OFFICE OF THE SELECTBOARD
TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
MAY 7, 2024
6:00 PM AT THE HALIFAX TOWN OFFICE
CALL TO ORDER
Edee Edwards called to meeting at May 7, 2024 at 6:01pm. Selectboard members presented Edee Edwards, Rhonda Ashcraft, Karen Christofferson and Patrick McAllister. Residents present or remote Fred Allridge, Jeff Marsen, Mike Fournier, David Jones, Laurel Copeland, Detlef Ronneburger, and Alison Crossley.
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
- Add to Approval of Hazard Mitigation plan and add to next agenda
- Tax sale for two pieces of property for land only on Wheeler Road
APPROVAL PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES
- April 16, 2024 Selectboard Regular Meeting Minutes – DRAFT (5 minutes)
- Edee made motion to approve minutes with the following changes. Ashcraft seconds. Passed 4-0.
- Following changes:
- ORE needs to be changed to OR
- Formatting update to bullet points
- MTAP section: Correct broken link
- Strike out Halifax is top town selected
- Strike out Rob Fish name from the record
NEW BUSINESS (start, to be continued)
- Open paving bids (All: 15 minutes @start of meeting)
- Northeast Paving – Northfield MA
- Concrete Pavement: 357,501
- Tonnage: 2,658, $134.50/ton
- Shoulder Material: $35,056
- TOTAL: $392,557
- Concrete Pavement: 357,501
- Peckman Road Corp – Hudson Falls, NY
- Concrete Pavement: $374,100
- Tonnage: 2,900 tons, $129/ton
- Shoulder Material: $42,000
- TOTAL: $416,100
- Concrete Pavement: $374,100
- Springfield Paving – Claremont, NH
- Concrete Pavement: $297,696
- Tonnage: 2,658 tons, $112/ton
- Shoulder Material: 150 tons, $90/ton, $13,500
- TOTAL: $311,096
- Concrete Pavement: $297,696
- Bazin Brothers – Westminster, VT
- Concrete Pavement: $291,600
- Tonnage: 3,000 tons, $97.20/ton
- Shoulder Material: 480 tons, $46/ton, $22,080
- TOTAL: $313,680
- Concrete Pavement: $291,600
- Allstate Construction – Sunderland, MA
- Concrete Pavement: $256,294.40
- Tonnage: 2,658 tons, $98.80/ton
- Shoulder Material: $40/ton, $14,000
- TOTAL: $271,294
- Concrete Pavement: $256,294.40
- Patrick makes motion to award contract to Allstate Construction subject to mike Fournier confirmation that they have met all criteria of bid. Christofferson seconds. Passed 4-0.
- Northeast Paving – Northfield MA
OLD BUSINESS
- ARPA-related items
- Decisions regarding highway department surplus funds with goal to spend before end of FY24 (15 minutes)
- Goal to spend before end of fiscal year.
- Approximate amount for: Total $90,456 – $11,500 (box blade spent) = $78,956 remaining to allocate & spend.
- Discussion was had regarding where money could be spent including reference to Town report on pages 17-19, equipment schedule.
- Action Item: Mike Fournier to send chipper contacts and specifications to admin
- Action Item: Admin to create bid and send to Chipper contact and advertise appropriately.
- Edee Edwards makes motion to start bid process to purchase chipper from allocated ARPA funds to highway department. Patrick McAllister seconded. Passed 4-0.
- Grantee status (Karen: 3 minutes)
- Halifax Community Center invoice received and paid on April 17, 2024
- Approving Fire Halifax invoice on treasury order for May 7, 2024
- Approving Historical Society invoice on treasury order for May 7, 2024
- US Treasury Reporting Update (Karen: 3 minutes)
- Confirmed allocations have been made and confirmed by deadline for federal gov.
- DVFiber Halifax conduit funding administration (David Jones/Detlef Ronneburger: 10 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding ARPA allocated funds specifically serving Halifax residents.
- Priority group: School kids, first-responders, elderly
- Edee Edwards makes motion to nominate David Jones to administer program connecting DV fiber contractors with Halifax homeowners, Rhonda Ashcraft to be liaison for selectboard and to ratify the prioritization for target audience for Halifax residents in this order: School children and teachers, first-responders, and Senior Citizen. McAllister seconds. Passed 4-0.
- Discussion was had regarding ARPA allocated funds specifically serving Halifax residents.
