June 11, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 11, 2018

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Leonard “Joey” Stell, Chief of Police; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Judy Paxman; 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 7:00 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Adam Paxman stated he would like to move Item #8 to right after #5 so they can discuss it with the Chief of Police. Eugene LaBombard stated he would need an Executive Session to discuss personnel.

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, May 14, 2018 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from the Monday, May 14, 2018 meeting and public hearing as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman stated the Marble Mill survey was prepped and ready to go out. Elisabeth Nance stated she would email the Board a copy of the survey. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 8, 2018:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 8, 2018 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated the Village is purchasing a lot of power lately. The Board also asked about the JP Sicard payment of $31,220.84. Motion carried.

 

5.      Chief Stell – Police Department Update:

 

Chief Stell informed the Board that as of last week the department was back to full staff. He said summer weather is here which means they are a lot busier and dealing with their highest call volume. He said recently they are seeing some dirty needles on the ball field at the Recreation Department. He said people are hanging out in the dug outs and throwing their used needles on the ground over there. He said they have discussed installing lights with the electric department to discourage that behavior there. He said on  a positive note they now have a college student to help out this summer by riding the Rail Trail and Ball Field. He said it will be nice to have another set of eyes out there. Chris Leach stated they no longer receive the Police Department call log and asked if they could start getting it again. Chief Stell stated that was no problem and he would make sure they get it. Chris Leach also asked if the department could patrol Gallup Court a bit more. Chief Stell stated they ticketed 6 or 8 people recently for excessive speeding. He said some were driving more than 55 mph through the Village. Adam Paxman asked the Chief if he’s looked at the ATV ordinance that Highgate just put in place. He said he hasn’t and said he’s not sure what an ordinance would do about this. Adam stated if residents see ATV’s driving in the road or see speeders, video tape it and send it to the police department. Chief Stell stated he wanted to remind all residents that dispatching a firearm in the Village limits is not allowed. He said there is an ordinance in place regarding this as well as State laws in place. He said he had a resident last week shooting in the direction of the rail trail. The Board thanked Chief Stell for the update.

 

6.      Discussion on Parking in Front of Cody’s Restaurant Area:

 

Adam Paxman stated people are parking in the 4’ space that is lined off between Cody’s Restaurant and Bob’s One Stop and he is ready to place a cement barrier in that space so they can no longer do that. He said this area is blocked off for a reason and it’s very dangerous and difficult to see past a vehicle there. Chief Stell stated some street scaping such as a whiskey barrel with flowers in it would work and would like nice too. Adam asked if they should erect a sign there stating “No Parking Here to Corner?” Chief Stell stated they would need an ordinance for that because they couldn’t enforce it otherwise. Chief Stell stated flowers would be more appropriate. Adam Paxman stated he wasn’t targeting anyone, it’s just too dangerous to park there. Chris Leach stated he would like it if the Post Office had a mail box residents could drive up to. He said that would clear up a lot of parking by the Post Office as well.

 

7.      Village of Swanton Request a Line of Credit for the MVUHS Waterline Replacement Job:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:31 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, explained to the Board that Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, received documents for the MVUHS Waterline Replacement job from Union Bank with an interest rate of 1.96% for a one year term.

 

Chris Leach made the motion for the Board of Trustees to approve, sign and accept the Union Bank’s interest rate of 1.96% for a one year term for the replacement of the MVUHS water line and to also authorize Neal Speer, Village President, as well as the Board members to sign all necessary documents. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:33 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.      Economic Development Coordinator Update:

 

Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, informed the Board that she has been working on the 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Program application and said she needs a letter signed by the Board that states the Village is committed to maintaining and improving the sidewalk once it’s installed. She said this sidewalk is 420’ long and will run from King Street to Brown Avenue. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Board members to sign the 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Program application letter stating the Village is committed to maintaining the 420’ of sidewalk from King Street to Brown Avenue. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Elisabeth also mentioned the sidewalk study regarding installing a sidewalk from First Street to MVUHS. She said this is badly needed and discussion took place on where to put this sidewalk, either on Route 78 to the school or up the trail area near the Frontage Road. Chris Leach stated he’s hearing that residents who live along Route 78 do not want the sidewalk to be in that location. He said they should look at alternate locations for this sidewalk. Neal asked how the Robinhood Drive project was doing and Elisabeth said everything is back on track there. The Board thanked Elisabeth for her updates.

