Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes
DRAFT
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/4epn2JP
DATE: November 7, 2024
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Brett Yates via Teams
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS: OB#6 CD Renewal; OB#7 TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report; NB#5 Donation of Chairs; NB#6 Grants in Aid
MINUTES APPROVAL: October 17, 2024 Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Haskins re: court lights
2. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Simister re: tree removal
3. ACT 250 Jurisdictional Opinion re: Schweitzer
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Town Attorney – Update
2. TRORC – DRAFT of Regional Plan
3. Insurance – Pittsfield EMS
4. Grant – MERP Implementation Grant Update
5. Recreation – Facilities Grant
6. Finance – CD Renewal
7. Budget – TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Maintenance – asphalt recycling; PACIF grant Town Office project
2. Village Green – tree removal/new
3. Town Buildings – Fire Extinguisher Service
4. Mutual Aid – Agreement
5. Donation – Chairs
6. Grants – Grants in Aid
ADJOURN:
NEXT MEETINGS:
Budget: November 14, 2024 Town Office 5:00pm
Regular: November 21, 2024 Town Hall 5:30pm
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:31pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann presented some Agenda Modifications (see above). Ann moved to accept. Joyce seconded. All in favor. AJ moved to accept the Minutes for the October 17, 2024 Regular Meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
October 17, 2024
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Haskins re: court lights. Ann said that the Board received a letter from Patty Haskins with concern about the lights at night. She felt that if no one is currently using the court after dark they are turned off. Discussion. Ann said that currently the lights shut off at 9pm but could be reduced to 7pm. It was felt that when ice skating resumes, they increase to 9pm again. Ann moved that the lights be adjusted to 7pm and then when the winter progresses, then they can be adjusted. AJ seconded. All in favor.
2. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Simister re: tree removal. Ann said that this is for the records that Erica asked Trish about removing all the trees that had been cut down. Joyce noted that Green Mountain Power was not going to take the cut wood but if anyone wants to take it, it’s free for the taking. George removed most of it.
3. ACT 250 Jurisdictional Opinion re: Schweitzer. Kenneth Schweitzer asked for a jurisdictional opinion of whether he needed an Act 250 permit to develop property. He wants to build a 480 square foot off grid guest house on property located on Route 100. The opinion states that an Act 250 permit is not needed as the development is not commercial. The Board expressed concern that the property was in the flood plain. The Board felt that AJ as Zoning Administrator could reach out to Kenny and talk to him about this. It was also felt that these ACT 250 decisions should go to the Listers.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Town Attorney – Update. AJ said that he has not heard back yet.
2. TRORC – DRAFT of Regional Plan. Mark Stugart sent an email to the Board stating that he attended the TRORC meeting via Zoom but didn’t come away with any specific recommendations or comments that the Board would want to submit. There were some suggested edits/additions made by attendees. They suggested promoting a communal “maker” space which would help new companies. They also suggested there should be a definition/classification for the poverty levels. A recommendation should be made in the Natural Resources section regarding the use of federally funded grants to improve the study of groundwater quality, pollutants, etc. It was also felt that “weatherization” was a very vague term. AJ and Ann thanked the Planning Commission for their efforts in this and they will discuss this at their next meeting. As a side note, they are going to welcome a new proposed member to the Commission. They are going to talk with her and it’s Rose O’Brien. Ann said she thanked them for this information and will put her on our agenda for the next regular meeting as an official appointment.
3. Insurance – Pittsfield EMS. Ann wanted to put this on the record and say that the Board received a letter regarding insurance coverage for Pittsfield’s EMS. PACIF is asking that the town get something in writing from WRVA stating that people who are EMS certified will be insured for workers’ comp and liability insurance through WRVA, not the Town of Pittsfield. There has been talk about putting together a class for certification. PACIF also needs to determine if the Pittsfield First Responders currently hold a valid license from the Vermont Department of Health. Dave Colton was under the impression that the EMS was operating under the WRVA license. Matt Parrish of WRVA did indicate that the only person that is legally able to offer emergency care is Rachel Hunt and that is because she is employed by WRVA. AJ moved to have Ann send the letter to Matt and request advice on how it should be answered. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
November 7, 2024
4. Grant – MERP Implementation Grant Update. There was supposed to be an answer on this grant of $240,000 on October 25 to get Town Office heat pumps and other things. That hasn’t happened. Ann said she would let the Board know when the announcement Is made.
