Accepted as Corrected_________                                          

                                                                        Accepted as Printed_______                                              

 

 

VERNON SELECTBOARD

SPECIAL

 MEETING

 

 

December 13, 2010                                         6:30 PM

 

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:                           OTHERS PRESENT:

Mike Courtemanche                                      Bill Hammond             

Mike Ball                                                     Carol Hammond                                                           

Len Howard                                                 Phyllis Newton                                                 

Chris Howe                                                  David Andrews

Robert Miller                                                Chris Garofolo

 

 

 

WELCOME AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

At 6:31 pm Chair Mike Courtemanche called the meeting to order, welcomed those present and led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Chair Mike Courtemanche stated that George Sansoucy would not be available to speak via conference call, to the Board until around 7:00 pm.

 

Mike Ball made a motion to go to Old/New Unfinished Business. Len Howard seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

IBOP Contract-

 The Board is waiting for the revised contract to be signed. The Board wants to make sure that Sally has included the step changes in the budget for this.

 

Invitation to Bid-Highway Department

The Board reviewed the bid in it’s entirely.

 

Mike Ball made the motion to approve the Invitation to Bid as presented with David Walker having the option to change the date to suit his needs. Len Howard seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

Bill Hammond gave the Board a recap on the Trans Canada Superior Court case that has been appealed because of the 2009 and 2010 BCA decisions, to the courts.  Tran Canada’s Vernon Dam station in 2009 completed a major re-powering project to ensure that the station will continue its role as a source of clean renewable energy to the New England power market. With re-appraisals done on the property from the State and from a private entity which was hired by the Town of Vernon, Tans Canada is disputing the tax value.

Bill Hammond stated that TransCanada lost the 2009 appeal but that they have not paid anything as of yet. Things are moving forward with the 2010 tax appeal.

 

Chris Howe made a motion to take a five minute recess. Len Howard seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that the Board took a recess @7:00 and came back @ 7:07.

 

The Board went back in order on the agenda and contacted George Sansoucy via telephone for a conference call.

 

George Sansoucy, Consultant, joined the discussion with the Board. With the long term decommissioning it raises questions about the storage of the spent fuel and the fact that the fuel could be on the site for 100 to 200 years. If the plant is not relicensed, The Town of Vernon will need to deal with the reduction of its tax base as well as the storage of the dry casks of spent fuel on site. Dry cask storage is a method of storing high-level radioactive waste. Moving forward George recommends the Town to start talks with Vermont Yankee to begin to negotiate a plan similar to the current tax stabilization plan with regards to the spent fuel that will stay on-site for an unspecified number of years. The Board would initiate forming a committee to negotiate for the Town of Vernon to receive some kind of taxable revenue from site after it closes.

The Board thanked George.

 

Mike Ball made a motion to establish a stabilization tax committee. Len Howard seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

Auditors- 

Phyllis Newton requested an executive session on a personnel matter. The Board denied the request. The Board directed Phyllis Newton to gather information and bring it before the Town Attorney.

The Board thanked Phyllis.

 

With discussion about getting the Town report to the printers by the deadline, the Board members conveyed that the list of employees and salaries be included in the report.

 

Chris Howe made the motion to include in the town report by person’s names and salaries.  Len Howard seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

Len Howard made the motion to adjourn. Mike Ball seconded the motion. The motion carried.

 

 Adjourned @ 8:07 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted by Elaine Howard

 

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