August 10, 2020

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, August 10, 2020

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau Jr., Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Leonard “Joey” Stell, Chief of Police; Ken Nolan, VPPSA; and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1. Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

 

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

3. Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he needed to add personnel under executive session.

 

4. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, July 27, 2020:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, July 27, 2020 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, August 7, 2020:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Friday, August 7, 2020 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Primmer & Piper for $1144.00. Reg Beliveau stated they consulted with them regarding the art boards and said that Lynn had also called them for something. Motion carried.

 

7. Economic Development Coordinator Update:

 

Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, informed the Board that there will be a Downtown Scoping Study meeting on September 17^th to discuss local concerns. She said they haven’t named a place or time yet but said this will be the first meeting to discuss the traffic pattern from First Street and Grand Avenue to the bridge. Chris Leach stated he is hoping for a solution. Elisabeth also stated the Town Selectboard chose a consultant for the sidewalk to MVUHS as well as Lake Street and Maquam Shore Road. 

 

8. Swanton Village Police Department Update with Chief Stell:

 

Chief Stell said the Village Police Department responded to 182 calls for service during the month of July. He said they also issued 14 warnings for traffic offenses and issued 8 traffic citations totaling $1441. He said the typical problem areas were Canada St., First St., Spring St. and Grand Avenue as well as North River St. He said they have dealt with a few kids on minor issues but had nothing real serious to deal with. Adam Paxman asked if the contract with the Town of Swanton was up this year. Chief Stell said they just renewed their contract in March of 2020. Chris Leach asked if the police department handled dog issues because they had one on Gallup Court earlier that day. He said not typically, unless it was a very aggressive dog. He said if the dog was back under control of its owner they couldn’t do anything. Chris was informed that the Town of Swanton appointed a new animal control officer today.

 

9. Discuss and Sign VPPSA’s VT Support Agreement Extension (Phase 1 Transmission):

 

Ken Nolan informed the Board that VPPSA held a retreat for their board members and staff and set four sets of priorities. He said the first is financial stability for both VPPSA and their members and are trying to take steps to increase loads for all electric utilities. He said they are also taking steps on economic development and are in the process of putting a key accounts person together who would work with the electric department and be more active in helping people to upgrade their facilities and be as efficient as they can be. He said they are also focused on policy leadership which deals with the legislature, congressional delegation and regulators trying to promote local community views. He said they are focused internally on organization and will continue training. He said some are getting closer to retirement age and they are beginning to do the transition planning. He said new this year the Board asked them to focus on technology. He said they are looking at how they are working from home during COVID-19 situations and also looking at technology to bring to their members. He said broadband has been a huge topic. He said they have tried for a few years to keep electric utilities outside of that but they are getting more and more pressure. He said they’ve been acting as the advocate for the municipal utility in those conversations. He said they are working with Velco and other private companies to see how to bring federal money into Vermont and get broadband deployed. He said this is taking a lot of effort. He said the last piece is advanced metering and are trying to do a program for all VPPSA member municipalities to do metering together. He said instead of everyone buying their own system they would have one system that everybody could take advantage of. He said they’ve spent about 18 months trying to figure out the qualifications for members and are in the RFP process to get pricing attached to it. He said they are expecting to make a recommendation at the September board meeting on which vendor to choose and start contract negotiations. He said they would like to design the systems over the winter and start deploying to members who are ready to go in mid to late spring. He said these projects can take two to three years from start to finish. Chris Leach asked what the monetary advantage would be for a Village customer if we were to have smart meters and/or advance meters. Ken said this was kind of an interchangeable term but the big difference between a typical smart meter used today and the advanced meters is you have to read smart meters by hand. He said it puts out a signal but you have to walk by it or drive by it to get the signal. He said advance meter infrastructure (AMI) uses radio signals and collective points so you don’t have to go to the meter, it sends the data back to a central location. He said they are similar. Ken said he has yet to see any utility reduce staff by installing these meters. He said you keep the same staff but they are doing a slightly different job. He said utilities save operational money on reconnects, disconnects, move in and move outs. He said companies can see significant savings there from not having to run vehicles around town. He said you are getting hourly data from every customer and you will know usage hour by hour and be able to redesign your rates so customers have incentives to use less power when it costs more. He said this takes some time to get to. Chris asked if the State would allow utilities to have flexible rates. Ken said they are flipping 180 degrees right now. Adam Paxman asked if these meters are as accurate as our current system and Ken said yes they are. He said you get outage reports right off, tampering messages and a whole bunch of notices if something is wrong with a meter. Reg Beliveau said there is pressure from the PUC to move to these meters and with Swanton being the third largest publicly owned utility there is strength in numbers and they can get better pricing. He said they are going to do the water meters as well. Ken said there is a growing amount of pressure from the State to install AMI meters. He said if you choose to not install AMI meters you will have to justify why you’re not.

