January 29, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING

Monday, January 29, 2018

5:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator 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 5:04 p.m.

 

2.   Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, January 22, 2018:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, January 22, 2018 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated the BAU/Hopkins payment was for the centrifuse at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Motion carried.  

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through January 26, 2018:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through January 26, 2018 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

5.     Adopt Resolution Certificate (IA) for the MVUHS Water Line:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adopt Resolution Certificate IA for the purpose of financing the cost of making public water system improvements, namely the replacement of the Missisquoi Valley Union High School waterline, the cost of such improvements estimated to be $435,000. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

           

6.     Adopt Resolution Certificate (IB) for Overages on Previously Constructed Water Lines:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adopt Resolution Certificate IB to spend and/or apply $200,000 in surplus funds from the original Water Treatment Plant bond vote to other projects and costs, which is the loan forgiveness amount that was granted by the State of Vermont for the Water Plant upgrade. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

7.   Adopt and Sign 2018 Annual Warning:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adopt and sign the 2018 Annual Warning as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.    Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, to Discuss CIRD Grant Application:

 

Elizabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, informed the Board that Swanton had applied to be one of the VT Councils on Rural Development Model Community Development for 2018. She said they were one of the two that were selected and this is centered around energy, transportation and weatherization. Reg Beliveau stated he thinks this could be advantageous for Swanton in getting their Tier 3 rating. He said they’ve already met their Tier 1 and most of their Tier 2 ratings. Elisabeth said they will be starting in September 2018 and if anyone is interested in joining to let her know. She said this will help some low income people so they are looking at opportunities for them such as weatherizing their homes, etc. Reg stated they are looking at ways to incentivize landlords on maintaining and weatherizing their rental units also. He said this will help improve the aesthetics of the property as well as help the tenant with weatherization so electric and heating bills aren’t so high. Adam Paxman asked if Efficiency Vermont was involved in this. Elisabeth stated yes they were at the table too. Eugene LaBombard stated with the amount of money the Village sends them on a monthly basis they should be involved. Chris Leach stated they should be looking at ways to decrease the amount of money Swanton Village customers pay to Efficiency VT. He said the State of Vermont Efficiency VT program calculates how much this charge is going to be with no input from utility companies. Reg stated other utilities feel the same way and are frustrated with them also.  Elisabeth stated that having Reg Beliveau and Duane Couture at the table discussing what Swanton electric does made a huge difference and she appreciates their efforts. Chris stated he would like someone to explain to him how these solar or wind projects are designed to put more electricity out than the owner requires which in turn lessens the utilities ability to make money. Elisabeth stated they were drawn to the Village because they’re a municipally owned utility and because they already had their community visit. She said this will be community driven and what the community wants as goals. She said the Planning Commission is working on a Energy Plan as well. Reg asked if any of the Trustees had seen this Energy Plan. They have not. Elisabeth asked how they bring solar on if it ends up causing the utility to lose revenue. Reg mentioned the NIPA Block in which money was set aside for low income families. He said he would like to have a solar farm that would be declared their NIPA Block. He said on average the Village mails 800 disconnect notices each month and certain people are economically challenged. He said this solar farm could generate electricity and sell it for 15 cents on the open market and put it in a bucket. He said out of that bucket, for customers who make less than $30,000 per year, he would offer them this power for 8 cents. Reg said VPPSA was intrigued with that concept and he would love for someone to jump on this bandwagon and make it happen. Eugene LaBombard asked if solar customers were paying any distribution charges. Reg stated they are not, but they are paying a customer charge but said it’s not enough. Eugene stated this is how companies go bankrupt. He said they should be made to pay for the distribution as well.

 

Elisabeth said the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design has an application that’s due on February 16^th. She said they would work with them through the National Endowment for the Arts and said selected rural communities will receive a $10,000 cash stipend for planning and hosting a two-day community design workshop and follow up activities. One workshop that caught her eye was “redesigning Main Street as a local street versus state highway.” She said she has Merchants Row in mind for this. She said her goal is to get the Main Street grant that they applied for last year which is $50,000 and to also use this one in conjunction with it. She said this $10,000 grant has an in-kind match and they can apply her salary towards this match as well as rental space etc. She said her deadline to apply is February 16^th and she is asking the Board if they would like her to move forward with this. Reg asked how long they had to spend the grant. She thought it was one year from the award. Adam Paxman asked if they had the time to invest in this. Neal asked if the Town was involved with this at all. Elisabeth stated that because it was Merchant’s Row they were not but she would like a letter of support from them regarding this. The Board stated that if she had time then to go ahead and fill out this application.

