PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/3PSbMKi
DATE: July 21, 2022
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Sarah Danly, Brett Yates (via Teams)
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: July 11, 2022 Special Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Park-n-Ride – Improvements
2. Citizens’ Complaints/Concerns – Gaston Noise Complaint
3. VT Community Leadership Summit
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion
2. Warning Road Signs – follow up
3. Speed Signs – feedback update
4. Town Office – elevator
5. Buy-Out – Frankel property update
6. Permits & Licenses – Municipal Roads General Permit re: new project guidelines
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Pittsfield Rescue Plan Committee (PRPC)– Report: accept & discuss project recommendations
2. Grant Writer – proposal for recreational grant
3. Fuel Pre-buy
4. Town Office – help
5. HRA Budgeting
6. Cahill property – discussion
7. Town Hall – availability
8. Treasurer’s Report – June financials
NEXT REGULAR MEETING: August 18, 2002 at 6pm, Town Hall
ADJOURN:
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:01pm. Joyce moved to approve the Minutes of the July 11, 2022 Special Meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor.
Ann introduced Sarah Danly, the coordinator for the White River Valley Consortium (WRVC) Working Communities Challenge. Ann then motioned to move OB#1 to the top of the agenda. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
July 21, 2022
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion. Sarah Danly presented background history on the Consortium, how it came to be and when, and what they hoped to accomplish. The program serves fourteen towns, including Pittsfield. The Consortium has been awarded an additional three-year grant and technical assistance through the Working Communities Challenge to work on increasing housing for entry-level workforce and beginning entrepreneurs. The grant is for $310,000 over three years. Vital Communities is the backbone and will be managing the money. The money includes money for a grant manager, grant writing, as well as other expenses. The topic of housing is their number one interest as well as how it relates to other issues. The group has one year to implement a work plan. The Consortium’s steering (core) committee is working with the Federal Reserve Bank staff to offer a workshop for the fourteen town governments. There hope is it to have at least one representative attend. The workshop entitled “What does it mean to be a part of the Working Communities Challenge?” was held on Thursday, June 30th in the evening. Throughout 2022, WRVC will be reaching out to additional organizations and community members who want to join this effort. Items to address include identifying different roles we can play, supporting some quicker projects that are ready to go with little extra support, and identifying larger initiatives to work on together in the following two years and beyond. To join their e-list: vitalcommunities.org/the-white-river-valley-. To contact Sarah directly, [email protected]. The Board thanked Sarah for attending and presenting information on the Consortium.
Ann wondered if an appointed position could be created to ensure a representative. Joyce added that she had some people in mind who would be interested and will contact them.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Park-n-Ride – Improvements. This is a notification from VTrans soliciting proposals for improvements of small park-n-ride facilities. It is not for the maintenance of existing lots. Accepted as notification and file.
2. Citizens’ Complaints/Concerns – Gaston Noise Complaint. The property in question is in the Highwood Homeowners Association. Ann stated that HOA’s Board of Directors has received additional complaints regarding the property and are taking action as there are a number of violations on the HOA’s covenants. The property’s owner has been contacted and is aware of the situation. Ann asked that the Select Board be kept informed of any action taken. This letter will be kept on file.
3. VT Community Leadership Summit. The Vermont Council of Rural Development is asking to identify local leaders to attend a workshop on August 10th at the Vermont Technical College (VTC). Ann said she would reach out to Betty Warner and let VTC know who will be attending.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion (See above)
2. Warning Road Signs – follow up. Townsend Brook and Tozier Hill. George has indicated that the road is a private drive as well as the town line, so no signage can be placed. No further action by the Board.
3. Speed Signs – feedback update. Ann stated that counters have been in place for several weeks. The Town just needs to show that a speed study has been performed before applying for the permit.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
July 21, 2022
4. Town Office – elevator. Ann said that the elevator and lift have been fixed and a claim to the insurance company has been filed. There is a $1,000 deductible. The annual inspections were also performed. Payment will be made as a line-item expense.
5. Buy-Out – Frankel property update. The State Mitigation Officer sent the paperwork that needs to be completed. The question of whether the recent reappraisal figure can be used in lieu of hiring an appraiser. Ann said she will inquire about this. The Feds totally reimburse the project. AJ moved that the Select Board sign the three documents regarding the buyout of the Frankel property. Joyce seconded the motion. All in favor.
