News

Chelsea Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7:30 pm at Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Mark Whitney, Merrill Whitney, Bruce Hook
Other Town Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald), Gayle Durkee (Treasurer), Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman), Nolan LaFrancis (COO Water System), Bernard Downing (Transfer Station Attendant).
Members of the public present: Heidi Chapman, Chris Byrne, Judy Libby, Andy Pomerantz, Kate Willard, Phillip Mulligan, Bob Frenier, Trudy Amber-Dowlin

1. Call Meeting to Order
   Meeting called to order by Levar Cole at 7:31 pm.
2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
   None.
3. Changes to the Agenda
   AA requested the appointment of Town Moderator be moved forward in the meeting, if a candidate
   shows up as planned.
4. Supervisor Check-In
   Re: Transfer Station: Snook Downing stated concerns and opinions about stickers and pricing for
   residents and non-residents. Downing stated a ticket system might work. Action: discuss with Geoff
   Clayton.
   Re: Water System: Cole stated the Selectboard has hiring concerns and concerns about employee
   compensation. Cole stated the Selectboard has added a $4,000 signing bonus to the Assistant Chief
   Operator job ads. Nolan La Francis stated no problems or concerns at this time. About the hiring, if you
   can’t find help, you can’t find help.
   Re: Highway Dept: Rick Ackerman stated no labor concerns. Hook Road ditching project is underway and
   looking good. Truck will be sold tomorrow.
5. Town Clerk
   There are 3 Liquor License applications from the Wagon Wheel.
   Levar Cole moved to approve First Class Restaurant/Bar License (00230) for Wagon Wheel Bar and
   Grill. Mark Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
   Levar Cole moved to approve Third Class Restaurant/Bar License (00233) for Wagon Wheel Bar and
   Grill. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
   Levar Cole moved to approve the Outside Consumption Permit (00234) for Wagon Wheel Bar and
   Grill. Bruce Hook seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
6. Town Treasurer
   Re: Budget: Durkee stated nothing drastic in budget. Hauling sand has been cut off. Nothing else until
   winter months. Orders presented. Request for Proposals for Audit updated and presented. Action: Place
   ad in Herald. Post full audit proposal on our website.
   Levar Cole moved to approve the RFP for Audit Services. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion.
   Motion passed unanimously.
   Re: Debit Card/Credit Card: Durkee proposed to have only one card with the Treasurer, no ATM
   withdrawals, standard point of sale limit of $2,500. Treasurer must be the primary signer. Admin. Asst.
   can have a card. Bank suggests a separate account with a balance of $2,500.
   Levar Cole moved to approve the debit card proposal, with the understanding that the proposed debit
   card restrictions will be amended to the Town of Chelsea purchasing policy. Mark Whitney seconded
   the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
   Mark Whitney moved to approve the orders. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed
   unanimously.
   Orders Totalling:
   Payroll Town: 6,283.85
   Library: 3,617.65
   Town: 7,573.20
   General: 4,968.47
   Highway: 35,085.38
   Water/Sewer: 558.00
   Rec Dept.: 170.00
7. Department /Liaison Updates
   Highway: Bruce Hook reported the Truck will be sold tomorrow, the Old Town Garage will be painted by
   next week. The roof will be painted.
   Transfer Station: Geoff Clayton absent. Move to next agenda.
   Water/Wastewater: Nothing to report.
   Town Mowing RFP: Mark Whitney requests previous RFP language be checked in office files.
   Village Greens Maintenance Proposal: Mark Whitney requests extension of a couple Selectboard
   Meetings and then place back on agenda.
   Health Officer, Animal Control: Geoff Clayton absent. Move to next agenda.
   Zoning, AA, Planning Commission: Levar Cole requests date in October for Zoning Admin. 3 month
   employee review.
8. Use of ARPA money Discussion
   Proposal by Heidi Chapman to fund a quarterly newsletter, called Chelsea Spotlight, for 1 to 3 years for
   about $7,000. per year. Chapman stated the newsletter would be a paper newsletter, printed and
   mailed to everyone in Chelsea, and a digital online version. An 8 page dummy newsletter was presented.
   Proposal by Bob Frenier to fund a dental health center for $50,000.00 in ARPA funds for partial salaries
   for two dental care providers in the proposed new program’s first year. Chelsea Health Center’s dental
   partner, HealthHub, has been awarded $350,000 for two new dental trailers, one for adults, and one for
   school hygiene. The secondary request is for permission to locate the adult dental mobile unit on townowned land near the Old Town Garage for 3 -4 months per year.
