Selectboard Meeting Minutes 11 March 2019

Town of Brookfield

Selectboard Meeting

March 11, 2019 at 6:30 P.M.

Town Clerk’s Office

Minutes

 

Present: John Benson (Chair), Cory Haggett, Jeff Kimmel, Dawn Conant, Dennis LaRocque, Ray Peck (Road Crew Foreman), Road Crew members: Dave Flint, Rich Hamblin, Rob Wheatley

 

1. Call to Order – 6:30 p.m.

 

2. Adjustments to Agenda – None

 

3. Public Comment – None

 

4. New Business:

 

1. Selectboard Organizational Meeting: Mr. Haggett made a motion to appoint Mr. Benson as Chair, Mr. Kimmel second. Mr. Benson asked for discussion – no discussion: 3-0-0.

 

1. Highway

 

1. Overtime Policy

• Peck and the rest of the Town Road Crew would like to see a change to the Holiday Overtime Policy.
• Peck mentioned that he thinks that if the Town Crew works a Holiday that they should get overtime pay for that day regardless of what other time they have worked during the week. There are some places where, if businesses have a policy that employees need to work more than 8 hours a day or 40 per week to get overtime pay, but he feels that if they have to work due to weather etc., which takes them away from family etc. on a Holiday, that it should be paid as overtime regardless of other time worked.
• Benson commented that the Board needs to review the existing Town Policy and what is legally required according to the state Department of Labor and VT Leagues of Cities and Towns. Mr. Haggett mentioned that basic principle relies on what is indicated in the Town Personnel/Pay Policy.
• Benson said the Board may have to change the policy regarding holiday pay and work hours, along with addressing sick pay and weekend hours, etc.
• Benson said the Board would look into all the information and what the Town Crew has presented and figure out what can be done and get back to them. He noted that the Board will do the research and come up with a solution that hopefully everyone can agree on. Mr. Benson went on to thank the Crew for bringing their concerns to the Board for discussion.

2. Personnel Issue: Mr. Haggett made a motion to go into Executive Session at 7:30 pm.; Mr. Benson second: 3-0-0. The Board came out of the session at 7:45 p.m.

 

3. Other Highway Business

• Peck inquired about the current budget status and what he has left to spend, as tires are becoming an issue. Mr. Benson told him he should sit down with Administrative Assistant Kasey Peterson and review funding to figure out what he needs to have to finish out the year for tires, sand, etc. Mr. Peck confirmed that, due to persistent Winter conditions, the Crew will need to get more sand.
• They are going to start working on getting the catch basins opened up before the warm weather hits.
• Peck asked about the potential garage addition being built this year. Mr. Benson commented that at $25,000 a year from the Town it will be awhile considering the preliminary estimate was almost $200,000 and doesn’t include everything needed for the addition. He suggests that Mr. Peck and the Board meet and come up with more of a complete plan (tool room, heat, flammable storage, mezzanine, etc.) on what is wanted and needed, and then go from there. Contact some design/build firms as well to help put together documents/plans for bidding. Once this is done the Board will have a more defined cost and how to pay for it, and then offer a proposal at Town Meeting next year for a vote.
• May and June of this year would probably be the best time to have a meeting to work on this matter (once Winter weather and mud season are done).

 

1. Appointment of EC Fiber representatives Dan Childs and Stuart Edson: Benson made a motion to appoint Dan Childs (Primary) and Stuart Edson (Alternate) as the EC Fiber Representatives for the Town of Brookfield; Mr. Haggett second; Mr. Benson asked for discussion – no discussion: 3-0-0. Mr. Childs noted that at least 12 miles of the ECFiber network in Brookfield have been completed so far.

 

1. Approve Town Meeting Minutes: A couple of edits to the minutes were suggested. Mr. Haggett made a motion to approve the Town Meeting minutes once the necessary changes have been made; Mr. Kimmel second; Mr. Benson asked for discussion – no discussion: 3-0-0.
2. Old Business:

 

1. Approve Minutes of February 18, 2019 meeting: Mr. Haggett made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for the February 18, 2019 Selectboard meeting; Mr. Kimmel second; Mr. Benson asked for discussion – no discussion: 3-0-0.

 

1. Approve Minutes of the February 25, 2019 meeting: deferred until the next Selectboard Meeting.

 

6. Payroll/AP Warrants: Haggett made a motion to pay the warrants totaling $26,164.92 with large bills that include Hebert Excavation (Sand): $12,456.00; White River Valley Ambulance (Ambulance): $3,596.25; Cargill, Inc. (Salt): $2,578.21. Mr. Kimmel second: 3-0-0.

 

7. Other Proper Business:

• LaRocque offered a copy of the Brookfield Board of Adjustment minutes from a 1990 meeting regarding Stone Road – Cushing property information research. Mr. Benson mentioned a couple of land surveyors to get proposals (Scope of Work) to perform road survey work.
• Regarding the Town-wide appraisal in 2020: VT Appraisal Company will need to have access (via cloud) to NEMRC for the project. Mr. Benson suggested the Board have Ms. Peterson look into what the company needs and how the Town can accommodate it, along if there are additional costs that would need to be included in next year’s budget.
• The Town has not yet received a final bill from Parent Construction for the Witt’s Bridge project. We also need to have the state inspect the project soon, and when the final bill comes, be prepared to submit all of our paperwork at that time.

 

8. Kimmel made a motion to adjourn at 8:00 p.m., Mr. Haggett second: 3-0-0.