December 11, 2017

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, December 11, 2017

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Peter Prouty, Jason Butler, Jason Cross, Firefighters; Leonard “Joey” Stell, Chief of Police; Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator; Gordon Winters, Tim Smith, Shawn Cheney 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:

 

None.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 27, 2017:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, November 27, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.           

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through December 8, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through December 8, 2017 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman mentioned the VPPSA invoice. Eugene LaBombard asked what the Bergeron Protective Clothing invoice was for. Lynn Paradis stated that was for turnout gear in the Fire Department. Motion carried.

 

5.   Follow Up on Fire Department to Purchase New Fire Trucks:       

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; explained that she ran some more numbers on purchasing the fire trucks. She gave an example of a home assessed at $200,000 purchasing both trucks with a 10 year bond and a 12 year bond. The increase for that scenario would be $30.01 per year. She gave an example of purchasing both trucks with a 15 year bond and the increase would be $19.58. She stated if they purchased just Engine #3 with a 10 year bond the increase on a $200,000 home would be $1.07 and if they purchased just the Ladder truck with a 12 year bond the increase would be $7.95 per year. Peter Prouty stated he contacted a couple of leasing companies and received some numbers back today from one of them. He said he would like Lynn to look these numbers over and see if it’s feasible for the Fire Department to lease the fire trucks rather than purchase. Lynn stated at the end of the lease agreement the Village could purchase the truck for $1. She said she thought the interest rate would be higher with a leasing company. Pete said they are running around 3% and Lynn said that’s what the percentage rate is with the bond companies so it may be worth looking at. Tim Girard, Fire Chief, stated that a lot of work has gone into this project and thanked his guys for working so hard on it. He said they put in their due diligence for sure. Chris Leach stated he would like to go with purchasing both trucks and said they are looking for the best economical way to do this. Neal Speer stated the voters will have to decide and thanked the Fire Department for all their hard work.

 

6.   Update on Rubber Dam:

 

Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager, informed the Board that the rubber bag has arrived at Port in New Jersey so he is hoping it will be shipped in 3 to 5 days. He said they will be storing the bag in the sub-station.

 

7.   Chief Stell – Update on Police Department:

 

Chief Stell stated things are going good in the Police Department and said their call volumes are about the same. He said they have one officer out right now and he expects him back next week on light duty. He said they are seeing some of the same problems as always but wanted to also remind people to report a crime when they see one. He said the opiate problem is still there but said they’ve seen a great success with the “Take Back the Drugs” event. He said residents can bring in their unused prescription drugs at any time and they will be disposed of properly. He said this will help with people taking someone else’s prescription drugs. He said because of this they have seen a decrease in burglaries. Adam Paxman stated he stopped by the Police Department on Sunday and an officer told him he was working on 35 cases in 3 days. He said that’s a lot of case loads piling up. Eugene LaBombard asked if Chief Stell was aware of the ATV issue in Highgate and Chief Stell said he wasn’t following it. Adam stated he is going to contact VAST and invite them to come in and discuss the issue here in Swanton with ATV’s. Chief Stell said they have caught individuals driving them through the Village and Town but said there are several more right behind them not getting caught. Neal Speer mentioned the study being done on the intersection of I89 and First Street. Adam stated a street light is much needed there and said it only makes sense. The Board thanked Chief Stell for the update.

 

8.    Elisabeth Nance, Economic Development Coordinator, Discussion on Model Communities Program:

 

Elisabeth Nance stated she is requesting a letter of support from the Board of Trustees for the Enhancement Project’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program application. Neal Speer read the letter of support aloud:

 

Dear Mr. Copans,

 

The Swanton Village Board of Trustees writes this letter in support of the Swanton Enhancement Project’s (SEP) Climate Economy Model Communities Program application.

Since 2013 the SEP has been working with village officials to revitalize Swanton’s downtown, including concerns identified as priorities during the 2015 VCRD Community Visit.  During this time Swanton has made great strides in addressing those issues, having established several task forces that continue their work and hiring an Economic Development Coordinator.

The Board of Trustees sees the Model Communities Program as an important next step toward continuing to address high priority concerns and toward beginning to address issues identified during the visit but deemed lesser priority, like improving energy efficiency.  Swanton Electric is municipally-owned, produces power from the Orman Croft Hydroelectric Plant and Dam, and boasts some of the lowest rates in the state, all of which is something Swanton needs to better promote.  In addition, Swanton has previously identified smart growth, working lands business development and business incubation as possible initiatives.  As Village Trustees we are encouraged by the SEP’s willingness to continue conversations about these areas as they directly impact efforts by the village and the SEP to revitalize Swanton’s economy. 