   Proposal by Andy Pomerantz and Kate Willard to fund a trail system, or a planning effort for a trail
   system. Maybe have a committee. Potential trails discussed were downtown Chelsea to Rivendell Trail,
   trails through the Town Forest, and a proposed trail encircling the town of Chelsea.
   Question asked by Trudy Dowlin, does the Selectboard make the decision on it’s own?
   Levar Cole, answered yes. The Selectboard makes the final decision on ARPA money expenditures. The
   Selectboard has tried to solicit as many public ideas and proposals as possible. In the final analysis, we
   will make the decision. Our plan is to spend the money as best we can. We will leverage the Federal
   dollars as soon as we can. The Chelsea Selectboard has discussed the ARPA money in public meetings 8
   times in 2021, and 15 times in 2022, including a June 14th meeting that was a “brainstorming session”.
   Proposal by Phillip Mulligan for the Window Dressers program to build wood and plastic window inserts
   for the Town Clerk’s office at a cost of $495.01. We need to know by the end of the month. Mulligan
   also proposed an air loss and heat loss assessment on the Town Garage building using ARPA money as
   an energy focused project.
9. Public Comments
   None.
10. Approve Minutes
    Levar Cole read changes he had to the August 30 minutes and presented a written copy of the changes.
    Levar Cole moved to approve the Chelsea Selectboard Minutes of 30 August 2022 with the
    additions/corrections presented. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
11. Administrative Assistant Report/ Grants Administration
    Levar Cole moved to approve the Highway Access Permit for Ruben Hook at 146 Hook Road. Mark
    Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed with one abstention (Bruce Hook).
    A Roberts Gould Field request by the Chelsea Rec Committee was approved and signed for a soccer
    tournament on 9-25-22.
    A Roberts Gould Field request by First Branch Athletics was approved and signed for 5/6 soccer practice
    and games from Sept. 19 to October 28.
    Hiring for Water Dept and Admin. Asst: a $4,000 signing bonus was added to job ads posted on
    electronic water job boards. Admin Asst. job advertised in Herald. No candidates applied yet. Action:
    post Admin. Asst. job on Indeed, when possible with town debit card.
    Mark Whitney asked about the OWL and how can we do minutes with digital technology. Brief
    discussion re: minutes. How will we do minutes? Remote minutes? Remote Town Report? What parts of
    the Admin. Asst job can be done remotely?
    Scheduling for 2023 budget planning discussions: An updated version of last years schedule, with new
    dates presented to the board. Action: Send out email to all departments with dates.
    Arts Grant/ Pellet Furnace: Levar Cole reported to the Board on the changes and updates to the
    installation of the wood pellet furnace in the Town Hall. Inspection and Proposal for a new chimney liner
    from Chimney Savers was scheduled.
    Update on other Grants: none.
    Vermont Land Trust/Taylor-Putney Conservation Easement. Letter presented. Selectboard can respond
    if disagrees with analysis. Cole will respond for the Selectboard.
    Levar Cole stated, as a follow-up on the trail system plan by Kate Willard, that sometimes there is seed
    money by horse groups, for trail damage done by horses, in order for the horse groups to be allowed to
    go on the trails. Sometimes the horse groups come out and maintain the trails. Sometimes ATV groups
    come out and maintain the trails. We are working out what we can do for the community. The ATV folks
    were really interested and volunteered to do the work. Should we consider something like this for multi
    use trails? Who are these trails for? Foot trails? Bike trails? ATV trails? Horse trails? We have ATV
    volunteers who have already told us they would do the work. What can the board do to support you,
    Mark Whitney, in the activity of making a trail proposal, or a town forest proposal?
12. Appointments
    None.
13. Executive Session for Human Resources
    None.
14. Adjourn
    Meeting adjourned at 9:50 pm.
    The next regularly scheduled Chelsea Selectboard Meeting will be Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 7:30 in
    the Chelsea Town Hall.

Chelsea Selectboard Special Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 6:30 pm at Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Mark Whitney, Merrill Whitney, Bruce Hook
Other Town Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald)
Members of the public present: Martin Prevost (DLL), Patrick Ross (DLL), Nick Zigelbaum

1. Call meeting to order
   Meeting called to order by Levar Cole at 6:34 pm.
2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
   None.
3. Changes to the agenda
   None.
4. Discussion of liquor control and violations
   Patrick Ross, Investigator in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement for the Vermont Department of
   Liquor and Lottery, stated he was here to discuss liquor control information and he invited Martin
   Prevost, Director of Licensing to attend.
   Patrick Ross stated he looked into 3 incidents. An application by Pear Ridge Productions/Adventure
   Dinners was for an event that was scheduled to take place on September 3, 2022. The application was
   dated August 30, 2022. Ross does not know the status of that event.
