Approved As Written

Approved as written:

Approved as corrected: _ ________

VERNON SELECTBOARD

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017

REGULAR MEETING

6:30pm

DRAFT

MEMBERS PRESENT: OTHERS PRESENT:

Josh Unruh, Chair Michelle Pong, Town Administrator

Sandra Harris, Vice Chair Michelle Millerick, Secretary

Stephen Skibniowsky, Clerk Marylynn Scherlin

Jeff Dunklee, Tom Rappaport, Capital Plan Committee

Jean Carr Kathy Walker

Melissa Ferris

Cindy Turnley, Treasurer

Kevin Turnley

MEMBERS ABSENT:

None

CALL TO ORDER REGULAR MEETINIG:

Josh Unruh, Chair called the regular meeting to order at 6:30pm, welcomed those present and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA:

Add Library Trustee Executive Session, Sherriff Department update and the Stranded Act and Remove James Carroll and Art Display.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. JEFF DUNKLEE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4 – 0 RECUSAL FROM JEAN CARR.

Add Cemetery care taking bids to the agenda.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO ADD THE CEMETERY CARE TAKING BIDS TO THE AGENDA. JEFF DUNKLEE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

CHAIRS REMARKS:

None.

GUESTS:

Cindy Turnley, Treasurer speaking on behalf of Gordon Christiansen, Town Investments for permission to reinvest two $100,000.00 bonds.

STEPHEN SKIBNIOWSKY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REINVESTMENT OF TWO $100,00.00 BONDS PER GORDON CHRISTIANSENS RECOMMENDATION. SANDRA HARRIS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

OPEN PUBLIC COMMENTS (non-Agenda items):

None

DEPARTMENT/COMMITTEE REPORT:

a) Cemetery Care Taking Bids and Polly Lee Marker – Marylynn Scherlin received one sealed Bid from the current Caretaker for $17,000.00 with a 3 year contract from Howes.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO AWARD THE BID TO HOWES FOR 3 YEARS $17,000.00 PER YEAR. STEPHEN SKIBNIOWSKY SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

Marylynn Scherlin asked permission to start raising money for the Polly Lee Marker fund. Josh Unruh, Chair read a statement in support. About 1770 a large family of Lees moved to the wilderness of what is now Newton Road. They soon needed to establish a family cemetery. Enclosed by a stone wall and entered through a wrought iron gate, burials included children, a Revolutionary War hero, and many family members. As time passed it fell into disrepair and finally, a developer owning the property plowed it under. Vernon’s Cemetery Committee would like to have a marker made to honor and remember those whose resting place was destroyed. By law the Town Appropriations cannot be used on a private cemetery. The hope is that Vernon citizens will donate toward such a marker. Checks may be made out to the Town of Vernon, noting its purpose: Polly Lee Cemetery Memorial Fund and sent to the Treasurer, 567 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon, VT 05354.

b) Sherriff Department Update – Sargent Chris Norton gave the Selectboard data from April thru September about the total incidents they responded to.

c) Library Trustee -

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, TREASURER, AND MELISSA FERRIS AT 6:55PM APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OR EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE. 1 V.S.A. § 313(3)(a)(3) [NOTE: THE FINAL DECISION TO HIRE OR APPOINT AND THE REASONS FOR THE BODY’S FINAL DECISION MUST BE MADE IN AN OOPEN MEETING.] JEFF DUNKLEE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4 – 0 RECUSAL FROM JEAN CARR.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO INVITE KATHY WALKER, ASSISTANT TREASURER TO JOIN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. JEFF DUNKLEE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4 – 0 RECUSAL FROM JEAN CARR.

Executive Session adjourned at 7:32pm. No Action was taken.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

STEPHEN SKIBNIOWSKY MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MEETING MINUTES AS CORRECTED FROM OCTOBER 3, 2017. SANDRA HARRIS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 -0.

TREASURER’S REPORT:

Bills and Warrants

STEPHEN SKIBNIOWSKY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE PAYMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING WARRANTS FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 17, 2017.

