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Selectboard Minutes, 01.09.2023

January 11, 2023 by in Selectboard Minutes

GUILFORD SELECTBOARD MEETING
Monday, 09 January 2023, 6:30 pm, 236 School Road, Guilford, VT 05301

DRAFT MINUTES

SELECTBOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Zon Eastes, Chair, Michael Becker, Rusty Marine (via Zoom), Verandah Porche, Richard Wizansky (via Zoom)

OFFICIALS/ STAFF PRESENT:  Sheila Morse (Asst. Town Administrator); Dan Zumbruski (Road Commissioner)

PRESENT in person: Austin Rice (BCTV), Steve Lembke, Jared and Beth Bristol, John Franklin, Steve Detra, Andy Cotton

PRESENT via Zoom: Marty Ramsburg, Sheila Adams, Nancy Detra, Lesley Malouin, Karen and Shaun Murphy, Tammy Sargent, Anna Klein, Jackie Gaines, Barry Aleshnik

  1. Call to Order 6:30 pm
  1. Welcoming of Public – Community Comment Period (10 minutes)
    1. Verandah mentioned the Guilford Country Store will open under new management hopefully as soon as Feb 1. The new business operators live in Vernon and have family connections in Guilford
    2. Nancy Detra – Within last few months, the Guilford Energy Committee received two grants. One for E-bikes will be available for adult Guilford residents.  The grant from NE Grassroots Energy Fund supports the Window Dressers project. Window Dressers wants to provide inserts  to anyone who wants them. They offer 10 free inserts to anyone who asks for them. ALSO Nancy announced a greeting card and stationary workshop on Sunday at GCC from noon to 2 p.m. Participants will make cards and stationery , This project is inspired by the penpals project. 
  1. Changes to Agenda Order
    1. Add to Other Business: sign contracts between Guilford and Mastaler Cleaning Service and DuBois and King; potential discussion with GVFD
  1. Approval of Minutes (2 minutes)
  2. Regular Meeting – date
    1. ACTION: Verandah moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of 12.28.22 as written. Richard seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
  1. Updates & Reports
    1. Highway ( 5 minutes): Normal winter road care; Dan will work with Michael on upcoming reviews. Dan spoke briefly about the highway equipment that will need to be replaced in the coming 12 months (over 2 fiscal years). The 1998 truck will be sold for parts or scrap; the 1993 chipper may be replaced soon; the 2013 tractor and 2013 grader will be traded in for newer models. Dan is getting quotes for Selectboard review.
  1. Old Business
    1. Treasurer and Town Administrator job searches (5 minutes) – TABLE
    2. IT consultant RFP
      1. ACTION: Zon moved and Verandah seconded to allow Sheila to sign a contract for $2000 to work with Marjorie Ray on the IT improvement project. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
    3. Mileage Certificate – ACTION: The Selectboard signed the certificate that is submitted annually to the AOT that confirms there’s been no change in our road miles in the past year.
  1. New Business
    1. Statistical Reappraisal (10 minutes)
      1. Sheila read the Assessor Clerk’s (Lisa) explanation of the two factors triggering a State-mandated statistical reappraisal of Guilford properties. Those are CLA (common level of appraisal) and COD (coefficient of dispersion), Guilford is one of about 160 towns in Vermont obligated to undertake the statistical reappraisal. This will be completed by June 30,2023.
      2. ACTION: Zon moved to sign the contract with Appraisal Resource Group for statistical reappraisal in the amount of $20,145.00. Richard seconded  All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried. Payment for these services will come from the Reappraisal Fund (302) which is used to account for grant proceeds from the State for reappraisal purposes.
    2. Sheila provided a brief update on the Capital Improvement Plan expenditures. In extensive examination of audits and financial software records, it has been determined that there were diverse ways of accounting for both sources and uses of funds for capital projects, and that there was no systematic accounting for each asset. (The 2017 Capital Needs Assessment (CNA) accounts for seven categories of assets and has not been updated since early 2018, so projected costs are sure to be higher from 2023 on.) Only $843,754 has been spent from the Capital Fund on projects that were estimated to have cost $3,747,400 by this time. Costs in excess of $843,754 were paid for from different sources such as the General and Highway Reserve Funds, the Highway Reserve Fund, and grants. There is no sense in recreating more documentation for past projects. Going forward, the Town is determined that each project undertaken by the town (Capital and others) will account specifically for both sources of income and expenditures against those sources.  The Selectboard will take a good look at the original Capital Improvement Plan with an eye to updating it within the context of the Town’s forthcoming strategic planning process and updating the CNA. This will be an ongoing process, into FY2024.
  1. Finance
    1. Warrants (5 minutes)
Payroll – WE 01.01.23$6,151.84
Payroll – WE 01.08.23$6,196.72
Expense Warrant #2213    $346,991.34
TOTAL$359,339.90

ACTION Verandah moved to pay finance warrants as read.   Richard seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. None abstained. Motion carried.

  1. Other Business
    1. Contracts between Guilford and Mastaler Cleaning Service and DuBois and King
      1. ACTION: Zon moved to sign the Dubois and King contract for strategic planning consulting services,  not to exceed $37,500.  Richard seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried. The project will be fully funded from the ARPA Grant.
      2. ACTION:  Zon moved to approve the Mastaler Cleaning service for the town office and library. Richard seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
  1. GVFD Capital Fund: The selectboard and the GVFD trustees discussed how to honor the intent of voters’ authorization to annually raise taxes and appropriate funds to a sinking capital fund.  The Selectboard agreed that it makes sense for the GVFD to hold and manage the fund, rather than apply for reimbursements to cover capital expenses. It was determined that a Memorandum of Understanding would work well, and that the GVFD will report to voters in the annual town report on the use of this fund, as well as on their operating budget. 
  2. ACTION; Zon moved that Sheila and Beth Bristol draft the MOU by 1/23/22 for Selectboard and TGVFD approval. Richard seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
  1. Communications
    1. Emerald Ash Borer has come to Guilford, per notification from the VT Urban & Community Forestry Program of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation. The Conservation Commission has been notified.
  1. Action Summary from Previous Meeting: None
  1. Actions Taken: approved minutes of 12.28.22 meeting; approved warrants, authorized contracts
  1. Actions to be Taken: GVFD-Town of Guilford MOU
  1. Adjournment

ACTION: Richard moved to adjourn. Rusty seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. None abstained. Motion carried. Meeting was adjourned at 7:34. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.

Meeting video – https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-sb-mtg-1923

Next Selectboard Meeting: In response Monday, January 23, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.  

Zon Eastes, Chair _____________________________________

Michael Becker _____________________________________

Rusty Marine _____________________________________

Verandah Porche _____________________________________

Richard Wizansky ____________________________________