 

9.    Any Other Necessary Business:

 

None.

 

10.   Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11.   Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

12. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Special Board of the Trustees meeting at 5:58 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 5:58 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

January 22, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, January 22, 2018

7:00 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; David Jescavage, Town Administrator; Joel Clark, Chair Selectman; James Guilmette, Selectman; Ron Kilburn, Historical Society; Catherine Dimitruk, Northwest Regional Planning; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Pete Prouty, Jason Cross, Jason Butler, Nick Schuster, and Alex Bourdeau, Firefighters; Butch Patch 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 7:05 p.m.

 

2.   Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, January 8, 2018:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, January 8, 2018 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked if we knew what the payment made to Cross Machines was for. Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated that was for the trash rake at the Hydro Plant. He also asked about BAU/Hopkins. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he hadn’t had a chance to look that one up but would do so. Motion carried.           

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through January 19, 2018:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through January 19, 2018 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked what the payment of $35,031.27 to Cogsdale was for. Lynn Paradis stated that was for the Village’s annual maintenance agreement, software support and upgrades for the billing system. Motion carried.

 

5.     Sign Hydro Bond Sale Documents:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated these loan documents were for financing the installation of the rubber bag at the Orman Croft Generating Facility at a cost of $2,200,000. This was voted on and approved at a Special Meeting held September 19, 2017. The Village of Swanton board members and Village Clerk signed all necessary loan documents.

           

6.     Town Selectboard to Discuss Issues of Mutual Interest:

 

Joel Clark, Town Chair of the Selectboard, stated that he wanted to begin by saying how impressive the cooperation between the Town and the Village was during the recent flooding disaster. He said they are very fortunate to have Reg Beliveau and Joey Stell as he witnessed them handle the flooding event. Neal Speer stated it was amazing how much help they got from the State of Vermont and how quickly they responded to Swanton. Reg Beliveau stated he is still having weekly meetings with the National Weather Service and said during that event the river rose more than 10 feet. He said he is hearing talk that if the rubber bag was installed at the Hydro Plant this wouldn’t have happened. He said that’s not true, it would have because the plant can only handle so much water. He said maybe with global warming this may be the new norm. Reg stated that the night of the flooding Assistant Chief Jason Cross worked out in the field and Chief Tim Girard worked here. He said this worked very well. He was also impressed that he didn’t have to hunt for assets, agencies were calling here and offering their services. He said during the 1998 Ice Storm it was very difficult getting help but with this event help came fast. He said Joe Flynn and Governor Scott arrived on Saturday and he was very thankful for that. Ron Kilburn stated as a private citizen he was very proud to see the response he saw and said it made him feel good and safe. Reg Beliveau stated that so far 96 homes have been inspected. He said 14 homes are unaccessible, 2 have major damage, 24 have minor damage and 10 have electrical issues. He said the state has provided water test kits free of charge for residents who need their water tested after the flooding. Catherine Dimitruk from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, stated that there are individual case managers assigned to folks that were affected by the flooding. She said unfortunately there isn’t anything that can be done about expenses that have already been paid but for any future expenses there is help out there for this through the Red Cross, local churches and the AmeriCorps. She said some residents will need to have zoning/building permits for repairs and she is hoping the Town of Swanton would waive any fees associated with this. She also said they would need to go before the Development Review Board and she hopes the Town can waive that too. She said two homes have major damage and they may not be able to rebuild in that location. David Jescavage, Town Administrator, stated that himself and the Zoning Administrator are already working on this and are planning on waiving all fees associated with this. Joel Clark stated they would have an emergency meeting tonight to act on waiving all fees associated with this disaster. David also commented that he was at the Village on Friday when the Red Cross was there and said he heard numerous times how much praise residents have for the Fire Department. Tim Girard, Fire Chief, stated this was a great team effort.

 

Joel Clark stated the other topic they wanted to discuss was the purchase of the two fire trucks. He said the presentation that the Fire Department gave them was very informative and great. He said they now have a better understanding of the numbers and he wants to go on record as supporting this purchase. Reg Beliveau stated he talked with Lynn Paradis and they feel it will be in everyone’s best interest if next year when discussing the Fire Department’s budget they do it as a joint board meeting. That way the Fire Department only needs to give their presentation one time. Both boards agreed to this. More discussion took place on the replacement truck fund. Eugene LaBombard was upset that there will no longer be a fund there for the future generation.