 

9.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Eugene LaBombard stated the new rubber dam will be getting installed this month.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he wanted to thank everyone involved with the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on May 28^th. He stated it was a pleasure to work with our local Vietnam veterans and said this was extremely overdue to them. He appreciated the community support and said the guest speakers were awesome. The Board agreed this was nicely done by everyone. Adam also stated the Chamber’s new swan would be delivered on Wednesday evening, June 13^th.

 

Any Other Business: Dianne Day, Village Clerk, read a letter aloud that was sent to Reg Beliveau, Village Manager. It reads:

 

 

Hi, Reg and Kathy,

I can hardly believe it's June--and July will be upon us before we know it! 

I wonder if Swanton has given any thought to a community forum -- or other information dissemination - around what marijuana legalization means for Swanton and its residents. My sense is that landlords, employers, parents, and business owners will have questions about what the law means for them.

 

One of our coalition members noticed that Burlington is having an event with speakers that include town officials and legal counsel; Caring Communities would be happy to help our towns with similar information sharing.

 

We'd also would be happy to help update park signage that prohibits tobacco to include vaping/e-cigarettes/cannabis/marijuana. This is something for which we can cover costs, so please let me know if you'd be interested in this.

 

 

Thanks,

Beth

Franklin County Caring Communities and Watershed Mentoring
27 Church Street Suite 2
St. Albans, VT 05478

The Board agreed that a public forum should be held to address this topic. Dianne Day stated she would inform Reg Beliveau of this and try and get one organized.

 

10.  Public Comment:

 

Judy Paxman asked the Board if it was ok to have a performer in the Village Green during the upcoming Arts Spectacular Day to play for donations. She stated there is a section in the Village’s old ordinances that says “no begging” but wondered if playing for donations was acceptable. The Board stated they didn’t have a problem with that whatsoever

 

11.  Executive Session (if Necessary):

 

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

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:38 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 8:38 p.m.  Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:38 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

May 14, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

PUBLIC HEARING & REGULAR MEETING

Monday, May 14, 2018

6:00 PM

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman; Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Jessica Bulova & Katie Parrish, State of Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; Jim Hull, Village Wastewater Plant Operator; Brad Aldrich, Aldrich & Elliott; Pat Long, Age Well; Jeremy Reed, St. Albans Messenger; Judy Paxman, Betsy Fournier, Debbie Winters, Tim Girard, Fire Chief, Swanton Fire Department: Peter Prouty, Nick Shuster, Jason Cross, Alex Bourdeau, Jason Butler, and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Public Hearing and Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau stated there are guest present tonight that were not on the agenda so requested the agenda be revised to accommodate the guest.

 

3.       Public Hearing for Wastewater Water Plant Discharge Permit:

 

Jessica Bulova and Katie Parrish were present for this public hearing. Jessica stated the Village Wastewater Plant is applying for their Discharge Permit. She said this permit is part of the Clean Water Act through the Federal Government and is a 5 year permit. She said there are now stricter phosphorus permits and she said the Village will need to reduce their phosphorus discharge load by 66%. She said the yearly phosphorus limit is now 1,644 lbs per year and needs to be reduced to 548 lbs per year. Adam Paxman asked if this was realistic to accomplish. Eugene LaBombard asked what the current load is now and Jim Hull said the Village’s 12 month average is approximately 1,200 lbs per year. He said he plans on using different chemicals to achieve this new limit but said it’s going to be very difficult. He said his plant may need an upgrade to achieve this and that could be very expensive. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated that these targets are mandated by the EPA and each facility has been given target numbers to achieve. He said they will work it out either way. Jim Hull stated he has been working with his vendors about new chemicals and said the cost for chemicals will triple but an upgrade would be in the millions. Eugene asked what would the resolution be if they were unable to achieve this. Jessica stated they are given a year to try and resolve it and said the State would work with them after that to try and help reduce the phosphorus load. She acknowledged this is a heavy lift for towns with lagoons. Adam stated the Village only contributes 2% of the phosphorus and said they want to be a part of the solution but still feels this number is unrealistic. Neal Speer asked if there were any grants available to help plants with any upgrades. Jessica stated there are State Revolving Loan funds available as well as US Department of Agriculture grants. Adam asked if local farms are being asked to reduce their limits as well and asked what their numbers are. Jessica stated this is challenging for everybody. Reg Beliveau stated everyone has to do their part and they may not be able to achieve these numbers in their lifetime but said they will try. Katie Parrish stated the plant inspection went very well. She said their plant is very neat and orderly and there were no violations or concerns. The Board thanked Jessica and Katie for having this hearing and for providing answers to their questions. Jessica and Katie stayed for approximately another ½ hour giving the public an opportunity to ask questions. Public Hearing convened at 6:45 p.m.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, April 23, 2018:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from the Monday, April 23, 2018 meeting as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried with one abstention.

