Select Board Minutes 7-18-2023

Select Board Minutes 7-18-2023

TOWN OF RUTLAND SELECT BOARD OPEN MEETING

RUTLAND TOWN MUNICIPAL TOWN HALL

181 BUSINESS ROUTE 4, CENTER RUTLAND, VT  05736

JULY 18^th, 2023

 

This meeting had a virtual attendance option available for anyone to join.

• The meeting opened at 6:00 P.M. with the pledge of allegiance.
• A moment of silence was observed for Police Officer Jessica Ebbighausen and Norma Biathrow who recently passed away.
• Board members present Mary Ashcroft, Sharon Russell, Kurt Hathaway, and Matt Getty
• Members of the public present Shelley Dumas, Lisa Sears, Ryan Getner

Approval of Orders

The Board approved the orders.

Approval of Select Board Minutes for July 5^th:

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

Update from the Select Board Chair

1. Thanked the Towns First Responders for their efforts over the pasty couple of weeks especially.
2. Attended a presentation of the carved stone bench for the Town. It is going to Northwood Park. A dedication will be planned during the Town Wide Celebration. A base needs to be prepared for it to be placed.

Selectman Denardo joined the meeting at 6:05 PM.

Marty Wasserman Rutland Town Emergency Management Director

1. Discussed the response to the recent storm.
   1. The Center Rutland Fire Station was used as a shelter for a resident. Their property was in danger of flooding.
   2. The fire department only responded to a few incidents. The only major road closure was a section of Route 3 and Business Route 4 for a period of time.
   3. Thanked members of the Fire, Police and Highway department for their help during the storm.

Ed Dumas Rutland Town Police Chief:

1. Discussed the events over the past couple of weeks, including the loss of a Rutland City Police Officer.
2. Recent calls for service were provided.
3. Officer Plakas has been proactively enforcing the Sex Offender Registry in the Town.
4. An estimate for the cost of the equipment needed to outfit the new cruiser was provided from McGovern Municipal. The total is $13,100. Selectman Denardo moved to approve the estimate, with the funds to come from the Cortina Inn money. Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.

Barbara Pulling Rutland Town Planning Commission Chair:

1. Discussed the proposed wind turbine project off Quarterline Road. The Commission discussed the topic extensively and had no concerns and supports the project.
2. Discussed the proposed solar project at Route 7 North and Post Road. The developer attended the meeting with the Commission. Concerns were brought up to him, but no agreements were made. A site visit was discussed with him, and he is in favor of it. Screening was the biggest concern. A payment in lieu of taxes was not discussed with him. This is something the Select Board will bring to him. A visual representation of the impact on the site will be needed.
3. Discussed the proposed Short-Term Rental ordinance.
   1. Reviewed the current state of a draft approved by the Planning Commission and turned over to the Select Board. Discussed the next steps.
   2. Selectman Hathaway moved to not pursue a Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Selectwoman Russell seconded the motion. After discussion the motion failed 2 – 3. Selectman Hathaway and Selectwoman Russell voted in favor of the motion. Selectwoman Ashcroft, Selectman Denardo and Selectman Getty voted against the motion.
   3. Selectman Denardo moved to hold a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Select Board to discuss this topic. Selectman Getty seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.

Mike Rowe Rutland Town Recreation Director:

1. The park and the pool have been very busy.
2. Work on the back 9 for the disc gold course has started, and mountain bike trail work will begin in a few weeks.
3. New trails signs have been made to replace the slate ones that were destroyed by vandals.
4. The seniors lunch is Tuesday the 25^th at 11AM at the pool.

David Sears Rutland Town Road Commissioner:

1. Major paving projects are done for the summer.
2. The Post Road sidewalk project is moving along.
3. Work on the MS4 projects is continuing.
4. Walt Tripp is doing roadside mowing. He has been working between Mendon and the Town. Mendon is reimbursing us for his time in their town.
5. A hydraulic study of the Stratton Road culvert was done by the State. It does need to be replaced. We will need to have some engineering done and we will apply for grant funding for construction.

Marcia Chioffi Rutland Town Head Lister

1. The Grand List has been lodged. Grievance notices are up around town. The Grand List was up over last year. Several new businesses in town are the reason why.
2. Grievance hearings are planned for July 31^st.

Chris Clark Rutland Town Fire Chief:

1. There have been several calls in the past 2 weeks.
2. Members helped cover the City of Rutland so they could attend services for Officer Ebbighausen.
3. Hose and ladder testing was done recently. Some 5” hose is needed to replace lengths that failed.
4. The air bottles have all been tested. They are all 5 years old and can be used for up to 15 years. Additional bottles should be purchased in 5 years to avoid the large expense of replacing them all at once.
5. An application for membership was presented from Kevin Gusthaven. He lives on East Mountain View Drive. He has met with the Chiefs. He would be a regular member and has passed background. Selectwoman Russell moved to approve the application. Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.
6. 3 members recently passed the State Firefighter Level 1 and 2 class.
7. A location to store all the trucks during construction is not final yet but there are several possibilities still.

Kari Clark Rutland Town Clerk and Treasurer:

1. Discussed setting the tax rate at a special meeting on August 1^st. Selectwoman Russell moved to hold a special meeting at 530PM on August 1^st for this. Selectman Hathaway seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.
2. A BCA meeting was planned for July 25^th but may be moved to accommodate the senior luncheon.

Bill Sweet Town Administrator:

1. Presented a contract from Johnson Energy for our annual heating oil purchase. It is $.40 over cost on the day of delivery with a cap of $2.999. Selectman Denardo moved to accept the Johnson Energy contract. Selectwoman Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.
2. Presented a contract from Brookfield Service for our annual generator maintenance. It is to service the five town backup generators. Selectman Denardo moved to approve the contract for generator maintenance. Selectwoman Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 5 – 0.
3. The next phase of the MERP grant program is underway. We are submitting building specific information. It may be possible to cover energy efficiency costs for the new Public Safety Building as part of the program. We are waiting to get details on what could be covered and how much it could save us.

Discussed a recent property transfer regarding The Cortina Inn property. The name of the LLC has changed, but the principal, Anil Sachdev, is the same. The total value of the land and building listed is just over $11,000,000. Payments from them related to policing stopped in June, and additional money is due. Information has been provided to the Town Counsel.

Selectman Hathaway moved to adjourn. Selectwoman Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:47 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Mr. Bill Sweet

 

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Mary Ashcroft, Chair

 

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Joseph Denardo, Clerk

 

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Sharon Russell

 

 

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Kurt Hathaway

 

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Matt Getty

Center Rutland, VT.