HALIFAX SELECTBOARD
TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT
SELECTBOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES—APPROVED
NOVEMBER 1, 2022
CALL TO ORDER:
Silverberg called the meeting to order at 6:10 pm. Selectboard members present were Pete Silverberg, Patrick McAlister, and Tristan Roberts. Others in attendance in person or remotely were Edee Edwards, Raquel Smith, Becca Balint, Robin Gabriel and Mike Fournier.
CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA:
Podlaski followed up with Gabriel to see how we handle, manage, and track grant forms. Gabriel would find out who at the state is the rep to direct any questions to and they can help answer any questions and let Podlaski know if grants are filled out correctly.
McAlister requested to add FY 2022 Audit under old business.
APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES:
Patrick and Tristan sent edits, Podlaski will update and we will revisit at the next regular meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Town members were not informed well when new property next to them was being built. This raised the question of whether the Zoning board is meeting regularly. They have not seen an agenda go out for them for some time. People see work being done on roads and are not aware of what is going on. The board discussed making improvements on how we communicate information to town members. When new information comes in that is communicated on the website, Podlaski will now send out on MailChimp as well.
Another miscommunication is that the ZBA appeal hearing that was scheduled on September 20, 2022 was canceled. Although it was posted on the website, no email was sent out to notify town members.
The road supervisor used to communicate what they were doing on the roads on Facebook, but he no longer has the capacity to do so. McAlister suggested we create a section in the agenda for announcements. However, we will most likely reach more people through email than through posting to our website. When there is a new announcement Podlaski will send out through MailChimp as well as posting to our website. This will help ensure we are reaching out as best we can. If there are further concerns for the road, Fournier encourages them to call and discuss with him.
Roberts encourages members both who are and who are not running to be re-elected to come to the town meeting and discuss what their experience has been like. A lot of people do not know what these roles entail and that can be a barrier to getting these roles filled. Roberts made a motion that the board recommend and request that any commissions/committees, town positions whether elected or appointed, review their job description and if they are up to date, and ask those individuals to come to a board meeting at their convenience and answer briefly questions about their jobs. Podlaski will reach out to those members and ask them to come to a town meeting and discuss what their experience has been like. Silverberg seconded the motion, passed 3-0.
Becca Balint joined us and asked if this is the only location that can support postal services in Halifax. Silverberg stated that we do not know. They have not been cooperating in helping us find an alternative location. Balint reassured that we have Sander’s and Welch’s support. Welch’s office inquired with the Post Office and came out with no new information. Every road we have gone down is a dead end. This is something she will continue to help support because it is important for rural communities like ours to have one. She recognizes how frustrating it is for us not to have a contact person who can help guide us through this situation.
Educating residents on town positions. Roberts stated that we can use the school as a resource for educating residents on town positions and what different members do. The school board would be happy to have more interaction between us and them. McAlister stated that there are a lot of positions and how do we work to coordinate that? Is this something we want to request through a letter? McAlister will draft a letter and send it around.
The board approved replacing the engine of the F550 vehicle in a previous meeting. They ended up having to replace the brakes and mirror too. While they were doing that they noticed the front hub end needed repair. That cost over $5,500. The final bill came to $15K with all of the repairs on top of the motor job. They stated that everything they touched disintegrated and was rusted. The vehicle looks and runs brand new now. Everything other than the brakes has a two year warranty.
Silverberg will now post the Selectboard meeting agendas in the physical locations. This was previously done by Sumner.
Roberts requested that McAlister communicate with Blais to follow up on the discussion of the purchasing policy.
OLD BUSINESS
Nothing new with ARPA Funds. Silverberg will communicate with Dow to discuss the outdoor education ideas we had discussed previously. We will see what the costs are and see if we want to move forward with that.
McAlister spoke to Dow about the audited books for next year. She suggested we speak with the auditors that we used last time. She stated that it was a board thing and not in her wheelhouse. McAlister called the auditors and is waiting for a response. McAlister moved that we used Batchelder Associates for the book, seconded by Roberts, passed 3-0. When McAlister speaks to them he will find out what else we need to do. Keep in mind if they cannot get this done by Feb 26th, then we should push the town meeting back. Since they have done FY 21 and 22, there shouldn’t be many changes we are hoping.
OTHER BUSINESS
HEARING OF VISITORS
EXECUTIVE SESSION
None
SELECTBOARD ORDER
Silverberg read the order and it was signed by present board members.
SIGN OVERWEIGHT PERMITS
One overweight permit signed from Zaluzney.
Silverberg motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Roberts. Passed 3-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:23 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Roza Podlaski
For the Selectboard
Recording link:
November 1, 2022 Regular Selectboard Meeting Minutes – YouTube