Selectboard Draft Minutes 09.14.26

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GUILFORD SELECTBOARD MEETING

Monday, September 14, 6:30 pm, 236 School Road, Guilford, VT 

SELECTBOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Tara Cheney, Kim Frost, Mike Szostak, Chip Carter, Sheila Morse, Chair via zoom

STAFF PRESENT: Erika Elder, Elly Majonen 

PRESENT IN PERSON:  Steve Lembke, Kyle Parker, Huntley Parker

PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Cindy Clark
 

Draft Minutes

  1. Call to Order by Sheila at 6:30pm 
  1. Rules of Procedure by Sheila
  1. Welcoming of Public; Community Comment Period
    1. None 
  1. Changes to Agenda Order
    1. Table VI. d motion. Introduce topic for more detailed examination at 9.24 meeting.
  1. Updates & Reports
    1. Town Administrator
      1. Attended Capital Planning Meeting. 
      2. On 9/14/26 Tara & Erika attended a meeting about road maintenance and paving led by Todd Eaton from Vermont Local Roads. This Windham Regional Commission Transportation Committee meeting alerted us to available paving resources including templates & spreadsheets. We learned about cost differences between gravel and paved roads. Tara: Ditching is very important to maintaining gravel roads. Gravel roads cost $18k per mile vs $1M per mile of asphalt roads. Crack sealing and shimming is so important for paved roads.
      3. DuBois & King agreement with Guilford for the traffic calming study for Algiers on RT 5 was finalized.
      4. Started planning for the FY2028 Budget & Town Report. 
      5. Act 250 application for Viking Village expansion site visit is set for Wed 9/16/26 at 9:30am. Public hearing at the Town Office at 10AM in person and 

via video set up by State using  Teams meeting.

  1. PowerTransitions Community Town Hall meeting in Vernon on 09/23/26 at 6pm at Governor Hunt House Community Center. PowerTransitions has leased the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant property in Vernon

. 

  1. Town Treasurer
    1. AFD#1 Prudential Committee approved & signed agreement with Brattleboro. 
    2. Elly and Uriel went to VTCMA conference. Attended a Tax Delinquency Webinar from VTDHCD, NEMRC & VLCT. Proposed VT Land Bank. 
    3. Library Trustee fund: moved money to investment account by request of Library Trustees. 
    4. Draft Audit report review continuing 
    5. Researching rate history for water systems for Town of Guilford
    6. Received report from State about source and uses of education tax dollars. 
    7. Redemption period from the first tax sale expired in August; property transfer to new owners is completed  
    8. Attending Brattleboro water rates and finance training 9/15/26 from 9am-4pm.
  2. Regional Policing
    1. Tara: reporting on Regional Policing: Approved Windham Law Enforcement Principles. Shared Principles have been agreed upon. Next meeting will address bylaws. Tara will report every week.
  1. Old Business
    1. Regional Highway Cooperation
      1. brief report on 8.25.26 Special Meeting: Representatives from six towns met together with regional & state organizations to share conerns about hiring road crew. Three members (Sheila, Chip Mike) of Guilford Selectboard attended the regional meeting, necessitating that a special meeting be called. MOTION: to approve minutes of the regional gathering; Sheila Movedto approve minutes of the special meeting. Mike seconded; Vote by roll call, Chip, Mike, Sheila were in favor. MOTION passed.
  1. AJE #19 – Pension Calculation MOTION to approve by Kim, seconded by Tara. Vote by roll call, all were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.
  1. New Business
    1. Road Crew New Hire MOTION, to approve Jim, Mike, and Sheila’s recommendation to the SB to hire our 5th Road Crew Member. Charlie O’Connell. Per the personnel policy, hiring is provisional until the trial period of 90 days expires and it is determined that both the situation is a good fit for both Charlie O’Donnell and Town of Guilford.  Sheila Moved, Kim seconded. Vote by roll call, all were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.
  1. Bids for Repair Ditching –  Bids from MT3 & LaRock. LaRock was lower.

Carpenter Hill – MOTION by Tara, seconded by Mike to approve LaRock for $16,800 to do ditching on Carpenter Hill. Vote by roll call, all were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.

  1. Bids for Crack Sealing Hinesburg and Guilford Center Roads. Bids received from Indus & VT Roadworks . It was noted that Indus was from out of state and materials they use appear not to match VT State standards. MOTION: by Sheila, seconded by Mike to accept bid by  VT Roadworks $46,500k including traffic control and clean up. Vote by roll call: Kim, Mike, Chip, Sheila approved. Tara abstained. 
  2. Water Rates – Water System customers of first rate increase in the October 2026 water bill mailing. The SB needs ALL the info about water rates and the contract before deciding.Elly going to a meeting tomorrow in Brattleboro. 

(At this point Sheila left the meeting and Tara took over as Chair.)

  1. Correspondence

Steve Lembke: Windham Regional Commission is rescheduling a Regional Plan to 9.21.

  1. Finance
    1. Budget Status
    2. Warrants    
Payroll – WE 08.30.26$7,594.25
Payroll – WE 09.06.26$7,959.33
Payroll – WE 09.13.26$9,547.48
Expense Warrant #2705$52,645.31
Expense Warrant #2705A$2,740.66
Expense Warrant #2705F$6.50
TOTAL$80,493.53  

    MOTION Tara moved to pay warrants as written, Chip seconded; Vote by Voice, all were in favor, no objections, abstentions. Motion passed.

  1. Approval of Minutes
    1. Minutes of the regular meeting of  08.24.26 – MOTION: Kim moved to approve, Chip seconded. Vote by Voice, all were in favor, no objections, abstentions. Motion passed
  1. Actions from Previous Meeting MOTION: to approve by Tara, seconded by Chip. Vote by Voice, all were in favor, no objections, abstentions. Motion passed

, 

  1. Approved Grand List Errors and Omissions certificate
  2. Approved Dubois & King for the Algiers Village Trafficking Scoping Study
  3. Approved to Accept Adjusting Journal Entries 
  4. Approved Warrants
  5. Approved Minutes from 08.10.26
  1. Action Taken
  1. Change to agenda order
  2. Approved minutes from regional gathering
  3. Approved Adjusting Journal Entry #19
  4. Approved new hire  to road crew
  5. Approved bids for Carpenter Hill Ditching  from LeRock and Sealing Cracks from VT Roadworks
  6. Approved all Warrants & Payroll 
  7. Approved Minutes of 8.24.26
  8. Actions to be Taken
  1. Adjournment;
    MOTION to adjourn by Tara, Chip seconded; Vote by Voice, all were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 7:45.

Next Meeting: 09.28.26

Meeting Video: https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-selectboard-mtg-9-14-26/