5. Recreation – Facilities Grant. Ann announced that the recreation grant is closed. She wanted it on the record that we received $12,139.70 that will go into the Recreation Reserve Fund.
6. Finance – CD Renewal. Ann wanted it on the record that the bank changed its funds. The Board had agreed to roll over the principal and interest in the Reappraisal Fund, which is $16,837.85 while adding a $1,500 deposit. The terms were changed from 3 months at 4.5% to 6 months at 4%. AJ moved to approve this change. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
7. Budget – TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report. Ann said that she looked at the report and edited some of the most obvious changes. She asked the members to look the report over and then discuss it at the next regular meeting. She noted that some of the information used in the report was outdated. What really needs to be looked at is the difference in the town buildings. Geena Baber grouped the town office, library, and town hall together and she confused the Town Hall Building Fund with the Town Office Building Maintenance Fund. Issues with the Mack truck were discussed with George and a 10-year plan needs to be started. Ann said she was under the impression that the Equipment Fund for the Fire Department was specifically for gear, but the report included the scuba gear. Issues with the replacement of assorted items were discussed and some additional details need to be obtained. Discussion. This will be revisited at the next regular meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Maintenance – asphalt recycling; PACIF grant Town Office project. There was a question regarding the asphalt recycling payment being taken from the Paving Fund. Joyce said she spoke with Trish, and this was actually a purchase by George for a project. It will be taken out of highway budget instead of Paving Reserve. The Town received $1,000 from the PACIF grant for the Town Office. Discussion. Ann suggested that all the invoices and estimates be brought to the next regular meeting to compare all of the project bids and make a decision on moving forward.
2. Village Green – tree removal/new. There are 2 sugar maples on Village Green Route 100 that need to be taken down and Two other trees in the Cemetery that need pruning. There was some discussion as to where the funds for the tree work will come from. Ann moved to accept Trees, Inc.’s proposal and engage with the $1,250 taken from the tree fund for park’s General Fund and investigate where to take the $1,350 from for the Cemetery. AJ seconded. All in favor.
3. Town Buildings – Fire Extinguisher Service. George saw Marble Valley and spoke to them about recharging the extinguisher at the Town Garage. Invoice will be sent to the Town. Ann got Marble Valley pricing sheets that will be discussed at next Budget Meeting.
4. Mutual Aid – Agreement. Ann explained that when the roadside mowing was previously discussed,mthe Board talked about the possibility of getting together with other towns or renting/leasing/buying a mower. Ann said that in the Minutes of the TAP meeting, she noticed that there was a public
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
November 7, 2024
works emergency mutual aid agreement on the agenda. She spoke with Rita at TRORC and was told that towns use this when they need to work out emergency or non-emergency agreements to share equipment, labor, etc. Ann said It’s something for us to think about as George explores potential sharing a roadside mower with other towns.
5. Donation – Chairs. An email from Mark Stugart was received offering about a dozen chairs. Discussion. It was decided not to accept the offer primarily because of the storage space needed for them.
6. Grants – Grants in Aid. This is reimbursement paperwork for the municipal Grants in Aid. There were three projects that were done for the municipal roads grant. The town was awarded $10,000 this year and $1,000 was spent on TRORC’s assistance. The project deadline was September 30th but was actually completed in July. The reimbursement application needs to be submitted by December 15th. George said that a total of $22,495 was spent on these three projects but the town will only receive $10,000. Ann moved to have the Chair sign and submit. AJ seconded. All in favor.
OTHER:
· Ann asked the Secretary about stamps that she had requested from Trish for mailing. They were for sending out donation request letters to those that didn’t have an email address or whose email was not valid.
· The Listers will be attending the next budget meeting. They have turned in their budget, but the Board would like some information on how much they’ve spent and how much more they plan to do. The Board hasn’t heard from the Fire Department yet. They could come to the next November budget meeting, then the Library comes in early December.
· The Board was made aware that the new owner of Keith Mills’ house has two horses and two donkeys. Also, pigs, chickens, and a rooster. There may be a problem with a neighbor because of the rooster, so the Board should keep this in mind.
