Selectboard Minutes, 03.13.2023

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GUILFORD SELECTBOARD MEETING
March 13, 2023, 6:30 pm, 236 School Road, Guilford, VT 05301

DRAFT MINUTES

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

OFFICIALS/ STAFF PRESENT:  Erika Elder (Town Administrator), Sheila Morse (Assistant Town Administrator) Dan Zambruski (Road Commissioner)

PRESENT in person: Austin Rice (BCTV), Steve Lembke, Marianne Lawrence, Anne Rider, Dolores Clark

PRESENT via Zoom: Cynthia Clark, Nancy Detra, Pat Haine, Anna Klein, Don McLean, Jen McDuffie, Whitney Lynde, Sean Murphy, Sheila Adams, Christina Belogour, Julie Beet, Marty Ramsburg & Frank Larkin, Brian King, Rick Zamore, Chip & Laurie Carter

  1. Call to Order 6:30 pm by Sheila Morse
  1. Rules and Procedures – Michael
  1. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair of Selectboard (5 minutes)
    1. ACTION:   Verandah moved to appoint Zon  Selectboard Chair.  Michael seconded
    2. ACTION: Michael moved to appoint Verandah  Selectboard Vice-Chair.  Zon seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
  1. Welcoming of Public     Community Comment Period (10 minutes)

Jen McDuffie – The Energy Committee took full advantage of the wonderful event, Guilford Free University, to poll attendees’ opinions on what topics they would like to hear using the educational portion of the Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) funds. Sixty-five adult residents voted. The results fell into three groups:

  • Four topics that received over 30 votes – Edible, Native & Pollinator Gardens, Solar Energy (thermal & photovoltaic), Heat Pumps, and Modern Wood Heating
  • Five topics that received around 20 votes – Air Heat Exchangers, Weatherization, Electricity Offset, & Electric Vehicles, etc.
  • The Energy Committee looks forward to garnering more public opinion and submitting the application to receive these funds.

Anna Klein – Guilford Free University – Gratitude –  Over 150 people came to BBCC, organized by Guilford FOLK (Fostering Our Living Knowledge) group

  1. Changes to Agenda Order (2 minutes)  NONE
  2. Approval of minutes 
  3. Regular Meeting – date
    1. ACTION:-Veranda  moved to approve the minutes of the regular Selectboard meeting of 2.27.23 as written. Michael seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.
  1. Updates & Reports
    1. Assessor Clerk – Statistical Reappraisal update from the State (no action) (2 minutes)
      TABLED
    2. Highway ( 5 minutes)
      1. Verification of 2.27.23 order of Bandit chipper – Apologies for confusion about discussion: trade in was a Morbark chipper, purchase was to be the Bandit chipper at cost of $47,746 as confirmed by the Selectboard.
      2. Discussion about Kubota Tractor/Mower: Dan Zumbruskiviewed tractor/mower, received new allowance for trade-in of $25,500 for a total price to the Town of $158,645.17
      3. ACTION: Zon moved to approve the purchase, Veranda seconded. of the regular Selectboard meeting of 2.27.23 as written. Michael seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried. Comment from Dan: Purchase is paid for out of Capital Fund.
      4. MRGP grant revenue and expense report: Sheila reported that the State recognized total cost $55,391.10. Labor =$13,307.26 covered by payroll + allowance for Equipment($30,703.56 ) + out-of-pocket costs of $11,386.30 ==> $14,213.70 net deposit to the Act 64 fund. N.B. this work is State – mandated, so the Town benefited by receiving the labor and equipment allowances for the Tkaczyk Road and Butternut Hill project work.
      5. Hearing date to be set for “Jason Herron v. Town of Guilford Selectboard
        1. “the Court provides the option of requesting oral argument.  Here, the Court screened the case for a 10-minute argument (five minutes per side) before a three-Justice panel. Jason has instead requested that the matter be heard by the full Court with 15 minutes per side for argument.”
          We will have a 30 day notice of the hearing date.
  2. Old Business
    1. Traffic Safety in Algiers Village
      1. shall Guilford approach VTrans and, if yes, about which option.
        1. Work with WRC to do a feasibility study (for a bike and pedestrian safety study by Vtrans) and then subsequently apply for an implementation grant. Study would take a year. 
        2. Ask VTrans to install three-way stop signs (fast moving trucks might brake loudly and annoy residents).

ACTION: Tara Cheney moved that the Town apply for 3-way stop signs.  Michael seconded.

MOTION AMENDED: Veranda moved and Michael seconded that the Selectboard be involved in drafting a letter to VTrans for approval at the first April meeting. The vote was by roll call. Zon, Michzel, Verandah & Tara  were in favor. Rusty opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.

