Select Board Minutes 4-13-2021

Publish date: April 14, 2021

Select Board Minutes 4-13-2021

TOWN OF RUTLAND SELECT BOARD OPEN MEETING

HELD VIA PUBLICALLY ACCESSABLE CONFERENCE CALL LINE

APRIL 13th, 2021

 Out of an abundance of caution around the covid-19 virus, this meeting was held via a conference call line which was made publicly available for anyone to call into.

  • Meeting opened at 6:00 P.M.
  • Board members present Mary Ashcroft, Sharon Russell, Joe Denardo, John Paul Faignant and Don Chioffi
  • Members of the public present Ed Ogorzalek, Mike Carlson, Ed Skwira, Howard Burgess, Jim Scholtz, Keith Whitcomb, Lydia Flynn, Larry Dellveneri, Anita Duch

Approval of Orders

The Board will approve the orders as they come into the office.

Approval of Select Board Minutes for March 16th:

  • Denardo moved to approve the minutes; Mr. Faignant seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.

New Business: Board to meet with the Town Representatives to the Library

  1. Ed Ogorzalek and Anita Duch were present to discuss the Rutland Free Library
  2. The topic of relocating the library was discussed by Mr. Ogorzalek and Ms. Duch. Plans were canceled by the developer.
  3. The director of the library had been looking for an alternate location to move to rather than try to repair the existing building, which could be more expensive than a move would be.
  4. The library board had discussed putting a bond out with Rutland City, but ultimately had to pull it back due to other conflicting projects.
  5. The contribution made by the Town of Rutland are for day-to-day operational expenses and not intended for capital projects.
  6. Mr. Chioffi expressed concern that neither representative had come to the board to pass along the intention to relocate. The money which was intended to be used to relocate or refurbish the facility has been being saved for many years.
  7. An attorney was retained to help guide the use of the money. An endowment was received many years ago for the purchase of books and materials. Historically, this was always on paper. Currently there are many forms of media. It was determined that books on tape and CD were considered reading material. The use of restricted funds was allowable for these purchases, as well as the labor involved with their integration and maintenance. Remaining money was invested.
  8. Chioffi expressed concerns over the acquisition of funds from the town and the transparency as to which the library has told the Town was it was being used for. He was concerned that the money received from the town has been put aside for future plans to relocate.
    1. Duch said there has been significant maintenance and work on the building, and the funds have been used for this. There have been discussions with a variety of remodeling options for the existing building including using the third floor. All the options come at a significant expense due to ADA requirements.
  9. Ms. Ashcroft asked Mr. Chioffi, to put together a list of his concerns to provide to the representatives so they can compile answers and follow up with the board. A future special meeting will be scheduled to address these specifically.
    1. Chioffi asked the following questions:
      1. The list of contractors asked to make repairs on the current library.
      2. Were the contractors that did the original construction and the subsequent remodel work on the College of Saint Joseph library approached about doing work on the existing library building.
  • When did the library association decide to take money and set it aside for a future purchase and not use it for ongoing repairs.
  1. Ms. Ashcroft asked what the source of the money was to be able to purchase this new building. Was it town funds, grant, endowments, or other sources.
  1. Ogorzalek said there had never been a discussion about buying a new building or moving until someone suggested the CSJ facility be looked at. It was a very recent conversation. The exact date this was brought up is not known.
  2. Mr. Denardo felt there should be more communication from all the town representatives to be able to keep the board up to date. A policy or guidelines may need to be developed.
  3. The minutes of this meeting will be forwarded to Ms. Duch and Mr. Ogorzalek, so they have the questions.
  4. A meeting prior to the Select Board meeting will be held in approximately one month to have follow up on these topics.
  5. Ms. Duch commented on the availability of several zoom meetings and tours made available to the public. She asked how many Select Board members attended those meetings. Ms. Ashcroft and Ms. Russell commented they had participated.

