July 1, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING

Monday, July 1, 2015

6:00 PM

 

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Special Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

 

1.      Executive Session to Discuss Personnel and Real Estate:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 6:02 p.m. to discuss Personnel and Real Estate. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session and enter Open Session at 7:06 p.m. Chris Leach seconded.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the Village of Swanton’s preliminary salary plan as presented. Chris Leach seconded.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the Village of Swanton’s letter to the Agency of Natural Resource’s regarding the Lower Swanton Dam drafted by Attorney Paul Nolan with some modifications. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

2. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

None.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Special Board of the Trustees meeting at 7:10 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

June 22, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 22, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Molly Lambert, Downtown Enhancement Project; Joe Letourneau, Hydro Plant Foreman and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, June 8, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, June 8, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked if Reg Beliveau found out how much the Village of Swanton would be receiving for the Hydro Plant grant for Unit #5. Reg stated he is still waiting to hear and would let the Board know as soon as he heard. Reg also advised the Board that vendor LN Consulting was used for an ARC Flash Study at the Sub Station which is an Osha requirement. He said the total cost will be $8000. Chris Leach stated he would like it mentioned in the Minutes that he is researching consolidating dispatching services with the Border Patrol, Customs, etc. to save money. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 19, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 19, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau stated that Almetek Industries Inc for $2880.42 was used for remarking the utility poles. He also said Jeffords Stell & Engineering for $7020 was used for an emergency repair of the rubber bag at the Hydro Plant. Motion carried.

 

3. Acknowledgement of Swanton Village Financial Management Questionnaire:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village of Swanton Manager, advised the Board that the Village has filled out their Annual Financial Management Questionnaire for 2015. He advised that Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager/Controller, fills this out for the State of Vermont auditors each year which describes the financial functions of the Village. This ensures that not one individual is responsible for all financial duties and list the names of employees who do each job in the Village Office. Chris Leach made the motion acknowledging receipt of the Village of Swanton’s Financial Questionnaire and also made the motion authorizing Neal Speer, Village President, to sign the document. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motions carried.

 

The Board elected to moved to Item #5 – Any Other Necessary Business to hear Molly Lambert’s discussion on the Downtown Enhancement Project.

 

5. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Molly Lambert informed the Board that she wanted to stop by and first of all thank them for their support of the Downtown Enhancement Project and would like to come in quarterly and give an update to the Board. She said because of the Community Visit five task forces were created – the Outdoor Recreation Task Force, Swanton Arts Council, the Economic Development Task Force, Unite the Community to Prevent Substance Abuse Task Force and Downtown: Traffic, Walkability, Bikeability.

 

She said they had a spring flower planting project, a dam overlook was installed and a mural was painted at Maple City Candy building. She also said Rutland’s Project Vision Team is coming to Swanton for a community meeting July 15 to share resources and ideas.

 

She also said Mark Fenton, National Expert on Biking and Walkability and Healthy Communities, is coming to Swanton and surrounding communities. His visit is being paid for by Rise VT and the date will be announced.

 

She said the other reason she is there is to discuss the $10,000 grant the Downtown Enhancement Project received through the Village of Swanton being the applicant. Reg Beliveau stated that Lynn Paradis will need to open an account at Union Bank for these funds and create a separate line item and account number for the Downtown Enhancement Project grant funds for detailed accounting purposes. He also stated that in the future there is discussion with the Town of Swanton about asking for funds on the Town Ballot so that Village and Town taxpayers contribute to this Project and those funds would be allocated to the Town of Swanton. Eugene LaBombard asked if there would be a budget the Committee would keep. Reg stated yes like the Swanton Library. Molly said they have had several meetings setting up their 501C and still have a ways to go but are continuing to learn and welcome input. She again thanked the Board for all their continued support.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, to open an account for the Downtown Enhancement Project Grant for $10,000 at Union Bank. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

The Board elected to moved back to Item #4.

