FINAL VERSION AS
AMENDED AND APPROVED ON ___________. Attest: _________
Town of Charlotte
Board of Selectmen
Minutes
Monday, January 27, 2003
7:00 PM, Charlotte Town Hall
Eleanor Russell
Debbie Ramsdell
OTHERS: Daniel
Senecal-Albrecht (selectboard assistant)
Stephen C. Brooks
John
Hammer
R. Avery Hall
Mike Harvey
Skip Sheldon
Dick Greene
Erich Finley
Tim Hawley
Tom Kenyon
Bradley Carleton
Jim Wells
Dick St. George
Jessie Bradley
Debbie Fisher
Jim Foster
Rose Ann
Lombard
Chris Davis
Jocelyn Bolick (clerk)
Motion made by
Eleanor Russell, seconded by Debbie Ramsdell:
Vote: all in favor.
Attendees were the attorneys, Jim Carroll, Joe McLean, and members of the selectboard (Charles Russell, Jennifer Cole, Debbie Ramsdell, and Eleanor Russell). No action was taken.
Motion made by
Eleanor Russell, seconded by Jennifer Cole:
Vote: all in
favor.
Motion to approve
made by Eleanor Russell, seconded by Jennifer Cole:
“The board authorized counsel, subject to conditions counsel would advise, to negotiate a settlement and resolution of the IWO Case and the board authorized the chair of the selectboard to sign any appropriate legal documents”
Vote: all in favor.
The meeting was
called to order at 7:00pm.
The items on the
agenda were as follows;
Discussion with
Recreation Commission about: Transfer of Intramural Sports and Field
Maintenance Line Items from School Budget Recreation Fee Fund Expenditures /
Adjustments to agenda / Approve minutes of January 13th and 20th
/ Public Discussion / Charlotte Sportsmen’s Alliance Proposal to Manage
Thompson’s Point (Poor Farm) / Fire & Rescue Capital Budget / Finalize
Budget / Finalize Warning / Thompson’s Point Camp Leases up for Renewal /
Discuss and Schedule Joint Budget Meeting with School Board in February /
Selectboard updates / Sign Bills and Warrants / Adjournment
There was confusion on the budget for this line item. Jesse Bradley felt that the school budget showed $8000, but the town of Charlotte shows $4747 line budget. Debbie Fisher asked if the salary for the person running the intramural sports was in the towns budget, it was.
Beach
salaries have increased because salary increases were given since experienced
people will be returning. The revenue
increased from $5000 to $6500, but it is not due to a beach sticker fee
increase. Assuming more stickers will
be sold if it’s good weather.
·
Selectboard Updates –
Dog Ordinance.
·
Selectboard Updates –
Plouffe Farm road.
·
Selectboard Updates –
GMP easement language.
·
Selectboard Updates –
Burning solid waste.
·
Selectboard Updates –
hiring a minute taker.
Tabled
until next meeting.
Stephen Brooks said the 2003 state guides are out, and the 2002 state guides are still lining the floor at town hall. Too much paper sitting around, people can trip over it. Need to have someone clean it up.
John Hammer asked about the Nordic Trail. A one week extension was received due to the inclement weather. There is mainly one location, the southeast corner of the Vinter lot which is fairly steep, where the trail will deviate from the boundary.
A question arose from the public concerning Paul Arthaud. This is the 5th meeting he has missed, is there some way to replace him? The board responded that there is no way, unless he goes insane, moves out of town or dies.
Charlotte Sportsmen’s Alliance Proposal to Manage Thompson’s
Point (Poor Farm)
Charles
Russell stated that it is time to begin discussion on other ways of managing
Thompson’s Point, and the Charlotte Sportsmen’s Alliance is interested in
offering a proposal.
Dick
Green, vice-president of Charlotte Sportsmen’s Alliance, is interested in
leasing approximately 170 acres on Thompson’s Point for the club. They feel they can manage the land better
for the town. They don’t want to see a
lot of changes, but it may be more efficient to take this responsibility away
from the selectboard. They would like
to turn the 3 or 4 separate parcels into one grouped property. This would make it a lot easier for everyone
to keep track of what is going on down there.
Objectives: identify and protect
wildlife habitat, enhance the property, identify and maintain the woods on the
property, provide handicap accessibility on trails, etc.
