TOWN OF CHARLOTTE
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MINUTES
MARCH 8, 1999
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Chairman Marty Illick
Clark Hinsdale, III
John Rosenthal
Jim Sheldon-Dean
Robert Mack, Jr.
OTHERS:
Stephen C. Brooks
Dale Knowles
Hugh Lewis, Jr.
Nancy P. Sabin
Sylvia Sprigg
Linda Radimer
Sandy Mayo
Ed Melby
Alice Lawrence
Alison Lockwood
Jonathan Fisher
Charles Russell
Mary Beth Freeman
Holly Fournier
John Hammer
Wendy Schroeder
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Chairman Illick called the meeting of the Board of Selectman to
order at 7:05 p.m. in the Charlotte Town Offices.
APPROVE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 1999 SELECTBOARD MEETING
Chairman Illick asked if the board wished to approve the minutes
of February 22, 1999. Illick had one correction to the Road
Commissioner's report on page 2: to delete the word "private" in
the third sentence in reference to Olde Carriage Road.
Mack moved and the motion was seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
* "APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 22, 1999 MINUTES."
Vote: All in favor.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Dale Knowles said he had heard that the town was ready to close
on the Demeter property, but there was no money and Mack
responded that the closing won't happen until July. Knowles
asked about what time the park is supposed to close and Mack
said that it was to be open to the public until a half hour
after sunset. Knowles asked what to do about cars still parked
on the property after closing and Mack suggested that Cowboy
Lewis take down their auto tags the first time, come back
fifteen minutes later or after he had closed the beach.
Board of Selectman -2- March 8, 1999
Illick suggested that the board could talk with Cowboy closer to
July and discuss handling of these sort of situations.
Dale Knowles said he wanted to be Dog Catcher again this year.
Sylvia Sprigg said she had been looking at uses for a barn on
the Demeter property and a recent article in the Charlotte News
had been very helpful to the committee. Sprigg said the
committee was researching the issue, looking at all sorts of
feasibilities, uses and possible grants available. Illick said
she would like to have a clearer sense of these kinds of issues
before the property is turned over to the town in July.
Linda Radimer said that the Conservation Alliance is nearly
complete with the Champlain Valley Regional Open Space
Ecological Study. Radimer said the Alliance will link natural
Resources with adjacent towns. Illick asked who funds the
Alliance and Radimer answered the Lake Champlain Valley Basin
Group. Radimer added that the Alliance had until March 15th to
get a proposal for money funding prepared and Illick asked
Radimer to bring the proposal into the town offices and put it
on the counter for board members to review.
Stephen Brooks apprised board members of a petition circulating
around town for a proposed rezoning of land for an industrial
park in the general area of Route 7 and Thompson's Point Road.
Brooks outlined what would need to happen to build an industrial
park in that particular area including bringing 3-phase power to
support industrial uses, an intersection with a traffic light,
etc., all of which would become the financial burden of any
developer. Brooks said the particular area that the industrial
park is proposed to be sited in the petition afforded beautiful
landscape and lake views that he felt would be better suited to
another use. Brooks said at this time there was no developer
involved and that the current landowners involved were not of a
financial means to capitalize that kind of development.
Alison Lockwood said she thought the town could benefit from the
revenue tax base of an industrial park.
Sylvia Sprigg said she felt this was an inappropriate place to
discuss the matter and this was a town planning issue.
Sandy Mayo asked if the Selectboard could set the meeting dates
for the Conservation Committee and Illick responded that was out
of the realm of the Selectboard.
Charlie Russell asked about Selectboard minutes being on the
internet and Illick responded that she expected future minutes
to be posted.
Wendy Schroeder gave Selectboard members copies of a handout on
the capital budget which the board reviewed. Schroeder
discussed the computer program she was using to prepare the
capital budget and the abilities it would afford her, including
looking at trends in town growth affecting revenues and
financing. This would also help in looking at multiple years at
once to predict when capital expenditures would be needed.
Illick praised Schroeder's work saying it would be most helpful.
Board of Selectman -3- March 8, 1999
Illick said she would put the progress on the capital budget on
the agenda for next week. Mack asked if Schroeder needed help
on the road budget and Schroeder said yes, Mack said he would
set a meeting with Hugh Lewis, Jr.