   An application by Pear Ridge Productions/Adventure Dinners was for an event scheduled for June 25,
5. The application was dated June 21, 2022. There was no actioning on that. No permit.
   An application by Pear Ridge Productions/Adventure Dinners was for an event scheduled for July 22,
6. The application was dated July 6, 2022. Chelsea Selectboard disapproved the permit on July 19,
7. The event was supposed to be attended by 60 people. The licensee conducted the event without a
   proper permit. The licensee was ticketed.
   There was another event, later than that, where there were screenshots of drinking in a field.
   The licensee has been ticketed. Since then, Pear Ridge Productions/Adventure Dinners did not apply for
   a license, but called the Director because they thought they were not going to get approval. Licensee
   was going to advertise bring your own beer. They can do whatever they want. The one she called on was
   a pig roast event. She was told food only. There are no other outstanding complaints about the licensee.
   There is no record with our office about Babe’s Bar.
   Levar Cole, Chair, asked should the Selectboard be concerned with problems, or should we rubber
   stamp things? The Town Clerk has informed liquor license applicants that the application must be on the
   agenda at a regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting. The Selectboard has always asked about recent
   violations.
   Patrick Ross stated according to statute, as long as it has to be warned. Your town does that. Generally,
   earlier is better. It (application) has to be received in our office by 5 days before the event. Under
   certain circumstances, we will act on something under 5 days. It must be on the application form. It
   must be warned. The Selectboard makes the deny or approve decision. Get it in early is always the best
   thing. Even though they (licensee) apply, and you (Selectboard) approve, we (DLL) still have to approve
   the application. Towns do different things. Per statute, it has to be a duly warned meeting.
   Mark Whitney stated I want to make sure we are doing what we are supposed to do. There are not a ton
   of events that happen in Chelsea. The company that does these dinners, they have them forecasted out
   a year. Is there such a thing as applying too far ahead?
   Martin Prevost stated within a year. Larger events might have to be further reviewed. The Selectboard
   can call the Department and check on the licensee. Feel free to reach out to us. Under FOIA it’s
   accessible. With local licensees (like bars or restaurants) you will get notices of violations on the
   application. The numbers are on the website.
   Mark Whitney asked, if we find violations, what are our best practices?
   Ross stated If emergency, call 911. State Police. Other than that, call me on my cell phone. We will
   investigate anything that is brought before us.
   Mark Whitney asked, is that the right thing to do, issuing a permit after a violation?
   Ross stated you would have to talk to your Town Attorney. If there is a licensee that continues to do
   things wrong, you need to contact your Town Attorney. The State does not enforce BYOB.
   Nick Ziegelbaum stated those 3 events took place at my place. I understand the authority of the control
   board. Adventure Dinners tried to host an event in June and applied too late. We still did the event and
   paid the fine. They paid for the event on July 21st that was denied. They do not know if they are going to
   get denied. It’s unclear whether the board will approve or deny. It’s a huge loss of revenue to do a BYOB
   event.
   Ross stated there is no answer, other than get it in and get it approved well ahead of time. As far as how
   long the disapproval would last, the attorney would have to be involved. The corrective plan is applying
   with enough time.
   Mark Whitney stated there was an email sent where they did not apologize and they said they would try
   not to do that again. Whitney stated this is a transgression of knowledge.
   Nick Ziegelbaum stated all the food was purchased.
   Investigator Patrick Ross stated you can only do that so many times.
   Nick Ziegelbaum stated the decision now is not do we apply early or late. But now, the decision is do we
   apply at all. I’m the representative.
   Martin Prevost stated we cannot take action on something that has not taken place. The State cannot
   take action until this board has taken action. The board sanctioned the caterer. The caterer took the
   sanction. Our board thought that appropriate. We would not deny a permit moving forward.
   Investigator Ross took the action of issuing a monetary ticket. That is corrective action. It is progress in
   our eyes that the applicant called us. My suggestion to you is get the application in as soon as you can.
   We accept applications only online now. If the Selectboard approves and sends it to us, there is not
   enough evidence to deny it.
   Nick Ziegelbaum stated he is representing Kate MacLean as well. What is the timeline for us putting stuff
   on the agenda? A month?
   Cole stated the agendas usually are finalized the Friday before a Selectboard meeting on the following
   Tuesday. Usually, Thursday noon is the deadline.
   Nick Ziegelbaum asked will you deny the next permit if it is submitted in time? We can jump through
   hoops, but what are they?
   Ross stated we invite anyone who needs to fall under general operations to apply for a permit.
   Nick Ziegelbaum asked can we apply for multiple days?
