Present: Gregg Herrin (Selectboard Chair), Carrie Caouette-De Lallo, Curtis Chase, Charles Peel, Paul Libby
Gayle Durkee (Treasurer) , Jen Chase(Town Clerk), Kasey Peterson (Interim Administrator), Ed Coburn (Fire Chief), Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman), Ashley Grote (Recreation Committee), Errol Hinton, Chintana Herrin, Bobby Button, Anne Carroll, Terry MacNeish, Kyle Hansen (Zoning Administrator)
Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:30pm
Additions to the Agenda – none
Conflict of Interest Disclosure – none
Public Comments – none
Fire on North Common and Flea Market Location
ChelseaFire Chief Ed Coburn was present to discuss the recent fire on the N. Common. The ‘Beehive House’ is not salvageable and the owner of that house is responsible for any demolition and/or restoration. The Chelsea Fire Department is not responsible for any action at Ms. Snyder’s house and the process for the Town to be able to take action is a long one. According to Mr. Coburn, the property must go through probate first, which could take years. Ms. Snyder’s daughter has been unresponsive to attempts to make contact. There may be funds available from the State to help offset the cost of cleaning up the site.
Carrie Caouette De-Lallo thanked the FD for their rapid response and noted that the situation could have been much worse. Chief Coburn said that according to the camera on the side of the Town hall building it appears that the fire started just before 2:30 in the morning probably from a cigarette butt. The Fire Department was at the site 45 minutes later and managed to get the situation under control.
Gregg Herrin remarked that the job of the Selectboard is to identify risks to the public health and safety that would require the Board to take action or where the Board could take action without overstepping the bounds of law and liability.
Chief Coburn suggested reaching out to the State Fire Marshall. He also noted that the Vermont State Police suggested the tape stay there for the time being.
Gregg Herrin further commented that should the time come that the Town would need to take action that would cost taxpayer money, there would need to be a plan in place for reimbursement through insurance, a grant, or other means.
There was discussion regarding how to contact one of Ms. Snyder’s daughters.
Paul Libby has safety concerns for the thousands of people that will be walking by on Flea Market Day and he is unclear of what steps might be taken due to the location of the building. Chief Coburn clarified that Ms. Snyder’s home is structurally sound and that he has no concerns that it may collapse, only that people may be hurt by going inside.
Gregg Herrin asked about the Farmer’s Market. Carrie Caouette De-Lallo reported that for the last two weeks the Farmer’s market was moved to the S. Common. Charles Peel was kind enough to donate his office Internet access for the vendors, but electricity had still been an issue. The Farmer’s Market will be held on the N. Common this coming Friday.
The process for dealing with an unsafe building is that the Health Officer gives notice that it is unsafe, sets an amount of time to make it safe and from there the Board can start the process that will eventually lead to demolition. Gregg Herrin is the de facto Health Officer and he will begin that process.
The discussion then moved to the subject of the Chelsea Flea Market and the idea of moving the Market, or part of it. Errol Hinton said moving the market would be extememly challenging even if they had 6 months to do it and enumerated the many difficulties of changing things as they now stand. There has only been one vendor that has expressed any concern. Mr. Hinton has a plan to ‘pull things in a bit’ at that corner and he has a few extra volunteers to help keep an eye on it. Mr. Hinton clarified in his remarks that no member of the Selectboard had ordered the flea market to relocate but that the offer was made to find space if the flea market wanted to relocate as a result of the fire.
Carrie Caouette De-Lallo asked Tim Carter about the difficulties of moving. Tim said that moving the market would negatively impact the fundraising for the church, the library, and the Roberts-Gould field parking.
Charles Peel was the origin of the idea that IF the Market Committee, or any other organization hosting events on the North Common, felt the need to relocate an event, the Selectboard would be open to brainstorming a different green space.
