Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Selectboard members Lewis Sumner, Mitchell Green, and Bradley Rafus were present, as were Ray Combs,   Peggy Rafus, and Robbin Gabriel.

Changes and/or Additions to Agenda

None.

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

Mitch Green made a motion to accept the 9/18/18 regular meeting minutes as written. Brad Rafus seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.

Rafus made a motion to accept the 9/26/18 public hearing minutes on reclassification as written. Green seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0.

New Business

FY19 Salt Contract
This year, Apalachee, out of Rochester, NY, holds the State salt contract. The Board discussed this at their September 18^th meeting, and asked Rafus to obtain a quote from Cargill, the contractor who has satisfactorily supplied the Town’s salt needs in past years. Apalachee’s per ton price is $70, Cargill’s is $79.88. Rafus told Green the Town used 220 tons of salt last year. We always put in for 250 tons, he said; our usage is 180 to 230 tons. Rafus said the Apalachee salt is trucked out of Albany, New York, and is stored on the ground. In the past, when we bought from American Rock Salt out of Albany, we could not always get delivery, and sometimes the loads were wet, which meant the product was in chunks. One year, when the supplier could not deliver the necessary quantities, we ended up buying from Daley, and paid more than $120 a ton. Green calculated the maximum additional cost for buying from Cargill would be $2,500; he thought the cost would be worthwhile, in return for reliable deliveries and quality product. Cargill’s salt will be coming out of Rockingham, Rafus added. Green made a motion to accept Cargill’s salt bid at $79.88 a ton, for the convenience and assurance that it will be good product. Lewis Sumner seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0. Rafus confirmed that even if the Town purchased the 250-ton maximum amount of salt at Cargill’s price this winter, we would still be under the budgeted amount. Ray Combs asked if the Highway Department mixed the salt with sand. I try not to, answered Rafus. If I know it is going to rain we mix it, because it stays put longer, but it doesn’t work as well. 90% of the time it is straight salt. Sometimes we hotshot it with chloride, which makes it work faster and keeps it in place longer.

VLCT PACIF Yearly Renewal Application
Sumner advised the year’s PACIF renewal application has to be filled out and submitted by October 12^th. He suggested he and Gabriel work together to complete the documents, as they have done in past years; Board members agreed. There are a series of questions to answer, and the Town provides estimates on such things as office equipment value. Ray Combs asked what the Town will be buying next. Nothing this year, replied Rafus; the next thing will be a truck replacement. Sumner and Gabriel will complete the PACIF forms on Thursday, and also fill out and submit the Cargill contract.

Old Business

None.

Other Business

Green presented, for future consideration, an idea regarding an eventual solution to the problem of large-scale erosion on the Guilford end of Deer Park Road. He suggested that if it became necessary to close that section of Deer Park, the town might reaquire right-of-way to the long-discontinued section of Houghton Road, and build a new bridge across Green River. Rafus and Sumner mentioned that presently the embankment is showing some sign of producing ground cover and stabilizing. Rafus also said someone had asked him about the process for re-establishing the discontinued portion of Sodom Road as a public highway.

Rafus said the Collins Road paving continued to be delayed due to rain.

Combs and the Board discussed the cost of electricity for the street lights. A review of the monthly invoice revealed the LED lights cost about half as much to operate as the conventional lights. Green Mountain Power is scheduled to change all our street lights to LED, but thus far only one has been replaced. Rafus said the electric bill at the Town Garage had decreased dramatically since all the lighting was changed to LED.

Hearing of Visitors

Nothing further.

Slectboard’s Order to Treasurer for Payment

The Selectboard’s Order to the Treasurer was reviewed and signed.

Correspondence

Correspondence was reviewed. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at WSWMD on October 11^th, 3:30 p.m. for the solar project. The Board has received final paperwork from the State regarding the closure of the Brook Road old town garage site monitoring wells.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robbin Gabriel
Selectboard Secretary