PITTSFIELD SELECTBOARD Minutes Archive 08

PRESENT: George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Joe Poston, John Weitman, Mark McManus, Don Flynn

Mark McManus opened up the meeting by briefly going over the contract between the Town and Mark McManus for program management for the VCDP grant. The contract had been executed on January 3^rd 2012, and gives Mark the authority to administrate the paperwork related to the VCDP Grant on behalf of the Town.

McManus asked Joe about the status of some change orders. Joe informed Mark that he hasn’t done any change orders recently, but he pointed out a few things that would need to be changed. The boards in the attic on the floor need to be taken out, Joe estimated the cost would be about $680. The ceiling channels are also going to need to be changed.

Patty then inquired about an invoice that the Town had received for Concrete inspection from Beck Engineering, P.C., which had been forwarded from Wright Construction. She and the Select Board were unsure as to whether or not the Town should responsible for that or Wright Construction. Joe and John both responded that the Town is in fact responsible for the inspection because Wright Construction needs to remain impartial.

There was then some discussion about the roof. Joe stated that the roof work is coming up but they can’t put a price on it yet. They will have a better idea when it gets closer to starting it. McManus suggested putting a new layer of plywood up there. John said that could be doable, it would just give the roof a longer drip edge.

McManus let the board know that the fire damper for the vault would cost $126 plus shipping and discussed the damper briefly.

McManus then stated that the baseboard radiators will be a primed paintable surface. Don had a few concerns about whether or not those would last very long. McManus replied that they should last for quite some time.

McManus let the board know that soon the colors will need to be picked for the ceiling diffusers for the air conditioner. All of the colors to pick from are very light. Mark said he would send Patty the chart with the color choices so that she could pick one. He recommended off-white.

McManus then brought up that he had heard about some rumors going around regarding the heat in the vault. In order to clear up any confusion he elaborated on

the plans. He stated that the vault has no heat or air conditioning in it at all. The vault will get most of it’s heat from the surrounding environment because the concrete holds the temperature. Tubing is being put in the floor that can be hooked up to the boiler in case of an emergency to give the vault some radiant heat, but it is by no means intended to be the one heat source for the vault. Joe then stated that’s it’s the only possible way that the vault can really be heated anyway without putting the contents at risk.

Mark then went over the Application and Certification for payment. Wright Construction applied for $53,727.07 for work done on the Town Office Renovation project since the previous application. McManus went over the breakdown of work done and how much Wright was asking for each item. There were no questions or concerns from those present. McManus then approved and signed the Certification for Payment.

George then brought up the blacktop paving outside of the Town Office building. It should end up being about 1.5’’ thick over the old pavement. Someone is coming tomorrow to go over the plans and get the paperwork ready. There was then some brief discussion about the paving and the placement of the sidewalk. The subject will be looked into more thoroughly toward the end of the project.

The meeting adjourned at 4:20pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office and the next Town Office Building Project meeting is scheduled for Thursday February 2, 2012 at 3:00pm.

a. Jack and Margaret Conboy – Concerns about Construction Plans Violating Covenants

Mark called the meeting to order at 5:52pm. The Minutes of the December 20, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Jack and Margaret Conboy – Concerns about Construction Plans Violating Covenants. Jack and Margaret Conboy brought to the Board’s attention a potential issue with a neighbor breaking the original covenants set up for their eight lot subdivision. Land use permit #3W0164 lists permit conditions in this subdivision to single family houses only and no duplex construction. Their neighbor plans to live over the garage, and has plans to eventually build a

home on the property. In the meantime, the lot is filled with construction equipment and it is very unsightly. The Conboy’s, as well as other residents of the subdivision are concerned that if the original covenants are not being followed that their property values will decline in the future. The board informed the Conboy’s that there are no traditional zoning laws in Pittsfield, and that typically a homeowner’s association would take care of issues such as these. The only permits that are given out in this office deal with driveway construction. Mark then suggested that the Conboy’s call the permit specialist in Springfield. They should be able to help them out, or at least point them in the right direction. Jack said that he would do that, and that he would keep the board apprised of the situation and forward any relevant correspondence to the Town.

