Pittsfield Select Board Special Meeting Minutes
DATE: 25 January, 2018, 8:00 a.m. at the Town Office
PRESENT: Peter Borden, Matt Corron, Charles Piso, Patty Haskins
AGENDA
Agenda Modifications:  Old Business 3. Town Meeting Tune-Up, approval of January 22, 2018, Minutes
Public Present: 
Minutes Approval:  Approval of January 22, 2018, Meeting Minutes
Old Business:

1.  2018 Town Meeting/Budget Preparations
2. Job Transition Planning
3. Town Meeting Tune-up

New Business:
Next Meeting Date: February 6, 2018, 6 p.m. 

Call to order: Charlie called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.

Minutes Approval:  Peter moved approval of the January 22, 2018, meeting minutes. Seconded by Charlie, the motion carried.

Old Business:

1. 2018 Town Meeting/Budget Preparations. The Homestead and Non-Resident school tax rates have gone up and are currently estimated by the State to be 1.3141 and 1.4465 respectively. Town Meeting Warning was reviewed, approved and signed by the Board.  The Board suggested adding wording to the end of the first paragraph of their report advising voters to give serious consideration to the warned items as they will have a significant impact on the Town property tax rate. The revised Select Board Report and Budget Narrative was reviewed and approved.
2. Job Transition Planning.  The Board reviewed the details of the proposed hiring process and decided to add $6000 to the budget for transition costs, $1000 for advertising and $5000 for salary during the transition/training period. They will prepare an ad for posting in the area, on the Town website, the Pittsfield News FaceBook page, Front Porch Forum, and area newspapers.  The Town website will have all information pertinent to the application process, including job description, ad copy, application, consent to background check, links to the Town Clerk and Treasurer manuals published by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and a dedicated email address for application submissions. First ad should run by February 26 with an application deadline of March 6, and the first round of interviews on March 13.  Projected start date of the transition period will be between May 1 and June 1.
3. Town Meeting.  All Board members, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, and Sarah Gallagher will attend the Town Meeting Tune-up on February 7.

Next Meeting Date: February 6, 2018, 6 p.m. (Regular meeting)

Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 9:42 a.m. by Peter, seconded by Matt, and carried.

Approved:   6 February, 2018                                                                                                                     Recorded by: Sarah Gallagher

Charles Piso, chair
Peter Borden
Matthew Corron

​PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
DATE: 22 January, 2018
PRESENT: Peter Borden, Matt Corron, Charles Piso, Patty Haskins, Dave Colton
AGENDA
Agenda Modifications:
Public Present: Dave Colton – Pittsfield Volunteer Fire & Rescue (PVF&R)
Old Business:

1. 2018 Town Meeting/Budget Preparations
2. Procurement Policy, Town of Pittsfield
3. Job Transition Planning
4. 2018 IRS Standard Mileage Rate

New Business:
Next Meeting Dates:  January 25, 2018, 8 a.m. (Special Meeting); February 6, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (Regular Meeting)

Motion to call the meeting to order was made by Charlie at 8:00 a.m., seconded by Peter, and the meeting opened.

Public Present: Dave (PVFR) and the Board discussed the wording for the proposed article requesting funds for the purchase of a new pumper/tanker for PVFR.  The proposed new pumper/tanker would replace the 1990 tanker (milk tank), once delivered, and the 1990 tanker would be sold with the proceeds returned to the Town to be applied to offset some of the purchase/financing costs.  Estimated revenue from the sale is +$10,000. The current 1994 pumper/tanker has a smaller 1200-gallon capacity and is easier to drive than the 1990 pumper. It was purchased from Rutland Town. This vehicle would not be replaced when it is no longer viable. Dave and the Board agreed that the article as worded by VLCT was acceptable.  “Shall the voters of Pittsfield authorize the purchase of a Pumper/Tanker Fire Apparatus in an amount not to exceed $200,000, to be financed over a period not to exceed 5 years?” 