Bill Sweet Administrative Assistant to the Select Board:

  1. Reviewed the current list of scheduled meetings and pending committee agenda items.
  2. Provided a MOU to be reviewed for approval by the Board, between the Town of Rutland and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Ms. Ashcroft discussed the purpose behind the agreement. They help primarily with the mailing of The Circle. Mr. Chioffi moved to approve signing the MOU and to authorize Ms. Ashcroft to sign on behalf of the board. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  3. Johnson Energy sent a service reminder for the boiler at the Town Hall. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the maintenance of the boiler. Ms. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0 with Mr. Faignant abstaining.
  4. Asset tag labels have been purchased and will be used on portable equipment for town owned items. If any department head needs one, please see Bill.
  5. The fire department has provided a quote for the safety grant. If anyone else has items they wish to include please turn in the quote next week.
  6. Letters to town sewer users who have exceeded their allocation have had letters sent out to them. There is no action to be taken at this time.
  7. Requested permission to purchase a new module from NEMRC for the purpose of utility billing. The cost is $2995 and would be taken from the sewer fund. If this is approved, it could be in place for the next round of bills for Flory Heights. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the purchase of this module. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  8. A representative from a company that does digital land records was in the office today to meet with Kari. Their initial proposal seems to be more comprehensive and less expensive than others in the past. She will have information to share at the next meeting.

Barbara Noyes-Pulling Rutland Town Planning Commission Chair:

  1. Discussed the draft RFP for the Pocket park Planning Grant, for a survey
    1. This will help with the design and discussion with the landowner.
    2. The fund amount listed will likely not be enough to cover the costs.
    3. Recommends requesting 2 separate bids. 1 for property lines and the other for locating utilities, features, and land conditions.
    4. There are 4 engineering firms who are local which could be good choices to send them too directly. There are also online postings available to advertise it.
    5. Ms. Russell moved to approve the invitation to bid. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
    6. The due dates will be determined before posting this.
    7. The posting will be made as broadly as possible.
  2. The Commission met recently with a representative from the State on the permitting of helicopter pads or landing strips.
    1. They look to the towns first, but if nothing is in writing for guidelines, the town is assumed to agree.
    2. He did not have suggestions for us since we do not have zoning. The Commission will give some recommendations to the board in the future.
    3. These regulations would apply for private use, and not be used for any emergency aircraft activity.

Mike Rowe Rutland Town Recreation Director:

  1. The opening maintenance on the park has started.
  2. Baseball signups are underway, and plans are in place to follow all guidelines.
  3. The pool will be prepared for the opening in June soon.
  4. The Rec committee met and is recommending compensating Mike for maintenance bi-monthly until the pool opens, and then go to his regular compensation. After the pool closes it will go back to the bi-monthly.
  5. Additional work will be done on some new trails.
  6. The committee discussed the replacement of the zero-turn mower, a plan was discussed for the end of the season.

Byron Hathaway Rutland Town Road Commissioner:

  1. The agreement for work with the railroad needs to be approved so it can be sent back.
    1. The work is to clear trees by the cemetery.
    2. We are responsible for the cost of the flagger at $95 per hour for a minimum of 4 hours.
    3. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the agreement and authorize the Board Chair to sign on behalf of the board. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The timing of the project was reviewed, it will be in the next few weeks. The motion passed 5-0.
  2. The paving contract with Fuller Sand and Gravel for this year was provided to the board. It is a standard contract and was used by the Town in the past. Mr. Denardo moved to accept the contract. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. Mr. Hathaway said this contract has been reviewed in the past by our Town Counsel. The motion passed 5-0.
  3. The Shared Use Path project is moving forward. The packet for the storm water permit is almost ready. It will be forwarded to the board soon for review and approval.
  4. The bike / pedestrian grant window is opening. Mr. Hathaway asked if we wanted to apply for the sidewalk grant for the project to connect the Shared Use Path. Board members were in favor of applying. Mr. Hathaway will start the process.

Old Business Tabled motion from December 22nd on installing a guardrail at the Post Road / Post Road Extension intersection.

