This page is maintained by Swanton Village, Inc and is intended to be the official online posting of public meetings and minutes in accordance with Vermont’s Open Meeting law (Amended July 1st, 2014).

Thursday, December 15, 2016

November 28, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 28, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk, Crystal Lampman, Ella Maguire, Kendall Ladieu, Greg Ladieu, Jill Farnsworth, Whitney Farnsworth, Mattie Lampman, Amy Brewer, NMC; Sara Maguire, Health Project Members; Tom Benton, St. Albans Messenger and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau advised he would need to add the topic of “Contracts” to Executive Session.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 14, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, November 14, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 25, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#129-#130) through Friday, November 25, 2016 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

5.      Crystal Lampman, Health Project Presentation:

 

Crystal Lampman stated they are here tonight to discuss their Health Project and introduced the young girls that are with her tonight. Amy Brewer, Health Educator, also introduced herself. Crystal said this project began in May 2016 because they had some parents requesting activities that would keep their kids engaged, educated and empowered because Girls on The Run program was coming to an end with the school year. The girls are ages 9 through 14. Crystal said this is a joint initiative with Franklin County Caring Communities and the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Coalition. She said the girls there tonight were noticing things in the community they weren’t happy with such as bullying, substance use, nutrition and high risk taking activities. They identified these things as projects they would like to tackle through community service projects. She presented the Board with a slideshow showing some of the projects as well as information. She talked about internal assets as well as external assets and identified each. She said there are five core protective practices they’ve been working on such as improving bonds with youths and adults, building skills to become mature adults, providing opportunities for children to have meaningful input in a community, having recognition for such involvement, and communicating and having healthy beliefs. She then presented some of the results from a health survey that was taken by students in grades 6 through 12. She said one of the things the girls really wanted to focus on was bullying in the community. She said every one of the girls in her group faced some type of bullying behavior at one time or another right around 4th or 5th grade. She said they wanted to work on changing that. The other topic asked about on the survey was whether or not students did any physical activity in the last week and the answers were alarming. She said it showed about 20% of the high schools students weren’t getting any kind of physical activity. She said this lack of physical activity puts kids at a higher risk in regards to substance abuse. Another topic on the survey pertained to tobacco and alcohol products and the ease of access. Amy Brewer said access to tobacco products was higher from last year to this year according to the survey. Crystal said they also asked about the ease of access to marijuana and thankfully it showed that 6th graders were less than 10%. She said that number increased significantly from 6th grade to 12th grade regarding the ease of access to it. She then talked about actual use of tobacco products and the survey showed that less than 5% of 6th graders were actually using tobacco products of some kind. This could be e-cigarettes, cigarettes, vaping, chewing tobacco, etc. She said this information is very upsetting to know. Adam Paxman asked what vaping was and Amy Brewer explained what they were. She said if you go into most stores they are sitting right there on the counter for all young people to see. Crystal said there are vape shops in the Burlington area. Amy stated that cigarette use among young adults is down by 33% in Franklin County. Crystal said they are hearing more young people are using chew or are vaping and unfortunately because they are so new they don’t have enough information yet as to whether or not it is harmful. Another question asked was if students drank alcohol in the past 30 days and again 6th graders have had alcohol in Franklin County.  She said Franklin County is statistically higher than the State of Vermont on this topic. She said kids will tell you if mom and dad have alcohol in the house they know where it is and how to get it. It’s not hidden and kids can access it pretty easily.  They also asked if the students used marijuana in the last 30 days and it showed there weren’t enough 6th graders doing this to even show up on the scale but you do start to see the use of it in the 7th grade and significant use in the 11th and 12th grade.

 

