Fairfax Selectboard Minutes of 03/13/06

Selectboard Chair, Jeff Blake and members Doug Webb, Judy Cleary, new Selectboard members, Bill Ormerod and Charles Swanson were present at the meeting. Also present were Road Foreman Don Pigeon, Water/Sewer Superintendent Randy DeVine, Zoning Administrator Skip Taylor, Selectboard Administrator Debra Richer, Colleen Steen, Sean Lisby, Joel Gluck, Spenser Gavin, Robin Kuehn, Brad Murray, Jackie Bruning, Betty Poulin and Becky Neopolitano. These minutes are unofficial until approved by the Board at the next regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting.

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. Jeff Blake was unanimously reappointed Chair and Judy Cleary was appointed Vice Chair, respectively. Don Pigeon reviewed the Roads to be Paved for 2006 with the Board. Don provided an update of the River Road Project. Don and Bob Horr applied for a $55K grant from the State for the Cumbersome Bridges Program. It's a 90/10 grant. They pay 90% and the Town pays 10%. Don reported that if our money comes from FEMA, then we have a pretty good chance of obtaining this money from the state. Jeff reported that $44K has been verbally promised, but it is unofficial until we receive it in writing. Don and Judy furnished the Map Application of the Forest Management Plan for review by the Board. Don suggested that Judy proceed with the 2006 Community Planning Grant, but to include a map indicating where the 2 forestry sites were approximately located. Judy will submit the application with Debra tomorrow, 3/14/06 to the Urban and Community Forestry Grants Program located in Waterbury, Vermont. The grant is for $4,000 and it's a 50/50 split. The town will provide the $2K in kind and the State will furnish $2K. The project will begin in 2006 and end in April 2007. The application for the Uniform Municipal Excess Weight permit was accepted and reviewed for $10.00 from Vermont Well and Pump. Don mentioned that the town restricts the roads from the 1st of March through the 1st of May due to Mud Season. A check was received in the amount of $100.00 and a Sewer Application permit from Jonathan Quong & Jill Spinelli located at 1268 Main Street, Fairfax, Vermont. This application will be reviewed in April 2006.

Don agreed to set up the tables, get the trucks out and to take care of the floor at the Town Garage for the Rabies Clinic to be held on 3/18/06. Judy reconfirmed that she would work at the clinic.

Randy reported in-depth on the VT Monthly Water Systems OP Report, the Town of Fairfax Water Usage Summary, the Town of Fairfax Sewer Discharge Report, the VT Wastewater Permit Program Report and the Uncommitted Reserve Capacity Report. Judy suggested that Charles and Bill visit Randy to get an overview of the water/sewer department.
Skip Taylor provided a copy of the Zoning Administrator's Activity Report dated February 28 - March 13, 2006 to the Board. The YTD Permit Summary is 13 Building Permits, 8 New Homes and 9 Compliances. Item #7 - Conversion of the Webb Home from a single family residence to a B&B - there is a moratorium and all water requests are put on hold. It was also suggested that the Webbs could come to a Selectboard meeting and discuss this issue. Item #2 - it was decided the visitors parking signs would remain in front of the Town Offices. Item #4 - The Model Flood Hazard Area Regulation was left with Skip until assigned to a Selectboard person. Item #6 - Skip will look in previous minutes to see, if a letter was sent to Paul Bean approving the connection of seven of his lots in the Mill Hill Development on Buck Hollow Road to the Town Sewer System. Also, Paul Bean needs to come to another Selectboard Meeting with his sewer documentation to discuss this matter. He will not get connected without all the detail. Skip will be handing in a PO for a new computer at his next regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting in 2 weeks.

GENERAL BUSINESS: Judy Cleary moved to accept the minutes from the March 6, 2006 Selectboard Meeting. Doug Webb seconded. Four amendments were offered and accepted. 3 voted in favor of accepting the minutes as amended and 2 abstained. The Board reviewed and accepted purchase orders, work orders and invoices. The liquor license for Minors Store was unanimously approved and signed.

The Municipal Corporation Note for a total of $270K plus interest @ an interest rate of 3.80% was approved by the Selectboard. The Correspondence Worksheet was reviewed and approved by the Selectboard. The Fire Department Election sheet was provided at the meeting. The following individuals were elected to the Fire Department as and approved by the Selectboard as follows: Chief - Dean Potter, Asst. Captain - Matthew Gillilan, 1st Captain - Justin Hayes, 2nd Captain - Louis Nigro, Lieutenant - Thomas Snyder and Safety Officer - Lucien Hayes. The new e-mail address for the Selectboard Administrator is fairfaxselectboard@yahoo.com. One (1) Road Name application was reviewed and accepted by the Board. The road is located at the 552 Cherrierville location which is approximately .4 miles south of Brick Church Road on the right (west) and was given the names of Blackberry Hill Road. The Road Code will also be applied and added to the 911 Road Codes List by the Zoning Assistant.