 

Joel Clark said they also wanted to discuss doing a fireworks display this coming summer. He said the Town will seek donations for this purchase but said they need to figure out when to have them. They mentioned the car show, the art spectacular event, National Night Out, and the 4^th of July. He said let’s start thinking about when and where and hopefully they can get another event planned. Joel said on April 12, 2018 at 11 a.m. the VT National Guard is planning an event to be held in Flat Iron Park to honor Cpl. Lord. He was the first Vermonter to die in World War I. He said there will also be an event at the Armory on Ferris Street.

 

Ron Kilburn stated that back in October 2017 he talked about repairing the bandstand and fountain in the Village Green. He said a committee was formed and they received some quotes on what the repairs would cost. He is asking if there is enough money set aside for these repairs. Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated she put $4000 in the budget for the fountain. Ron asked if the Village could come up with at least $2000 for the bandstand so both could be done this coming summer. Lynn stated she could use funds from the Swan account for the bandstand as well.

 

7.   Missisquoi Valley Lions Club Request Coin Drop June 2, 2018:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Missisquoi Valley Lions Club request for a coin drop on Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, with a rain date of Saturday, June 9, 2018. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Neal Speer congratulated Adam Paxman on receiving the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year award. Motion carried with two yays, one nay.

 

8.    Update on Missisquoi River Flood:

 

This item was already discussed on Item #6.

 

9.   Adopt 2018 Budgets as Presented:

 

Eugene LaBombard asked if Lynn needed to make any changes to make sure the repairs get done to the bandstand. She stated she didn’t have to because she would use funds that are in the Swan fund. Lynn advised the Board that the solar project on the Frontage Road is online and generating revenue. She said Swanton Village, the Water Treatment Plant and the Wastewater Treatment Plant are getting some of the benefit. She said she is not anticipating a rate increase in the electric department until 2019. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and adopt the 2018 budgets as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Lynn Paradis stated that she doesn’t need a water rate increase at this time but she does need one in the sewer department. She said she needs to raise the customer charge from $33.88 to $34.04 and the water consumption charge from $4.01 per one thousand gallons to $4.10 per one thousand gallons. She said she would like this to go into effect March 1, 2018. The Board agreed to this. Chris Leach thanked Lynn for a good job as usual on the budgets. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.   Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman said that on last year’s ballot the Village asked the question if Village taxpayers were in favor of holding coin drops or not. He said that passed by only four votes so he is considering having it put on the ballot again this year. He said he would know for sure by next week.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, sent grant paperwork to review. He said this grant applies to roads and streets and it is a matching grant. He said the match can be in the form of labor. He said they also need to form a board for the historic preservation committee. He said so far he is on the board as well as Ron Kilburn. Neal Speer said he would be on the board as well.

 

11.   Public Comment:

 

None.

 

12.   Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

13. Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:06 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

January 8, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, January 8, 2018

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; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Pete Prouty, Jason Cross, Jason Butler, Nick Schuster, and Alex Bourdeau, Firefighters; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager via telephone and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.   Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.   Agenda Review:

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, stated that the Selectboard would not be attending so Item #5 could be skipped.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Tuesday, December 19, 2017:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Tuesday, December 19, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried. 

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through December 29, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through December 29, 2017 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked what the payment made to Cross Machine for $16,705.82 was for. Reg Beliveau stated that was for the crane for the Hydro Plant or for the centrifuge at the Waste Water Plant. He said he wasn’t for sure but would find out and let them know. Adam also asked about the payment made to BAU/Hopkins for $4498.26. Reg said he would look that one up too. Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Paul Nolan LLC and Reg stated that was for work done on the rubber bag. Chris also asked about Holland Company and Reg stated that is where the Village buys their chemicals. He asked about the payment made to Wesco for $6531.86 and Reg said that is where the Village buys their electric supplies. Motion carried.

           

5.     Discussion with Town Selectboard on Issues of Mutual Interest:

 

Selectboard could not attend, move to Item #6.

 

 

6.    Fire Department Discussion on New Fire Trucks:

 

Tim Girard, Fire Chief, stated they were present tonight in case the Board had any more questions regarding the purchase of two new fire trucks. Chris Leach stated he would like the department to explain to the taxpayers what kind of fires they are responding to and why they need these particular kind of fire trucks. Reg stated he ran some numbers and since the year 2000 to present there has been an increase of only $21.25 in the fire department budget. He said that’s a pretty low number over an 18 year period. He also mentioned the Fire Department purchased three trucks in that time period as well, two with money raised by the Fire Department and not the taxpayers. Chris Leach also stated their call volume has increased over the years as well. Eugene LaBombard asked the Chief if they ever need assistance from St. Albans. Tim said occasionally they do. He said they ended the year 2017 with a record number of calls, 310 to be exact. He said their ladder truck goes out at least once per week. Adam Paxman asked how accurate the article was that ran in the St. Albans Messenger today. Reg stated he talked with reporter Tom Benton and he is doing a retraction with the correct information. He said the Town transposed one of the numbers and also didn’t account for any interest on the bonds. Tim Girard stated the truck committee is present tonight and he wanted to thank them for all their hard work. He said they have put a lot of time and energy into this request and will continue to do so if the trucks are purchased. He said he appreciates all their hard work. The Board thanked them all for coming in.

