Vernon Selectboard Mtg.                                                                 5/3/10    

 

                                                                         Accepted as Corrected________                                                                                       

                                                                            Accepted as Printed___________                                           

 

 

VERNON SELECTBOARD

 MEETING

 

 

May 3, 2010                                         6:30 PM

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:                                 OTHERS PRESENT:

Mike Courtemanche-Chair                              Sandy Harris                                        

Mike Ball-7:04                                                Chris Garofolo-Media

Chris Howe                                                     Susan Miller                                       

Robert Miller Jr.                                              David Walker

Len Howard                                                    Eleanor Allen

                                                                        Sally Brassor  

                                                                                   

                                   

WELCOME AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

At 6:30 pm Chair Mike Courtemanche called the meeting to order, welcomed those present and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT

            No comment at this time.

 

MINUTE APPROVAL

            4/19/2010

Mike Ball requested that a change to the last sentence of the discussion with the listers on page two read “In the future the board would prefer seeing the bid specification before a request for quotation is issued”.

CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE APRIL 19, 2010 MINUTES AS CORRECTED.  ROBERT MILLER SECONDED THE MOTION.  THE MOTION CARRIED WITH 3 AYES AND 1 ABSTAINTION LEN HOWARD.

            4/26/2010       

LEN HOWARD MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE APRIL 26, 2010 MINUTES AS PRESENTED. ROBERT MILLER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

BILLS AND WARRANTS

ROBERT MILLER MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING WARRANTS:

                        20S/G   $35,137.71

                         17S      $10,366.27

                         18S     $10,930.56

LEN HOWARD SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.                

 

 CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH SALLY BRASSOR TOWN TREASURER ON A PERSONNEL MATTER, WHICH THE DISCLOSURE OF AT THIS TIME MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TOWN AND/OR THE INDIVUALS INVOLVED. LEN HOWARD SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that the Board went into executive session @ 6:38 and came out at 6:50 and no action was taken.

 

TOWN CLERK

            Doc Send-

After some Board members reviewed the space in the downstairs vault it was the consensus to check into purchasing rolling shelves for the vault. Chris Howe will check around on pricing on the shelves. With the rolling shelves the vault could be better organized and create more space for storage.

Mike Courtemanche asked where the Doc Send would be housed. Sally stated that the conference room next to her office would be suitable and accessible to all of the office employees.   Mike Courtemanche indicated that the project was not as simple as most of the past discussions had implied.  As it presently stands many documents and receipts would need to be copied before being scanned into the Doc Send which hadn’t been discussed.  The board will look into this as the project moves forward.

Sally asked if Martha should continue for right now. The Board thought she should continue on with preparing the documents for scanning.

 

            Summer Intern-    

CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH SANDY HARRIS TOWN CLERK AND SALLY BRASSOR TOWN TREASURER ON A PERSONNEL MATTER, WHICH THE DISCLOSURE OF AT THIS TIME MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TOWN AND/OR THE INDIVUALS INVOLVED. LEN HOWARD SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that the Board went into executive session @ 7:00 and came out at 7:22 and no action was taken.

 

Sandy Harris conveyed that Mr. Nelson would like to donate a picnic table for Indian Point. The Board felt that if it can be used there or at the Recreation Department the town would accept the donation. David Walker indicated the Highway Department would be able to pick up the table and deliver it to where it was needed.

 

LEN HOWARD MADE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE GIFT TO THE TOWN OF A PICNIC TABLE FROM MR. NELSON. MIKE BALL SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Sandy asked the Board if there was to be a Town Picnic this year. The Board conveyed that there is no Picnic Committee as of yet and there was a need for volunteers. Chris Howe stated that she would follow up with some people and Robert Miller will also check with the Fire Department.

The Board thanked Sandy.

 

POLICE DEPARTMENT-

This will be rescheduled for another meeting.

 

NEW/OLD UNFINISHED BUSINESS

            Town Bus-

Mike Courtemanche stated that he researched past minutes and found where a motion was made referring to the Preschool and the usage of the Town Bus. The Board’s goal is to go over all of the policies and update them. Eleanor Allen stated that she thought the motion for the Preschool was a blanket for just that year and not forever.  There is not an issue with the Preschool to use the bus but other people want to schedule the bus for personal use. This is not the intention for the use of the Town Bus. Mike Ball stated that the use of the bus is for organizations only not personal use.