 

Ken said back in the 1980’s most of the VT utilities signed a contract with Hydro Quebec to bring power into Canada. He said at the time that contract was signed in 1984 ISO New England didn’t exist and anytime you bought power from outside your utility you had to show a physical path between the person selling the power and yourself. He said they also had to sign contracts for transmission and that’s how the Highgate converter got built. He said there has been contracts in place for 30 years and Swanton has been paying support payments every month for this, however in 2012 when Hydro Quebec contracts ended it was replaced by a new one. Under the new ISO New England structure in place you no longer need to show a path for transmission because it’s done financially. He said there is no physical need to own this line but there is a right under the contract to extend it for an additional 20 years and ends in November. Velco has been negotiating on behalf of all of Vermont to renew that contract. He said they finally have a contract that everyone agrees to according to their attorneys. He said the benefits of extending the contract are the lines are 30 years old and essentially depreciated. He said Swanton’s support payments are $100 per month and if they retain the rights to the line ISO New England views that as a very beneficial access to Quebec. He said every month the Village receives a credit each month on their bill. He said those credits add up to several thousand dollars each year. He said the Village pays approximately $1000 a year but is getting back $4000 or $5000 a year in credits. He said from a financial standpoint this is almost a no brainer to continue on and it is their recommendation that the Village do so. Chris Leach said this sounds like a good deal and asked about liability of the poles and lines. Ken said part of the negotiation was full due diligence on the condition of the poles and there is a capital plan in place for upgrades. He said there is a risk but they feel it is very minimal and said something catastrophic would have to happen.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to accept the Vermont Phase 1 Participation Agreement for the Amended and Restated Vermont Participation Agreement for Quebec Interconnection and named Village Manager Reginald Beliveau Jr. as the authorized signer of the contract. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

 

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, updated the Board on the FERC relicensing at the Hydro Plant.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer, Village President, stated the sidewalks and landscaping on York Street looks very nice. Reg said they will be paving York Street, Church Street and replacing a water line on Depot Street as well as a fire hydrant in the near future.

 

11. Executive Session to Discuss Customer Account, Real Estate and Personnel:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session to discuss customer account, real estate and personnel at 7:47 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:15 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12. Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:15 p.m.  Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date

 

October 26, 2020

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, October 26, 2020

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau Jr., Village Manager; and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1. Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

 

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

3. Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

4. Public Comment:

 

Neal Speer stated they are making progress on the Riviera Hotel property and said that’s a positive thing. He said Gordon Winters is also working on cleaning out the old theatre building.

 

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Thursday, October 15, 2020:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Thursday, October 15, 2020 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 23, 2020:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Friday, October 23, 2020 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked about the payment made to Paul Nolan for $34,059.07. Reg Beliveau stated that was for work done on relicensing the Hydro Plant dam. Chris Leach asked about the payment made to SS VT Solar LLC for $6,040.66. Reg Beliveau stated that’s payment made for the solar credits on the Frontage Road. Eugene LaBombard asked about the payment made to Kevin Brown for $360. Reg Beliveau stated that was for an overpayment made on their tax account. Motion carried.

