SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX
120 FIRST STREET
SWANTON, VT 05488
REGULAR MEETING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013
7:00 P.M.
PRESENT: Ron Kilburn, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee;
Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reg Beliveau, Village Manager;
Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; and Channel
16.
Unless otherwise noted, all
motions carried unanimously.
Ron Kilburn, 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, October 7, 2013 Meeting:
Chris Leach made the motion
to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, October 7, 2013 as presented. Adam
Paxman seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau requested that I add to the Minutes
that Village employees can also choose the Gold Plan and Silver Plan from Blue
Cross Blue Shield as well as the Platinum Plan. Reg stated that Lynn Paradis
has tried several times to enroll the employees into the plan to no avail.
Chris Leach asked if the Village changed the eye or dental insurance. Lynn
advised there were no changes made to those insurance plans. Motion carried
with changes.
2. Approve and Accept
Village Warrants through Friday, October 25, 2013:
Eugene LaBombard made the
motion to approve and accept Village Warrants #620-#629 through October 25,
2013 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach mentioned the
VPPSA bill for $258,976.20. Lynn stated that even with all the rain they’ve had
they have paid a lot in purchase power. Chris Leach asked about Union Bank
payment for $85,840.08. Lynn advised that pays off the anticipation note at the
Water Treatment Plant. Eugene LaBombard mentioned Union Bank for $2745.65. Lynn
said she is waiting to get reimbursed on that. Motion carried.
3. MVUHS Substance Free
Committee Coin Drop Request:
Eugene LaBombard made the
motion to approve MVUHS’s request to hold a Coin Drop on Saturday, November 2,
2013 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon with a rain date of Saturday, November 9, 2013 from
9 a.m. to 12 noon. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.
4. September Financial
Review:
Lynn Paradis, Assistant
Village Manager, presented the Board of Trustees with the September financial
reports for each department.
Electric Fund:
Lynn discussed Residential Sales, Solar Credits, Purchase Power, and Fixed
Asset Purchases. Eugene LaBombard asked about the fuel tax and Ron Kilburn
asked about the maintenance of line labor. Lynn also stated that the Department
of Public Service had an issue with the Village paying cash for fixed asset
purchases. She said their next bucket truck will be leased. She said the next
bond in the electric department will be paid off in 2016. She said they would
have to be picky on what they buy over the next few years.
Water Fund –
Lynn stated they are over budget in maintenance in the Water Fund. Chris Leach
asked if the contractor doing the water project would be penalized for breaking
water lines. Reg stated he has been having conversations with the contractor
regarding that. Lynn said their water loss number has gone way down and that is
a good sign. She also said that when they are doing the budget she would like
the Trustee’s to approve the rate structure because the rate’s need to go up
for the 2014 bond payment.
Sewer Fund –
Lynn stated the chemical costs are under budget so far this year but will be
close to budget by year end. Chris Leach asked if there was any more pressure
by the State of Vermont about the storm water. Reg Beliveau stated no and that
discharge levels are being reduced.
Highway Fund
– Lynn stated they are under budget in labor but winter is coming and that
could change. She said the public works labor is budgeted in the water, highway
and sewer departments, depending on what they are working on. Chris Leach asked
if the Town helped haul snow during a large snow storm. Reg said no, they do
their own and the Village hauls their own. Lynn mentioned the grant from the
State of Vermont to work on the surface of the bridge for $23,000. She said so
far they have spent $10,000 of the grant money and in the spring will work on
it some more then she will submit it for reimbursement. She said she has until
June to do so.
General Fund
– Office, Fire & Police – Lynn said she found money left in a stock in
Prudential Phoenix & Virtuous for parks and plant maintenance. Ron Kilburn
stated that the repairs to the fountain the park is going to cost a lot of
money.
Fire Department
– Lynn said there are no issues in the Fire Department and that the new fire
truck is in the budget.
Police Department – Lynn stated they are over budget in the Town Contract line item
because she had only budgeted three months. She said she now has a three year
contract. She also mentioned the equipment line item stating that was grant
money used for a license plate reader and for radios.
Commercial Building Fund – Chris Leach asked if it would be wise to think
about selling the memorial building. Lynn stated they made about $8200 this
year and said next year they may break even due to repairs on the building that
need to be done.
Lynn advised the Board
members to look over these individual budgets and to let her know if they had
any questions.
5. Any Other Necessary
Business:
Reg
Beliveau stated the pipe on Fourth Street is laid and they are tying in
services this week. He is hoping to have sidewalks in before winter time. He
said the water line is working and has no leaks in it. Ron Kilburn stated he
noticed they added a fire hydrant on Second Street. Reg also mentioned the gas
leak they had on Second Street when the contractor hit a gas line. He said he
had a very poignant discussion with the contractor and with VT Gas. He said
everyone was safe. Ron Kilburn asked if there were any anticipated expenses by
Flat Iron Park. Reg stated no this was all part of the project and said they
are ahead of schedule. Reg also stated the contractor couldn’t believe how well
the Village Public Works crew takes care of the Village residents.
Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that a
camera has been installed at the Chamber of Commerce building office and that
they are just waiting for a few connections from Comcast and it will be up and
running.
Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated
regarding the Jewett Street issue, they met with Mr. Demar at Pike Industries
and he said to limit traffic they will go in the back entrance way after hours.
He said they would continue to have conversations with everyone involved.
Any Other Business: Chris Leach stated he attended
the NWSWD retreat last weekend regarding Act 149. He said that new law became
law but it’s upsetting because there is no way to enforce it but by 2015
everyone will have to recycle and by 2020 everyone will have to compost. He
said he would keep the board informed. He also said the price for getting rid
of trash is not going down.
Any Other Business: Adam Paxman asked Reg
where he was regarding the utility pole ordinance. Reg stated he may not need
one. He said Swanton Village is working well with other utilities and the
second poles on First Street may be down real soon.
Adam
stated he needed to discuss Real Estate and Legal Matters in Executive Session.
Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if the
brown leaf bags were meant to be left open by the residents. Reg stated yes,
the public works crew picks them up that way and puts them in the compost pile.
6. Executive Session to
Discuss Contract Negotiations:
Adam
Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss Contract
Negotiations, Real Estate and Legal Matters at 8:05 p.m. Chris Leach seconded.
Motion carried.
Chris
Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:49 p.m. Adam Paxman
seconded. Motion carried.
ADJOURN: Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular
Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:49 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no
further business at hand, Ronald Kilburn, Village President, adjourned the
meeting at 8:49 p.m.
_____________________________________ _______________________________________
Ronald Kilburn, Village
President Date
_____________________________________ _______________________________________
Dianne Day, Village Clerk Date