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DRAFT Meeting Minutes August 18, 2026 

Present: Gregg Herrin, Charles Peel, Carrie Caouette-De Lallo (remotely), Kasey Peterson, Gayle Durkee, Rick Ackerman, Chintana Herrin, Marianne McCann 

Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:34 PM 
 
Adjustments to the Agenda   

Highway Safety Improvement Program –This was reserved for a meeting that Paul and Curtis are able to attend 

Propane Price Lock – Gillespie 
 
Conflict of Interest Disclosure  - none  

Public Comments  - none 

Approve Minutes   

Carrie Caouette-De Lallo moved to approve.  Charles Peel noted that Gregg Herrin identified information that was missing.  Because it was uncertain if that had been added, no second was made and no action was taken. 

Treasurer Update  

Tax Rate: Gayle Durkee is working with the Listers to correct the Grand List after she identified issues with current use calculations on the final Grand List for the 2026 Tax Year.  The Board can expect Town Clerk, Jen Chase, to finalize the canvassing report so that the Listers can finalize the current use totals and the Board can approve the tax rates. 

Water and Sewer Fees: Gregg Herrin began the discussion with general concepts identified last meeting regarding treating highways, the transfer station, and water/sewer department funding to be approached equitably.  Gregg Herrin noted that there are areas that everyone uses and should contribute to, some that are either optional or are unavailable to some residents, and some that everyone should cover whether they use or not such as fire, EMS and policing services.  Normal town operating budget is shared widely.  Highways are available to all but not used equally and are used by non-residents. That said, individualizing tax burdens by usage is impossible.  The transfer station is available to all but not used equally.  There may be a collective benefit to all residents by operating the station.  Our current handling of that funding is to share all costs across all taxpayers and some costs are directly borne by users.  The water and sewer systems are compulsory for residents of the Village and unavailable to those beyond the system’s reach.  Charles Peel expressed concern that the water and sewer system, excluding bond payments, are exclusively borne by the residents who are compulsorily connected to the system and that they disproportionately keep up a system designed to support a high school that was eliminated by vote of all residents. 

Follow up items from the last meeting: Paul Libby asked about the breakdown of fixed vs variable costs.  Gregg estimates that about 90% of the costs of the water and sewer system are fixed costs.  Another Board member asked how Chelsea compares with other towns in Vermont.  Chelsea is presently below the average rates in Vermont and Nationally.  Gregg Herrin was careful to note that the state and national median rates should not be considered to be a target.  Carrie Caouette-De Lallo asked what portions of the towns considered were comparable to the size of our town and system and how much of their costs were tax funded.   

Charles Peel will work with Mike Whipple to determine what the breakdown would be between tax funding and use fee funding if the Board applied the same funding approach to the water and sewer systems that are used for the other systems.   

Public Discussion: Marianne McCann believes it is illegal for any public funding to be brought in by taxation and believes that there is a “legal document” from the formation of the water system which prohibits collecting of public funds to support the systems.  Gregg Herrin noted that the Board will do its due diligence to verify that any changes are legal. 

 Administrator Update  

FEMA Projects: Kasey verified that the departure of a Town Administrator and a lack of permitting are both explicitly named reasons that do not qualify for extensions.  The State of Vermont may give us a six-month extension but that will create some risk with FEMA funding.  We have to order and have the box culvert poured before we know if the FEMA funding remains feasible.  The Town has expended funds already for road repairs.  Kasey and Rick have discussed pricing and expect the cost of the Doyle Road project to be in excess of $400,000.00 and the Edwards Road Project to be in excess of $500,000.00.  The future of FEMA’s funding generally is uncertain.  Paul Libby’s input is needed to speculate on the options other than the engineered proposals at this time so that the Town can benefit from his DOT experience.  Marianne McCann asked how much cost had already been spent on engineering.  Gayle Durkee indicated that it was $200,000.00 inclusive of the Maple Avenue Bridge.  It is unclear to the Board why we opted for having third party engineering for the Doyle Road box culvert rather than having the company that will construct it design the culvert in house.  That decision was made by a Board with no common members with the current Board. 