   Ross stated Saturday and Sunday are okay, one day as a back-up date.
8. Public Comments
   None.
9. Adjourn
   Special Selectboard meeting adjourned at 7:09 pm.

Chelsea Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 6, 2022, 7:30 pm at Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Mark Whitney, Merrill Whitney, Geoff Clayton, Bruce Hook
Other Town Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald), Gayle Durkee
(Treasurer), Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman).
Members of the public present: Gregg Herrin

1. Call Meeting to Order
   Meeting called to order at 7:33 pm by Levar Cole.
2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
   None.
3. Changes to the Agenda
   Geoff Clayton will add a couple things. Admin. Asst. will add a couple things: letters received.
4. Town Clerk
   Town Clerk is not in attendance. Liquor License request for event date 9-3-22 presented. Cole asked,
   since event date has passed, do we need to take action? No action taken.
5. Town Treasurer
   Gayle Durkee stated there are no drastic changes in the budget. Cole asked if there are any drastic
   windfalls? No. Durkee stated the Canon copier lease is up. There is a quote for the same copier package.
   Can we go ahead and lease a new one for a 5 year contract? Similar to the last one. Action: Selectboard
   has no objection. Proceed.
   Gayle Durkee stated we have an updated RFP for auditor services. Last year it was around $10,000. This
   year it might be more, possibly $16,000 or $18,000. Action: Selectboard will make a decision at the next
   meeting, Sept. 20. Send the RFP to Selectboard. Add ARPA money and the single audit threshold into the
   RFP information.
6. Department/Liaisons Updates
   Re: Highway: Truck Sale: Ready to sign a contract with Auctions International for the sale of the 2012
   International truck. Contract not sent in yet, due to possible interest from Craigslist ad. Contract would
   be exclusive sales opportunity to Auctions International. Wait and see if Craigslist sale is arranged.
   Re: Old Town Garage: Bruce Hook stated he has received many comments on the need to paint the
   roof. Hook will know more about the project details this week, because Ward wants to paint it the
   following week.
   Re: Highway Access Permit: Ruben Hook has requested a Highway Access Permit. Rick Ackerman stated
   he has looked at the location, it’s all fine, but he has not signed the form yet. Selectboard requested
   Ackerman sign the form and it will be placed on the next agenda, Sept. 20.
   Re: Hook Road Ditching Project: Ackerman stated on Monday we will start on the Hook Road Grants in
   Aid program. Tad Boardman has been contacted regarding using his excavator. This is routine work. We
   are all set. Will there be any road closings? Yes, when we do the culverts. Ackerman usually notifies the
   fire and ambulance departments for road closings.
   Re: Transfer Station: Clayton stated he has researched stickers. The general cost would be between 75
   cents and $1.25 each to get the stickers. The name and the year would be printed. One color. Simple.
   We could start this program in January. Selectboard must decide about surcharges. Selectboard must
   consult with Snook and do advertising in advance of instituting the sticker program. Non residents
   would pay for stickers. Residents would get free stickers. This is a discussion, no decisions have been
   made. Clayton suggests charging $50. for non-resident stickers. Unless, the transfer station charges for
   recycling.
   Cole stated he does not want it to seem like we are taking money that we don’t have to take. Nonprofits do not pay for trash. What about community organizations? This is something to talk about.
   There are different issues. Recycling costs a lot. Now there are fuel surcharges. Only one company is
   interested in doing the service for the Town. Perhaps one thing will not solve all our problems at the
   Transfer Station.
   Re: Bear Mitigation: Clayton stated he is starting on the shed this week.
   Re: Letter to Illegal Dumpers: Clayton stated he wrote a draft of a proposed letter to illegal dumpers.
   Clayton read the draft out loud. Clayton will make changes and we can sign at the next meeting.
   Re: Water/Wastewater: Merrill Whitney stated he has not talked to Nolan.
   Re: Town Mowing Cost Estimate: Mark Whitney contacted Brian Farnham and Jeremy Farnham. Brian
   did not return the info. Jeremy did return the info. Mark Whitney read aloud the dollar amounts quoted
   per piece of land mowed. (There are numerous separate pieces of lawn to be mowed throughout
   Chelsea. Each had a separate price quote.) Mark Whitney reported that Jeremy Farnham would love to
   work for Chelsea, and he could maybe do sidewalk plowing. Cole stated ordinarily we would put out an
   RFP. Cole stated we would have to work out the cost from the Highway budget and compare. Mark
   Whitney can check in and write up an RFP and go from there. Clayton stated he knew two kids
   interested in mowing. Whitney stated Brian and Jeremy both mentioned that to set foot on a town
   property, you have to carry a million dollar insurance policy.
