MINUTES
ARLINGTON SECECTBOARD
February 4, 2019
Members Present: Keith Squires, Cynthia Browning, Daniel Harvey, Reggie Jennings Jr., Tim Williams
Also Present: Jack McDonough-GNAT-TV, Elana Feldman and Shelly Stiles from The Cooperative Invasive Species Management Association for the Batten Kill Watershed(CISMA-BKW), Jim Hendersen-BCRC, Marty Crane-Godreau, Hooper Pickering, Vince Thompson, Brian Hawley, David Naaktgeboren, June and Tony Onorato, Matthew Bykowski
The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chairman Keith Squires
Minutes of Meeting of January 21, 2019, and January 28, 2019
Mr. Harvey made a motion to accept as presented, the minutes of January 21, 2019. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion carried. Mr. Harvey made a motion to accept as corrected, the minutes of January 28, 2019, after the corrections Ms. Browning wanted were noted. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion carried.
New Business: Invasive Species: Elana Feldman and Shelly Stiles from CISMA-BKW were at the meeting to speak about Invasive Species Management at the Arlington Recreation Park. Ms. Feldman spoke about the dangers of invasive species and the damage they can cause to native trees and plants. She gave three examples of such plants. Asiatic Bittersweet, which wraps around trees and eventually kills them, which could cause erosion of the river bank. Garlic Mustard, which releases chemicals that actively destroys native plants and spreads by sticking to people and animals. Japanese Barberry, which can increase Lyme disease because it is a habitat for mice, who carry the Lyme tick. The organization has hopes that these issues can be helped with local volunteers that would be trained in the removal of the invasive species. The Park would be broken down into manageable areas, and once the species were removed, the areas would be monitored for the next five years. They also recommend planting native trees and are in the process of applying for a grant to purchase seedlings, and asked for a letter of support from the Board for this purpose. It was also discussed that the Environmental Club at the local high school may have members that could volunteer and Mr. Pickering said he will get them the phone number to be able to contact the school. Ms. Feldman said CISMA would like to continue management of the invasive issues and that there will be two workshops in May to educate the public on the removal process, for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer. Mr. Harvey made a motion to support CISMA-BKW’s application to the Vermont Watershed Grant for funding to manage invasive species and plant native tree seedlings in the Arlington Recreation Park. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Recreation Committee: Hooper Pickering, a member of the Arlington Renewal, Recreation Committee, was at the meeting, along with several other members, to discuss buying a 420.4 acre parcel of land on the west side of Red Mountain, currently owned by the Conservation Fund, in order to be able to create a Town forest, and have hiking trails for residents as well as being beneficial to the local inns for their guests to utilize. The Committee has asked the Conservation Fund to consider a $50,000 discount from the appraised value of the land, which is $245, 000. They have hopes of obtaining a $150,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and would fundraise for the remainder of the purchase price. Mr. Pickering said that acquiring the land would not require the Town to provide any funds, and that the Town would not be committed to this purchase if the grant or fundraising was unsuccessful. Mr. Pickering said part of the grant process is obtaining a pledge from the adjoining landowners and what conditions they would want for their easements, and that he would like to go forward with this, because if the land goes to a private sale the Town could lose access to the land. Mr. Squires said the Town needs to consider any liability issues and upkeep costs, but it was decided that the Committee could have a concept commitment to go forward. Ms. Browning made a motion to approve of applying to VHCB for funding for the Town purchase of Red Mountain Parcel. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed.
Fire Department Policy: Vince Thompson and Brian Hawley were at the meeting to discuss the Fire Department’s new Standard Operating Guidelines, that the Board has been reviewing since the last meeting. Ms. Browning made a motion to approve as presented, the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department Standard Operation Guidelines, as of February 4, 2019. Mr. Williams seconded. Motion passed.
Liquor License: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve a 2nd Class Liquor License for Stewarts, Inc. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Public Comments: Marty Crane-Godreau, of 519 Berwal Road, was at the meeting to speak to the Selectboard about a water and road erosion problem that she and neighbors on that road have been experiencing. She said the road is almost impassable and it’s the worst she has ever seen it and she has resided there since the 1990’s. She thinks some of the issues might be a neighbor’s house that has changed the way their property drains and water is seeping under the road and onto her property, and appears to be coming up through her land. The property owners in question live out of state and she has not been able to reach them at this time. Mr. Squires explained that there are a lot of roads effected by Mother Nature recently due to the rainstorms and sudden thaw, and a water issue that involves the homeowners would not be under Town control, but it was decided that he and Mr. Williams would view the road to get an idea of the problem and that the Highway crew would be out grading the next day as well.