 

7. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated this weekend is their social distanced Halloween in the Park from 5 to 7 p.m. and he’s hoping the weather will be nice. He said unfortunately there will be no Christmas in the Park this year due to COVID-19, however the Chamber will continue to light the trees in the park and they will be putting up the Christmas tree this year.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he talked with the Postmaster again about a drive-up mailbox and said he is legitimately trying to satisfy their need. He said there are some roadblocks, one being they are in dire straight and the mailbox cost about $1200. He said they also need an agreement with their Union about an additional pickup and a change to their route. He said he fully understands this but said he will continue to work on this. He also asked about how the Village did on tax collection this year. Reg said he wasn’t sure what the final numbers were but didn’t think it was terrible.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked if the Village was still working on the water line job across the Missisquoi River. Reg said yes they were still working on it. He also said he received a few good comments about the totem pole in the park.

 

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated if there are any customers who are having trouble paying their electric bills to contact the Village because we are continuing to help people apply for the VCAAP grant funds.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated the Carroll Concrete property looks very nice cleaned up and they will await further development. He also reminded everyone to go out and vote on November 3^rd.

 

8. Executive Session if Necessary:

 

None.

 

9. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 7:14 p.m.  Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 7:14 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date

 

September 28, 2020

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 28, 2020

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau Jr., Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Leonard “Joey” Stell, Chief of Police; Sandy Kilburn, Roger George, Eric Gaudette and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1. Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

 

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

3. Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated that Chief of Police Joey Stell and Lt. David Kachajian are working on a noise complaint so that can be discussed under #10. He also stated #8 wasn’t needed because it could be discussed in open session.

 

4. Public Comment:

 

Sandy Kilburn stated she would like to thank David Winchester for the positive art he painted on one of the art walls. She stated she misses the positive messages and hopes to see more in the near future. She also asked if the Village had received any quotes back from the RFP they put out for training on racism. Reg stated they had received three back and if memory serves one was for $114,000, one for $85,000 and one for $75,000. He said he brought them over to Town Administrator David Jescavage to review. Sandy Kilburn stated those amounts are ridiculous and asked why they couldn’t find someone local to teach the class. Reg stated the quotes would be reviewed and discussed further with the Town.

 

Roger George from 16 Maquam Shore Road stated he was there tonight to discuss the deteriorating condition of the water quality at the northern end of Maquam Bay. He said the beach, along with the pavilion and rest rooms are an asset to the town and village but said the beach is unusable from June on during the summer months. He said he has attended Swanton Selectboard meetings to express his concern and has also met with the State of Vermont. He said he is here tonight to meet the Trustees and to also let them know about his concerns as well as the concerns of his neighbors. He said the smell was so bad this year they couldn’t sit outside. He said he would like to offer his encouragement if they plan on any work on the water quality. Chris Leach asked if harrowing would help the issue like they did in St. Albans Bay. Reg Beliveau stated he met with Kent Anderson from the State of Vermont last week at the beach. He said they discussed possible corrective actions. He said they understand there is floating decaying vegetation and the lake is very low this year, which makes conditions worse. He said he is in communications with the State and will continue to do so. Reg said he would also call St. Albans and see where they got their tractor from. Neal Speer stated the State of Vermont is in charge of all waterways. Roger stated he met with Karen Bates from the State and said she had a lot of knowledge regarding this but didn’t offer any immediate solutions. He said he feels dredging that area would help quite a bit because he did some by hand last summer and had water movement for about a week. Chris Leach stated residents who have lake front property pay more in taxes and are unable to enjoy the lake front. Reg stated he would do some follow up with the State and keep the board informed. The Board thanked Mr. George for attending the meeting.

 

Sandy Kilburn stated she would like to find local people that could help teach/train classes on racism and join with all of Franklin County to share the expense of the training. She also stated she can remember how nice Lake Champlain was 40-50 years ago and said there wasn’t a problem at all there.