8 –T Accounts Payable - $84,958.32

40S Payroll - $8,558.08

41S Payroll - $8,428.07

JEAN CARR SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.

NEW BUSINESS:

a) Green-Up Vermont Request for funding – Emily Vergobbe recommends that we contribute because it includes bags and signage.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO INCREASE GREEN-UP DAY BUDGET TO $200.00, $150.00 FOR THE STATE AND $50.00 TO THE TOWN FOR GREEN-UP FUNDING. JEAN CARR SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

b) Clarify Signature Requirements for Town Articles –

JEAN CARR MADE A MOTION RECOGNIZING THAT LOCAL EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF VERNON CITIZENS ARE MOST EFFICIENTLY DONE WITHOUT ADDED ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS AND THAT THE TOWN OF VERNON EXEMPT LOCALLY BASED NON-PROFIT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS FROM SIGNATURE REQUIRMENTS TO PLACE AN ARTICLE ON THE TOWN MEETING WARNING SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE SELECTBOARD. ADDITIONALLY, NON-PROFIT GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS BASED OUTSIDE OF VERNON, BUT WORKING TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF ITS CITIZENS AND HAVING APPEARED ON TOWN MEETING WARNING IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS TO PLACE AN IDENTICAL ARTICLE ON THE TOWN MEETING WARNING FOR THE NEXT (5) SUBSEQUENT YEARS PROVIDING A LETTER OF INTENT IS RECEIVED BY THE TOWN OFFICE NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1, OF THE PRECEDING YEAR. STEPHEN SKIBNIOWSKY SECONDED. MOTION WAS DEFEATED 4-1.

The Selectboard discussed possible considerations.

c) Remove $15,618.18 from Grand List – Errors and Omissions The following amounts need to be deducted from our grand list under errors and omissions: Western Oilfields Supply Co. $15,618.00 x $0.4547 = $ 71.01.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO REMOVE $15,618.00 FROM THE GRAND LIST DUE TO ERRORS AND OMISSIONS FROM THE VERNON LISTERS. JEAN CARR SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

d) Affirm Capital Plan Committee involvement in purchases from Capital Plan – with the Selectboard’s permission the Capital Plan Committee would like the chance to work with every department that is coming up on a major purchase from funds approved in the Capital Plan. All of the Selectboard agreed.

e) STRANDED Act – Communities around the country with closed nuclear power plants have become de facto interim storage sites for stranded nuclear waste. Without consent or compensation, these communities are paying the price for the federal government’s failure to find a permanent solution for spent nuclear fuel. Legislation has been introduced at the federal level that would provide much needed impact assistance and economic development incentives to communities around the country burdened with storing stranded nuclear waste.

SANDRA HARRIS MADE A MOTION TO HAVE THE TOWN ADMINISTRAOR WRITE A LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE SELECTBOARD TO VERMONT CONGRESSMEN IN SUPPORT OF THE STRANDED ACT. JEFF DUNKLEE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5 – 0.

OLD BUSINESS:

a) Capital Plan Requests – Selectboard – move computers to general operating budget – then they won’t have to be replaced all at once, you can replace by departments. The Selectboard agrees with this.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (AGENDA ITEMS ONLY):

None

CORRESPONDENCE:

Media – None

Land Trust notice was an update on an article that was voted on at town meeting and is moving forward.

Update from Sky Solar - on track to be done June of 2018.

Invitation to the Vermont Community Development Association Fall Meeting on November 2.

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT:

Fire Department and Todd Capen have been working hard to get some maintenance started on the fire pond on the corner of Newton and 142. They are scheduled to drain the pond on Thursday and Tyler excavation will begin working on it on Friday.

UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULE:

Budget Meeting – Wednesday, October 18, 2017 – 6:30pm

Selectboard Regular Meeting – Tuesday, November 7, 2017 – 6:30pm

ADJOURNMENT:

Meeting adjourned at 8:08pm

Respectfully Submitted by

Michelle Millerick

Michelle Millerick, Secretary

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Vernon Selectboard Regular Meeting 10-17-2017 DRAFT