Board
of Selectmen
July 12, 1999
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MINUTES
JULY 12, 1999
MEMBERS
PRESENT: Chairman Marty Illick
Robert Mack, Jr.
John Rosenthal
James Sheldon-Dean
OTHERS: Eric Van Vlandren
Verne Hutchins
D. Boardman
A. Eller
C. Eller
Marlene Mansfield
Sandy Mayo
David Miskell
J. Leavitt
Hugh Lewis, Jr.
Stanley Lane
Raven Davis
Sylvia Sprigg
Ed Everts
Wendy Schroeder
Martha Perkins
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman
Illick called the meeting of the Board of Selectman to
order
at 6:15 p.m. in the Charlotte Town Offices.
EXECUTIVE
SESSION - PERSONNEL
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL
PROBLEMS AT REGIONAL
PLANNING."
Vote: All in favor.
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Selectboard
members came out of Executive Session at 6:50 p.m.
and
recessed for 10 minutes.
Board
of Selectman -2- July 12, 1999
APPROVE
MINUTES OF JUNE 28, 1999
Chairman
Illick asked if the board wished to approve the minutes
of
the Selectboard meeting of June 28, 1999.
Mack moved and the motion was
seconded by
Illick:
*
"TO APPROVE THE MINUTES JUNE 28, 1999
SELECTBOARD MEETING."
Vote: 3 in favor, 1 abstained (Illick).
PUBLIC
DISCUSSION
Rosenthal
asked that the proposed Senior Center in town be put
on
the next meeting agenda.
Chairman
Illick noted that Carpenter Road residents wished to
discuss
the impending paving on part of their road.
Chuck Eller
discussed
the safety concerns he had about paving the road in
the
area of his residence, saying he was already concerned about
people
driving too fast there and said the washboard road
surface
of the current dirt road tended to slow drivers down.
Eller
added he was especially concerned about vehicles losing
control
on a paved road with a twisted downhill curve,
particularly
if hauling weight. Mack agreed that the
paving in
that
area of the road amounted to a safety issue.
Eller also
added
that Carpenter Road is also used by many residents of the
area
as a short cut between Dorset and Spear Streets. Eller
showed
board members a map of the area in question and suggested
paving
only from the lower side of Perrin's driveway to the
bridge
below. Verne Hutchins also suggested
widening the apron
of
the road in the area. Board members
agreed with the
recommendation.
MARLENE
MANSFIELD - DELINQUENT TAXES - END OF FISCAL YEAR,
UPDATE
AND TAX SALES
Marlene
Mansfield discussed a hole on Dick LeBoeuf's property
adjacent
to the town hall where vehicles were getting stuck.
Mansfield
said at one time boats were sold on that property and
drivers
had been recently using the property for a park and ride
without
permission from LeBoeuf. Mansfield
suggested that the
hole
be filled. Mack said Mansfield needed
to get permission
from
Leboeuf to fill the hole and if permission was granted to
call
the Road Commissioner.
Mansfield
noted that a brochure was budgeted to go out on the
recent
reappraisals in town stating what each property in town
was
listed for taxes, but it did not go out.
Illick said she
would
discuss the matter with the listers.
Mansfield
reviewed delinquent taxes, saying Black Willow was no
longer
on the grand list as the transfer never came in and since
Graham
Goldsmith was not collecting money on the property, that
he
wants to write off the penalties and interest.
Board
of Selectman -3- July 12, 1999
Mansfield
noted delinquent taxes on properties on Church Hill
Road
owned by Ruth Carpenter and Hattie Spear, who died in the
1940's. Mansfield said Bill Spear had paid on the
debt of one
property
for years, but was no longer doing so.
Mack asked
Mansfield
to get an opinion from the town attorney as to who
owns
the properties.
Mansfield
noted that Francis Knowles has been put on a payment
plan
and filed for bankruptcy, which his lawyer dismissed.
Mansfield
also noted the Stankevich property is on the market
and
the couple has divorced and left town and advised board
members
that the town would get its tax money owed when the
property
sold. Illick said she felt that waiting
for the sale
was
a good plan.
PETITION
TO AMEND ZONING
Illick
brought to the board's attention the petition to change
the
zoning in the area of Route 7 and Thompson's Point Road,
noting
the town attorney's advice that since it is an amendment
to
zoning that the Planning Commission decides on it.
Sandy
Mayo referred the board's attention to her recent letter
inquiring
about a charge on the town attorney's bill, asking if
the
conversation referred to the Selectboard or the Planning &
Zoning
board and whether the call was professional or personal
advice
in nature. Mack said he was just asking
a legal question
regarding
the Burns property acquisition and Illick added that
no
decisions were made and she felt it was not an issue.
ZONING
FEE REIMBURSEMENTS - S. HOOD, AL SABAH
Chairman
Illick noted 2 zoning fee reimbursements on the agenda.
Mack moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO REFUND THE $150. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FEE TO
FATIMA AL FAHD AL SABAH."