   Re: Admin. Asst./Elected Town Officers: Levar Cole stated the Selectboard is not supervising the elected
   town officers.
7. Public Comments
   Cole stated Kate MacLean was on the agenda. She had called about a Liquor License. Kate MacLean is
   not here.
8. Approve Minutes
   Levar Cole moved to approve the minutes of August 16, 2022. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion.
   Motion passed unanimously.
9. Administrative Assistant Report/Grants Administration
   Re: Hiring for Water/Wastewater job: AA reported ads up in two water oriented electronic job boards,
   Vermont Rural Water Association, and National Rural Water Association. No applicants to date. Cole
   suggests a $4,000. Signing bonus for water job. Action: Add the $4,000 signing bonus into existing ads.
   Can we change the ads if there is a person who is certified? Clayton suggested making the job a
   contracted position. Cole stated we can start talking about contract commitments. Mark Whitney stated
   the contract route would sell it as paid on the job training.
   Re: Scheduling for 2023 Budget Planning /Discussion: AA can make up a schedule fitting all
   departments into the regular Selectboard Meetings throughout the fall. Cole stated last year we booked
   everyone. We hope to start this process in mid October. Action: Re-do last year’s calendar with current
   dates.
   Re: Cultural Arts Grants: Cole recommends we proceed. Cole is not concerned about moisture. The
   other concern is the State will come in and tell us what to do about fuel. We can do this on our own
   terms now. In the future, there could be legislation about new construction or no use of non-renewable
   combustible fuels. Clayton stated the State of Vermont is pushing electric. The State wants no
   combustion at all. Whitney stated oil burning is back up heat. Wood pellet would be primary heat. Cole
   stated we wanted shared risk with the State. We got it. We got the grant. We are in a lot better place
   than I thought we would be. I have no objections. Selectboard agreed. Cole signed the grant agreement.
   Re: Phillip Mulligan/Window Dressers request to be on the agenda for Sept. 20 meeting: Action:
   Selectboard will not respond. Window Dressers will not be on agenda again. Mulligan can speak on
   public comments.
   Re: TRORC Services Survey: Paper version presented to Selectboard. Action: Selectboard declined to
   participate. Cole stated I am waiting for a response from the Department of Justice, that I sent more
   than a year ago, regarding policing, when we had a problem with the town police. I asked for basic
   community pamphlets and brochures for the citizens and senior citizens about what they could do to
   remain safe.
   Levar Cole moved to approve the orders. Mark Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed
   unanimously.
   Orders totalling:
   General: $28,427.77
   Highway: $10,970.99
   Water/Sewer: $2,725.18
10. Appointments
    None.
11. Executive Session for Human Resources
    Executive Session not necessary. Instead, a Human Resources discussion. Action: Administration
    Assistant will put an ad out for the AA position.
    A credit card is required for online hiring services, like Indeed. The Selectboard is in agreement there is a
    need for a town credit card. The problem is, we cannot make a mistake. We can have town people
    authorized. Cole suggests making a town credit card policy. Keep it to a minimum. Clayton stated we are
    already in a relationship with a bank. Clayton recommends not bringing on another credit card company
    to complicate the mix. There are more cyber security concerns with Visa and Mastercard. Cole stated we
    will check with Mascoma. Cole will check with Gayle and report back next meeting. Chelsea needs a
    credit card policy.
    Action: Selectboard agreed Cole will decide on overseeing an ad for the AA position. Selectboard agreed
    to move Kasey Peterson/Grants Administrator to $20. per hour. Selectboard agreed Levar Cole and Mark
    Whitney will be candidate interviewers. Selectboard agreed to advertise the pay rate for AA position at
    $25.00 per hour. Action: Re-type ad.
12. Adjourn
    Meeting adjourned at 9:37 pm.
    The next regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting will be Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7:30 pm at the
    Town Hall.

Chelsea Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 30, 2022, 7:30 pm at Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Mark Whitney, Merrill Whitney, Bruce Hook
Other Town Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald), Karen Lathrop
(Town Clerk), Kasey Peterson (Grants Administrator)
Members of the Public present: Owen Daniel-McCarter, Roy Hayward

1. Call Meeting to Order
   Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm by Levar Cole.
2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
   None.
3. Changes to the Agenda
   Add citizen complaint re: rogue rooster. Add: Kasey Peterson, Cultural Arts Grant, Town Hall Wood
   Pellet Furnace.
4. Town Clerk
   Re: Liquor/Lottery Licenses: Karen Lathrop, Town Clerk, stated the State of Vermont went to an online
   portal, with no paperwork, and no signatures needed for Liquor and Lottery Licenses. The State will
   need the Selectboard to approve the licenses, but no paper. All correspondence will be via email.
