Selectboard Meeting Minutes 25 July 2016

Town of Brookfield Selectboard

25 July 2016 Meeting

 Town Clerk’s Office

 Minutes

Present: John Benson, Cory Haggett, Jeff Kimmel; Teresa Godfrey, Kevin Joyal, Melanie Rodjenski, Brenda                         Flint, Jason Herring, Kasey Peterson

1. Call to Order: 6:56

 

2. Adjustments to Agenda – none

 

3. Public Presentation or Comment – none

 

4. Old Business
5. Motion by Mr. Haggett to approve minutes of 11 July meeting. Mr. Kimmel seconded; 3-0-0
6. Young Property – Road Crew Foreman Ray Peck walked the property and found the bulk of the parcel to be too steep for Town use except for a small triangle that shares a border with the garage property. There also seems to be enough space to provide Mr. Young a safe right-of-way to his parcel through the garage property. A Board member will meet with Mr. Peck and Mr. Young to discuss terms of a boundary line adjustment or property transfer.

 

5. New Business
6. Melanie Rodjenski from Fothergill, Segale and Valley was present to provide the outside audit report for FY2015. Ms. Rodjenski raised several issues: the lack of government-wide statements, a budgeting issue regarding expenditures for the Fire Department, and absence of financial records for the Library were the biggest factors. On the subject of the Fire Department, Mr. Benson explained his position on the process of presenting expenditures to the voters and how those expenditures were budgeted and tracked. Tax payments are currently being done manually, however a change in the Town’s NEMRC financial software will allow the payments to be calculated and posted more easily. Mrs. Godfrey has already contacted NEMRC to start the process. Account reconciliation must be done in a timely manner first through the software, a task that will fall to Kasey Peterson as Assistant Treasurer, and then manually by the Town Auditors. Ms. Rodjenski also suggested that diesel fuel usage at the Town garage be monitored more closely, and that payroll be changed to a biweekly schedule to save time, paper, and energy.

 

1. Constable Kevin Joyal was present to discuss his authority to write parking tickets in Pond Village. To legally issue tickets the Town must have an applicable ordinance and Mr. Joyal must be registered with the Orange County Court. Mr. Benson reviewed the Town’s parking ordinance from 1983, which only applies to vehicles parked overnight and vehicles parked on highways during the winter months. A 1994 ordinance regarding ‘traffic control devices’ may be applicable in the case of cars parked under the no parking signs on Stone Road. Mr. Benson will research the signs to establish if they fall under the definition of ‘traffic control devices.’ Mrs. Peterson will look into getting Mr. Joyal registered with the Court.

 

1. Highway Report
2. Old Stage Road: tabled.
3. Scott Wakefield would like the Town to repair and maintain Davis Acre Road in West Brookfield as a Class 3 road. According to the Town Highway map, 0.62 mile is Class 3 and 0.55 mile is Class 4. This section of road is used by the Wakefields to run cattle from one field to another.
4. Pike will start repaving the Ridge Road on Wednesday 27 July.
5. The Road Crew is in the process of fixing mud holes on West Street as a preventative measure.
6. The bridge on Lower Maloney Road has been redecked.

 

1. Jason Herring discussed his contract with the Town regarding workman’s compensation insurance. The Board thanked Mr. Herring for his excellent work at the Town’s cemeteries. Mr. Herring reported he has acquired workman’s compensation coverage in accordance with state rules but would like to add part of the cost of the coverage to the existing contract with the Town. Mr. Benson pointed out that the Cemetery Commission is the contracting entity and the Selectboard has limited authority to spend cemetery funds. Mr. Herring will contact Mike Herold and work with Kasey Peterson to address Mr. Herring’s concerns.
2. Haggett made a motion to accept the Public Assemblage Permits submitted by Mr. Tatro and the Old Town Hall as amended. Mr. Kimmel seconded; 3-0-0
3. Kasey Peterson presented the WB Mason copier contract with the suggestion that the Town allow it to expire as Mrs. Godfrey is in the process of selecting a new machine.
4. Benson made a motion to accept the fixed pre-buy plan on the Gillespie Fuel contracts for the Fire Station and the Town Office. Mr. Kimmel Seconded; 3-0-0
5. Haggett made a motion to accept Access Permits for Runnion and Manning with Mr. Peck’s recommendations. Mr. Kimmel seconded; 3-0-0
6. Last Mile Ride 2016: informational only, and no action required.

 

6. Policy And Ordinance Review
7. Drug and Alcohol Policy
8. Jobs for Bid

 

7. Payroll/AP Warrant
8. Haggett made a motion to pay the AP Warrant in the amount of $40,912.76, including $8,500.00 for Brandon Stevens Mowing, $25,400.00 for Brookfield Gravel, and $3,283.15 for Blue Cross. Mr. Kimmel seconded; 3-0-0
9. Payroll Warrants for 07/14/16 and 07/21/2016

 

8. Benson made a motion to adjourn at 9:24. Mr. Kimmel seconded; 3-0-0