Old Business:

1. 2018 Town Meeting/Budget Preparations.  See Public Present.  A motion to approve the article with the language proposed by VLCT was made by Peter, “Shall the voters of Pittsfield authorize the purchase of a Pumper/Tanker Fire Apparatus in an amount not to exceed $200,000, to be financed over a period not to exceed 5 years?”, seconded by Matt and carried. There was some discussion concerning the article originally proposed by the Select Board, to set aside funds over time for the future purchase of the vehicle. This option would slow the process and lessen the impact on property taxes. A motion to include this article, “Will the voters of Pittsfield authorize $35,000 to be placed in a town reserve fund for the future purchase of a fire truck?” was made by Peter, seconded by Matt, and carried.  Patty reminded the Board that the amounts for some park and parking signage, along with the cost of re-lining the parking area had not been included in the budget. Estimated at $1000 each, these items were added to the proposed budget.
2. Procurement Policy.  The Board had again reviewed the Procurement Policy which had been proposed in April of 2017. A motion to accept the Procurement Policy as presented was made by Charlie, seconded by Matt, and carried.
3. Job Transition Planning. Patty presented a revision to her report, following suggestions made by Peter to post the job and related information on the website and provide a separate email address for submission of required information by applicants. Patty also provided the Board with the current Town Clerk and Treasurer job descriptions, and also reminded them that much of what she does is not part of the Town Clerk and Treasurer position, but as the need to be a central point of communication grew, she took on responsibilities beyond the scope of the job. This will need to be part of the discussion going forward.  The Board agreed to review the materials and meet at a special meeting set for 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018.
4. Standard IRS Mileage Rate, 2018. The IRS has set the standard mileage reimbursement rate at .545 for 2018. Motion to accept made by Peter, seconded by Charlie, and carried.

Next Meeting Dates: January 25, 2018, 8:00 a.m. (Special meeting); February 6, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (Regular meeting)

Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 10:04 a.m. by Matt, seconded by Peter and carried.

Approved:  January 25, 2018                                                     Recorded by: Sarah Gallagher
Charles Piso
Peter Borden
Matthew Corron

​DATE:                    January 16, 2018
PRESENT:             Peter Borden, Charles Piso, Matt Corron, Patty Haskins, Caleb Hawley, Greg Martin
AGENDA
Agenda Modifications: Old Business #3 – Boiler Room Update; Old Business #4 – Library EC Fiber; New Business #3 – Sand Shed; New Business #4 – Water in Town Hall
 
Minutes Approval:  Regular Meeting January 2, 2018
 
Public Present:  Pittsfield Fire Dept. personnel
 
Correspondence:

1. VLCT Sarah Jarvis
2. New Fire Budget sent via email from Caleb Hawley
3. Planning Commission Appointment
4. Auditor Proposal Jeff Bradley
5. VLCT News

 
Old Business:

1. Fire Department New Truck Proposal
2. 2018 Town Meeting/ Budget Preparations
3. Boiler Room Update
4. Library EC Fiber

 
New Business:

1. Procurement Policy for Town of Pittsfield
2. Clerk/Treasurer job transition planning and details
3. Sand Shed
4. Water in Town Hall

 
Next Meeting Date:  February 6, 2018
 
Charlie motioned to open the meeting at 6:00 p.m., Matt seconded, meeting opened. Agenda modifications – Old Business #3 – Boiler Room Update; Old Business #4 – Library EC Fiber; New Business #3 – Sand Shed; New Business #4 – Water in Town Hall. Charlie motioned to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held January 2, 2018; Peter seconded; minutes approved.
 
Public Present:  
Pittsfield Fire Dept. personnel (PFR) – Charlie will abstain from any vote regarding the Fire Department. Caleb stated they have spoken with two other vendors and they expect to have pricing by town meeting. Two vendors have indicated it will take 12-13 months to build a pumper/tanker truck. The PFR wants the purchase to be warned at Town Meeting rather than wait to have a special town vote. They presented the Board with a petition. Patty will verify the petition against the voters list.
 