ELECT SELECTBOARD CHAIRMAN
Illick said she had been thinking of having a vice-chair for the
board. Hinsdale said he had thought of having a roving chair to
give other board members experience at running a meeting. Alice
Lawrence said she felt that would be difficult for the public to
deal with and for someone to chair a meeting for an agenda that
they didn't themselves prepare. Illick said she wanted to keep
the roving chair in mind but still wanted a Vice-Chair.
Mack moved and the motion was seconded by Hinsdale:
* "TO ELECT A VICE-CHAIR FOR THE SELECTBOARD."
Vote: All in favor.
Mack moved and the motion was seconded by Hinsdale:
* "TO ELECT MARTY ILLICK AS CHAIR OF THE SELECTBOARD
FOR ONE YEAR, BEGINNING IN MARCH, 1999."
Vote: All in favor.
Hinsdale moved and the motion was seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
* "TO ELECT ROBERT MACK, JR. AS VICE-CHAIR OF THE
SELECTBOARD FOR ONE YEAR, BEGINNING IN MARCH, 1999."
Vote: All in favor.
SET MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 99/00
Clark Hinsdale outlined conflicts he had with the normal first
and third Monday of the month scheduled Selectboard meeting and
his job with the Farm Bureau. Board members made suggestions
and looked at any holiday conflicts and decided to leave the
Selectboard meetings scheduled for the second and fourth Mondays
of the month with the following exceptions: to change to the
October and December meetings to the first and third Mondays of
those months and add a meeting for budgeting on December 27,
1999.
Hinsdale moved and the motion was seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
* "TO REMAND THE SCHEDULE OF SELECTBOARD MEETINGS FOR
THE BALANCE OF 1999."
Vote: All in favor.
REVIEW APPOINTMENTS - TOWN OFFICIALS
Chairman Illick showed board members letters she had received on
openings on various town boards and terms that were up for
reappointment, including Jonathan Fisher to the Board of
Adjustment and John Quinney and Linda Hamilton to the
Conservation Committee. Mack asked if Wade Weathers wanted to
be reappointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Ed Melby
Board of Selectman -4- March 8, 1999
said that he thought so.
Holly Fournier spoke in favor of reappointing Jonathan Fisher to
the Zoning Board of Adjustment, saying that his decisions were
well thought out, fair and he always acted in a professional
manner.
Illick proposed putting an ad in the Charlotte News asking for
volunteers interested positions. Mack suggested writing letters
to people who might want to be reappointed to a board or had
expressed interest. Hinsdale said he wanted to schedule
interviews for the next Selectboard meeting on March 22, from
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Illick asked John Hammer if he was interested in being appointed
to the Solid Waste Commission and Hammer answered yes.
Alison Lockwood said she was interested in chairing a committee
to work on the project for seniors. Illick said there was
nothing formal yet and she would talk with Jane Michaud about
it.
Ed Melby asked if Kit Perkins hours could be doubled for the
month of March as the town is currently without a Planner.
Hinsdale moved and the motion was seconded by
Mack:
* "TO REQUEST THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DOUBLE THE
WORKING HOURS OF THE ACTING PLANNER FOR THE MONTH OF
MARCH, 1999."
Vote: All in favor.
Nancy Sabin voiced her concern that people who have served on
volunteer boards might have hurt feelings when they were not
considered for reappointment. Rosenthal said that there is no
presumption of a second term and that board members serve at the
pleasure of the Selectboard. Illick said she understood the
feeling of being personally invested in your work on a board and
would balance that in the making a decision with the needs of
the board to move on and sometimes look to appoint other people.
TOWN MEETING REVIEW
Hinsdale said he had suggested reviewing the Town Meeting be on
the agenda while issues raised in it were still fresh in
everyone's mind. Illick said that the meeting ran too long.
Charlie Russell said he thought that if there had been an
alternate, scaled down plan for the playing fields that plan
would have passed. Sheldon Dean offered that he thought that
many people were unaware of how many people were using the
fields and that the Recreation Committee would have fared better
with a better presentation and preparation.
Hinsdale said he thought the style of the school and town
meetings were very different and each could learn from the
other, and in both cases the highlights were the budgets.