Municipal Energy Resilience Update: Adam Grimes would like a decision about how to restore the storm windows he removed from the Library.  The Board wanted input from the Library and the public lands liaisons to be included in the discussion. 

Highway  

Open Bids for Upper Village Road Paving  

Blacktop Inc – $114,165.22 and $148,342.32.  Total $262,507.54 which includes level and overlay of section 1 full depth on section 2. 

JA McDonald – $324,106.80. Base Bid is $150,114.80, additional is $173,992.00.  Base includes shim with ¾” of type 4 and 1” of type 3.  Upgrade would be 4” total asphalt. 

Pike Industries – $112,373.00 for phase 1 and $160,834.50 for phase 2.  Total $273,207.50 which includes level and overlay of section 1 and full depth of section 2. 

The Board asked Rick Ackerman to review the bids and verify that each bid includes everything that he expected to be included.  A representative from Pike was present and pointed out that their phase 1 cost was lower than Blacktop’s.  If we are unable to complete both sections, Pike may be a less expensive option.  Gregg reviewed the budget and verified that we have $79,000.00 in the resurfacing fund and will have another $50,000.00 once the tax paymetns start coming in.  

Charles Peel moved to accept Blacktop Inc’s Bid of $262,507.54 to resurface a portion of Upper Village Road and extend the pavement on Upper Village Road.  Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded.  Carrie Caouette-De Lallo asked if the timelines matched Rick’s desired timelines and Rick verified that October 1st was included in all bids.  The motion passed unanimously. 

Two Rivers Regional Planning Commission Representative:  

The Town needs to appoint a member to the TRORC Board to represent the Town’s interests in regional planning.  The Board will put out a call to the Town through electronic means to solicit interested residents to represent the Town.  This position has been vacant for several years since the prior representative resigned. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo will identify the duties so that the Board can ask for volunteers to be considered for nomination to the TRORC Board.  The Chelsea Board would like this position to be actively engaged with the Selectboard, the Planning Commission, and TRORC to advocate for the interests of the Town.  The request for volunteers will be disseminated electronically by Charles Peel and Carrie Caouette-De Lallo 

Town Administrator Position   

The Selectboard needs to post the Town Administrator position.  Gregg Herrin and Kasey Peterson will finalize the description.  Charles Peel suggested that we set pay to be commensurate with experience and that we reserve the option to amend the description prior to hiring. 

 Approve Warrants  

Carrie Caouette-De Lallo moved to approve warrants.  Charles Peel seconded.  No further discussion.  Motion passed unanimously. 
 
Gillespie Propane Price Lock 

Town would agree to purchase 3,169 gallons of propane for a fixed price of $1.57 per gallon.  Carrie Caouette-De Lallo moved to approve the rate lock.  Charles Peel seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously. 

 Executive Session if necessary - None Needed. 

Adjournment  

Charles Peel moved to adjourn.  Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded.  No further discussion.  The motion passed unanimously.   

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:

DRAFT Selectboard Meeting Minutes July 21, 2026  

Present: 
Gregg Herrin, Carrie Caouette-De Lallo, Charles Peel, Paul Libby, Gayle Durkee (Treasurer), Kasey Peterson (Interim Town Administrator), Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman), Tim Carter, Justina Kenyon 
 
Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:37.  

Adjustments to the Agenda – Terry MacNeish will not be available so the Transfer Station conversation will need to be tabled.    

Conflict of Interest Disclosure  – Paul Libby commented that he works for VTRANS and may need to recuse himself from certain highway decisions 

Public Comments  - none 

Paul Libby moved to approve the July 7, 2026 Meeting Minutes. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0  

Transfer Station/Solid Waste Discussion – Tabled  

Administrator Update  
Kasey Peterson presented a request for the use of the Roberts Gould Field for the Alumni Baseball Game and Cookout. There was no certificate of insurance included with the request. Tim Carter was present to explain that this is the third year this event has taken place and they have not presented a Certificate of Insurance for any of them. There was a discussion of who owns the field – the town or the school – and how the Roberts-Gould Fields funds are managed. There was also concern about acquiring insurance this close to the event. The Selectboard would like to clarify with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns for subsequent events. Charles Peel made a motion to approve the request and waive the requirement for this year’s event. Paul Libby seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0.  
Paul Libby thanked Tim Carter for keeping the field looking so good.  

