Minutes
September 1, 2005
Present: C. Peter Cole
Henry C. CobbNorman John Arrison
Patricia Daniels
Others Present: Larry Melen, Town Manager
Lisa Sargent, Recording Secretary
Barry Newton, Town Constable
Peter Korbet
Harold L. Cyr
Aniela L. Cyr
Edith Stillson
BarbaraThomas
Edward E. May
Julia Lloyd Wright, Eagle Times
Wes Hazeltine
Rich Bowen, Springfield Attorney
Ray Stapleton
Michael J. Kamel
Doris F. Kamel
Deborah Ostrum, SAPA TV
1. Call to Order by Chairperson: Mr. Cole called the meeting of the Select Board to order at 7:04 p.m. at the Martin Memorial Hall.
2. Comments from Citizens: Mr. Edward May asked the status on the grader and why the roads are so bad. Mr. Hazeltine said the grader should be back any day. Mr. May asked why we didn’t grade before the grader went in for repairs. Mr. Hazeltine said we graded on the 10th and 11th (August) before that is was too dry. There was discussion on the conditions of Town roads and Mr. Hazeltine said as soon as the grader is returned they will be back to grading.
Mr. Korbet said there are crosswalk signs by the Library but one can’t be seen because of trees. Mr. Melen said he talked with Representative Shand about this today.
Mr. Korbet questioned the status on the part of the Route 106 the State says is theirs. Mr. Melen said he hasn’t received any new information on this, he is waiting for the State to prove it to him.
Mr. Melen said there is a Public Hearing scheduled for Interim Zoning ByLaws on the 22nd of September at 7:00 p.m.
3. Review of Minutes from Previous Meeting(s): Mr. Cobb made the motion to approve the minutes dated July 14, 2005 as submitted. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
Mr. Cobb made the motion to approve the minutes dated August 18, 2005; Mr. Arrison seconded the motion. Mrs. Daniels noted corrections. Only two Board members were able to vote, therefore this was tabled until the September 15, 2005 meeting.
4. Executive Session – Personnel Evaluation: Mr. Melen asked to table this until September 15, 2005.
5. WWVFD Fire Truck Acquisition: Mr. Melen said he put the check he received from West Weathersfield Volunteer Fire Department into a reserve account. He has issued two purchase orders, one to SG Reed and the other to Valley Fire Equipment. Mr. Arrison asked if the truck had been ordered. Mrs. Thomas said she is not sure, they were checking the paint last she knew. Mr. Melen said he has not received an acknowledgement it has been ordered. Mr. Cobb asked the expected delivery date. Mr. Melen said he is waiting to hear that.
6. Monthly Reports:
Constable: Mr. Melen said per the request of the Board, Constable Newton was present. The Board confirmed with Mr. Newton it was Springfield Animal Hospital he was interested in becoming the Town pound not, Springfield Humane Society. Mr. Cobb asked if they had a policy on euthanasia. Mr. Newton said he believes they do. Mr. Newton said he has a relationship with SCAS in Shaftsbury, VT and has taken an animal there in the past and that is a place they could go after the 10-day stay in the pound. Mr. Arrison asked Mr. Newton the percent of animals that are returned back to the owner, Mr. Newton said 50%. Mr. Arrison asked Mr. Newton other than mileage, what is the issue with Rockingham. Mr. Newton said a lot of the cages are used for kenneling, he also is the TARPS vet so there is limited space. The consensus of the Board was to review the euthanasia policy from Springfield Animal Hospital before making any changes. Mr. Cobb asked Mr. Newton to provide the Board with an update on the unregistered dog list at the next meeting.
Police: Chief Brown said the replacement cruiser has been purchased and has the markings on it. Whelen is going to install the light bar in a few weeks. Mr. Melen noted the light bar and markings came out of a donation fund.
Mr. Cobb asked if we had looked at fuel cost and if it was going to be an impact on the fuel budget. Mr. Melen said diesel is from the State contract and we only have two gas vehicles. Mr. Arrison said he would like all departments to consider ideas to save gas/diesel. Mr. Melen said the biggest users are the two fire departments. Mr. Arrison said they should be told we’d like to stay within the budget.
Highway: Mr. Hazeltine said it’s looking like the grader will be coming back soon. There are some rough roads, Wellwood Orchards Road is rough. He feels we are about one week behind on grading.
Mr. Hazeltine said Thrasher Road is scheduled to start on September 12th. Mr. Melen said he has a letter to send to the residents of Thrasher Road. Mr. Hazeltine said they are tentatively scheduled to start grinding on the 15th but with the rain it may be another week. He said the grader would be on Thrasher Road for a day or two.
Mr. Hazeltine said the issues with the blue print on Butterfield Hill were finalized today with the Engineer. He said they will be working around the traffic, the road will not be closed.
