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7.9.25 Algiers Fire District#1 Meeting Final Minutes

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ALGIERS FIRE DISTRICT #1

Warning for Prudential Committee Meeting

Wednesday, 7/9/25 at 5:00 pm

Location: Guilford Town Office

FINAL MINUTES

Attendance: Elly Majonen, Erika Elder, Al Franklin, Jocelyn Fritts,  Patrice Pennington, Will Wohnus

Zoom: Tosha Tillman, Paul Beebe, Allie Lambert

This meeting was called to begin the re-organization of the Prudential Committee and determine its future direction. Any members of the Algiers Fire District #1 may attend.*

1.    Introduction

  • Elly starts meeting by introducing herself. She is the Treasurer for the Town of Guilford and has been providing financial services and some administrative support to the AFD#1 prior to 2020 and March 2023 – forward. Erika, who is the Town Administrator for the Town of Guilford, has been providing administrative support since 2023. She is present to record minutes and the video of this meeting. Not being a member of AFD#1, Elly cannot vote. Elly asks permission to run this meeting until the Prudential Committee chair is elected. Motion: Tosha moved that Elly runs the meeting until a chair is elected.  Voice vote all in favor. Motion passed.
  • Must follow VT’s open meeting law requirements- AFD#1 is a municipality and is required to abide by Open Meeting Law. This meeting has been warned as hybrid (in-person and Zoom, recorded and to be posted). 
  • Review Agenda – The meeting is called to begin the reorganization of the Prudential Committee and determine its future direction.  Any member of the AFD#1 may attend. According to the bylaws, a member is someone who resides in the AFD#1 geographic location.
  • Defined physical Boundaries of AFD#1. On the map it is the corner from Rte 5 southward to the Welcome Center. Then it goes north on Rte 5 to the Brattleboro-Guilford line. It goes on Guilford Center Road to the house before you get to the Blueberry Haus. It includes the roads that go off Rte 5 and Guilford Center Road.
  • Brief History: Elly provided a brief history. According to the bylaws, the purpose of the AFD#1 is to design, construct, upgrade, operate and maintain a sewage and waste water collection and disposal system. It is to provide sewage services to dwellings and businesses within that area. It operates as a municipality as its own entity with its own legislative body, which is the Prudential Committee.  All those who reside in that district who are registered voters in the Town of Guilford constitute the voting body. In the early 1990s, several mobile homes in the Guilford Mobile Home Park were condemned  due to contaminated water and failed septic. The Town of Guilford Selectboard asked the Town of Brattleboro to extend their sewer line to those homes. Initially this request was denied by the Town of Brattleboro. The State of Vermont decided to build the Welcome Center which provided leverage in the proposal. The Town of Brattleboro agreed to extend its services. Later developments, which  include the Delta Business Campus and Commonwealth Dairy, also use the Brattleboro system. Windham Housing Trust and Bee Barn Road also benefit from sewer and water lines. 
  • Document: Current user report – 76 connections are residential; five are commercial; two are industrial; five are institutional. The average residential sewage bill is $425.60/year.
  • Bylaws – governance for the organization (annual, special meetings, warning meetings, who can vote, the number of people needed for the Prudential Committee, the duties of power for those individuals, responsibilities of the chair and its officers). Right now we need a group of people to get this moving forward. Document attached and Elly will email to everyone. The homework, for those present, is to review the document and return to the next meeting with questions. 

2.    Immediate goals

  • First meeting – to create a slate of officers/representatives (5) for district to elect to the Prudential Committee at the next warned meeting (determine day & time). All in attendance confirmed their intention to serve as Prudential Committee Members. Elly suggests monthly meetings for 6 months. Everyone attending agreed.

  –   Establish regular meeting days/time: The group agreed to meet on the 2nd Wednesdays at 6:00PM. In light of competing responsibilities Tosha informed that she cannot hold an officer position but can support.

  • Second meeting –
    -Install officers

    -Discuss regular business items – Elly does the billing and the collection, posts all the money towards the accounts, provides reports to the Prudential Committee on finances (including outstanding balances, bank records, budget information, etc.). FY 26 budget still needs to be established along with the annual transfer to the maintenance fund.
     
    –  Warrants each meeting

    – Billing – is done quarterly. There is approximately $18,000 that are outstanding.

    – Delinquencies – legal process, Bob Fisher can advise.
    – Bond was taken out to construct the sewer line. The bond is about to end in about 4-5 payments. That can come off bills. Elly reports on General and reserve fund balances. The sewage system is 30 years old and has not been repaired since that time. Al spoke about manholes and maintenance given his work experience. It is estimated that a pipe replacement is $305/linear foot. Patrice asked about hooking up to the system. Elly explained that there is a process with communication among the resident-Brattleboro-Guilford, finding a contractor, paying connection fees, etc. 

    -Budget – Prudential Board creates and approves it annually.

    -Annual transfers for maintenance – once a year, in the budget, into the Maintenance Reserve Account. 

    -USDA Reporting – Needs to catch up. The Prudential Committee needs to be involved. The Brattleboro office is aware on this matter.

    -Bank account signer – committee needs to appoint someone, other than Elly. A second person is needed if Will is not available to sign.

Discussion on how bills are calculated. Elly shared the formula and spoke on specific scenarios. The Selectboard is in charge of the water. The Prudential Committee is in charge of the sewer. No increase in bills in recent memory, and this may need to be analyzed.  Will rates increase? Be on a par with Brattleboro?

3.    Near future discussions for the Prudential Committee

  • Bylaws: keep as is? Changes would need to go to entire district to vote on. It includes a meeting that is warned, notice to members in the districts with what you want to change.
  • Legal options – continue to engage Attorney Bob Fisher?
  • Contract with Commonwealth and rates – Send to Al (& everyone) Elly will send draft and report. 

Actions to be taken:

Elly will send bylaws to everyone 

Next meeting August 13

Members of Prudential Committee will get balance reports and email zoom participants.

4.    Comments / Questions – None. 

 Elly says THANK YOU to everyone

Respectfully submitted, on behalf of the Prudential Committee

Erika Elder, AFD#1 Administrative Services

*AFD#1 members are those residing within the physical boundaries noted on the

accompanying map and who are voters in Town Meeting (per bylaws).

Next Meeting: August 13, 2025 at 6PM.
Meeting Video: https://youtu.be/vO4uWDYUFvU