TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN MINUTES PRESENT: Stan Corneille – Chair, Larry Hebert - Vice Chair, Chris Peloquin, Rodney Graham Absent: Art Stone Town Manager: Garrett Earls
VISITORS: Kathleen Lott - Northfield News, Irvin Stephenson, Robert Cleaves – Town Treasurer, Frieda Hollyer, Horace Duke, Jr., Winston Chambers, Doreen Chambers, Alice Simpson, Martha Aldous, Donna Fenner, Scott Hulbert, Robert Boule, Stanley Wood, Paul Anderson, Stan Corneille, Selectboard Chair opened the November 16, 2009 meeting of the Williamstown Selectboard meeting at 7 p.m. First item on the agenda is to convene the Water & Sewer Commissioners. Stan saw no reason to as Larry’s motion from the last meeting was that we accept Village View Heights Roadway and water & sewer upon receipt of a reputable letter line of credit, for one hundred twenty five thousand dollars necessary for sewer line repairs, all work is to be done by July 1, 2010. We have received the letter. Before moving on to the Selectboard Board meeting Stan asked to add to the agenda under unfinished business Finance Committee as # 5. SELECTBOARD MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS: Reminder the Sex Registry Forum will be held tomorrow evening at the Middle/High School Performing Arts Laboratory at 7pm. Visitor’s Comments: None at this time Review and Approval of Warrants: Stan asked if he had a motion to approve the warrant. Rodney moved to not accept the Selectboard Warrant number 17. Second by Larry. A discussion followed about invoices and two reimbursement checks were denied payment. The motion was amended to we pay all pay request except for the legal and travel expense for Robert Cleaves. Stan second. Motion passed by voice vote of 3-1. Stan called for a vote on the main motion not to accept check warrant SB17 and now you accept it with those two item excluded. Motion passed by voice vote of 3-1. Approval of Minutes: Stan asked for a motion to approve the minutes of November 2, 2009. So moved by Larry and second by Rodney. A discussion followed and a correction made. Motion passed by voice vote of 4-0. Manager’s Report: Rock of Ages - in the packet is a letter about the Rock of Ages appeal that Terry Knight – Appraiser drafted. She wished the Board to sign it and send it to the Commissioner of Taxes so we have the option to recalculate the education tax liability because of the appeal by Rock of Ages. If we lose grand list and tax revenues we want the option to get our educational tax recalculated. It was the consensus of the Board to sign and the letter. Fire Station Furnace – bids were sent out and Brad Flowers will furnish and install the furnace. Garrett asked the Board if they would like him to obtain an attorney to produce a legal option concerning High Street and the limits of High Street. Many meetings ago the Board approved a permit to work in the Town Right of Way to Mr. Robert Boule. At that time certain information was not known that there was a survey and since has been recorded. The question on the survey is the town’s right of way to the intersecting property line of Mr. Boule. The surveyor statement is, High Street was laid out three rods wide but based on indirect deed evidence may have been practically discontinued. It is not clear and his option was this would only be solved in a court of law. It is not clear if the road was discontinued or not. Board advised Garrett to contact an attorney.
Unfinished Business: Stan Corneille – Sidewalk Update Stan said the funding for the sidewalk project has not changed since we voted in August for the 20% share. Back in 2005 we received a grant for the sidewalk for a $199700. That is 90%. 80% federal funds, 10% state and the town 10%. At Town Meeting in 2005 the town voted more than 10%. They voted to fund our portion, $23000. So when the project started we had $222,700. It is going to cost about $81000.to have the engineering done, to have the environmental permits secured, to have the right of way work done; we are almost at the end of the spending that $81000. this was pre-construction cost. The money that will be left over of the original money is $142000. that we can use to construct the sidewalk. The estimate of the construction of the sidewalk is $223000. There are some contingences we have to put in as legal and construction oversight. We need to hire a firm or somebody to look after our interest during construction about a 15% charge. So it is going to cost $279000 for just the construction of the sidewalk. We are going to use what we have left over from the 2005 grant first because it a 10% share. When we start using the grant from the Senator’s Leahy and Sanders, $177000. it’s a 20% share. Estimated short fall is about $137000. Then we will use the money our Senators secured for us. That was a specific as Stan could get at this time. He spoke to Dubois & King about the sidewalk construction bid documents and they will be prepared to send to the State in about week and a half constructions documents for approval. In January or February we should be able to send out bids. It is definitely going to happen in the construction season 2010.
