~ APPROVED ~

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

• Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting
• Mellett – Gravel Pit
• Robert Quad – Road Closing
• Agency of Transportation Mapping Unit Survey – due December 1, 2006
  Certificate of Highway Mileage – due February 15, 2007
• Contract with Stantec
• Health Insurance
• Road Foreman Report
• Clerk's Report
• Other Business

The Selectboard met at the Craftsbury Town Hall on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 7:30 PM. Selectboard present were Bruce Urie, Jim Jones and Susan Houston. Yvette Brown (Town Clerk), Steve Marckres (Road Foreman), Kurtis & Margo Mellett, Robert Quad and Michelle Warren (Clerk of Selectboard) were also present.

The October 17, 2006 Selectboard minutes were approved.

Mr. Day is considering a gravel pit on their property. Mr. Day thought that the field would be possibly a couple acres for a gravel pit site and if they went back further, could be upwards of 5-15 acres. Mr. Day said that the area had been heavily logged and that he hopes to follow the town permit with a commercial permit. Mr. Day estimated the time frame would be least 5 years, probably not more than 10- 15 years. It was agreed that the Act 250 permitting process would go easier if the town was behind it. When Mr. Urie asked if they were considering a co-applicant status, Mr. Day replied whatever would be most feasible. Mr. Day thought that possibly Mrs. Day could help with some of the paperwork and the Selectboard signatures on necessary forms would help the process go faster. Mr. Urie asked if Mr. Day was planning to strip the top or if he wants the town to do that. These decisions will help the town set the price Mr. Urie explained. The town would need to put in an access road. Mr. Urie explained that initially Mr. Marckres would need to dig some test pits, next the Selectman would need to check with Act 250 and then possibly get an engineer to help process the applications. Mr. Day didn’t see any problem letting the crusher work at the gravel pit 1-2 weeks per year. Mr. Marckres will meet with Mr. Day this Thursday at 3 PM to dig some test sites.

Mr. Quad said that he had attended a Selectboard meeting this past April asking for repairs on Colburn Hill and whether or not they could get the road thrown up for the gate to end. Mr. Quad had recently spoken to Willie Ryan who had found old missing documents implying part of the trail (Colburn Hill Road) had been thrown up from the Albany line to the top of the hill. The Selectboard weren’t sure and will look into it. Mr. Quad mentioned that the person in the first little cabin had recently passed away, which left them more vulnerable. Mr. Quad asked if there would be some resolution coming so that they could make plans. Mr. Urie explained that the Ancient Roads project has been what’s holding things up. If the town receives the Ancient Road Grant that it recently applied for, it hopes to work on the Ancient Roads project this winter with a local surveyor who knows the area well. Mr. Urie said that first the roads need to be identified and then decisions need to be made which roads to keep and which roads to let go completely. Public notices will need to be sent out to the local papers and town hearings will need to be held to discuss the roads with the public. Since Mr. Quad lives out of town, Mr. Urie will send him a notice in the mail so he’s kept informed on the project.

The Selectman decided to wait to fill out the Certificate of Highway Mileage form at a later date, since it isn’t due until February 2007. The Selectman filled out the Mapping Unit Survey that is due Dec. 1, 2006.

Mr. Urie said that the town received the $18,000 grant for the design of the slope near Denton Hill Road. The contract quote is $13,000 for the design. Mr. Jones made a motion to sign the contract with the understanding that the funding for the design will come out of the grant only, not town money. Motion was granted and Mr. Urie signed the contract. Mr. Urie explained that this is just phase one of the process. The Better Back Roads grant will cover the $6,400 culvert across the road and the Storm Water Litigation grant will cover the design. Next year the town will apply for another Storm Water Litigation Grant to cover the actual construction.

The loader is back working, just needed more oil additive than initially thought. Mr. Marckres wondered if the Fire Department would be paying part of the Stay Mat expense. Mr. Urie said that the Fire Department would be paying $1500 and the town would be paying the remainder.

Mr. Marckres mentioned that they had run out of gas, Ms. Brown said she had run out of gas fuel as well. Fuel will be arriving by noon tomorrow, however. The pavement patch on the Common is all set until next year when they will go over that entire section. The road crew is now waiting for the snow to come.

Mr. Urie signed the Landowner Permission Form from VAST’s Glover Trail Winders with the same conditions as last year on the Ketchem Hill area, since there was no snow last year to adequately test it. Mr. Urie explained that some of conditions from last year were snowmobilers policing themselves, making sure traffic didn’t go too fast and staying on the sides of the road. Mr. Marckres will try to push the snow on the road back wide again. Mark Dunbar is aware that the Selectboard are signing the permission form.

The Town Hall and Town Garage both were reviewed by a VLCT consultant and some minor areas were found that needed attention. At the Town Hall, the fire extinguishers need to be tested monthly and then yearly by a professional. Ms. Brown suggested that the Town Hall should probably get another fire extinguisher at the Town Hall, one for second exit. Policies should be established as well, which the consultant would be willing to help the town with. At the Town Garage, the fire extinguishers also need to be tested monthly and then yearly by a professional. The Town Garage should also have chisels with mushroom heads, ground fault protectors in the bathroom, eye wash station solution, exit signs, locked cabinets for such items as penetrating oil (marked flammable). Mr. Urie mentioned that in the long range planning, there really needs to be a warning system for fire at the Town Garage and Town Hall. A warning system’s temperature sensors would automatically dial 911 if it reaches a certain point.

Although Blue Cross/BlueShield wasn’t approved for the full 36% increase they asked for, it is likely that their increase will still be substantial. VLTC dropped BC/BS due to their sudden price jump and has chosen CIGNA for their health insurance. On January 1, 2007, the current insurance policy for the town (through VLTC) runs out so a decision is needed in the next couple weeks. Julie Marckres had done comparisons on various insurance prices and policy benefits but was unable to attend the meeting. Mr. Urie and Ms. Brown will work on getting the 2007 prices on CIGNA and BC/BS. Ms. Brown will contact the VLTC and various insurance companies so the town can meet with each of them (staggered times) starting at 1 PM on Friday, December 1, 2006 to discuss insurance. If the insurance companies can’t make it Friday, the second choice is at the Selectboard Meeting December 5^th. Hopefully Julie Marckres and Annette Jones can attend the meeting as well to help review the choices.

None

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM. The next Selectboard meeting is scheduled at the Craftsbury Town Hall Tuesday, December 5^th at 7:30 PM. If there is time, the Selectboard will review a preliminary budget. A budget meeting is scheduled Tuesday, December 12^th at 7:30 PM. Ms. Brown said that she would meet with Mr. Marckres about the budget so they can present their information to the Selectboard at the Dec. 12^th meeting to help make the process more time efficient.

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle Warren, Clerk of the Selectboard