Select Board Minutes 6-18-2024

Publish date: June 20, 2024

Select Board Minutes 6-18-2024

TOWN OF RUTLAND SELECT BOARD OPEN MEETING

RUTLAND TOWN MUNICIPAL TOWN HALL

181 BUSINESS ROUTE 4, CENTER RUTLAND, VT  05736

JUNE 18th, 2024

 

  • The meeting opened at 6:00 P.M. with the pledge of allegiance.
  • Board members present Mary Ashcroft, Sharon Russell, Kurt Hathaway, and Matt Getty

Approval of Orders

The Board approved the orders.

Approval of Select Board Minutes for June 5th:

Selectman Getty moved to approve the minutes.  Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.

Update from the Select Board Chair

Recently handed out scholarships at Rutland High School. It was a nice event.

Board to present the scholarship award to a Long Trail School and a MSJ Student

Camilla Marcy from the Long Trail School was present, and Selectman Getty presented her with a $2500 scholarship award.

Sarah Jane Gregory from MSJ was not present. She was awarded a $3000 scholarship.

The scholarship awards given out at the Rutland High School class night were to Charles Woods for $3000, Anna Gallipo for $2500, Ben Cerreta for $2000, William Fuller for $1250, and Lila Tu for $1250.

Mike Rowe Rutland Town Recreation Director:

  1. Baseball ended recently. All the coaches did a great job and Commissioner Rowe thanked them all for their dedication. The summer softball league just started.
  2. Thanked the highway department for their help fixing the mower tires.
  3. Thanked Bill Sweet for helping get the new cameras at Northwood Park installed.
  4. Swim lessons started this week.
  5. Over 100 season pool passes have been sold so far. Groups start visiting the pool next week.
  6. Discussed a recent Rec Committee meeting, and the rec participation policy. Commissioner Rowe has spoken with other Rec directors and they are ensuring their participants are aware of the policy.

David Sears Rutland Town Road Commissioner:

  1. Replaced a culvert on Annette Terrace recently.
  2. Discussed the sale of the F350. A bid was received today, from Andrew Patch. Mr. Patch bid $9000. After discussion, the information will be given to the Highway Committee for discussion.
  3. Discussed the recent Highway Committee meeting topics. There are no action items.
  4. Discussed roadside mowing plans for this year. The mower used for this had a part fail just after starting. The new part has been ordered and is expected soon. Mowing will resume once it is received.
  5. Crosswalks have been installed as part of the new signal project at Route 7 South and Cold River Road.

Marcia Chioffi Rutland Town Head Lister

  1. Board Chair Ashcroft said the School Board will be coming to our meeting later in July and not this evening.
  2. Pending site visits have all been completed.
  3. Discussed the open Town Lister position, and the statutory language requiring us to post the vacancy. Selectman Getty moved the notice be posted to solicit candidates.  Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.
  4. Discussed the planned discussion with the School Board. The School Board wanted to discuss how the CLA affects the school tax rate formula, and the timeline for a reappraisal. Several towns are under a requirement to reappraise. The COD drives a reappraisal based on Act 68.
  5. Our current CLA is 75.43. Our COD is 18.46. The process with the State to reappraise has been started. Reappraisals are out to 2028.
  6. The CLA from 2011 to 2019 ranged from 100% to 103%. In 2020, it was 99.75. Due to covid, the CLA dropped to 95.43, then to 84.44. This year it is 75.43. The COD is the number that determines reappraisals. We are currently at 18.44. A reappraisal hadn’t been needed due to the long-term accuracy of appraisals.
  7. Had a recent discussion with Teresa Miele about the personnel policy. It went well.

Chris Clark Rutland Town Fire Chief:

  1. The thermal imaging cameras recently ordered have arrived and will be in service soon.
  2. The GMP pen stock is closed and will be for some time. This is used by the Fire Department to fill trucks.