Discussion
centered on animals grazing on some of the property instead of
brush-hogging. Brush-hogging is
expensive! The town can save money by
leasing for farm use.
Adding
trails will alleviate some of the traffic flow during the summer. Campers use the trails, townspeople use the
trails, lots of activity. Perhaps signs
can be added delineating the different trails.
It
will stay open to hunting, following whatever town or state ordinances are in
effect.
Jim
Hunter of Thompson’s Point asked about any added hunting trails, etc., under
this proposal. The answer was no, no
extra hunting.
Skip
Sheldon gave a historical background of the land. Since the town put in septic, it’s no longer possible to carry a
crop on what used to be the best soil on the property. At that time, the town had one lease. Then the town switched to three leases and
separated the parcels – now why switch back to one lease? Dick Green said the club is not opposed to
sub-leasing the property to tenants such as Mr. Sheldon for the time being.
Stephen
Brooks asked about any existing rights of first refusal on the property.
Charles
Russell said the selectboard is looking for the best deal of the town, there is
a need to pursue other ways of managing the land.
Eleanor
Russell asked what is to be gained by naming the club the middle
management. Dick Green said the leases
are quite messed up. One benefit to the
town is that they would guarantee in their sub-leases that the land would not
be posted – land could be hunted, skiied on, etc.
Discussion
centered on injury to animals (arrows in hay bales, etc.) and how to minimize
that type of problem.
How
does the selectboard choose a management scheme for the land? Charles Russell stated that a subcommittee
would be formed to look at all options and go from there. A sign-up sheet was passed around collecting
names of people who are interested in being on a subcommittee to look at
different management schemes.
Jennifer
Cole said the Sportsman’s Alliance is looking at all areas – the wooded areas
as well as the farm land, which seems like a better way of managing the
property.
Currently
the only leases on this property are with Ron Sweet and the Pony Club. Charles Russell issued an apology for not
communicating with Skip Sheldon effectively – some people assumed their leases
would be automatically renewed.
Fire & Rescue Capital Budget
Eleanor
Russell ran a spreadsheet assuming the purchase of a pumper and it was not a
possibility – the town would be taking on too much debt with level funding at 3
cents. She ran several scenarios, such
as taking out equipment and moving the purchase of an ambulance earlier, etc. Need to take the equipment out to make it
work at 3 cents.
Eleanor
Russell showed several different scenarios showing how and when to purchase a
new pumper. The bank (BankNorth)
advised setting the bond this year since interest rates are so low. An Interest rate of 5%was used on the model
to purchase a pumper. The rate would
realistically be much lower than 5% (probably in the 2 to 2.5% range), and the
rate would be locked in for 15 years.
Who knows what the rate will be like in a few years when an ambulance
might be financed – it is quite likely it will be higher.
Stephen
Brooks suggested putting the spreadsheet(s) in the town report which show
several different ways of purchasing large equipment (pumpers, ambulances,
etc.) for the fire department. It was
agreed to put in the town report a proposed capital plan scenario with several
assumptions included in the scenario.
Total
budgeted expenses for 2003-2004 year for the Fire & Rescue Department is
$288,250, which is up 30.44%.
A
suggestion was made that the fire department members come to the combined
selectboard/schoolboard meeting on February 18th. They agreed to send someone to represent the
fire department.
The
Fire department is in the process of re-writing their by-laws.
Trying to get discretionary increase down to 3% - it was up around 5%.
·
Changed selectmen
miscellaneous expense to $10,000 from $20,000.
·
Moved $6600 from
F&R Capital Reserve Fund to Operating Expenses.
·
Highway department –
zeroed out increases in trucking and materials.
·
The rec path came in
$8000 more than anticipated.
Stephen Brooks mentioned how Junior Lewis of the highway department always speaks of needing more gravel for the roads, one-half inch disappears every year. Mr. Brooks feels zeroing out the budget increase for gravel will not be beneficial to the town. The selectboard is hoping for a mild winter. After further discussion, an increase for both materials and trucking was added back into the budget. Materials will increase from $85,000 to $90,000, and trucking increases from $47,000 to $50,000.
The budget total, after adjustment, is $1,773,905. This is a 9.42% increase from 2002-2003.
Motion made by Eleanor Russell, seconded by Debbie Ramsdell:
“To approve a budget of $1,773,905 for fiscal year 2003-2004 was made”
Vote: all in favor.
