August 11, 2014

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 8:01 a.m. Selectboard members Lewis Sumner, Earl Holtz, and Edee Edwards were present. Others in attendance were Robbin Gabriel, Brad Rafus, and (briefly) Michael Perigo (Sales Manager, HP Fairfield). Shortly after 8:30 a.m. David Malko, of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, joined the meeting by phone.

New Business

Sign Road Commissioner’s Orders
The Road Commissioner’s orders were reviewed and signed.

Open Bids on the Gravel and the One Ton Truck
The town received two bids on gravel and two on the one-ton truck, as follows:

Truck
A two-part bid from Gateway Motors, Inc. for a Ford F550 truck at $43,400 and from HP Fairfield for the equipment at $36,990. Total price, $80,390. The packet includes an exception sheet which needs to be reviewed—Holtz said it lists a lot of “not availables.”

From Delurey Sales International, North Hoosick, New York, $94,895 for a new 4×4 small dump truck and winter equipment. An attachment lists specifications, and a collection of warranty options are offered at additional cost.

Both these bids were given to Brad Rafus for further study.

Gravel
Cersosimo Industries, Brattleboro, Vermont, submitted a bid for 5,000 cubic yards 1½-inch crushed gravel, delivered, at $21.85 per cubic yard (total $109,250) and 800 cubic yards 1½ crushed stone, delivered, $27.10 per cubic yard (total $21,680). The quote is valid until April 1, 2015.

Mitchell Sand & Gravel, Shelburne, Massachusetts, submitted a bid for 5,000 cubic yards 1½-inch crushed gravel, delivered, $16.00 per cubic yard (total $80,000), and 800 cubic yards 1½-inch crushed stone, delivered, $19.00 per cubic yard (total $15,200). Product to be delivered to the Halifax town garage by November 1, 2014, or contract will be terminated.

Holtz made a motion to award the bid to Mitchell Sand & Gravel for 5,000 yards crushed gravel at $16.00/cubic yard, delivered, and 800 cubic yards crushed stone at $19.00/cubic yard, delivered. Edwards seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0.

Discussion of VTA Route 112 Cell Tower Resiliency Grant and Possible Approval
Edwards summarized Town Attorney Robert Fisher’s recommendations for several wording alterations to the cell tower lease, and noted a requirement that the town post the terms of the agreement for 30 days before signing it. VTA’s David Malko then joined the meeting by phone, the Board shared Fisher’s recommendations with him, and Malko said he would convey the details to the appropriate VTA advisors. Edwards will send Malko an electronic copy of the lease document with potential revisions highlighted, along with some updated contact, site manager, and site information detail.

Discussion of Guard Rails on Bridge near Ballou Mountain Road
Holtz read the following quote for this project, submitted by Vermont Recreational: 300 linear feet of used steel-beam guard rail, six-foot long steel posts, guard rails to consist of end buffers, $12.00 a linear foot, total cost $3,600. If new guard rails and posts are desired, add $6.50 a linear foot, total cost $5,550. Holtz noted that either amount is above the town’s $3,000 purchasing policy ceiling, and reminded the Board of an earlier agreement to discuss whether that purchasing limit should be raised and whether an exception should be made for this specific project given the time element involved. Vermont Rec will be setting guard rails on the new #37 bridge soon and their price, which is far lower than the $38,625 quote received from Daniels Construction in July 2013, is based on having a crew and equipment virtually on-site for the Green River Road project. Rafus said used guard rails were quite acceptable, were used in most of the town’s projects, and the $12.00 per linear foot figure was less than what the town paid during reconstruction after Hurricane Irene. “They’re not that bright, shiny color, that’s all,” he remarked. Edwards said changing the purchasing policy to accommodate one specific need was a bad idea; if the policy were to be altered it should become a Selectboard agenda item at a future meeting, after researching the overall situation. Holtz made a motion, under this special circumstance, to approve the purchase and installation of 300 linear feet of used steel-beam guard rails and used 6-foot posts at $12.00 per linear foot, $3,600 total, with the town providing flagging and traffic control services, as quoted on 7/16/14 by Vermont Recreation, for the Green River Road bridge near Ballou Mountain Road. Sumner seconded the motion, which passed, 2-1. Holtzpointed out that whenever bids were solicited under the existing purchasing policy, ten percent of a $3,000 purchase went to advertising at the outset. Edwards would like to have a thorough analysis of past transactions in hand before a review and suggested scheduling a policy update after the Selectboard’s administrative assistant has been hired.

Discussion on Blacktopping Old County Road North from Green River Road Intersection to the New Bridge (No. 37)
Rafus has an estimate of $2,885 from Vermont Asphalt for repaving the Green River Road section above Deer Park Bridge where the culvert was replaced recently. He also has a ballpark figure of $6,000-$7,000 for paving Old County Road North between Green River and the new bridge. Sumner mentioned that funds left from last year’s paving budget might be sufficient to cover this latter expenditure. Rafus is waiting to hear from DMI, who will be in town to pave the #37 bridge deck after that construction is complete. He recommends combining the two small projects—Green River Road culvert stretch and Old County Road, Green River Road to the bridge—into one bid request for best pricing. Meanwhile, Edwards said the Board should check the books to determine the exact amount of money still available for paving.

Discussion of Letter from Lane Construction
Board members have not yet talked to the town attorney about the letter from Lane outlining the company’s intention to seal eroded Green River Road pavement and hold off on repaving. Sumner said he would have that conversation with Attorney Fisher. The primary concern, Holtz said, is assuring that the warranty is properly extended to cover this wait period.

Executive Session
Sumner made a motion to go into executive session to discuss a personnel issue. Edwards seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0. The board went into executive session at approximately 9:30 a.m. and returned to public session at 9:35, with no decisions made.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robbin Gabriel
Selectboard Secretary