   Lathrop stated she had attended a training. Lathrop asked what the Selectboard would like? A paper
   copy? Only one person (Town Clerk) will see the electronic version.
   Levar Cole, Selectboard Chair, stated we should send it to everyone, so that we can see it. We need
   time. A person who inquired today was informed that the Chelsea Selectboard does not take up items
   that are not reviewed prior to the Selectboard Meeting. If there is an emergent issue, ok. But no
   decision making on anything brand new. We need to have it on the agenda.
   Lathrop stated the scheduling has been an ongoing problem for a few years. Mark Whitney asked if
   there is any way to alter the form.
   The form is a State electronic form that saves the number of days to send. It hardly matches what towns
   actually require. Not all towns have Clerks make the decision, and many are like Chelsea, where the
   board puts on the agenda and decides at a public meeting.
   Action: give current application to Admin. Asst. Share with Selectboard. Put on agenda next mtg.
   Re: Election Costs: Lathrop presented a breakdown of election costs. We have gone over what we
   budgeted. Update for the primary: there were 229 people on the voter checklist. We will change the
   procedure for counting that. The actual checklist matched the tabulator. This year, for August and
   November, the State of Vermont is paying all tabulator charges for formatting.
   Re: Rooster Complaint: Lathrop stated there was a citizen complaint by Jen Doyle, Riverbend. Rooster
   bothered an old man. Man almost fell down. School children cross the road to avoid the rooster. Rooster
   resides at 301 Vt Route 110. Free ranging chickens in town. Rooster allegedly attacks people on
   sidewalk. Cole stated the Selectboard can give an order to destroy a dog, what about a rooster? Geoff
   Clayton is the lead on animal control. Clayton will be informed. Lathrop suggested we send the owner a
   letter.
5. Town Treasurer
   Orders presented.
   Mark Whitney moved to approve the orders. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed
   unanimously.
   Orders totalling:
   Payroll: $5,851.01
   $2,700.77
   Library: $1,287.70
   Recreation: $678.78
   5.a. Re: Cultural Arts Grant/Town Hall furnace: Kasey Peterson stated she was excited and delighted
   that the Cultural Arts Grant for the Pellet Heating Furnace for the Town Hall was awarded for $22,100.
   With an in-kind dollar match. Peterson has the grant contract, it can be signed now or later.
   Mark Whitney asked about the inclusion of a dehumidifier in the grant proposal. Peterson stated no, I
   do not think one is included in the quote.
   Cole stated, the board put me in charge of this decision, but I will not act on the grant agreement until
   the whole board agrees. Mark Whitney stated we should find out what we need for a dehumidifying
   system and find out what that would cost. Is the hopper a bag? What is it made of? Is it 100% sealed?
   What if the basement floods? How sealed is the hopper? Action: Get a picture of the proposed hopper.
   Cole stated we do this with the understanding that the board has questions about the humidity issue
   and how to address this issue. Action: Forward grant agreement and hopper information to Cole and
   Mark Whitney.
6. Listers, Errors and Omissions: Grand List
   A notice has been sent to us for Errors and Omissions. It changed the Grand List. The State requires us to
   move and approve the certificate for the Listers. Cole read the new amounts.
   Merrill Whitney moved to approve the certificate for errors and omissions as presented by the listers
   for the 2022 Grand List. Bruce Hook seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
   Action: Have Listers send a copy to Admin. Asst.
7. Department/Liaison Updates
   Highway: Re: Truck sale, Bruce Hook will be in charge. Bruce will talk with Admin. Asst.. Admin Asst.
   suggests two possible sales routes: Auctions International, and Allegiance with a firm offer.
   Transfer Station:
   Mark Whitney moved to pay the past due Myers invoices that we have put off regarding the
   surcharges, and we will pay the future ones. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed
   unanimously.
   Water/Wastewater: Merrill Whitney stated he talked to Nolan. Everything is fine and running smoothly.
   Confirm that Rick will mow inside water fence for the rest of the 2022 season.
   Library: Liaison position open for Library. Board agreed Cole will take it for now.
   Administrative Assistant: Cole has looked at rates for administrative assistants. Our admin. asst. is
   under $20 per hour. Cole recommends a pay increase of 64 cents per hour, which would bring the pay
   rate to $20. Cole stated this is still below the going rates, but a little bit closer. We are always concerned
   about employee retention and compensating for the good work done for the town.