 

5.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, May 11, 2018:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, May 11, 2018 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

6.      Pat Long, Age Well Representative (formerly Agency on Aging) here to discuss Shortage of

         Meals on Wheels Drivers:

 

Pat Long, Age Well representative, stated she has been working for Age Well (formerly Agency on Aging) for the last 23 years. She said they are the largest provider for Meals on Wheels in the State of Vermont and serve Franklin, Addison and Chittenden Counties. She said these are very exciting times for the organization because they now have one vendor providing the same meal for everyone. She said the organization is in desperate need of volunteer drivers at this time. All they need to have is a Vermont Driver’s license and a vehicle. She said they also have to have a background check done. She said they could partner with another driver and she said they are willing to work with anyone who could give them any time. She said the routes in Franklin County are a little more challenging because the route is spread out. She is asking the public if they can help out and if not to at least spread the word for them. She also said if anyone knows of a senior who is in need of meals or other services to call her agency at 802-557-5484. She said some of these seniors are alone most of the time and the only company they have is when they get their meal delivered. The Board thanked Pat for coming in and said they would help spread the word for her.

 

7.      Jeremy Reed, St. Albans Messenger regarding Discovery Guide:

 

Jeremy Reed stated he was there to ask the Village Trustees if they were interested in sharing the cost of an ad to go in the Discovery Guide with the Town of Swanton. He said this ad will help promote the Village and Town of Swanton and is distributed in Quebec and New York. He said Tim Smith with FCIDC has been effective in promoting Quebec with cross border shopping, etc. He said this is an annual publication and is left at tourism outlets, hotels etc. He said Ron Kilburn helped with the photos but said it could be easily modified. Jeremy said the ad cost is $975 and asked the Village to consider sharing the cost with the Town of Swanton. Adam Paxman said this seems like a no-brainer. Jeremy said there are approximately 55,000 online subscribers also. Betsy Fournier asked if the recreation department was mentioned in the ad. She suggested they use the map the recreation department created listing their community assets. Elisabeth Nance stated the Messenger is on a tight deadline and said Jeremy is meeting with the Town tomorrow night to discuss this with them. The Board agreed with this concept and said they were onboard with the publication. Jeremy said he would report back to Reg Beliveau after the Town Selectboard meeting.

 

8.      Discussion on Marble Mill Damage:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that Marble Mill suffered a lot of damage after the flooding in January. He said the skatepark, tennis courts and basketball courts are full of mud and need cleaning. He said he was looking for some ideas on how they can re-brand Marble Mill so he asked Betsy Fournier and Debbie Winters to get on board with him. Betsy stated this is a beautiful space and said she would like to get the community involved by circulating a survey and asking what residents would like to have there. She suggested moving the basketball courts to the recreation fields and maybe having Pre K through 2 grade sports there such as T-ball, soccer, etc. Debbie Winters said they could do movie nights, yoga classes, ice rink, and camping. She thought they should take down some of the dead trees and add more green space. Everyone agreed that a community survey was a good idea and agreed this should be a community decision. Judy Paxman suggested they have a public forum to discuss it. Reg suggested they put the survey together, he would work on getting some of the dead trees down and trees trimmed and would discuss it again at their next meeting.

 

9.         Discussion on MVUHS Waterline Replacement Job Bids:

 

Brad Aldrich was present for this discussion and said so far the Village has received three bids for this waterline replacement job AT MVUHS. He said Desroches Construction Services bid came in the lowest and it is Aldrich & Elliott’s recommendation that the Village of Swanton accept Desroches Construction Services bid for $277,755. He said his firm has done several successful projects with them in the past. He said this will put the Village $62,000 under budget.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion for the Village of Swanton to accept Desroches Construction Services bid for Contract No. 4 for the MVUHS Waterline Replacement job in the amount of $277,755. He also made the motion authorizing Village Manager Reg Beliveau Jr. to sign the Notice of Intent to Award such Contract. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: MVUHS was paying $193,000 towards this job but that amount has been reduced to $164,000 saving the school $29,000. Motions carried.