 

MIKE BALL MADE THE MOTION TO NOT HAVE A COMMITTEE OF TWO SENIORS, TOWN TOWNS PEOPLE AND TWO BOARD MEMBERS UPDATE 

THE BUS POLICY BUT TO HAVE THE SELECTBOARD UPDATE IT. CHRIS HOWE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Eleanor asked if she was appointed or hired and the Board conveyed that she was hired.

Eleanor also asked if she could purchase a step for the bus. The Board stated that as long a David has the money in the budget that would be okay. Eleanor stated that on doctor appointment days she has been taking one or two people to them in her car rather than using the bus. The Board felt that she should not use her own car but use the Town Bus as it was intended for those kinds of appointments.

 

CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO ALLOW THE TOWN BUS BE AVAILABLE ON DOCTOR APOINTMENT DAYS WHEN LESS THAN THREE PEOPLE NEED TO ATTEND.  ROBERT MILLER SECONDED THE MOTION.

THE MOTION CARRIED.

The Board thanked Eleanor Allen and David Walker.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that an urgent message was sent via e-mail that the Windham Regional Commission will cease to exist by this fall due to state budget cuts. This action will affect town administrators as well as selectboard’s in Vermont with replacing the eleven regional planning commissions and twelve economic development corporations with nine contracted vendors to provide the services. The Town’s Representative to WRC-Steve Skibniowsky joined the Board to discuss considering putting a letter together to send to the legislators. Steve conveyed that 27 towns get the services from the WRC and that the various committee deals with naturals resources and planning, among other things. They are actively helping with the Town Plan. Steve conveyed that the WRC is trying to convince the legislature that this is not a good thing for all involved. It was the consensus of the Board to construct a carefully worded letter to the legislators. Steve announced that the Planning Committee meets every third Thursday of the month and all are welcomed.

The Board thanked Steve.

 

            Town Forest Deer Exclusion Fence-

The fence would exclude the deer from a small area to see how that affects tree growth.  The costs would be around $400.00 for a 20x20 area. Len Howard and Chris Howe stated that they are not interested in this project and having the town pay for this. The Board would wait for more documentation from Mike Ball and come back to this at a later date.

 

            Vernon Newspaper-

With the resignation of Lynda Starorypinski as editor of the newspaper Chris Howe will stay on to work with Lynda in order to put the next issue of the paper together. Chris conveyed that she would talk to other people interested in joining the newspaper committee to ensure the paper would continue to be published.  The board thanked Lynda for her years of service and thanked Chris for helping to ensure the paper would continue.

  

CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH DAVID WALKER ON A PERSONNEL MATTER, WHICH THE DISCLOSURE OF AT THIS TIME MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TOWN AND/OR THE INDIVUALS INVOLVED. MIKE BALL SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that the Board went into executive session @ 8:06 and came out at 8:17 and no action was taken.

 

MIKE BALL MADE THE MOTION TO HAVE MIKE COURTEMANCHE SPEAK TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO DRAFT A LETTER TO SUBJECT EMPLOYEE. CHRIS HOWE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that Tuesday May 4th there is a special meeting with the IBPO with Bob Dickson on the Police Union.

Mike Courtemanche requested pizza for a light dinner for Tuesday.

 

MEDIA

Chris Garofolo- from the Brattleboro Reformer asked about the Vernon Newspaper and if Lynda was working with Chris to continue on time for the June monthly paper. Chris responded that they would be working to get the June paper out and hopefully there would be some new volunteers to take over for the August issue.

Chris Garofolo asked about the Police Union contract and if it would be signed tomorrow night.  Mike Courtemanche stated that it was the goal to go over the contract and make any corrections or changes that need to be done. The signing of the contract would be at a later date.

 

CHRIS HOWE MADE THE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON A PERSONNEL MATTER, WHICH THE DISCLOSURE OF AT THIS TIME MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TOWN AND/OR THE INDIVUALS INVOLVED. LEN HOWARD SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.

 

Mike Courtemanche stated that the Board went into executive session @ 8:26 and came out at 8:33 and no action was taken.

 

 

LEN HOWARD MADE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN. ROBERT MILLER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.           

 

 Adjourned @ 8:34 PM. NEXT MEETING ON mAY 17, 2010 at 6:30 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted by Elaine Howard

 

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