.
Highways: Mr. Squires said there was no major damage from the recent rainstorm but some problems were caused by the rain and thawing. He said the crew would be out early the next day dealing with these issues. Mr. Squires said the State came down and did a drainage survey and there are 25-30 potential issues in areas around town. He said he met with Michael Batcher and Jim Hendersen from BCRC, and they prioritized five major drainage projects to address, and it is beneficial to do these projects while there is State funding available.
Old Business: Budget 2019: Mr. Squires gave the Board the latest figures to be reviewed for the 2019 Budget, that will be going into the Town Report. There is a total increase of $51,374.00 over the 2018 Budget. Ms. Browning made a motion to formally approve the 2019 Budget. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed.
.Town Administrator Position: It was discussed that the next public meetings on hiring a new Town Administrator position will be February 16, 2019, and February 25, 2019. Mr. Squires informed the Board that the post card mailing to voters, explaining the proposed position and Article 10, had been mailed.
Chittenden Bank Property: Mr. Squires said that the attorney for the mortgage holder is working on putting the property up for auction.
Recyclables: It was discussed that the Town’s contract with Casella Waste has expired. He explained that Casella, and others that deal in recycling, have been losing money on Zero Sort recycling and that Casella proposes to pass the loss onto the towns. There is a meeting at Town Hall on Monday February 11, 2019, to discuss the issues with other local towns. The law states the Town must provide a certified disposal system, and Mr. Squires said he is looking into options other than Casella, seeing there are now other providers in the area.
.Water Department: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve WD#3 from the Operating Account, in the amount of $323.27. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Warrants and Orders: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve Payroll #6B, in the amount of $1176.00, to Keith Squires for his duties as Interim Administrator. Mr. Williams seconded. Motion passed. Mr. Squires abstained. Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve General Warrant #3, in the amount of $15,064.14. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion passed.
Mr. Williams made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed, meeting adjourned at 9:25 PM.
.Respectfully submitted,
Janet Barry, Recording Secretary
Meeting video taped
Cc: files, Town Clerk
MINUTES
ARLINGTON SECECTBOARD
February 4, 2019
Members Present: Keith Squires, Cynthia Browning, Daniel Harvey, Reggie Jennings Jr., Tim Williams
Also Present: Jack McDonough-GNAT-TV, Elana Feldman and Shelly Stiles from The Cooperative Invasive Species Management Association for the Batten Kill Watershed(CISMA-BKW), Jim Hendersen-BCRC, Marty Crane-Godreau, Hooper Pickering, Vince Thompson, Brian Hawley, David Naaktgeboren, June and Tony Onorato, Matthew Bykowski
The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chairman Keith Squires
Minutes of Meeting of January 21, 2019, and January 28, 2019
Mr. Harvey made a motion to accept as presented, the minutes of January 21, 2019. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion carried. Mr. Harvey made a motion to accept as corrected, the minutes of January 28, 2019, after the corrections Ms. Browning wanted were noted. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion carried.
New Business: Invasive Species: Elana Feldman and Shelly Stiles from CISMA-BKW were at the meeting to speak about Invasive Species Management at the Arlington Recreation Park. Ms. Feldman spoke about the dangers of invasive species and the damage they can cause to native trees and plants. She gave three examples of such plants. Asiatic Bittersweet, which wraps around trees and eventually kills them, which could cause erosion of the river bank. Garlic Mustard, which releases chemicals that actively destroys native plants and spreads by sticking to people and animals. Japanese Barberry, which can increase Lyme disease because it is a habitat for mice, who carry the Lyme tick. The organization has hopes that these issues can be helped with local volunteers that would be trained in the removal of the invasive species. The Park would be broken down into manageable areas, and once the species were removed, the areas would be monitored for the next five years. They also recommend planting native trees and are in the process of applying for a grant to purchase seedlings, and asked for a letter of support from the Board for this purpose. It was also discussed that the Environmental Club at the local high school may have members that could volunteer and Mr. Pickering said he will get them the phone number to be able to contact the school. Ms. Feldman said CISMA would like to continue management of the invasive issues and that there will be two workshops in May to educate the public on the removal process, for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer. Mr. Harvey made a motion to support CISMA-BKW’s application to the Vermont Watershed Grant for funding to manage invasive species and plant native tree seedlings in the Arlington Recreation Park. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Recreation Committee: Hooper Pickering, a member of the Arlington Renewal, Recreation Committee, was at the meeting, along with several other members, to discuss buying a 420.4 acre parcel of land on the west side of Red Mountain, currently owned by the Conservation Fund, in order to be able to create a Town forest, and have hiking trails for residents as well as being beneficial to the local inns for their guests to utilize. The Committee has asked the Conservation Fund to consider a $50,000 discount from the appraised value of the land, which is $245, 000. They have hopes of obtaining a $150,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and would fundraise for the remainder of the purchase price. Mr. Pickering said that acquiring the land would not require the Town to provide any funds, and that the Town would not be committed to this purchase if the grant or fundraising was unsuccessful. Mr. Pickering said part of the grant process is obtaining a pledge from the adjoining landowners and what conditions they would want for their easements, and that he would like to go forward with this, because if the land goes to a private sale the Town could lose access to the land. Mr. Squires said the Town needs to consider any liability issues and upkeep costs, but it was decided that the Committee could have a concept commitment to go forward. Ms. Browning made a motion to approve of applying to VHCB for funding for the Town purchase of Red Mountain Parcel. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed.