Gregg Herrin summarized the discussion by stating that there had been a fair evaluation of the feasibility of moving the Market and it has been established that it is not feasible. The remaining question is what can be done to reduce risk at the site. A suggestion was made to put up no trespassing signs, but that cannot be done without permission from the property owner. Charles Peel wished to be clear that the house is private property and is not a liability of the Town. If the Board starts taking steps – putting up signs or barriers – and someone does get hurt there is a reasonable path to argue that the Town acknowledged the problem and did not take suitable steps to stop it. Further, if the Board decides to put up a barrier of some sort he has concerns about government fencing people out of private property and the implications on that front. It is possible that the site will eventually become a Town problem but until then the liability does not belong to the Town.
Paul Libby said he understands Chuck’s point of view but feels it is reckless of the Board to not do something; there is a lot of risk in not protecting people from themselves.
There was further discussion regarding fences or barriers installed by entities other than the Town. Gregg Herrin made it clear that the Town cannot and does not endorse any group or individual taking any action at the site and reiterated that anyone doing that would then be taking on the liability.
Gregg Herrin thanked Chief Coburn and the Chelsea Fire Dept for their rapid response.
No action was taken by the Board at this time.
Changes to Fire Prevention Statute – Kasey Peterson presented the letter from the State outlining the changes to the Fire Prevention Statute and noted that the only action that needed to be taken was to recognize that the Fire Chief is now also the Town Fire Warden. Chief Coburn expressed his frustration that the State had provided no warning, and no training for those local Fire Chiefs who have now been given the role of Fire Warden and has not explained to local fire departments what the changes mean on a day to day basis. Chief Coburn now has jurisdiction over burn permits and is to ensure that all that is being burned in a pile is strictly brush and other organic, untreated wood. The State also provided a definition of a campfire, which is exempt from a burn permit, as a fire that is three feet or less in diameter within a fire pit. The new statute removes the liability from the Town and places it on the Fire Department. No action was taken by the Board at this time.
Creamery Property
Curtis Chase began the conversation by explaining that the Town has a surveyor doing title and deed research to establish the ownership of the field and school properties. Curtis Chase and Paul Libby will be meeting with the surveyor next week. There are a large number of individual properties in that area and so far the surveyor has been able to clearly establish the ownership and definitive boundaries of less than half of them.
Mr. Button commented that the school owns half and the Town owns half. He wants to know if the Town can add a culvert and a manhole to eliminate several problems at once. Curtis Chase reiterated that before the Town can contemplate its obligation to fund the work, the Town needs to establish who owns what parts of the affected parcels. If the school owns the property, the Town does not have the ability to do the work without permission and is unlikely to have any obligation to contribute financially.
Mr Button commented that he has been trying to get this project done for 10 years. And he acknowledged that clean fresh water crossed the greasy floor in his building and into the river and he didn’t believe that’s something the State would want.
Paul Libby commented that there is nothing stopping Mr. Button from replacing the structure on his own property.
Mr. Button asked if the Board would like to get the State involved. To which Paul Libby responded that the Town doesn’t own that piece of property.
Mr. Button left the meeting.
There was further discussion of the property line issues in that area that need to be addressed regardless of the culvert conversation.
No action was taken.
Paul Libby made a motion to approve the minutes from the June 16, 2026 meeting. Carrie Caouette-De Lallo seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Transfer Station
Terry MacNeish was present to start the conversation about the transfer station and how to improve not only the financial impact on the Town but also the environmental impact on the State. Tipping fees in Vermont are among the highest in the nation and is one reason so the transfer station runs in arears. The challenge is to strike a balance between the cost to the taxpayers to run the station and attempts to redirect some of the waste vs. pricing that is high enough to result in illegal dumping on roads and trails. The discussion turned to the concept of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Education is a key factor in waste reduction.
The Board thanked Mr. MacNeish for his efforts. No action was taken at this time.
Highway
Paul Libby asked who is in charge of writing RFPs for highway projects in an effort to get the guardrail replacement grant and FY27 Upper Village Road Paving grant underway. Rick Ackerman explained that he and Kasey Peterson generally handle those grants together. Paul Libby asked to see those RFPs before they are posted and will reach out to Rita Seto at Two-Rivers Ottauqueeche Regional Commission for more information on the guardrail grant. No action was taken by the Board at this time.
