if anyone was interested they could contact Sandy Kilburn. Chris also said the Art Walls look great.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said the Recreation Department was holding a Swanton Community Festival on Sunday, May 29^th from 12 to 6 p.m. in the lower parking lot off of Jewett Street. He said the stations are free but donations are appreciated. They will have bouncy houses, sumo wrestling, dunking booth, concession stands, photo booth and live music. He said this is being hosted by Jaz Entertainment.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he traveled to Venice, Quebec and talked about businesses and activities across the border He said they toured museums, talked about the river boat tour issues regarding the border crossing. He said they also toured the wildlife refuge. He said it was a very nice visit.

 

10.  Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11.  Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 7:33 p.m. to discuss Real Estate and Personnel. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:35 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12.  Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:35 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

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Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date