Selectboard Draft Minutes 01.28.26

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SELECTBOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Verandah Porche, Mike Szostak, Tara Cheney, Sheila Morse (Zoom)

STAFF PRESENT: Erika Elder, Jim Freeman

PRESENT IN PERSON: Tim Jones (GMP), Don Mills (GMP), Steve Lembke, Tammy Sargent, James Kempt

PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Cindy Clark, Don McLean, Barry Aleshnick, Sheila Adams, Rick Zamore, Katja Matthews, Joslyn McIntyre, Marty Ramsburg, Deborah McNeil, Dan Ingold (EM, director)
 

 DRAFT Minutes

I. Call to Order by Verandah at 6:34 p.m.

II. Rules of Procedure read by Mike

    III. Changes to Agenda Order. None.

      IV. Public Comment, Announcements
      Joslyn McIntyre: Would like to hear about protecting each other as things are getting scary.

        V. Approval of Minutes
        a. Minutes of the regular meeting of 01.12.26
        MOTION: Verandah moved to approve the minutes, and Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

          VI. Finance 
          a. Warrants    

            Payroll – WE 01.19.26$9,205.24
            Payroll – WE 01.25.26$9,872.81
            Expense Warrant #2614$23,297.91
            Expense Warrant #2614F$26.50
            TOTAL$42,402.46

            MOTION: Tara moved to approve the warrants.  Mike seconded. Tara described the expenses. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

            VII. Updates and Reports

            a. Highway Foreman
            Jim: Storm kept the crew working Saturday night, Sunday into Monday. Thanks Ali West at the Guilford Store who offered to feed the guys any time at night. Salt – Likes to keep the shed full. All of the Northeast was cut off. All the region’s towns are in the same position. Dan Zumbruski is filling in.

            b. Town Administrator

                Erika: Scoping Consultant Selection Committee met to review an RFP. This is part of the VTrans process of at-the-ready (ATR) vendors for our scoping study.  The contract needs negotiating. Working with the Brattleboro Reformer to print and mail the Town Report. The Guilford Guide is at the printer’s and will be mailed by the Brattleboro Reformer.  Planning Commission project, partially funded by ARPA funds that were remaining from a strategic planning award. Worked with the Treasurer to finalize the budget for the Town Report. Proofreading all the fund reports for the Town Report. Drafted Town Meeting Article (reviewed by attorney, auditor, school district, town clerk), and Meeting Warning and will be reviewed in this evening’s agenda.

                VIII. PUBLIC HEARING

                a. Public Hearing on Public Records Policy and Fee Schedule per 1 V.S.A. § 316  

                    Discussion led to areas that need a few more details to include for simplicity for public access to the policy. 

                    MOTION: Verandah moved to adopt the Public Records Policy and Fee Schedule. Tara seconded. The vote was by roll call.  All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                    IX. New Business

                    a. New Private Road – Gravity Drive – per Enhanced 911

                        Erika: The drive is approved by the state because it is off Coolidge Hwy. The SB’s authority here is to give the road a name. 
                        MOTION: Verandah moved to name the new private drive “Gravity Drive.”  Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. No objections. No abstensions. Motion passed.

                        b. Green Mountain Power New Project
                        Tim Jones and Don Mills: Thanks the town for partnership on the River Road project which is now complete. As-built sketches are coming. Program ends Sept 30. Aggressive construction season upcoming. Asks to rebuild Packer Corners Rd. and Jelly Mill Rd. Proposing 3” of gravel on the roads rather than 6”. Won’t start sooner than May 15. Discussion of the terms of the contract as it pertains to culverts. Erika: We need the attorney to review the contract. Don: thinking about emergency access given its narrowness, different options. This was a discussion. There was no motion.

                        c. Asset Management Report per Asset Management Policy

                          Erika: Similar to last year’s as it needs to go into the Town Report per the policy. It looks at what projects have recently been completed, upcoming projects and their respective costs. All Asset Management schedules are accessible to everyone, listed on the town website with project worksheets, invoices, costs, etc. This is a report on all of those items. Sheila asked for clarification on the listing of the Algiers Traffic Calming Scope Study as an Asset Management expense though it is an ARPA-funded-match. Erika agreed with Sheila that it is listed as an Asset Management project but it is not paid out of one of our Asset Management funds. Steve L: It’s a ‘neutral asset,’ a place holder so that people can see it but it’s not going to cost the town money. Erika agreed.
                          MOTION: Verandah moved to approve the Asset Management Report for inclusion in the Town Report. Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                          d. FY27 003 and 009 Budget Final per 24 V.S.A. § 872  