Crystal asked where are our youths were exposed to tobacco and alcohol products. Amy showed an image of a store where tobacco retailers place cigarettes and advertising right up front for all kids to see. She said our kids are much more sensitive to this kind of advertising because they have no filter. She showed that First Street has 8 tobacco retailers in one mile. The percentage of tobacco retailers with outdoor tobacco ads is 33%, the percentage of retailers with e-cigarettes on the counter is 62.5% and the density of tobacco retailers per 1000 residents is 2. Crystal said that over half of the kids surveyed said they see cigarette and alcohol advertising almost always. She said municipalities can make a difference by asking for restrictions on advertising. Both Amy and Crystal stated there is a lot of work to be done but feel they can make a difference. Crystal said parents and guardians can also make a difference as they are on the front lines. She said in August they participated in a butt liter project where they cleaned up cigarette butts at Marble Mill and alongside the river. She said they also picked up several bags of trash. They also cleaned up the VFW parking lot, the overlook area and kayak/canoe launch. She said they then helped friends clean up a park in Richford. They attended Franklin County Field Days and talked to people about a healthy brain. She showed a picture of the Art Wall they worked on. She said their mission is to help make a better community in which to live and to teach children to avoid risk taking behaviors. She said this will help them later in life to make better decisions. She said they are doing a group mentoring project as well. Amy said they wanted to bring this information to the Board of Trustees to see if there are things they can do together to make a difference. The Board thanked Crystal and Amy and the girls for coming in and presenting such an informative project.

 

6.      Update Auditorium Policy Rates:

 

Dianne Day, Village Clerk, explained to the Board that currently the Village of Swanton charges $15.00 per hour as well as $25.00 for the table and chairs for an event held in the Village Auditorium. There is a 3 hour minimum per event so the total charged for a party is $70.00. She explained the rates haven’t been changed since 1998 and with recent purchases of new chairs, new blinds etc. the Village would like to increase the charge from $15.00 per hour to $25.00 per hour. She said they will keep the table and chairs charge at $25.00, making the new fee for an event $100.00. Chris Leach made the motion to increase the auditorium rental fee from $15.00 per hour to $25.00 per hour (with a 3 hour minimum) effective January 1, 2017. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

7.      VT Precision Tools – Water Allocation Request and Water Allocation Increase Request:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Water Commissioner’s meeting at 8:05 p.m. to hear the following item. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that Vermont Precision Tools is requesting an increase in their water and wastewater allocation as well as requesting a new water allocation of 540 gallons per day (gpd) for a new building on Lot #2 and a wastewater allocation of 480 gpd for the new building on Lot #2. They currently have a wastewater allocation of 2160 gpd and are requesting an additional 1260 gpd for a total of 3420 gpd. They currently have a water allocation of 2430 gpd and are requesting an additional 1418 gpd for a total of 3848 gpd. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Vermont Precision Tools increase in wastewater allocation of 1260 gpd for a total of 3420 gpd and to also approve their increase in water allocation of 1418 gpd for a total of 3848 gpd. He also made the motion to approve Vermont Precision Tools request for a new wastewater allocation on Lot #2 of 480 gpd as well as a new water allocation on Lot #2 of 540 gpd. Adam Paxman seconded both motions. Motions carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit the Water Commissioner’s meeting at 8:07 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked if the Village has received the FERC report on the Hydro Plant yet. Reg Beliveau said not yet but said he wasn’t worried about it because if there were any issues they would have contacted the Village by now. Chris Leach also said the Christmas decorations look great. He also asked Reg if the Village had started any salary planning yet. Reg stated they are now working on budgets and evaluations and will have that information for the Board very soon.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman stated he wanted to thank everyone on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. He said they had a great turnout for Christmas in the Park and he would like to thank the community for a great turnout. He said Mark Rocheleau, Lynn Billado and himself would also like to thank JAZ Entertainment, Aubuchon Hardware, Flowers by Debbie, Carlo and Jeanice Micheli, Swanton Arts Council, Nyoka Bertrand, Nicole Draper, Joyce Bombardier, Suzanne Washburn, Camille Freeman, Santa and his Elf, Karen Samson, VT Reindeer Farm, Dan Billado, Swanton Tree Farm Ernie LaRocque, Swanton Village Electric Department, Swanton Village and Swanton Town.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau informed the Board that the paving project work has been delayed because they had some equipment break down. He said the State understands the Village’s disappointment and said they will be back in the spring to finish up all odd jobs. He said the project is guaranteed until August of 2017. Adam Paxman asked Reg if the Village planned on digging up a sidewalk in the park. Reg said they are looking at it now.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that he feels events like Halloween in the Park, Christmas in the Park, National Night Out, the Egg Hunt, Farmers Market, Skate Park, etc. will help lower some of the statistics the Health Project was talking about. Chris Leach asked if the Village could draft a letter of policy and distribute it to the local convenience stores asking them to reconsider their cigarette and alcohol displays. Reg Beliveau said he would look into it.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer mentioned the street lights on Merchants Row stating he feels the Village should take these lights over so that it is consistently lit up and not dark. Reg Beliveau said Duane Couture went down today and checked it out. He said they are considering having the businesses on Merchants Row pay what a homeowner would pay who requests a street light on their property. He said they could work on putting LED lights on the front of the building as well as underneath the canopy. He said he received a call today regarding this and he will get back to that person once he has all the information gathered. He said the Village is looking into this, getting prices and will let the Board know what he comes up with.

