June 1, 2011
The meeting was called to order at 6:30PM by Thomas “Hank” Pelkey, Chairman.
Select Board members present: Joseph Gagnon, Thomas “Hank” Pelkey, Thomas Hooker, Linda Weeden, and Allen Hitchcock. Also present: Dorothy Parkinson, Charles “Butch” Shaw, Aaron Guyette, Greg Edwards, Joel Perrigo, Tom Carrara, Jeff Warfle, Susan Schreibman, Gordon DeLong, Shawn Erickson, Charlie Rivers, John Haverstock, and Kelly Giard, Recording Secretary.
MINUTES
The minutes from the May 18, 2011 meeting were signed, with no corrections.
ORDERS
The Orders in the amount of $80,020.11 and payroll in the amount of $10,352.88 were signed with the following comments:
A. Hitchcock inquired about the expense for a water line repair. J. Haverstock reported that this was related to a water line break across from JR’s.
L. Weeden inquired about the expense to G. Stone Motors. J. Haverstock explained the expenses as being related to two separate incidents with Bruce Babcock’s truck.
L. Weeden inquired about the expense for “Constable Shirts”. There was discussion that “constable” should have read “police” and that there will be no required uniform changes resulting from the fact of the conversion to a police department.
L. Weeden inquired about the expense for animal control gloves and pole. J. Haverstock indicated that this was requested by the Animal Control Officer and the Humane Society offered to place the order for the equipment.
L. Weeden inquired about the expense for the Fire Department outdoor horn. T. Hooker indicated that this is an annual charge.
J. Gagnon inquired about the expense of $217 for the installation of a radio. J. Haverstock referred this to Shawn Erickson for explanation.
TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT:
J. Haverstock reported on the following:
- The water project is nearing completion. With the boring of several additional service lines beneath Route 7 and the upgrade of service on the lower end of Oxbow Road, all of the contingency grant funding should be exhausted in June
- The monthly progress meeting for the Sewer project was held on May 24. A tour of the upgraded facility occurred afterward. Phase I of the project is nearly complete. The digester covers will be installed upon arrival. The bid documents for Phase II will be advertised in the near future.
- The McKernon Group began construction of the Water Department Offices during the week of May 23.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
None presented at this time.
OLD BUSINESS:
Discussion of Town Bridges:
Shawn Erickson explained the planned repairs and maintenance for the town bridges, as recently assessed by the State of Vermont.
- The East Pittsford Bridge is a box culvert bridge and it is recommended that the banks be stabilized.
- The Truck Route Bridge needs some work to the under side, such as cleaning the piers and painting. The rental of a man lift is $600 per day or $1500 per week. The work can be completed by the members of the Highway Department. The members agreed that it would be more economical to rent the lift for one full week to complete the work.
- The Iron Master Bridge and White’s Bridge (Little Brook Bridge) need to have the drain holes blocked. There was discussion as to the milling of the asphalt and installing a membrane prior to resurfacing. There is a possibility that this can be done in conjunction with the resurfacing of the Furnace Road. These bridges will also need some side rail repair. J. Gagnon recommended that this be included in the pavement specs that will be submitted for the bid process.
- The Depot Hill and Elm Street covered bridge repairs can also be completed in-house as they involve work in the field areas.
- The bridge on the Sangamon Road is listed as being in “good shape”.
There was also discussion as to the resurfacing of the Depot Hill Road. There is currently approximately $429,000 in the Highway Fund with an anticipated additional $25,000 – $30,000 coming from the current fiscal year. The discussion included whether to re-construct the road or resurface.
S. Erickson proposed the purchase of a flat plate compactor. The price that was received from vendors was approximately $7,500. J. Gagnon inquired if this equipment could be shared between the departments. S. Erickson agreed and indicated that the current compactor that is owned by the Town is in need of a carburetor, and when repaired, will serve as an additional piece of equipment. Motion by T. Hooker and seconded by A. Hitchcock to purchase the flat plate compactor at a price not to exceed $8,000. Motion passed unanimously 5 – 0.
S. Erickson indicated that there is a need for an outdoor water line at the Transfer Station to properly clean the trucks.