 

7.   MVUHS Substance Free Graduation Committee Request Coin Drop May 5, 2018:

Chris Leach made the motion to approve MVUHS’s request for a coin drop on Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, with a rain date of Saturday, May 12, 2018. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris said they cannot have May 26^th for an alternate date because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Motion carried with two yays, one nay.

 

8.    Request for Increase in Water Allocation for 456 Maquam Shore Road:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:25 p.m. to hear the following request. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that TDH Surveying & Design is requesting an increase in water allocation at 456 Maquam Shore Road. He said they added a mother-in-law apartment over their garage and need this increase in order to get a certificate of occupancy from the Town. He said this is not a separate building and will not be rented out. They currently have an allocation for 450 gallons per day (GPD) and are requesting an allocation for 600 GPD. Chris Leach made the motion to approve TDH Surveying & Design’s request to increase the water allocation from 450 GPD to 600 GPD at 456 Maquam Shore Road. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:28 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.   Approve Extending the Interfund Borrowing Agreement for 2018:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve extending the Interfund Borrowing Agreement for 2018. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

10.   2018 Budget Discussions:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, called Lynn Paradis for this discussion. Eugene LaBombard asked Lynn if there were any significant increases or changes in the budgets. She said the Police Department budget went down a little bit because of a change in healthcare coverage. She said the Sewer Department should have a rate increase in the very near future but the Water Department should stay the same. The Board stated they have studied the budgets and are fine with what they are seeing. Lynn stated she would put the budgets on the next agenda to be adopted. The Board thanked Lynn for all her hard work on this.

 

11.   Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach stated he liked the choice of having a picture of the swans on the Annual Report cover.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated the Arts Council would like to use the Village Green for another Arts Spectacular event on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Eugene LaBombard and Chris Leach agreed to this request. Adam also stated the Chamber of Commerce would be doing another Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28^th. He said he has reached out to Chief Stell for permits, etc. He said if anyone was interested in having a float in the parade to contact him. He also said himself and Mark Rocheleau are working on the 9^th Annual Car Show to be held on Saturday, July 28^th in the Park. He said they are also working on their 10^th Annual Car Show as well. Adam said there was an article in the Messenger about having fireworks this summer and they are trying to figure out a night to hold them.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he has been working with MVUHS on the water line completion and he is hoping the Village taxpayers approve this request which will be on the Village ballot in March.

 

12.   Public Comment:

 

None.

 

13.   Upcoming Meetings:

 

Village Board of Trustees Meeting January 22, 2018

Village Board of Trustees Special Meeting Monday, January 29, 2018 – Approve Warning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.   Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss real estate at 7:49 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:24 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

15. Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:24 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:24 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

December 19, 2017

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

7:00 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; 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:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated that he needed an Executive Session to discuss Personnel.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, December 11, 2017:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, December 11, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.           

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through December 15, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through December 15, 2017 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked about the invoice for Champlain Valley Equipment for $2,412.46. Lynn Paradis stated this was to repair the Kabota lawn tractor in the Highway Department. Eugene also asked about the refund of $42,323.09 paid to SolarSense and Lynn stated this was for the solar project on Frontage Road and that the customer purchased their own transformer so we had to refund them for that. They paid an estimate before the job and Swanton Village charged them for it. Motion carried.

           

5.     Review and Acknowledge 3^rd Quarter SQRP Report:

 

Chris Leach stated he was very pleased with the 3^rd quarter SQRP report as usual and thanked everyone involved with it. He noted that the Board of Trustees reviewed and acknowledged the 3^rd quarter SQRP report.

 

6.    2018 Budget Discussions:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated they have made some changes to the budgets and it is now down .47%

 

ELECTRIC FUND: Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, said she factored in a 2.5% COLA (cost of living) increase for the Village employees. She also stated that the electric crew would like to go to an on-call basis. She said they have occasionally run into issues with a lineman not being available after hours and feels this way there will be more reliability and they can remain competitive with neighboring utilities. She said she would like to implement this in July of 2018. She said this will apply to the highway crew as well.