 

9.      Public  Comment:

 

None.

 

10.  Executive Session to Discuss Personnel:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel and Contracts at 8:28 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session and enter Open Session at 9:18 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: The Board of Trustees instructed Village Manager Reg Beliveau to draft a letter to St. Albans City Central Dispatch regarding the 2017-2018 dispatch fees.

 

11.  Adjournment:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:19 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:19 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

November 14, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 14, 2016

5:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Joey Stell, Chief of Police and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

Chris Leach, Village Trustee, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised he needed an Executive Session to Discuss Personnel.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, October 24, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, October 24, 2016 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, November 11, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#120-#128) through Friday, November 11, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard asked about the $389,944.85 payment made to the Town of Highgate. Reg Beliveau explained that that was for the taxes based on generation paid to the Town of Highgate. Motion carried.

 

5.      Health Insurance Update:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, explained to the Board that him and Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, sat down with the Village employees and went over the options as far as health care coverage. He said Blue Cross Blue Shield went up more than MVP for this coming year and if you compare the coverage packages they are identical. Reg said they are recommending the Village switch to MVP for the year 2017 and see how it goes. Chris Leach asked if the employees could keep their same doctors and Reg stated yes they could. Chris stated this sounded like a win to him and agrees that the Village should switch to MVP which is comparable to BCBS and cost less money. Adam Paxman asked if the employees have approved this. Reg said yes they are ok with it. The switch will take place for January 1, 2017. Chris said he knows Reg and Lynn do their due diligence in researching something so he is happy with their decision

 

6.      Net Metering Tariff:

 

Reg Beliveau explained that next year net metering tariffs are changing. He said there is a huge influx of developers getting into solar development and the subsidies are going to be less than what they were. Eugene LaBombard stated that the Public Service Board is changing their goals and making this less attractive to developers. Chris Leach asked how long before this takes effect. Reg stated that a project would have to have a valid Certificate of Public Good before the end of 2016 so a lot of them will not pursue their projects. Eugene LaBombard said that projects done on or after January 1, 2017 are not eligible for net metering credit. Chris Leach stated he feels this is a good move on the State’s part. Reg Beliveau said this won’t alleviate the customer service charge so that’s still in there. Reg said Steve Farman needs to present this tariff to the Public Service Board on the Village’s behalf. Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the draft net metering tariff as written by VPPSA. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Chris Leach stated that he’s encouraged that the State is having some empathy on small utilities. Reg Beliveau stated that Green Mountain Power’s bottom line is being impacted by this too. Adam Paxman asked about the project on the Frontage Road and Reg stated that this project is already approved. He said the school, as well as the Village of Swanton, have signed a contract with the Frontage Road project. Reg said this will benefit some of the Village’s properties but will also impact the rates. Motion carried.

 

7.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated he wanted to remind everyone about Christmas in the Park on Saturday, November 26 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. He said there will be ribbons for sale for the memorial tree and all proceeds will go to charity. He said the ribbons will be $1 and will be hung on the tree in the bandstand. He encouraged everyone to come out and enjoy the family fun.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard said he heard the Village was addressing the lighting issue downtown and were placing a light pole in front of the Post Office. Reg Beliveau stated that was for the new flashing crosswalk. He said they have discussed Merchants Row lighting and are debating whether or not to take it over.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau said the paving project is continuing and he said they have been fielding a lot of complaints. He said unfortunately the paver broke down in front of Merchants Row today so that has delayed things. He said once they’re done at Merchants Row they will be hitting some of the side streets. He said they understand the Village’s disgust and the State is voicing their dissatisfaction also. He said hindsight is 20/20. He said it’s been uncomfortable but it’s getting done.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach asked if the Village was still picking up leaves. Reg stated yes they are and have been extremely busy with it. Chris asked if the Village has received the FERC inspection report yet and Reg said no not yet. He said they are taking their time with it. Chris said it’s important because if they are going to replace the dam he wants to know they have every duck in a row so they can get re-licensed. Reg said that’s the State of Vermont that would do that.

