Author: Gregg Herrin

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    DRAFT Selectboard Meeting Minutes August 4, 2026

    ByGregg Herrin

    Present:
    Gregg Herrin, Carrie Caouette-De Lallo, Charles Peel, Paul Libby, Gayle Durkee (Treasurer), Kasey Peterson (Interim Town Administrator), Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman)

    Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:30PM.

    Adjustments to the Agenda
    Kasey Peterson noted that an update will be included in the Highway section related to traffic signage.
    Gregg Herrin indicated that during the Treasurer’s section, he will provide some background information to restart discussions related to water and sewer rates.

    Conflict of Interest Disclosure – None

    Public Comments
    Marianne McCann inquired about the schedule for advancing the topic of drainage related to Bobby Button’s Creamery property. Curtis Chase indicated that the current step is still with the surveyor engaged to understand exactly where property boundaries are, and it was agreed that the next meeting will include an agenda item to provide a more complete summary.
    Frank Keane mentioned that beavers have been building a dam along Jail Brook.

    Carrie Caouette-De Lallo moved to approve the July 21, 2026 Meeting Minutes. Charles Peel seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0

    United Church of Chelsea Wastewater Issue
    Bob Aichler provided updated information about the most recent design for reconnecting the church to the Town sewer. The information presented indicates that the updated design would have sufficient slope to carry waste from the church to the system, which was not previously the case due to changes in vertical alignment for the pipes. The currently proposed design will be discussed with Mike Whipple to review any concerns he may have.

    Public Grounds
    Discussion of the Roberts-Gould Field included ongoing questions and discussion about the relationship between the Town and the activities done on that field. Since the Roberts-Gould fund is managed and coordinated separately from the Town, it was noted that activities like the Alumni Baseball Game are not automatically covered by the Town’s insurance, so in the future insurance information should be provided as part of any similar activities.
    Curtis Chase brought up several questions related to the Recreation Committee and requirements for Committee Members to be appointed by the Selectboard. John Parker indicated that the committee has been running based on the belief that they could self-organize, including having their own communications to recruit people who are interested in serving, deciding on committee members, and so on. John Parker will be in contact with the current secretary to pass along current membership information as well as any information associated with the formation and rules of the committee.

    Transfer Station/Solid Waste Discussion
    Terry MacNeish provided a summary of research he has done into rates at nearby towns, indicating that Chelsea may be currently charged more than Royalton for trash disposal, but may also be paying less than other towns for recycling. He also suggested that the Town may be able to own containers rather than renting them, which could offer some savings over time. Snook Downing mentioned that the Town used to own a container, but its whereabouts have been unknown for several years. Gregg Herrin asked that various options be outlined for moving forward, to be evaluated based on a combination of fairness (charging more for those who use the service) and simplicity (for those using the service as well as for the Town to administer). Other ideas were suggested by various audience attendees ranging from “everyone pays equally through property taxes” to “abandon the transfer station altogether”. Future meetings will outline options and their pros and cons to help push towards a decision.

    Treasurer Update
    Gayle Durkee provided an overview of the tax rate calculations, which indicate a large increase this year – driven largely by the increases in school budget. Gregg Herrin offered to create an updated view of the pie chart used at the 2026 Town Meeting to provide a visual representation of where tax monies go. The Selectboard will review the updated calculations by the next meeting so that the Treasurer can begin to process property tax bills.
    Gregg Herrin also presented an update on water and sewer rates, reminding everyone of the ongoing efforts to bring the revenues in alignment with expenses. The next meeting will include a more detailed look into the financial modeling, as well as opening the floor for more discussion about next steps.

    Administrator Update
    Kasey Peterson noted that any additional work to be funded by MERP grants would need to be under contract by the end of September. Curtis Chase provided an overview of remaining prioritized items which we are seeking proposals for.
    Kasey Peterson noted that we are nearing the point of posting for the position of a permanent Town Administrator, and Gregg Herrin noted that to date they have been reconciling information from the prior Job Description used when Tierney Farago was hired, a partially update job description that was being worked on with Tierney, a prior description of duties from Kasey Peterson when she worked for the Town of Brookfield, and the experience over the past few months as Kasey has been temporarily filling the position. It is expected that over the next two weeks that information will be compiled into something that can quickly be turned into a realistic job description to redefine the scope of the role so we can begin recruiting.

    Highway
    Tom Vermette applied for an access permit along Densmore Road. Paul Libby made the motion to approve the permit. Curtis Chase seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0.
    Discussion of the VTRANS paving grant, as previously approved, included confirmation that the paving should be completed by October 1 per the advice of the Rick Ackerman.
    Kasey Peterson brought to the attention of the Selectboard that some of the FEMA funding possibilities for Doyle Road and Edwards Road are at risk of being lost, due to running out of time according to the process requirements. There is some concern that the delays have been caused largely by possible mishandling and subsequent loss of our prior Town Administrator, but that may be unlikely to qualify as an unavoidable delay in the eyes of the State or FEMA. Curtis Chase mentioned that some of the delay is based on the concern that some of the preliminary engineering may be infeasible, and that reconsidering engineering options is not something that was foreseeable or preventable by the Town. Paul Libby will reach out to the State of Vermont representative (with Kasey if timing allows) to understand more clearly the timeline and options that exist for us.
    Kasey Peterson presented information about Grants-in-Aid from the State of Vermont for FY2027 to do ditching work. Paul Libby made a motion to approve the $23,000 Grants-in-Aid package for 2027, including providing Town matching of $5,750 to do ditch work on roads to be determined at a later date. Charles Peel seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0.
    Approve Warrants – Charles Peel made a motion to approve the warrants. Paul Libby seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0

    Charles Peel made a motion to enter executive session to discuss personnel issues and a Robert Poor Fund request, inviting Kasey Peterson. Curtis Chase seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0

    Executive Session began at 9:16PM.