NEXT MEETINGS:
Budget: November 14, 2024 Town Office 5:00pm
Regular: November 21, 2024 Town Hall 5:30pm
ADJOURN: As there was no further business to conduct, Ann moved to close the meeting at 6:52pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Approved:
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
DRAFT
To listen to a recording of the meeting please click here: https://bit.ly/4epn2JP
DATE: November 7, 2024
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Brett Yates via Teams
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS: OB#6 CD Renewal; OB#7 TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report; NB#5 Donation of Chairs; NB#6 Grants in Aid
MINUTES APPROVAL: October 17, 2024 Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Haskins re: court lights
2. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Simister re: tree removal
3. ACT 250 Jurisdictional Opinion re: Schweitzer
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Town Attorney – Update
2. TRORC – DRAFT of Regional Plan
3. Insurance – Pittsfield EMS
4. Grant – MERP Implementation Grant Update
5. Recreation – Facilities Grant
6. Finance – CD Renewal
7. Budget – TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Maintenance – asphalt recycling; PACIF grant Town Office project
2. Village Green – tree removal/new
3. Town Buildings – Fire Extinguisher Service
4. Mutual Aid – Agreement
5. Donation – Chairs
6. Grants – Grants in Aid
ADJOURN:
NEXT MEETINGS:
Budget: November 14, 2024 Town Office 5:00pm
Regular: November 21, 2024 Town Hall 5:30pm
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:31pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann presented some Agenda Modifications (see above). Ann moved to accept. Joyce seconded. All in favor. AJ moved to accept the Minutes for the October 17, 2024 Regular Meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
October 17, 2024
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Haskins re: court lights. Ann said that the Board received a letter from Patty Haskins with concern about the lights at night. She felt that if no one is currently using the court after dark they are turned off. Discussion. Ann said that currently the lights shut off at 9pm but could be reduced to 7pm. It was felt that when ice skating resumes, they increase to 9pm again. Ann moved that the lights be adjusted to 7pm and then when the winter progresses, then they can be adjusted. AJ seconded. All in favor.
2. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Simister re: tree removal. Ann said that this is for the records that Erica asked Trish about removing all the trees that had been cut down. Joyce noted that Green Mountain Power was not going to take the cut wood but if anyone wants to take it, it’s free for the taking. George removed most of it.
3. ACT 250 Jurisdictional Opinion re: Schweitzer. Kenneth Schweitzer asked for a jurisdictional opinion of whether he needed an Act 250 permit to develop property. He wants to build a 480 square foot off grid guest house on property located on Route 100. The opinion states that an Act 250 permit is not needed as the development is not commercial. The Board expressed concern that the property was in the flood plain. The Board felt that AJ as Zoning Administrator could reach out to Kenny and talk to him about this. It was also felt that these ACT 250 decisions should go to the Listers.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Town Attorney – Update. AJ said that he has not heard back yet.
2. TRORC – DRAFT of Regional Plan. Mark Stugart sent an email to the Board stating that he attended the TRORC meeting via Zoom but didn’t come away with any specific recommendations or comments that the Board would want to submit. There were some suggested edits/additions made by attendees. They suggested promoting a communal “maker” space which would help new companies. They also suggested there should be a definition/classification for the poverty levels. A recommendation should be made in the Natural Resources section regarding the use of federally funded grants to improve the study of groundwater quality, pollutants, etc. It was also felt that “weatherization” was a very vague term. AJ and Ann thanked the Planning Commission for their efforts in this and they will discuss this at their next meeting. As a side note, they are going to welcome a new proposed member to the Commission. They are going to talk with her and it’s Rose O’Brien. Ann said she thanked them for this information and will put her on our agenda for the next regular meeting as an official appointment.
3. Insurance – Pittsfield EMS. Ann wanted to put this on the record and say that the Board received a letter regarding insurance coverage for Pittsfield’s EMS. PACIF is asking that the town get something in writing from WRVA stating that people who are EMS certified will be insured for workers’ comp and liability insurance through WRVA, not the Town of Pittsfield. There has been talk about putting together a class for certification. PACIF also needs to determine if the Pittsfield First Responders currently hold a valid license from the Vermont Department of Health. Dave Colton was under the impression that the EMS was operating under the WRVA license. Matt Parrish of WRVA did indicate that the only person that is legally able to offer emergency care is Rachel Hunt and that is because she is employed by WRVA. AJ moved to have Ann send the letter to Matt and request advice on how it should be answered. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
November 7, 2024
4. Grant – MERP Implementation Grant Update. There was supposed to be an answer on this grant of $240,000 on October 25 to get Town Office heat pumps and other things. That hasn’t happened. Ann said she would let the Board know when the announcement Is made.