 

WATER FUND: Lynn stated the maintenance line item was up quite a bit and she had a chance to talk with Scott Mueller about it. She said he only needs to have $10,000 budgeted for this line item, not the $38,000 so this helps bring the budget down in this fund.

 

SEWER FUND: Lynn stated this fund is staying just as she reported last week.

 

COMMERCIAL BUILDING FUND: Lynn stated she had nothing to report in this fund due to the upcoming sale.

 

GENERAL FUND: Lynn stated this fund is the same as last week as well.

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Lynn stated this department has level funded this year. She said they will put their request for two new fire trucks on the ballot this year and let the voters decide that purchase.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT:  Lynn stated the officers will need to order new uniforms in this department because their vests, shirts and pants are wearing out. She said they are also sending Kyle Gagne to the police academy in 2018. She also stated that workman’s compensation is up $30,000 this year and this department took a big hit in that as well

 

HIGHWAY: Lynn stated this fund is up 3.3 cents due to paying out an employee’s vacation time due to a retirement and having to do training in that department as well.

 

Lynn stated that the General Fund is going from .0788 to .0798; the Fire Department is going from .0437 to .0420; the Police Department is going from .3768 to .3799 and the Highway Department is going from .2917 to .3256. She said there is an overall increase of $0.0363 cents on the tax rate from 2017 to 2018. She said Village taxpayers would see an increase on a $150,000 home of $54.38, on a $175,000 home the increase would be $63.44 and on a $200,000 home the increase would be $72.51. She said her anticipated tax rate is going to be 0.8273 for 2018. The Board agreed that 2018 is going to see a lot of increases in the various budgets and suggested they have their own informational meeting this year so they can help explain the budgets to the taxpayers. The Village Informational Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

 

7.   Any Other Necessary Business:

None.

 

8.    Public Comment:

 

None.

 

9.   Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss personnel at 8:35 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:24 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

10. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:24 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:24 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

December 11, 2017

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, December 11, 2017

7:00 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; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Peter Prouty, Jason Butler, Jason Cross, Firefighters; Leonard “Joey” Stell, Chief of Police; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Gordon Winters, Tim Smith, Shawn Cheney and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.   Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.   Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 27, 2017:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, November 27, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.           

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through December 8, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through December 8, 2017 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman mentioned the VPPSA invoice. Eugene LaBombard asked what the Bergeron Protective Clothing invoice was for. Lynn Paradis stated that was for turnout gear in the Fire Department. Motion carried.

 

5.   Follow Up on Fire Department to Purchase New Fire Trucks:       

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; explained that she ran some more numbers on purchasing the fire trucks. She gave an example of a home assessed at $200,000 purchasing both trucks with a 10 year bond and a 12 year bond. The increase for that scenario would be $30.01 per year. She gave an example of purchasing both trucks with a 15 year bond and the increase would be $19.58. She stated if they purchased just Engine #3 with a 10 year bond the increase on a $200,000 home would be $1.07 and if they purchased just the Ladder truck with a 12 year bond the increase would be $7.95 per year. Peter Prouty stated he contacted a couple of leasing companies and received some numbers back today from one of them. He said he would like Lynn to look these numbers over and see if it’s feasible for the Fire Department to lease the fire trucks rather than purchase. Lynn stated at the end of the lease agreement the Village could purchase the truck for $1. She said she thought the interest rate would be higher with a leasing company. Pete said they are running around 3% and Lynn said that’s what the percentage rate is with the bond companies so it may be worth looking at. Tim Girard, Fire Chief, stated that a lot of work has gone into this project and thanked his guys for working so hard on it. He said they put in their due diligence for sure. Chris Leach stated he would like to go with purchasing both trucks and said they are looking for the best economical way to do this. Neal Speer stated the voters will have to decide and thanked the Fire Department for all their hard work.

 

6.   Update on Rubber Dam:

 

Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, informed the Board that the rubber bag has arrived at Port in New Jersey so he is hoping it will be shipped in 3 to 5 days. He said they will be storing the bag in the sub-station.

 

7.   Chief Stell – Update on Police Department:

 

Chief Stell stated things are going good in the Police Department and said their call volumes are about the same. He said they have one officer out right now and he expects him back next week on light duty. He said they are seeing some of the same problems as always but wanted to also remind people to report a crime when they see one. He said the opiate problem is still there but said they’ve seen a great success with the “Take Back the Drugs” event. He said residents can bring in their unused prescription drugs at any time and they will be disposed of properly. He said this will help with people taking someone else’s prescription drugs. He said because of this they have seen a decrease in burglaries. Adam Paxman stated he stopped by the Police Department on Sunday and an officer told him he was working on 35 cases in 3 days. He said that’s a lot of case loads piling up. Eugene LaBombard asked if Chief Stell was aware of the ATV issue in Highgate and Chief Stell said he wasn’t following it. Adam stated he is going to contact VAST and invite them to come in and discuss the issue here in Swanton with ATV’s. Chief Stell said they have caught individuals driving them through the Village and Town but said there are several more right behind them not getting caught. Neal Speer mentioned the study being done on the intersection of I89 and First Street. Adam stated a street light is much needed there and said it only makes sense. The Board thanked Chief Stell for the update.

