02-08-2021 Selectboard Meeting

Town of Fairlee Selectboard Meeting
Town of Fairlee Town Hall
75 Town Common Road
Fairlee, VT 05045

(All members, staff, and the public were remote using ZOOM.)

Monday, February 8, 2021

Call to Order: 6:03 PM

Peter Berger, Chair, called the meeting to order. A quorum was met.

PRESENT

Selectboard Members: Peter Berger, Chair; Josh Hickman, Vice Chair; Cathy McGrath
Town Administrator: Tad Nunez
Town Clerk: Georgette Wolf-Ludwig
Lister: Noël Walker
Board Clerk: Joanna Bligh
Visitors: Arlene and Peter Guest, Lynne and Bill Fitzhugh, Wendy Sichel, Chris Sargent (Dubois & King), Alex Nuti-de Biasi (Journal Opinion), Miranda Clemson.

AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:

Approved as written.

STAFF AND PUBLIC COMMENTS

Volunteer Forum

Cathy McGrath announced that the Volunteer Forum planned for tonight’s Selectboard meeting will be held offline, and the report of the meeting will be brought to the Selectboard.

Lister’s Office

Noël Walker announced that the Certificate of No Appeal was settled with Great River Hydro, which solidifies the Grand List for no appeals, and the document needs to be signed by all Selectboard members.

Zoning Administrator’s Report

Chris Brimmer reported that he is currently working on a junk complaint in a landlord-tenant situation.

Brimmer reported that the Public Hearing was held, which encouraged members to make changes to the Bylaw amendments.

Brimmer will revise the text and prepare the document for Selectboard review at the March 3, 2021, Selectboard meeting.

The kick-off meeting with the TRORC senior planner, Kevin Geiger, was held at the last Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission has agreed to twice-monthly meetings to finalize the Bylaw amendments and to review the M2M data.

[End of Zoning Administrator’s Report]

Town Administrator’s Report

Tad Nunez sent a report on the Town Administrator’s activities and meetings during the week beginning February 1, 2021:

Water Meter Training

Nunez announced that meter training was held this week with the Town’s water operators and with administration. The roll-out of the new program will take three months.

Better Connections Grant

Nunez reported that he is closing out the grant by March 1, 2021 and will submit the final invoices and reports to VTrans.

Class II Road Grant

Nunez reported that the road grant engineering expenses will be reduced because the work will be done “in-house” by the Fairlee Road Foreman with oversight by an engineer.

VLCT Legislative Report

Nunez reported from the Legislative Report that the Vermont legislature has reinstated funding to towns relating to:

- - Town Highways Bridge Program
  - Town Highway Structure and Class II Program
  - Transportation Alternatives Program

Transfer Station / Shredded Paper

Nunez reported that Quinttown Haulers accepts shredded paper at the Transfer Station.

Solid Waste Management Grant

Nunez reported on the engineering and site work available for this solid waste management grant, which has a due date of March 11, 2021.

[End of Town Administrator’s Report]

NEW BUSINESS

Main St. to Morey (M2M)

Chris Sargent of Dubois & King presented the close-out presentation for the Main St. to Morey grant project. Sargent offered compliments to the M2M Steering Committee, the Fairlee partners who Sargent stated were actively involved, and the staff from Sargent’s office. As a recap, Sargent presented the goals of M2M: to design and offer options for transportation, infrastructure, the economy of Fairlee, and the Village streetscape. The Committee researched and discussed a marketing plan, stormwater issues, conservation of public lands, wayfinding signs, and planning for community septic. Sargent confirmed that his group will prepare an informational meeting for Town residents later in the year.

VT Trails Program / Fairlee Town Forest

Lynne Fitzhugh presented slides about the Town Forest trails based on the information she and Nunez will use for the Recreation Trails Program grant ($50,000.00 with 20% match) from the VT Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. Fitzhugh offered detailed information about the restoration that is still needed in the Town Forest, including improving roads and trails and resolving the areas of erosion. Arlene Guest provided a detailed map of the Town Forest trails and the restoration sites.

Fitzhugh noted that the State has water quality statutes and a clean water mandate and without restoration of the roads and trails in the Town Forest, Fairlee may suffer financial liability.

The Board thanked Fitzhugh and Guest for their work and presentation.

Lake Morey Project / Engineering Contract

Nunez provided the Board with the contract from Tata & Howard on the Phase 2, Lake Morey Road Improvement Project.

MOTION: Cathy McGrath/Josh Hickman moved/seconded the motion to approve the contract from Tata & Howard (Project No. 6665) as amended (to include digital maps). The motion passed unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS

Town Meeting / Informational Session Preparations / February 25, 2021

Nunez suggested that the members follow the warrant articles’ list for the Informational Session. The Selectboard discussed the logistics of the virtual meeting. Josh Hickman discussed the PowerPoint format. Nunez noted that he could be the monitor by letting viewers into the meeting and forwarding the CHAT or hand-raised questions from the viewers to the Selectboard.

NEXT SELECTBOARD MEETING: Monday, February 22, 2021, at 6:00 PM.

CORRESPONDENCE: None.

MINUTES REVIEW

MOTION: Cathy McGrath/Josh Hickman moved/seconded the motion to accept the Selectboard Meeting Minutes from 2-1-2021 as amended. The motion passed unanimously.

ADJOURN

MOTION: Cathy McGrath/Josh Hickman moved/seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 PM. The motion passed unanimously.

Attest: Joanna Bligh, Board Clerk