PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
DATE: October 21, 2021
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, AJ Ruben. Joyce Stevens
PUBLIC PRESENT: Robert Leitch, and Brett Yates via TEAMS
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 7, 2021, Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1.Health Officer – dog bite report
2.Resignation – Energy Coordinator
OLD BUSINESS:
1.National Opioids Settlement – update
2.Class 4 Roads – work permits
NEW BUSINESS:
1.Appointments – Town Office Vacancies
2.Town Hall – Life Battery
3.Town Hall – Reserve Fund Allocation
4.Town Garage – EC Fiber
5.Insurance – MVP Health Insurance renewal
6.Executive Session – Evaluation of a Public Officer
7.September Financials – Treasurers’ Report
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1.Budget MeetingOctober 26, 2021 @5:00pm
2.Regular Meeting November 4, 2021 @ 6:00pm
ADJOURNMENT
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
October 21, 2021
Ann called the meeting to order at 6:03pm. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:Ann presented the resignation of the Energy Coordinator as C2 and the Culvert 33 Sale NB6. Joyce suggested taking NB6 out of order and making it the last item so that the Secretary didn’t have to be outside until the regular meeting resumed. The others agreed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: AJ moved to approve the Regular Minutes of the October 7, 2021 meeting. Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Health Officer – dog bite report. This incident occurred on October 12, 2021. Ann said she contacted Rebecca Steward, the former Health Officer, to see if she knew why Gifford indicated Pittsfield. She had no further information. She placed a call to the victim Sean Lewis but has not heard back. If she doesn’t hear from him soon, she said she would call the dog’s owner who has a second home in Pittsfield.
2. Resignation – Energy Coordinator. Ann said she received the resignation from Matt Corron who indicated that he didn’t have the time to devote to this position. Ann moved to accept Matt’s resignation. Seconded by AJ. All in favor. There was a brief discussion as to this position. AJ said he recently attended the Planning Commission meeting and said that many towns have an Energy Committee in lieu of a single person. This could be considered in the future. The position is not mandated for an immediate replacement so will be addressed after Town Meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. National Opioids Settlement – update. Ann spoke with VLCT, and it was suggested she contact the Attorney General’s office. The issue has not really affected Pittsfield. Ann passed out a handout highlighting aspects of the settlement. She suggested that the Board members look it over and added that Pittsfield might register.
2. Class 4 Roads – work permits. Ann provided some background and referred to the handout “Model Class 4 Highway Policy and Guidance” from VLCT. Typically, anyone wanting to make an improvement to a Class 4 road speaks with Road Commissioner George Deblon and apply for a permit. The only one the town now requires is a Driveway Permit. Joyce asked about the overweight permits for trucks. Ann felt that they may be obtained from the State and George may receive a copy. She added that George would need to know if heavy equipment is going to be on the roads, in which case a Class 4 permit might not be necessary. Ann suggested speaking with George for his input on whether the town should create a policy or not. Ann moved to table this until more is known. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Bob Leitch was asked for his input. He said that his concern was what would be happening going forward and simply doesn’t know what to expect when he next goes to his property.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
October 21, 2021
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Appointments – Town Office Vacancies. Ann said she has had several conversations with Anne Muller. She had submitted a bio to the Board, and it was felt she would be a good fit for the Auditors’ position as she is retired and has experience. Ann moved to appoint Anne Muller to the position of Auditor which was vacated by Rebecca Steward. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Ann also said that she approached Cathy Capetta about the Health Officer position and Cathy is considering it.
2. Town Hall – Life Battery. It was discovered recently that the battery which is dedicated to the lift had been drained when power to the building was turned off for some work that was being done. It was not made known that the lift has its own power shut-off. Ann suggested having a sign/s made indicating to anyone turning off the main power that they also need to turn off the power to the lift. Where to locate the sign/s was discussed. Cost of battery to be taken from the Town Office maintenance line item.