 

8.    Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, Discussion on Model Communities Program:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated she is requesting a letter of support from the Board of Trustees for the Enhancement Project’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program application. Neal Speer read the letter of support aloud:

 

Dear Mr. Copans,

 

The Swanton Village Board of Trustees writes this letter in support of the Swanton Enhancement Project’s (SEP) Climate Economy Model Communities Program application.

Since 2013 the SEP has been working with village officials to revitalize Swanton’s downtown, including concerns identified as priorities during the 2015 VCRD Community Visit.  During this time Swanton has made great strides in addressing those issues, having established several task forces that continue their work and hiring an Economic Development Coordinator.

The Board of Trustees sees the Model Communities Program as an important next step toward continuing to address high priority concerns and toward beginning to address issues identified during the visit but deemed lesser priority, like improving energy efficiency.  Swanton Electric is municipally-owned, produces power from the Orman Croft Hydroelectric Plant and Dam, and boasts some of the lowest rates in the state, all of which is something Swanton needs to better promote.  In addition, Swanton has previously identified smart growth, working lands business development and business incubation as possible initiatives.  As Village Trustees we are encouraged by the SEP’s willingness to continue conversations about these areas as they directly impact efforts by the village and the SEP to revitalize Swanton’s economy. 

Working with the Town Selectboard and other partners, the Village Board of Trustees seeks to improve Swanton’s economy in the face of climate change and shifting economic conditions through initiatives like VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program and therefore fully supports the Swanton Enhancement Project’s application.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Village Board of Trustees to support and sign the Swanton Enhancement Project’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program application letter. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.    2018 Budget Discussions:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated she has been working on the Village budgets and said tonight she would give a few highlights and details in each department.

 

ELECTRIC FUND: She said she factored in a 2.5% COLA (cost of living) increase for the Village employees. She also stated workman’s compensation is up $30,000 this year and every department sees an increase in this line item. She said health insurance is up by 4% as well. She increased the right of way tree trimming line item so they can get caught up from the wind storm. She said this is back up to $75,000. She said the net income is at $92,375 and she is expecting to do a rate increase in 2019. She said this is driven by the large solar projects going in and because of lost generation at the power plant.

 

WATER FUND: Lynn stated maintenance is up in this fund quite a bit and she still needs to sit with Scott Mueller to see why. She said there have been less water line breaks in this department and she doesn’t expect a rate increase in this fund for 2018.

 

SEWER FUND: Lynn stated she budgeted for a new employee in this department because they have someone retiring in 2018. She said they saw a huge increase in chemicals this year, workman’s compensation is up and health insurance is up. She said she is expecting a rate increase in the sewer department in 2018. She said a 1.74% increase in the fixed rate and a 3.42% increase in the variable rate would take care of what she needed in this fund.

 

COMMERCIAL BUILDING FUND: Lynn stated she had nothing to report in this fund due to the upcoming sale.

 

GENERAL FUND: Lynn stated the Village office is out of space and is very cramped. She said the Human Resources position really needs their own office for privacy reasons and said the Police Department is out of room also. She said if net metering keeps growing like it has they may need to hire another person to keep up. She also said the labor is up in the parks due to longer good weather and upkeep.

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Lynn stated this department has level funded this year. She said she just made the last payment on the fire truck and said the air packs are on a five year plan. She said workman’s compensation is up in this fund also. Lynn said the Town’s share for fire protection is now up to 76% and the Village is at 24%. She said dispatching was reduced this year but they moved that money to personal protective gear.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT:  Chris Leach stated this is a lot of money for this department. Lynn said workman’s compensation is up $11,000 in this fund. Lynn said the Town Contract is up by 2% but said Joey has extended their coverage time in his proposal. She said they have budgeted for a new vehicle in this fund because the Tahoe only gets 10 mph. She said they will do a lease agreement on a new vehicle.

 

HIGHWAY: Lynn stated this fund is up substantially this year. She said the whole work load will shift due to a retirement in late 2018. She said streetlighting is now considerably lower than it has been. She said she has a $21,000 trackless payment, paving was pushed up to $50,000 and she budgeted $50,000 for equipment in 2018.