 

Brad also stated he received Desroches Construction Services DBE Effort to solicit bids from disadvantaged business enterprises, as required as a condition of submitting a bid for the above referenced project. Brad stated Aldrich & Elliott are satisfied that they complied with this effort. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Village Manager Reg Beliveau Jr. to accept and sign Desroches Construction Services DBE Effort for Contract No. 4 for the MVUHS Waterline Replacement Job. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

10.       Fire Department Fire Truck Bid Review:

 

Peter Prouty advised the Village Trustees that the Fire Truck Committee has put several hours into reviewing each bid they received and created a document listing each companies pros and cons along with giving each company an overall score. It is the recommendation of the Fire Truck Committee that the Swanton Village Fire Department award HME the contracts to build their Engine/Tanker as well as their Aerial Truck. HME’s price to build the aerial truck comes in at $864,760 and their price to build the Engine/Tanker comes in at 576,750 for a total cost of $1,441,510. This is coming in under budget by $990.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize the Swanton Village Fire Department to accept HME’s contracts to build their aerial truck at a cost of $864,760 and to build their engine/tanker at a cost of $576,750, for a total cost of $1,441,510. He also made the motion to authorize Village Manager Reg Beliveau Jr. and Fire Chief Tim Girard to sign all necessary documents and contracts pertaining to this purchase. Chris Leach seconded. Motions carried.

 

Neal Speer thanked the committee for all their hard work. Fire Chief Tim Girard thanked them as well and recognized all of their time and hard work that went into this project. The Fire Department thanked the taxpayers for their support as well.

 

11.      Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator – Letter of Support for Sidewalk Grant and Demonstration Project Discussion:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated she has been working on a sidewalk grant which will put in a new sidewalk from King Street to Brown Avenue. She said this is an 80-20 match (in kind) and should be given the highest priority. Reg Beliveau stated he talked with Mike Menard regarding this and he agrees it should be done. Elisabeth said she is asking the Trustees if they would like her to continue to work on this grant application. Adam Paxman asked if there would be a crosswalk added and Reg said yes there would be a painted crosswalk added to King Street and Brown Avenue.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Elisabeth Nance to move forward with the sidewalk grant for King Street to Brown Avenue in the Village of Swanton. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Elisabeth also stated she went through the Municipal Plan and highlighted things she wants done. She also suggested the Trustees think about doing some streetscaping on First Street by the striped lines.

 

12.       Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated the Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 28^th at 2:30 p.m. Lineup will begin at 2 p.m. at the Mary Babcock School. He said the Dedication of the Swanton Bridge to the Vietnam Veterans will take place following the parade. He said there will be a BBQ put on by the Fire Department. He urged everyone to come out and attend this event.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated there will be a Hazardous Waste Day at the Town Garage on Saturday May 19^th.

 

13.      Public Comment:

 

Judy Paxman stated Mike Barkyoumb from South River Street has built and donated a 3D sculpture of a wooden swan and she would like to have this displayed in the Village. She said it has a wing span of 6 to 7 ft. and she is going to paint it before displaying it. The Board suggested either putting it in the Village Green or on the Village Office front lawn. Judy showed the Trustees a picture of the swan and the Board was very appreciative of this gift from Mr. Barkyoumb.

 

Elisabeth Nance wanted to remind everyone that the Community Wide Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, May 19^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, May 20^th from 12 to 4:00 p.m. She said they have 20 different yards participating as well as 5 or 6 that will be in the Park.

 

 

 

14.  Executive Session to Discuss Personnel:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into executive session to discuss personnel at 7:56 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit executive session at 8:10 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

15.  Adjournment:

 

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

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________                                                                     

Neal Speer, Village President                                       Date

 

 

_____________________________________                                                                     

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                           Date

 

April 23, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, April 23, 2018

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Tim Girard, Chief, Swanton Fire Department; Peter Prouty, Fire Truck Committee; Nick Shuster; Fire Truck Committee; Jason Cross, Fire Truck Committee; Alex Bourdeau, Fire Truck Committee; Jason Butler, Fire Truck Committee; Chris Gardner, KME; Garth Brooks, E-One; Glenn Davis, HME; 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 7:08 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau asked the Fire Truck Proposal Opening – Pete Prouty and Fire Truck Committee be moved to #5 on the agenda since representatives from the bidding companies are present.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, April 9, 2018:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from the Monday, April 9, 2018 meeting as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 20, 2018:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 20, 2018 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked for clarification on check 77378.  Reg Beliveau stated the check was reimbursement for funds not spent on a solar project in Enosburgh. Motion carried.

