OFFICE OF THE SELECTBOARD
TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
July 1, 2025
6:00 PM AT THE HALIFAX TOWN OFFICE
CALL TO ORDER
Edee Edwards called the meeting to order at 6:01pm. Other Selectboard members present were Karen Christofferson, Rhonda Ashcraft, Randy Pike and Lori Marchegiani. Members of the public present were Stephan Chait, Stephanie Pike, Nancy McCrea, Emily Dow, Clare Santos (KAS), Tim Jones (GMP), Dawn Kazokas (ASMG), David Jones, Steven Young (VT State Department of Environmental Conservation), Cara Cheyette, Kristin Carlson (GMP), Carol Weston (GMP), Steve Reynolds (GMP), Linda Huebner and David Jones.
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
Correspondence: Forlie site visit request
NEW BUSINESS
Bid Opening- Diesel/fuel; sand/gravel/stone
The board opened bids for diesel/fuel and sand, gravel, and stone.
Edwards made a motion to award Cersosimo the bid for 4-8” ditch stone and ¾” crushed stone. Marchegiani seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Christofferson made a motion to accept the bid from Mitchell Materials (ASMG) for both ¾” crushed gravel ($31.50) and ¾” winter sand ($27.30). Pike seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Christofferson sent the bids to four bidders for heating oil and fuel; Nido, Sandri, Dead River and Barrows and Fisher. Dead River Oil Company was the only bidder for heating oil and fuel. Pricing was lower than last year, but it does not include tariffs and pricing won’t be locked in until the contract is signed.
Edwards made a motion to award the bid to Dead River for fuel oil and summer and diesel fuel at the pricing offered when we sign the contract. Marchegiani seconded the motion. Edwards then amended the original motion to include; contingent upon the ability to service town garage boiler. Ashcraft seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Edwards made an additional motion to accept the bid from Dead River Company for fuel oil, and summer/winter diesel fuel; contingent upon the ability to service the boiler. This full motion was not seconded. The vote was 5-0. (Note: Due to Edwards’ procedural errors in not getting a second, the amended motion above seems technically enough to determine the board’s intention and decision. This vote is additional validation of intention, despite the procedural difficulties.)
GMP Zero Outage Initiative
Progress thus far-
Tim Jones spoke about GMP’s project which began on June 2nd and is 5 weeks in with steady progress.
Unforeseen underground conditions (like ledge) required changes in strategy and tactics. Jones noted this may include possible shifts to using the utility Right-of-Way and installing overhead lines if needed.
Traffic and Road Conditions:
- Tucker Road closures occurred unexpectedly due to its narrowness.
- Inadequate road signage led to driver confusion; Christofferson suggested better sign placement near intersections of all work zones to prompt alternate routes.
Website Mapping:
- Stephan Chait said the map on the website is unreadable.
- Edwards will update the website wording.
- Kristin Carlson is updating the project work planto be accessible including road names to assist with advance notice of closures and road conditions
Tim Jones shared detailed schedules including contractors and equipment types.
Once Deer Park and Tucker Roads are energized, road conditions will improve and projects will be closed out sequentially.
One resident was concerned their septic system would be impacted by the work, but GMP confirmed while onsite that there was no conflict. Their right-of-way specialist is working to make sure the full picture of the properties they are crossing is understood.
Stowe Mountain Road:
- A resident raised concerns about current road conditions
- Edwards noted residents with medical appointments had been affected by closures. She stated the project objective is to have consistent power and accessible roads.
- Other factors discussed:
- The composition of the roadbed may cause extra mud
- The trenching machine that brings materials up from 4 ft below creating loose gravel.
- Road conditions will improve once the project is energized and the roads are brought up to spec at the end (gravel and grading)
Safety Measures:
- A safety incident occurred on 6/26/25 with a contractor continuing work after flaggers had left. A driver had to drive defensively to avoid the workers/equipment in the road. This driver reported the incident to a Selectboard member, and this was in turn reported to GMP. GMP investigated immediately. GMP held a “Safety stand down” and a forensic review on 7/1/25 in Westminster. GMP will enforce traffic control safety with their contractors so drivers are forewarned.
Upcoming projects:
- Future work will extend from Vaughn Road to Amidon Road then continue through Jacksonville Stage Road.
Jacksonville Stage Road plans-
Tim Jones is seeking board approval to begin the Jacksonville Stage Road project within the next few weeks, following completion of McMillian Road. The project involves multiple phases across different sections.
Fournier stipulated that whenever GMP conducts underground work on paved roads, it must follow up with full-width paving. Jones will draft an addendum to “future proof” our existing agreement to formalize this.
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Edwards made a motion to approve theJacksonville Stage Road project by GMP. Marchegini seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Spring Landfill Monitoring- River, monitoring wells, town garage well water; mowing
Findings:
- PFAS, PFOA, PFC, and other chemicals continue to be detected in monitoring wells at the old town landfill. The level is lower than last spring.
- The town garage well has a low-level detection for a second time in the years of monitoring. The types of chemicals are inconsistent with other compounds found in our landfill monitoring.
- No chemical detections were found in the river or stream samples, which was tested this one year based on a resident suggestion.Clare Santos (KAS) confirmed stream PFAS impact is considered unlikely, Water safety and testing:
- The Road Crew continues to use bottled water as a precaution.