 

Lynn stated that the General Fund is going from .0788 to .0797; the Fire Department is going from .0437 to .0420; the Police Department is going from .3768 to .3799 and the Highway Department is going from .2917 to .3293. She said there is an overall increase of 4 cents on the tax rate from 2017 to 2018. She said Village taxpayers would see an increase on a $150,000 home of $59.81, on a $175,000 home the increase would be $69.77 and on a $200,000 home the increase would be $79.74. Lynn is asking the Trustees to take these budgets home and look them over and if they see anywhere she can cut to let her know. The Board thanked Lynn for her hard work on these budgets.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked if performance appraisals were done yet. Reg Beliveau stated not yet.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman read a letter that was written to the Police Department stating that officer #433 helped this person’s daughter tremendously and she really appreciated it.

 

Reg Beliveau stated he would need an executive session to discuss real estate.

 

11. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

12. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss real estate at 8:36 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:00 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion that in order to keep jobs in Swanton the Village Board of Trustees will sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Village of Swanton, Swanton Town, FCIDC, Alain Morrisette, Gordon Winters and a local business man to relocate BMTM into Swanton Town and authorize the Village Manager to sign all pertinent documents. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau stated that if you look back to the April 10, 2017 St. Albans Messenger, it states in the article that their goal is to find a new home for the Teen Center and to keep the 25 jobs in Swanton. He said this goal was successfully completed. Motion carried.

 

13. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:05 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Motion carried.

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

November 27, 2017

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 27, 2017

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; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Peter Prouty and Jason Butler, Firefighters; Sandy & Ron Kilburn, Gordon Winters, Hank Lambert, Suzanne Washburn 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, stated he needed an Executive Session to discuss personnel.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 13, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, November 13, 2017 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.  

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through November 22, 2017:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through November 22, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman mentioned the State of Vermont invoice which is sales tax paid to St. Albans. Motion carried.

 

5.   Follow Up on Fire Department to Purchase New Fire Trucks:       

 

Neal Speer stated the Fire Department was here tonight to discuss the purchase of two new fire trucks. Reg Beliveau stated that Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, figured what the impact would be on a home valued at $200,000. If the Fire Department was to purchase just Engine 3 there would be an estimated increase of $16.24 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $13.71 on a 20 year bond. If they were to purchase just Ladder 4 there would be an increase of $24.33 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $20.53 on a 20 year bond. And if the Fire Department were to purchase both new trucks at once there would be an increase of $40.57 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $34.24 on a 20 year bond. Fire Chief Tim Girard looked at these numbers and said he feels a 15 and 20 year bond is too long to go because the life of a fire truck is approximately 20 years. The Board discussed that for a while and agreed that they would ask Lynn to run the numbers again but with a 10 and 12 year bond. They said they would also ask her to run the numbers on a home valued at $175,000, a home valued at $200,000 and a home valued at $250,000. Adam Paxman stated that they have a need now for these trucks, not a want. Peter Prouty stated he is also a taxpayer but said if they delay doing this they would be worse off. Reg Beliveau stated he knows the Fire Department does what they can to be fiscally responsible and said the last two ladder trucks were purchased by the Fire Department alone through their Star Hose fund. The Board said they would ask Lynn for more information and requested this be put on the next agenda for further discussion.

 