 

5.      Fire Truck Proposal Opening – Pete Prouty and Fire Truck Committee:

 

Peter Prouty opened each package from the four companies who submitted bids after Reg Beliveau confirmed all the bids were received on time:

 

KME/Bulldog

Engine/Tanker: $674,553

Aerial: $939,800

 

E-ONE

Engine/Tanker: $623,404

Aerial: $788,453

 

ROSENBAUER

Engine/Tanker: $573,907

Aerial: $788,453

 

HME

Engine/Tanker: $576,750

Aerial: $864,760

 

Peter Prouty informed the Trustees the committee intends to review the 100-page proposals and present its findings before the next Trustees meeting on May 14, 2018.

 

6.         Discussion on Airport Water Line Feasibility Study Grant:

 

Reg Beliveau gave a brief overview of the project, a rough time line of the application process, and provided the resolution for the board’s consideration.

 

Chris Leach made a motion to sign the resolution in support of the application for a feasibility study for a water line extension to the Franklin County Airport and to act as co-applicant with Highgate.  Eugene LaBombard seconded.  Discussion: Reg Beliveau, in response to a question from Eugene LaBombard, stated a pre-bid meeting on the MVU water line extension had been held the previous Friday with two potential bidders in attendance.  Motion carried.

  

7.         Elisabeth Nance – Determination of Eligibility for Fountain and Bandstand in the Park:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated there is funding available through the state’s Historic Preservation Program for structures on or eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places.  She has the application that could be used for the fountain, bandstand, and/or Lady Liberty and is asking the board if they prefer these types of applications come before them for approval or if this is the type of thing the Historic Preservation Commission can take on.

 

Eugene LaBombard made a motion to authorize Elisabeth Nance on behalf of the Historic Preservation Commission to pursue a determination of eligibility of the structures on the Village Green as appropriate. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.         Review and Acknowledge 1st Quarter SQRP Report:

 

Each Trustee reviewed and acknowledged the 1^st Quarter SQRP Report, noting although the data is correct the date on the report reflected the incorrect quarter.

 

9.         Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the board of a meeting on Sunday, April 29, 2018 in St. Albans with Franklin County communities and Congressman Peter Welch and asked if anyone was interested in attending along with him, Elisabeth Nance, and James Guilmette.  Neal Speer will attend the meeting on behalf of the Trustees.

 

Chris Leach asked for an update on the bridge dedication.  Elisabeth Nance stated that, as of the most recent Selectboard meeting, the dedication is on track to be held on Memorial Day.

 

10.      Public Comment:

 

None

 

11.  Executive Session to Discuss Customer Account:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into executive session to discuss customer account. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit executive session at 8:16 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

12.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:17 p.m.  Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m. Motion carried.

 

Minutes recorded and typed by Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator

 

_____________________________________                                                                     

Neal Speer, Village President                                       Date

 

 

_____________________________________                                                                     

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                           Date

 

April 9, 2018

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, April 9, 2018

7:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Debbie Winters, Winn Goodrich, Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Ron Kilburn, Boy Scouts 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 stated members of the local Boy Scouts were present tonight to observe their meeting.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Neal Speer stated he would like to add Executive Session to Discuss Personnel and Reg Beliveau stated he had an update on the Bridge Dedication.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, March 26, 2018:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from the Monday, March 26, 2018 meeting as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 6, 2018:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 6, 2018 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

5.      Debbie Winters Presentation on “Together We Can Rebuild Swanton’s Playground”:

 

Debbie Winters and Winn Goodrich were present for this presentation. Mr. Goodrich stated on behalf of the school board they are very much in support of this project. He said Debbie has been doing an outstanding job organizing this. He began this presentation by reading their mission statement: The Swanton School Board of Directors is proud that the Swanton School has always been an integral part of the Swanton community. That includes the Swanton School playground, which for many Swanton families serves as their community playground. But after years of wear and tear, this playground is in need of attention. By working together as a community we can create something special, something we can be proud of and something that our children so deserve.

 

Debbie showed the Board a map depicting the schools locations in relation to the recreation paths, etc. She then went on to give her presentation which included some of these highlights:

 

Why are playgrounds important to a community?