  1. The motion was reviewed, which was to not install a guardrail, based on feedback from state VTrans and their recommendation.
  2. New signs have been installed at this intersection.
  3. The signs have been up for 4 months, with no accidents occurring. Prior to that there were 2 accidents within a short period of time, according to Mr. Skwira.
  4. Mr. Skwira asked when the road was last paved. Mr. Hathaway said it was over 10 years ago. Mr. Hathaway said the stop bar will be repainted soon.
  5. Mr. Skwira asked who would be responsible for replacing the fence. Mr. Denardo stated the town bears no responsibility for the cost to replace the fence. The driver that causes the accident would be the responsible party.
  6. A representative from VTrans has told the town that a guardrail in that location is not advised. If a car were to hit it head on it could cause severe injury to the car occupants.
  7. Mr. Skwira expressed concerns that the stop bar had not been replaced since the road was repaved. He asked why signs were removed in the past and not replaced. Mr. Skwira was asked if he felt any other signs could be put there that would work. He said he was unsure of what would work.
  8. Discussed why the stop signs were removed, which used to be across the intersection. They were not properly located and had to be removed. It was relocated to the right side of the approach. There is a handbook which regulates the placement of signs.
  9. Mr. Skwira felt strongly that the presence of the stop bar painted on the roadway will make a large difference. Mr. Hathaway has stated the stop bar will be painted. Mr. Chioffi commented that the stop bar being painted seems like an easy thing to add and agrees with it being done. There was communication received from the State regarding this intersection, Ms. Ashcroft asked for this to be sent to Mr. Chioffi from Mr. Hathaway.
  10. No further action was taken. The motion remains tabled.

Michael Carlson Rutland Town Assistant Fire Chief:

  1. The department held our first monthly meeting in several months recently.
  2. There have been 15 calls since the beginning of April, 9 of them in the last few days.

Ed Dumas Rutland Town Police Chief:

  1. Recent calls for service were provided to the board via email.
  2. Requested permission from the board to accept an offer if one is made on the purchase of our old police cruiser. The asking price is currently $7000. Mr. Denardo moved to allow the Police Chief to accept offers on the sale of our old cruiser. Mr. Faignant seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  3. With the large increase of retail thefts on the South end of Town, Chief Dumas contacted the City of Rutland Police to work on a collaborative effort on prevention. There are 2 primary places where the issues are originating from. They are the Quality Inn and Holiday Inn. Chief Dumas has asked the businesses in the area to produce impact statements. A special meeting is planned for April 20th with a variety of state agencies to be able to listen to the concerns of the business. The Select Board chair was asked to attend this meeting as well. State Senators are also expected to attend.

John Paul Faignant Town Health Officer

Revised guidelines continue to be released. No changes to our current processes at this time.

The 3-year term for the Health Officer is coming up in August. The paperwork will be given to board members to review at a future meeting.

Committee meeting updates:

  1. Building Committee
    1. Reviewed the topics covered at the recent meeting.
    2. A committee for the development of a new war memorial at Town Hall will be formed, we will solicit the public to help using our online presence.
    3. Discussed various building maintenance topics brought up.
      1. A new copier was proposed for Susan’s desk. We currently spend up to $500 annually on supplies. A 48-month contract with Symquest would allow us to cut our annual expenses in half. Mr. Chioffi moved to approve the contract and authorize Ms. Ashcroft to sign on behalf of the board. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. Maintenance and supplies are included. The motion passed 5-0. The cost will come from the copier budget.
      2. Discussed upgrading the lighting to LED panels, replacing all the fluorescent fixtures on the main floor. The committee reviewed bids and is recommending accepting the bid from Long Trail Electric for the total of $3420. Mr. Denardo moved to approve their bid and to authorize Ms. Ashcroft to sign on behalf of the board. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. The cost will come form the building maintenance fund.
  • The original main water line, which is galvanized pipe, in the office needs to be replaced. Jim Manley, who is a preferred vendor, provided a cost of $895 to rerun a copper line. The cost will come from the building maintenance fund. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the work. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. There is no agreement needing to be signed. The motion passed 5-0.
  1. The parking lot at the office needs to be repaired, only 1 bid has been received, there is no action to be taken at this time.
  2. Reviewed a bid to rekey the interior doors with a master key system. If there are sufficient funds left in building maintenance toward the end of the fiscal year, this may be considered.
  3. Discussed purchasing additional furniture for the office. Seating and a table for the hallway, plus 2 new filing cabinets and laminating the counter tops the researchers use in the Clerks office. The total cost would be $3976.28. Mr. Chioffi moved to approve the purchase. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The cost would come from the capital improvement fund. The motion passed 5-0.
  • A proposal for lawn maintenance was reviewed. The is no action to be taken.
  • Reviewed a quote to remove the wall mounted AC unit from the wall in the Listers Office. Bernie Valente, who is preferred vendor quoted $550. He will remove the unit, repair the siding outside, repair the sheetrock inside and prepare the surface to be painted. Mr. Denardo moved to approve the quote. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. The funds will come from building maintenance.
  • Reviewed a quote from Racine’s Painting. The scope of the work includes painting the ceiling after the LED light upgrade is complete, painting various spots in the Select Board room, and repainting the Listers Office. The total cost is $1780. The cost would come from building maintenance. Mr. Chioffi moved to accept the bid. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  1. Discussed the items proposed for the Board room to be able to hold Zoom meetings in the future, after in person meetings resume. The cost for hardware is approximately $2400. Some work from VT Digital will be needed as well. There are sufficient funds in the new equipment and computer service accounts to cover these costs. Mr. Faignant moved to approve the plan. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  2. The topic of remodeling downstairs will be taken up at the next meeting in approximately 1 month.
  1. Water and Sewer Committee
    1. The committee met recently, and a summary of the topics was discussed.
    2. Mary and Bill recently spoke with our Town Counsel on a variety of topics.
    3. The use of allocations for 2020 was discussed and letters generated to users who exceeded their approved allocation.
    4. The issue of accurate water and sewer billing was discussed with the committee and our Town Counsel, Kevin Brown. Mr. Brown will be in touch with the City Attorney to help assist us with the acquisition of information. Mr. Chioffi discussed the items of concern addressed by Mr. Sweet during the meeting.
    5. Discussed the anticipated future re-opening of The Ground Round restaurant. A letter was drafted to the owners and provided to the Board members outlining the items the committee discussed. Mr. Denardo moved to approve sending the letter to Graphic Edge and The Ground Round owners that outline our concerns. Mr. Chioffi seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
  2. Highway Committee
    1. The bids for the replacement of the Gleason Road Culvert were reviewed.
      1. Fabian Earth Moving bid – $68,610.00
      2. Mendon Trucking and Excavating bid – $38,000
      3. K.T. Hathaway LLC bid – $54,500
      4. Belden Construction, LLC bid – $48,000
  3. The committee is recommending accepting the bid from Mendon Trucking and Excavating. Mr. Denardo moved to approve their bid. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The cost of the culvert is not included and is being purchase directly by the Town. The motion passed 5-0. The work will take place late summer 2021.
  4. Crossman Drive and Heather Drive are being added to the paving list.
  5. No other committee items required action.

New Business Board to discuss 2021 Project List

  1. There are some projects carried over from 2020.
  2. Items discussed which are being added are the Pocket Park, The Shared Use Path, Route 7 North Sidewalk, Center Rutland Fire Station Lawsuit, Replacing the McKinley Avenue Fire Station, and Roof Top Solar Arrays.
  3. The list will be provided to the board in future packets.

Mr. Chioffi commented on his appreciation for Ms. Ashcroft asking Mr. Faignant about renewing his term as Health Officer.

Mr. Faignant moved to adjourn. Mr. Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Mr. Bill Sweet

Mary Ashcroft, Chair
Joseph Denardo, Clerk
John Paul Faignant
Sharon Russell
Don Chioffi

 

Center Rutland, VT.

 

Rutland Town News

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