S. Erickson recommended that the Select Board investigate the purchase of a replacement truck, to keep the vehicles on the agreed schedule. S. Erickson indicated that the vehicle to be replaced is the 2001 operated by Joe Skaza and is rotting on the underside. The recommendation is to replace the vehicle with a 2012 tandem. J. Gagnon inquired why another tandem was needed. S. Erickson explained the efficiency of the current tandem.
Discussion of Transfer Station Proposals:
J. Haverstock indicated that two responses were received to the recent Request for Proposals. The responses were received from Casella’s and Earth Waste Systems.
T. Pelkey indicated that other towns fund their transfer stations with property taxes or user fees and feels that all town residents contribute via user fees and property taxes subsidize the annual operating deficit. T. Hooker agreed and indicated that the residents are happy with the current system.
A. Hitchcock indicated that the Casella’s proposal was confusing. There was discussion that weighing the garbage would level out the “fairness” in the fees. C. Rivers, the Supervisor at the Transfer Station, indicated that the scales would slow the process down and people would get upset and angry. J. Gagnon asked C. Rivers for recommendations and C. Rivers indicated that there has been an increase in the dollars collected and there have been more punches utilized and that people are being more honest with their declarations.
There was discussion as to the timing of the people arriving at the location. C. Rivers indicated that people start arriving at approximately 8:00 AM, when he is scheduled to work. Mr. Rivers also indicated that he has given a lot of free time to the Transfer Station since the hours scheduled to work have been decreased.
T. Carrara indicated that the auditor recommended that no cash be collected at the Transfer Station. T. Pelkey indicated that another system is being sought and nothing has been decided at this time.
L. Weeden indicated that the operation should remain as is.
A. Hitchcock expressed gratitude about the current operation, as it is neat and clean and credits the current staff for this cleanliness.
COPS Program:
Dorothy Parkinson inquired if there was any update on the grant request that was discussed at the previous meeting. Jeff Warfle indicated that the normal response time is roughly 1 – 2 months.
NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion of Potential Park ‘N’ Ride Facility in Pittsford:
Greg Edwards of Stantec made a presentation about a potential Park ‘N’ Ride facility in Pittsford. Currently, there are no locations identified for a project of this scope and Mr. Edwards was present to receive any input from citizens with regard to the project. Mr. Edwards indicated that the committee would be soliciting further comments from the general public and would like to see a member of the community serve on the steering committee.
Mr. Edwards, Mr. Perrigo, Mr. Guyette, Ms. Schreibman exited at 7:48 PM.
Execute Proctor Water Study Loan Documents:
The documents were signed by the Select Board members.
Application for Access/Right of Way:
Motion by J. Gagnon and seconded by T. Hooker to accept the Right of Way application submitted by Dave Soulia for access on the north side of Oxbow Road. Motion passed unanimously 5 – 0.
There was discussion that in the future, a permit will not be accepted without a map being reviewed. Motion by L. Weeden and seconded by T. Hooker that a map be attached to the Soulia application. Motion passed unanimously 5 – 0.
9-1-1 Road Name Request:
Gordon DeLong indicated that he has received a request for a 9-1-1 road name for two roads at the Police Academy. Following discussion, it was requested that the names be submitted to the Select Board for consideration. This matter was tabled until this information is received.
BUDGET UPDATE:
J. Haverstock reported that the General Fund expenses are at 89% and the Highway Fund expenses are at 113% of budget. The Highway expenses are due to the timing of the Whipple Hollow Road project.
OTHER BUSINESS
T. Carrara indicated that the trees on Route 7 on the south end of Town are a traffic hazard. J. Haverstock indicated that the Water & Sewer Commission is aware of this concern and Markowski Excavating is working on the issue.
T. Carrara indicated that the Town of Middlebury is looking to buy a 12’ “snow pusher”. J. Haverstock will research this.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
None necessary at this time.
The meeting adjourned at 8:34 PM.
The next regular meeting will be held on June 15, 2011.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kelly Giard, Recording Secretary
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Thomas “Hank” Pelkey, Chairman
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Allen Hitchcock, Vice Chairman
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W. Joseph Gagnon, Selectman
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Thomas Hooker, Selectman
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Linda Weeden, Selectman