Board of Selectman -5- March 8, 1999
Alison Lockwood said some of the individual reports in the Town
Report were unclear and unspecific. Hinsdale responded that
making the reports more understandable was a good idea and a lot
of the work Wendy Schroeder was doing with the capital budget
and different department budgets would work to that end.
There was a discussion on scheduling of the town and school
meetings at set times for agenda items, different days, etc. No
action was taken.
VLCT ACT 60 MEETING - CLARK HINSDALE REPORT
Hinsdale reported on a meeting he had attended on behalf of the
Farm Bureau on Act 60 in Killington, sponsored by the League of
Cities and Towns. Hinsdale said it was a good learning
experience to see what some other towns are doing and that at
some time the town might want to vote on some of the League
policies regarding Act 60.
Lockwood asked if there was a website to know what is currently
under proposal by the VLCT and Schroeder responded yes, and
there is a person you can call to have your questions answered.
Illick suggested that Lockwood call Alysia Krasnow and voice her
concerns about what might be happening to Act 60 in the
statehouse.
There was discussion on how land use properties are valued in
Charlotte and other towns in Vermont.
SCHEDULE PLANNING MEETING / RETREAT
Board members discussed a Selectboard retreat where it should be
held and whether it should be open to the public. No action was
taken.
BILL SIGNING/DISCUSSION
Sheldon-Dean brought to the board's attention an old issue that
had been planned for Holmes Creek covered bridge, a project at a
cost of $435,000., which was to be implemented beginning in the
year 2000.
Illick moved and the motion was seconded by Mack:
* "TO NOTE THE SELECTBOARD IS NO LONGER INTERESTED IN
THE HOLMES CREEK STABILIZATION PROJECT."
Vote: All in favor.
Sheldon-Dean updated the board that the town did not win project
monies from the U.S. Senate Reconstruction Project for a
pedestrian crossing on Route 7, but is on the runner-up list.
Sheldon Dean suggested keeping pressure on the state to remind
them that a pedestrian crossing is needed and he will continue
to look for grant monies. Hinsdale offered his help and
Sheldon-Dean accepted. Stephen Brooks offered to post a sign at
the proposed crossing site to remind residents of the need for a
crossing and board members accepted his offer.
Board of Selectman -6- March 8, 1999
Sheldon Dean reviewed paperwork he had received on a workshop on
grants for projects and reviewed an upcoming electric car
demonstration project in Burlington being coordinated by Richard
Watts and Burlington Electric Department. Sheldon-Dean said he
would follow-up with a letter.
Illick brought to the board's attention a letter to the board
from Nancy Walsh, from the Conservation Commission recommending
a contractor to repair the Rule-Seguin Bridge. There was
discussion by the board of possible contractors and it was
decided that 3 offers were needed and Illick would do a search
of qualified contractors and comeback to the next board meeting
with her progress.
Illick noted a letter asking if the town wanted to advertise in
Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce's membership
directory. No action was taken.
Illick reviewed for the board a fax from Nona Lippert on a her
health concerns on road drainage to her property. Mack noted
that Ms. Lippert has made the same complaint for years directly
after the Town Meeting and then refuses ditching in the area by
the town. Illick said she would follow up with Nona Lippert.
Illick asked for feedback on a letter she had drafted to the
school board on behalf of the Selectboard and board members
offered their suggestions.
Illick reviewed a letter to the Selectboard from Town Attorney
Steve Stitzel's office on dealing with road easements. There
was discussion on the current town procedures for easements with
Planning and Zoning.
Hinsdale moved and the motion was seconded by Mack:
* "TO GIVE THE CHAIR PERMISSION TO DEAL WITH THE
EASEMENTS ISSUE AS SHE SEES FIT."
Vote: All in favor.
Alison Lockwood asked if meeting agendas and permit reviews
could be published in the Charlotte News. Illick responded that
the deadlines for publishing the agendas are often too tight to
get coverage in the Charlotte News, but would consider public
information that afforded longer lead times.
Mack moved and the motion was seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
* "TO ADJOURN THE MEETING."
Vote: All in favor.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 P.M.
Minutes submitted by:
Debby Flynn
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