Purchase of the Viking 10-Wheeler
Paul Libby clarified the difference between the two trucks the Town is currently purchasing. The first truck being the 2025 Freightliner, currently in the Town Garage, which does not have a plow package on it. Viking has told Rick Ackerman that they will have the plow package ready in January 2027. Viking has been extending that timeline for two years now.
There is a company in Bangor, Maine for Allied that will provide an MG plow package this fall for twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) more than the quote from Viking.
The other truck that the Town ordered, which includes a plow package, is coming in November. This truck will be a Freightliner provided by Tenco.
There was a discussion of the pros and cons of buying a truck in Bangor, Maine and how that would affect any major repairs that might be needed vs. the need to have a truck for this coming fall and winter.
Paul Libby made a motion to have Allied in Bangor, Maine install the plow package on the ten-wheeler for up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) more than the Viking plow package or up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) more to Viking to hold our Sept/Oct 2026 date. Carrie Caouette De-Lallo seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0.
Maple Ave – Ancient Road/Unidentified corridor – Charles Peel reported that Randy Brown had reached out to him regarding the existence of an ‘unidentified corridor’ one hundred and twenty feet past the end of the pavement on Maple Avenue. When the road was purportedly discontinued in 2015 the affected area was not deeded to a specific property owner. The area in question totals no more than .1 -.15 of an acre. Mr. Brown is concerned about future legal issues with the sale or transfer of the affected properties. There was a general discussion over the Selectboard’s role or responsibility in the matter. Curtis Chase and Charles Peel agreed to coordinate a walkthrough of the area in question. No Action was taken.
Treasurer Update
Gayle Durkee reported that she is currently working on the tax rate.
Tractor Purchase
Curtis Chase made a Motion to approve obtaining financing through the Vermont Municipal Equipment and Vehicle Loan Fund, in the principal amount of one hundred one thousand, nine hundred twenty five dollars ($101,925.00) with interest on the unpaid balance at the rate of two percent (2%) per annum payable in five (5) annual installments, in connection with the Town’s purchase of a Kubota M6-101DTC-F four-wheel-drive tractor, which purchase the Town has previously approved; to approve the Promissory Note and Security Agreement and any related documents in substantially the form presented at this meeting; and to authorize the Town Treasurer, or, in the Treasurer’s absence, the Chair of the Selectboard, to execute all documents necessary to complete the transaction. Charles Peel seconded? No further discussion. 5-0-0
Administrator Update – none
Municipal Energy Resilience Plan
Kasey Peterson presented the particulars of the storm window project. Window Dressers has not been paid anything by the Town, they did not sign a contract and have no intention to do so. The windows are inserts that go on the inside of the building and will prevent the use of the windows. These inserts will most likely end up either being removed in the spring, stored in the basement and never reinstalled or permanently installed and not removed.
Curtis Chase opened a discussion of revisiting the window project with a new RFP. Kasey Peterson explained that she is working with Charles Peel to reach out to the State and get a clearer picture of projects and extensions now that the Two-Rivers Regional Commission has terminated their contract with the Town.
Charles Peel made a motion to approve the 2026 Local Emergency Management Plan. Carrie Caouette De-Lallo seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Carrie Caouette De-Lallo made a motion to approve the addendum to replace the fans in the Town hall. Curtis Chase seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Paul Libby made a motion to approve the warrants. Curtis Chase seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Paul Libby made a motion to enter executive session inviting Kyle Hansen. Curtis Chase seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Executive session began at 8:34.
Paul Libby made a motion exit executive session inviting Kyle Hansen. Curtis Chase seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
Executive session ended at 9:20.
During the executive session personnel topics were discussed with Zoning Administrator Kyle Hansen. No motions were made or actions taken.
Curtis Chase made a motion to adjourn. Charles Peel seconded. No further discussion. 5-0-0
The meeting adjourned at 9:21
Respectfully Submitted,
Kasey Peterson