Selectboard Minutes 12.11.23

Draft Minutes

SELECTBOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Zon Eastes, chair, Verandah Porche, Tara Cheney, Michael Becker, Rusty Marine

STAFF/OFFICIALS PRESENT: Erika Elder (Town Administrator) Dan Zumbruski (Road Foreman)

PRESENT IN PERSON: Beth Bristol, Lynn Pancake, Rick Zamore, Sheila Morse, Steve Lembke, Steve Detra, Marty Ramsburg, Connie Burton, Andrew Cotton

PRESENT via ZOOM: Don McLean, Pat Haine, Sheila Adams, Dan Ingold

1. Call to Order by Zon at  6:30 pm

2. Rules of Procedure 

3. Welcoming of Public     Community Comment Period
   Steve Lembke: Green River Carol Sing is back 12.17.23 5:00pm

4. Changes to Agenda Order
   Addition – Algiers Village Center Designation

5. Approval of Minutes
   1. Minutes of the regular meeting of 11.27.23
      ACTION: Zon moved to approve the minutes. Verandah  seconded. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed.

6. Updates and Reports
   1. Town Administrator
      Met with Auditors about Town Report, items are coming in for the Report. Municipal Stormwater grant application is complete. Awards will be made in spring. Attended Windham County Sheriff Animal Control meeting. Assistant Treasurer/Admin Assistant Job is posted. Coordinated with BBCC on Pre-Town Meeting.
   2. Highway Commissioner (5 minutes)
      Not much snow yet! Grading, all the rain creates potholes; cutting brush and trees, starting with the worst. Equipment in good shape, haven’t used much sand or salt. New hire is a big help. 

7. Old Business
   1. Tax Exempt Properties – Guilford Volunteer Fire Department DISCUSSION: Beth Bristol, GVFD: Fire Dept is a great benefit to the Town. Requests tax exemption so  resources can go into training.
   2. Tax Exempt Properties – Green River Preservation
      DISCUSSION: SteveLembke, Trust Secretary: Requests Selectboard endorse a tax-exempt article for town meeting 2024. Maintenance of crib dam. Town owns the Covered Bridge. Trust owns the dam and swimming area, carries liability insurance, maintains grounds of the dam, fishway, and church (185-years old). $13,000 to remove sediment from behind the dam every two years. Tax-exemption is critical to goal. Verandah asks if the Trust is taking donations to help with Minott fire effort. Steve asks people to make message hearts for christmas tree. 
   3. EMD ARPA Request 

MOTION: Verandah and Rusty agree EMD’s ARPA request for $11,000 should be approved. Zon accepted that as a motion, Tara seconded. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 