·         Recreational assets create vibrant communities

·         Health and Wellness

·         Social interaction/Brings community together

·         It is a factor in where people decide to live

·         Increase value of housing surrounding it which increases tax base

·         Economic Development

·         If people choose to move here they: buy or rent homes, fix up their homes, work at our businesses or start businesses, eat at our restaurants, shop in our stores, children attend our schools

 

Why is this playground important?

·         It is Swanton’s community playground – community pride

·         Location on our Recreation Corridor

·         Fit and Healthy Path

·         Recreation Fields

·         LV Rail Trail will bring visitors to Swanton – visible from the bike path

·         Within walking distance of Village residents/central location

·         Swanton fortunate to have a walkable village center

·         Project achieves 2 goals – Our school will get an updated playground, and our community will get an amazing recreational resource that will encourage people to visit and settle in Swanton

 

Debbie then showed pictures of this existing playground. She also mentioned the condition of Marble Mill and said this new playground is definitely needed. She said this will help enhance community pride. She then showed pictures of the new playground structures they are hoping to have installed. She said many good things are happening right now in Swanton and she would like to keep the momentum going with this playground project. She feels this shows people are proud of Swanton and want good things to happen here. She said this “recreation corridor” is the perfect location. It ties in with the ball fields and the recreation path. She hopes this will bring bikers, etc. to the area as well. She said they are trying to draw people in and make it more pleasing. Debbie said the school will end up with an amazing playground and so will the community.

 

Debbie showed an aerial map showing the pavement behind the Babcock School and said that is causing a lot of issues. She said Cross Consulting is working on a site plan at this time. The swingsets have been there a very long time and needs to be replaced. She said right now the school is looking for bids from playground vendors. She said they are also looking at creating play areas around the play structures such as manmade hills, etc and this will give the playground some texture. Winn stated the swings they have were good in their day but they had a safety audit done two years ago and a lot of the equipment is no longer safe. He said they need to make some changes soon. He said their insurance company would like a new playground sooner rather than later. He said there are safety regulations that need to be followed.

 

Scope of Work:

·         Existing Equipment Removal

·         Site Work

·         Fix drainage issues

·         Remove excess pavement

·         Prep for new equipment

·         New playground structures – two playgrounds

·         Donor recognition areas

 

Budget and Sources of Funds

·         Budget = $200,000

·         Awaiting quotes for playground equipment (allow $150,000) and site work (allow $50,000)

·         Sources of funds

·         Prior School Funds = $20,000

·         Private Foundation Grants = $40,000

·         Public/State Grants = $50,000

·         Fundraising = $20,000

·         Donations/Capital Campaign = $70,000

·         Current Funds Raised = $30,000

 

Next Steps/Timeline

·         Goal is to have funding in place for Summer 2019 installation

·         Proposals for playground equipment by end of April

·         Site Plan expected late April/early May

·         Use site plan for site work cost budgeting

·         Campaign Kick off in May/June before school ends

·         Messenger article

·         Highlight LeClair Foundation gift

·         Online donation platform established

·         Social Media campaign – TBD

·         Fundraising to encourage community participation

·         Engraved pavers? Benches? Trees?

·         Major Donations/sponsorship of equipment – Debbie Winters

 

Chris Leach asked if this playground equipment was just for 10 year olds and younger. Debbie said the one by the Babcock school is designed for the younger ages, but overall it’s for ages 5 through 12. She said there is also the basketball court and soccer fields for the older kids, and a place for them to ride bikes.

 

Adam Paxman stated this new playground equipment is definitely needed and he applauds Debbie for doing this. He said there is a sign that states “Babcock Parking” and he wondered if this was open to the public. They thought that just applied during the school day. Winn stated this is a great opportunity to get the word out and to get support for this project. He said they will need the use of heavy equipment for a lot of the work and hoped that could be donated. Neal stated he remembers when the existing playground equipment was installed and said it was all done with volunteers. He mentioned the building trades class that came out and helped with that. He said he doesn’t think they will have any issues getting volunteers to help this time. He said it was all done in one weekend last time and he agrees that this definitely needs to be upgraded. Eugene LaBombard said this may be the only access from the rail trail where residents can enter into a playground. Debbie said Swanton Village is a “walkable village” and they are fortunate to have access to these things. Debbie said she would like to leave the Board with the message that this is “a community playground.” She said she might have a booth set up at the Maple Festival and Franklin County Field Days to help get the word out there. Neal stated she should contact the Veteran organizations for donations as well and said he would like it stated in the Minutes that the Village Board of Trustees are 100% in support of this project. The Board thanked Debbie and Winn for their presentation.

