| Selectboard Meeting Minutes |
| December 3rd, 2024 6:30 pm Chelsea Town Hall |
| Call to Order |
| Kevin Marshia called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. Kevin Marshia mentioned that Jesse Kay has resigned from the Selectboard as of December 2nd. SELECTBOARD Kevin Marshia (Present) Kelly Lyford (Absent) Gregg Herrin (Present) Leyna Hoyt (Present) Jesse Kay (Absent) TOWN EMPLOYEES Tierney Farago (Town Administrator) Rick Ackerman (Highway Supervisor) Gayle Durkee (Town Treasurer) |
| Additions to the Agenda |
| -The Town Administrator added a tree removal contract to the agenda, however, the selectboard previously agreed to the emergency service and decided to simply officially sign the contract. |
| Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None |
| Public Comments |
| Frank Keene attended to inquire about the status of the pedestrian bridge, as he was able to secure a fair price on steel beams that may only last until the end of the year. The Town Administrator stated that the Town is waiting to have a meeting with Vermont Emergency Management to find out further details of the project; no further update is available at this time. |
| Approve Minutes from November 19, 2024 |
| Gregg Herrin mentioned that he did not think the minutes aligned with what occurred during the last meeting and will review to see if there are edits to be made. A motion for the approval of minutes from November 19th will be tabled until the next Selectboard meeting. |
| Current Events and Updates |
| A. Highway Update |
| Rick Ackerman gave a general update of the state of the roads with the recent snow. He also mentioned that Larry Pickett was officially hired as part-time seasonal road crew. He has passed all necessary checks and has begun training to plow the west hill area. |
| B. Town Administrator Update |
| The Town Administrator did not have any updates outside of meetings with Vermont Emergency Management regarding FEMA project and the pedestrian bridge that was discussed earlier in the meeting during public comments. |
| C. VTrans Bridges: Jon Griffin |
| Jon Griffin and Andrew Lemieux from VTrans attended the meeting for a presentation regarding the construction status of two bridges on VT Rte 110 (bridges #12 and #13). Both bridges have gone through preliminary plans and continue to be engineered. The Selectboard and audience members were able to ask some questions regarding the standards for lanes and shoulders for bridges. The bridges will continue to go through planning, permitting, and preliminary construction, as the bridges are constructed off site before being transported to the sites. Final construction is anticipated for April-October 2027. Jon and Andrew will continue to update the Town as the project develops. |
| Action Items |
| A. Water/Sewer Budget |
| The Selectboard went through the preliminary water and sewer budget. There were some changes from the 2024 budget, including increases in electricity due to price increases, as well as contract service increases. The Selectboard also discussed the importance of capital improvement, mainly meter and hydrant replacements that are necessary as the items get older and less effective. This topic will be brough up later, as well as at Town Meeting. As the full budget is addressed, the numbers for water and sewer may change, but for now it is sufficient to continue. |
| B. Transfer Station Budget |
| The Selectboard also discussed the transfer station/solid waste budget. There were only some slight changes to some of the line items from the 2024 budget. The board discussed recycle stickers and punch cards, as there has been a decline in recycling dropped off and it is unclear as to the reason. This budget will also be ironed out more during the full budget discussions. |
| C. Draft Town Plan Adoption |
| The public hearing for the draft Town Plan was held on November 19th. Only one resident attended the hearing. With no further questions posed, the hearing was closed, and the draft Town Plan was ready to be adopted by Chelsea and sent for regional planning approval with Two Rivers. Gregg Herrin made a motion to approve the Town Plan and send it for regional review approval; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 3 votes in favor. |
| D. VMERS Acceptance for Town Administrator |
| A previous motion to accept VMERS for the Town Administrator position was deemed not specific enough and the Selectboard was asked to read word-for-word a new motion to ensure it is properly recorded. Gregg Herrin made a motion that the Town of Chelsea offer VMERS Group A to the position of Town Administrator effective 1/1/25, VMERS will administer an election for the Town Administrator to join VMERS A effective 1/1/25, any Town Administrator hired after the date of this vote will automatically be enrolled in VMERS Group A; Leyna Hoyt seconded the motion. Motion passed with 3 votes in favor. |
| E. Library Balcony Chairs |
| Nick DeFriez was in attendance to discuss the rehabilitation of the balcony chairs. The Fire Marshal stated that the previous plans to remove chairs and possibly add bookcases for library storage would not be possible, so it has been tabled for the moment. |
| F. Approve Orders |
| Leyna Hoyt made a motion to approve the orders; Gregg Herrin seconded the motion. Motion passed with 3 votes in favor. |
| Executive Session If Necessary: None |
| Adjournment |
| Leyna Hoyt made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Gregg Herrin seconded the motion. Motion passed with 3 votes in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm. |