Minutes - 07-01-2024
Town of LeicesterSelectboard Meeting MinutesMonday, July 1, 2024*Unapproved*** See subsequent minutes for any changes Members Present: Diane Benware, Diane Randall, Tom Barker, John Rouse Members Absent: Brad Lawes Others Present: Julie Delphia, Arlan Pidgeon, John & Mary Hughes, Scott Pidgeon, Pat Douglas, Maggie DeMers, Rolande Morrison, Kevin Morrison, Kenneth Cousino, Sr., Ron Fiske, Gloria Currie, Mike Rakowitz, Tony Bates, Amy Young, Cathy Oliver, Sheriff Elmore, Sheriff Gutel, Cory Naylor, Sandra Trombley Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair. Pledge of Allegiance: Review of Agenda: Added MERPA update Approval of June 17, 2024, minutes: Motion by John and second by Tom to approve minutes of June 17, 2024, as written. All in favor. So, approved. Review/Authorization to Pay Bills: Motion by John and second by Diane R. authorizing Julie to pay the bills. So, approved. Reports from Town Officials, Committees: Road Foreman: Arlan reported that Old Jerusalem Road was cleared for visibility and there is a spot where the road is dropping down.Arlan reported they cleared brush on Delorm and Ferson. Tom mentioned the potholes on Cram Road where it comes out onto Swinington Hill Road.Scott mentioned he was going to grade Cram and Hooker Roads.Arlan hauled some sand last week and the week before. Town Clerk/Treasurer: Julie reported that she got information back from the MERP survey they did on the four buildings. This is the preliminary information on the four buildings to start the grant application for the big grant. She will make copies for the Board to take home and review. Chair will contact Madison at Regional Planning. She will help with the Implementation Grant. Chair stated she tried to reach Middlebury Roofing several times to ask about the slate roof at the Meeting House, but they did not return her call. She was at another meeting and Chair stated that Brent Young’s name was given to her. He has over 30 years’ experience. He looked at the Meeting House. He said on the west side it needed some work on the eaves, as the soffit is sagging but didn’t think there were any slates missing and the entrance dormer needs attention. He said his firm could do it but would not be able to do anything until next spring, so to get back to him if they wanted him to do it. Julie asked Tom if he talked with Jordan. Tom stated he did, and he looked at it and he said the stairs at the White Building need to go and the bridge needs to be hooked back to the brick building and a little pavement. He is supposed to give us a quote. Julie needs a quote for the grant application. Tom stated he also knew someone else that could give a quote. Julie stated they are going to be rearranging the office a little bit due to the heat pump. She asked if anyone was tied to the big table in there. No one was. Julie mentioned at the last meeting a question was asked if we could put a dollar amount on an amendment on the floor. There are two options. Either you allow it to go onto the floor and be voted on at Town Meeting or it goes onto Australian Ballot. Julie mentioned another question was asked last meeting about the school kids walking from the school to the cemetery. Julie contacted legal for that. The town does not have an ordinance and therefore a permit is not required. Insurance company felt liability would be minimal because it’s not a town event. Any issues with this would have to be directed to the School Board. Julie reported there were only three grievances, and no one came back to go to the BCA. Julie reported that they will not be able to get the tax rate yet, due to the budget delay. She should still be able to get it in time to send the tax bills out in August. OLD BUSINESS: Bullock Road Concerns: Chair mentioned that she thought people were here to voice that they wanted the road to be kept open and the state to which the road should be maintained. There were questions asked about speed bumps, so Julie checked with legal about speed bumps. There is no specific process for installing speed bumps. The Selectboard would only be able to install speed bumps after the process for setting speed limits is followed and installing proper signage. Mike Rakowitz asked if there was documentation of speeding on that road. They speed on all the roads around here. Sheriff Gutel stated he has given warnings. Cory Naylor stated that just because they speed everywhere, doesn’t make it legal. Mike Rakowitz stated that of course it’s not legal, but there is no reason to close all the roads. Chair asked that comments be directed to her directly, rather than to each other. Julie stated the other issue brought up last meeting was Class IV roads and the requirements for maintenance. Under 19VSA310B Class IV highways may be maintained to the extent required by the necessity of the town, the public good and the convenience of the inhabitants of the road. It makes little sense to maintain a Class IV highway at a higher standard than a Class III highway. They can be maintained up to a level of a Class III, but not higher. Cory Naylor stated that he did not originally ask to have Bullock Road closed. He said he originally asked that it be left alone and maintained as a Class IV. Basically, passable by 4-wheel drive vehicles and not plowed in winter. He stated that it is 25 mph speed limit by his house. Vehicles go by his house at 60 mph. Nobody stops for the stop sign. That is substantial over the speed limit. Cory stated that all he wants is for people to respect the speed limit and he’s got no problem with the rest. He’s pulled over a lot of the guys with ATVs, motorcycles, 4 wheelers and had conversations with them. It’s dangerous in the area. Cory was asking Ron Fiske questions. Diane reminded conversations to go through her. Cory stated he is not advocating to have Bullock Road shut down. It worked great for that weekend and the Sheriff was able to get down to patrol. 