ORIGINAL MOTION (to seek a three-way stop sign): vote was by roll call. Zon, Michzel, Verandah & Tara  were in favor. Rusty opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried

  1. ARPA Award Update: Total receipts = $633,091, of which $3,899 was awarded to the Library but paid to the Town and is accounted for as a pass-through grant, leaving $630K for the Town to use. Of that amount, $74,700 was awarded to individuals and businesses in April to compensate for income and business losses experienced during COVID.  Remaining funds were:  $2,180 paid for the Town-wide Survey on the use of ARPA funds. The GAAC recommended awarding $373,748 in grants; $77,456 has been disbursed to date according to those recommendations. The town has about $176K of uncommitted funds remaining to be disbursed with a potential of more if the generators available throughout town can be configured for optimal coverage and less expense. 
  1. New Business
    1. Conflict of Interest forms to be signed by Selectboard members (for the record) (2 minutes)
      1. Every year, new and returning Selectboard members are required to complete conflict of interest statements. 
      2. ACTION: questionnaires given to Selectboard members to fill out and sign
        Zon: Guilford is the only town that requires its SB to sign this paperwork
    2. Sub-committee Recommendation re: Friends of Algiers Village (FAV) ARPA grant application
      1.  ACTION: Verandah moved to accept the Selectboard subcommittee report on  the FAV grant request. Tara seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried.  Zon described the difference between prior recommendations on ARPA grant awards (no stipulations on how funds granted are spent) and this single recommendation which restricted how a grant award to FAV could be spent. Verandah and other board members concurred. 
      2. ACTION: Zon moved that the Selectboard adhere to its practice of not stipulating use of grant funds to awardees. Verandah seconded.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. No one abstained. Motion carried. Verandah suggested that future subcommittees be alerted to this practice.
      3. ACTION: Zon moved to accept the Subcommittee’s proposal to award a grant to FAV from ARPA funds in the amount of $29,300.00.  Tara seconded. The vote was by roll call. Michaels abstained. All others were in favor. The motion carried. 
    3. Annual appointment of Town Officers (action: motion) (5 minutes) – Tara moved to appoint the officers as read.  Zon seconded   vote by Roll call vote was unanimous.
Selectboard Appointments:
Road CommissionerDaniel Zumbruski20241 year
Delinquent Tax CollectorElly Majonen20241 year
Emergency Management DirectorDan Ingold20241 year
Fence ViewersDaniel Zumbruski20241 year
Daniel L. Ingold20241 year
Conservation CommissionSusan Bonthron20263 years
Anne Montgomery20263 years
William Jewell20263 years
Planning CommissionNathanael Matthiesen20263 years
Recreation CommissionMary Wallace Collins, chair20263 years
Ashley Kane20263 years
Windham Regional CommissionGabby Ciuffreda20241 year
Steve Lembke20241 year
Town PoundMarianne Lawrence20241 year
Floodplain AdministratorSteve Lembke20241 year
Energy CoordinatorGary Swindler20241 year
Green Up Day CoordinatorJaime Durham & Jethro Eaton20241 year
Tree WardenDaniel Zumbruski20241 year
Rescue TrusteeGordon Little20241 year
DVFiber RepresentativeJason Black20241 year
Lynn Pancake (alternate)20241 year
Michael Becker (alternate)20241 year
WSWMD DirectorsMichael Becker20241 year
Bullock Scholarship CommitteeKathryn Mason20233 years
  1. Appointment and Compensation of Assistant Delinquent Tax Collector (2 minutes)  TABLED
  2. Relationship between Town and WSESD (report) (2 minutes)
    1. As a result of a question asked at the 3.7.2023 Town Meeting, Guilford and the Guilford Central School are working with the WSESU to codify the relationship between the Town and the school so that future interactions are not dependent on long-held expectations and traditions. This is a work in progress.
  1. Finance
  2. Warrants (5 minutes)
Payroll – WE 03.05.23$8,431.00
Payroll – WE 03.12.23$8,135.72
Expense Warrant #2217$211,832.48
TOTAL$228,399.20

ACTION Verandah moved to pay finance warrants as read.  Zon  seconded. Vote was by roll call. All were in favor. None were opposed. None abstained. Motion carried.

  1. Other Business  NONE
  1. Communications
    1. Chip Carter on Agenda Detail
    2. Election questions
    3. Stony Hill Road Improvement
    4. WSESD Kelly Young: Looking for Guilford Candidate for Independent Budget Review Committee 
  1. Action Summary from Previous Meeting:
    1. Approved minutes of meeting of 2.13.23
    2. Approved purchase of the chipper
    3. Approved revised procurement policy
    4. Accepted grant application from FAV and forwarded to the subcommittee which is revised to include Richard and Rusty for this particular application
    5. Agreed to forward draft of personnel policy to VLCT
    6. Approved warrants
    7. Approved salary adjustment
  1. Actions Taken (see above)
  1. elected chair & vice-chair
  2. approved minutes
  3. authorized Dan to purchase Kubota Tractor Mower
  4. Motion to develop a letter about traffic safety in Algiers Village
  5. Received recommendation of subcommittee
  6. non-stipulation
  7. approved grant of $
  8. Approved appointees to Commissions
  9. Approved warrants
  1. Actions to be Taken
    1. Move Energy Committee Report to 3.27.23 meeting agenda
  1. Adjournment

ACTION: Rusty moved to adjourn. Michael seconded. All were in favor. None were opposed. None abstained. Motion carried. Meeting was adjourned at 7:58

Meeting video – https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-sb-mtg-31323 

Next Selectboard Meeting: Monday, 3.27.23 at 6:30 p.m.  

Zon Eastes, Chair _____________________________________

Michael Becker _____________________________________

Tara Cheney _____________________________________

Rusty Marine _____________________________________

Verandah Porche _____________________________________