PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
To listen to a recording of the meeting, click here: https://bit.ly/46iA3UP
DATE: September 18, 2025
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS: OB#10 – Auditor Schedule
MINUTES APPROVAL: September 4, 2025 Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. VTrans – Training Workshops
2. Grants – Grants in Aid Reimbursement Deadline
3. Grants – grant opportunities VT Dept of Housing
4. EC Fiber – Representative Report
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Grants – Grants in Aid Agreement/Tweed River Drive Projects
2. Firehouse – Fence Installation Update
3. Charge VT – Update; Vehicle Charger estimates
4. Mt. Wilcox Water System – Update
5. Playground – Proposal Update
6. Budget – Hearing Schedule
7. Budget – Letter to Departments
8. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Dumond Tree Removal Request
9. Building Maintenance
10. Auditors – Town Report Schedule
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Grants – MERP Grant Reimbursement
2. TRORC – Regional Meeting
3. Budget – Library Budget Request
4. Executive Session - §313 (a) (1) (E) possible civil litigation/prosecution
ADJOURNMENT:
NEXT MEETING DATES: Thursday, October 2, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
Ann called the meeting of the Select Board to order at 5:32pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Ann presented an agenda modification OB#10 (see above). She moved to accept. AJ seconded.
All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
September 18, 2025
Joyce noted some corrections to the September 4, 2025 Minutes. OB#4 - Joyce said she would obtain a revised window estimate. NB#2 - remove the end of sentence 2 after “breakdown.” Ann moved to accept the proposed amendments to the September 4th Minutes. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann also moved to accept the September 4, 2025 Minutes with changes. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. VTrans – Training Workshops. VTrans is holding a VT local roads workshop on October 7th. Ann put this on the agenda as public notice. She also spoke with George. She added that TRORC has stated that they will be more active regarding transportation and roads issues.
2. Grants – Grants in Aid Reimbursement Deadline. Ann said that TRORC has prepared all the construction and grant paperwork for the Lower Michigan projects She went on to explain how the grant process works. If interested in applying, we send in a letter of interest and in return, they send us the grant agreement. TRORC then works with George, and they go through the inventory of all the hydrologically connected segments. They picked out 3 or 4 construction proposals. A pre-construction proposal is submitted to VTrans for approval. Since this is for FY25, the project couldn’t be started until July 1st. September 30th is when the money spent, including in-kind work, is submitted for reimbursement and it has been sent in. We should receive $7,000. The Town pays for anything over that.
3. Grants – grant opportunities thought VT Dept of Housing. This is a newsletter providing information on Planning Grants. This will be forwarded to the Planning Board and also the Recreation Commission. The applications are due November 3rd.
4. EC Fiber – Representative Report. Ann noted that Diane Deautch is doing a terrific job as Representative. There was a postcard sent recently in the mail referring to EC Fiber’s dealing with another company. Ann said she had received from Diane the copy of a letter that their Board had been sending out. It explains their position. It’s a bit complicated also because the parent company has changed and EC Fiber opted not to renew the current contract which is up in January. Diane suggested that our Board approve and sanction the letter. Ann suggested it be followed up by having Diane post on the Front Page Forum and the Pittsfield Facebook page.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Grants – Grants in Aid Agreement/Tweed River Drive Projects. Ann made a motion to have the Chair sign grant #GA1093 with a total approved amount of $11,500 with a match of $2,875. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann said that 9 segments to bring up to code were identified by TRORC. A pre-construction document was sent to VTrans for approval. Once construction is completed, invoices can be sent to TRORC to prepare the reimbursement paperwork.
2. Firehouse – Fence Installation Update. Ann submitted the latest estimates. She said they should go for a lower estimate and add insurance. The proposal at the last meeting was
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
September 18, 2025
to go with the lower estimate, a non-reinforced installation and take out insurance on the fence in case it is damaged. She said she spoke with PACIF. There was also discussion regarding how far the fence needs to be in the ground. A minimum is 30” but most likely it would be 36”. The Board noted that what started the fencing conversation was the townspeople having strong feelings against the Jersey barriers. The Fire Department expressed their opinion about having a steel fence. Ann recapped the fence issue from the beginning. Discussion. AJ moved that the Board accept the approximately $5,500 bid and that PACIF be asked to insure the fence contingent upon Joyce getting consent from the Fire Department. Joyce seconded. Ann abstained. The motion passed.