b. Bill Oren – Fireworks. Mr. Oren informed the board that there was another startling fireworks display on Christmas Eve and on New Years Eve. He spoke with the Fire Chief this evening before the meeting, and the Fire Chief said that he never gave out any permits for those particular occasions. The board agreed that they would look into it.

c. Bill Oren – Pawnbrokers License. Mr. Oren inquired about the status of his Pawn Broker License and wanted to know if the board needed anything else from him. The board responded that they have everything they need currently and are waiting on a response from the town attorney before they can move forward.

a. VCDP Grant - Contract for Project Management. A contract template for the VCDP grant was received and needed to be completed and signed by the Select Board Chair. This contract is between the Town of Pittsfield and Mark McManus Architect Inc. The board agreed that the Town should follow through with this, and Mark Begin signed it.

b. English, Carroll & Boe, P.C. – Highway #11, Town of Chittenden. The board received the Town of Chittenden, Pittsford and Pittsfield’s Joint Mediation Statement for review. No action taken.

c. VT Agency of Transportation – No Parking Zone, VT 100 Pittsfield. The Traffic Operations unit conducted an engineering study for the establishment of a no-parking zone on VT 100 in Pittfield in the vicinity of the Vermont Country Inn. The Vermont traffic committee voted not to establish a legal no parking zone, but to have VTrans install “No Parking On Traveled Way” signs instead. These signs will also cover the adjacent property to the north of the Vermont Country Inn. The board agreed that this was fine. No action taken.

d. Rutland County Sheriff’s Office – Yearly Report. The yearly report was received from Sheriff Benard at the Rutland County Sheriff’s Office. In the town of Pittsfield they investigated 8 calls for service. They included 2 animal complaints, 3 ATV incidents, 1 citizen arrest, 1 drug related complaint and 1 traffic hazard. There was 1 arrest and 20 Traffic Tickets issued. No action taken.

e. VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation – Questionnaire. The VT Environmental Conservation office is trying to tally the magnitude and extent of damage to homes and structures throughout the hardest hit communities. A survey was received to give them an idea. Patty informed the board that the survey was forwarded to Don Flynn to fill out and respond. No action taken.

f. Two Rivers – 25% Match and the VCDP for home buy-outs. The program requires a 25% non-federal match and the State of VT has indicated that it will use the Community Development Block Grant funds to supply that 25% so that the town of the homeowner would not need to cover that cost. To reduce administrative costs for the state and for participating communities, Vermont’s regional planning commissions offered to assist parties by developing a regional application for these funds and administering the funds once awarded. They will

be in touch in the coming weeks about the process. This has been forwarded to Don Flynn. No action taken.

g. Long Trail Engineering P.C. – Engineer’s Report, Pittsfield Town Office. Based upon their belief and knowledge, the water supply and wastewater disposal system were constructed substantially in accordance with the approved plans and permit conditions. As per condition 3.1 of WW-3-0257 they sent a contractor’s certification dated 12/21/11. No action taken.

h. Beck Engineering, P.C. – Invoice for Concrete Inspection. An invoice totaling $616.00 was received for concrete inspection for the Town Office Building renovation project. The board was not sure if this is something that the contractors should be handling. After some discussion it was decided that the board would bring this up at the construction meeting this Thursday.

a. Ken Hayes – Dog Issue. A letter was received from Mr. Hayes that was also sent to Sheriff Benard regarding the Peyton dog situation. He states that he and his wife were chased by Mr. Peyton’s dog which was not on a leash. No action taken by the board.

b. Ken Hayes – Dog Issue. A second letter was received from Mr. Hayes written the next day stating that the Peyton’s dog was again seen running at large, and this time was caught on camera. No action taken by the board.

