A meeting of the
Hardwick Select Board was held on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. in
the 3rd floor meeting room of the Hardwick Memorial Building.
Members Present:Also
Present:
Marcus BrownRob
Lewis, Town Manager
Shari CornishJoe
LaPorte, Police Chief
Kathleen
HemmensOfficer Michael Gero
Richard BrochuLenora
Renaud
Wayne Hall
Ron Weisen
Joyce Chase- Office
Manager
Marie Lepre-Grabon
6:04 P.M. Meeting
called to order by Marcus Brown.
6:05 P.M. Set/Adjust
Agenda:
M. Tod Delaricheliere
made the motion to accept the adjustments to the Agenda.
Kathleen Hemmens
seconded the motion.
Motion passed unanimously.
6:04 P.M.Communications
from the Audience
NONE
6:08 P.M. Executive
Session- Personnel
Motion was made by
Richard to go into executive session for personnel to include the Town Manager
and Police Chief.
Motion seconded by
Shari
Motion Passed
7:40 P.M. Out of
Executive Session
7:46P.M.Back to
regular session
7:47P.M.Item # 2
The Select Board
was emailed the attached from Nancy Nottermann, the Town’s Energy Coordinator. Nancy has spoken to the Board in the past
regarding this issue. Nancy would like
the community to have the opportunity to vote to study the following possible
program. As energy issues and energy
affordability will become more important and crucial for Vermont communities in
future years, the VT Legislature included in the Energy Act of 2009, a Property
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program (defined in Vermont statute as a “Clean
Energy Assessment District”) for municipalities. Nancy feels that it is important for the Town
of Hardwick, the Hardwick Energy Coordinator, HEART and the public to learn
more about the PACE Program.
Motion was made by
Richard to list the following proposed resolution or very close to as an article on the warning for
Town Meeting. “The Select Board would
like to establish and work with a study committee of volunteers and Select
Board appointees to investigate the PACE Program and educate the public about
the possibilities of creating such a program in Hardwick”. The actual wording of this article in the
warning may differ from the motion based on the Town’s counsel recommended
wording.
Motion was 2nd by Shari
Motion Passed.
7:50P.M.Budget FY 2011
Rec Budget
Ron Weisen asked
the board why the
recreation budget was being reduced by
$2300.00? MB explained that it was suggested to reduce
the Rec budget by $2300 because their current fund balance still is $2300.00. Ron explained that this fund balance will be
spent between now and June 30, 2010 on various events and expenditures that
they have planned. Last year they did
have a fund balance but did not realize they did because they were unable to
get an accurate account balance from
the Town due to low staffing at the Town.
Lenore Renaud stated
that she did speak to Marc Luneau at Green Mountain Tech regarding grooming for
the Trails. Unfortunately, Marc’s
equipment will not be suitable to groom the trails. The equipment is too wide and would hurt the
trails.
MB asked Ron and
Lenore if the Town had any equipment that the trails could use to help reduce
the rec’s budget?
TM stated that Ron is
looking for a Weed Whacker with a circular blade. Ron felt that the cost would be around $700.00. The additional $2000.00 in the budget is to
be set aside for a tracked 4 Wheeler that they would like in the future.
VAST has also
expressed an interest in grooming trails for them, but again Ron explained that
VAST groomers groom snowmobile trails very differently from cross country ski
trails.
TM stated that he
feels that they might be able to use some of the Bike Path Phase III money to
help with the trails and connecting to Hazen Trails.
MB asked Ron how he
feels with what the TM stated and would they feel comfortable changing their
request for $2000.00 for Capital. Ron
stated possibly with the Bike Path phase III option and maybe by using the Town
Tractor in the summer to use on the trails.
The trails would still like to set aside money for grooming equipment in
the future.
Lenore
stated that many people come from other towns to use the trails and while they
are here they are spending money in Hardwick.
Lenore feels that the trails are a huge community resource that is
shared by many. The Hardwick Trails was
just given an award. The Hardwick Trails
has been chosen to receive the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council’s 2009
Community Enhancement Award! According to Director Danny Hale, “the award is
given in recognition of trail work that strengthens communities and enhances
the quality of life in Vermont.”
The
award will be presented January 26 at the Council’s quarterly meeting in
Richmond. The Hardwick Trails Committee is delighted to have our beautiful
Trails recognized!