 

 

 

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 10, 2020:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, September 10, 2020 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked Chris if he had an update from the Post Office yet regarding a drive-up window. Chris said he does not but would talk with the Postmaster there. Motion carried.

 

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 25, 2020:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Friday, September 25, 2020 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

7. Swanton Village Police Department Update:

 

Chief Stell stated the Village Police responded to 148 calls for service during the month of September. He said they stopped 48 vehicles and issued 54 warnings and 14 of those stops resulted in fines totaling $2779. He said the problematic areas were First St., Grand Avenue, Canada St. and Spring St. Chris Leach said it seems like speeding is an issue on Route 78 by Gallup Court. Chief Stell stated he has done speed studies there and the average speed is 5 mph below the posted limit. Eugene LaBombard thanked the Chief for all the information he sends them regarding COVID-19. Chris also stated that everyone in Swanton respects the department and what they do. Chief Stell stated they are still delivering Meals on Wheels to the homebound and also said that every other day Officer Cleary contacts 35 vulnerable adults living in the community to check up on them.

 

8. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Not needed.

 

9. Discussion on Possible Real Estate Purchase:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, stated a while back a study was done on the Northern Gateway to Swanton along Route 78 to North River Street and South River Street. He said an engineering firm studied the traffic flow as well as the economic development opportunities in that area. Neal said one area of concern was the Riviera Hotel property. He said last year the Village along with Northwest Regional Planning met with a developer about purchasing that property. He said Regional Planning wanted a Brownfield Study done and Phase 1 was completed. He said because of the cost to continue with the Brownfield Study the deal fell through. Neal said the Village approached the owner and reached a sale price. He said the Village will purchase this property and have access to funds to clean up the property with Phase 2 of the Brownfield Study. Neal said Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, said there are funds available to purchase the property without using taxpayer funds. He said the Village can apply for grants to help clean up the property and then plan on re-selling it for development. Reg Beliveau said they are trying to follow suit with what St. Albans City has done and said funds are more available for municipalities. He said this building has become a public safety issue as well. Chris Leach made the motion to authorize the Village of Swanton to purchase the Riviera Hotel property at 6 South River Street, sign the Purchase and Sales Agreement and to expedite the clean-up of said property for re-sale. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

10. Discussion on Possible Poultry Ordinance:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, said he has received more complaints about residents raising chickens in the Village. He said because of COVID-19 more people have begun to garden and raise chickens and they tend to migrate on their neighbors’ properties. He said the police department is also working on a noise ordinance for the Village and said maybe these two ordinances could be added at the same time. Chief Stell said the Village has several multi-apartment buildings and as of now State Statutes doesn’t cover any daytime noise issues. He said with a specific noise ordinance in place they could measure actual decibels. He said this would also help with the numerous complaints received over the summer regarding fireworks. He said his office would come up with a draft and would present it to the Board at their next meeting for further discussion. It was decided that a farm animal ordinance would be drafted as well for further discussion at their next meeting. Chris Leach stated he’s in favor of less ordinances governing what residents can do on their properties.

 

11. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated the Chamber of Commerce would be holding Halloween in the Park on Saturday, October 31^st at 5 p.m., weather permitting. Chief Stell asked how they would do this with COVID-19. Adam stated social distancing would be in place. Chief Stell said those kinds of events have been closed by executive order from the Governor’s office. Adam said people have been asking him about Trick or Treating as well. Chief Stell said the state would be putting out some guidance on that soon and thinks it will be canceled.

