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https//zoom. Us/join Meeting ID: 972 2791 1757 Passcode: 352680
BOARD MEMBERS: Angela Litchfield, Katy Johnson-Aplin, Ann Golob (Zoom), and Jeffrey Chevalier (Zoom). Absent: Mike Fitzpatrick
OTHERS PRESENT: Peter Putnam (Assistant Town Clerk), Austin Rice (B.C.T.V.), and Wannetta Powling (Administrative Assistant).
ZOOM: Jay Wilson (Road Foreman), Kate Gehring (Planning Commission), and Sarah Lemnah (American Red Cross)
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Selectboard Chair Angela Litchfield.
CONFIRM PROPERLY WARNED: Powling confirmed the meeting had been properly warned.
ADDITIONS/AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA:
Golob asked to add the Ethics training to New Business.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
- January 6th , Regular Meeting Minutes.Golob made a motion to accept the regular minutes of January 6th, and Johnson-Aplin seconded. The motion passed.
- January 6th, Budget Meeting Minutes
Golob made a motion to accept the budget minutes of January 6th. Johnson-Aplin seconded.
The motion passed.
- January 10th, Board of Liquor Control Meeting Minutes
Chevalier made a motion to accept the BLC minutes of January 10th, and Golob seconded.
The motion passed. Johnson-Aplin abstained.
- January 15th, Budget Meeting Minutes
Johnson-Aplin made a motion to accept the budget minutes of January 15th, and Golob seconded. The motion passed.
ROAD FOREMAN’S & ROAD COMMISSIONER’S REPORT:
- We need to cut four trees for the NRCS project at the Green Iron bridge before April 15th to avoid the bat and wood turtle regulations. Once the ice and snow melt on the riverbank, we can safely cut those.
- Ann and I had a meeting with the engineer from MSK on the gravel pit. We have a meeting scheduled for Friday with the engineer and Stephanie Giles from ACT 250 for a pre-application chat.
- We are having a little trouble sourcing the White Oak for the Covered Bridge deck.
- The access permit is fine on Browns Road.
- Would it be possible to have the sheriff’s department spend some time at Arch Bridge? There have been a number of people ignoring the stop signs on Grimes Hill and Dover Road.
Golob made a motion to accept the Road Foreman’s report, and Johnson-Aplin seconded.
The motion passed.
Discussion:
1.) The Selectboard confirmed that the highway crew will cut the four trees in the spring before April 15th. Wilson said that it was not necessary to go out to bid.
2.) The goal of the meeting with the engineer and Stephanie Giles is to review our application and make sure she doesn’t see any concerns or issues before we formerly submit the application.
4.) Johnson-Aplin made a motion to approve the access permit on Brown’s Road; based on the Road Forman recommendation, Golob seconded the motion.
The motion passed.
5.) Litchfield agreed to contact Sheriff Anderson to request the patrol focus on the lower end of Auger Hole and Dover Road intersection as well as the Arch Bridge intersection, to ensure public safety and obeying the stop signs.
6.) Wilson wanted to add that a letter from VTrans had been received regarding the Green Iron Bridge in South Newfane, the letter stated that no funds were available this year for repairs. Wilson reminded VTrans that a Historical Easement had been signed after Hurricane Irene in 2011 and that the State of Vermont had assumed all responsibility for maintaining the Bridge.
Litchfield called for a vote to approve the Road Forman’s report.
The motion passed.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT’S REPORT:
The Town office staff have been covering office operations while some staff is out of the office. The key highlights of our activities include:
- Office Coverage:
- Daily office tasks have been managed promptly, including answering phone calls and assisting visitors who come in to make tax payments or to pick up Zoning applications for new construction. Some questions I have been unable to answer, and they will require a follow-up message and a phone number from another staff member.
- Routine administrative responsibilities have been effectively maintained.
- Town Report Compilation:
- Significant progress has been made in pulling together all edits and pages for the upcoming Town Report.
- Coordination with various departments to collect and organize their contributions has been a priority.
- Final proofreading and layout checks will be underway to ensure a polished and accurate publication.
The Town Clerk has received two voter-backed petitions for the Selectboard to consider adding to the warning for the town meeting.
Ethics Training update: I have started a manual for the State-Mandated Ethics Training. Anyone who was an employee prior to January 2025 has until September 2025 to complete this training, which will need to be repeated in three years. Anyone who was hired after January 2025 has 120 days to complete the same training.