 

8.      Public Comment:

 

None

 

9.      Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to Discuss Personnel at 5:47 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 6:26 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

10.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 6:27 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Chris Leach, Village Trustee, adjourned the meeting at 6:27 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

October 24, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, October 24, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Tom Benton, St. Albans Messenger; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Village Clerk Dianne Day advised the Board that the FERC Inspection Report wasn’t available yet. Reg Beliveau advised he would let the Board know as soon as he gets it.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 26, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, September 26, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Eugene LaBombard stated the word “ban” in paragraph #5 should be changed to the word “band”. Motion carried with correction.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, October 21, 2016:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#111-#119) through Friday, October 21, 2016 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about vendor Decatur Electronics in the amount of $7469.00. Reg Beliveau stated he couldn’t remember that one and would check on it. Eugene LaBombard asked about vendor Tapco for $25,331.88. Reg stated that is for the crosswalk signs and there is grant money for that item. Eugene LaBombard asked the $70,695.53 payment to VMERS. Reg Beliveau stated that is the quarterly payment made for retirement plans. Chris Leach asked about the MMWEC payment of $9396.00. Reg explained that is for purchase power. He also asked about Bob Electric’s for $24,000.00. Reg stated he would have to look that one up as well but thinks it’s for the installation of PLC’s for generators at the Hydro Plant. Chris also asked about the $71,950.88 payment to the Town of Swanton. Reg stated that was for the Village’s taxes. Motion carried.

 

5.      Review FERC Inspection Report:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Board of Trustees that the Village of Swanton has not received the FERC report yet. He said he would review it with them as soon as he receives it. He said they did end up going inside the rubber bag when they were here and didn’t find anything significant. Chris Leach stated the Village plans on replacing that rubber bag in 2018 and said it would be nice if the Village could get something in writing from FERC stating they plan on relicensing the Hydro Plant. Reg stated he doubted they would do that but said he would ask. He said they are up for renewal in 2024.

 

6.      Renew Hydro Plant Line of Credit:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Board that the $500,000 dollar line of credit for the Hydro Plant needed to be renewed through People’s United Bank at an interest rate of 1.3% and the necessary documents signed. He also advised the Board would need to authorize an “authorized individual” to request line advances and stated Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager and Dianne Day, Village Clerk and Treasurer should be named. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to renew and sign all necessary documents for the $500,000 Hydro Plant line of credit and also named Lynn Paradis and Dianne Day as authorized individuals. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

 

7.      Renew Water Department Line of Credit:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Board that the $500,000 line of credit for the Water Department needed to be renewed through the Union Bank and the necessary documents signed. He stated the initial interest rate of .97% will change to .87% and all other terms and conditions remain the same. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to renew and sign all necessary documents for the $500,000 Water Department line of credit. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

 

8.      Sign Police Department Cruiser Lease:

 

Reg Beliveau advised the Board that the Police Department Cruiser Lease was complete and ready for signatures. He stated this cruiser was budgeted and voted on in March 2016 and is ready to be purchased at EJ Barrette Ford. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, to sign all necessary lease documents for the new 2017 Police Department cruiser. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he met with the State and with the paving project contractor this week and has authorized them to begin paving during the daytime instead of at night. He said the night time temperatures are getting too low to lay asphalt. He said the majority of the crosswalks are complete and driveway cuts are going to be done by a smaller company. He said he believes they will begin paving by Merchants Row, Canada Street and in front of the Post Office after 2 p.m. He said Mike Menard will begin notifying local businesses on what to expect and residents can expect delays. He said there are alternative routes that can be taken to avoid construction and advised that people take those routes. Neal Speer asked about the street lights on Merchants Row. Eugene LaBombard stated that he received a complaint stating the lights are inadequate from People’s United Bank to Merchants Row and in front of the Post Office. Reg Beliveau stated he would take a look at the lighting and see if there is a problem area.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated he is working with VT Alert which is a link that will send text messages about closed road notices, bad storm information as well as Amber Alerts. He said people can get these notifications on their mobile devices and said he is doing a class with Highgate and Enosburg so they can start sharing this information with their residents. He said this link can be found on the Village’s website at www.swanton.net.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Halloween in the Park will be held this Saturday, October 29th from 5 to 9 p.m. He said the Village also has a Calendar of Events on their website with lots of local notices. Reg also stated there will be a forum on Underage Drinking on November 14 here at the Village Complex. He asked the Board if they wanted to hold their meeting on November 15th instead. Chris Leach stated to wait and see what the Board had for business that week and could reschedule then.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated his electric crew helped VT Electric Coop in Franklin and Richford over the weekend because of the wind and snow. He said he had two crews out for about 11 hours.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer asked if Reg has heard anything about the electronic sign. Reg stated they are going ahead with it and said it will not sit in the State’s right of way so there won’t be any issues. Chris Leach asked if the Village was picking up bags of leaves. Reg stated they are and said Village residents can pick up leaf bags at the office. Chris also asked how the Village’s tax collection went this year. Village Clerk Dianne Day explained it went good and that the Village handed over a little less than last year to delinquent tax collector Betty Cheney.

