Town of New Haven
Town of New Haven Selectboard Meeting
7:00 pm Town Clerks Office
Tuesday August 14, 2007
Present: Burt Allen, Keith
Hall, Paul Audy, Pam Kingman
Others: Betty Bell, Barb
Torian, Dale Everest, Jeffery Everest, Matt Ford, Iva Menard, Sheila Marcelle,
Wayne Marcelle, Roger Boise, Warren Whitcomb
AGENDA RESULTS:
Read and approve minutes,
make corrections if needed.
ROADS:
- Addison County Road
Foremen Network Meeting: Tuesday,
August 21, 2007 starting at 10:00 am held at the Orwell Fire Station. The
topic is a Mutual Aid Agreement for the County. Keith Hall, Katie Reilley and
Phil Busier will all be attending.
- Guard Rails in the
Mills: have been replaced after an
accident last winter. The Town will total expenses and send a bill to Paul and
Margaret Meacham for payment. There will also be some tree trimming by the
Munger St.
Bridge for better sight distance.
- Plank Road:
Culvert just west of the intersection
with North St. that had been replaced after the 1999 flood had very
little fill over the top. The Road Crew pulled off about 50 feet of pavement
and added gravel to build up the road around the culvert. We will have to wait
for Pike’s to surface.
- Grants: we have
received two from the state one for $120,000
for shim and overlay one mile
of River Road;
completion date July 2009. The second grant is for $34,800 for culvert
replacement on Plank Rd. and
Munger St.,
completion date April 2009. This is paying for any culverts we replace on
Munger St. in 2007.
- Munger St:
During July, Pike Industries reclaimed
0.3 miles of the southernmost section, beginning at Cobble Road. (See Paving
Schedule below) Phil Busier will contact Gail Freidin about trimming trees
back along Munger St. because the Pikes trucks are going to hit them when it
is time to pave.
- Pike Industries RE:
2007 Adjusted Paving Schedule. Pikes recommendation for Munger St. is
to put a 1” shim down for 2007 and hold off until early 2008 to install the
wearing course; this allows the new culverts to settle. Burt Allen made a
motion to accept the paving schedule, second by Paul Audy. All agree.
- Boards from Rattlin’
Bridge: Road crew has used a few
to divide the sand and salt. It was discussed at the last meeting that the
town would inventory the boards then sell them; they are worth $1.30 a board
foot. The road crew will not use any more of these boards. Keith Hall will
measure and take an inventory of the boards.
- Winter Sand is in
the shed – Road crew used the
loader.
- 1987 John Deere
Tractor: Paul Audy made a motion
to give Roger Boise permission to get the tractor running so that the Town can
put it out to bid. Second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Katie Reilley is
compiling a road inventory using GASB 34 –
with the outside audit happening, the road crew will need to keep a daily log
of what they are doing, then in turn give a weekly report to Katie; that way
Katie can put the inventory into the computer each week. Paul Audy said he was
very supportive of this, he suggested giving them clip boards to keep in each
truck. Katie Reilley has someone coming in to help her with the new software
for the inventory.
- Barb Torian asked
about paycheck distribution methods for the road crew.
In the past the road crew has always come to the town office to get pay
checks. As a courtesy, sometimes Katie Reilley has delivered them to the shed.
Lately there has been some confusion on how checks should be administered.
Barb Torian also asked to have something in writing from employees who wish
anyone but themselves pick up their check. Burt Allen will ask the road crew
to put requests in writing and if they would prefer to have their pay checks
go into direct deposit.
- Dave Heisler:
Plans to return to work once he is released from the Doctor.
NEW BUSINESS:
Visitors Business
- Iva Menard: would
like permission to brush hog the Town land (River Rd. Park)
behind her house on River Rd.
Paul Audy made a motion to allow
Iva Menard to brush hog the Towns property, second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Michelle Moye:
emailed a letter about the
noise, loose dogs and broken glass down on
River Road Park.
Discussion on possibilities of how to handle
it. This is an ongoing issue every summer. Some suggestions were to try to
find someone to close the gate at night or putting a barrier up so you could
no longer drive down there, or calling the police. No easy answer.
- Jeff Everest:
handed out copies of Article # 11 from Town Meeting. Mr. Everest feels there
is nothing in this Article that says it includes the Sidewalks, and that the
sidewalk should have been voted on separately, and not in the budget. He
added that the Town voted down the King House/ball field/playground in one
vote. He would like to vote on the sidewalk project on a separate article.
Paul Audy explained the $19,000 for sidewalks the Town voted on, was for our
share of the grant, and the voters voted down the King House/ball field/
playground as a lump sum. The second vote was for just the ball field.