3. Town Hall – Reserve Fund Allocation. Joyce said that she spoke with Trish and the money has been transferred. For the record, AJ moved to authorize Trish to move the money. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
4. Town Garage – EC Fiber. Trish provided figures to the Board as to the cost for EC Fiber to set the Town Garage up with their service for phone and internet. Currently Consolidated Communications is providing those services. George has indicated that the internet is spotty and when it rains it is not there at all. EC Fiber assessed the area, and a conduit will need to be utilized. George has indicated that there is one in place and will speak with EC Fiber to see if this can be used. Ann was asked if there would be additional costs to the figure of $103.82. It was decided to table this until more information could be obtained regarding the conduit and the phone/internet charges.
5. Insurance – MVP Health Insurance renewal. AJ moved to have Trish renew the policy with MVP Healthcare. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
6. September Financials – Treasurers’ Report. AJ said he had a question about what was done with the recent tax sale money ($19,000). Joyce said she felt it was income after expenses. Joyce said she also talked with Trish about the figures for fuel. It turned out that they had been reversed and are now corrected. She also questioned the fact that all moneys go to the General Fund and are then disbursed to the appropriate fund. Ann moved to accept the September report. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
7. Culvert 33 – Sale. Ann said that George was approached by Tweed Valley Travelers who wanted to purchase the culvert. The result was this: Champlain Construction felt that since Pittsfield was willing to take one section, they might as well take both. Tweed Valley Travelers will pick up the two sections from Champlain Construction and pay the Town $500 for each section. The Board discussed where the money should be deposited. AJ moved to approve the sale of the culverts. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
October 21, 2021
The regular meeting was adjourned at 6:59and Ann moved to go into Executive Session to consider a merit raise for the Town Clerk/Treasurer per 1 V.S.A. § 313 (a) (3). Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
8. Executive Session – Evaluation of a Public Officer.
Executive Session ended at 7:17 and the regular meeting resumed. AJ moved to authorize the payment of a one-time bonus of $750 to the Town Clerk as a thank you for her hard work, but declined her request for an extra raise in salary. Joyce seconded. All in favor. The board will have further discussion about whether to adopt personnel policies for implementing merit pay for town employees.
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Budget Meeting October 26, 2021 @5:00pm Town Office
2. Regular Meeting November 4, 2021 @ 6:00pm Town Hall
As there was not further business to discuss, Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:19pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf, Secretary
Approved: November 4, 2021
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
DATE: October 21, 2021
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, AJ Ruben. Joyce Stevens
PUBLIC PRESENT: Robert Leitch, and Brett Yates via TEAMS
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 7, 2021, Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1.Health Officer – dog bite report
2.Resignation – Energy Coordinator
OLD BUSINESS:
1.National Opioids Settlement – update
2.Class 4 Roads – work permits
NEW BUSINESS:
1.Appointments – Town Office Vacancies
2.Town Hall – Life Battery
3.Town Hall – Reserve Fund Allocation
4.Town Garage – EC Fiber
5.Insurance – MVP Health Insurance renewal
6.Executive Session – Evaluation of a Public Officer
7.September Financials – Treasurers’ Report
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1.Budget MeetingOctober 26, 2021 @5:00pm
2.Regular Meeting November 4, 2021 @ 6:00pm
ADJOURNMENT
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
October 21, 2021
Ann called the meeting to order at 6:03pm. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:Ann presented the resignation of the Energy Coordinator as C2 and the Culvert 33 Sale NB6. Joyce suggested taking NB6 out of order and making it the last item so that the Secretary didn’t have to be outside until the regular meeting resumed. The others agreed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: AJ moved to approve the Regular Minutes of the October 7, 2021 meeting. Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Health Officer – dog bite report. This incident occurred on October 12, 2021. Ann said she contacted Rebecca Steward, the former Health Officer, to see if she knew why Gifford indicated Pittsfield. She had no further information. She placed a call to the victim Sean Lewis but has not heard back. If she doesn’t hear from him soon, she said she would call the dog’s owner who has a second home in Pittsfield.
2. Resignation – Energy Coordinator. Ann said she received the resignation from Matt Corron who indicated that he didn’t have the time to devote to this position. Ann moved to accept Matt’s resignation. Seconded by AJ. All in favor. There was a brief discussion as to this position. AJ said he recently attended the Planning Commission meeting and said that many towns have an Energy Committee in lieu of a single person. This could be considered in the future. The position is not mandated for an immediate replacement so will be addressed after Town Meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. National Opioids Settlement – update. Ann spoke with VLCT, and it was suggested she contact the Attorney General’s office. The issue has not really affected Pittsfield. Ann passed out a handout highlighting aspects of the settlement. She suggested that the Board members look it over and added that Pittsfield might register.