 

6.      Elisabeth Nance – Appoint Historic Preservation Commissioners:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated she has four community members who are interested in being appointed to the Swanton Historic Preservation Commission. She said Fred Wiseman, Glen Gurwit, Rebecca Rupp and Randy Rupp are the interested individuals. She mentioned this would bring the total number of commissioners to seven, including Ron Kilburn, Neal Speer and Reg Beliveau.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to appoint Fred Wiseman, Glen Gurwit, Rebecca and Randy Rupp to the Swanton Historic Preservation Commission. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Elisabeth stated all they need to work on now is the staggering of terms of the board members. Adam stated once they have determined the terms to just let the Board of Trustees know. Their next meeting is Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 4 p.m. in the Library. Motion carried.

 

7.      Discussion on Purchasing Ton Truck and Pick Up Truck in Highway Department:

 

Reg Beliveau stated that he has received some quotes to purchase a new ton truck and a new pickup truck for the Highway Department. He said the Chevy dealership said they weren’t able to quote this because they couldn’t build the kind of ton truck the Village needs. He said the lowest quote is from EJ Barrette. He said to have the ton truck built it will cost approximately $70,000 between EJ Barrette and Iroquis. He said Iroquis has agreed to hold the quote price they gave Mike Menard in 2017. Reg said these funds are already in the highway budget which was approved in March 2018. Reg said the quote for the F150 from EJ Barrette came in at $29,700. Chris Leach made the motion to accept bids from EJ Barrette Ford and Iroquis Truck Bodies for a new pick-up truck and a new ton truck for the Highway Department. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach said if the Board is supporting better playground equipment for the younger children they should really consider working on something for the older kids in Swanton. He suggested maybe the skate park at Marble Mill. Reg said there is a $5000 grant out there that he wants to apply for. Chris said he’s not sure how much use the basketball and tennis courts get in the summertime. Reg said they get a lot of use. Chris asked if the courts are lit up at night and Reg said they are but said maybe they can add some more lights. He said Marble Mill took quite a hit with all the flooding in January and they will be working on cleaning it up

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked Reg for an update on the rubber bag. Reg said they are hoping to install the bag in June but if they get a high amount of rainfall it will have to be postponed. He said one of the issues they had back in January and February were the cold temperatures. He said purchase power was high for that time period. Reg said they have been able to generate some power at a certain level but then the old bag starts to leak again.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said he talked with Joel Clark just before the meeting and said he has a rough draft for the bridge dedication ceremony. He said public works has done some trimming already and doing some clean-up work. He said in the next week or two the bridge will get swept. Neal stated for those who haven’t heard that the Town and Village of Swanton are working on dedicating the bridge just past Merchant’s Row to the Vietnam Veterans. He said a sign would go up stating “Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.” He said the dedication will be on Memorial Day and they are in the process of organizing that. He said there will be some major guest speakers including the Governor. Neal said he would like to give credit to Reg Beliveau and Joel Clark for working on this. Reg stated he wasn’t involved and said Adam Paxman has been. Neal thanked everyone involved one way or another.

 

 

 

 

9.      Public Comment:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated she met with Reg Beliveau last week and discussed a sidewalk grant. She said sidewalks are needed on First Street as well as King Street to Dunkin Donuts. She is hoping to secure a $50,000 grant for these sidewalks and the application deadline is mid June. She said she feels this is a high priority and a safety issue. Adam Paxman asked about the sidewalk in front of McDonalds and said that one is under water most of the time. Elisabeth said she has had some discussion about that as well and hopefully will be getting it fixed. Eugene LaBombard stated that sidewalk was put in when the shopping center was developed years ago. Elisabeth also stated she is working on a $10,000 grant through AARP.

 

Elisabeth stated the Swanton Enhancement group is having a 5 year anniversary get together on May 10^th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and is open to the public and will be held at the Swanton Central School. She also stated May 19^th and 20^th is the two day community yard sale that will be held in the Village Green. If you want to sign up for this and register your address will be added to a map so people will know where your yard sale will be.

 

10.  Executive Session to Discuss Personnel:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into executive session to discuss personnel. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit executive session at 8:48 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

11.  Adjournment:

 

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

 

 

 

 

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Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date