Vote: All in favor.
Mack
noted that Sandra Hood wished to Have her $30 permit fee
refunded
for her craft shop on Hinesburg Road, as the permit was
not
needed under Class I rules.
Sheldon-Dean moved and the motion
was seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO REFUND THE $30. PERMIT FEE FOR SANDRA HOOD.."
Vote: All in
favor.
Board
of Selectman -4- July 12, 1999
WESLEYAN
UNIVERSITY REQUEST FOR SITE VISIT
Chairman
Illick noted that Wesleyan University wanted to do
educational
work researching volcanic rocks at the town beach on
October
3rd. Rosenthal offered to follow up on
the letter.
SHALE
PROPOSAL - LYNN PALMER
Sheldon-Dean moved and the motion
was seconded by
Mack:
*
"TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS LYNN
PALMER'S SHALE PROPOSAL."
Vote: All in favor.
Board
members went into executive session at 7:52 p.m. and
returned
to regular session at 7:57 p.m.
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"AS A RESULT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO WRITE A
LETTER TO LYNN PALMER LETTING HER
NOW WE ARE NOT
INTERESTED IN HER PROPOSAL AT THIS
TIME AND THANKING
HER."
Vote: All in favor.
INTERVIEWS:
JOSIE LEAVITT & MARTHA PERKINS - PLANNING COMMISSION
SYLVIA SPRIGG & RAVEN DAVIS -
CONSERVATION
COMMISSION VACANCY
Mack moved and the motion was
seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Board
members went into executive session at 8:00 p.m. to
interview
candidates for open board positions and returned to
regular
session at 9:16 p.m.
Mack moved and the motion was
seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Sheldon-Dean moved and the motion
was seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO APPOINT JOSIE LEAVITT TO THE PLANNING
COMMISSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Sheldon-Dean moved and the motion
was seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO APPOINT RAVEN DAVIS TO THE CONSERVATION
COMMISSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Board
of Selectman -5- July 12, 1999
BILL
SIGNING/DISCUSSION
There
was a discussion on the recent motion the Selectboard had
passed
to make the speed limit for Greenbush Road north 40
m.p.h.
and at the previous Selectboard meeting, members asked
the
Road Commissioner, Hugh Lewis, Jr., to post the appropriate
signs
and leave the yellow safety signs up.
Illick said she had
received
phone calls as soon as the signs were posted from town
residents,
particularly in the Ferry Road area.
Illick had
contacted
Lewis earlier in the day and he took the signs down.
Sheldon-Dean
suggested reposting the signs and letting residents
come
in an complain to the board, as the signs were legal,
slower
in speed less than Regional Planning's recommendation of
45
m.p.h., and residents of the Greenbush Road area had
requested
a traffic study in the first place.
Lewis said he was
happy
to repost the signs, but needed a contact person from the
board
as he couldn't afford time-wise to do and undo work. Mack
agreed
to be the contact person.
Lewis
asked about bids on repairs for the Rule-Seguin (covered)
bridge. Mack advised that Lewis should choose the
bidder who
would
be best for the historical integrity of the project.
Lewis
said he was interested in having Mike Lanphear do the work
as
he had the lowest bid.
Mack moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO HAVE HUGH LEWIS JR. BE IN CONTACT WITH MIKE
LANPHEAR TO REPAIR THE RULE SEGUIN
BRIDGE AND MR.
LANPHEAR WOULD REPORT SOLELY TO
THE ROAD
COMMISSIONER ON THE PROJECT."
Vote: All in favor.
There
was a discussion on loose boards in a covered bridge on
Spear
Street. Illick suggested Lewis get Mike
Lanphear to look
at
it. Mack asked Lewis to put shoulders
on Converse Bay Road
and
to improve visibility of a stop sign on Lake Road. There
was
a discussion on missing street signs and ways to remedy
apparent
sign thefts.
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Board
members went into executive session at 10:00 p.m. and
returned
to regular session at 10:10 p.m.
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION."
Vote: All in favor.
Board
of Selectman -6- July 12, 1999
Louis
Cox discussed with the board his updated memo on
contaminated
drinking water at the town beach. Cox said
he
believes
that the well water is being contaminated by bird
droppings
around the well casing and suggested putting a
structure
around the casing to keep this from happening.
Mack
said
he would take care of it. Cox also
noted that the
Northeast
Water Association had offered their help in solving
the
problem.
Illick
noted that the WIZN consultant and setting the tax rate
needed
to be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Board
members reviewed and signed bills.
Sheldon-Dean moved and the motion
was seconded by
Rosenthal:
*
"TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS LAND
DEALS."
Vote: All in favor.
Executive
session began at 10:17 p.m.
Rosenthal moved and the motion was
seconded by
Sheldon-Dean:
*
"TO ADJOURN THE MEETING."
Vote: All in favor.
The
meeting was adjourned at 10:20 P.M.
Minutes
submitted by:
Debby Flynn