POWNAL SELECT BOARD TOWN OFFICE POWNAL, VT THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Board Members Present: Nelson Brownell, Jason Olansky, Jennifer Dewar, Ronald Bisson, Robert Jarvis Also Present: CAT-TV, Fred Miller, Priscilla Maxon, Donna Lauzon, Rose-Marie Pelletier, Representative Bill Botzow Nelson Brownell opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. 1. Agenda Approval: Mr. Olansky moved and Ms. Dewar seconded to approve the agenda as amended. The motion 2. Board Reorganization: Chairman Ms. Dewar nominated Nelson Brownell for Chairman, seconded by Mr. Olansky. There being no other nominations, the motion carried with Mr. Brownell abstaining. Vice Chairman Nelson Brownell, Chairman Ms. Dewar nominated Jason Olansky for Vice Chairman, seconded by Mr. Bisson. There being no other nominations, the motion carried with Mr. Olansky abstaining. Clerk Jason Olansky, Vice Chairman Mr. Olansky nominated Jen Dewar for Clerk, seconded by Ms. Dewar. Mr. Jarvis nominated Ron Bisson for Clerk, seconded by Mr. Bisson. The vote was called. Brownell cast his vote for Mr. Bisson thereby breaking the tie vote. Ronald Bisson, Clerk
Page 2 Regular Board Meetings Ms. Dewar moved and Mr. Jarvis seconded that Regular Board Meetings be held every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Office except the fourth Thursday of the month will be held 6:00 p.m. at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTF) where the board will meet as the Sewer Commission. Discussion followed regarding changing the regular weekly meeting schedule. The board will revisit the meeting schedule in three months (June). The motion carried unanimously. Paper of Record Mr. Bisson moved and Mr. Olansky seconded that the Bennington Banner be the official Paper of Record. The motion Authorization to Sign Warrants Ms. Dewar moved and Mr. Jarvis seconded that either the Chairman or Vice Chair is authorized to sign Warrants in the event of no meeting. The motion Select Board Standing Rules of Order Mr. Olansky moved and Ms. Dewar seconded to readopt the Standing Rules of Order with the 3-minute speaking limit stricken. The motion Meeting Agenda Policy The Meeting Agenda Policy was tabled for revision. 3. Approval of Minutes 3/1/18: Mr. Bisson moved and Mr. Olansky seconded to approve the meeting minutes for March 1, 2018. The motion carried with Dewar and Jarvis abstaining.
Page 3 4. Warrants: Payroll Check Warrant for Pay Period Ending 02/25/18 in the amount of $ 9,601.99 Accounts Payable Check Warrant #34 dated 02/23/18 in the amount of $ 37,624.59 Mr. Olansky moved and Mr. Bisson seconded to approve the warrants as read. The motion 5. Mail: 1. 2018 Excess Weight Permits: Vermont Renewable Fuels- Mr. Bisson moved and Ms. Dewar seconded to approve. The motion TAM, Inc.- Mr. Bisson moved and Mr. Jarvis seconded to approve. The motion carried unanimously. 2. Hoosic River Hydro, LLC RE: Pownal Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Number 6795-VT Extension request: Operation and Flow Management Plan 3. Tammy Sohl, Lister RE: request for certified Lister level one training course $ 689 total with membership. Mr. Olansky moved and Ms. Dewar seconded to approve. Discussion followed. The board requested that Tammy provide a statement to the board as to whether she found the course to be useful in her Lister position. 6. Public Comment: Donna Lauzon inquired about the vacant positions available for appointment by the Selectboard, what the positions entail, responsibilities and time commitment. Discussion followed. The local official descriptions can be found on the Secretary of State s web page as well as the Town Office. Vacancies will be posted on the town web site with compensation where applicable. Fred Miller inquired about the Public Hearings for the Town Plan. The first public hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 6:30 p.m. at the Pownal Elementary School Gym. The Town Plan is available for review on the town s web site or at the Town Office. Discussion followed. Residents were advised to look at the Implementation section as it will give an idea of what the zoning regulations will be. The Town Plan will have an impact on the town.
Page 4 7. New Business: a. Letter to be issued to VTrans RE: US Route 7 concerns/improvements The board discussed issuing a letter to VTrans stating concerns related to the section of US Rte. 7 from School House Rd. north to the Bennington town line. This stretch of road has taken many lives throughout the years and has seen numerous accidents. Representative Bill Botzow discussed the need for a Traffic Study. Letters from the board and residents will help accomplish this. VTrans is very responsive. Mr. Olansky moved and Ms. Dewar seconded for the Selectboard to draft a letter to VTrans asking them to make the road safer for the section of US Rte. 7 from School House Rd. to the Bennington town line. The motion Mr. Brownell turned the meeting over to Jason Olansky. b. Selectboard appointed vacancies- An updated list of vacant positions will be posted on the town web site and Bennington Banner. c. March 15 th agenda items- Appointment of the Town Administrator hiring committee and board project list. 8. Old Business: a. Animal Control- Executive Session for Personnel Mr. Brownell moved and Mr. Bisson seconded to enter into executive session for personnel at 8:01 p.m. The motion Also present was Linda Sciarappa. At 8:27 p.m., Mr. Olansky moved and Mr. Bisson seconded to come out of executive session. The motion No action was taken. b. Executive Session-Legal Mr. Bisson moved and Mr. Jarvis seconded to enter into executive session for a legal matter at 8:28 p.m. The motion Also present was Linda Sciarappa. At 8:35 p.m., Mr. Olansky moved and Ms. Dewar seconded to come out of executive session. The motion Mr. Bisson moved and Mr. Jarvis seconded to schedule the Town Clerk for a meeting with the board for information and to forward the correspondence received by the board to the town s attorney. The motion
Page 5 Adjournment: Mr. Olansky moved and Mr. Bisson seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 p.m. The motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Linda Sciarappa, Administrative Assistant Pownal Selectboard: Nelson Brownell, Chairman Jason Olansky, Vice Chairman Ronald Bisson, Clerk Jennifer Dewar Bob Jarvis