Chelsea Water Department Board Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 7pm in Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Geoff Clayton (Mark Whitney and Merrill Whitney arrived at 7:22 pm.)
Other Town Officials/Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald), Gayle
Durkee (Treasurer)
Members of the Public present: None.

  1. Call Meeting to Order
    Meeting convened at 7:08 pm. No quorum until 7:22 pm, when four Selectboard members were
    present.
  2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
    None.
  3. Changes to the Agenda
    None.
  4. Approve Water Dept. Board minutes of April 5, 2022
    Skip this item until quorum is reached.
  5. Department/Liaison Updates – Merrill
    Skip this item until quorum is reached.
  6. Town Treasurer
    Re: Water Department Budget Status: Gayle Durkee stated the delinquent report has been printed.
    There is about $17,000. In delinquent water bills. A few of these are expected to be paid with tax sales. 4
    accounts are extremely late. Durkee presented a copy of a letter informing people that they can apply
    for a program or consider making payments.
    Geoff Clayton stated we need to move to a salaried position. We need another full-time person for the
    sewer plant. We need a qualified person to organize everything so that anyone can go in and know how
    to run the plant. We might have a chaotic transition if we don’t get a full-time person.
    Cole stated we can advertise again. What would be the maximum amount of pay we could offer? Durkee
    can find that number. Can we furlough the part time road person? We still need the safety person.
    Durkee stated the COO cannot walk that far to read the meters. The safety employee cannot read the
    meters at 5 am.
    Clayton stated we can make accommodations in order to get the meters read. There is no need to walk
    the whole thing. There is a riding lawnmower. There is a vehicle. We can make it work.
    Cole stated if we are paying the safety employee and he does not do the work, he should be let go. We
    need to tell the COO the meters need to be read. If the safety employee cannot, then he is not able to
    do the job.
    Action: Merrill will talk with COO about the meter reading situation.
    Action: Put this (human resources) on the agenda for the next Selectboard meeting.
    Action: Merrill will tell COO his presence is requested at the next Selectboard meeting, July 5, 2022 at
    7:30 pm.
  7. Rate Payer requests
    A written request from Tim Courts and Carrie Caouette-De Lallo was received 5-9-22 asking that two
    water bills for their one house be changed to reflect the current status as one dwelling unit.
    Geoff Clayton moved to retroactively change the billing at the Tim Courts and Carrie Caouette-De Lallo
    property to only be considered one unit in relation to the water and sewer bill. Levar Cole seconded
    the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
  8. Administrative Assistant
    Re: Amended Water Department Ordinance: Action: Add this ordinance paperwork item to the next
    Water Department Board meeting, Sept. 20, 2022.
    Re: Grant Application Updates: “New and Improved Pump Station for the Chelsea WWTF” was
    approved for congressional funding by the office of Peter Welch. There are many more steps in the
    process of passing the congressional budget. Date and amount of award/match unknown at this time.
    Re: Meter options: No new information on meters at this time. No action taken.
  9. Public Comments
    None.
  10. Executive Session for Human Resources
    None.
  11. Adjourn
    Geoff Clayton moved to approve the Water Department Board Meeting minutes of April 5, 2022.
    Merrill Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
    Meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm.
    The next regularly scheduled Water Department Board Meeting will be September 20, 2022.