Water Board    
Charles Peel thanked Mike Whipple for managing the leak in the water main on Upper Village Road. Mike managed to handle the situation with no drop in water pressure and also avoided a boil water notice.  
Justina Kenyon was present to explain that as of January 2026 the home on 13 Maple Ave no longer has an apartment. The owners would like to adjust the water billing to reflect the change. Charles Peel remarked that the listers and the Zoning Administrator should be advised of the change from a duplex to a single family home for tax purposes. Charles Peel then confirmed that the home is connected to only one water meter. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo further clarified that the Selectboard does have jurisdiction over this decision.  
Charles Peel made a motion to consider the building to be one unit as of the second quarter of 2026 going forward. Paul Libby seconded. There was a short conversation regarding the actual process of billing a single water meter for two units. 4-0-0. 
 
Treasurer Update  
Gayle Durkee reported the approximately one hundred and one thousand dollars ($101,000) has come in from the Vermont Municipal Equipment Loan Fund and she has used that money to reimburse the Town’s equipment fund.  
Gayle is also working on the tax rate.  
Gregg Herrin presented the Mid-Year Budget Numbers which look good for this time of year. There was discussion about the Highway Dept which included issues regarding the timing of the new trucks. The Transfer Station income is below expectations by roughly half, but the expenditures are lower by a similar amount. In the Water Dept the income is on target for this time of year and the expenditures are lower than expected. There was further discussion on increasing water and sewer fees and how those increases should be rolled out.   

Highway  
VTRANS will provide one hundred eighty-three thousand, six hundred and fifty-five dollars ($183,655) for paving Upper Village Road. This grant will include a 20% match by the Town. Paul Libby asked about sending out an RFP and will work with Rick Ackerman and Kasey Peterson to complete that part of the process. Charles Peel made the motion to approve the Vtrans grant with a 20% match to pave a portion of Upper Village Road. Paul Libby seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0.  
VTRANS has provided a draft agreement for traffic signs and delineators for three sites in Chelsea. This is a state sign project and requires no payment or vendor procurement from the Town. Paul Libby made a motion to accept the VTrans grant for signs that is 100% funded by the state with the caveat that VTrans fixes the typos in the agreement. Charles Peel seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0. 
Kasey Peterson presented a letter of intent for a Vtrans Road Erosion Inventory Grant. This project is required to apply for the Municipal General Roads Permit from the State. The inventory identifies roadways that need better water management and provides information for Better Back Road and Grants in Aid programs for road improvement. This form is strictly an acknowledgment that the Town intends to apply, not the application itself. Charles Peel made a motion to sign the letter of intent for the Road Erosion Inventory Grant. Paul Libby Seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0 
Paul Libby explained that an extension request will need to be made for the Maple Street Bridge engineering grant as easements and permits must be obtained before Stantec Engineering will deliver plans. That is not likely to happen before the grant deadline of December 31, 2026. No action was taken at this time.  
Kasey Peterson presented a quote for winter salt from Cargill at one hundred and sixteen dollars and fifty cents ($116.50). Charles Peel made a motion to accept the Cargill quote at the stated price. Paul Libby seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0 
Rick Ackerman asked about the last two FEMA projects – Edwards Road and Doyle Road. These projects are also waiting for permitting and property easements. Kasey Peterson will reach out to FEMA to discuss an extension. No action was taken at this time.   

Approve Warrants – Paul Libby made a motion to approve the warrants. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded. Chuck had one clerical question regarding the categorization of the Zumba class under library or recreation. 4-0-0 

Paul Libby made a motion to enter executive session to discuss personnel issues, inviting Gayle Durkee and Kasey Peterson. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded.  4-0-0 

Executive Session began at 8:11PM. 

At 8:51 Charles Peel made a motion to exit Executive Session. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded. 4-0-0.  

The executive session covered personnel issues. No actions were taken. No decisions were made.   

Carrie Caouette-De Lallo made a motion to adjourn. Charles Peel seconded. There was no further discussion. 4-0-0. 

The meeting adjourned at 8:52PM 

Respectfully submitted, 
Kasey Peterson