Fairfax keeps its cool about hot town issues

[Henry]

Board explains handling of DRB members' reviews

ByLEEJ.KAHRS
Messenger Staff Writer

FAIRFAX — Emotions were kept in check here at Town Meeting Saturday as residents discussed many hot issues, including the status of the design review board, the pay of assistant town officers, and questions about the town budget.

Voters approved one police related article and turned down another, as roughly 200 people attended the Town Meeting in the elementary gymnasium at Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax.

While officers and budgets will require voting by Australian ballot on Tuesday, discussion of issues and voting on other articles took place Saturday.


Above, Town Auditor Jackie Bruning asks for more information from the selectboard about legal fees at the Fairfax Town Meeting Saturday where about 200 people attended the six-hour meeting.  The above photo was scanned from the newspaper which explains the quality.

By overwhelming voice vote, residents approved a one year $57,067 contract with the Franklin County Sheriff for 28 hours of coverage per week. The contract will be shared with the Town of Georgia for a total of 56 hours. (This was not an overwhelming voice vote – It was so close a show of hands was needed and ended up with a tally of 61 to 51)

Voters then narrowly defeated a one year, $43,950 contract with Vermont State Police for 20 hours of coverage per week. The voice vote was too close to call and the Board of Civil Authority counted a show of hands. The article went down 61-51.  (This was the one overwhelmingly defeated)

Many people noted that attendance was down from last year. Fairfax resident Henry Raymond told the board he was disturbed by the state police vote.

"When we have important articles, they should not be decided by 120 people with 2,500 voters in Fairfax," he said.

Selectman Bob Horr agreed, saying that an article on last year's warning requesting that all articles be voted on by Australian ballot was turned down.

"I agree it's appalling to have that few people making these decisions," Horr said.

Former Town Clerk Tina Levick, who resigned in January after a legal row with the select-board, sat squarely in front of the board in the gym. She peppered Town Treasurer and interim Town Clerk Donna Meunier with questions regarding the pay schedule for assistants. Levick resigned because the selectboard refused to pay her assistant clerk, Melissa Allard.

"Will there be a paid assistant for the town clerk?" Levick asked.

"They will be appointed, not paid," Meunier replied. "They can be appointed but it doesn't need to be a paid position."

"Who would want to work without being paid?" Levick countered.

Meunier is running for the remaining two years of Levick's term. Levick is running for delinquent tax collector. A write-in campaign also has begun to elect Levick as town clerk.

The selectboard answered other salary questions from the floor, assuring voters that, if elected as clerk, Meunier would not collect two salaries. Board Chair Jeff Blake said an office assistant would be hired to assist Meunier, but that pay for that assistant has not yet been determined.

The selectboard also answered questions regarding legal fees incurred over the last year. Town Auditor Jackie Bruning quesioned an increase from $9,000 to $17,000 under "other expenses" on the town budget.   Blake   confirmed that increase was regarding legal fees. Levick received a significant settlement from the town after a lengthy legal battle.

After a direct question from the floor as to the suit's legal costs, Blake produced actual numbers: $4.200 to Levick's lawyer and $3,800 to Fairfax town attorney Steve Stitzel, for a total of $8,000.

The board said it was not just the Levick case that incurred town legal fees. Appeals to Development Review Board (DRB) decisions, some going back five years or more, came to light over the last year, and an ongoing suit over a failed septic system added to the town's legal costs.

"It's the cost of doing business," said Selectman Ed Nuttall, "It's important to use attorneys. We don't know when we will use them and we have to plan for that. No one's trying to hide anything,"

The selectboard's recent evaluation of DRB members also came up. At a Jan. 24 meeting, the selectboard voted to authorize Blake to contact the town attorney on the question of removing all members of the DRB. That action came following complaints from residents who felt their development projects had been handled improperly by the DRB.

The board has refused to address the issue in the press. Selectman Horr finally explained the reason behind the reviews.

"We asked the DRB members about their roles on the board Horr said, "if they enjoyed the roles, if they felt the board was working the way it was supposed to according to the bylaws."

Horr said the selectboard has not yet made a decision about the DRB following the evaluations.

DRB Chair Colleen Steen, who has incurred criticism for her role on the board and now faces civil suit brought by disgruntled Fairfax residents Deanne and Ronald Morin, addressed the Town Meeting audience.

"On November 3, 2004, I was unanimously elected chair, unanimously," Steen said. "Most of these lawsuits happened before I was elected chair, including the Morin project. I will continue to serve to the best of my ability."

Other issues that arose included a motion to itemize town donations to non-profit organizations, better tracking of impact fees, publishing a balance sheet of town assets in the town report and an update on the recreation park project.