DRAFT Selectboard Meeting Minutes – July 30, 2024
| Selectboard Meeting Minutes |
| July 30th, 2024 6:30 pm Chelsea Town Hall |
| Call to Order |
| Kevin Marshia called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. SELECTBOARD Kevin Marshia (Present) Kelly Lyford (Present) Gregg Herrin (Present) Leyna Hoyt (Present) Jesse Kay (Present) TOWN EMPLOYEES Tierney Farago (Town Administrator) Rick Ackerman (Highway Supervisor) Gayle Durkee ( Town Treasurer) Mike Whipple (Water Sewer Chief Operator) |
| Additions to the Agenda |
| -Old Home Days requests: for record keeping purposes, the Town asked that organizers for the Old Home Days celebration submit official requests to use the town greens, town hall, and tennis courts for the celebration. Jesse Kay made a motion to approve the north and south common village greens, Roberts-Gould field, and tennis courts from August 2-4; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. -Town Hall Fee Waiver: it was requested that the fees for the use of town hall be waived for the fire department’s use for old Home Days. Leyna Hoyt made a motion to waive the fees; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. -26 O’Donnell Rd Highway Permit: a curb cut highway permit was received by the town administrator, however, the selectboard agreed that the permit required more time to warn the public. The item has been moved to the August 6th agenda. |
| Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Kelly Lyford recused herself from voting on the wastewater rotor upgrade item. |
| Public Comments |
| -Kevin Marshia discussed comments made from the previous meeting regarding the approval of orders and verified that the Treasurer was following standard procedures for accounting. -Gregg Herrin brought up questions he received regarding the pedestrian bridge debris cleanup that were addressed later in the meeting for the action item. The town is currently working on a solution to the debris. |
| Approve Minutes from July 16th, 2024 |
| Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the July 16th minutes; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 5 votes in favor. |
| Current Events and Updates |
| Highway Update |
| Rick Ackerman gave an update on the status of the roads and gravel. The town has received one application for the road worker position. Bids for the new town truck are due on August 6th. The Selectboard also discussed the highway budget with Rick present; some budget items have been exceeded due to the weather and should be considered when creating the budget for the next fiscal year. |
| Town Administrator UpdateAnimal Control Officer Opening |
| Tierney Farago announced that there is now an opening for the Animal Control Officer position. The position will be advertised for residents soon. In the interim, Leyna Hoyt will fill the position and her information will be posted for the public to contact. |
| Water and Wastewater Update |
| Mike Whipple gave an update on the town water and wastewater. He notified the board that some items had been ordered to replace old/broken ones at the plant. He is actively working to get the plant in compliance with routine inspection needs. |
| Treasurer: Budget Update |
| Gayle Durkee went through the budget with the Selectboard by department. The budgets for highway and solid waste were discussed so that thought can be given to the future budget allowances. Consideration will be made for several line items so that areas of the budget are not under pressure depending on the town’s needs next year. |
| Action Items |
| *Kevin Marshia had to leave early due to family circumstances. Kelly Lyford continued directing the meeting. |
| Wastewater Plant: Approval of Rotor Upgrade and Labor |
| Mike Whipple briefed the Selectboard of the need for a new rotor for the wastewater plant. The one currently being used 24/7 is old and in need of replacement. Mike has compiled quotes and labor costs for the Selectboard to review and approve. The current approximate cost of this upgrade including labor is $14,247.79.The board expects to use ARPA funds for this upgrade. The Selectboard discussed estimating a cost threshold of $17,000 in case any of the estimates change from Selectboard approval to installation. Kelly Lyford recused herself from voting on this matter due to a conflict of interest. Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the purchase and installation of a new rotor for the wastewater plant, not to exceed the amount of $17,000; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Treasurer: Approval of Tax Rates |
| The Selectboard reviewed the proposed new tax rates from the state. Jesse Kay made a motion to approve the new 0.8234% municipal tax rate; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Treasurer: Carminati and Bullard Contracts |
| Carminati Mowing: Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the Carminati mowing contract; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. Bullard Welding: Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the Bullard welding contract; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Mitigation Pre-application: Pedestrian Bridge, Town Hall Basement |
| This item was tabled for further discussion on August 6th. |
| Microsoft Teams Integration |
| Tierney Farago presented a quote from Calkins Networks for onboarding the Selectboard for Microsoft Teams. Currently the Selectboard uses Google Drive and lacks official emails and essential functionality.The Selectboard briefly discussed the benefits of using Teams and how it will aid in organizing Town files and tasks. Jesse Kay made a motion to approve the purchase of software and services for Teams for the Selectboard; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Treasurer and Town Administrator Training: UVM Vermont Local Government Institute |
| Tierney Farago and Gayle Durkee registered for a free continuing education program for the Vermont Local Government Institute hosted by the University of Vermont. This program requires a letter of recommendation from the Selectboard to attend. The Selectboard proof-read a generic letter to be presented to the program manager for registration. Jesse Kay made a motion to approve the letter of recommendation for Tierney Farago and Gayle Durkee to attend the Vermont Local Government Institute program; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Pedestrian Bridge Debris |
| Two parties have shown interest in removing the debris from the previous cemetery bridge. The Selectboard discussed the two offers and decided to continue the conversation at the next meeting after a quote has been submitted by the second party. No action was taken. |
| Approve Orders |
| Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the orders; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. Motion passed with 4 votes in favor. |
| Executive Session If Necessary: None |
| Adjournment |
| Leyna Hoyt made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Jesse Kay seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 8:57 pm. |