Town of New Haven
Town of New Haven Selectmen’s Meeting
7:00 pm Town Clerks Office
Tuesday July 17, 2007
Present: Keith Hall, Paul
Audy, Burt Allen, Barb Torian, Pam Kingman
Others: Karen Danyow,
Betty Bell, Al Karnatz, Mark Smith, Ann Gleason, Dale Everest, Jeff Everest,
Roger Boise, Mike Sweeney, Tony Stout, Stuart MacCrellish, Wayne Marcelle, Suzy
Roorda, Ilana Snyder, Pete LaPete
AGENDA: Results
Read and approve minutes,
make corrections if needed.
NEW BUSINESS
Visitors Business:
- Karen
Danyow: Safe Routes to School grant – Beeman
Elementary School
is looking to calm the parking area out in front of the school using curbing
to make it safe for kids. It will tie in nicely with the Towns sidewalk
project even though the two grants are separate. Karen Danyow is a volunteer
parent who is involved in the Healthy School Team and is working with a
coordinator from Beeman Elementary
School on the grant. Beeman supports
the town Sidewalk Project and having kids walk to school. Karen Danyow
presented the Beeman Elementary School Travel Plan along with a letter to Jon
Kaplan, Safe Routes to School Coordinator from the Vermont Agency of
Transportation. She is looking for support from the selectboard for the first
two phases. Paul Audy made a motion to support the Safe Routes to School
grant and sign the Beeman Travel Plan and the letter to Jon Kaplan. Seconded
by Keith Hall. All agree. During this time there was discussion about whether
or not the town could continue with the Sidewalk Project. Keith Hall said he
called the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and spoke with one of their
lawyers who told him that the town could continue with the project; that the
Town had followed all the necessary procedures.
- Donald Johnston –
No show
- Al Karnatz: Planned
Unit Development (PUD) for Route 7 sub-division –
Mark Smith is the land owner he has the
approval and the support of the Planning Commission for his 66 acre
sub-division. Planning commission members Stuart MacCrellish and Mike Sweeney
were present to show their support. Of the 66 acres, 56 acres will be
conserved, what they are conserving is not usable land and will not be allowed
for public use. A portion of the Planning Commission is present to ask the
selectboard if they would hold the land that is to be conserved. Paul Audy
said he does not feel the selectboard should be the ones to hold the land,
Burt Allen agreed. There was discussion on what the options were for Mark
Smith to let it be known that this will be conserved land. Al Karnatz said
they approached Middlebury Area Land Trust, but it wasn’t enough land for them
to have any interest. Mr. Karnatz stated it could simply be put on the
recorded plat map that there would be no further sub-division for Mark Smith
at this location. Paul Audy said our zoning regulations should be enough to
protect the conserved land for Mark Smith. Mr. Smith stated that the State
will want reassurance that the lots will stay conserved. It is prime
agricultural land and 25 – 30% of the land will not be developed and he feels
the state will not see the zoning regulations as enough protection. Paul Audy
made a motion for the selectboard to not hold the land, seconded by Keith
Hall. All agree.
- Ann Gleason:
Mary Johnson Day Care Center, After
School Program – Would like to
hold the program in the cafeteria of the town hall again for the coming school
year. They like to have the support of the people whose facility they are
using. The program supports roughly 8 – 10 children from New Haven, the space
is licensed for up to 22 children and runs from 3:00 – 5:30 on days school is
in operation. Paul Audy asked if they are responsible for cleaning up at the
end of each day. Ann Gleason said yes and Mary Johnson struck a deal with
Beeman Elementary to purchase paper products for the restrooms. Wayne Marcelle
mentioned that he was the one who cleans the town hall including the
bathrooms, and they were never cleaned by anyone else. There was discussion on
why the program was moved from the school, and why it could not go back there
this coming year. The selectboard feels it is a great program, but would like
to see it back in the school. Ann Gleason said she will approach the
schoolboard at their next meeting.
- Watson Scott:
Slough way
between his house and the Ewell’s is becoming an issue. He would like help
from the road crew to keep the culvert open that runs under
River Road.
It is full of debris and sediment from the river flowing through this slough
way on Mr. Scott’s property. Burt Allen made a motion to have the road crew
help Watson Scott, second by Paul Audy. All agree.
- Roads update: Munger
St. – 2 1/2” stone has been
applied to the road and then chewed up with the old tar to create a
better base from the cemetery to the Middlebury line. Four to five culverts
need to be replaced as well and the road will be shimmed all the way to
Stone’s farm. Whatever tar is leftover from Munger St.; will be applied to
Plank Rd. to the Ferrisburgh line. Pike Industries and Sherm Jewett helped
out with hauling stone to Munger St. The shoulders along
Twitchell Hill Rd.
have been finished. The road crew would like to get an excavator into the
town pit to get at the sand that is hard to reach it is along the east side
of the pit. The sand will be used for the roads in the winter. Burt
Allen made a motion to hire an excavator to work in the pit, second by Paul
Audy. All agree. There have been a few phoned in complaints to the town office
about the guardrails on River Rd.
