Fairfax Selectboard Minutes of 11/17/08

Selectboard Members present: Judy Cleary, Bill Ormerod, Charlie Swanson, Randy DeVine and Bob Horr. Staff Members present: Donna Meunier, Town Clerk, DJ Leach of the Town Highway Department, Skip Taylor, Zoning Administrator, and Erin McSweeney, Administrative Assistant to the Selectboard.

Public Present: Melissa Beerworth, Jim Minor, Al Daniels, Jim Dooley, Sheila Dooley, and Peg Stewart.

1.Call to Order

Judy Cleary, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 7:00PM.

2. Minutes

A. Bob motioned to accept the minutes from the meeting on November 10, 2008, as written. Charlie seconded. Peg Stewart offered two points of clarification regarding the joint meeting between the Selectboard and the School Board. Judy offered one amendment, and Bill offered 2 amendments.

B. Bob motioned to accept the minutes from the meeting on November 10, 2008, as amended. Bill seconded. All board members voted in favor of accepting the minutes from the meeting on November 10, 2008, as amended.

3. Items on the Agenda

A. DJ Leach, Town Highway Department - DJ informed the board that the Road Crew has been getting the equipment ready for winter. He also informed the board that he has met with John Musick, who will be logging the Town Forest
in North Fairfax regarding the installation of a culvert on the access road.

B. Skip Taylor - Skip distributed an Activity Report for October 7th-November 17th. Skip would like to provide developers with a list of engineering firms who could certify roads; the developer would bear the cost. Skip will create a
scope of work and send it out to engineering firms.

C. Jim Minor and Al Daniels, Cemetery Commissioners - The Selectboard has reviewed a proposed budget for 2009 from the Cemetery Commissioners. Jim indicated that the commissioners have visited all of the cemeteries in Town. Jim
informed the board that the commissioners have received a quote of $19,138.00 from John Clegg to repair all of the cemeteries. The quote is good for 3 years; Jim suggested that the work could be spread out over that time.

D. Jim Dooley - Jim attended tonight's meeting to discuss the disabled veterans' property tax exemption. The Town currently offers an exemption of $10,000 off the assessed value of their property to eligible disabled veterans. Jim indicated that 60 towns in Vermont have increased the exemption for eligible veterans to $40,000, and 54 towns have increased the exemption to $20,000. Jim would like to include increasing the veteran's exemption as a topic to be discussed at Town Meeting. Randy asked Jim if he would make a presentation at Town Meeting.

Bill clarified that the exemption is only applied to the eligible veteran's municipal taxes and not to their school taxes. Donna Meunier indicated that if the exemption is increased to more than the standard $10,000, a separate municipal tax rate needs to be established.

4. Other Business

A. The board continued their review of the Zoning Administrator's and the Assistant to the Planning Commission and Development Review Board's job descriptions.

B. Bill motioned to allow Stitzel, Page & Fletcher to file an enforcement action in Environmental Court at the same time the property owner's appeal of a notice of violation is before the Court in the pending zoning violation action for Leon Beliveau. Bob seconded. All board members voted in favor. Erin will contact John Klesch at Stitzel, Page, and Fletcher.

C. Randy indicated that a representative from Northern Coal and Oil recommended that the coil should be changed in the furnace at the Wastewater Treatment Facility, rather than installing an auxiliary unit for hot water.

D. Randy has informed JP Electric that they can proceed with the work that needs to be done on the Route 104 Pump Station.

E. Randy has replaced some light bulbs and a light fixture at the Town Office.

F. Judy and Bob informed the board about the meeting they attended in St. Albans Bay regarding the law enforcement needs of our community.

G. Charlie updated the board on the bridge #10 project.

H. The board reviewed a Road Name application for Paul and Natalie Bean. By consensus, the board chose Cornerstone Road as the name of the new road that will be built on their property.

5. Public Input

There was no public input this evening.

6. Executive Session

A. Bob motioned to enter Executive Session to discuss a pending legal matter at 8:24PM. Bill seconded. The board entered Executive Session at 8:24PM.

B. Charlie motioned to return to public session at 8:38PM. Bob seconded. The board returned to public session at 8:38PM.

7. Adjournment

Charlie motioned to adjourn the meeting at 9:25PM. Bob seconded. All board members voted in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 9:25PM.

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Erin McSweeney, Administrative Assistant to the Selectboard