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Meeting Minutes

 Town of Leicester

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

 

Monday, January 25, 2010

 

*Unapproved*

 

** See subsequent minutes for any changes

 

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

 

Others Present:   Julie Delphia, Arlan Pidgeon, Cecile Todd, Sandra Trombley, Secretary

 

Call to Order:  Meeting called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

 

Agenda Review:  Agenda reviewed.  

 

Review and Sign Orders for Bill Payment:

 

Bills making their rounds for signatures.

 

Reports from Town Officials & Committees:

 

Town Clerk:

 

Julie indicated the bills to sign.  Auditors are coming tomorrow afternoon.  Julie added comments in the budget.

 

Listers:

 

Cecile  reported that Terry Gildersleeve, District Advisor from the State came down to do end of year reports.  These reports didn’t agree with Julie’s numbers.  It has to do with current use.  We need to be able to explain to taxpayers what has happened and how it affects the taxes.

 

Julie reported that there are three issues.  The first issue is Julie has to send out tax bills to three taxpayers.  They are going out in 2010 for the 2009 tax year.   Julie is going to send out a notice with the tax bill with their charges on it explaining that it is because of current use and they should contact the Listers for further information or a number for the State contact. 

 

Julie reported that the reason that this did happen was because we are not networked.  We are running two systems which means that everything that the Listers do, Julie has to do.  Everything Julie does, the Listers have to do; otherwise they don’t match.  We are not networked for NEMRC.  If we had been networked in December when they did their change, it would have come to Julie.  It needs to be networked.  Julie has the Board’s approval.  Julie called them.  NEMRC needs to work with the Listers to get it done.  Julie spoke to NEMRC and Mike Fort, our IT person.  Mike Fort is waiting to talk with NEMRC who’s waiting to talk to the Listers.

 

Julie stated it needs to be done before they launch the next grand list sometime in July.

 

There needs to be $450 in the 2010 budget to make this happen.

 

Julie will contact the State for further clarification and talk with Auditors tomorrow.  Timing is an issue.  Discussion on timeline and taxpayer responsibility.

 

Cecile still feels that Terry hasn’t explained current use appropriately so they can explain it to the taxpayers.  Next Wednesday, February 3rd, Terry is coming back to explain why some properties are included in the three year aggregate.  If board members are available, please attend.

 

Cecile reported they sent out three letters to appraisal firms last week and they got one response back. 

 

Road Foreman:

 

The VLCT are coming down Thursday to look at all the Town property that they insure.

 

2010 Budget Work – Town and Highway:

 

Receipts:

·         Julie put in some notes

·         Expected From State               $4,000

Disbursements:

·         Professional Audit                   $2,000  Dependent on results of Article 4

 

Include an article in the warning to rescind the previously approved instruction to conduct a professional audit of the Leicester Town books every fifth year.

 

Listing:

 

Add that Harry Smith resigned in March 2009 and Mr. Hughes resigned November 2009.

 

Selectboard:

 

Remove Cecile Todd’s name. 

 

Recycling:

 

Level fund.

 

Office Expenses:

 

Computer Equipment (Network Computer)   $ 450

 

 

Insurance:

 

$7,939 is an estimate from what VLCT sent. 

$5,000 is a best guess.  Julie has not received numbers from VLCT.

 

Zoning:

 

Take Cindy Hill out. 

 

Zoning             $1,000  Comment:  Zoning revenues from permits are lower than normal

Printing Costs  $1,000

Secretary         $1,000

 

Selectboard will be meeting with the ZBA tomorrow night to discuss permits fees, budget, consolidation, update of by-laws.

 

Other Expenses:

 

Delinquent Tax Collector:  Comment:  paid by penalty fees/not taxes.

Legal Fees:  Comment:  Increase due to past historical data.

 

Assessments:

 

Insect Control District             $12,436.00

 

Highway Receipts:

 

Highway Aid:               $ 52,400

 

Disbursements:

 

Discussion on the need to resurface roads. 

 

Adopt/Sign Warning:

 

Not until Wednesday evening.

 

Plan for 2/8/10 Ancient Roads Meeting:

 

The February date is to get them on the highway mileage map.  We are filing copies to add Class 4 roads to Town highways in order to avoid their potential reclassification as unidentified corridors on July 1, 2010.  All unidentified corridors that haven’t been reclassified will automatically be discontinued and become private. 

 

Ron recommended that the Board propose a consistent policy to go into the meeting with. 

 

·         If landowner already has public road access then we would vote to discontinue road.

·         If landowner does not have public road access, we vote to retain it as a Class 4 road on our Town map.

 

Diane reported that the pit bull dog is back.  According to Muffy the dog went to Rutland with Sally’s son and has come back to the apartments here on Rte.7.  She talked with the Town’s attorney.  He said we had two options.

·         If whoever told Muffy wanted to sign an affidavit confirming the dog was there, we could go that route and take the affidavit to the courthouse to get a search warrant; or the better option

·         Contact Brian Webb.  Send him there with the Constable or Sheriff on a report of an unlicensed dog.  Brian can verify if it is that dog.  If it is that dog, Peter said then we can initiate something legally.

He stated that you cannot go seize the dog without probable cause.

 

Diane will contact Brian or Mike to go and follow up on an unlicensed dog issue.

 

Ken brought up a barking dog issue near his residence.  Five hours of non-stop barking.  There is an ordinance for such things.  Recommendation to call Brian.

 

Budget meeting recessed until Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.

 

Next Selectboard meeting February 1, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.

 

 Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Sandra L. Trombley

Selectboard Secretary