Mower arm attachments for the grader – cost around $65,000. There was
discussion about the cost for this attachment v. having Dave Miner doing the
roadside mowing at a cheaper rate. It was agreed that the mower attachment was
more than the town needed. No action taken. Phil Busier and Katie Reilley
have drawn up a new road access permit with one major change
being a minimum driveway entrance will go from 30’ to 40’ to allow cars to
pass each other entering and exiting the driveway. No action taken. Discussion
of maintenance of the John Deere tractor and possibly selling it.
- Suzy Roorda:
Town Fair – breakdown of payments to the bands will be $100 each band,
they are each expected to play two hour sets. Bounce tent for the day $250 and
money to purchase food and drinks for fair goers $450. Plus $100 for the food
table and $100 for the flea mart table. Suzy Roorda also inquired what the
selectboard would like to do for road safety. In years past they have used the
Sheriff patrol. Town Hill Road will be closed at the intersection by the
Congregational church and the fire trucks will block the entrance at Main St.
Paul Audy made a motion to sign pay orders for the town fair, and hire the
Sheriff to patrol the green, second by Burt Allen. All agree. Abbey Group
approached Suzy Roorda about the town buying soap for the dishwasher
in the town kitchen. Abbey Group asked the town to supply a years worth of
dish soap @ $95.30 and a rinse agent @ $147.43. Burt Allen asked Mike Sweeney
who works for Foley Distributors to come in with a price quote on supplies.
Mike Sweeney said he would and added he thought the Abbey Group should be
responsible for the soap considering the town furnishes the space, heat,
water, gas etc. No action taken.
- Dale Everest:
Dropped off questions regarding the sidewalk project and the municipal grant
from 2003. Jeff Everest had dropped it off for the town clerk the previous
week. Pam Kingman told him that Claire Van Buren was in the process of
gathering the information they requested and they should have answers
in a matter of days. Follow up: Claire Van Buren, Town clerk
mailed the information requested to the Everest’s on July 18, 2007.
- Barb Torian:
Tax rate only have a range because the state is having computer issues
and so has the town. It has been difficult to get the numbers. Tax rate will
be lower than last year. Selectboard will need to have an emergency meeting to
set the tax rate when all the figures are in. Katie Reilley and Phil Busier
need to go over pay orders, then the selectboard can sign them when they are
ready.
- Road names
for Eugene Charlebois’ sub-division off Route 7 will be Kelton Drive;
and Wright Stowe’s sub-division off East St. will be Stoney Lane. Paul
Audy made a motion to accept the road names, second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Letter to Pike
Industries: RE: Pikes maintaining
Campground Rd. No action taken.
- State of Vt.
RE: Letter of agreement for Computer Appraisal Services. Paul Audy made a
motion to sign letter, second by Burt Allen. All agree.
- Road access permits
for: Jon Christiano on
North St.
and Jeannie Greene on Hunt Rd. Burt Allen made a motion to sign road permits,
second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Storage Trailer
rental agreement with Paquette
Inc. to store all the stuff that has been stored in the King House. Rental is
$75.00 month plus $60.00 delivery charge. Paul Audy made a motion to sign
agreement, second by Keith Hall. All agree.
- Letter of support from
the selectboard for the Sidewalk Project, written by Susie Leonard to
the Quinn’s, Jonhson’s and Everest’s along Main St. Paul Audy made a motion to
sign the letters, second by Burt Allen. All agree.
- Appointments: Energy
Coordinator – Taborri Bruhl
Transportation
Advisory Committee – Clement Sheffert
MISC CORRESPONDENCE
- State of Vt. Dept. of
Health – Cancellation/changes of Town Health Officer Program – there will
still be support from district office staff that will provide health officer
with referrals to local resources.
- State of Vt. Dept. of
Environmental Conservation – Draft amended general permit 3-9020 and Public
hearing. This is for storm water construction runoff from construction sites.
Public hearing: Wed. Aug. 8, 2007 @ 1:00 pm at the Pavilion in Montpelier.
- Workshop: “From Strip
to Compact: Making the Leap in the Town Plan and Zoning Regulations” with
Brian Shupe @ Town Hall Cafeteria on Thursday July 19, 2007 @ 7:00 pm.
NEWSLETTERS
Treasurers Report
Sign pay orders
Old Business
Keith Hall made a motion
to move into executive session regarding a personnel issue, second by Burt
Allen. All agree.
Movedd into executive
session at 9:50 pm
Paul Audy made motion to
adjourn from executive session at 9:45 pm,
second by Burt Allen. All agree.
Respectfully Submitted
Pam Kingman