5. Recreation – Facilities Grant. Ann announced that the recreation grant is closed. She wanted it on the record that we received $12,139.70 that will go into the Recreation Reserve Fund.
6. Finance – CD Renewal. Ann wanted it on the record that the bank changed its funds. The Board had agreed to roll over the principal and interest in the Reappraisal Fund, which is $16,837.85 while adding a $1,500 deposit. The terms were changed from 3 months at 4.5% to 6 months at 4%. AJ moved to approve this change. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
7. Budget – TRORC Capital Budget and Program Report. Ann said that she looked at the report and edited some of the most obvious changes. She asked the members to look the report over and then discuss it at the next regular meeting. She noted that some of the information used in the report was outdated. What really needs to be looked at is the difference in the town buildings. Geena Baber grouped the town office, library, and town hall together and she confused the Town Hall Building Fund with the Town Office Building Maintenance Fund. Issues with the Mack truck were discussed with George and a 10-year plan needs to be started. Ann said she was under the impression that the Equipment Fund for the Fire Department was specifically for gear, but the report included the scuba gear. Issues with the replacement of assorted items were discussed and some additional details need to be obtained. Discussion. This will be revisited at the next regular meeting.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Maintenance – asphalt recycling; PACIF grant Town Office project. There was a question regarding the asphalt recycling payment being taken from the Paving Fund. Joyce said she spoke with Trish, and this was actually a purchase by George for a project. It will be taken out of highway budget instead of Paving Reserve. The Town received $1,000 from the PACIF grant for the Town Office. Discussion. Ann suggested that all the invoices and estimates be brought to the next regular meeting to compare all of the project bids and make a decision on moving forward.
2. Village Green – tree removal/new. There are 2 sugar maples on Village Green Route 100 that need to be taken down and Two other trees in the Cemetery that need pruning. There was some discussion as to where the funds for the tree work will come from. Ann moved to accept Trees, Inc.’s proposal and engage with the $1,250 taken from the tree fund for park’s General Fund and investigate where to take the $1,350 from for the Cemetery. AJ seconded. All in favor.
3. Town Buildings – Fire Extinguisher Service. George saw Marble Valley and spoke to them about recharging the extinguisher at the Town Garage. Invoice will be sent to the Town. Ann got Marble Valley pricing sheets that will be discussed at next Budget Meeting.
4. Mutual Aid – Agreement. Ann explained that when the roadside mowing was previously discussed,mthe Board talked about the possibility of getting together with other towns or renting/leasing/buying a mower. Ann said that in the Minutes of the TAP meeting, she noticed that there was a public
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
November 7, 2024
works emergency mutual aid agreement on the agenda. She spoke with Rita at TRORC and was told that towns use this when they need to work out emergency or non-emergency agreements to share equipment, labor, etc. Ann said It’s something for us to think about as George explores potential sharing a roadside mower with other towns.
5. Donation – Chairs. An email from Mark Stugart was received offering about a dozen chairs. Discussion. It was decided not to accept the offer primarily because of the storage space needed for them.
6. Grants – Grants in Aid. This is reimbursement paperwork for the municipal Grants in Aid. There were three projects that were done for the municipal roads grant. The town was awarded $10,000 this year and $1,000 was spent on TRORC’s assistance. The project deadline was September 30th but was actually completed in July. The reimbursement application needs to be submitted by December 15th. George said that a total of $22,495 was spent on these three projects but the town will only receive $10,000. Ann moved to have the Chair sign and submit. AJ seconded. All in favor.
OTHER:
· Ann asked the Secretary about stamps that she had requested from Trish for mailing. They were for sending out donation request letters to those that didn’t have an email address or whose email was not valid.
· The Listers will be attending the next budget meeting. They have turned in their budget, but the Board would like some information on how much they’ve spent and how much more they plan to do. The Board hasn’t heard from the Fire Department yet. They could come to the next November budget meeting, then the Library comes in early December.
· The Board was made aware that the new owner of Keith Mills’ house has two horses and two donkeys. Also, pigs, chickens, and a rooster. There may be a problem with a neighbor because of the rooster, so the Board should keep this in mind.
NEXT MEETINGS:
Budget: November 14, 2024 Town Office 5:00pm
Regular: November 21, 2024 Town Hall 5:30pm
ADJOURN: As there was no further business to conduct, Ann moved to close the meeting at 6:52pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Approved:
/ /
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens A.J. Ruben
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