8. New Business
   1. GVFD Budget
      Beth Bristol: 10K increase (3.76%) from last year. Expenses have actually gone down. Last year used a $15,000 bequest last year. Reduced some expenses, COVID expense. ONM and Capital building fund. Reduced expenses 4,999. 3.7% from last year to $268,550. Town appropriation is majority of income. Debt services is for the pumper truck purchased in 2019. Discussion about debt service, fundraisers. 
   2. FEMA Updates
      Steve Lembke: National Flood insurance Program for Special Flood Hazard Maps. To get discounted insurance, communities must pass. Guilford joined in 1988, passed bylaws. FEMA has done new mapping. FIRM, Flood insurance R  Map. 2018 maps updated. Now use LIDAR (aerial). Timing: Now in a 30-day review period, no major comments. Next – 90 day comment period, Steve estimates 10-month timeframe. Selectboard will adopt new bylaws. 
   3. Town Meeting, budget process
      Zon: Final Budget workshop will be 12.14. After that’s done, the staff puts the budget together for Selectboard review, and Selectboard sends to voters in Town Report. 
   4. Shall the Town use Australian ballot for this Town Meeting, per COVID Act 1 H42
      Zon: COVID regulations are in effect. Selectboard can choose to have Town Meeting articles on Australian Ballot. If that’s the case, requirement to have Informational meeting. Discussion about traditional Town Meeting and other possibilities. Rusty: People pay their taxes should be able to vote if they can’t come to Town Meeting. Sheila Morse: Pre-Town is a smaller group than Town Meeting. Rick Zamore: Another option is an evening meeting. Steve Lembke: Would it be possible to have a Town Meeting, just with voting from Australian Ballot? Connie Burton: Just having the Pre-Town is limiting. Asking questions is valuable. Verandah: Evening meeting is difficult for those who don’t drive at night. Marty Ramsburg: These comments illustrate the value of traditional Town Meeting.
      MOTION: Zon moved and Michael seconded to have Town Meeting in traditional form in 2024. Vote was by voice. Four in favor, Rusty opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed.
   5. Proposal: Issues surrounding use of Australian ballot in 2024 and beyond DISCUSSION Zon: Guilford’s Town Clerk has proposed an article to add an article to Town Meeting 2024 to change the way the town votes to Australian Ballot. Danielle can petition. Expecting another petition about changing the day. 
   6. Pre-Town meeting, collaboration with the Guilford Grange.
      Zon: The Grange traditionally hosts pre-town meeting. This year it will be on Tuesday, 2.27 at 6:30.  MOTION: Verandah moved to collaborate with the Grange on Pre-Town Meeting 2.27.24 and Zon seconded. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 
   7. Algiers Village Center Designation Renewal
      MOTION: Zon moved to have Erika complete the renewal for Algiers Village Center Designation and Michael seconded. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 

9.  Finance  
10. Warrants    

Payroll – WE 12.5.23	$8,620.27
Payroll – WE 12.10.23	$7,787.19
Expense Warrant #2411	$28,319.13
Expense Warrant #2411V	$1.136.03
Expense Warrant #2411P	$13,679.50
TOTAL	$59,542.12

MOTION: Tara moved and Zon seconded to pay the warrants. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 

10. Other Business (none)

11. Correspondence (none)

12. Executive Session to discuss personnel issues per 1 V.S.A. § 313 (a)(1)(B) to discuss labor relations agreements with employees.
    1.  ACTION:  Zon  moved that premature knowledge of discussions could potentially put the Town (or a person involved) at significant disadvantage. Rusty seconded, Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 
    2.  ACTION Zon moved Rusty seconded to enter into Executive Session at 7:58  to discuss labor relations agreements with employees per 1 VSA § 313 (a) (1)(B), inviting Erika Elder to participate.  Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. 
    3. ACTION: Zon moved to exit Executive Session. Verandah seconded, Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. Executive Session ended at 8:50 
    4. ACTION:  Zon  moved to add to budget the figures discussed  in budget and Rusty seconced. Vote was by voice. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed.
       
13. Actions from Previous Meeting
    1. Approved minutes of 11.13.23 meeting
    2. Appointed subcommittee for Conservation Fund
    3. Appointed subcommittee for EMD ARPA request
    4. Authorized Erika to apply for Highway grant
    5. Authorized regional policing letter of interest
    6. Authorized 8% penalty for non-filing of Homestead Declaration
    7. Approved Warrants

14. Actions Taken
    1. Approved minutes of 11.27.23 meeting
    2. Approved ARPA request of Guilford EMD
    3. Voted not to use Australian Ballot for Town Meeting 2024
    4. Agreed to collaborate with the Grange on Pre-Town Meeting 2.27.24
    5. Authorized Town Administrator to renew Algiers Village Center Designation
    6. Approved FY25 budget for staff
    7. Approved warrants

15. Actions to be Taken

16. Adjournment
    1.  Rusty moved to adjourn and   Tara seconded. All were in favor, no one opposed, no one abstained. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at  8:54 p.m.

Meeting Video: https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-sb-mtg-121123

Next meeting 1.8.24 6:30 pm.