 

4. Village of Swanton Employee Handbook Changes/Updates Discussion:

 

Eugene LaBombard has volunteered to go ahead and make changes throughout the handbook and work with Lynn Paradis or Reg Beliveau at the Village of Swanton. Chris Leach and Adam Paxman liked this idea and stated they would look through the book and give their ideas and suggestions to Eugene to work on. The Board agreed this will be a work in progress until it’s complete and we will keep it on the agenda until then.

 

5. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Board that at their last meeting they discussed having Joe Letourneau come in to give an update on what’s going on at the Hydro Plant and he said he is here tonight to do so. Joe said he took over being the supervisor at the plant in March 2015 and held a meeting to start things off fresh. He said things have been phenomenal since then. He said they hired a new operator, Noel Anderson and that’s help a lot. He said each operator now has two days off per week plus four days off each month. He said Floyd Tatro took it upon himself to create a training guide to help train Noel and he also now does the shopping for the plant and the ordering. He said one of the changes he implemented was each operator carries a cell phone with them to do their rounds and the main phone is programmed through the cell phone. This enables the operator to move freely throughout the plant and grounds and still be in contact with everyone and also saves the Village money because they no longer need to come in early prior to their shift. He said the biggest change he has noticed there is “teamwork” and how well they all work together now. Adam Paxman asked if he sees a need for a sixth person and Joe said not at this time because Greg Sargent can fill in if needed. Joe stated he created a training guide and each operator was able to rate the new operator on each shift and he is now fully trained and operating on his own. He said he has a new Log Book in place which will enable anyone to look back and see what took place on any given day.

 

Joe also said they just completed their FERC inspection at the plant and they did very well. He said Unit #5 is offline right now but he has ordered the necessary part and it should be in this week. He said the trash rake has been overhauled which included a new head, new controls and cab windows. He said they have completed emergency repairs to the rubber dam entrance hatch and are pleased with that. He said Unit #2 is still running at 80% and JF Messier from Enerserv will be bringing a camera up to see what’s going on inside that unit. Joe said overall things are going pretty good at the plant and they have determined that Units #1, 2 and 3 are performing where they should be. He said they are doing more testing on Unit #4 and JF will come during an outage in August when annual inspections will be done. The Board thanked Joe for coming in and for doing a good job at the Hydro Plant.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Water Commissioner’s meeting at 9:03 p.m. to hear a water allocation request. Chris Leach seconded. Seth Coleman is requesting 490 gallons per day for a single family house at the corner of Lake Street and Lasnier Road. Chris Leach made the motion to approve Seth Coleman’s water allocation request for 490 gallons per day for a single family house on the corner of Lake Street and Lasnier Road. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting at 9:06 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau read a letter of thanks from the Abenaki Tribal Council for helping to replace the totem pole on the Monument Road recently. Reg also mentioned all of the rain and the flooding in the Village this past week. He said if it continues they will contact Regional Planning for assistance and they will help the Village open a center if necessary. He said some residents had water up to their floor boards and the Fire Department helped drain water all day Monday. He said they expect more rain tonight and tomorrow morning.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked when the Gas company would begin construction. Reg Beliveau said he thought July 1^st they were supposed to break ground. He said they are looking for more investors.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked about the grant received for the storm water treatment and asked Reg Beliveau if the Village needed to go out to bid for that. Reg stated because the Village was doing their own work and using their own equipment and staff to save money he didn’t need to. He also asked if the basketball net was lifted yet. Reg said not yet but he would check into it. Eugene also asked if Reg booked the NEPPA Conference yet and Reg said he would do that this week.

 

6. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:15 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

Minutes Typed by Dianne Day on 6/26/15

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

June 8, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 8, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

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

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, May 11, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, May 11, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 5, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, June 5, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked what vendor Mountain Air for $70,000 was used for. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, explained that was to replace the pipes and valves at the Waste Water Plant. He said they were originally installed when the plant was built in the 1970’s. Adam Paxman asked what vendor LN Consulting for $2000 was for. Reg Beliveau stated he couldn’t remember but would find out and explain at their next meeting. Motion carried.

