June 18, 2024 Selectboard Regular Meeting Minutes

OFFICE OF THE SELECTBOARD

TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

June 18, 2024

6:00 PM AT THE HALIFAX TOWN OFFICE

 

CALL TO ORDER

Edee Edwards call meeting to order on June 18, 2024 at 6:00pm. Selectboard boards members present Edee Edwards, Patrick McAllister, Rhonda Ashcraft, Tristan Roberts and Karen Christofferson. People in person or remote were Nancy McCrea, Diana Conway, Dawn Kazokas, Linda Lyons, Stephan Chait, Tina Blais, Paul Blais and Alison Crossley.

CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA

  • Add Town Garage Roof to Old Business
  • Add check on end year payments

APPROVAL PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES (10 minutes)

  • May 7, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes (review and vote again to have majority of board present at first meeting to pass)
    • McAllister made motion to pass meeting minutes as written for May 7, 2024. Ashcraft seconded. Passed 5-0.
  • May 21, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes (review revised draft; vote again with revised minutes to gain majority of board to pass)
    • Edwards made motion to approve minutes as previously revised for May 21, 2024. Ashcraft seconded. Passed 3-0-2.
  • June 4, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes
    • McAllister made motion to approve meeting minutes as written for June 4, 2024. Christofferson seconded. Passed 4-0-1.
  • June 12, 2024 Cael Scholarship Meeting Minutes
    • Edwards made motion to approve meeting minutes as written for June 12, 2024. McAllister seconded. Passed 3-0-2.

NEW BUSINESS

  • Bid Opening:
    • Sand, Gravel, Stone & Ditch Stone (15 minutes)
    • Bids Opened:
      • Peckham Industries, Inc (Shaftsbury, VT)
        • ¾ inch Crushed Gravel: N/A
        • ¾ inch Winter Sand: $165,000
        • ¾ inch Crushed Stone: $20,625
        • 4-8 inch Ditch Stone: $37.25
      • Mitchell Materials (Sunderland, MA)
        • ¾ inch Crushed Gravel: $330,000
        • ¾ inch Winter Sand: $114,400
        • ¾ inch Crushed Stone: $20,625
        • 4-8 inch Ditch Stone: $45.75
      • Renaud Brothers (Vernon, VT)
        • ¾ inch Crushed Gravel: $360,000
        • ¾ inch Winter Sand: $134,000
        • ¾ inch Crushed Stone: $19,750
        • 4-8 inch Ditch Stone: $40.50
      • Northeast Paving (Northfield, MA)
        • ¾ inch Crushed Gravel: $386,500
        • ¾ inch Winter Sand: $151,400
        • ¾ inch Crushed Stone: $24,125
        • 4-8 inch Ditch Stone: $56,25
      • Zaluzney Excavating
        • ¾ inch Crushed Gravel: $374,000
        • ¾ inch Winter Sand: $125,600
        • ¾ inch Crushed Stone: $19,475
        • 4-8 inch Ditch Stone: $37.00
      • Edwards made motion to accept the bid for 3/4 crushed stone ($38.95 cost per cubic yard delivered, total: $19,475) and ditch stone ($37 cost per cubic yard delivered, as needed.) for Zaluzny Excavating. McAllister seconded. Passed 5-0.
      • Edwards made motion to accept bid from Mitchell Materials for ¾ in gravel ($33 cost per cubic yard delivered, total: $330,000) and ¾ in winter sand ($28.60 cost per cubic yard delivered, Total: $114,400) McAllister seconded. Passed 5-0.
    • Diesel Fuel, Heating Oil (15 minutes)
      • Bids opened:
        • Guy E. Nido
          • Heating Oil: $6,320
          • Summer Diesel: $28,087.50
          • Winter Diesel: $31,500
        • Sandri Energy
          • Heating Oil: $ 6,458
          • Summer Diesel: $27,533.75
          • Winter Diesel: $30,091.25
        • McAllister made motion to award heating oil, Summer diesel and Winter diesel bid from Guy E. Nido.
      • Connectivity Program (15 minutes)
        • Roberts made motion go into contract with Saladino property Maintenace with the currently anticipated limit of $50,000. McAllister seconded. Passed 5-0.
      • Administrative Assistant Job Opening (5 minutes)
        • Resignation letter was hand in by Alison Crossley, current admin will end on July 12, 2024.
        • Action Item: Admin to post to town website, Front Porch forum, Deerfield Valley News, and Indeed.
          • Roberts made motion to authorize admin to place admin assistant job vacancy ad with Brattleboro Reformer to not exceed $1000. McAllister seconded. Passed 5-0.
        • Animal Control Officer issue & update (10 minutes)
          • Discussion was had regarding multiple incidences with livestock being in public road.
          • Kyle Farnsworth weighed in as the animal control officer.
          • Action Item: Roberts to follow up with wildlife & game warden, Kelly Price and Officer Anderson.
        • Selectboard Vacancy
          • Patrick McAllister resigns seat on the Selectboard, TBD last year.
          • Action Item: Edwards to confirm w/ VLCT and Patty if possible for town meeting running. July 8th deadline to get name on ballot.

OLD BUSINESS

  • August 13, 2024 Special Town Meeting (15 minutes)
    • Large equipment purchases seeking >10-year financing: Excavator (2024); Loader (2024) by Australian ballot
      • Loader: $235,000
      • Excavator: $350,000
    • Timeline for steps (Edee)
      • July 5th, July 6th signing of warning from selectboard quorum.
      • If running for selectboard, need signatures turned into Town Clerk by July 8th
      • Informational Meeting required
      • Send post cards, not mailing ballots
    • Mike Fournier is having CAT review excavator potential for refurbish cost.
  • Town Garage Roof (Tristan)
    • Discussion was had regarding town garage roof bid.
    • Action Item: Admin will post to Deerfield Valley News week of June 24. Bids due back August 6th, 2024.
  • Liquor license renewal (5 minutes)
    • Selectboard approves liquor license renewal for Arboreal Habitants Limited and Venture Out Basecamp LLC.
  • Extreme heat policy for Road Crew (Karen: 5 minutes)
    • Karen is developing policy for extreme heat policy.
  • Tax Sale New Date: July 9–Representation by board to bid if there are no acceptable 3rd party bids (5 minutes)
    • 10:30am on July 9, 2024 at Halifax Town Office
    • Selectboard gives Edwards permission to purchase on behalf of the Town of Halifax.
    • Action Item: Edwards to contact town lawyer to confirm what is required during that tax sale.

HEARING OF VISITORS (10 minutes)

  • Stephan Chait discussed conversation commission upcoming meeting agendas regarding Town Trails on June 27, 2024.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

  • Personnel Review with stipend appointees
    • Planning and Zoning Secretary Tina Blais (20 minutes)
    • Edwards made motion to go into executive session at 8:11pm for personnel review with Tina Blais. Seconded Rhonda Ashcraft. Passed 5-0.
    • Exited executive session at 8:34pm with no decision were made.

CORRESPONDENCE (10 minutes)

  • MOU with DVFiber signed (Edee: 2 minutes)
  • Property Value Grievance Hearings
    • Halifax property tax June 25, June 26, June 2

SELECTBOARD ORDER (15 minutes)

  • Selectboard order read in. $5,706.97
  • Highway order read in.

ADJOURNMENT

McAllister adjourned meeting at 8:48pm. Ashcraft seconded. Passed 5-0.