 

Reg Beliveau stated he would need an Executive Session to discuss Legal Matters pertaining to client/attorney privilege.

 

10.  Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss Legal Matters at 7:43 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:54 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12.  Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:54 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:54 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

September 26, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 26, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Don Collins; Andrew Judge, Tom Benton, St. Albans Messenger and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, welcomed all to the Regular Board of Trustees meeting and called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

None.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 12, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, September 12, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 23, 2016:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#104-#110) through Friday, September 23, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about the $100,582.35 payment made to US Bank Operations Center. Reg Beliveau stated that was for a bond payment. He also asked about the $40,268.00 payment made to Fire Tech & Safety of New England. Reg stated that was for purchasing air packs in the Fire Department.  Motion carried.

 

5.      Don Collins, Legislative Update:

 

Don Collins stated he was running for the House of Representatives and asked if the Board of Trustees had any issues facing them. He said candidates for the legislature should listen and see what the issues are. He said there are a number of challenges right now such as the Hydro Plant and the Substance Abuse issue. He said people are living in fear that someone will break into their home while they are gone. He said there are no easy answers to this epidemic but we need to keep doing what we are doing, get them help, get them jobs and get them working. He said Montpelier has lost its direction and we need to get it back. Chris Leach mentioned the energy problem and said towns need to have more say in energy projects. He said a lot of this energy produced doesn’t even stay in Vermont. He said they have free use of our transmission and distribution lines and said the energy credits are nothing more than a game. He said existing Hydro plants are not considered renewable when 80% of the power comes from the river and dam. Don said that he has worked with Karen Horn at VLCT and she says communities need to band together and work with VLCT on these issues. Chris said it’s just not right that municipalities are forced to buy renewable projects at above wholesale costs. He said the Village of Swanton then needs to pass this cost onto the ratepayers. He said the Village asked for a 4.5% rate increase but only got a 2% increase. Chris said the Village can’t raise the rates to meet the expense and are forced to buy. Don said he heard the Public Service Board was coming under more scrutiny. He said they need to think of the best things to do and work together on these issues. He said there will be new administration and leadership in Montpelier and he is hoping it’s a respectful one. He said he would stay in touch with the Board and thanked them for their time.

 

Andrew Judge was also present so Village President Neal Speer asked him if he would like to add anything. Andrew stated he is also running with Don Collins for the House. He said he agreed with a lot of the points made tonight. He said he has a lot of strong views on wind power and also feels there needs to be more local control. He said these are power generation plants and communities need to have more say and needs to take back control. He thanked the Board for their time as well.

 

6.      Discussion on Coin Drops:

 

Adam Paxman said that he asked for this to be put on the agenda for further discussion. He said he would like to see coin drops gone altogether. He said there is one a month for eight months and feels where they are located is dangerous. He said there is way too much traffic and a lot of the organizations don’t have the proper signage, etc. Adam Paxman stated he is making the motion to eliminate coin drops altogether. Chris Leach stated he would not second this motion but would counter claim that he understood where Adam was coming from and respects that but feels the money these organizations earn benefits groups in Swanton. He said MVU and the Fire Department as well as others benefit from these coin drops. He said maybe they could limit them more or scrutinize them more. Eugene LaBombard stated he sees both sides of this issue and said personally he doesn’t care for them either but said they do help the organizations. He suggested they ask the voters how they feel because it’s also their Village. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to put whether or not the Village taxpayers want to allow Coin Drops or not on the Village ballot in March. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman stated that was a fair way to find out their feelings and was happy with that decision. He said he could accept that. Motion carried.