 

3. St. Albans City Police Chief Taylor – Dispatching Discussion:

 

Chief of Police Taylor and Lt. Judy Dunn were present for this discussion. Chief Taylor handed out an Explanation for SAPD, Central Dispatch Budget and Breakdown of Franklin County 60/40 Dispatch Fee Structure. Chief Taylor explained how they came up with the 60/40 rule for establishing the Franklin County fee structure. He said they simply add the total number of emergency calls in the City for any given year and do the same for the Fire, 1^st Response and Rescue calls in Franklin County (outside the City) to arrive at usage. He said between 2007 and 2014 those numbers averaged out to 60% for the City of St. Albans and 40% for the other Franklin County stakeholders and those numbers do not include law enforcement calls outside of St. Albans City, for Franklin County. Chief Taylor presented the City’s total expenditures for Central Dispatch which is $896,164. He divided that number by 40% which is $358,466 then divided that by Franklin County’s population outside of St. Albans City (40,828) which equals a per capita rate of $8.78 per person is established. That number is then multiplied by your community’s population, which then equals your dispatch fee he explained. He provided the Board with what all the neighboring community’s pay as well. Chief Taylor also presented what Hartford PD charges their communities and what Lamoille Sheriff’s Department charges for dispatching services.

 

Discussion took place regarding the Dispatch Center and the training that goes into an individual before they are ready to work full time on their own. The Board stated they would like to tour the facility and advised they would give notice to the Chief prior to requesting a tour. Lt. Dunn stated she would like to get them in for a tour of the facility. The Board thanked them both for coming in and explaining how their department works, how they came up with a dispatching fee and for explaining it to them.

 

 

4. Sign Certification of Compliance for town Road and Bridge Standards and Network Inventory:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Board of Trustees to sign the Certification of Compliance for Town Road and Bridge Standards and Network Inventory. Adam Paxman seconded the motion. Motion carried. The Board of Trustees signed the Certification of Compliance and the Annual Financial Plan – Town Highways certifying that funds raised by municipal taxes are equivalent to or greater than a sum of a least $300 per mile for each mile of Class I, 2, and 3 Town Highway in the municipality.

 

5. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach stated it was good to hear the local bank robbers were now in jail. He also said the flowers throughout the Village looked good. He stated he read the article in the St. Albans Messenger about Jim Irish’s award and was pleased to see that. Reg Beliveau stated that they went to Killington where Jim Irish was awarded the Green Mountain Water Environment Association’s Operator Excellence – Wastewater Award.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked how things were going at the Power Plant. Reg Beliveau stated Joe Letourneau did an analysis there today and found they weren’t managing the pond levels correctly so he had to re-educate that employee. He also said the Hydro & Assets group task force at VPPSA did an analysis of the plant and he’s waiting to see the results of that and will let the board know as soon as he sees it. He said he will ask Joe to come in to their next meeting and give the board an update on the Hydro Plant. He also said they are waiting on their MacNeil credits and are 63% into their purchase power budget. He also said he put in for a reimbursement for the new hydro on Unit #5 and Swanton Village was awarded the funds, he is just waiting to hear how much they’ve been awarded.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated that he spoke with Fire Chief Tim Girard and he informed him that four Firemen have passed the Level 1 Firefighters course and they are Jonah Snide, Troy Campbell, Justin Hazard and Charles Sweeney. He also said he received a letter from the Franklin County International Firefighters Association informing them they have revisited and made additions/cost increases to their fee schedule for their regional mutual aid agreement.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he would like to start working on the Village of Swanton Employee Handbook and making changes and updates to where it is necessary. The Board members stated they would stop by the office and pick up a copy of the handbook, look it over and be ready to make changes and/or updates at their next board meeting.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated the overlook was installed by the river and said maybe they should put some steps in for grading because it’s very steep and slippery. Reg Beliveau stated he would check it out first. Reg also noted the electric crew helped the Abenaki’s erect their totem pole on the Monument Road back in May. Neal also stated the Farmer’s Market was going pretty good in the park on the weekends and is growing. He said the Downtown Enhancement Committee has been very busy and the free standing flower pots they put throughout the Village look very good.