Ron
also explained that the 4 wheeler that the Trails has been looking into is a 4
wheeler with tracks on it so they could groom with it in the winter and do
trail maintenance in the summer. Their
current groomer is a very old snowmobile owned by Eric Remick that pulls a
roller behind. This snowmobile is on its
last leg and the Trails do not have a back up.
Trails
did receive a quote on the type of 4 wheeler that they are looking for and it
came in around $11,000 and that included the MFG discount and the Town Discount. The track alone costs around $3000.00.
Library
Mr.
Hall stated that that he wants the board to know that library did inform the
Select Board every year regarding the status of the Terrell grant reduction.
MB
stated that he felt that what Tod said in the previous meeting was that the
Select Board should have been informed if the Terrell Grant was going to end. They were aware that it was being reduced but
not aware that they would not be getting it.
MB
suggested reducing the youth librarian position from $11,800 to $3000.00 which
would reduce the overall library budget from $83267.20 to $74467.20.
Capital
MB
asked that the $38144.00 be put back into the Center Road paving set aside and
that the 4 paving projects be taken out of previous set aside and put back into
the paving projects for the FY 2011.
MB
also asked that $8000.00 for Spring Street be taken out of Center Road Paving
set aside and be put in Spring Street previously set aside.
MB
asked that that $22500.00 be taken from Center Road paving set aside and moved
to E. Hardwick
Main Street Bridge # 4 previous set aside.
MB
asked that the TM look at the 3 year plan in the Capital fund as it does not
look right. Also consider bumping up the
Library Capital for 2012 & 2013. Also
do we need the PD in there for 2012 & 2013?
The
entire board agreed to the above changes.
9:32
P.M.Police Department
MB
stated that at the last meeting last week the board inserted a line item in the
PD budget in the amount of $25000.00 for PD building. At this time MB is suggesting that this be
put on the article at Town Meeting instead be a line item in the PD budget. By putting this issue on as an Article will
give the board a chance to see if the Town will support the idea of a new
police facility. The voters will have to
approve it.
SC
feels that you will get a much clearer picture on how the Town people feel and
the voters will get to discuss if they wish.
RB
stated he also would like to see that as an Article.
It will give people a chance to discuss before Town Meeting as they will
see it in the Town Report.
TM
will have a draft Article for the next meeting.
Mike
Gero spoke to the board tonight regarding the current staffing issues facing
the PD. Mike stated that having one
officer working the night shift is extremely unsafe as well as a huge liability
for the Town as well as the residents. Currently
the HPD has only 1 officer on alone during the night shift.
Other
Law enforcement agencies feel that it is insane for Hardwick to only have 1
working alone during the night shift.
Mike
also stated that if it came down to he would prefer safety over getting a new
facility. He stated the officer safety
was his primary concern.
Mike
also feels that is why the turnover in officers has been so significant in the prior
years because officers have to work alone at night and it is very dangerous.
Mr.
Hall agreed with Mike and also stated he would like to see two officers working the
night shift.
Joe
Laporte has expressed his position and felt that Mike needed to express his and
how it is to work alone. Something really bad could
happen and officer safety is his priority.
MB
stated that the Town is and has been trying to make improvement with the Road Crew, PD,
and Office Staff. The Select Board now
would like to see the PD get a new police station and the needs just do not seem to end. The Select Board needs to decide what they
are comfortable with. It seems very hard
to do both have a new facility plus approve an additional officer. As a tax payer nobody wants to see an
increase in taxes. How much can the
Board support, and where does that leave the Board.
MB
stated that the Select Board needs to think more time and they are not prepared
to make a decision tonight.
10:40
P.M. At this time the Board took a 5 minute break:
10:50P.M.
Resumed meeting
MB
stated that the current tax rate at this time with the above changes is at 5.10%
increase which means on a $100,000 home the resident will be paying $48.25 per $1000.
TM
also asked the board to consider placing a 5% contingency line item in the budget for
FY 2011. The reason for this is like
this afternoon the TM found out that the State Unemployment fees were raised 16%. The State raised the limits on the
withholdings. For the past two years the
Town has had to drawn down on the Fund Balance.
The Town’s Fund Balance is at its threshold of where the Town would like
to keep it. Therefore we would like not
to have to reduce the fund balance in the future.
10:50
P.M. Motion to adjourn
Richard
made the motion to adjourn.
Shari
seconded the motion.
Motion
passed unanimously.
Minutes
approved by: Marcus Brown, Select Board Chair
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Minutes
taken by:Rosie Gillen