Select Board Minutes 1-21-2020

Select Board 1-21-2020

TOWN OF RUTLAND SELECT BOARD OPEN MEETING

RUTLAND TOWN SCHOOL

1612 POST ROAD RUTLAND, VT 05701

JANUARY 21st, 2020

 

  • Board members present: Josh Terenzini, Mary Ashcroft, Sharon Russell, Joe Denardo, John Paul Faignant
  • Meeting opened at 5:00 P.M. with the Pledge of Allegiance

Approval of Orders

The Board approved the orders

Approval of Select Board Minutes:

  • Ashcroft moved to approve the minutes for January 7th. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  • Ashcroft moved to approve the minutes for January 15th. Mr. Faignant seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

Question from the floor / public comment

  1. Andy McKane was present, representing Fire District #5 and made a request to use a meeting room at town hall for their meetings on a regular basis.
    1. The plan to have a regular meeting day and expect the meetings to be no longer than 20 to 30 minutes.
    2. The fee schedule in the meeting room policy was discussed, and it requires a 2 hour minimum at $25 per hour for reimbursement.
    3. McKane requested the representative from the town be a police officer for at least the next few months. Police Chief Ed Dumas has agreed to attend the meetings for them.

Bill Sweet Administrative Assistant to the Select Board:

  1. Reviewed packet items
    1. Provided the updated meeting schedule and committee agenda items
    2. The Solid Waste Alliance is requesting to use our downstairs meeting room space on May 15th for a meeting. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve the request. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  2. The town report is almost complete and ready to be sent. It should be ready in the next couple of days.
  3. The remodel is complete. There are 4 desks which will be available for free.
  4. The final invoice for the remodel was received late in the day so it was not ready for tonight.

Mike Rowe Rutland Town Recreation Director:

  1. Spring meetings for the rec department will be in March.
  2. Discussed the proposed cold storage building which was brought before the board at a previous meeting.
    1. Russell moved to approve the construction of the building. Ms. Ashcroft seconded the motion.
    2. Hathaway will fill out the act 250 permit for this project.

Byron Hathaway Rutland Town Road Commissioner:

  1. Transportation council meetings will begin soon and are going to cover several topics.
  2. There are some grant opportunities coming up which we could use towards the Wynnmere retrofit project.
    1. The grants come out in February and will give us credit towns our upcoming phosphorous control plan.
    2. Ashcroft moved to approve Mr. Hathaway pursuing the grant opportunity. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  3. Provided some options for a tractor to be purchased for roadside mowing. 1 is from VT and 1 is from GA.
    1. Hathaway said he prefers the one from VT and the Town of Mendon is agreement. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the purchase of the mower from Fairfields in VT. Ms. Ashcroft seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. The funds will be used from the Highway Dept depreciation account.
  4. Discussed the public works mutual aid agreement. It was reviewed at the highway committee and the committee recommended to the board to sign it.
    1. Ashcroft moved to approve the agreement and to authorize Mr. Terenzini to sign on behalf of the board. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  5. From the highway committee, the committee is recommending the request from Wynnmere to install a streetlight at their entrance be denied.

Discussed some liquor license applications. They will be given to the Police Department to review and will be brought up at the next board meeting.

Chris Clark Rutland Town Fire Chief:

  1. Thanked the board for the flower arrangement sent to the funeral of his father.
  2. Provided an application to have a background check done to the 2nd
  3. Reported on the Diamond Run Mall building.
    1. The building has been boarded up.
    2. The water has been shut off and the fire alarm has been disconnected.
    3. Made a request to have the propane tank removed to the mall. After some discussion with the vendor, Suburban propane, it will be removed.
    4. The sprinkler system is intact but not operational.
  4. Terenzini thanked the department for helping with the efforts to flood the new ice rink out behind the school.

Ed Dumas Rutland Town Police Chief:

  1. Recent calls for service were provided.

Committee meeting updates:

  1. The building committee met and discussed some projects needing to be done.
    1. Kyle Bedard provided a quote to fix and repaint the hallway as well as replace the water fountain in the hallway.
    2. Denardo moved to approve the 2 bids to replace the water fountain and the hallway painting. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. After discussion, there may not be enough in the building maintenance budget to cover both projects after the final bill for the remodel is paid. Mr. Denardo tabled his motion pending a review of the budget status.

New Business: Board to discuss new editor for The Circle;

  1. Carol Bam is retiring after this last edition is printed. A search for a new editor/publisher has been going on. Janelle Faignant was mentioned and approached about the position.
  2. Faignant has tentatively accepted the offer pending the approval of the board.
  3. Bam is happy with the choice. Co-Principal Ms. Rudolfy from the school is in favor of this choice as well.
  4. Russel moved approve Janelle Faignant as the next editor and publisher of The Circle. Ms. Ashcroft seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0 with Mr. Faignant abstaining.

New Business: Board to discuss interim Town Clerk/Treasurer position;

  1. Terenzini has been talking to other town clerks from around the county about help in the office until a new Clerk /Treasurer is elected. Mary Dahlin has been helping in the office and has agreed to work full time in the office for the mean time.
  2. A presiding office for the election is still needed. No one has been found as of yet.
  3. A Board of Civil Authority meeting is planned for February 4th to discuss this further.

New Business: Board to discuss Campbell Road;

  1. Terenzini discussed the proposed bond for Rutland City coming up on Town Meeting Day and suggested a letter be drafted to the City regarding Campbell Road being a priority if the bond passes.
  2. Sweet will draft a letter for the next meeting.

New Business: Boards to discuss the Technology Policy;

  1. Discussed the scope of the technology section of the employee manual.
  2. Ashcroft moved to send this to committee for review. Ms. Russell seconded the, motion. The motion passed 4-0 with Ms. Russell abstaining.

Mr. Jim Scholtz, Town Delinquent Tax Collector discussed with the board a proposed tax sale of 65, 77 and 87 Business Route 4. Mr. Scholtz informed the board the properties will be put up for tax sale. Mr. Scholtz requested the board agreed the board be the first bidder at the minimum bid and if/when another bid is received the town would no longer be responsible. If no one else bids on the property, the town would own it. Mr. Scholtz stated the property owners are several years behind with no attempt to pay. Ms. Ashcroft confirmed the starting bid would be the delinquent tax amount.  Mr. Faignant moved to approve the request for the town to be the first bidder. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

Ms. Ashcroft  moved to enter executive session for a personnel matter. Ms. Russell seconded motion. The motion passed unanimously. The board entered executive session at 5:50 PM.

The board came out of executive session at 6:15 PM with no action being taken.  The meeting was in recess until the end of pre town meeting.

At the conclusion of the pre-town meeting presentation, Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve the articles in the ballot warning as printed. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

Respectfully submitted, Mr. Bill Sweet

 

 
Joshua C. Terenzini, Chairman
 
Mary Ashcroft, Clerk
 
John Paul Faignant
 
Joseph Denardo
 
Sharon Russell

 

Center Rutland, VT.