6. Permits & Licenses – Municipal Roads General Permit re: new project guidelines. Ann provided some background on the MRGP. TRORC has completed the paperwork and inventory listing priorities for the last two years. They are no longer providing this service to the Towns. The Towns will now have to be the ones. George has indicated he does not want to be involved in this. However, Ann added, TRORC can be hired to continue performing this service. Discussion of this as being a budget item or not. Ann said the State will provide grant money to cover administrative costs. AJ said he would like the Town to continue its relationship with TRORC. AJ moved that Ann follow up with TRORC and say we are interested and would like to invite them and George to attend a meeting in a few months. In the meantime, the Board can go over the list of projects. Ann seconded the motion. All in favor.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Pittsfield Rescue Plan Committee (PRPC) – Report: accept & discuss project recommendations. Ann prepared a spreadsheet of all the proposed projects, and these were each reviewed noting the money proposed for each. (To view full report click on this link: https://bit.ly/3PCxulK ) AJ explained how the committee selected the overall criteria, projects, etc. He went on to explain the top projects and how they were arrived at. Ann presented the scope of work estimates for the Town Hall Shelter. The Board then reviewed each of the top priorities prepared by the PRPC and how much money the Committee anticipated for each project. Ann asked the Board to obtain updated figures to present at another meeting.
2. Grant Writer – proposal for recreational grant. Ann said she has been speaking with the grant writer. The guesstimate for him to do the work is $700 - $800. The work plan was reviewed. The grant he is working on is a Recreational Facilities grant and pertains to the basketball court to include paving and lighting. The lighting was briefly discussed. Joyce moved to sign the proposal. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
3. Fuel Pre-buy. The figures from last year were reviewed. The Board discussed whether the gallons would be the same this year or if they might be different. They decided to prebuy 600 gallons of #2 heating oil at $4.99/gallon for the Town Hall, $2,200 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Fire Department, $3,000 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Town Office Building, and $1,200 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Town Garage. No insurance will be purchased for the #2 fuel oil. Ann moved to accept and authorize the Town Clerk to purchase the prebuy and she will give her the figures. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
4. Town Office – help. Trish would like to hire Janice Stumpf to continue the land records project at $16.85/hour. Funds would come from the Record Preservation Fund. Ann said she asked Trish to produce a job description for the position of Temporary Office Help. Joyce moved to hire Janice. AJ seconded. All in favor.
5. HRA Budgeting. This refers to the Health Savings Account. Ann said that Trish initially thought that an error was made in paying $1,750 at the beginning of the year instead of half the figure
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
July 21, 2022
because of this year having a 6-month budget. However, the HRA functions on a calendar year, so paying the full payment was correct.
6. Cahill property – discussion. This refers to the Doug Brown property at the end of Cahill. There is currently a restriction on the deed which involves the septic system and the Town. The property is up for sale and AJ as Zoning Administrator was asked to review the file. The Town became involved when the Town’s Septic Officer position was active. The State has since taken control of septic issues and there no longer is a Town Septic Officer. AJ said he feels there is a cloud over the title of the property and what it can be used for. He added that it’s possible lawyers could be involved in drafting paperwork and the Town could be involved amending the deed. He feels it’s not a Select Board issue. It’s not a zoning issue. The Town no longer provides septic approval. The buyers should use the property as the deed dictates. AJ moved to have Trish contact the buyer and say the Select Board has discussed the issue and is not taking any action at this time. If they want to move forward with a lawyer to review it, the Town can be approached if there is something the Town needs to do. Ann seconded. All in favor.
7. Town Hall – availability. This has been tabled.
8. Treasurer’s Report – June financials. Ann said she would like to see a 6-month summary. She reviewed the Profit & Loss statements of the various funds. Some line items were discussed and clarified. Joyce made a motion to accept the report. AJ seconded. All in favor.
OTHER BUSINESS: Ann said that the sand shed construction is back on track. Fittings will be poured on Saturday followed by the rest of the project. An issue with the rafters was noted and discussed.
NEXT REGULAR MEETING: August 18, 2002 at 6pm, Town Hall.