Fire Department Policy: Vince Thompson and Brian Hawley were at the meeting to discuss the Fire Department’s new Standard Operating Guidelines, that the Board has been reviewing since the last meeting. Ms. Browning made a motion to approve as presented, the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department Standard Operation Guidelines, as of February 4, 2019. Mr. Williams seconded. Motion passed.
Liquor License: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve a 2nd Class Liquor License for Stewarts, Inc. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Public Comments: Marty Crane-Godreau, of 519 Berwal Road, was at the meeting to speak to the Selectboard about a water and road erosion problem that she and neighbors on that road have been experiencing. She said the road is almost impassable and it’s the worst she has ever seen it and she has resided there since the 1990’s. She thinks some of the issues might be a neighbor’s house that has changed the way their property drains and water is seeping under the road and onto her property, and appears to be coming up through her land. The property owners in question live out of state and she has not been able to reach them at this time. Mr. Squires explained that there are a lot of roads effected by Mother Nature recently due to the rainstorms and sudden thaw, and a water issue that involves the homeowners would not be under Town control, but it was decided that he and Mr. Williams would view the road to get an idea of the problem and that the Highway crew would be out grading the next day as well.
.
Highways: Mr. Squires said there was no major damage from the recent rainstorm but some problems were caused by the rain and thawing. He said the crew would be out early the next day dealing with these issues. Mr. Squires said the State came down and did a drainage survey and there are 25-30 potential issues in areas around town. He said he met with Michael Batcher and Jim Hendersen from BCRC, and they prioritized five major drainage projects to address, and it is beneficial to do these projects while there is State funding available.
Old Business: Budget 2019: Mr. Squires gave the Board the latest figures to be reviewed for the 2019 Budget, that will be going into the Town Report. There is a total increase of $51,374.00 over the 2018 Budget. Ms. Browning made a motion to formally approve the 2019 Budget. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed.
.Town Administrator Position: It was discussed that the next public meetings on hiring a new Town Administrator position will be February 16, 2019, and February 25, 2019. Mr. Squires informed the Board that the post card mailing to voters, explaining the proposed position and Article 10, had been mailed.
Chittenden Bank Property: Mr. Squires said that the attorney for the mortgage holder is working on putting the property up for auction.
Recyclables: It was discussed that the Town’s contract with Casella Waste has expired. He explained that Casella, and others that deal in recycling, have been losing money on Zero Sort recycling and that Casella proposes to pass the loss onto the towns. There is a meeting at Town Hall on Monday February 11, 2019, to discuss the issues with other local towns. The law states the Town must provide a certified disposal system, and Mr. Squires said he is looking into options other than Casella, seeing there are now other providers in the area.
.Water Department: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve WD#3 from the Operating Account, in the amount of $323.27. Ms. Browning seconded. Motion passed.
Warrants and Orders: Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve Payroll #6B, in the amount of $1176.00, to Keith Squires for his duties as Interim Administrator. Mr. Williams seconded. Motion passed. Mr. Squires abstained. Mr. Harvey made a motion to approve General Warrant #3, in the amount of $15,064.14. Mr. Jennings seconded. Motion passed.
Mr. Williams made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Harvey seconded. Motion passed, meeting adjourned at 9:25 PM.
.Respectfully submitted,
Janet Barry, Recording Secretary
Meeting video taped
Cc: files, Town Clerk