There was a question about the school budget. Their tax rate will be $2.58.
Finalize Warning
Article
1: To hear the reports of the Town
officers and to act upon the same.
Article 2: Will the Town vote to have Property Taxes payable on or before November 17, 2003 and to have payments made to the Town Treasurer under 32 VSA § 4773?
Article
3: Will the town adopt the
Selectboard’s budget of $1,773,905 for the fiscal year July 1,2003 to June 30,
2004 less anticipated revenues?
Article
4: Shall the Town vote to authorize the
Town Clerk to approve additions to the voter checklist pursuant to 17 VSA §
2144(b)?
Article
5: Will the town vote to authorize the
Selectboard to borrow money by issuance of bonds or notes not in excess of
anticipated revenues for the next fiscal year?
Article 6: Will the Town vote to approve expenditures not to exceed $450,000 from the Fire & Rescue Capital Reserve Fund for the purchase of an properly equipped pumper truck and a thermal imaging camera?
Article
7: Will the Town vote to expend a sum
not to exceed $5,000 from the Recreation Fee Fund for use as the Town’s
financial match for a grant(s) for capital improvements to Town recreational
facilities?
Article
8: Will the Town vote, on an advisory
basis, to request immediate and ongoing action on legislative initiatives
designed to promote energy efficiency in Vermont’s homes, businesses, public
buildings and transportation systems, and encourage expansion of modern
renewable energy systems in the state of Vermont. Let it further be resolved that every citizen and business owner
in Charlotte be encouraged to participate in the 10% Challenge program to
reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% and ask community
officials to reduce the emissions of town buildings and town fleets by at least
10%. NOTE: This article is advisory
only.
Motion
made by Debbie Ramsdell, seconded by Eleanor Russell:
“To approve town warning for the annual town meeting of 2003 subject to the review by the town attorney as to form”
Vote:
all in favor.
Thompson’s Point Camp Leases up for Renewal
Lease
# 172 has come up for renewal.
Discussion centered on the length of renewal on leases, and how can one
break the cycle of ownership on these leases.
It was decided this was a big project, not to be solved tonight, but it
needs to be tabled and further reviewed.
Discuss/Schedule Joint Budget Meeting with School Board in
February
Discussion centered on scheduling a joint meeting with the school board to answer questions about the budget, but not to coincide with either a school board or a select board meeting. Tuesday works for everyone, which is the night the school board meets, but they meet just once per month. Schedule the meeting for Tuesday, February 18th, at 7 PM at the Charlotte Town Hall.
Selectboard updates
Dog Ordinance.
Tabled the issue until the next meeting.
Grant
to deal with legal burning of solid waste.
Tabled until the next meeting.
Senior
Center. Would like the “as built plans”
for the senior center. Charles Russell
found some designs for the senior center, they will see if this fits their
needs.
Water
problems at the senior center, they are failing their coliform test and they
can’t figure out where the problem is coming from. They may use ultraviolet
processing. Elizabeth Walker of
Northeast Rural Water Association is involved.
This
weekend Gary Thibault is going to put acoustic tiles in the ceiling in the café
from Friday to Sunday.
Hiring
a minute taker.
Motion
made by Debbie Ramsdell, seconded by Jennifer Cole:
“To hire Jocelyn Bolick of Monkton to be a minute taker at $15/hour for selectboard meetings”
Vote:
all in favor. Point of information – Jocelyn was the only applicant.
Letter
from Tom Mansfield asking the selectboard if they would like to request a
public information meeting regarding the proposed improvements to the marina
(dredging, etc.) in 2003-2004. The
selectboard must write a letter to the Agency of Natural Resources asking for a
public meeting, it must be received by February 5th .
Motion
made by Eleanor Russell, Jennifer Cole seconded:
“To approve writing a letter to Agency of Natural Resources to request a meeting was made”
Vote: all in favor.
Thorp
Barn – received a note from Nancy Walsh asking to button it up.
Call
Dick St. George, ask for an estimate. A
wide open basement is part of the problem.
The top is already locked. Try
to discourage kids from going in there.
Get back to Nancy and ask what she had in mind.
Sign Bills and Warrants
None.
Adjournment
Next
meeting on Monday, February 10th, at 7 PM.
Meeting adjourned at 10:24 PM.