 

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said it was nice seeing activity in the park the last couple of weekends. He said those events were social distanced. Neal Speer also said how nice it was to see some activity going on. He said Bees on Broadway and Ace Hardware look good.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard wanted to remind everyone that taxes are due on October 15^th, 2020.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he has been working on the Stormwater Project which requires treating stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roof tops, roads and parking areas, and preventing pollutants from entering the waterways. He said he has been working with Pomerleau Real Estate (Hannaford’s Supermarket), Andy Avenue and Leduc Drive Housing Development as well as the Town of Swanton. He said this pertains to property by the Complex and on Jones Court. Reg said Act 64 requires all sites with more than three acres of impervious surface to obtain a stormwater permit. He said he has been in communication with Kerrie Garvey from Watershed Consulting Associates about a collaboration between Swanton and Hannaford’s Supermarket. He said Kerrie notified him that the Village and Hannaford’s have been selected for a 30% engineering design under this project and received a Letter of Intent to sign stating that the Village/Town and Hannaford’s will participate in a public-private partnership to manage stormwater. This project will include the development of 30% conceptual engineering designs by Watershed Consulting Associates and project partners for a stormwater best management practice. The Board asked Reg what the 30% design meant and asked if the Village would then have to come up with the remaining 70% design. Reg stated he wasn’t exactly sure but said he would clarify this with Kerrie and would have it ready for their next board meeting.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau informed the Board that the Wastewater Pilot Program would be in place on October 17 and said they have three prototypes coming in that will help mitigate phosphorus from their affluent. He said they are also working on the Hydro Relicensing but because the river is so low they are unable to perform maintenance on Unit #5. He said they will wait for more water. He also said the totem pole is almost ready to be erected in the Village Green. He said he is hoping the Trustees will be able to attend when they do the installation. Reg also said the Village owned land by John’s Bridge has been used for hunting over the years. He said they found someone was baiting deer and the game wardens have been notified. He said because of this the Village will now have to post all their property and only give permission to certain individuals to hunt there.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated he and Reg attended an event where the VFW presented them with a check to fully fund the restoration of the Dough Boy in Veterans Memorial Park. He said the Combat Veterans raised these funds by raffling off a World War I gun. He wanted them to know how much this is appreciated. Roger George wanted to let the Trustees know that the electric department had to do some work on his property recently and they were very courteous and professional and did great work.

 

12. Executive Session if Necessary:

 

None.

 

13. Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:31 p.m.  Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:31 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date

 

September 14, 2020

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 14, 2020

7:00 PM

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1. Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

 

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

3. Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

4. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, August 24, 2020:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, August 24, 2020 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 11, 2020:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Friday, September 11, 2020 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Eugene asked about the payment of $51,256 made to Hungerford Construction. Reg Beliveau stated that was for the paving jobs in the Village. Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Chevalier Stoneworks. Reg stated that was for work done at the Wastewater Treatment Plant after the chimney collapsed. Motion carried.

 

7. Sign VT State Revolving Fund for $172,900 for 20-year evaluation of Wastewater Treatment Facility:

 

This VT State Revolving Fund loan for $172,900 will be for the 20-year evaluation of the wastewater facilities and development of the phosphorus reduction plan as required by the Discharge Permit. This project was amended to cover costs of conducting mapping of the collection system and is now being amended to cover the costs of pilot testing treatment as part of the plant evaluation. Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, to sign the VT State Revolving Fund loan documents for $172,900 for the 20-year evaluation project at the Wastewater Facility and also made the motion for the Board of Trustees to sign where necessary on loan documents. Eugene LaBombard seconded both motions. Motions carried.

 

8. Approve and Sign 2020 December Transco Equity Offer/Purchase:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that VT Transco will issue equity in December of this year and he is suggesting the Village of Swanton purchase the equity directly instead of going through VPPSA. He said the Village’s share will cost $182,120. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Reg Beliveau to sign the 2020 December Transco Equity Offer/Purchase for $182,120 and to have the Village purchase this equity directly. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated these equity purchases have made the Village money over the years and said this is beneficial to the ratepayers. Motion carried.

 

9. Andre Blouin Request to Connect to Village Water System at 1 Madison Drive:

 

Adam Paxman moved to enter Water Commissioner’s meeting, seconded by Eugene LaBombard. Motion carried.