    At 9:57PM Charles Peel made a motion to exit Executive Session. Paul Libby seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0
    Gregg Herrin noted that the executive session covered personnel issues and a Robert Poor Fund request. Other than the Roberts Poor Fund request, no actions were taken and no decisions were made.

    Charles Peel made a motion to adjourn. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded. There was no further discussion. 5-0-0.
    The meeting adjourned at 9:57PM

    Audio Recording:

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    Approved Selectboard Meeting Minutes – April 21, 2026

    ByGregg Herrin

    April 21, 2026, 6:30 pm at Chelsea Town Hall

    I. CALL TO ORDER

    Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 7:40pm.

    SELECTBOARD
    Gregg Herrin (Present)
    Curtis Chase (Present)
    Paul Libby (Present)
    Carrie Caouette-De Lallo (Present)
    Charles Peel (Present)

    TOWN EMPLOYEES/OFFICIALS
    Gaye Durkee (Town Treasurer)
    Rick Ackerman (Road Foreperson)

    PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE
    None

    II. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
    There were several additions to the agenda.

    Charles Peel suggested a topic related to stakes being unexpectedly placed on the north common. It was identified that the stakes were related to tree planting, so no further discussion was warranted.

    Charles Peel also noted that Chelsea Court and Hillside Homes are potentially interested in tying into the water system. Since these would involve multiple connections at the same time, there is a suggestion that we may be able to reduce the connection fee because of the shared costs of connecting multiple units at once.

    Charles Peel also observed that there is currently no standard form for residents to request a water connection, and he intends to draft one for consideration.

    Gayle Durkee indicated that she has received a Roberts Gould Field request. With the recent departure of the prior Town Administrator, the process for handling these types of requests will be revisited with the interim Town Administrator, Kasey Peterson upon her return to the office.

    Gregg Herrin added an item related to finalizing paperwork for a previously approved line of credit.
    Carrie Caouette-De Lallo indicated that she has some information to share regarding the transfer Station, to be covered later in the meeting.

    III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE – NONE

    IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NONE

    V. APPROVE MINUTES FROM APRIL 7, 2026

    Carrie Caouette-De Lallo made a motion to approve the minutes from the April 7, 2026 Selectboard meeting. Curtis Chase seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    VI. DISCUSSION OF MINUTES FORMATTING

    Charles Peel requested feedback regarding the level of detail he provided for the most recent meeting minutes. There was general consensus that the new format is a clear step in the right direction to make the minutes more comprehensive and more meaningful for people who couldn’t attend the meeting. Charles and Carrie will also seek feedback from The Herald to see what level of detail is helpful for their publishing needs.

    VII. HIGHWAY UPDATE

    Rick Ackerman indicated that the road crew will start grading tomorrow, and that there are a lot of clay boils this year. McCullough has started making material again, so we don’t have to haul it from Barre. McCullough currently has a lot of fines in the material, so the road crew is blending that with the other stone to create a better mixture.

    Rick hasn’t heard anything else about the ten-wheeler yet, but is still expecting it to be ready in a September/October timeframe. He also still haven’t found a suitable chloride truck yet; the last option he looked into wanted a much higher bid than we offered.

    Rick also noted that he had the garage office and break room painted last week, and that Culligan came and serviced the softener. There’s also a drain in Rick’s bay that isn’t flowing well, so Silloway is going to come see if they can clear it out.

    Charles Peel asked whether Rick had talked to the Ambulance crew about possibly using Town garage space to store their extra ambulance as they get their new one.

    VIII. TRACTOR PURCHASE

    The barely-used tractor in Kentucky is still available for $140,000 including shipping, with no warranty. There is another option for $198,000 for an equivalent new tractor with a 3-year warranty. Given that the less expensive tractor has no warranty, that would not be a gamble worth having a trusted colleague inspect it.

    Charles Peel made a motion to send Rick Ackerman to Campton, Kentucky by airplane, with an upper limit on travel expenses for flight, hotel, rental car, and food of $1,500. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. Curtis Chase made the point that Rick should not to feel obligated to give a clean bill of health, and that the expense of investigating is acceptable even if the opportunity is a dead end. The motion passed unanimously.

    IX. GRANTS UPDATE

    Harry Falconer from TRORC reached out to Curtis Chase, and clarified that the deadline for MERP grants is December 31, and we could potentially get extensions if needed.