3. Charge VT – Update; Vehicle Charger estimates. Joyce said that she went to the Town of Killington, but they could not help, as they didn’t charge a fee. They have solar provide their power. She then spoke with Matt Foley at the Killington Resort, which does charge a fee of $.30/kilowatt/hr. She said that Tesla has one of the lowest rates. It was suggested she contact Green Mountain Power and Efficiency Vermont, which also has grants. Joyce said she would follow up.
4. Mt. Wilcox Water System – Update. Joyce said that Ray Harvey and Greg Martin have come up with a plan to cap the pump house and divert the water to Greg’s property. The Board said they would need a proposal and estimate in writing for the Town from Ray. Ann said she talked with Matt Hunt from ANR and also suggested posting No Trespassing signage to keep people from trying to access the water. AJ said he would follow up with the signage.
5. Playground – Proposal Update. AJ said that he would reach out to Jake and also check out possible grants. This will be added to the next Select Board meeting. There was a brief discussion about possible volunteers to replace a few that have moved, etc.
6. Budget – Hearing Schedule. The Board tentatively approved the schedule.
7. Budget – Letter to Departments. Ann said she would send a draft email to the Secretary for her to send out to the various departments and also to the businesses that the Board donates money to each year. This is also to include a report as to what they have provided, especially if it includes Pittsfield residents. That report is not included in Town Report, but to give the Board a better understanding when it comes to determine donations.
8. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Dumond Tree Removal Request. It was decided to send this concern to Kris Sperber, the Tree Warden, for her approval. The deed will need to be researched. Brian Dumond would like to know what the lot might sell for if the land is available for sale.
9. Building Maintenance. There is still a problem with bikes and skateboards on the basketball court and the possible damage it could cause. It was agreed to obtain some signs to post. Joyce will follow up with this and also have them laminated.
10. Auditors – Town Report Schedule. The Auditor’s timeline was reviewed. The postcard wording was discussed as well as to whom to send them. It was decided to send them to names on the Voter Checklist as well as all taxpayers. Ann expressed concern about transparency, especially for those taxpayers who have no vote. Hard copies will be made
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
September 18, 2025
available on request as well as a link on the Town’s website. The date of the postcard mailing was discussed, and it was decided to send it out earlier, with January 13th a
possibility. The reports would be available for pickup or downloading on February 19, 2026. Ann expressed her wish to proofread the report, which hasn’t always been done in the past. It was felt that the Auditors should be the ones to design the postcard and mail them out. Concern has been raised as to the discretionary funds held by the Fire Department and the Library. Ann researched this with VLCT and the Treasurer’s Handbook and it was determined that it was Town Money and needed to be accounted for. The money would go through the Town and be included in the Auditor’s Report. This includes fundraisers, raffles, grants, etc. The Select Board felt that the Treasurer should send formal notice to Dave Colton regarding the above concerns. AJ moved to accept, and Ann seconded. All in favor.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Grants – MERP Grant Reimbursement. Ann asked Joyce to review this. The amount is $400. She will also follow up and check on this for reimbursement.
2. TRORC – Regional Meeting. TRORC would like to hold a multi town conversation. This will be forwarded to the Planning Commission. The meeting will take place in early November.
3. Budget – Library Budget Request. The money was refunded by the conference. The amount was $638.44. It was determined that it could go back into their budget for 25/26 as revenue income.