Young Road Plowing Art wanted to speak on this but was not able to be present. Stan said we have been talking about this for weeks and asked the Board’s feeling on tabling it for the next meeting. Rodney moved we do not to plow Young Road. Second by Larry. No discussion and the motion passed by voice vote 4-0. Personnel Policy Stan explained the grey area’s are the changes or additions to the policy. Garrett said these were previous amendments incorporated into the policy and the other is clarification or classification of employees, mainly for part time and full time employees. Also to identify seasonal employees, which is one person at this time, and to receive a benefit of only the holidays that occur during the time they are on the town’s payroll and no other benefits apply. A discussion followed and the Board asked Garrett to have VLCT review the policy. NEMRC Recommendations A letter from NEMRC of work performed and recommendations. Larry did not think anyone should have remote access to the computer especially with the financial information. Bob Cleaves said as treasurer he does access the computer from home and when he is away if there is a problem with payroll. He is not concerned with hackers. One thing Bob wanted to bring up is the Disaster Recovery which is a separate optional plan. Bob has been backing up the system at this point. He purchased 2 drives that we are backing up things on. It is one of the most important things that needed to be done. Stan felt we should work at instituting those recommendations. Garrett said the disaster recovery was to be the next discussion and will only back up NEMRC but it is a reasonable price. It will not back up documents, spreadsheets, etc. Rodney asked if it’s the server back up or something different. Bob said it’s not the entire server back up, it’s the NEMRC data on the server and some of the user files. Bob purchased the backup drives NEMRC recommended and will be sure they are backing up all the other computer data. Questions from NEMRC: Get written verification of who should have access to passwords for systems besides myself and my supervisor at NEMRC. Chris remembered when the NEMRC person came he thought it was decided to use the IT person in the district. Bob said the school agreed to back up even after they declined to do all the IT services. Garrett will look into this with the school. Determine remote access policy to town computers for staff. Stan asked Bob who has made a case for access because he works from home and when traveling, he assures us it is not a breach of security. Rodney asked if he had access he could carry out any function of the Town Treasurer any place in the world. He could. Larry was not comfortable with it, he felt we have a Treasurer and a Treasurer Office that’s where the work should be conducted. Bob sees this as jabbing away at the treasurer’s office. Rodney said what they are trying to achieve here overall is verifying our accounting system through out the town to make sure as much as we can things aren’t happening as in Montpelier. We are not after anyone. Bob said that’s not really your choice where he works, it’s the treasurer choice. I could have my office at home but it’s not your choice. There is nothing that says I can’t do the work on my own equipment and where I work. You are starting to dictate where and how I do my job that is not the purpose of the Selectboard. Unless you can show it is not being done properly that’s another issue. Stan asked if you were not doing payroll would you need remote access. Bob said it is not just payroll. Rodney asked how that affect’s public information, if you are at home or in your own office. Bob said they can come down to the office or request it. Bob suggest they talk to other people about the remote control. Larry asked if Bob thought it proper for him to work at home rather than the Town Offices. Bob didn’t think it mattered where he works from. He agreed their needs to be hours he is at the Town Hall but he is talking about after hours that he works on things. Determine if the town wants to reinstall screen capture and logging software of system computers for documentation of computer use. If so that software should be installed on the server. Determine in writing who should have access to data from the security software. Bob recommended this be continued with no one having access to data unless there is an issue and it’s with the permission of the Board. Only NEMRC. If he finds a problem he will contact the Board to have NEMRC look into it. Identify after-hours staff contact procedures and access for me to the office. Garrett will be the contact. Finance Committee Stan said they have four individuals that asked to be on the Finance Committee. They are James Plouffe, Charles Kunkle, Thomas Kavet and Kamela Chouinard. Chris moved to approved all four to the Finance Committee. Second by Larry. Motion passed by voice vote of 4-0. New Business: Scott Hulbert –Williamstown Youth Sports Association –Tax Exemption Scott presented a letter to the Board to put them on the ballot at Town Meeting asking the people of Williamstown to vote for all Williamstown Youth Sports properties to be 100% tax exempt. The properties they now have are Saldi Field and are looking into purchasing the Unifirst Building. They