- A different analysis called the Isotope Dilution Technique, identifies reporting limits and tracks small detections. The cost is similar to the traditional 537 and results may reveal correlations in similarly found compounds.
Regulatory updates:
- Christofferson asked the State and KAS about the timing of changing standards that are in discussion at both federal and state level.
- Young said new drinking water standards are expected but not yet released; thresholds may soon be lower.
- There are no new adjustments or changes in the landfill chemical monitoring test plan.
Landfill and Maintenance:
- Steven Young reviewed the landfill cap and submitted PFAS findings to the state.
- The landfill cap requires mowing.
- No changes are currently planned for the landfill monitoring system.
Resident & Board discussions:
- Cara Cheyette questioned the differences between the contamination sources found in the river versus the landfill and town garage.
- Young said there’s no detection in the river. The landfill and town garage well findings differ from each other. This indicates the source might be different for the landfill and town garage well.
- Nancy McCrea suggested touse charcoal filters
- Young informed that reverse osmosis systems with charcoal filters could reduce PFAS detection, but they’re expensive ($10K+ with maintenance). Bottled water is cheaper.
- Clare Santos (KAS) said future reports will include historical sampling tied to private well Tag IDs as seen on the Halifax website map.
OTHER BUSINESS
Appointment of Town Auditors, 2nd auditor
David Jones, with a strong financial background and experience supporting various projects, has expressed interest in serving as an auditor. Jones is currently overseeing a program tied to DVFiber, which focuses on recommitting funds for underground infrastructure work. His role is determined not to present a conflict of interest with the auditor position.
Edwards made a motion to appoint David Jones as town auditor until the next election is held. Pike seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Hatch School Structure Update
Project activities will begin on July 14th, with no changes to the timeline. Christofferson will contact Fitzpatrick regarding road closures, detour details and traffic control process.
The Stream profile is complete and is ready for download. Christofferson will contact Jensen regarding the stream profile comment period, which overlaps with the July 14th start date.
The beaver deceiver was removed.
Moving Town of Halifax sign
On June 27, 2025 Pike and Marchegiani moved the sign with the help of volunteers. The post hole was filled. The salvageable parts of the sign are stored in Marchegiani’s garage. Marchegiani will reach out to Laurel Copeland to consider placement locations.
Edwards advised that placement on private property may affect property value and zoning regulations should be reviewed to confirm compliance.
Acrisure CapPoint Seminar Update
Pike participated in an online seminar hosted by VLCT, which promoted a group risk sharing alternative funding plan for healthcare. The plan was determined not suitable for the town, as it is designed for organizations with a large employee base and involves self-funding through pooled risk.
Pike reached out to MVP Insurance, considered comparable to Blue Cross Blue Shield. More details will be reviewed and discussed at an upcoming meeting.
ROW Permit Process with multiple parties involved
Rossetti was contacted twice and mistakenly believed the permit had been denied. In fact, the permit discussion remains open at this point. The permit’s approval depends on receiving required easements from affected neighbors. There’s concern that the information will not be provided timely.
A letter is being edited to emphasize that the board is not directly involved in fulfilling permit requirements—the property owner must work with the two neighboring property owners and GMP. The town is not a party to this part of process.
Rossetti has reached one, but the second neighbor has not responded.
Without both easements, the board cannot approve the permit Edwards moved to deny the permit because the permit application is incomplete and needs easements from neighbors. Marchegiani seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Edwards will send the signed follow up letter.
FCC License Update
The FCC license has been successfully renewed. The approval of the additional repeater is still in process.
HEARING OF VISITORS
David Jones spoke regarding a Right-of-Way (ROW) permit and has been coordinating with DVFiber. DVFiber requires customers to secure new permits and easements from affected neighboring properties for underground work, rather than using existing easements.
Edwards provided Jones with an easement template from attorney Fisher. Jones can modify the template as needed, and it may be reviewed for legal alignment with the neighbors’ specifics.
The project may proceed once easements are approved. Jones will reach out to both affected properties to obtain the necessary documentation.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
No Executive Session was held.
CORRESPONDENCE
Forlie site visit- Forlie requested the board and Mike Fournier to conduct a site visit on Sprague Road. Addressing restoration concerns about property area reduction due to road widening. He presented an additional inquiry about evaluating the possibility of extending the road width to the opposite side. The site visit is scheduled for Monday July14th at 7:30am.
Overweight permits for Beacon sale acquisition, Jasper, IN. The fee has been paid along with receiving the Certificate of Liability Insurance. Consolidated Communications also put in overweight permit. Both permits had the same contact, but no fleet was provided. Emily will follow up.
APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES
Pike made a motion to accept the minutes from June 3, 2025 Selectboard regular meeting as amended. Christofferson seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Edwards made a motion to accept the minutes from June 17, 2025 Selectboard regular meeting as amended. Ashcraft seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
SELECTBOARD ORDER
The Selectboard orders were signed and Edwards read the aggregate amount for orders on July 1, 2025 for an order total of $46,103.59.
ADJOURNMENT
Ashcraft made a motion to adjourn at 10:17pm
Christofferson seconded the motion
Motion passed 5-0
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Dow
Halifax Administrative Assistant
Recording Link:
