Welcome to Leicester, VT

Town of Leicester

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

*Unapproved*

** See subsequent minutes for any changes

Members Present:  Diane Benware, Bob Oliver, Ken Young, Ron Fiske, Tom Barker

Others Present:   John Hughes, Mary Hughes, Arlan Pidgeon, Bucky Shackett, Sandra Trombley, Secretary

Call to Order:  Meeting called to order at 6:35 by Chair, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Agenda Review:  Agenda reviewed. 

Diane reported that we were going to have bills, but could not because Town Office was without electricity two times today.  Arlan reported he was the one that did it.  He was doing some work around Naylor’s and hit some wires and pulled them down. 

Bucky Shackett asked to be heard on a health issue.  The Bushey property:  last Saturday Kathy Eastwood and Bucky went over.  Bucky hasn’t gotten too far because he can’t seem to catch him at home.   He couldn’t find the area he needed to evaluate.  Ron Fiske explained where the location was on the Jerusalem Rd. and where the 4” pipe was.  It dumps on the Town right of way. 

Ron stated that it’s been two years and he doesn’t want it going into his pond.  Ron stated that Mr. Bushey is there nights.

Bucky stated the Board of Health recommends you try to talk with them before any legal action.

Action:  Ron will show Bucky where the pipe is.  Bucky will attempt to talk with him.

Approve Minutes of October 20, 2008 and October 27, 2008: 

Motion by Ron to approve minutes of October 20, 2008, taken by Sandy, seconded by Tom. All in favor.  So approved.

Motion by Ron to approve minutes of October 27, 2008, taken by Diane, seconded by Bob.  All in favor.  So approved.

Reports from Town Officials, Committees:

Arlan reported they have the salt shed all shored up. 

He’s got the culvert in on Hooker Road and the one down by Frank Nicklaw’s cleaned out. 

No signs are up yet, but have been ordered.

A lot of grading was done last week.

Bob asked what the possibility of getting a culvert in above Jim Sherwin’s place on Maple Street?  It will possibly drain onto Calvin Loven’s property, where it didn’t drain before, so we will need to talk with Calvin.

Action:  Bob will talk with Calvin about drainage.

Tom talked with Arlan about a pot hole at the end of Ferson Road by the stop sign.  There’s a spot that is delaminating over by Diane’s and a place by the railroad tracks by the trestle.

Action:  Bob will call the railroad and see what we need to do.

Arlan went up and looked at the problem at Shelly Masons’, but he hasn’t done anything.  We can do something, but would like to talk with Russell first and see what he would like to do, exactly.

Tom reported for the Cemetery Committee.  They didn’t meet, but they need to call a meeting at a date to be determined.

Recent Votes:

Monday night the Tri Town School Committee called for a public meeting at the meeting house where approximately 40 – 45 people met.  Members of the committee presented their information.  Leicester is the first of the three towns to vote.  Whiting and Sudbury will meet on Monday the 10^th.  The 1^st article did pass about forming a union of the three towns and the feasibility of it.  The 2^nd article was actually a money article where the town was being asked to approve $12,000 to hire an architect and develop a preliminary plan for the building.  Passed.

Current buildings would revert back to the Town.  Representation would be proportional based on number of students.  Representation should be more clearly defined before going too far.

Last evening results:  appreciate John Hughes’ efforts with solutions.  We have one new justice of the peace; Cheryl Morrison.

Re-Authorize Secure Rural Schools Act:

There was a resolution that needed to be signed.  The Town has a choice to make.  Motion by Tom to go with Option 1, back to original 25% Fund.  Seconded by Ron.  All in favor.  So approved. 

Signing Certificate for Bridge Work:

Opening the highway to the Town of Leicester.  Needs signatures of the Board.  Kylee needs to record it in the land records.  The original gets returned to the “Right of Way” department and then its official; which means we are signing off.   Motion by Tom to sign off.  No objections to signing off.  Everyone signed the AOT certificate of opening the highway for public travel.

Signing letter to Lake Sunapee Bank:

Based on the October 20^th meeting, Diane wrote a letter to the officers of Lake Sunapee Bank in regard to the Coons property.  Diane read the letter.  Selectboard was requesting the removal of the trash.  All signed.

Leagues of Cities and Towns:

Diane was just putting this out there; she doesn’t know that they will actually act on it.  Budget rescission on highway dollars.  Meeting November 18, 2008.

Action:  The question:  Do you want to oppose proposed cuts?