   Levar Cole moved to increase the current administrative assistant pay rate by 64 cents to $20.00 per
   hour. Mark Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
   Selectboard Oversight and Supervision of Town Affairs:
   Levar Cole stated there are reasons for the Selectboard scrutiny of employee actions and pay rates. The
   board is responsible for overseeing town affairs. Cole summarized his email to Mark Whitney dated 8-
   21-22. Taking the oversight role, if something happens and we get deposed, here are some sample
   questions. These are questions that might be asked when there is a lawsuit. We are under increased
   scrutiny because we are taking a lot of Federal money. We need to work the best we can. It’s pay to
   play. We are taking the ARPA money. You use federal money, you are going to pay. There will be Federal
   oversight. There will be additional requirements. What I would like to do is remind us to look out for
   each other and supervise town employees and their safety concerns. I will ask the Admin. Asst. to send
   everyone this email. Put it in the record, as part of the minutes. From personal experience, I think we
   are in a good spot, but this is our daily task.
   Email attached here:
   Mark,
   I was thinking about recent meetings and how we need to ensure, we as board members are doing our
   management and supervision, and fiduciary duty. Here are three examples of why we need to be even
   more obvious in our exercising oversight of town and town employee activities.
   1) By statute, the selectboard shall have the general supervision of the affairs of the town and shall
   cause to be performed all duties required of towns and town school districts not committed by law to
   the care of any particular officer. That’s pretty clear.
   2) Let’s say a town employee has taken shortcuts in a process that decreases their personal safety
   margin while performing a certain activity. And they are doing this because this is the way it has “always
   been done”—i.e. getting business done as they always have rather than any malicious reason. When we
   are eventually sued by the employee, because they developed a workplace-related illness, injury,
   cancer, disability or whatever, we will be deposed by plaintiff lawyers. They are going to ask:
   Who are you?
   Name
   What is your role in supervising town affairs?
   Selectboard
   The selectboard shall has the general supervision of the affairs of the town and shall cause to be
   performed all duties required of towns and town school districts not committed by law to the care of
   any particular officer. What is your role in supervising town affairs?
   I go to selectboard meetings
   What is your role in supervising employees?
   I sign payroll and go to meetings
   Why didn’t you take steps to mitigate the hazard the town employee faced in the subject activity?
   I wasn’t aware
   Why were you not aware of the unmitigated hazards the employee faced?
   I don’t know
   Why did you not perform due diligence to ensure work you are responsible for overseeing was done in a
   safe and effective way?
   I don’t know
   When was the last time you observed the employee performing the subject task?
   Never
   When was the last time you observed the employee perform any task?
   I don’t know
   When was the last time you assessed the employee’s performance of tasks
   Never
   So you were negligent in supervising employee activities and ensuring work was accomplished safely?
   I don’t know
   Judges will ask these questions too. (Some of these questions are also in the annual audit
   questionnaire). The answers above are a bad spot to be in. We are in a little better shape than this
   scenario, but his is why I press us to stay on top of things and ensure the board is cognizant of work
   performed by employees. This includes successes and challenges.
   The third reason.
   3) We are taking ARPA money. I’m wondering if it is just a coincidence that the IRS will be hiring 87,000
   investigators. While the money we receive will not require us to do a “single audit,” (A single audit is a
   specific, detailed and comprehensive audit consisting of more than a financial statement audit when we
   hit a federal money threshold. The phrase “single audit” is misleading.) we are basically opening
   ourselves to additional state and federal oversight and regulation of town activities. This is principally
   why the TRORC and other folks have suggested we take the revenue replacement option to reduce the
   additional accounting, reporting, regulatory, and procurement hoops we would need to jump through.
   Reduce is the operative term, not “eliminate.” Because we take this money, we open ourselves to
   increased liability in that we must ensure we dot all “i” and cross all “t” and check, and recheck, and
   recheck, and recheck, and have someone else check…. I speak from experience. I used to be on the
   other side as a fed telling small towns, states, and other federal entities to return misused equipment;
   recommending clawback of misappropriated federal funds; and making referrals to US attorneys for
   prosecution. What was really bad, in my opinion, was in very limited cases, the waste, abuse, misuse,
   and misappropriation was erroneous and done in good faith. That is what we have to look forward to if
   we don’t stay on top of how we allocate and spend this money as well as monitor the effects and
   outcomes of anything we spent it on. But it’s not just the ARPA money. It is all the federal money we get
   channeled through the state also opens us up to additional requirements, compliance, and oversight. It’s
   like the old credit card “universal default:” because you miss a payment on your Sears and Roebuck
   card, your JCPenny card gets a rate increase.
   Please let me know what you think. I think we are making progress. Thanks for your support with all of
   this. I recognize this is a balancing act and we rightly tend to avoid being overly prescriptive and
   exceedingly proscriptive. It’s still a small town; but as you’ve noted, a lot of things have changed.