 

7.      Employee Handbook Changes:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated there were a few issues with the Employee Handbook where the Board needed to decide a couple of options. He said in Section 3.4 Overtime the Village now pays overtime after 40 hours have been worked. The attorney pointed out that the Village could compensate overtime with comp time instead of cash overtime pay if they so choose. Adam Paxman stated he would like to keep the Overtime section like it is now where Swanton Village pays overtime cash pay after 40 hours have been worked. Chris Leach stated he liked the comp time option. Reg Beliveau stated he agreed with Adam and Eugene LaBombard said he did too. Reg said the Board would revisit the Employee Handbook on a yearly basis now so if it isn’t working they can always look at it next year. Reg stated the other issue is whether or not the Village continues to pay employee benefits while an employee is out on FMLA (Family Leave). Reg said right now the Village continues to pay health insurance and dental insurance premiums for the employee. Eugene LaBombard and Chris Leach stated they wanted to have the Village keep paying their premiums like they are doing now. Reg said the last issue is regarding Personal Wireless Devices such as IPhones. He said right now all department heads have Village owned cell phones so that’s not an issue but occasionally a customer will text or message employees in the front office regarding their account. He said they will ask how much their bill is or state that they will be in on a certain date to pay. Reg said notes are put on the customer’s account so this really isn’t an issue for them. Chris Leach stated use of personal devices is the exception not the rule and suggested the Village continue as is and just monitor these occurrences. Eugene LaBombard agreed with this as well.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the Village of Swanton Employee Handbook with the above decisions made. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.      Discussion on Replacing or Repairing Rubber Bag at Hydro Plant:

 

Reg Beliveau stated that FERC would be here on Thursday, September 29th for their Part 12 inspection. He said they plan on going inside the rubber bag at the Hydro Plant. He said they inspect this about every five years. He said when the rubber bag was installed they gave it a 30 year life span, that changed to a 25 year life span then most recently was given a 20 year life span. He said the rubber bag at the plant is now 23 years old. Chris Leach said they have explored concrete as an alternative and that is too expensive. He said he wished they had a good feeling about being relicensed and said the State of Vermont shouldn’t be involved in this but they are. Chris stated they should plan on replacing the rubber bag in 2018. He said the cost to replace is approximately $1.5 million dollars and the cost to replace is approximately $985,000. Reg stated the Village may need voter approval for the bond to replace it and said he would look into that. He said he agrees with the decision to replace the rubber bag rather than repairing it. He said he appreciates the fact that Orman Croft and Harlan Titemore knew what they were doing back in the 1990’s. He also said FERC respects Swanton Village and realizes that we run a quality plant.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to go with a tentative plan to replace the rubber bag at the Hydro Plant in 2018. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach stated the State is doing a good job on the repaving project and said it will be nice when it’s done.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard said the Town and Village plan on installing an electronic sign downtown and he fully supports that. He said Highgate’s new electronic sign looks nice.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that there will be a Community Forum on September 28th at 6 p.m. at the Complex to discuss the issue of vandalism. He also informed the Board that the Village received another Hydro Grant for $20,896 for Unit #5 generation. He said VPPSA keeps reapplying for the Village and this is the third year the Village has received grant money for this.

 

Reg Beliveau stated he would need an Executive Session to discuss Real Estate and Legal Matters.

 

10.  Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss Real Estate and Legal Matters at 8:05 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:40 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12.  Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 8:40 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:40p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

September 12, 2016

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, September 12, 2016

7:00 PM

 

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Katelin Brewer-Colie, LocalMotion; Betsy Fournier, Swanton Recreation; Tom Benton, St. Albans Messenger; and Ch. 16.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

 

1.      Call to Order:

 

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

 

2.      Agenda Review:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, stated he would need an Executive Session to discuss real estate and contracts.

 

3.      Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, August 15, 2016 and from Wednesday, August 31, 2016:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept the Minutes from Monday, August 15, 2016 as well as Wednesday, August 31, 2016 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

 

4.      Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Friday, September 9, 2016:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants (#95-#103) through Friday, September 9, 2016 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked what Bob’s Electric was used for. Reg Beliveau advised they used them at the Hydro Plant during plant shutdown. Motion carried.