Ann adjourned the regular meeting to enter into Executive session at 7:25pm,
4. Executive Session - §313 (a) (1) (E) possible civil litigation/prosecution
Ann moved to come out of Executive Session and resume the Regular Meeting at 7:49pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Ann moved to have the Chair sign the interrogatory for the litigation discussed in Executive Session. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
ADJOURNMENT:
Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:49pm Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATES: Thursday, October 2, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
Approved: October 2, 2025 Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Select Board Secretary
________________________________________________________________
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens AJ Ruben
To listen to a recording of the meeting, click here: https://bit.ly/46iA3UP
DATE: September 18, 2025
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS: OB#10 – Auditor Schedule
MINUTES APPROVAL: September 4, 2025 Regular Meeting
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. VTrans – Training Workshops
2. Grants – Grants in Aid Reimbursement Deadline
3. Grants – grant opportunities VT Dept of Housing
4. EC Fiber – Representative Report
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Grants – Grants in Aid Agreement/Tweed River Drive Projects
2. Firehouse – Fence Installation Update
3. Charge VT – Update; Vehicle Charger estimates
4. Mt. Wilcox Water System – Update
5. Playground – Proposal Update
6. Budget – Hearing Schedule
7. Budget – Letter to Departments
8. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Dumond Tree Removal Request
9. Building Maintenance
10. Auditors – Town Report Schedule
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Grants – MERP Grant Reimbursement
2. TRORC – Regional Meeting
3. Budget – Library Budget Request
4. Executive Session - §313 (a) (1) (E) possible civil litigation/prosecution
ADJOURNMENT:
NEXT MEETING DATES: Thursday, October 2, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
Ann called the meeting of the Select Board to order at 5:32pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
Ann presented an agenda modification OB#10 (see above). She moved to accept. AJ seconded.
All in favor.
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 2
September 18, 2025
Joyce noted some corrections to the September 4, 2025 Minutes. OB#4 - Joyce said she would obtain a revised window estimate. NB#2 - remove the end of sentence 2 after “breakdown.” Ann moved to accept the proposed amendments to the September 4th Minutes. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann also moved to accept the September 4, 2025 Minutes with changes. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
CORRESPONDENCE:
1. VTrans – Training Workshops. VTrans is holding a VT local roads workshop on October 7th. Ann put this on the agenda as public notice. She also spoke with George. She added that TRORC has stated that they will be more active regarding transportation and roads issues.
2. Grants – Grants in Aid Reimbursement Deadline. Ann said that TRORC has prepared all the construction and grant paperwork for the Lower Michigan projects She went on to explain how the grant process works. If interested in applying, we send in a letter of interest and in return, they send us the grant agreement. TRORC then works with George, and they go through the inventory of all the hydrologically connected segments. They picked out 3 or 4 construction proposals. A pre-construction proposal is submitted to VTrans for approval. Since this is for FY25, the project couldn’t be started until July 1st. September 30th is when the money spent, including in-kind work, is submitted for reimbursement and it has been sent in. We should receive $7,000. The Town pays for anything over that.
3. Grants – grant opportunities thought VT Dept of Housing. This is a newsletter providing information on Planning Grants. This will be forwarded to the Planning Board and also the Recreation Commission. The applications are due November 3rd.
4. EC Fiber – Representative Report. Ann noted that Diane Deautch is doing a terrific job as Representative. There was a postcard sent recently in the mail referring to EC Fiber’s dealing with another company. Ann said she had received from Diane the copy of a letter that their Board had been sending out. It explains their position. It’s a bit complicated also because the parent company has changed and EC Fiber opted not to renew the current contract which is up in January. Diane suggested that our Board approve and sanction the letter. Ann suggested it be followed up by having Diane post on the Front Page Forum and the Pittsfield Facebook page.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Grants – Grants in Aid Agreement/Tweed River Drive Projects. Ann made a motion to have the Chair sign grant #GA1093 with a total approved amount of $11,500 with a match of $2,875. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Ann said that 9 segments to bring up to code were identified by TRORC. A pre-construction document was sent to VTrans for approval. Once construction is completed, invoices can be sent to TRORC to prepare the reimbursement paperwork.
2. Firehouse – Fence Installation Update. Ann submitted the latest estimates. She said they should go for a lower estimate and add insurance. The proposal at the last meeting was
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 3
September 18, 2025
to go with the lower estimate, a non-reinforced installation and take out insurance on the fence in case it is damaged. She said she spoke with PACIF. There was also discussion regarding how far the fence needs to be in the ground. A minimum is 30” but most likely it would be 36”. The Board noted that what started the fencing conversation was the townspeople having strong feelings against the Jersey barriers. The Fire Department expressed their opinion about having a steel fence. Ann recapped the fence issue from the beginning. Discussion. AJ moved that the Board accept the approximately $5,500 bid and that PACIF be asked to insure the fence contingent upon Joyce getting consent from the Fire Department. Joyce seconded. Ann abstained. The motion passed.