   I’ve copied Gayle, Marianne, Kasey, and Tracy on this as they, in their own tasks, are familiar or will be
   familiar with what we have to look forward to.
   Levar
8. Public Comments
   Owen from Babe’s Bar in Bethel. We put in a liquor license request to cater a wedding. We were too late
   to have notice. The wedding is Saturday, 9-3-22. Generally, we get the licenses from the town clerks.
   Babe’s Bar is respectfully requesting an exception to the Chelsea Selectboard’s rule of applying early
   enough to have the application on a Selectboard Meeting agenda prior to the event.
   Cole stated we won’t take up new business without having it noticed on the agenda. We will not make
   an exception for that. We will sometimes discuss emergent issues, but decide only after it has been
   noticed by agenda. We have our meetings every other week.
   Owen stated the wedding is happening this weekend. It was scheduled with us a month ago. We could
   have done a better job of understanding the town’s policy. Is there any way an exception could be
   made?
   Lathrop suggested that applicants always call the town prior to application. A lot of small towns do not
   have the ability to just have the Town Clerk electronically sign off immediately. The State made the
   form. There could be a statement to that effect on the form.
9. Approve Minutes
   Levar Cole moved to approve the minutes of August 2, 2022, with changes. Mark Whitney seconded
   the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
10. Administrative Assistant Report/Grants:
    Re: Hiring for water/wastewater and signing bonus options: Are we continually going to have a
    problem? Yes. The board discussed pay. Merrill asked if we would end up paying an assistant a higher
    rate than the Chief Operator. Cole said given the fringe benefits of the Chief Operator, the dollar rate
    might be higher, but not the overall rate. Assistant pay would still be lower and would not receive the
    additional benefits because the hours are lower.
    Admin. Asst. reported placing ads on two electronic water job bulletins. Vermont Rural Water
    Association and National Rural Water Association.
    Cole stated we need to spend the money on Indeed. We spend the money and pay a fee. Are we good
    with having a signing bonus, with a ceiling of $4,000? Agreed. I will talk with the Treasurer and
    determine the amount we can pay.
    Levar Cole moved to approve the Residential Water Application for 271 VT Route 110. Mark Whitney
    seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
    Re: Grants in Aid Grant Agreement: Cole stated in would be helpful if we had the town road plan. It
    helps to show a plan when we apply for grants, FEMA. etc. Henry was trying to put together a group of
    people to work on developing a plan. There is an opportunity for us to do better. It was noted the State
    has a plan for hydrologically connected roads.
    Levar Cole moved to approve the Grants in Aid Agreement of $35,500., with a 20% match of $8,875..
    Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
    Re: ATV Ordinance follow up: Levar Cole has a question for Mark Whitney. Is the board interested in
    putting up thousands and thousands of dollars for signs saying no ATVs at every road? There are signs in
    Corinth. Should we put up signs everywhere? Even though you have received the literature (green
    mailer) in the mail, can you ride? Mark Whitney stated if it’s supposed to be as it always has been, then
    maybe we should have an ordinance that everybody should ride everywhere. Cole stated, we have run
    out of time. We will get to other questions another day.
11. Appointments:
    None.
12. Executive Session for Human Resources
    None.
13. Executive Session for Real Estate
    Levar Cole moved to enter Executive Session for Real Estate options (1 VSA 312 (a)2) and inviting
    Marianne McCann into the Session at 9:17 pm. Bruce Hook seconded the motion. Motion passed
    unanimously.
    Levar Cole moved to exit Executive Session at 9:34 pm. Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion
    passed unanimously.
    Afterwards, it was agreed that Bruce Hook will be the point of contact to figure out the painting of the
    Old Town Garage by Tim Ward. Paint cost is estimated to be 600 to 1,000 dollars. If it will be more,
    Bruce Hook will be back in touch with the Selectboard.
14. a. Snook had mentioned that he was supposed to get $20.00 per hour. Cole stated he did not know
    the details. Geoff is not here. Cole stated he has talked to at least 30 people last year. No one wants to
    do the Transfer Station job. We were lucky to get K. Gale as the assistant. Cole will check with Geoff
    Clayton. Mark Whitney asked, Is it in the budget? Cole stated just assume the budget will be exceeded.
    Merrill Whitney moved to bring Snooks pay rate up to $20.00 per hour. Bruce Hook seconded the
    motion. Motion passed unanimously.
15. Adjourn
    Meeting adjourned at 9:47 pm.
    The next regularly scheduled Chelsea Selectboard Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2022,
    at 7:30 pm in the Chelsea Town Hall.