Working with the Town Selectboard and other partners, the Village Board of Trustees seeks to improve Swanton’s economy in the face of climate change and shifting economic conditions through initiatives like VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program and therefore fully supports the Swanton Enhancement Project’s application.

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Village Board of Trustees to support and sign the Swanton Enhancement Project’s Climate Economy Model Communities Program application letter. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

9.    2018 Budget Discussions:

 

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated she has been working on the Village budgets and said tonight she would give a few highlights and details in each department.

 

ELECTRIC FUND: She said she factored in a 2.5% COLA (cost of living) increase for the Village employees. She also stated workman’s compensation is up $30,000 this year and every department sees an increase in this line item. She said health insurance is up by 4% as well. She increased the right of way tree trimming line item so they can get caught up from the wind storm. She said this is back up to $75,000. She said the net income is at $92,375 and she is expecting to do a rate increase in 2019. She said this is driven by the large solar projects going in and because of lost generation at the power plant.

 

WATER FUND: Lynn stated maintenance is up in this fund quite a bit and she still needs to sit with Scott Mueller to see why. She said there have been less water line breaks in this department and she doesn’t expect a rate increase in this fund for 2018.

 

SEWER FUND: Lynn stated she budgeted for a new employee in this department because they have someone retiring in 2018. She said they saw a huge increase in chemicals this year, workman’s compensation is up and health insurance is up. She said she is expecting a rate increase in the sewer department in 2018. She said a 1.74% increase in the fixed rate and a 3.42% increase in the variable rate would take care of what she needed in this fund.

 

COMMERCIAL BUILDING FUND: Lynn stated she had nothing to report in this fund due to the upcoming sale.

 

GENERAL FUND: Lynn stated the Village office is out of space and is very cramped. She said the Human Resources position really needs their own office for privacy reasons and said the Police Department is out of room also. She said if net metering keeps growing like it has they may need to hire another person to keep up. She also said the labor is up in the parks due to longer good weather and upkeep.

 

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Lynn stated this department has level funded this year. She said she just made the last payment on the fire truck and said the air packs are on a five year plan. She said workman’s compensation is up in this fund also. Lynn said the Town’s share for fire protection is now up to 76% and the Village is at 24%. She said dispatching was reduced this year but they moved that money to personal protective gear.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT:  Chris Leach stated this is a lot of money for this department. Lynn said workman’s compensation is up $11,000 in this fund. Lynn said the Town Contract is up by 2% but said Joey has extended their coverage time in his proposal. She said they have budgeted for a new vehicle in this fund because the Tahoe only gets 10 mph. She said they will do a lease agreement on a new vehicle.

 

HIGHWAY: Lynn stated this fund is up substantially this year. She said the whole work load will shift due to a retirement in late 2018. She said streetlighting is now considerably lower than it has been. She said she has a $21,000 trackless payment, paving was pushed up to $50,000 and she budgeted $50,000 for equipment in 2018.

 

Lynn stated that the General Fund is going from .0788 to .0797; the Fire Department is going from .0437 to .0420; the Police Department is going from .3768 to .3799 and the Highway Department is going from .2917 to .3293. She said there is an overall increase of 4 cents on the tax rate from 2017 to 2018. She said Village taxpayers would see an increase on a $150,000 home of $59.81, on a $175,000 home the increase would be $69.77 and on a $200,000 home the increase would be $79.74. Lynn is asking the Trustees to take these budgets home and look them over and if they see anywhere she can cut to let her know. The Board thanked Lynn for her hard work on these budgets.

 

10. Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Chris Leach asked if performance appraisals were done yet. Reg Beliveau stated not yet.

 

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman read a letter that was written to the Police Department stating that officer #433 helped this person’s daughter tremendously and she really appreciated it.

 

Reg Beliveau stated he would need an executive session to discuss real estate.

 

11. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

12. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss real estate at 8:36 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:00 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion that in order to keep jobs in Swanton the Village Board of Trustees will sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Village of Swanton, Swanton Town, FCIDC, Alain Morrisette, Gordon Winters and a local business man to relocate BMTM into Swanton Town and authorize the Village Manager to sign all pertinent documents. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau stated that if you look back to the April 10, 2017 St. Albans Messenger, it states in the article that their goal is to find a new home for the Teen Center and to keep the 25 jobs in Swanton. He said this goal was successfully completed. Motion carried.

