OFFICE OF THE SELECTBOARD

TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES — DRAFT

June 4, 2024

6:00 PM AT THE HALIFAX TOWN OFFICE

CALL TO ORDER

Edee Edwards call meeting to order on June 4, 2024 at 6:00pm. Selectboard members present Edee Edwards, Tristan Roberts, Karen Christofferson and Patrick McAllister. People in person or remote were Nancy McCrea, Diana Conway, Stephan Chait, Linda Lyon, Steph Pike, Randy Pike, Cara Cheyette and Alison Crossley.

CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA

• Defer to next meeting: Planning and Zoning Secretary w/ Tina Blais (20 minutes)

APPROVAL PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES (5 minutes)

• May 21, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes
  • Edwards make motion to approve meeting with the stated changes. Voted 2-0-2.
  • Edee & Tristan to send changes directly to admin.
• May 29, 2024 Special Meeting Minutes
• Edwards made motion to approve minutes with the recommended change. Christofferson seconded. Passed 4-0.
• Add “to be added to next regular.”
• Add “Note: Fourier noted after the meeting that this topic was never discussed as planned. It will be added to next agenda.
• Add recording link
• Discussion for safety concern – Edit notes.
• Update authorization.

HEARING OF VISITORS (10 minutes)

• Mike Fournier – Topic discussed regarding town excavator: Mike Fournier, roadcrew supervisor, let selectboard know about daily occurrence of maintenance for excavator and needs to know if Selectboard will fund new excavator this year. Discussion was had regarding timing of potential purchase of new excavator verse maintenance budget.
  • Action Item: Discuss with Patty all items involved to include warning for primary day.
  • Action Item: Need VLCT ruling to on exact warning wording for Australian ballot.

NEW BUSINESS

• Request for bid for materials or commodities: Sand, Gravel, Stone & Ditch Stone, Diesel Fuel, Heating Oil (for opening June 18) (5 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding upcoming bids for materials to put out for bid.
  • Discussion was had regarding ARPA Article 5 remaining balance of $4,156 to purchase chainsaws + other equipment
• VT State Childcare Tax starts July 1, 2024. Two options: (5 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding new VT State Childcare tax. Two options:
    • Option 1: 0.33% town pays and 0.11% Halifax employees pay
    • Option 2: 0.44% town pays
  • McAllister made motion to advise town treasure that selectboard reconfirms its decision in the budget to pay the .44% for VT State Childcare tax to treasure. Christofferson seconded. Passed 4-0.
  • Action Item: Need to discuss at next budget meeting, need to get selectboard treasury code for budget line item.
• Guilford Gravel Grinder bicycle race, Sat June 29, 2024 (5 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding Guilford Gravel Grinder bicycle.
  • Action Item: Admin to follow up with organizer to confirm selectboard has discussed.
  • Action Item: Patty to place sandwich boards notifying residents about race.
• Class 4 Roads Model Policy (Edee: 15 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding Class 4 roads model policy options.
  • No action taken.
• Legal trails policy (Edee: 5 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding legal trail policy
  • Action Item: Roberts will champion policy creation regarding Class 4 & Trail maintenance policy/procedure that is cohesive with Halifax Town Plan to be discussed at next Selectboard meeting.
• Halifax Town Garage Roof funding options (Tristan:10 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding Halifax garage roof leaking roof and potential funding options.
  • Roberts makes motion to create and publish an RFP for replacing town garage roof. Christofferson seconded. Passed 4-0.
    • Discussion was had regarding the need for an engineer to review bids.
  • Animal Control Warrant (All: 5 minutes)
    • Discussion was had regarding animal control warrant for animal control officer, Kyle Farnsworth.
    • Signed by selectboard members present.
  • Landfill Well Monitoring Report May 2024 (PFAS/PFOAs) (5 minutes)
    • Discussion was had regarding spring landfill well monitoring report.
      • No detection was found at town garage.
    • No action taken.

OLD BUSINESS

• Reaffirmation: Borrowing money from Scott Fund & closing old account line to coverage tax collection shortage
  • Discussion was had regarding borrowing money from Scott Fund and closing old account line to coverage tax collection shortage.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

• Personnel Review with stipend appointees
  • Administrative Assistant/Secretary Alison Crossley (20 minutes)
  • Edwards made motion to go into executive for the purpose of personnel review at 7:54pm. Roberts recuse himself to do household member.
  • Exited executive session at 8:27, no decision were made by the selectboard
    • Noted updating administrative assistant job description and coming changes in the regulation for fair pay.
    • Thank you for the opportunity but Alison Crossley, Administrative assistant, is resigned from this position, effective July 12, 2024.
    • Action Item: Post an opening for Selectboard Administrative Assistant

OTHER BUSINESS

• Flood plain maps updates for Deerfield River Watershed – Impact for Halifax and National Flood Insurance Program compliance meeting recap (Edee: 5 minutes)
  • Discussion was had regarding flood plain maps updates for Deerfield River Watershed regarding impact for Halifax and National Flood Insurance program compliance meeting recap.
• MOU with DVFiber underway (Edee: 5 minutes)
  • David Jones has created MOU and coordinating with DVFiber board.

CORRESPONDENCE (10 minutes)

• MTAP – Halifax was not chosen for website items and accounting software grant funding for MTAP.
  • Action Item: Place Website update on future selectboard agenda
• Review & sign Windham County Sheriff’s Office FY25 Contract. Discuss who should be added to Paragraph 3(c) as able to call for services.

SELECTBOARD ORDER (15 minutes)

• Highway order was read in.
• Treasury order was read in. Total: $ 17,433.74

ADJOURNMENT

Edwards made motion to adjourn meeting at 9:03pm. McAllister seconded. Passed 4-0.

YOUTUBE LINK:

https://youtu.be/32SBGrCtzQ0