 

6. Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate at 7:54 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:43 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:43 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:43 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

May 11, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, May 11, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Brad Aldrich, Elliott & Aldrich; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

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

 

1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, April 27, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, April 27, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, May 8, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, May 8, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked about Cross Machine Inc. for $56,298.80 on Warrant #41. Reg Beliveau explained that was for rebuilding the trash rake at the Hydro Plant. Chris Leach asked about the US Bank Operations Center payment for $219,276.38 on Warrant #46. Reg Beliveau stated that was a bond payment. Motion carried.

 

3. Aldrich & Elliott – Approval of Bid Award for Water Transmission Line Job, Authorize Village Manager and Sign Necessary Documents:

 

Brad Aldrich was present for this discussion and stated that they opened bids for the water transmission job. He said JP Sicard from Barton had the lowest bid coming in at $1,327,607. He said Alrich & Elliott has done four or five projects with them in the past and are very pleased with their work. He is recommending the Village accept this bid and because it was so low the Village will be able to complete two alternate jobs, Alternate No. 1 for $57,390 and Alternate No. 2 for $59,872. Neal Speer asked if the archaeological work was complete. Brad Aldrich stated it was. Brad Aldrich also stated that JP Sicard has demonstrated efforts to solicit bids from disadvantaged business enterprises, as required as a condition of submitting a bid for the above-referenced project.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Village Manager Reginald Beliveau to sign the Notice of Intent to Award Contract New Reservoir Transmission Main, Contract No. 2 RF3-296 to JP Sicard Inc. of Barton, VT for the Base Bid contract amount of $1,327,607. In addition, the Village plans to incorporate Additional Bid Alternative No. 1 of $57,390 and Additional Bid Alternative No. 2 of $59,872. He also made the motion to authorize Village Manager Reginald Beliveau to sign the DBE Effort by JP Sicard, Inc. Eugene LaBombard seconded both motions. Motions carried.

 

4. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked if the Hydro Plant was making money due to the amount of water going over the dam. Reg Beliveau stated they haven’t received March’s bill yet but said they are doing better record keeping and said it was going good. He said their new procedures were in place and he will have Joe Letourneau come in and give a report on the plant in the near future.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if it was possible to get some bike racks installed on Merchants Row and one in the park by the fountain. Reg Beliveau stated that the Downtown Enhancement committee brought that up and is working on it.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that on Thursday, May 14^th at 2 p.m. the Abenaki’s will be replacing their totem pole. He said they would like the Trustee’s to attend if they can. He said the digger truck will be helping them out with this.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer stated that when the Library removed the columns they were full of bees and honey. He said they are celebrating their 100^th anniversary this summer. He said he will keep everyone posted on their schedule of events.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer asked if there was any news on the gas plant moving into the industrial park. Reg Beliveau stated he believes they have closed on the property.

 

Eugene LaBombard stated he needs an executive session to discuss personnel.

 

5. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 7:35 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:31 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

ADJOURN: Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:32 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:32p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

April 27, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, April 27, 2015

6:30 PM

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.

 

1. Approve and accept Minutes from Monday, April 13, 2015:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, April 13, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman stated that in paragraph #4 under Any Other Business it should state “at a future” meeting instead of “at their next” meeting. Motion carried with correction.