Correspondence:

1. VLCT Sarah Jarvis – Charlie received information regarding the number of constables from Sarah and will forward the information to the other board members for review.
2. New Fire Budget sent via email from Caleb Hawley – Some lines were adjusted however the total is the same.
3. Planning Commission Appointment – Peter motioned to appoint Colleen Wilcox to the Planning Commission; Charlie seconded the motion; appointment approved. The term expires at the 2020 Town Meeting. A confirmation letter will be sent to Colleen.
4. Auditor Proposal Jeff Bradley – He gave Patty a verbal proposal of $5,000 to conduct an audit. Patty will conduct a formal bid for this service.
5. VLCT News – January issue has been received.

 
Old Business:

1. Fire Department New Truck Proposal – see Public Present
2. 2018 Town Meeting/ Budget Preparations – The Board reviewed a draft of Select Board Narrative that Charlie put together and discussed other ideas, additions and changes. Reviewed budget lines that have been filled in, reserve fund balances, budget summary for anticipated tax rate, and town meeting articles for the warning. Patty will contact VLCT for guidance on handling the PFR petition and article wording; and additional questions on how to properly warn other articles. Another meeting is required to finalize the warning and Select Board narrative. The Board will meet at 8:00 a.m. on January 22, 2018. If additional time is needed the Board will meet later in the week.
3. Boiler Room Update – Charlie called EC Fiber and has not heard back yet. It appears ECFiber has not installed the Library service yet so someone else may have cut the sheetrock and pipe insulation in the boiler room. Patty wonders if this is something Control Technologies would have done. More investigation is required.
4. Library EC Fiber – Betty Warner has contacted Becky Donnet for an estimate on setting up the Library Wi-Fi. Becky wants to see the EC Fiber connection to be sure it is separate from the town and can set-up the Wi-Fi. The estimate is $195.

 
New Business:

1. Procurement Policy for Town of Pittsfield – Drafts to be reviewed closely by Board members and will be finalized at the next meeting.
2. Clerk/Treasurer job transition planning and details – Patty shared draft of the Town Clerk and Treasurer Report that outlines the transition plan and starting the search for a new Clerk and/or Treasurer. Patty and Sarah will work with the new hire(s) during June, July and August. Patty provided the Board with an outline listing key items that need to be addressed for conducting the search.
3. Sand Shed – George informed the Board a 6x6 vertical broke in the shed and now there is a hole in the side of the building. George believes this new development poses a safety issue and the town needs to move forward on replacing it. George has an estimate from one vendor. The Board would like to get competitive bids on the project. Peter and Charlie will talk to George.
4. Water in Town Hall – Patty cleaned up some of the water after the warming trend and rain. The water has dried up now. There use to be a town resident that would check on the Hall regularly. Patty thinks it would be wise to have someone do this – check the heat, any water issues, etc. Peter will talk to Scott who is doing custodial work for the town.

Next Meeting Date:  Special Meeting January 22, 2018 at 8:00 a.m.; Regular Meeting February 6, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
 
Adjournment:  Peter motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m.; Charlie seconded; meeting adjourned.
 
Approved:  February 6, 2018                                                                         Recorded by:  Tyna Gallagher    
 
Charles Piso:     
 
Matt Corron:     
 
Peter Borden:  

​PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
 
DATE:                    January 2, 2018
PRESENT:             Peter Borden, Charles Piso, Patty Haskins, Caleb Hawley, Dave Colton
AGENDA
Agenda Modifications: Minutes Approval – TH #15 Hearing Minutes; New Business #3 – Sheetrock and pipe insulation in TO boiler room
 
Minutes Approval:  Regular Meeting December 19, 2017; and TH #15 Hearing December 19, 2017
 
Public Present:  Pittsfield Fire Dept. personnel
 
Correspondence:

1. Equalization study results
2. Efficiency Vermont Better Buildings By Design
3. Rutland Chamber
4. District 2 and 3 Environmental Commission Memo
5. VLCT Sarah Jarvis 

Old Business:

1. Rt 100 paving project update
2. Fire Department Apparatus report
3. EC Fiber update

 
New Business:

1. Clerk Treasurer Report
2. Budget preparation
3. Sheetrock and pipe insulation in TO boiler room

 
Next Meeting Date:  To be determined, 2018
 
Charlie motioned to open the meeting at 5:58 p.m., Peter seconded, meeting opened. Matt will not be able to attend tonight’s meeting. Agenda modifications – Minutes Approval – TH #15 Hearing Minutes; New Business #3 – Sheetrock and pipe insulation in TO boiler room . Charlie motioned to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held December 19, 2017; Peter seconded; minutes approved. Peter motioned to approve the minutes for TH #15 Hearing held December 19, 2017; Charlie seconded; minutes approved.
 