2. Class 4 Roads – work permits. Ann provided some background and referred to the handout “Model Class 4 Highway Policy and Guidance” from VLCT. Typically, anyone wanting to make an improvement to a Class 4 road speaks with Road Commissioner George Deblon and apply for a permit. The only one the town now requires is a Driveway Permit. Joyce asked about the overweight permits for trucks. Ann felt that they may be obtained from the State and George may receive a copy. She added that George would need to know if heavy equipment is going to be on the roads, in which case a Class 4 permit might not be necessary. Ann suggested speaking with George for his input on whether the town should create a policy or not. Ann moved to table this until more is known. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Bob Leitch was asked for his input. He said that his concern was what would be happening going forward and simply doesn’t know what to expect when he next goes to his property.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
October 21, 2021
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Appointments – Town Office Vacancies. Ann said she has had several conversations with Anne Muller. She had submitted a bio to the Board, and it was felt she would be a good fit for the Auditors’ position as she is retired and has experience. Ann moved to appoint Anne Muller to the position of Auditor which was vacated by Rebecca Steward. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Ann also said that she approached Cathy Capetta about the Health Officer position and Cathy is considering it.
2. Town Hall – Life Battery. It was discovered recently that the battery which is dedicated to the lift had been drained when power to the building was turned off for some work that was being done. It was not made known that the lift has its own power shut-off. Ann suggested having a sign/s made indicating to anyone turning off the main power that they also need to turn off the power to the lift. Where to locate the sign/s was discussed. Cost of battery to be taken from the Town Office maintenance line item.
3. Town Hall – Reserve Fund Allocation. Joyce said that she spoke with Trish and the money has been transferred. For the record, AJ moved to authorize Trish to move the money. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
4. Town Garage – EC Fiber. Trish provided figures to the Board as to the cost for EC Fiber to set the Town Garage up with their service for phone and internet. Currently Consolidated Communications is providing those services. George has indicated that the internet is spotty and when it rains it is not there at all. EC Fiber assessed the area, and a conduit will need to be utilized. George has indicated that there is one in place and will speak with EC Fiber to see if this can be used. Ann was asked if there would be additional costs to the figure of $103.82. It was decided to table this until more information could be obtained regarding the conduit and the phone/internet charges.
5. Insurance – MVP Health Insurance renewal. AJ moved to have Trish renew the policy with MVP Healthcare. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
6. September Financials – Treasurers’ Report. AJ said he had a question about what was done with the recent tax sale money ($19,000). Joyce said she felt it was income after expenses. Joyce said she also talked with Trish about the figures for fuel. It turned out that they had been reversed and are now corrected. She also questioned the fact that all moneys go to the General Fund and are then disbursed to the appropriate fund. Ann moved to accept the September report. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
7. Culvert 33 – Sale. Ann said that George was approached by Tweed Valley Travelers who wanted to purchase the culvert. The result was this: Champlain Construction felt that since Pittsfield was willing to take one section, they might as well take both. Tweed Valley Travelers will pick up the two sections from Champlain Construction and pay the Town $500 for each section. The Board discussed where the money should be deposited. AJ moved to approve the sale of the culverts. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
October 21, 2021
The regular meeting was adjourned at 6:59and Ann moved to go into Executive Session to consider a merit raise for the Town Clerk/Treasurer per 1 V.S.A. § 313 (a) (3). Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
8. Executive Session – Evaluation of a Public Officer.
Executive Session ended at 7:17 and the regular meeting resumed. AJ moved to authorize the payment of a one-time bonus of $750 to the Town Clerk as a thank you for her hard work, but declined her request for an extra raise in salary. Joyce seconded. All in favor. The board will have further discussion about whether to adopt personnel policies for implementing merit pay for town employees.
NEXT MEETING DATE:
1. Budget Meeting October 26, 2021 @5:00pm Town Office
2. Regular Meeting November 4, 2021 @ 6:00pm Town Hall
As there was not further business to discuss, Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:19pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf, Secretary
Approved: November 4, 2021
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
RSS Feed