 

2. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 24, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 24, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

3. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, asked the Board to adopt and follow Roberts Rule of Order for their board meetings. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adopt and follow Roberts Rule of Order. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Dianne Day, Village Clerk, advised the Board that the Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile is requesting to hold a coin drop on Saturday, September 12, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with a rain date of Saturday, September 19, 2015. She advised there is no other coin drops scheduled for that month. Chris Leach made the motion to approve Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile’s request to hold a coin drop on September 12, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with a rain date of September 19, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Eugene LaBombard seconded.  Eugene LaBombard advised they need to put up a sign that clearly states what people are donating to. Motion carried.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised that Board that the Village would like to allow the Farmer’s Market to place their banner in the Village Green for the season. The Board agreed to allow them to put the banner up from Thursday through Saturday each week to advertise their Farmer’s Market.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau advised the Board that Chief Joey Stell was recognized by David Blackmore, District Transportation Administrator, for teaching VTrans District 8 staff CPR and AED training on April 7^th and 8^th.

 

4. Executive Session to Discuss Legal Matters:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Legal Matters at 6:40 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 6:55 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: None.

ADJOURN: Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 6:56 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 6:56 p.m. Motion carried.

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

April 13, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, April 13, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

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

 

1. Approve and accept Minutes from Monday, March 23, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, March 23, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 10, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, April 10, 2015 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about vendor Superior Court of Vermont for $485.00. Village Clerk Dianne Day explained that was for filing small claim cases against individuals who haven’t paid invoices owed to Swanton Village. Eugene LaBombard asked about vendor VT Department of Health for $563.00. Reg Beliveau explained that was for testing at the Water Plant. Neal Speer asked about the Water Line Project payment for $73,757.07. Reg Beliveau stated that was for engineering services on that project. He stated they will be opening bids for that project next week and also said they have a meeting regarding Right of Way easements and permits. Motion carried.

 

3. Swanton Library Teen Advisory Board Discussion:

 

Item tabled until next meeting.

 

4. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach commented on the water resources video that Reg Beliveau sent the Board. He also mentioned the water retention pond. Reg stated the Village is receiving a $74,000 grant for the Marble Mill project to be completed in 2016. He said the Village can do a lot of the work in house. Chris Leach also asked if the Village heard anything back from the Methodist Church regarding the parking lot. Reg stated he mailed them a letter and hasn’t heard anything back yet.

 

Any Other Business:  Chris Leach stated he went over the Summary of Power Plant Operations and asked if they are in place yet. Reg Beliveau stated yes they are and they also hired Noal Anderson today. Chris asked if the plant was making money because of the high water running. Reg stated yes they were.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated that Adam Paxman will be taking his place on the NWSWD board but they are waiting for the next JLB meeting to confirm this. He said he is very happy with this decision. Chris also asked if the Village has heard anything in regards to Scott Rheaume’s request for Art Boards. Reg stated he received a call from the Zoning Administrator and said he would go see him this week. Adam Paxman stated the St. Albans Messenger ran a great article on this topic but eluted to the fact that it may not happen. Reg stated if not then they could do something in Marble Mill possibly.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he attended the Planning Commission meeting last week regarding the Town Plan and he said this is quite extensive. He said they will ratify the Plan at a future JLB meeting. He said the next Planning Commission meeting regarding this Plan will be on April 29, 2015.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard asked if there was an issue scheduling a JLB meeting? Reg Beliveau stated Cathy Fournier, Town Clerk, asked what the Village had for agenda items. The Board stated they would like to get a JLB meeting scheduled in April if at all possible.

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he needed to follow up on the “20 Minute Parking Signs” for Merchants Row. He said he also called the insurance company about covering the Memorial Day parade. He also said the Village provided the final inquiries to the Department of Public Service for the Class Cost of Service study.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated Joe Letourneau completed a Production at the Hydro Plant report and said the information is from 1996 to present. He said this is very informative. Reg also said he talked with different department heads and told them he would like them to come in quarterly to a Board meeting and inform the Board what’s happening in their departments. The Board liked this idea. Reg also said they have a summer intern that will be working at the Waste Water Plant from MVUHS.

