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Town of New Haven Selectmen’s Meeting

7:00 PM Town Clerks Office

Tuesday September 7, 2004

Present: Larry Buck, Amos Roleau, Burt Allen (arrived 7:35)

Others: Kim Callahan, Ann Cousins, Gail Freidin, Lowell, Nottingham, Mike Dykstra, Tim Bouton, Donna Fournier.

AGENDA: Results

Read and approve minutes make corrections if needed. 

Larry Buck to chair meeting

NEW BUSINESS

Introduction of people working on various grants – Kim Callahan – working on grants for the school, Gail Freidin and Lowell Nottingham working on other possibilities.  Not present but also working on grants Suzy Roorda and Betsy Curler.

• Gail Freidin and Ann Cousins – Grant info

Ann Cousins from the preservation trust – provided overview of what the Preservation Trust does - Founded in 1980, non profit organization.  Help communities with preservation projects.  Small grants of up to $ 500.00 can be gotten for technical assistance.  They also partner with the Freeman Foundation for capital improvements typically grants around $25,000.00 and up. Rehabilitation standards need to be met.  Would like to respect the original fabric of the building.  They like to have a partnership with a community over the long run to continue preservation.  If the town shows support, which it has already done, then the foundation board steps in after there has been a demonstration of local support and investment into a project.  She would strongly encourage the town to apply if the Bond passes.  She thinks this is a good project, the selectboard has worked hard and the community has supported this direction.    There are some minor red flags that will need to be dealt with.  Window replacement and wall insulation are considered part of the original fabric. She congratulated the town on all the work they have done so far on this project.  Next opportunity to apply will be in November.

• Donna Fournier – Pollution Issues – Would like the selectboard to ask the state to set up an air quality monitoring station.  Concerned about tire burning and high mercury levels in air. Pollutants often travel long distances and you don’t always know where they came from.  Discussion of increases in learning disabilities among children as a potential result of pollutants.  Larry Buck and Amos Roleau O.k. to proceed if no costs are involved.  Burt Allen would like more info prior to proceeding.  Discussion George Apgar Jr.  might be one of the people who does this for the state.  What costs are involved?  What would town’s responsibility be?    Donna Fournier will contact George Apgar.  Results of phone conversation – Shoreham has a monitoring station and you need at least a year of monitoring to establish a base line.  Town would not meet the time frame for baseline and very expensive to monitor.  Will go with Shoreham monitoring.
• Mike Dykstra – Fire Dept. – Would like to have 911 calls re routed through Shelburne.  Currently calls go to Rutland and then either to Porter Hospital or Williston prior to being dispatched to New Haven from Shelburne.  It takes to long for calls to get dispatched.  Rutland is not familiar with area and sometimes does not dispatch correctly.  Need permission of Select Board as part of the process.  Select Board O.K. signed permission. 
• Mike Dykstra and Tim Bouton – Fire Dept. – The utility truck is no longer safe to drive.  The fire Department has found another truck to purchase and would like to use up to $50,000.00 from the   Town Fire Truck Fund.  Selectboard responded that the town will need to vote on it.  Discussion on whether they would need to vote prior to town meeting.  Truck would take up to 7 months to build.  But need to make a down payment in order to get special pricing which they have negotiated.  The Fire Department also has a fund for truck purchases and they will be paying for the other part of the truck.  Fire dept. will put money down to hold truck and ask voters at town meeting.
• Tim Bouton – Disaster issues – Discussion of the water damage from the thunder storm that went through last week.  It looks like there was over 1 million dollars in damages and the Governor will probably make a disaster declaration.  Discussion of the AOT having a fund to pay 90% of damages to towns, but the legislature only funded it with one dollar.  So there is no money available from the State.  Discussion of grant monies available for mitigation.  The deadline is Sept. 10.  Does the Select Board have any areas of continual damage?  If they provide him with documentation he will try to put the proposal in for them.  Discussion of how it works.  Larry Buck motion to have Tim Bouton work on grant.  Second by Amos Roleau.  All agree.  Selectboard gave any member permission to sign related documents. 

• Borrowing tables and chairs town hall – People have been borrowing the tables and chairs to the town hall without anyone knowing what is going on.  If this is going to happen then there needs to be a policy and a damage deposit. Tables and chairs will need to be available for everyone in town. Items are not being returned and are being damaged.  Discussion.  Decided to use tables and chairs for town functions only.  No private use outside of the town hall will be allowed.
• Town Hall Application – Larrow – signed.
• Appointments – Regional Planning Commission

    Zoning Board of Adjustment

    Energy Coordinator

    Alternate – Solid Waste

    Conservation Commission

                                        Emergency Coordinator / Civil Defense

                                        Addison County Transit Resource Board

                                        Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

                                         Health Officer – need to sign form

 Discussion suit against Mel Thompson – Town will provide letter relating what happened in New Haven.

 Discussion of conversations with Ouimette.  Ouimette did not recommend joining a suit against madden.

Don Johnson is doing a survey for the land swap between the school and the town for the King House project.  Ouimette will then write up the deeds.

ROAD CREW UPDATE

Clarification of Beanie Masterson Pay.  Will pay $12.50 / hour for no more than 100 hours.

Discussion of not spending any money until we know what the costs of the water damage are.  Will check into contract with Pike.

• Flooding and FEMA
• Hydraulic study info

• Sign Over Wt Permits –
• Sign pay orders        

MISC.  CORRESPONDENCE

• VLCT-  annual meeting and town fair – agenda insurance portion of annual meeting – to file
•  

EDUCATION

·        Town Fair – September 29 and 30, 2004 – Barre Vermont

NEWS LETTERS

·        Candidate Bulletin

·        Chamber News

·        VLCT

·        VSAA Reports

·        Opinions

·        Valuation Views

·        Addison County Regional Planning

·        VOCA  Newsletter

·        Volunteer Voice

·        Vermont Local Roads

·        UST TALK – Underground Storage Tank Owner

Treasurers Report

Old Business

Adjourn 9:25 pm

Approved:                                                                                                                                 

________________            ___________________             _________________

Amos Roleau III                                 Burt Allen                                            Larry Buck

Respectfully submitted:

Barbara Torian