 

5.      Katelin Brewer-Colie, Local Motion, Bike Lane Update:

 

Katelin Brewer-Colie thanked the Board for having her back to discuss the Swanton Walk & Bike Safety Action Plan. She handed out an action plan for the Board to follow. She stated she has been working with Lyndonville, Morristown and St. Johnsbury, all of which are on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail as is Swanton. She said there will ultimately be a 90 mile trail across the state. She said the more these towns invest in their downtown in pedestrian and bike facilities the more traffic they’re getting from people getting off the trail and going into town to eat, shop and enjoy their downtown areas. She said there is great potential for Swanton to experience some of this too especially since this year they’ve experienced record numbers on their bike ferry. Katelin told the Board she is working on this Walk Bike Safety Action Plan through VTrans. She said the purpose of the funding is to help with safety on some key Vermont roads. She also talked about the VTrans On-Road Bike Plan. She said eventually all state roads that are upgraded will be sure to include safe areas for pedestrians and bikers. She pointed out the VTRans Bicycle Corridor Map showing where people bike and where they’d like to bike. Chris Leach mentioned that Route 36 along Maquam Shore wasn’t highlighted on the map and he said that would be a great bike route. Katelin said she wasn’t sure why it was left off but said she would check into it. Katelin said that Swanton Village leadership decided to work with Local Motion to develop a Walk-Bike Safety Action Plan with the goal of identifying short and long term options for road and intersection improvements that will increase walking and biking in Swanton, and to make the roads safer. She said the intent of this plan is to work with the Trustees and Downtown Working Group to build on the progress Swanton has made to date. They discussed the benefits of walking and biking for Vermont communities such as wider shoulders, sidewalks and bike lanes which help slow vehicle speeds on winding country roads. She said the more varied forms of transportation sharing the road, the safer it is for everyone. She said as bike use grows, typically the number of all types of crashes declines.

 

Katelin identified the issues and opportunities in Swanton. She said some of the priorities listed are to identify short term walk-bike improvements that can take place during the upcoming paving project. She also talked about the long term strategies for improving the safety of the Merchants Row intersection. She said they could do this by installing a roundabout to improve the safety at the intersection of Merchants Row, Grand Avenue and Canada Street. The Board adamantly disagreed with this saying there is a bigger issue at the intersection of Merchants Row, Depot Street and North River Street. They said traffic is easily backed up to Fournier’s Farm Equipment on any given day and they feel by putting a roundabout at the top of Merchants Row would only enhance the problem at the other end. She said roundabouts decrease accidents by 37% and serious injuries by 70%. She said this makes drivers slow down. Much more discussion took place regarding this topic and the Board just doesn’t like the idea of a roundabout in the Village at that location. They would much rather fix the problem on the North River Street end before doing anything like a roundabout.

 

Katelin then discussed the next steps Swanton Village should take. She suggested the Village apply for a Vermont Bike-Pedestrian Program Grant, Transportation Enhancements Grant or Transportation Alternatives Grant. She said they can select specific projects to implement from the recommendations in this plan. She suggested the Village create a Walk-Bike Committee, a local advocacy group that can shepherd the recommendations in this plan and spearhead future walk-bike projects. She said to elect leadership and ask for Village and regional staff to attend meetings. She also suggested amending the Municipal Plan to include walk-bike goals and policies. She said strong policy language lays the groundwork for long term Village leader support of safety improvements and will make the Village more competitive when applying for grants and other funding for projects. She suggested the Village identify additional pilot projects. She said the steering committee should identify pilot projects that they advocate for demonstrating around the Village. She said to recruit volunteers, borrow Local Motion’s pilot trailer and make them happen. She then suggested the Village celebrate. She said to plan a fall walk-bike event like open streets or a block party to highlight the positive changes in the community so far and celebrate what the Village has accomplished together. The Board thanked Katelin Brewer-Colie for coming in and presenting this information to the Board.