- MTAP Grant (5 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding Gretchen Havreluk submitting statement of work to MTAP program for financial system modernization for resilient continuity and communications framework. Requested grant amount $50,000.
- Sign Grants in Aid paperwork (VTRANS FY25) (Karen: 10 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding VTRANS grant paperwork signed by Patty Dow for letter intent. Award letter in July including amount awarded. Must complete work by Sep 2025.
- Grant in Aid program brings roads up to standards and codes for VTRANS water quality and improvements.
- Landfill updates (Edee: 5 minutes)
- Saladino removed sumac on closed landfill cap April 23, 2024
- KAS did annual water sample testing including Town Garage well.
- Engineering firm to review vent of landfill.
- Gravel sources and feasibility studies (Patrick: 5 minutes)
- Patrick still tracking down answers.
- Discussion was had regarding possible interest in purchasing any town property can be discussed in executive session.
- Bonding for large equipment and/or Town Garage Roof (Patrick: 5 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding bonding for large equipment with Pool Loan Program. Noting: summer pool and winter pool – need to apply in December or May, Town vote is required to apply.
- Action Items: Patrick to seek details such as: deadlines to warn for special meeting, warning wording from VLCT, confirm if we need cost estimate
- Road closure signage and procedures (Road commissioners & complaint follow up: 5 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding road closure signage and procedures.
- Karen had meeting with VTRANS & Mike Fournier recommend change from “Road Closed” to “Residents only”.
- Decisions regarding highway department surplus funds with goal to spend before end of FY24 (15 minutes)
NEW BUSINESS (continued)
- Trustees of Public Funds signatories update (Patrick/Edee: 5 minutes)
- Edee Edwards discussed letter regarding Trustees of Public Funds signatories and board concurred for her to sign.
- Budget Adjustment Act / $20,000 Local Economic Impact Payment – Designate Usage (Tristan/Edee/All: 10 minutes)
- Defer to next meeting.
- Appointment: PC/ZBA Secretary (Edee: 5 minutes)
- Karen made motion to appoint Tina Blais as PC/ZBA secretary. Ashcraft seconds. Passed 4-0.
- Emergency Management Topics (Guest: Paul Blais)
- Approve the Local Emergency Management Plan (Overdue All: 5 minutes)
- Discussion was had regarding name updates as Local Emergency Management Plan, nothing else changes from prior year.
- Patrick McAllister approve Local Emergency Management Plan. Edee Edwards seconds. Passed 4-0.
- Action Item: Paul Blais to file Local Emergency Management Plan and send to admin.
- Approve the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Defer to next selectboard meeting
- Action Item: Paul Blais to send Local Hazard Mitigation Plan to selectboard members.
- Halifax to adopt the use of VT Alert and appoint a manager (Paul Blais: 10 minutes)
- Discuss VT Alert for residents to subscribe to through emails, texts, calls. Proposal to approve letter to officially adopt VT Alert system as a communication.
- Edee Edwards to make motion to officially adopt VT Alert as a public management system including appoint primary contact as Paul Blais and secondary as Edee Edwards. Karen seconded. Passed 4-0.
- Action Item: Include on appointments page as position to be appointed.
- Action Item: Paul Blais to send letter to selectboard.
- ICS 402 Training (Edee: 5 minutes)
- Edee Edwards took training for emergency management and highlighted responsibilities for selectboard.
- Approve the Local Emergency Management Plan (Overdue All: 5 minutes)
HEARING OF VISITORS (10 minutes)
- David Jones will need Request for Bid
- Mary Brewster is concerned about redemption tax time length for new House bill (H.629) and now sits in Senate.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Personnel Review with stipend appointees:
Edee Edwards make motion to personnel review for Emergency Management Director. Patrick McAllister seconded. Passed 4-0.
- Emergency Management Director (EMD) Paul Blais (20 minutes)
- Administrative Assistant/Secretary Alison Crossley (20 minutes)
- Deferred to next meeting
Came out of executive session at 8:58. No decisions were made during executive session.
CORRESPONDENCE
- BDCC various meetings (5 minutes)
SELECTBOARD ORDER (15 minutes)
- Selectboard order read into the record: $42,112.58
- Highway order read into the record.
- Action Item: Alison to confirm hydraulic study has been completed for Pike Road.
ADJOURNMENT
Karen Christofferson moved to adjourned at 9:11. Seconded by Ashcraft. Passed 3-0.
Meeting recording: https://youtu.be/GuC0IH-btpY