Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 8:12 a.m. Selectboard members Lewis Sumner and Earl Holtz were present; Edee Edwards were absent. Brad Rafus and Robbin Gabriel were also in attendance.

Changes and/or Additions to Agenda

None.

New Business

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

Hearing of Visitors

Highway Department News
Brad Rafus told the Board it would soon be time to address the issue of uniforms for the highway crew. While the subject has been discussed in past meetings, decisions were postponed pending the expiration of the current contract on January 1, 2015. Rafus said there were some concerns about employees fronting the money for their uniform needs and then waiting for reimbursement. He favors an arrangement similar to Guilford’s, where the road crew is responsible for purchasing their own pants and the town handles supplying shirts, jackets, and boots, thus assuring everyone has similar apparel which complies with all the laws. Footwear, Rafus said, must be steel-toed, and the Halifax handbook states the town will provide personal protection items. Regulation footgear falls into the personal protection category, so the town should be responsible for work boots and shoes. Holtz asked whether this was an OSHA requirement and Rafus answered in the affirmative. The Board agreed the town would provide footgear. It would be wisest, Rafus said, to take the entire crew to be fitted at the store, rather than ordering unseen from a catalog.

On Wednesday the 24^th, VTrans state representative Steve Ovenden will meet with Rafus to view the Hale Road and Deer Park bridges as a final step before state reimbursement. Sumner will warn a special Selectboard meeting to cover the possibility of Board members’ presence at the site visits.

The highway department is also getting ready to repair the washout on the Hale Road bridge; Rafus has been waiting for Guilford to finish their own bridge construction and reopen Hale Road.

John Brimmer will be fixing the damaged guardrail post on the Green River bridge adjacent to Ballou Mountain Road. Guardrails on that bridge were replaced a few weeks ago.

The containment tank is scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning; Rafus plans to dig the hole for the tank and line it with stone on Tuesday.

Construction of the salt shed addition will begin very soon. The contractor has the necessary materials on order, and Rafus expects the project will not take long to complete once the work is underway.

 Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robbin Gabriel
Selectboard Secretary