Kari Clark Rutland Town Clerk and Treasurer:

  1. Nothing to report.

Ed Dumas Rutland Town Police Chief:

  1. Discussed a recent Police Committee meeting.
    1. Chief Dumas informed the Board members our School Resource Officer recently gave him her two weeks’ notice. She has accepted a new position with a different agency.
    2. Discussed the CFAC request for the Town to hire an officer, who would mostly work for and be funded by, CFAC.
    3. Discussed an opportunity for the Town to have an additional officer funded by another agency who would work for the drug task force.
    4. Officer Plakas and K9 Rooster are starting a 12-week training program soon. This will leave Chief Dumas and Deputy Chief Washburn as the only full-time officers in the town. There will be some support available from the constables, but not on a full-time basis.
  2. The Board reviewed a proposed amendment to the personnel policy. After discussion, Selectman Hathaway moved to approve the updated language. Selectwoman Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0. This will be an amendment to the personnel policy and is not a separate policy.
  3. With the new policy in place, Deputy Chief Washburn will start the hiring process for an additional officer.
  4. Selectman Getty moved to approve the Police Department posting a hiring announcement for a School Resource Officer. Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.
  5. Discussed the additional opportunity for Officer Plakas to work on cases for individuals in violation of sex offender registry rules. Details for that funding are not final yet so no action is needed.

John Paul Faignant Town Health Officer / 2nd Constable / Public Safety Building Clerk

  1. Siding for the new building should begin going on this week.
  2. Conducted a site visit around the outside of the Cortina Inn today. All 3 rear exit doors were propped open, which is in violation of their agreement with the Town. After discussion this will be brought to our Town Attorney.

Board to discuss appointments to the Regional Board of Commissioners and Transportation Council

  1. David Rosenblum is currently serving as our alternate appointee. He is interested in continuing to represent the Town. Selectman Hathaway moved to appoint David Rosenblum as our primary appointee to the Rutland Regional Board of Commissioners, and to authorize the Chair to sign the form on behalf of the Board. We do not have a candidate for an alternate at this time. Selectman Getty seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.
  2. Dave Sears is currently serving as our Transportation Advisory Council appointment. We do not have an alternate. Selectman Hathaway moved to reappoint Dave Sears as our primary rep to the transportation Advisory Council and to authorize the Chair to sign the form on behalf of the Board. Selectman Getty seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.

Bill Sweet Town Administrator:

  1. Provided the Board with an updated contract for Town Hall copiers with Symquest. After discussion, Selectman Getty moved to approve the contract and to authorize the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board for an amount not to exceed $4461.24 per year. Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.
  2. Two letters have been received from the Wynnmere HOA. One from Karl Ronn saying the HOA was withdrawing their request for the Town to take over their road. The other is from Dave Dress requesting the Town enter into an MOU to allow them to pave their road using the Town bid pricing. After discussion, the matter will be forwarded to the Highway Committee for discussion.
  3. Provided bid documents to request separate bid prices for heating oil, propane and diesel fuel for various Town facilities. Bids have not been requested in some time. After discussion, Selectman Hathaway moved to approve sending out the bid requests. Selectman Getty seconded the motion. The motion passed 4 – 0.
  4. Provided copies of the new paid holiday and comp time policies which just need Board member signatures. Once they are signed, copies will be distributed to be updated in the policy books.
  5. There are some open meeting law changes taking effect in a few weeks. Our website has been updated to include the necessary language.
  6. Updated the capital improvement and Cortina Inn settlement expense tracking sheet. There was about 8 to 10 hours of work that went into creating this document and finding references.
  7. Worked at Northwood Park during the 2 days the office weas closed to help install some new security cameras.
  8. The traffic study for the Green Mountain Plaza will be done by the Regional Planning Commission in July.
  9. Helped the Police get the title corrected and signed by the leasing company.

Selectman Hathaway moved to adjourn. Selectman Denardo seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:42 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Bill Sweet, Town Administrator.

 

_______________________________________________

Mary Ashcroft, Chair

 

 

__________________ABSENT____________________

Joseph Denardo, Clerk

 

 

_______________________________________________
Sharon Russell

 

 

_______________________________________________

Kurt Hathaway

 

 

_______________________________________________

Matt Getty

 

Center Rutland, VT.

 

Rutland Town News

Posted in