Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 a.m. Selectboard members Lewis Sumner, Mitchell Green, and Bradley Rafus were present, as was Robbin Gabriel. Town Clerk Patty Dow stepped in briefly during the course of the meeting.

Changes and/or Additions to Agenda

None.

New Business

Finalize FY18 Budget
Board members conducted a final review of the proposed FY18 Selectboard and Highway budgets, updating numbers not previously available and checking others for accuracy. A $4,000 Constable stipend line item was added, as the first and second constable and animal control officer positions are now by appointment. The Windham County tax amount had been received, and the WSWMD yearly cost was adjusted to reflect the closing of the recycling operation on Ferry Road. Monies were included to cover the cost of PFC testing to date. The Board discussed possible solutions to the highway department’s radio system problems. When the department was forced to move from low- to high-band the highway crew lost the ability to communicate from many points in town. Rafus said the crew often had to resort to texting from their personal cell phones when out on the road. A more powerful repeater and radios might improve the situation; Green suggested testing with stronger radios to learn if that would eliminate the problem. We know the Mutual Aid system works well; their repeater is much larger and stronger than the highway department’s unit. Sumner suggested using the VY grant the Town will be eligible to apply for in July, and Rafus plans to find out from VLCT whether their equipment grant could be used for a communications upgrade.

Prepare 2017 Town Meeting Warning
The Board discussed a first draft of the 2017 Town Meeting Warning. Deadline for submission of petitions to be included on the warning is January 19, 2017. The Selectboard will approve and sign the final document at a meeting on January 31, 2017.

Discuss Survey Results
Surveyor Merrill Mundell has suggested several alternatives for clearly establishing the boundary line between the town-owned property at 2044 Branch Road and the parcel belonging to Christine Boyko at 1636 Branch Road. After discussing these options, Sumner made a motion to set three pins on the Town’s property line as shown on the survey. Green seconded the motion, which passed, 2-0-1, with Rafus abstaining.

Executive Session
None held.

Old Business

None.

Other Business

None.

Hearing of Visitors

No visitors.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robbin Gabriel
Selectboard Secretary