 

Any Other Business:  Reg Beliveau informed the Board that he was approached by a couple of skateboarders from Swanton and they are requesting a place to skateboard. He thought maybe there was a place in Marble Mill for this. The Board thought this was a good idea also. Adam Paxman stated the Recreation Department should work on this. Chris Leach asked if they should put this skateboard park issue on the ballot in March 2016. Eugene LaBombard stated the Village Manager should contact the insurance company regarding this also. He also said there are 4 wheelers riding up Spring Street and the police should be notified.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he attended the MVU School Board meeting and discussed the sidewalk grant “Safe Routes to School” plan. He said the Village would be painting the Bus Route on the sidewalks for the kids. He said they are still waiting to hear back on the sidewalk grant. He also said bids for the Water Project would be opened at the Village on April 21 at 8:30 a.m.

 

5. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

None.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 7:50 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 7:40 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

March 23, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, March 23, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Tim Smith & Kathy Lavoie, FCIDC; Scott Rheaume & Brad Bergeron, Swanton  Arts Council; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

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

 

1. Approve and accept Minutes from Monday, March 9, 2015 and Special Meeting Monday, March 16, 2015:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, March 9, 2015 and Special Meeting from Monday, March 16, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

2. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, March 20, 2015:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, March 20, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

3. Tim Smith – FCIDC 2015 Update:

 

Tim Smith asked that we move to Item #4 because he was waiting for Kathy Lavoie to get there.

 

4. Scott Rheaume – Swanton Arts Council:

 

Reg Beliveau stated that Scott Rheaume and Brad Bergeron were present for this item. He stated that the Swanton Arts Council would like to install art board walls and have murals painted on them. Scott stated that the walls would be 8’x8’ and they would like to erect them in different areas of the Village and Town. He said they would be two sided and open for anyone in the community to paint on. He said they would be very easily seen and would be patrolled if anything negative were to be put on them he would immediately paint over that. He stated that there are very talented people in the community and this would bring the community together. He said he would like these installed at the entrance and exits of the Village and Town. Chris Leach asked what kind of structure would be put up and Scott said it would be plywood. Chris suggested Dig Safe would need to be contacted before they put the signs up. Adam Paxman suggested they contact the Zoning Office because he was concerned these may be considered billboards or a sign. He said he was all for it and doesn’t see any issues. Scott stated he would like to put a plaque next to each sign informing the public of who they are and that this is an open canvas. Reg suggested one be installed by the Chamber of Commerce office, one on the corner of the Village Complex property and one by John’s Bridge. Neal Speer stated that if this board approved this he may need to come back after talking to the Zoning Board and Town of Swanton. Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Swanton Arts Council request to erect Art Walls pending approval of the Zoning Administrator and Town of Swanton. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

3. Tim Smith – FCIDC 2015 Update:

 

Tim Smith and Kathy Lavoie were present for this item. Tim stated that he is getting around to the all the Boards in Franklin County and said Kathy Lavoie is joining him. Kathy stated the Workforce Development came up a lot in the Community Visit. Tim stated that they realize they don’t publicize that area enough and are working on it. He said they are trying to capture people coming into the community and brand the region. He said they are in talks about a Welcome Center kiosk to catch traffic. He said they also continue to send people to Canada to recruit business. They also talked about their other focus which is the diversified agricultural food market, Farms & Food Directory which is all USDA certified. Tim said Kristin Hughes from NMC along with FCIDC are working on promoting local foods. Kathy stated the Job Expo is Thursday at the Collins Perley Complex which is open to the public in the afternoon. They said 600-700 people will attend that. Chris Leach stated they are trying to promote a lineman course and asked if there was any word on that. Reg stated the Village went to MVU last week looking for students interested in becoming a lineman or a waste water operator. Kathy Lavoie said she has an Enosburg high school student who is coming in April to job shadow. Reg stated the Village hired Katie Judd who worked with Kathy Lavoie a few years ago and they are hoping to get future linemen. He said they will work with MVU on Career Day.

