Select Board Minutes 7-21-2020

Publish date: July 24, 2020

Select Board 7-21-2020

TOWN OF RUTLAND SELECT BOARD OPEN MEETING

HELD VIA PUBLICALLY ACCESSABLE CONFERENCE CALL LINE

JULY 21st, 2020

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.

  • Board members present: Josh Terenzini, Mary Ashcroft, Sharon Russell and John Paul Faignant
  • Meeting opened at 6:00 P.M.

 

Approval of Select Board Minutes for July 7th:

  • This will be tabled until the next regular meeting

Bill Sweet Administrative Assistant to the Select Board:

  1. Andres Torizzo has asked for authorization to move forward with projects from his proposed list. The 3 proposed items were work on the phosphorous control plan, the road erosion inventory and coordinating storm water work with the proposed Harbor Freight project. Ms. Ashcroft moved to allow Mr. Torizzo to proceed. Ms. Russel seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
  2. Reviewed some additional work which is planned for the website. The contact information is not laid out effectively and Image Setters has a plan to restructure the information to make it easier to find and update. The proposed cost is $350. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve it. Mr. Faignant seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
  3. Key Honda submitted their application and payment to increase their sewer discharge allocation to cover their actual usage. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve the application. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
  4. A large packet was received from the law firm of Facey Goss and McPhee in regards to the request made to East Asian restaurant for a sewer allocation to be filed. Mr. Faignant asked for a copy of the items submitted. Mr. Sweet said this would be best reviewed by the Water and Sewer committee to review and make a determination. After some discussion this will be added to the committee agenda.

 

Kari Clark Rutland Town Clerk/Treasurer:

  1. Several hundred absentee ballot requests have come in and her and Susan are processing them as efficiently as they can.
  2. Still waiting for some information from the Lister’s Office to be able to set tax rate. Ms. Ashcroft said a special meeting has been done in the past for this reason. If it is done by next week there will be enough time to be able to print all the tax bills

 

Barbara Noyes-Pulling Rutland Town Planning Commission Chair:

  1. Reported on the recent site visit to the proposed pocket park site off of Simons Avenue in Center Rutland. A lot of local history of the site has been discovered and the commission members are enjoying this project. More work is coming.
  2. Ecos Energy continues to modify their project. They recently have changed the designation of the project sites giving them actual names instead of just numbers.

 

Mike Rowe Rutland Town Recreation Director:

  1. Operations at the pool are going well. Several thousand visitors have come through already. Typically the ratio of resident to non-resident is about 60/40. This year it is about 90/10.
  2. Work has been on going cleaning up the disc golf course, more is still needed.

 

Byron Hathaway Rutland Town Road Commissioner:

  1. Recently spoke with Robert Clark from Otter Creek Engineering regarding the operational Storm Water permit for the Northwood Park storage building project. He may be able to complete it for us for a flat fee of $6000. Some further discussion is needed.
  2. The second round of roadside mowing has started and will be completed in a few weeks.

 

Chris Clark Rutland Town Fire Chief:

  1. The truck committee has met with several vendors for the replacement of Engine 3. They are making good progress and plan to meet with a few more. The bid document should be ready to send in the next 6 to 8 weeks. New rescue tools are being looked at to be purchased with this truck since the ones currently being used need to be replaced due to age.

 

Ed Dumas Rutland Town Police Chief:

  1. Recent calls for service were provided.
  2. Reviewed the discussion from the recent Police Committee meeting where 2 different items needing to be purchased were discussed.
    1. The need to purchase new tasers for all of our officers, including the 2nd constable. The committee reviewed the options of buying or leasing and preferred the lease option.
      1. Ms. Ashcroft moved to have the town enter into a 5 year lease option at the cost of $501 per year per officer for a total of $2505 per year. This would include a 5 year warranty on all of the units, training cartridges, batteries and holsters. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. After some discussion, the motion passed 4-0. The cost for the first year will come from the depreciation fund.
    2. The need to purchase new camera systems.
      1. The discussion from the Police Committee was reviewed. The board discussed purchasing new body cameras which would be compatible with our current system and quick release charging cords to use while officers are in their vehicles. The cost for the additional cameras and hardware is $2705. Ms. Russell moved to approve the purchase. Ms. Ashcroft seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
      2. Chief Dumas discussed purchasing a second radar speed cart. This was planned for in the budget. Also discussed the need to purchase in car video camera system for his car as well as the 2nd These are the only 2 vehicles without them. Ms. Ashcroft moved to rescind the previous motion and moved to approve the purchase of 2 in car camera systems. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
    3. The information from our speed cart has been downloaded and is being analyzed. It is giving insight into average speeds on the roads and the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit. More review of the data is coming and will be reported to the board.

 

John Paul Faignant Town Health Officer:

  1. Asked the board to approve an emergency ordinance to require face mask be worn inside any establishments in the town. Mr. Faignant read the ordinance the Town of Woodstock approved and enacted. Stated there would some Rutland Town specific modifications made to this, specifically around wearing masks outside.
  2. Ms. Russell moved to approve the order. Ms. Ashcroft seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.
  3. Discussed the transfer station at length as well as the pool building as to whether they should be required inside those buildings. Ashcroft moved to reconsider the motion. The motion failed due to no second.
  4. There was extensive discussion on the need for the order and what constitutes an open air, or enclosed establishment.
  5. The order will take effect July 22nd, 2020.

 

New Business: Board to discuss poll workers wearing personal protective equipment.

  1. Ms. Ashcroft to require all poll workers wear PPE during elections. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.

 

New Business: Board to discuss sewer allocation for Alderman’s Car Wash

  1. Mr. Terenzini said the car wash does not currently have an allocation and based on their usage statistics, would require an allocation with a fee due of approximately $45,000. There is a possibility of reducing this to approximately $37,000. He suggested this matter be referred to the Water and Sewer committee to review the situation and make a recommendation.
  2. After some discussion, this will be added to the Water and Sewer committee agenda list

 

New Business: Board to review drafts of letters to the owners of Friendly’s, the former Mountain Travelers property and the Diamond Run Mall

  1. Mr. Terenzini reviewed the need for the letters, these properties are not currently occupied and the maintenance of the property is not being kept up. The grass is overgrown and detracts from the surrounding areas. He proposed sending the letters to the appropriate property owners.
  2. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve sending the letters. Mr. Faignant seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.

Tabled Business: Board to discuss the usage of the softball fields at Northwood Park.

  1. Mr. Terenzini has spoken with the director of the league using the filed to remind him of the limit for participants. There was a report of a larger number of people present than allowed. He was assured it will not be an issue again

 

Tabled Business: Board to discuss tabled motion for the Johnson Energy heating fuel contract.

  1. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve the contract. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-0 with Mr. Faignant abstaining.

 

Tabled Business: Board to discuss annual maintenance agreement with Brookfield Services

  1. Ms. Ashcroft moved to approve the service contract. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0.

Ms. Ashcroft moved to adjourn. Ms. Russell seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:31 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Mr. Bill Sweet

 

Joshua C. Terenzini, Chairman

 

Mary Ashcroft, Clerk

 

John Paul Faignant

ABSENT

Joseph Denardo

 

Sharon Russell

Center Rutland, VT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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