 

6.      Discussion on Replacing or Repairing Rubber Bag at Hydro Plant:

 

Chris Leach stated he thought the Board should also consider using concrete as an alternative for the dam. Eugene LaBombard stated that back when they put the rubber bag in a concrete dam was at least 60% more expensive. He said the idea was there it just costs too much. He also said another consideration with that was the possibility of flooding. He said with using a rubber bag they are able to deflate it when necessary and he said it’s very effective. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, provided the board with the quotes he has received for repairing the rubber bag. The quote from HTE Engineering to repair the bag would be $185,000 and the construction quote that would go along with this repair from PC Construction is $778,000. He said the total cost to repair the existing rubber bag at the Hydro Plant would cost $963,000. He said he received a quote from HTE Engineering to replace the rubber bag completely and that quote is for $948,300. Reg stated there will be permits to file for so he would like the Board to take these quotes home and study them. He said he would like this added to the next agenda so they can make an informed decision. He said after reviewing the quotes the Village is leaning toward replacing the bag entirely but said the Board will decide at their next meeting. Item tabled until September 26, 2016.

 

 

7.      Electric Rate Case Discussion:

 

Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, advised the Village of Swanton had applied for a 4.52% rate increase in the Electric Department. He said they received a letter from the Public Service Board stating they would recommend a 2.05% rate increase instead and Reg stated that after discussing this with VPPSA they agree with this number for an increase. He said Lynn Paradis feels this is a good compromise. Adam Paxman made the motion to approve a 2.05% rate increase in the Electric Department effective September 22, 2016. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

8.      Review Employee Handbook Changes:

 

The Board of Trustees acknowledged receipt of the updated Village of Swanton Personnel Handbook and agreed to all necessary changes made by the Village attorney after reviewing it. Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept the updated Village of Swanton Personnel Handbook as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.      Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Eugene LaBombard asked Reg Beliveau if he contacted anyone at the State of Vermont regarding the brightness of the new lighted sign that will be erected soon. Reg stated he did and as long as it’s not in their Right of Way they won’t object to it. He said the State feels they are a distraction to drivers.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said he would like to promote the new online billing now available for the Village utility bills. He said customers can access their accounts online by visiting the Village’s website at www.swanton.net and pay their bills online. He also said he had a conversation with a Selectboard member regarding the wind turbine application being filed and Adam suggested they look into Impact Fees. The Board agreed in this instance it would be worth investigating. Adam also said he attended last week’s Selectboard meeting and he said he was disappointed the Town didn’t receive the grant to hire a full time Community & Economic Development position but said he is glad the Town of Swanton is going ahead and hiring someone on a part time basis for this position. Adam said he feels one year isn’t enough to get the job done but he hopes a lot of good comes out of it. He said he is now Chair of the Economic Task Force and he is very passionate about seeing how they can do this.

 

Adam Paxman also said he sees that APPA introduced a bill for re-licensing hydro plants. He said this bill is supposed to make it easier for hydro plants to re-license and he is hoping it passes. Reg Beliveau said most likely this bill will pass and going to Washington each year in March has helped this cause.

 

Adam Paxman also stated he would like to eliminate coin drops altogether in the Village of Swanton. Chris Leach asked if Adam was receiving any complaints. Adam said he hasn’t but said three coin drops held this summer didn’t have the proper signage and he feels they are a safety hazard in his opinion. He said First Street is too busy of a road to have a coin drop on. He said the Fire Department had the proper signage but three others did not. He said he would like to either eliminate them altogether or only have three per year. The Board stated they would take his comments into consideration and discuss it at another meeting. Adam also wanted to remind them about their Joint Legislative Body meeting on October 19th.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated the Regional Planning Commission has chosen Fairweather for their Brownfield study. He said the Brownfield Study consists of an area that’s not developed being searched for groundwater contaminants. He said he would let the Board know when they are starting.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau advised the Board that the large solar project slated for the Frontage Road may move forward. He said they went to the Highgate School Board meeting and if the school partakes in the solar project they may get some solar credits. He said the Village of Swanton might take some green credits also. He said he doesn’t have all the information yet but the contractor has been having a difficult time selling it. He said new laws are coming in to effect in January 2017 which will eliminate the cap for solar customers. He said customer charges will not be eliminated.

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer said he wanted to thank the Town of Swanton for improving the walkway on South River Street. He said they cleared trees and brush on the river side of the road making it way more safe for pedestrians to walk.

 

10.  Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11.  Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into Executive Session at 8:43 p.m. to discuss Real Estate and Contracts. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:27 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: None.

 

12.  Adjournment:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:28 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:27p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date