 

Tim Smith said they had a meeting last week in Sheldon and Jack Dufresne expressed concern that there were no propane technicians in the area. He said when the gas line went in through Enosburg most of the technicians came from Chittenden County. He said Kathy is now working on developing a training course for this locally. Kathy said her Workforce Investment Board helped 300 young adults get into higher education or jobs. She said last year she worked with 63 young adults and placed 49 of them. She said their training center has seen 1300 adults tested there for the FBI, TSA, Border Protection and the US Postal System. She said she is anticipating 1400 to 1500 being tested this year. She also mentioned that Larry Fadden is teaching an Industrial Maintenance Program and Chandler Ede is teaching a Welding and Advanced Heating & System Repair class. She said Ben & Jerry’s team is training there now. She said they work with area businesses, CCV, Northwest Tech Center, Cold Hollow and the area High Schools.

 

Kathy said they are trying to create a CDL class here and are working with the St. Albans Coop and McDermott’s on this. She said they need to find a 20,000 square foot paved lot for this class to do training on. Chris Leach said he heard there is talk of a major expansion at the Highgate Airport and asked if there were any opportunities there. Kathy stated she just met with him. Neal Speer asked if they heard when Interstate 35 from Canada will be completed. Tim said he believes 2017 or 2018. They hoped the border in Highgate Springs will be better staffed to handle this. The Board thanked Tim and Kathy for their update.

 

5. Methodist Church Parking Lot Discussion:

 

Reg Beliveau stated that Rich McVicker wanted to know if the Village would take over the parking lot owned by the Swanton Methodist Church. Eugene Labombard stated he knows a lot of cars park there during the day. Reg stated the church’s position is it is being used for community parking so Mr. McVicker is hoping the Village would take it over. Chris Leach stated he thought the Village plowed it. Reg stated the Village used to but had some issues and stopped. He said the Town was plowing it but they stopped also because of issues. Reg stated the Village should meet with them and discuss this. Neal Speer said just ask them what they expect because he can see this going back to the same issues. He suggested the Village send them a letter asking what the Church expects and what they want. The Board agreed to table this item until further information is gathered. Item tabled.

 

6. Amend and Sign Financial Policies:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to amend the Financial Policy as presented. The Board will sign documents once revisions are made and presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

7. Class Cost of Service Update:

 

Reg Beliveau stated the Department of Public Service has requested more information from the Village that Steve Farman from VPPSA will be answering.

 

8. Ben & Jerry’s Request for a Coin Drop for August 2015 to benefit Relay for Life:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Ben & Jerry’s Relay for Life Coin Drop to be held on Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with a rain date of Saturday, August 8, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

9. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated he is working on the Memorial Day Parade on May 25^th and is requesting the Village of Swanton to sponsor the parade. Eugene LaBombard asked if this would require the Village to put funds up for the parade. Adam stated no he is asking to use the Village’s insurance umbrella for the parade. Chris Leach suggested they check with the Village’s Insurance company first. Reg Beliveau stated he would do so and let them know.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated he heard another negative comment about the lack of lighting downtown by the Post Office. Reg Beliveau stated he would check it out after the meeting.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if parking issue on Merchant’s Row has been resolved. He asked if they are going to put up “20 Minute” parking signs now. Reg Beliveau stated they need to talk about this in Executive Session.

 

Any Other Business: Dianne Day informed the Board that MVUHS Substance Free Committee is asking to change their approved Coin Drop dates from April 11, 2015 to April 18, 2015 with a rain date of April 25, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve MVUHS Substance Free Committee’s request to change Coin Drop dates to April 18, 2015 (rain date April 25, 2015) from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

10. Executive Session to Discuss Customer Account:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Customer Account at 8:13 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:18 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: The Village of Swanton will order “20 Minute Parking” signs to be placed in front of Swanton Rexall on Merchant’s Row.