3. Charge VT – Update; Vehicle Charger estimates. Joyce said that she went to the Town of Killington, but they could not help, as they didn’t charge a fee. They have solar provide their power. She then spoke with Matt Foley at the Killington Resort, which does charge a fee of $.30/kilowatt/hr. She said that Tesla has one of the lowest rates. It was suggested she contact Green Mountain Power and Efficiency Vermont, which also has grants. Joyce said she would follow up.
4. Mt. Wilcox Water System – Update. Joyce said that Ray Harvey and Greg Martin have come up with a plan to cap the pump house and divert the water to Greg’s property. The Board said they would need a proposal and estimate in writing for the Town from Ray. Ann said she talked with Matt Hunt from ANR and also suggested posting No Trespassing signage to keep people from trying to access the water. AJ said he would follow up with the signage.
5. Playground – Proposal Update. AJ said that he would reach out to Jake and also check out possible grants. This will be added to the next Select Board meeting. There was a brief discussion about possible volunteers to replace a few that have moved, etc.
6. Budget – Hearing Schedule. The Board tentatively approved the schedule.
7. Budget – Letter to Departments. Ann said she would send a draft email to the Secretary for her to send out to the various departments and also to the businesses that the Board donates money to each year. This is also to include a report as to what they have provided, especially if it includes Pittsfield residents. That report is not included in Town Report, but to give the Board a better understanding when it comes to determine donations.
8. Citizen Concern/Complaint – Dumond Tree Removal Request. It was decided to send this concern to Kris Sperber, the Tree Warden, for her approval. The deed will need to be researched. Brian Dumond would like to know what the lot might sell for if the land is available for sale.
9. Building Maintenance. There is still a problem with bikes and skateboards on the basketball court and the possible damage it could cause. It was agreed to obtain some signs to post. Joyce will follow up with this and also have them laminated.
10. Auditors – Town Report Schedule. The Auditor’s timeline was reviewed. The postcard wording was discussed as well as to whom to send them. It was decided to send them to names on the Voter Checklist as well as all taxpayers. Ann expressed concern about transparency, especially for those taxpayers who have no vote. Hard copies will be made
Pittsfield Select Board Regular Meeting Minutes page 4
September 18, 2025
available on request as well as a link on the Town’s website. The date of the postcard mailing was discussed, and it was decided to send it out earlier, with January 13th a
possibility. The reports would be available for pickup or downloading on February 19, 2026. Ann expressed her wish to proofread the report, which hasn’t always been done in the past. It was felt that the Auditors should be the ones to design the postcard and mail them out. Concern has been raised as to the discretionary funds held by the Fire Department and the Library. Ann researched this with VLCT and the Treasurer’s Handbook and it was determined that it was Town Money and needed to be accounted for. The money would go through the Town and be included in the Auditor’s Report. This includes fundraisers, raffles, grants, etc. The Select Board felt that the Treasurer should send formal notice to Dave Colton regarding the above concerns. AJ moved to accept, and Ann seconded. All in favor.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Grants – MERP Grant Reimbursement. Ann asked Joyce to review this. The amount is $400. She will also follow up and check on this for reimbursement.
2. TRORC – Regional Meeting. TRORC would like to hold a multi town conversation. This will be forwarded to the Planning Commission. The meeting will take place in early November.
3. Budget – Library Budget Request. The money was refunded by the conference. The amount was $638.44. It was determined that it could go back into their budget for 25/26 as revenue income.
Ann adjourned the regular meeting to enter into Executive session at 7:25pm,
4. Executive Session - §313 (a) (1) (E) possible civil litigation/prosecution
Ann moved to come out of Executive Session and resume the Regular Meeting at 7:49pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor.
Ann moved to have the Chair sign the interrogatory for the litigation discussed in Executive Session. Seconded by AJ. All in favor.
ADJOURNMENT:
Ann moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:49pm Seconded by Joyce. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATES: Thursday, October 2, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
Approved: October 2, 2025 Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Select Board Secretary
________________________________________________________________
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens AJ Ruben
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