would not be able to afford the taxes if they purchased this building. Chris motion we allow this question placed on the ballot this coming Town Meeting Day. Second by Rodney. Motion passed by voice vote 4-0. Changes to Town Payroll Accounting Stan thought with the Treasurer doing payroll and cutting himself a check would be a conflict of interest. He is not sure how many treasurers around the state do the payroll and cut themselves a check. Also it might be a cost saving to farm out the payroll accounting. Bob at one point was in favor but after talking to him is seems to be more complicated than that. Bob looked into it last spring payroll and it is not a simple task. 90% is a bookkeeping task, filing quarterly reports, monthly reports, annual reports, reconciling with the auditors, etc. Typically it is treasurer/bookkeepers place to get it done. He spoke to Chittenden Bank about it and they could do a lot of it. But there is still in house work to be done every payroll. He did not see any major savings in time that would be worth while to me to dump it. Maybe if later someone new comes in it may be a worth while effort. Bob suggested a two week pay cycle. The Board could have someone come down to sign the payroll warrants. Rodney did not see a conflict with the Treasurer paying himself. Chris motion to start the process and be prepared for by-weekly paychecks beginning February. Second by Rodney. Motion passed by voice vote 4-0. Salvage Yard Application Garrett spoke of the legislative passed an act of responsibility enforcing salvage yards to the Department of Natural Resources from the Agency of Transportation. Act 56 describes the findings. The legislative has left it upon the Town’s to initiate a salvage yard location application. Doreen Chambers and neighbors put together a draft, the ANC has reviewed it and our attorney has reviewed it. What is presented is the final draft of the application. Doreen Chambers spoke for the group that drew up the application and noted it was going to be the template throughout the state. It was adopted by the ANR. This is the 1st step for someone having a salvage yard. Then the Town has a public hearing for input from the people to see if the Selectboard gives approval or not for the site. Then it gets forwarded to the state. Then the salvage yard would be responsible for following the Act 56 guidelines and the municipality would oversea it. In January the ANR will be sending a packet with more information. Williamstown will send a town wide mailing notifying of the new law change. Doreen asked for an application be sent to a salvage yard in town that sparked the group to proceed in having the law changed and drafting the application. Doreen thanked the Town Manager and the ANR for working with them and helping so much. Around the Table: Chris: Chris asked if the tax sales are processing. Garrett said tax sales were held November 4th and the new list of delinquencies should be printed. Now that a new tax bill is out there Garrett can implement the Board’s policy about the 18 months to pay balances. New payment agreements will be need to be made. The truck that is for sale Chris was under the impression we were not selling the old one. Garrett said they decided to sell the oldest one because of the rear sander. Chris said the reason we put a new truck body awhile ago was because we were told that truck had the least amount of breakdowns. Chris said the price seemed high and that may be the reason for no interest. Graniteville Road has not happened in the last two weeks; Garrett said they would be done on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Rodney: Rodney had concerns about which truck is going to be sold. His concern is that the Road Foreman doesn’t want that truck be sold. Garrett said it was the rear sander that made it the least attractive truck. Bob suggested he knew another auction place that could sell the truck but we might not get what we want for it. Rodney said the Fire Committee did meet and will meet again on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.. Larry is also on the committee. Rodney feels they will figure out getting an adequate building on the Town’s property. Larry: Larry reported another dog related issue; one dog attacked another one, he though the Board may need to look at the dog ordinance. Maybe have the new dog warden and Garrett review it and bring in suggestions. We need to deter these dogs from these things happening. Stan asked for it to be on the next agenda if the ACO has had time to review our policy. Stan: Stan received a request from Green Mountain Transit for a donation to keep them going. Rodney asked what they did for the Town. The letter says they provide transportation to residents. Larry said they also supply people that go out and pick up residents for appointments. They took over for Wheels who provided that service. Stan read from the letter of services they provide Williamstown. Also he received a letter from FEMA approving our Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. We are now approved to apply for their programs. Visitor’s Comments: None at this time. Stan entertained a motion to adjourn. So moved by Chris and second by Rodney. Motion passed by voice vote 4-0.
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