70% of the punks are gone, but now it’s the local traffic. He will know better when the blinking traffic speed sign is installed. Arlan stated they will get the blinking speed sign up this week. Pat Douglas asked about putting a ditch in the road. Scott Pidgeon stated he does not want a ditch or speed bump in the road to hinder plowing & grading the road. Cory stated everyone has got him wrong. He didn’t just jump out and ask for the road to be closed. Cory stated he feels there is a lot of money that gets dumped into the lower Bullock Road for the convenience of just a few people. Not everybody uses that road. Cory stated he went around today for 1.9 miles, and it took him five minutes. He came back around Jerusalem/Leicester/Whiting Road, it was 3.2 miles, and it took 30 seconds longer. Time difference is negligible. Cathy Oliver stated that a lot more people use that road than you know of. GPS sends trucks down that road. It’s a Class IV Road. Cathy Oliver commented that they just spent a long time being inconvenienced because of the bridge on Old Jerusalem Road. Sheriff Elmore stated he was here to support whatever the town decides. Closing it just created different problems. Chair reiterated that the town has gone up to 25 hours a month and will look at it again at year end. Sheriff Elmore thinks the extra hours is making a difference. Gloria Currie asked if the electronic speed limit signs give the time of day. It does not.Gloria mentioned she understands the speed and the time to go one or the other way, but she doesn’t feel it’s relevant to how much the road is used. Sheriff Elmore has a battery radar box the town can use at no charge. Julie mentioned there are a couple of counters on Leicester/Whiting Road. She checked with Sheriff’s Department, VSP, Regional Planning. No one knows who put them up. Mike Rakowitz stated he thinks the traffic on Bullock Road has gotten less and there is less garbage. Cory stated he thought it was less because the past two years he has been pulling people over and they have not been traveling the road so much. Chair asked Arlan and Scott about the expenses for the Bullock Road in the spring or after flooding. The residents don’t care what it costs. There is gravel drawn in and stone when it floods. Cory stated that he can’t argue the point because records are not kept per road. He stated that not everyone uses the Bullock Road and perhaps other residents might not want to spend that kind of money. Cory stated he doesn’t want to spend the time but if he must, he might start a petition to see how other residents feel about it. Chair stated that the Selectboard maintains an open forum to all the Selectboard meetings, and they know they are working on the budget in December/January. They have lots of conversations about balancing the needs and the costs. The Board feels they have done a good job meeting the needs of the people and keeping the costs down. Gloria Currie asked if the road crew will have to document what is spent on each road to see how many people use it and if it will be kept open. Chair stated she would say no. Cory had the same question. How is there an argument one way or another without documentation. Tom stated that there are other people that should have a say. He said you mention 800 people, but Tom only sees one person with a problem right now. John Hughes stated he thinks the consensus is that the people don’t really care what it costs, the road should be kept open, and stay as a Class IV Road and be done with it. If he brings up a bunch of people that think differently then move on, but the consensus right now is they want the road open. Diane Randall commented that she hears everybody. We have asked the Sheriff to come, we have increased to 25 hours a month and we are going to put up the speed limit sign. Maybe the radar box. Let’s give it a try and see how it goes. We all live in town and should be free to drive on any road. Chair asked about their patrols. Sheriff Elmore stated they do two-hour patrols. They change it up. Fifteen minutes on Bullock. Do other roads; as well. Cory stated he has cameras set up. Chair shared her concerns with Cory pulling people over and his safety in this day and age. Arlan and Scott will set up the flashing speed sign headed west. Animal Control Officer: Weight Permits: None CORRESPONDENCE: Healthcare Community Meetings: The Green Mountain Care Board sent out a message to Selectboard Chairs for Health Care Community Meetings under ACT 167 to insure health care sustainability and affordability. If interested, Tuesday, July 30th, 6:00 p.m. at Ilsley Library and another meeting the following night in Rutland at RRMC from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The Open Meeting Law changes went into effect today. The Selectboard is a Non-Advisory Board. We will post the audio recordings on the website. The audio recording will be removed 30 days from today when minutes were approved. After January 1st Chair will have training. OLD BUSINESS: LHMP Update: Andrew submitted it on June 8th. Parts meet FEMA. Several segments say not met. So, we have an interim plan right now. We will submit again for full approval. Climate Economy Action Center: Chair mentioned that they were approached several months ago by the Climate Economy Action Center of Middlebury to see if we were interested in helping homeowners and renters reduce their home energy costs under the Navigator Project. We have found some people to serve, Amy Young, Alice White, Don Monroe and Richard Hopkins. There is a listening session on July 17th at 5:30 p.m. here at the Town Office. It is a 60-90 minute session. Chair will be providing a light meal. They will be looking for ideas and opinions to reduce greenhouse emissions and reduce utility bills and weatherization. There are organizations helping people to weatherize and improve their homes. Chair mentioned that on Old Jerusalem Road there have been many baby items dumped. She is willing to pick it up on Saturday and take it to Van if she can be reimbursed for what it costs her. Gloria Currie offered to help Chair. NEW BUSINESS: Executive Session: Motion by Tom and second by Diane R. to go into Executive Session at 7:28 p.m. for legal matter. All in favor. So, approved. Motion by Tom and second by Diane R. to come out of Executive Session at 7:41 p.m. with no action taken. All in favor. So, approved. Motion by Tom and second by Diane R. to increase boom mower from $75 to $85 per hour starting with the July 1, 2024 paycheck. All in favor. So, approved. Motion by Tom to adjourn at 7:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sandra Trombley