 

Andre Blouin is requesting permission to connect to the Village Water System at 1 Madison Drive for his single family 3-bedroom home. He is aware of the $1500 water connection fee and is also aware he needs to purchase a water meter. Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Andre Blouin’s request to connect to the Village Water System at 1 Madison Drive. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman moved to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting and reenter Open Session, seconded by Eugene LaBombard. Motion carried.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked if the new composting rule would have an adverse effect on the wastewater treatment plant. Eugene LaBombard stated he didn’t think it would but suggested they keep an eye on it. Chris also said he hasn’t heard anything back from the Post Office yet about a drive-up window. He also asked if the Village planned to move forward with the Complex upgrade. Reg said because of COVID-19 those plans have been put on hold but said they discussed maybe moving forward in segments and not doing everything all at once.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said they had a real good turnout for the picnic and music in the park on September 4^th. He said hopefully they will have more to come next year.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Downtown Swanton Scoping Study virtual meeting will be held on September 17^th at 6 p.m. He said this will be a zoom meeting and he is urging everyone to log on and voice their opinions about the downtown traffic pattern. Reg also stated he has received more complaints about roosters and chickens in the Village and asked the Board to maybe consider an ordinance on farm animals in the Village. Adam Paxman suggested this be put on the next agenda.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated the downtown area looks great and said Bees on Broadway has done a real nice job with her storefront. He said Ace Hardware has finished their paving and their storefront looks great too with all the fall decorations. He said they are still looking to fill the old theater building. Reg Beliveau mentioned the Restart VT project where gift cards would be sent for local businesses. He said Debbie Winters and Betsy Fournier are working on this as well.

 

11. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter Executive Session to discuss real estate at 7:23 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:30 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12. Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:30 p.m.  Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date

 

August 24, 2020

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, August 24, 2020

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau Jr., Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager;  Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Richard “Dick” Menard, Abenaki Chief; Ron and Sandy Kilburn; and Channel 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1. Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

 

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

3. Agenda Review:

 

Adam Paxman stated he had a Chamber of Commerce request he would like to add. Neal Speer suggested they discuss it during Any Other Business. Reg Beliveau stated he needed an Executive Session for personnel and real estate.

 

4. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, August 10, 2020:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, August 10, 2020 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach stated he had a minor correction under the VPPSA discussion. He said where it states “Chris Leach asked the difference between a smart meter and an advanced meter” it should have stated “Chris Leach asked what the monetary advantage would be for a Village customer with a smart meter.” Motion carried with correction.

 

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, August 21, 2020:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Friday, August 21, 2020 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

7. Economic Development Coordinator Update:

 

Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, informed the Board that the deadline to complete the US Census is September 30^th and she is urging everyone to complete it if they haven’t. She also said the Healthy Community Task Force is looking for volunteers to help do the sidewalk inventory and audit. She said this will be mainly in the Village of Swanton looking at areas where there is sidewalk missing. She said if someone is interested in being on this task force to contact her at swedc@swantonvermont.org. She said there is a small group moving forward along with the Town of Swanton, with diversity training and they have found two RFP’s to use that work for them. She said the deadline is September 15^th and  said she has had three or four inquiries and they have all been from out of state. Neal Speer asked from where and she said one was from Alabama. Sandy Kilburn stated she thought someone was already recommended for this. Elisabeth said they have to list it this on the business registry. Elisabeth also said there is a SPARK grant up to $3000 for training. She also said the Downtown Scoping Study will hold their local concerns meeting on September 17^th, time and location to be announced.

 

8. Abenaki Chief Richard “Dick” Menard request permission to erect Abenaki Totem Pole in the Village Green:

 