Motion by Tom to join the other towns in opposing proposed cuts and forward copies of the resolution to the Governor and Secretary, David Dill.  Seconded by Bob.  All in favor.  So approved. 

Old Business:

Road work update, ditching plans.  Bob mentioned the Jim Sherwin and Mason property. 

Bucky Scarborough, twice now, asked me about ditching between the property line and the Town Shed.…apparently on his property there was an area that once was ditched.  He said that last two big rains, the water goes into his basement. 

Discussion about private property and that it’s out of the Town’s right of way.    It goes in back of his tenement house. 

Action:  Board discussed and decided it was not the Town’s responsibility. 

Fire Bills Update:

In the middle of September a big packet was mailed to the Town Office containing a year’s worth of fire bills from the Brandon Fire Department.  There was no note included in it; as to when they expected payment.  Last week, Mr. Kilpeck came into the office and was not polite to Kylee and giving her a very hard time that they hadn’t been paid and if the fire department didn’t get payment, they wouldn’t come to fight any fires in town and he intimidated to Kylee that if we didn’t pay, no other town would serve us either.  So, those that were around did sign the bills, and they were paid before last Thursday. 

Diane sent copies of the bills and letter to all of the people listed on the bills explaining that the Town had paid the bills, and the Town was expecting payment.  They were asked to please submit the bills to their insurance companies. 

Diane stated that she thinks it’s time that the Selectboard have a conversation with the Prudential Board and not just Mr. Kilpeck.  Diane stated she doesn’t know if the Prudential Board knows how he conducted himself when he was here, but I would like them to hear from us so they will know how we are feeling.  Getting a year’s worth of bills a month before they want their payment doesn’t work.  If they want us to pay in a timely manner, then the bills need to come to us in a timely manner.  The other issue Diane wants to bring up to him is, if they can pay somebody to generate the bill that tells where, when, who, etc. then why can’t that be billed to the person directly rather than coming to us after the fact.  Bill monthly or quarterly.

Diane would like to contact the Prudential Board on behalf of the Selectboard to say we would like to have a meeting with them to come to a more mutually satisfactory way to handle this.

Motion by Tom that the Chair contacts the Prudential Board and set up a meeting between the Selectboard and the Prudential Board to work out a mutually satisfactory way to handle the fire bills.  Seconded by Ken.  All in favor.  So approved.

Emergency Coordinator Request:

October 20^th, the Board made the motion to contact Ray Lalumiere to let him know that the Selectboard would authorize a one-time allotment of fuel oil or kerosene for someone in an emergency situation.  Ray called and said doesn’t have a problem with that but he had raised a couple of questions.  First, he recommended that there be a container for kerosene and a container that would have fuel oil.   He preferred not to have those containers at his home.  He was wondering if the two cans could be kept at the Town Garage.  He was a little uncomfortable being the person to decide.  He was recommending it be either the Chair, or one of the Selectmen or the Health Officer. 

The Board did not feel there would be many of these situations.  There is fuel oil at the shed.  Cans should be color coded.  Blue for kerosene, fuel oil is yellow.  From November 15 – April 1.

Ray said he would leave off papers at the Town Office for fuel assistance and weatherization.

Motion by Ken to authorize Ray to make the decision on behalf of the Selectboard.    Seconded by Tom.  All in favor.  So approved.

Action:  Diane will contact Ray.

Other Business:

A letter from Donna Simpson requesting reimbursement for gasoline expense mowing the intersection triangle Fern Lake Road and Fernville Road.  Due to amount of precipitation this summer, she was not able to mow them as much as she did last year.  She also requested reimbursement for spring flowering bulbs.

Motion by Tom to reimburse Donna $46.79 for gas and bulbs.  Seconded by Ron.  All in favor.  So approved.

Tom asked how did the voting machine work.  Diane stated that it seemed to do the job.  Only two ballots were rejected.  One, because the voter stuck something to the back of the ballot and the other because they had made other marks on the ballot instead of just the ovals and it didn’t know how to read the ballot.

Bob would like some factory made storm windows made for the lower floor of the Town Hall.    He will find someone to measure the windows and give us an estimate.

Public Opinion:  None

At 7:50 p.m. Tom made a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss pending legal matters.  Seconded by Ken.  All in favor.  So approved.

At 8:03 p.m. motion to adjourn by Tom.  Seconded by Ken.  All in favor.  So approved.

Next Meeting November 17, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra L. Trombley

Selectboard Secretary