As there was no further business to discuss, Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:18pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf, Secretary
Approved: August 18, 2022
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/3PSbMKi
DATE: July 21, 2022
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Sarah Danly, Brett Yates (via Teams)
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: July 11, 2022 Special Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Park-n-Ride – Improvements
2. Citizens’ Complaints/Concerns – Gaston Noise Complaint
3. VT Community Leadership Summit
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion
2. Warning Road Signs – follow up
3. Speed Signs – feedback update
4. Town Office – elevator
5. Buy-Out – Frankel property update
6. Permits & Licenses – Municipal Roads General Permit re: new project guidelines
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Pittsfield Rescue Plan Committee (PRPC)– Report: accept & discuss project recommendations
2. Grant Writer – proposal for recreational grant
3. Fuel Pre-buy
4. Town Office – help
5. HRA Budgeting
6. Cahill property – discussion
7. Town Hall – availability
8. Treasurer’s Report – June financials
NEXT REGULAR MEETING: August 18, 2002 at 6pm, Town Hall
ADJOURN:
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:01pm. Joyce moved to approve the Minutes of the July 11, 2022 Special Meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor.
Ann introduced Sarah Danly, the coordinator for the White River Valley Consortium (WRVC) Working Communities Challenge. Ann then motioned to move OB#1 to the top of the agenda. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
July 21, 2022
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion. Sarah Danly presented background history on the Consortium, how it came to be and when, and what they hoped to accomplish. The program serves fourteen towns, including Pittsfield. The Consortium has been awarded an additional three-year grant and technical assistance through the Working Communities Challenge to work on increasing housing for entry-level workforce and beginning entrepreneurs. The grant is for $310,000 over three years. Vital Communities is the backbone and will be managing the money. The money includes money for a grant manager, grant writing, as well as other expenses. The topic of housing is their number one interest as well as how it relates to other issues. The group has one year to implement a work plan. The Consortium’s steering (core) committee is working with the Federal Reserve Bank staff to offer a workshop for the fourteen town governments. There hope is it to have at least one representative attend. The workshop entitled “What does it mean to be a part of the Working Communities Challenge?” was held on Thursday, June 30th in the evening. Throughout 2022, WRVC will be reaching out to additional organizations and community members who want to join this effort. Items to address include identifying different roles we can play, supporting some quicker projects that are ready to go with little extra support, and identifying larger initiatives to work on together in the following two years and beyond. To join their e-list: vitalcommunities.org/the-white-river-valley-. To contact Sarah directly, [email protected]. The Board thanked Sarah for attending and presenting information on the Consortium.
Ann wondered if an appointed position could be created to ensure a representative. Joyce added that she had some people in mind who would be interested and will contact them.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Park-n-Ride – Improvements. This is a notification from VTrans soliciting proposals for improvements of small park-n-ride facilities. It is not for the maintenance of existing lots. Accepted as notification and file.
2. Citizens’ Complaints/Concerns – Gaston Noise Complaint. The property in question is in the Highwood Homeowners Association. Ann stated that HOA’s Board of Directors has received additional complaints regarding the property and are taking action as there are a number of violations on the HOA’s covenants. The property’s owner has been contacted and is aware of the situation. Ann asked that the Select Board be kept informed of any action taken. This letter will be kept on file.
3. VT Community Leadership Summit. The Vermont Council of Rural Development is asking to identify local leaders to attend a workshop on August 10th at the Vermont Technical College (VTC). Ann said she would reach out to Betty Warner and let VTC know who will be attending.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. White River Valley Consortium – Discussion (See above)
2. Warning Road Signs – follow up. Townsend Brook and Tozier Hill. George has indicated that the road is a private drive as well as the town line, so no signage can be placed. No further action by the Board.
3. Speed Signs – feedback update. Ann stated that counters have been in place for several weeks. The Town just needs to show that a speed study has been performed before applying for the permit.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
July 21, 2022
4. Town Office – elevator. Ann said that the elevator and lift have been fixed and a claim to the insurance company has been filed. There is a $1,000 deductible. The annual inspections were also performed. Payment will be made as a line-item expense.
5. Buy-Out – Frankel property update. The State Mitigation Officer sent the paperwork that needs to be completed. The question of whether the recent reappraisal figure can be used in lieu of hiring an appraiser. Ann said she will inquire about this. The Feds totally reimburse the project. AJ moved that the Select Board sign the three documents regarding the buyout of the Frankel property. Joyce seconded the motion. All in favor.