Chevalier made a motion to accept the Administrative Assistant’s report, and Johnson-Aplin seconded.
Discussion ensued:
3.) The Selectboard reviewed two voter-backed petitions. After discussion, the Board decided to deny both petitions, emphasizing the need to focus on town-related business.
Litchfield called for the vote to approve the Administrative Assistant’s report.
The motion passed.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Planning Commission: Kate Gehring informed to the Selectboard about this Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting. Matt Bachler from the Windham Regional Commission will be joining them to discuss plans for starting the new Town Plan.
TOWN OFFICE:
Peter Putnam updated the board on the search for solving the plumbing issues at the Town Office. The bid proposal was sent to six local plumbers, and there was no response. Putnam stated that there was a reason that many of the Town Office’s neighbors have gone with Cushing and Sons Plumbing: no one else was willing to do this work. The Board discussed potential options and approved the $4,000.00 expense for Cushing to replace the valve, install a new water filtration, and chlorinate the existing water tank to extend its life.
SCHEDULED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC:
Sarah Lemnah from the American Red Cross presented a request for appropriations and provided an overview of the organization’s activities and impact on the community. The Selectboard agreed to add their request to the Town’s list of social appropriations.
The voters will decide the American Red Cross appropriations request at the March Town Meeting.
UNSCHEDULED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC:
None
NEW BUSINESS:
Ethics Training; Golob mentioned that she had completed the Ethics training, which is now required by the State of Vermont for all municipal employees, and elected officials. Golob said that this had taken about an hour to watch the video and then answer a few questions online in order to complete the certification.
OLD BUSINESS:
Housing Grant Proposal: (Golob – Gehring)
Golob read the prepared press release and asked for the Board’s approval to release it to the local media in hopes that reporters to cover the story and help inform the public of this proposed housing program. The press release be sent out the week before the February 18th Selectboard meeting so the public would have an opportunity to join the meeting to raise any comments and questions.
FEMA buyout of South Newfane General Store (Golob)
The brownfield remediation team – KAS – has completed their study. They found some low indications of contaminants in the soil and recommended more sampling to know exactly how much there is and how it should be addressed.
Right now, their study has been submitted to the State for review. There are two options of responses we might get from the State. On the one hand they could say that the levels found are low enough that no further testing is required and they give us an exemption. If that were to happen, we are all done.
The second option is for them to say that although the levels are low, they would like further testing, as KAS is recommending. If that happens, KAS will put together a Corrective Action Plan; the State will review it; the testing will be carried out. This is typically a 3-to-4-month process.
In terms of funding a Corrective Action Plan and further testing – WRC has funds available for this purpose and we do not need to reapply for them.
If we need clean up funding, WRC can help but will require a new application. Those funds are typically given as an 80%grant/20%loan. So, if this all were to come to pass, the town would have a small portion to pay for the clean-up activities.
Personnel Policy changes/ recommendation (Johnson-Aplin/Chevalier)
No updates.
Town Website Design – (Golob & Johnson-Aplin)
Johnson-Aplin gave a follow-up of the continued website work, along with comments and recommendations that were suggested. Johnson-Aplin asked for the current Selectboard to write a brief bio for the new website, and to forward this next week.
Articles for Town meeting:
The Selectboard reviewed the draft of the Articles for the Town Meeting Warning, and a few minor edits were made.
Golob made a motion to approve the Articles for the Warning, and Chevalier seconded the motion.
The motion passed.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Moore Free Library sent a thank-you letter for the $2,700.00 appropriation voted on at the 2024 Town Meeting.
South Newfane Community Association—submitted a letter of interest via email to hang the South Newfane General Store sign at the Old Schoolhouse in order to continue to honor the local history for future generations.
Johnson-Aplin made a motion to approve the SNCA request to display the store sign, and Chevalier seconded the motion. The motion passed. Golob abstained.
Litchfield asked to have Powling draft a letter to the Windham County Historical and the South Newfane Community Association approving their requests and was asked to include that if they were no longer able to display the sign that it be returned to the Town of Newfane to be hung in the Town Offices.
Golob made a motion to have Litchfield and Johnson-Aplin approve pay orders, and Chevalier seconded. The motion passed.
PAY ORDERS
-
- Payroll # 11714 $7,996.70
- Payroll # 11715 $7,307.89
- AP #25012 $196,984.66
- AP #25013 $68.56
- AP #25014 $31,897.51
ADJOURN:
Johnson-Aplin made a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Wannetta Powling,
Administrative Assistant
A.G