 

ADJOURN: Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:20 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:20 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

March 9, 2015

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, March 9, 2015

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Brad Aldrich and Rachel Marvin, Aldrich & Elliott; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

 

1. Swear in elected officials for 2015: Dianne Day, Village Clerk (one year term); Neal Speer, Village President (one year term); Chris Leach, Village Trustee (three year term); and Betty Cheney, Delinquent Tax Collector (one year term).:

 

Eugene LaBombard swore in Dianne Day as Village Clerk for a one year term. Dianne Day swore in Neal Speer for Village President for a one year term. Betty Cheney was given oath at her office. Chris Leach will be in late and will be sworn in at that time.

 

Moved to Item #5 until Chris Leach arrives.

 

5. Brad Aldrich – Elliott & Aldrich – Agreement for Bid and Construction Phase New Reservoir Transmission Main – Contract #2 for $197,700:

 

Neal Speer asked Brad Aldrich to discuss this until Chris Leach arrived. Brad explained they are ready to go out to bid on the transmission line job and a few details to work out would like to advertise for bid next week. He said Aldrich & Elliott would take Swanton Village through the Bid Phase Services, the Construction Phase and any Special Services that would arise. He said they would conduct a bid opening for Swanton Village and then come back to Swanton Village with a bid recommendation. He said they would hold a pre-construction meeting, get the contractor lines up and monitor the construction with monthly job meetings. Eugene LaBombard asked about the 500 day duration of services. Brad explained that services start today and run through October or September of next year. He said they would check the warranty and determine if there were any issues. He said services end a full year after the project is complete. Neal Speer asked if UVM was done with the archaeological work. Rachel Marvin stated UVM wanted to come back and do a few more test pits but that was covered under the fee Swanton Village already paid them. She said they want to check by the river where they want to dig but it won’t interfere where they are working. Eugene LaBombard stated they are having a lot of problems with frozen pipes and asked if the transmission line would be insulated. Rachel stated that this is a large 16” pipe and would be constantly flowing but said it would have a heat trace in it for precaution. She said this is something Mike Menard could turn on if he wanted to. She said they are confident it will be fine.

 

7:25 p.m. Chris Leach arrived. Dianne Day swore Chris Leach in as Trustee for a three year term. He stated he has always been happy with the services provided by Aldrich & Elliott and said this project would be no different. Brad stated he would need a motion authorizing the Village Manager to approve and sign this Contract.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Reginald Beliveau, Village of Swanton Manager, or Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, the authority to sign all necessary documents pertaining to the New Reservoir Transmission Main Contract #2 for $197,700. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

2. Appoint a Treasurer for the Village of Swanton for 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to appoint Dianne Day as Treasurer for the Village of Swanton for a one year term. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried. Dianne Day accepted appointment.

 

 

 

3. Approve and accept Minutes from Informational Meeting Wednesday, February 25, 2015:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from February 25, 2015 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4. Approve and accept Village Warrants through Friday, March 6, 2015:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Warrants through Friday, March 6, 2015 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

6. Class Cost of Service Update:

 

Lynn Paradis stated a Public Hearing would be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 here at the Village Complex. She said the only thing she’s been asked is whether or not Swanton Village would like to phase this in and she replied that the Village did not want to do that. She said this is revenue neutral for the Village and as soon as the Department of Public Service approves it then Swanton Village can implement it for their customers. Lynn stated she would keep the Board informed.

 

Lynn Paradis stated she would need an Executive Session for Customer Account and Chris Leach stated he would need one for Personnel.

 

7. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, read the voting results to the Board.

 

8. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Customer Accounts and Personnel at 7:50 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:50 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

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

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date