6. Permits & Licenses – Municipal Roads General Permit re: new project guidelines. Ann provided some background on the MRGP. TRORC has completed the paperwork and inventory listing priorities for the last two years. They are no longer providing this service to the Towns. The Towns will now have to be the ones. George has indicated he does not want to be involved in this. However, Ann added, TRORC can be hired to continue performing this service. Discussion of this as being a budget item or not. Ann said the State will provide grant money to cover administrative costs. AJ said he would like the Town to continue its relationship with TRORC. AJ moved that Ann follow up with TRORC and say we are interested and would like to invite them and George to attend a meeting in a few months. In the meantime, the Board can go over the list of projects. Ann seconded the motion. All in favor.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Pittsfield Rescue Plan Committee (PRPC) – Report: accept & discuss project recommendations. Ann prepared a spreadsheet of all the proposed projects, and these were each reviewed noting the money proposed for each. (To view full report click on this link: https://bit.ly/3PCxulK ) AJ explained how the committee selected the overall criteria, projects, etc. He went on to explain the top projects and how they were arrived at. Ann presented the scope of work estimates for the Town Hall Shelter. The Board then reviewed each of the top priorities prepared by the PRPC and how much money the Committee anticipated for each project. Ann asked the Board to obtain updated figures to present at another meeting.
2. Grant Writer – proposal for recreational grant. Ann said she has been speaking with the grant writer. The guesstimate for him to do the work is $700 - $800. The work plan was reviewed. The grant he is working on is a Recreational Facilities grant and pertains to the basketball court to include paving and lighting. The lighting was briefly discussed. Joyce moved to sign the proposal. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
3. Fuel Pre-buy. The figures from last year were reviewed. The Board discussed whether the gallons would be the same this year or if they might be different. They decided to prebuy 600 gallons of #2 heating oil at $4.99/gallon for the Town Hall, $2,200 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Fire Department, $3,000 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Town Office Building, and $1,200 worth of propane at $2.61/gallon for the Town Garage. No insurance will be purchased for the #2 fuel oil. Ann moved to accept and authorize the Town Clerk to purchase the prebuy and she will give her the figures. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
4. Town Office – help. Trish would like to hire Janice Stumpf to continue the land records project at $16.85/hour. Funds would come from the Record Preservation Fund. Ann said she asked Trish to produce a job description for the position of Temporary Office Help. Joyce moved to hire Janice. AJ seconded. All in favor.
5. HRA Budgeting. This refers to the Health Savings Account. Ann said that Trish initially thought that an error was made in paying $1,750 at the beginning of the year instead of half the figure
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
July 21, 2022
because of this year having a 6-month budget. However, the HRA functions on a calendar year, so paying the full payment was correct.
6. Cahill property – discussion. This refers to the Doug Brown property at the end of Cahill. There is currently a restriction on the deed which involves the septic system and the Town. The property is up for sale and AJ as Zoning Administrator was asked to review the file. The Town became involved when the Town’s Septic Officer position was active. The State has since taken control of septic issues and there no longer is a Town Septic Officer. AJ said he feels there is a cloud over the title of the property and what it can be used for. He added that it’s possible lawyers could be involved in drafting paperwork and the Town could be involved amending the deed. He feels it’s not a Select Board issue. It’s not a zoning issue. The Town no longer provides septic approval. The buyers should use the property as the deed dictates. AJ moved to have Trish contact the buyer and say the Select Board has discussed the issue and is not taking any action at this time. If they want to move forward with a lawyer to review it, the Town can be approached if there is something the Town needs to do. Ann seconded. All in favor.
7. Town Hall – availability. This has been tabled.
8. Treasurer’s Report – June financials. Ann said she would like to see a 6-month summary. She reviewed the Profit & Loss statements of the various funds. Some line items were discussed and clarified. Joyce made a motion to accept the report. AJ seconded. All in favor.
OTHER BUSINESS: Ann said that the sand shed construction is back on track. Fittings will be poured on Saturday followed by the rest of the project. An issue with the rafters was noted and discussed.
NEXT REGULAR MEETING: August 18, 2002 at 6pm, Town Hall.
As there was no further business to discuss, Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:18pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf, Secretary
Approved: August 18, 2022
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
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