 

13. Adjournment:

 

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:05 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Motion carried.

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date

 

November 27, 2017

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

 

 

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, November 27, 2017

7:00 PM

 

 

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Reginald Beliveau, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Tim Girard, Fire Chief; Peter Prouty and Jason Butler, Firefighters; Sandy & Ron Kilburn, Gordon Winters, Hank Lambert, Suzanne Washburn 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, Village Manager, stated he needed an Executive Session to discuss personnel.

 

3.   Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, November 13, 2017:

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from Monday, November 13, 2017 as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.  

 

4.   Approve and Accept Village Warrants through November 22, 2017:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants through November 22, 2017 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Adam Paxman mentioned the State of Vermont invoice which is sales tax paid to St. Albans. Motion carried.

 

5.   Follow Up on Fire Department to Purchase New Fire Trucks:       

 

Neal Speer stated the Fire Department was here tonight to discuss the purchase of two new fire trucks. Reg Beliveau stated that Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, figured what the impact would be on a home valued at $200,000. If the Fire Department was to purchase just Engine 3 there would be an estimated increase of $16.24 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $13.71 on a 20 year bond. If they were to purchase just Ladder 4 there would be an increase of $24.33 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $20.53 on a 20 year bond. And if the Fire Department were to purchase both new trucks at once there would be an increase of $40.57 on a 15 year bond and an increase of $34.24 on a 20 year bond. Fire Chief Tim Girard looked at these numbers and said he feels a 15 and 20 year bond is too long to go because the life of a fire truck is approximately 20 years. The Board discussed that for a while and agreed that they would ask Lynn to run the numbers again but with a 10 and 12 year bond. They said they would also ask her to run the numbers on a home valued at $175,000, a home valued at $200,000 and a home valued at $250,000. Adam Paxman stated that they have a need now for these trucks, not a want. Peter Prouty stated he is also a taxpayer but said if they delay doing this they would be worse off. Reg Beliveau stated he knows the Fire Department does what they can to be fiscally responsible and said the last two ladder trucks were purchased by the Fire Department alone through their Star Hose fund. The Board said they would ask Lynn for more information and requested this be put on the next agenda for further discussion.

 

6.   Discuss the Sale of the Memorial Auditorium Building:

 

Neal Speer, Village President, stated that the Village Manager and the Board of Trustees have been negotiating for a year or so with the Winters family regarding the sale of the Memorial Building. He said they have come to the mutual agreement that this is what is best for the Village and the Town of Swanton and community to move forward with their Downtown Revitalization. Chris Leach stated the downtown has been shrinking and with a beautiful new Ace Hardware store downtown he guarantees this will spur other retailers to come forward. He said this is a win/win for our downtown area. He said more activity and other retail outlets is the way to go. He said the trend used to be for stores to go outside of the Village and go into shopping centers on the outskirts of Town. He said normally it’s too expensive to do it in the interior and said this is so unique, so special and so perfect. He said other Ace Hardware stores in the area are beautiful, state of the art, well thought out, and priced great. He said this is exactly what will be an impetus to grow their Village Center. He said the drawings of the project are tasteful and appropriate. He said this is a no brainer for him. Adam Paxman stated this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for their community and he’s very proud to be a part of it. Eugene LaBombard said for many years they have been looking for a way to improve the appearance and vitality of their downtown. He said they’ve been listening and watching as well as have other people but said this opportunity is the right one. Gordon Winters thanked the Board for their kind words and the support. He said Chris hit it on the head because they used to go to Ace conventions 10-15 years ago and would be told to get away from the downtown area and go to the strip malls next to a drug store etc. He said within the last five years the message has been to get anywhere you can in your downtown area so that it’s walkable. He said it’s almost impossible to develop in the middle of downtown because stores need an acre or so of land. He said usually there are no empty lots and if so they are brownfields that need work. He said the support he’s received is exactly what is needed to get this kind of project off the ground and he said he appreciates that support and the community’s support. He said he looks forward to getting started. Reg Beliveau said they can sign a Purchase and Sales Agreement tonight and said it would be posted for 30 days and if anyone opposes it they have 30 days to get a petition in with 5% of the registered voters. Neal Speer stated they wouldn’t go into the terms but said they are available at the Village office or with any Trustee. He said they know there is some opposition out there about this but said they believe this is the best opportunity. He said every board this has come before agrees with their decision to go with the Winters family proposal. He said the Board, the Development Review Board (DRB), and the Town Selectboard are in favor of this proposal.