Public Present:  
1.Pittsfield Fire Dept. personnel – Dave Colton and Caleb present on behalf of the Pittsfield Fire and Rescue (PFR). Charlie informed them that Matt is not present tonight so if anything regarding this topic requires a vote it will have to wait until Matt is present. This way there’s no conflict of interest. PFR changed some of the specs on the truck which lowered the price by $5,000 bringing it to $245,916. PFR shared interest rates that they were able to get. VTEC is in the 3.5-3.8% range depending on whether it is for 5 years, 7 years or 10 years. Mascoma Savings had the best rates ranging from 2.7-2.9% for a 5 year lease. Northfield Savings was 3.2%; Heritage Family Credit Union was 5.9% and Lake Sunapee would not quote. The Board would like PFR to get comparative quotes from other vendors with at least three bids to consider. Patty suggested they send out a bid letter listing specs with a bid opening date at a Select Board meeting. She offered to help with the letter. Dave and Caleb will work on this and come up with a list of vendors to contact. The board will include an article in the Town Meeting warning for funds to go towards a new pumper/tanker for the townspeople to vote on. An actual vote to replace the tanker may not occur until August or November.
 
Correspondence:

1. Equalization study results – Received from VT Department of Taxes. Common level of appraisal is 112.62%; coefficient of dispersion is 16.33; Education Grand List is $101,504,800 and the Equalized Education Grand List is $90,130,560.
2. Efficiency Vermont Better Buildings By Design – Workshops are being held February 7 & 8, 2018.
3. Rutland Chamber is seeking a representative from Pittsfield to serve on the Quality of Life Committee that is associated with the Killington Valley Initiative. The board is not going to recommend anyone at this time and Peter will inform the chamber.
4. District 2 and 3 Environmental Commission Memo – A hearing will be held January 16, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. concerning Riverside Farm’s Act 250 application. The following criteria will be addressed:
   

• Criteria 5 – Traffic Safety and Congestion
• Criteria 8 – Proposed added traffic and parking
• Criteria 9K – Impact on Public Investments
• The meeting will be held in the Pittsfield Town Office Building meeting room. 
  
• 5.VLCT Sarah Jarvis – If a lease is more than five years then the town has to use the “bond process” for financing. It does work differently from a regular bond. Ms. Jarvis is checking on the required number of Constables.

Old Business:

1. Rt 100 paving project update – Charlie has the contact information for the new engineer on the paving project. He will put a list together of topics to discuss including the water that flows across Route 100 from Upper Michigan Road, the flooding in the north end of the Green and the Fire Department pond. Plan to invite the engineer to an April meeting.
2. Fire Department Apparatus report – see Public Present #1
3. EC Fiber update – Per Charlie no one has pursued switching to EC Fiber at the Fire Department (PFR). The Board will keep the budget as presented by PFR.

New Business:

1. Clerk Treasurer Report – there is no report for this meeting as the Board is going through the budget figures for 2018-19 again tonight.
2. Budget preparation – Funds approved at previous Town Meetings can be re-allocated. The request must be in the form of an Article on the Town Warning. Peter has the Town Hall and Town Office quote broken out by project. He will share the documents with the rest of the Board and will verify the maintenance funding needed for the Town Hall. Reviewed the current proposed budget based on updated figures. There are still a few figures that need to be updated.
3. Sheetrock and pipe insulation in TO boiler room – Someone cut holes in the sheetrock on the ceiling and ripped out pipe insulation. Patty does not know who did this as whoever it was never checked in with the office. It may have been EC Fiber so Charlie will contact them to find out.

Next Meeting Date:  January 16, 2018
Adjournment:  Peter motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m.; Charlie seconded; meeting adjourned.
 
Approved:  January 16, 2018                                                       Recorded by:  Tyna Gallagher    
 
Charles Piso
 
Peter Borden