Discussion on the timeline of the sidewalk project – it won’t be happening in
2007. Warren Whitcomb asked the selectboard if the sidewalk project had their
support, all three members said yes. Betty Bell said her mother was hit by a
car at that intersection and she supports the project as well. The contract
has been signed to have the sidewalks done, not sure the Town can go
backwards. Keith Hall will contact the lawyer at VLCT, and find the answers to
Mr. Everest’s questions.
- Jeff Everest:
Has the town received the
Curb dog signs for the town green – yes will try to get them up ASAP.
- Betty Bell:
West Cemetery – Five headstones are broken, two of which are too big
for her to handle. She would like permission to have Cleggs Memorial come and
give her an estimate. Paul Audy made a motion to have Cleggs Memorial give an
estimate, second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Betty Bell: Dog Team
Tavern Sign - Jeff Hesslink and
Tom Mansfield donated the sign to the New Haven Historical Society, and they
would like permission to store it in the carriage barn of the King House. Paul
Audy made a motion to grant permission to store the sign in the carriage barn,
second by Burt Allen. All agree.
- Deb Foster from
Addison Home Health and Hospice:
She dropped off a letter earlier in the week, and came with a signed petition
in regards to the stretch of Route 7 in front of “Home Health”. There have
been numerous accidents there, most recently involving two of her employee’s.
She is concerned with the length of the passing zone and how cars are
jockeying for position as it changes into a single lane. It has become very
dangerous for cars heading south making a left hand turn along this stretch;
there is very little signage here that warns motorists may need to use passing
lane to make a left turn. Deb Foster is asking the Selectboard if they are
willing to put a proposal to the State to request an assessment of that area.
Keith Hall made a motion to request assessment from the state, second by Burt
Allen. All agree.
- Bill Brim and Cris
Messerle – Emergency Management: No show
- Agreement between
the Town of New Haven and Peter Morris, Architect –
Keith Hall has spoken with Peter Morris who is working on getting the Town an
amount for the new office building. The Town lawyer, Jim Ouimette is working
the Deed between the Town and the Fortier’s. Paul Audy said he doesn’t want to
sign the Deed with the Fortier’s until the Fortier’s are ready to move it.
Keith Hall made a motion to sign agreement, second by Paul Audy. All agree.
MISC.
CORRESPONDENCE:
- Orton Family Foundation
RE: COMMUNITYMATTERS07 – Conference October 23-25, 2007 in Burlington.
Forwarded copies to Planning Commission.
- State of Vermont Dept.
of Environmental Conservation RE: Otter Creek Hydroelectric Project – Comments
on Beldon Falls
and Huntington
Falls the ongoing study of water quality.
- LUCA Technical Training
Announcement RE: Census training held at the Rutland Free Library, August 16,
2007: 9:30 – 1:30. Pam Kingman will forward them a copy of our grand list.
- State of Vermont,
Northwest Regional Construction Office RE: Preconstruction Conference Report –
Rattlin’ Bridge. Minutes from the conference.
- Vermont League of
Cities and Towns RE: Voting Delegates at the Annual Business Meeting, to be
held at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, October 11, 2007: beginning at 2:30.
Included are the Town Fair schedule and pre-registration form and the 2007
VLTC Awards Program: Description and Nomination Forms.
- State of Vermont, Dept.
of Environmental Conservation RE: Construction General Permit for the Beeman
Elementary Recreation field.
REGULAR BUSINESS:
- Road Access Permits for
Richard Esty on Quarry Rd. and Stephen Smith on North St. Burt Allen made a
motion to sign road access permits, second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Sign overweight permits
- Sign overwidth permit
TREASURERS REPORT:
- Keith Hall made a
motion to sign Treasurers report, second by Burt Allen. All agree.
- Sign pay orders
- Suzy Roorda requested a
Kinney Drugs charge card: Burt Allen made a motion to refuse the request,
second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- While Zoning
Administrator, Cris Messerle was out of the office on vacation, he asked Keith
Hall to fill in for him. Keith Hall has submitted a time card for his time.
Barb Torian is asking the rest of the selectboard to approve the time card.
Burt Allen feels this was a conflict of interest serving on the selectboard
and acting as Zoning Administrator. Keith Hall reassured the selectboard that
anything controversial that came up, he put aside for Cris Messerle. Paul Audy
made a motion to pay Keith Hall, second by Burt Allen.
OLD BUSINESS:
- Agreement between the
Town and Beeman Elementary School
from November 18, 2005. Keith Hall has talked with Steve Flint, Beeman’s new
principal about the school custodian cleaning the restrooms in the Town Hall
during the school year. Mr. Flint agreed with Keith Hall that the students use
them the majority of the time. The selectboard would like to amend the current
agreement to reflect that. Keith Hall will write up a draft on the town and
school custodial responsibilities.
NEWS LETTERS:
Adjourn: 9:30 pm