 

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter into a Purchase and Sales Agreement with the Winters family on the Memorial Building and to give Village Manager authorization to sign all necessary documents. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: Reg Beliveau stated he has dealt with contracts for many years and to have Gordon and Debbie Winters come in and to see their emotion and their sincere proposal was refreshing. He said you can question that they’re going to make money, of course they are he said but money will flow back into this community. Reg Beliveau, Village Manager, and Gordon Winters signed the Purchase and Sales Agreement. Motion carried.

 

7.   Update on Rubber Dam:

 

Reg Beliveau informed the Board that the abrasion sheets have arrived. He said he talked more about making a repair and they have been watching the weather and it’s not conducive to making any repairs at this time. He said PC Construction said they want to be kept in the loop and if they have a window of good weather maybe they can do something then. He said they’ll have to wait and see. He said the rubber bag is on its way and should be here next week. He said if the water gets too high they have to deflate the bag some but said they are figuring it out. He said they are still producing power.

 

8.    Adopt and Sign Ordinance for the Establishment of Historic Preservation Commission:

 

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve and adopt the Establishment of a Historic Preservation Commission Ordinance as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried. The Board signed the Ordinance.

 

9.    Any Other Necessary Business:

 

Adam Paxman stated he would like Chief Stell to be at their next meeting for an update on the Police Department. He also stated he wanted to thank everyone for their Christmas in the Park event last Saturday. He said it was a great time and a lot of fun. He said they are going to try and do a little bit more next year and said on behalf of everyone involved thank you.

 

Any Other Business: Chris Leach said he wanted to talk about the Teen Center or Community Center. He said he’s not sure if people really know what that means and said they think it’s just a big hall with events going on. He said there’s more to it than that and if people understood programs, usage and the good things that can happen from those activities. He said the Teen Center was more than just a place for the kids to hang out and if they’re going to move it people need to understand what it means and what goes on there. He said he would like a director to come in and explain what really happens there. He said a lot of people are making negative comments but said he feels that comes from a lack of understanding. Reg Beliveau stated he joined the Board of Directors for the Teen Center as well. He said there is more funding available for grants if they make it a community center rather than just a teen center. He said this is a great opportunity for people to get involved and help support the youth of the community. He said this is a positive and he wished more people would come out and help and get involved.

 

Any Other Business: Eugene LaBombard stated he wished the Police Department would start issuing tickets or towing vehicles that are parking on the streets and blocking the snow plows. Village Clerk Dianne Day stated the Winter Parking Ban goes into effect on December 1^st. Eugene stated he thought it started on the 15^th of November and said they should change that because he doesn’t like cars parking on the streets when they need plowing. Eugene stated after December 1^st he hopes the police department issues tickets for this violation.

 

 

Any Other Business: Neal Speer asked about the soffet lights on Merchants Row. Reg Beliveau stated he was supposed to hear something back today. Neal said he is hoping to get some grant money so it won’t cost the Village to put them in. He said he and Elisabeth Nance met with the State of Vermont and said there is some money available for this. He said it really does need to be lit up over there. Eugene stated he supports Neal’s efforts.

 

Any Other Business: Reg Beliveau stated that Joel Clark stopped by his office today asking if the Monument in Flat Iron Park could be lit on each side with some low voltage lights. He said the veterans names are printed on both sides of this monument and they’d like for it to be lit at night. He said Joel will do the fundraising to do this. The Board agreed with Joel’s request and said he should make it vandal proof. Reg also stated that next year marks the 100^th Anniversary of Cpl. Leonard Antoine Lord, the first Vermonter killed in World War I. Reg stated the Armory on Ferris Street was dedicated to him in August of 1960. There was a parade in 1960 and 10,000 people came to see it and honor Cpl. Lord by dedicating the Armory in his name. Reg said that Joel wanted to bring public awareness to this and they are hoping to plan a celebration next year to honor him.

 

10. Public Comment:

 

None.

 

11. Executive Session (If Necessary):

 

Chris Leach made the motion to enter into Executive Session to discuss personnel at 7:55 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

 

Chris Leach made the motion to exit Executive Session at 8:37 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 8:37 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Motion carried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________          _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                           Date

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                               Date