6.   Discuss the Sale of the Memorial Auditorium Building:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, stated that the Village Manager and the Board of Trustees have been negotiating for a year or so with the Winters family regarding the sale of the Memorial Building. He said they have come to the mutual agreement that this is what is best for the Village and the Town of Swanton and community to move forward with their Downtown Revitalization. Chris Leach stated the downtown has been shrinking and with a beautiful new Ace Hardware store downtown he guarantees this will spur other retailers to come forward. He said this is a win/win for our downtown area. He said more activity and other retail outlets is the way to go. He said the trend used to be for stores to go outside of the Village and go into shopping centers on the outskirts of Town. He said normally it’s too expensive to do it in the interior and said this is so unique, so special and so perfect. He said other Ace Hardware stores in the area are beautiful, state of the art, well thought out, and priced great. He said this is exactly what will be an impetus to grow their Village Center. He said the drawings of the project are tasteful and appropriate. He said this is a no brainer for him. Adam Paxman stated this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for their community and he’s very proud to be a part of it. Eugene LaBombard said for many years they have been looking for a way to improve the appearance and vitality of their downtown. He said they’ve been listening and watching as well as have other people but said this opportunity is the right one. Gordon Winters thanked the Board for their kind words and the support. He said Chris hit it on the head because they used to go to Ace conventions 10-15 years ago and would be told to get away from the downtown area and go to the strip malls next to a drug store etc. He said within the last five years the message has been to get anywhere you can in your downtown area so that it’s walkable. He said it’s almost impossible to develop in the middle of downtown because stores need an acre or so of land. He said usually there are no empty lots and if so they are brownfields that need work. He said the support he’s received is exactly what is needed to get this kind of project off the ground and he said he appreciates that support and the community’s support. He said he looks forward to getting started. Reg Beliveau said they can sign a Purchase and Sales Agreement tonight and said it would be posted for 30 days and if anyone opposes it they have 30 days to get a petition in with 5% of the registered voters. Neal Speer stated they wouldn’t go into the terms but said they are available at the Village office or with any Trustee. He said they know there is some opposition out there about this but said they believe this is the best opportunity. He said every board this has come before agrees with their decision to go with the Winters family proposal. He said the Board, the Development Review Board (DRB), and the Town Selectboard are in favor of this proposal.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Purchase and Sales Agreement with the Winters family on the Memorial Building and to give Village Manager authorization to sign all necessary documents. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau stated he has dealt with contracts for many years and to have Gordon and Debbie Winters come in and to see their emotion and their sincere proposal was refreshing. He said you can question that they’re going to make money, of course they are he said but money will flow back into this community. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, and Gordon Winters signed the Purchase and Sales Agreement. Motion carried.

 

7.   Update on Rubber Dam:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that the abrasion sheets have arrived. He said he talked more about making a repair and they have been watching the weather and it’s not conducive to making any repairs at this time. He said PC Construction said they want to be kept in the loop and if they have a window of good weather maybe they can do something then. He said they’ll have to wait and see. He said the rubber bag is on its way and should be here next week. He said if the water gets too high they have to deflate the bag some but said they are figuring it out. He said they are still producing power.

 

8.    Adopt and Sign Ordinance for the Establishment of Historic Preservation Commission:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and adopt the Establishment of a Historic Preservation Commission Ordinance as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. The Board signed the Ordinance.

 

9.    Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated he would like Chief Stell to be at their next meeting for an update on the Police Department. He also stated he wanted to thank everyone for their Christmas in the Park event last Saturday. He said it was a great time and a lot of fun. He said they are going to try and do a little bit more next year and said on behalf of everyone involved thank you.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said he wanted to talk about the Teen Center or Community Center. He said he’s not sure if people really know what that means and said they think it’s just a big hall with events going on. He said there’s more to it than that and if people understood programs, usage and the good things that can happen from those activities. He said the Teen Center was more than just a place for the kids to hang out and if they’re going to move it people need to understand what it means and what goes on there. He said he would like a director to come in and explain what really happens there. He said a lot of people are making negative comments but said he feels that comes from a lack of understanding. Reg Beliveau stated he joined the Board of Directors for the Teen Center as well. He said there is more funding available for grants if they make it a community center rather than just a teen center. He said this is a great opportunity for people to get involved and help support the youth of the community. He said this is a positive and he wished more people would come out and help and get involved.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated he wished the Police Department would start issuing tickets or towing vehicles that are parking on the streets and blocking the snow plows. Village Clerk Dianne Day stated the Winter Parking Ban goes into effect on December 1^st. Eugene stated he thought it started on the 15^th of November and said they should change that because he doesn’t like cars parking on the streets when they need plowing. Eugene stated after December 1^st he hopes the police department issues tickets for this violation.

 

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer asked about the soffet lights on Merchants Row. Reg Beliveau stated he was supposed to hear something back today. Neal said he is hoping to get some grant money so it won’t cost the Village to put them in. He said he and Elisabeth Nance met with the State of Vermont and said there is some money available for this. He said it really does need to be lit up over there. Eugene stated he supports Neal’s efforts.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Joel Clark stopped by his office today asking if the Monument in Flat Iron Park could be lit on each side with some low voltage lights. He said the veterans names are printed on both sides of this monument and they’d like for it to be lit at night. He said Joel will do the fundraising to do this. The Board agreed with Joel’s request and said he should make it vandal proof. Reg also stated that next year marks the 100^th Anniversary of Cpl. Leonard Antoine Lord, the first Vermonter killed in World War I. Reg stated the Armory on Ferris Street was dedicated to him in August of 1960. There was a parade in 1960 and 10,000 people came to see it and honor Cpl. Lord by dedicating the Armory in his name. Reg said that Joel wanted to bring public awareness to this and they are hoping to plan a celebration next year to honor him.

 

10. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss personnel at 7:55 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:37 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:37 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date