7. Policies and Ordinances:
A. Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy: Mr. Melen said he received a response from VLCT and based on that he would like to table this item. Mr. Arrison made the motion to table the second reading of the Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy until October 6, 2005. Mr. Cobb seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
B. Adopt Use of Excessive Force Policy: Mr. Arrison made the motion to adopt the Use of Excessive Force Policy as presented. Mr. Cobb seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
C. Adopt Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Policy: Mr. Cobb made the motion to adopt the Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Policy as presented. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
D. Adopt Fair Housing Policy: Mr. Arrison made the motion to adopt the Fair Housing Policy as presented. Mr. Cobb seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
Mr. Melen said as discussed at the last meeting, the consensus of the Board was to go forward with the above three policies. The information on the above was not included in the Boards packet so they will be discussed at a later meeting.
F. Stop Sign Ordinance: Mr. Arrison made the motion to accept the Stop Sign Ordinance for the first reading, Mrs. Daniels seconded the motion. Mr. Cole said there were roads in the trailer park included in the list and they are not Town roads. There was discussion as to if we could enforce these roads and whether or not they should be on the list. It was decided they should be deleted from the list. The Board will review the list and this will be discussed again at the meeting on October 6, 2005. Motion carried unanimously.
8. New Business:
A. Encroachment into Right-of-Way 244 Henry Gould Road: Mr. Melen said he has talked to the VLCT Attorney and they recommended asking the Attorney what he needed. Mr. Melen has left three messages with no response back. He said he has talked with the property owner and they are aware of what the Town is waiting for.
B. Financial-Write-off Bad Debt: Mr. Melen said in 2004 a 90 year old female hit trees and the post by the Perkinsville Green and this is the amount that has not been paid for. Mr. Arrison made the motion to write off the bad debt of $952.60 for the damage done on the Perkinsville Green, Mrs. Daniels seconded the motion. Mr. Cobb asked if the 90-year-old person could do anything. Mr. Melen said he feels this may have been a billing problem too and suggested writing off the balance. Mr. Korbet asked if we recovered the cost of the post. Mr. Melen said yes, the balance is for labor. Motion carried unanimously.
C. Highway Non-abandoned Right-of-Way-Old Weathersfield Road: Attorney Richard Bowen was present representing the Cyr’s. He said the Cyr’s own 103 acres off Weathersfield Center Road and they found the old Weathersfield Road was the main road between Springfield and Weathersfield and it fell into disuse. The property was surveyed and land records were searched and the road has not been discontinued. Mr. Melen said in 1900 they relocated the Weathersfield Center Road. Attorney Bowen said the Cyr’s request is to designate the Old Weathersfield Road as a Class IV road. Attorney Bowen showed the Board a survey map that was done. Mr. Melen said we need a final plat, we need to give written notice to abutting owners and hold a Public Hearing. Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kamel were present and looked at the survey map. They said they do not remember any road going through their property in the seventy seven years they have been there. They were upset the surveyor was on their property without their permission. Mrs. Daniels asked Attorney Bowen to spell the Kamel’s name correctly. Mr. Cobb asked if the survey work was not complete to advise the surveyor to call the Kamel’s before going on their property again. There was discussion about what additional information needs to be presented to the Board. The next step is for the Cyr’s to give more formal information to the Board then they will need to schedule a Public Hearing.
D. Mrs. Thomas said she had another question regarding the purchase of the WWVFD truck. She said there was a letter from the department for the Town Manager to sign that was a receipt of payment for their part of the truck and also stated that any interest the money earned would be given to the department. Mr. Melen said he could not sign on behalf of the Town, Mr. Cole would have to sign the letter. Mr. Arrison made the motion to have the Chair sign the letter; Mrs. Daniels seconded the motion. (The Board noted on September 15, 2005 that no vote was taken on this motion) Mr. Cobb said he finds this an odd request. He asked if the money was put into an interest bearing account. Mr. Melen said the account does not earn interest monthly, only quarterly and the interest would be divided up at year-end. Mr. Cole said he does not have a problem issuing a receipt for payment but doesn’t feel it is necessary to sign this letter. Mrs. Thomas said the letter is basically a receipt but they are asking for any interest to be paid to them. It was explained that the interest would not be determined until year-end but they would receive any interest earned. Mr. Cobb made the motion to issue a standard receipt for $20,250 with the understanding if any interest is received it would be payable to the department. Mrs. Daniels seconded which carried unanimously.
10. Sign Treasurer’s Warrants: Mr. Cobb made the motion to approve the Treasurer’s Warrants as follows:
General Fund Payroll $ 11,542.69
General Fund Operating Expense $810,489.46
Highway Fund Payroll $ 10,975.26
Highway Fund Operating Expense $ 15,341.07
Solid Waste Management Fund Payroll $ 1,718.48
Solid Waste Management Fund Operating Expense $ 750.48
Mrs. Daniels seconded motion, which carried unanimously.
11. Next meeting’s Agenda Items: Public Hearing, Municipal Planning Grant.
Mr. Cole asked to go into executive session to discuss personnel. Mr. Arrison made the motion to go into executive session. Mrs. Daniels seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
The Board exited the executive session at 9:25 p.m. Mr. Cobb made the motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Arrison seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Sargent
Approved by the Weathersfield Select Board on September 15, 2005
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Henry C. Cobb
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Norman John Arrison
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Patricia Daniels