Jeff provided documentation from Stitzel, Page & Fletcher, P.C., Attorneys at Law dated 3/6/06 and reconfirmed with the board that the Gabe Handy request to allow the use of a single water meter for the Workman/Modica 47-unit elderly housing project was denied and that the decision was already rendered. Gabe Handy wants to come in and discuss waiving the Impact Fees on the Elderly Housing. The Act 250 Municipal Impact Questionnaire for Buckingham Estates - Planned Residential Development on Buck Hollow Road was reviewed. This form was filled out and will be returned ASAP to Lamoureux & Dickinson Consulting Engineers, Inc. so they may submit it with their Act 250 application. Bill suggested a template be created of the questionnaire attachment for future utilization. Charlie reviewed the drawing attached with this questionnaire. Someone needs to sign work orders when the Selectboard does not meet. Doug agreed to still handle the work orders. The following appointments were made as follows: The Road Commissioner - Selectboard, the Road Foreman - Don Pigeon, the Health Officer - Jeff Blake, Fire Chief - Dean Potter, Assistant Fire Warden - Judy Cleary. The following appointments were also made: Jean Guy Rainville - Fence Viewer, Rene Boissoneault - Fence Viewer, Art Webb - Fence Viewer, Steve Bissette - Emergency Coordinator, Duane Leach - Fire Warden and Sam Hudson - Tree Warden, and Real Estate Agent - Bill Ormerod. The Town Service Officer Appointment accepted by Doug Webb, was approved and will be mailed back to the Department for Children and Families by March 31, 2006. The Library Director/School Board Representative will still be Judy Cleary. Colleen Steen will remain as the Regional Planning Commission's Transportation Advisory Committee. Bill Ormerod agreed to be the member of the Vermont State Police Community Advisory Board representative. Bill Ormerod agreed to be the contact and Selectboard member for the Parks and Recreation Department and will attend this week's meeting to be held on Thursday, 3/16/06. Bill was given the agenda for the meeting. The Road crew was assigned to Charles Swanson and he was given Don Pigeon's and Bob Horr's phone number. Jeff stated that all the River Road Project information from Bob Horr's files and Don's files needed to be given to Debra to keep all the information centralized in the Selectboard office. In Skip's absence, the Temporary Zoning Administrator will be Cathy Raymond. The resignation letter was read and accepted from James A. Field. Doug suggested we send a thank you letter for his excellent years of service for the Town. Doug recommended we send a $20.00 gift certificate to Karen Charbonneau for the work she did on Election Day last Tuesday. Judy read the letter from the Vermont League of Cities & Towns to Andy Nazarey pertaining to the damage to his vehicle. They found no negligence on the town's behalf and will be unable to make any payment to his claim of $600.96. Judy read the letter written by Bob Horr to Greg Heyer, Town of Fairfax Planning Commission pertaining to the Town of Fairfax Zoning Bylaw and the Solid Waste Implementation Plan (SWIP.) One of the tasks Bob suggested was that provisions should be incorporated into the bylaws that provide for the location of recycling centers, mulching sites, or transfer stations. Charles Swanson requested a copy of this letter. Jeff furnished a copy of the article from the Messenger and an e-mail from Deborah Markowitz on whether the town followed proper procedure on the Elimination or Removal of the Town Auditor position - Article 8. Jeff reported that we obtained our information from the Town Attorneys and that we warned it correctly. Jeff provided copies of a validation resolution from Steven Stitzel to the board members. They will review it and it will be decided whether to ratify it or not at the next Selectboard meeting.

Jeff reminded everyone that the Review of the Annual Financial Plan with the AOT will be held on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 11:00 am.

OTHER BUSINESS: None

PUBLIC INPUT: Jackie Bruning wanted to know, if the CPA audit can be done in January and on-time. Brad Murray furnished a copy of historical data/documentation from the website such as expenses, tax rates and vital statistics and thought it was commendable that this was available to the people who pay the bills - the public. He thought it was easier to read and understand than the Town Report. He thought it was a good tool for people who pay for the government. Becky Neopolitano discussed the elimination of the Town Auditor and the Australian Ballot versus the open forum at the Town Meeting. Brad Murray was informed that some people were coming in next week to talk about the Town website.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 PM.

____________________________________ Jeff Blake, Selectboard Chair