| Selectboard Meeting Minutes |
| June 3rd, 2025 6:30 pm Chelsea Town Hall Link to recorded meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy3o_xruPaE |
| Call to order |
| Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:32 pm. SELECTBOARD Gregg Herrin (Present) Curtis Chase (Present) Paul Libby (Present) Carrie Caouette-De Lallo (Present) Kevin Marshia (Present) TOWN EMPLOYEES Tierney Farago (Town Administrator) Gayle Durkee (Town Treasurer) Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman) Tracy Simon (Emergency Management Director) Jen Chase (Town Clerk) Snook Downing (Transfer Station Attendant) Tom Swahn (Transfer Station Attendant) |
| Additions to the Agenda: None |
| Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None |
| Public Comments |
| Snook Downing and Tom Swahn attended the meeting to talk to the Selectboard about a pay raise for Tom. He believes that this is necessary, as Tom’s presence at the transfer station has greatly helped him, and he worries that not paying him more will make him less likely to continue working at the transfer station. Gregg Herrin appreciated both Snook and Tom for bringing this up and let them know that the Selectboard is working on salary increases for all Town employees to ensure that employees are being paid fairly to state and local standards. They will continue to gather data on the salary in comparable towns and bring that information to future meetings for deliberation. |
| Approve Minutes from May 20, 2025 |
| Paul Libby made a motion to approve the May 20th meeting minutes; Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. Motion passed. |
| Current Events and Updates |
| A. Highway Update-Town Truck Purchase |
| Rick Ackerman brought back numbers for turnkey trucks; there are several models to choose from, ranging from about $310,000 to $315,000 with warranty. The truck order currently in place with ATG/Viking Cives is for a total of $274,444. The Selectboard deliberated on the pros and cons of possibly getting a turnkey truck with Rick. Ultimately, the Selectboard agreed that if Rick is comfortable moving forward, they would continue to wait for the current truck and have him service the old truck as needed for Winter 2025. Since this order is already in place, no action was needed. Rick gave several updates, including the chervil mowing that has begun and looking ahead to possibly buying more sand to stock up on for the winter. He is also waiting for Pike to send over an estimate on how much repaving Upper Village Rd would cost. |
| B. Town Administrator Update |
| The Town Administrator is working with the Grants Administrator for a sidewalk grant from VTrans and wanted to know if the Selectboard members had any specific areas of sidewalk that need to be repaired, or even new sidewalk that they think might be beneficial to the Town. Paul Libby suggested asking Rita Seto from Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission if they already have a listed of priority areas. The Town Administrator will work with her to figure out the best areas of improvement. |
| Action Items |
| A. Basement Waterproofing Bid |
| The Selectboard reviewed the proposal for basement waterproofing services for Town Hall, but had additional questions regarding the electrical work and drainage before they felt comfortable enough to accept the proposal. The Town Administrator will set up a meeting with the vendor, Curtis Chase, and Paul Libby so they can discuss these questions. The item will be postponed until the next meeting. No motion made. |
| B. Adoption of 2025 Local Emergency Management Plan (LEMP) |
| Tracy Simon attended the meeting to discuss the 2025 Local Emergency Management Plan with the Selectboard. This plan lists all notable contacts for the town and is submitted to the Vermont Emergency Management team. The plan also aids in decreasing local matches for FEMA, as it shows the Town has made efforts to be prepared for disasters. Tracy worked with the board to make any corrections needed on the forms. Kevin Marshia made a motion to adopt the 2025 Local Emergency Management Plan, with corrections as noted; Paul Libby seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| C. Water and Sewer Fee Change Decision |
| The Selectboard felt comfortable to decide on the fee increase for water and sewer billing. There have been numerous discussions regarding the changes and received feedback from the public regarding the changes. Notifications for residents will be included in the next water/sewer bills sent out in July. Water: Kevin Marshia made a motion to increase the water usage fee by 12%, bringing the total to $92.69 per quarter starting July 1st, 2025, and continuing for three years; Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Sewer: Kevin Marshia made a motion to increase the sewer usage fee by 25%, bringing the total to $152.18 per quarter starting July 1st, 2025, and continuing for three years; Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Overage: Carrie Caouette-De Lallo made a motion to increase the water overage fee from 0.4 to 0.8 per gallon; Paul Libby seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| D. Wastewater Plant Contract and Funding Application |
| Paul Libby made a motion to approve the final engineering contract and funding application for the sum of $44,400; Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| E. Approve Orders |
| Paul Libby made a motion to approve the orders; Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| Executive Session If Necessary |
| Carrie Caouette-De Lallo made a motion to move to executive session, inviting Tierney Farago and Gayle Durkee; Curtis Chase seconded the motion. The Selectboard entered executive session at 8:57 pm. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo made a motion to exit executive session; Paul Libby seconded the motion. The Selectboard exited the session at 9:43 pm. The Selectboard discussed personnel and no action was taken. |
| Adjournment |
| Curtis Chase made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously at 9:44 pm. |