                            Sheila: The whole issue about how we arrived at taxes to be raised was complicated in FY24, FY25, FY26. We agreed as a SB to figure out how that error occurred and what to do in order to not have it in FY27.  It would be helpful for Erika and Elly, at Pre-town and at Town Meeting, to show the calculation that was used to derive the amount to be raised by taxes for the 003 municipal budget. It shows that we recognize the problem and solved for it.  Erika: we simplified it and ran the entire proposed budget (expenditures) through NEMRC to confirm that the numbers matched exactly. The professional auditor reviewed and approved it. Sheila: Second, show the trend in taxes to be raised in FY24, FY25, FY26, FY27.  Are we on trend for all of the years where we said we are basically level-funded according to the state guidelines? Why are we showing less revenue for both ‘current use’ funds and ‘payment in lieu of taxes’ lines? Does this represent a trend in town of less property current use and fewer applications for tax relief? Erika: These are actual numbers that come from the state this year.  It also was recommended by the assessor clerk. Agreed that we are seeing reduced revenue from the state. Erika reviewed the budget and informed that taxes to be raised total $1,407,616. It is a $16,000 increase from last year, which is 1% increase. Not even level-funded, a big reduction. Sheila: less than the cost of living.  Tara inquired on obtaining the GVFD budget. Sheila clarified that it’s the balance sheets that would be helpful so that the town is aware that approx. 20% of what we are raising is for the GVFD.  There was further discussion, desire to review the budget line-by-line before the SB votes this evening. It was explained that since the last budget workshop, new information has been gathered and integrated into the budgets. Further, these budgets make up the articles that have to be warned tomorrow.  Sheila reassured that if we have changes to make in the budget, they can be presented at the Town meeting as amendments to the budget that is proposed.
                            MOTION: Sheila moved to accept the FY27 003 and 009 budgets for presentation in the Town Report. Mike seconded.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                            e. Town Meeting Articles and Warning per 17 V.S.A. §2641, §2642, §2644
                            MOTION                            : Verandah moved to approve the Articles for Town Meeting. Tara seconded. The vote was by roll call.  All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                            f. Emergency Operations Fuel Fund 
                            Dan Ingold: This fund would come out of the current EMD budget surplus for $2,000 to cover fuel cost for the BBCC generator for one week.
                            MOTION: Verandah moved to create the EMFF. Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                            g. Guilford Country Store Class 1 and Class 2 Liquor Licenses
                            MOTION                            : Verandah moved to approve the licenses and Mike seconded.  The vote was by roll call.  All were in favor. No objections, no abstensions. Motion passed.

                              X. Other Business
                              Tara requests all meetings be added to the calendar on the town website

                              XI. Correspondence

                                Anson Baldwin Letter, has a commercial building on Rte 5, informs that they were in violation of an Act 250 permit in 2022. Has been attempting to resolve it ever since the notification. The letter describes the process which is at a standstill with limited responsiveness from the Agency for Natural Resources (ANR). The ANR is changing the scope of the review they want to do on the property. The original violation was for a salt shed built on a wetland area. Now the ANR is looking to apply Act 250 to the entire property. The letter has been sent to ANR, state and local elected officials, our two newspapers. The SB cannot do anything about it at present and will continue to keep an eye out. 

                                XII. Actions from 01.12.26 Meeting

                                1. Approved Minutes of the regular meeting of 12.08.25
                                2. Approved Warrants
                                3. Approved the 2026 Highway Mileage Certificate
                                4. Approved to amend the language of the grant budget
                                5. Approved to meet prior to Jan 24, 2026 to vote on accepting the grant
                                6. Approved the update of the Reserve Fund Policy

                                  XIII. Action Taken

                                  1. Approved the Minutes of the regular meeting of 1.12.26
                                  2. Approved Warrants
                                  3. Approved the naming of private drive “Gravity Drive”
                                  4. Discussed GMP project and took no motion
                                  5. Approved the Asset Management Report
                                  6. Adopted FY27 003 & 009 budgets
                                  7. Adopted Town Meeting Articles and Warning
                                  8. Established Emergency Management Fuel Fund (EMFF)
                                  9. Approved Liquor Licenses for Guilford Country Store

                                    XIV. Actions to be Taken


                                    XV. Adjournment

                                      MOTION: Mike moved to adjourn and Tara seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstensions. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

                                      Meeting Video: https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-selectboard-mtg-1-28-26/


                                      Next Meeting: 02.09.26


                                      Verandah Porche, Chair ______________________________________________

                                      Sheila Morse ______________________________________________

                                      Tara Cheney ______________________________________________

                                      Chip Carter (not present)

                                      Michael Szostak _____________________________________________