Dick stated the Abenaki’s would like to erect a 10’ totem pole made out of white cedar in a designated area on the Village Green. He said he would like it visible to residents coming down Route 78 but said he realizes there are other things going on there as well. He said they would have to dig a 2’ hole and have some sort of plaque informing people of what the pole is about. Neal Speer asked if they were interested in having a dedication ceremony when the pole gets erected. Chief Menard said yes they would. He said six months ago they talked about this and would like to have a Native American celebration and erect the pole during that time. Chris Leach asked if this would be similar to the one on the Monument Road. Chief Menard said that one is 19 ½’ tall but it would be similar. Chief Menard said he’s never seen one be vandalized yet probably because it’s a spiritual thing. Chris Leach said he’s in favor of this but wondered if they would be inviting more things that might not be appropriate in the park. Sandy Kilburn said if anything belongs in the park it is this. She said the Abenaki have been very important in Swanton and this is long overdue. Adam Paxman said he is gun shy right now about putting anything in the park because of what happened over the last couple of months. He said he would rather see this in Marble Mill or next to the look out by the Swanton dam. He said he’s not comfortable with putting this in the park right now. Ron Kilburn stated he would support putting this totem pole in the park because that’s the heart of the community and this is what this is all about. Elisabeth stated she believed it belonged in the park as well. Adam said he would like to see it at the Chamber Office if they got permission to do so. Eugene LaBombard asked if there would be any maintenance to the pole. Chief Menard said no there wouldn’t be, he has six coats of coating on it. Joel Clark said he supports it going in the park as well and said if they had more land around the Town office he would consider putting it there. He said he hopes it goes in the park as well. Neal Speer stated its long overdue, they hold Abenaki celebrations in the park and doesn’t feel there would be a problem with that. Chief Menard said he is hoping to get the celebrations back in the park too. He said maybe they could light it up with a solar light. Eugene stated he wouldn’t want this to distract from the monument that is in the north end of the park. Reg said he would work with Dick on finding a good spot and would get back to the board with what they’ve decided. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve installing an Abenaki Totem Pole in the Village Green as requested with the location to be determined. Chris Leach seconded.  Chris Leach said he would like some history added to the plaque, something that would make people think and want to learn more about the Abenakis and how long they’ve been here. Adam Paxman said he doesn’t oppose the project, just the location. Motion carried with two yays, one nay. Sandy Kilburn said for people who grew up in Swanton can probably trace their roots back to someone who is Abenaki. She said she knows she’s Abenaki and believes most of us are.

 

9. Approve and Set 2020 Village Tax Rate for Swanton Village Tax Bills:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated the grand list was up substantially this year. She said in the Village Report she had estimated the tax rate to be .8838 on what was known for the grand list. She said the list came in higher and she is now requesting a tax rate of .8722. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the 2020 tax rate of .8722. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman said the Chamber of Commerce would like to request the use of the Village Green on Friday, September 4^th from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for a social distanced picnic in the park with music. He said the Chamber would also like to request use of the park on Saturday, October 31^st for Halloween in the Park. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve a picnic in the park on September 4^th and Halloween in the park on Saturday, October 31^st. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said he sent a letter to the postmaster about his idea on having a drive thru mailbox installed. He said he hasn’t heard anything in response to this and is asking permission to send another letter. Eugene LaBombard said they aren’t keeping their grounds up very well and wondered if the Village should mow it. He said the mailboxes need to be cleaned as well and suggested Chris put that in his letter too. He said the mailbox on Merchants Row is in very bad condition.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said he received another equity call coming due from Velco at the end of September. Lynn said they would need to let VPPSA know on their behalf and they would have this added to a future agenda. She said the Village’s share would be approximately $187,000 and they need to decide if they want to purchase it outright or finance it through VPPSA. Chris Leach stated these have been good investments.

 

Any Other Business: Joel Clark said the Dough Boy in Veterans Memorial Park is all set to be repointed and he just wanted to let the Village know. He said the base of the monument will remain the same as it was as it holds a historical value.  Chris Leach made the motion to acknowledge the repointing of the Dough Boy Monument in Veterans Memorial Park through the Town of Swanton. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Village was awarded a $9000 grant from RiseVT to survey Marble Mill Park. He said the true boundary lines have been an issue and it’s been difficult to find records of it.

 

 

 

11. Executive Session to Discuss Personnel and Real Estate:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session to discuss personnel and real estate at 8:00 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: None.

 

12. Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:00 p.m.  Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

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Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date