    X. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE – NONE

    XI. APPROVE ORDERS

    The orders include a bill from TRORC where the board is awaiting clarification about what the billed services include. There is not a specific due date indicate for the bill, so there does not appear to be any risk of penalties by waiting for more information before approving payment.

    Charles Peel made a motion to accept orders except for Two Rivers while we await further information about services received. Paul Libby seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    XII. SULLIVAN & POWERS CONTRACT 2026

    The contract will Sullivan & Powers was already approved in a prior meeting, so Gayle Durkee just needed signatures to complete the document.

    XIII. LINE OF CREDIT CONTRACT

    As part of normal Town operations, the Town uses a line of credit to avoid cash-flow issues associated with the timing of tax collection being late in the year.

    Paul Libby made a motion to accept resolution for maximum $375,000 for tax anticipation borrowing, and the rest of the contents of the resolution. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    XIV. VERMONT STATE REVOLVING FUND LOAN

    Charles Peel noted that he is still making efforts to try to centralize and compile all of the prior information about the wastewater plant improvements, which was not well-organized within our files previously. There was a question about whether there is a timing risk associated with delaying the approval of a loan associated with engineering work, and it was generally agreed that we are unlikely to have a feasible option other than moving ahead.

    Charles Peel made a motion to approve Vermont State Revolving Fund load agreement for $83,400. Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Upon further discussion, it was noted that the motion should include wording to specify that this is for the wastewater system. Charles Peel amended his motion, to approve a Vermont State Revolving Fund load agreement for $83,400 for the wastewater system engineering. Curtis Chase seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    XV. EXECUTIVE SESSION

    There were personnel topics to discuss for executive session.

    Charles Peel made a motion to enter executive session, inviting Gayle Durkee. Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Gregg Herrin noted that use of executive session to discuss personnel topics is allowed per 1 V.S.A. § 313(a). The motion passed unanimously.

    Executive session began at 7:55 pm.

    Paul Libby made a motion to exit executive session. Charles Peel seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    Executive session ended at 8:16 pm. Gregg Herrin noted that there were two personnel topics discussed, with no action taken, and at no point did any non-board members influence the discussion.

    XVI. PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION OF WINDSOR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DRAFT CONTRACT

    A review of the proposed contract from Windsor County Sheriff’s Office raised some questions about things like the split of daytime and nighttime hours, obligations about written priority lists from the board, and monthly updates from the Sheriff’s office. It was suggested that in-person updates to the Town at future Selectboard meetings would be helpful for providing transparency about services and safety in general. No action was taken, but it was noted that a representative from the Windsor County Sheriff’s Office will be present for the May 5 Selectboard meeting.

    XVII. YOUTH VOLUNTEERS AT TRANSFER STATION

    Based on information from the Department of Labor, there are no apparent labor law restrictions that would prevent youth volunteers from helping at the transfer station with non-equipment based duties like helping townspeople unload their trash and recycling, tidying up any loose debris, etc. The Town does still need to make sure that the right waivers are in place, and volunteers would not be automatically accepted. Each individual who wishes to volunteer will be discussed and approved in future executive sessions.

    XVIII. TRANSFER STATION INSPECTION FOLLOW-UP

    As follow-up to a recent inspection of the transfer station, the Town is taking steps to ensure compliance. Part of that includes a company being scheduled in the coming week to pump and inspect the oil storage tank to ensure there are no leaks.

    XIX. LIGHTING CONTRACT FOR MERP GRANT

    All of the lighting in the public spaces in the Town Hall will be replaced, with the full cost being covered by MERP grant funds. There may be a few areas where we will need to refine decisions about specific conditions as the project advances (for example handling ceiling replacement below the balcony).

    Charles Peel made a motion to approve Doug Scott’s contract to redo lighting in public spaces inside and outside Town Hall for $44,500 using MERP funds. Paul Libby seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.

    XX. ADJOURNMENT

    Paul Libby made a motion to adjourn. Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Gregg Herrin noted that the board should work proactively to schedule topics for the next several meetings, to ensure continued improvement on effective and efficient decision making. The motion passed unanimously.

    The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.

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    Selectboard Meeting Agenda – April 21, 2026

    ByGregg Herrin

    April 21, 2026 at 6:30pm, Chelsea Town Hall

    Call to Order

    Additions to Agenda

    Conflict of Interest Disclosure

    Public Comments

    Approve Minutes from April 7, 2026

    Discussion of Meeting Minute Format/Scope

    Current Events and Updates

    Highway Update

    Grants Update

    Administrative Update

    Action Items

    Preliminary Discussion of Draft Windsor County Sheriff Contract Proposal

    Roadside Mowing Tractor Purchase

    Youth Volunteers at Transfer Station

    Contracts and Selectboard Approvals

    Sullivan, Powers & Company Audit Contract Clarification

    Ronald Johnson Mowing Contract

    Line of Credit Agreement with Mascoma

    MERP Town Hall Lighting Contract

    Approve Orders

    Executive Session to Discuss Personnel Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313(A)

    Adjournment

    VIRTUAL OPTION: 

    To join the Selectboard Meeting virtually, please request a link to join from the Town Administrator at town.administrator@chelseavt.us, or by calling 802-625-2023.