a. Mosher Invoice – For River Restoration. The invoice was received for the river restoration work behind the Colton Mill. The invoice total was for more than was originally agreed upon, which was $3,000. After some discussion the board agreed that the Town should only be paying the amount that was agreed on. The board asked the Treasurer and Assistant to write the check out for $3,000 and send a letter with it stating why that amount was being sent.

b. Riverside Horse Farm – Invoice. The backup paperwork for the work done on the covered bridge at the Riverside Horse Farm was received. The back up data for the invoice did not have explanations as to what they were for. Patty will inquire as to what is needed from FEMA. Patty also pointed out that the invoice exceeded the agreed upon number. Tabled until next meeting.

c. Select Board Report – 2011. The board discussed who should write the 2011 Select Board Report for the Town Report. Jerry agreed that he would work on it and send some ideas by email to the other board members to go over.

d. Town Report – Timeline. Patty went over the timeline for Town Report/Town Meeting with the board. Town Meeting this year will be held on Tuesday, March 6 2012 and the location will be at the Fire House. No action taken.

e. Tax Bills – Court Decision. Patty informed the board that there has been a recent court decision that will be effecting what type of information that the Town Clerks Office can and cannot disclose on tax bills. Town Clerks can no longer disclose state payments unless the individual on the tax bill requests the information. No action taken.

f. Town Meeting Warning – Rough Draft. The board went over the rough draft of the warning for Town Meeting. A couple of changes were made to the draft.

Quinn Town Seniors – (previous meeting $2,623.00 was agreed on) – level funded at $2,000.00

Electricity – Town Hall – (last meeting $2,250.00 was agreed on) – raised to $2,300.00

2011 Wages – increase by 2%. The board decided they could not match the 3.6% Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment due to the economy and the financial constraints from Tropical Storm Irene.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

Mark called the meeting to order at 6:05pm. The Minutes of the December 1, 2011 Select Board Monthly Construction Meeting Minutes, the minutes of the December 1, 2011 Select Board Budget Special Meeting Minutes, and the December 6, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Aaron Guyette, VHB – Bridge #11, Update. Aaron sent the Town an email giving an update on the status of construction and schedule of the Bridge #11 project. Aaron informed the board that it does not look realistic that the bridge will be open to traffic by December 23^rd. His projection for opening the bridge to traffic is on Friday December 30. The town has an agreement with the Desenas for use of their covered bridge as a detour until December 23^rd. The board discussed their options and decided that Mark and George would go talk to Mr. Desena tomorrow morning to discuss extending the contract. Aaron also stated that it is

unlikely that the bridge will be able to be paved this winter due to paving plants shutting down across the state. In the email Aaron attached an Amendment to the original contract (Amendment No. 1) for providing services beyond their original scope. Mark made a motion to accept the Amendment, seconded by George and passed.

b. CVPS/Efficiency Vermont – Municipal Street Lighting Program. Efficiency VT and CVPS announced that their Municipal Street Lighting Initiative is moving forward. The Vermont Public Service Board recently approved the CVPS street lighting tariff, which includes new LED lease rates that offer municipalities the opportunity to reduce electricity costs and save energy. Efficiency VT and CVPS are partnering to replace all street lights in CVPS territory over the next four years. Replacement with LEDs will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The board agreed that this is something that would be worth looking into, and asked George if he could respond and set up a time for them to come and take a look at the current lights and give suggestions on how we could be more efficient.

c. VLCT – 2012 PACIF Equipment Grant Program. PACIF members are eligible to win an award of up to 50% of the anticipated cost of qualifying equipment up to a maximum of $5,000 per grant. Patty suggested this would be worth looking into for the building project next door. The board agreed and asked Patty if she could look into it further.

d. Rita Seto, Two Rivers – Scenic Route 100 Byway. An email was received from Rita Seto stating that there are several more towns that are potentially interested in joining the byway. A copy of the Draft #8 for the Scenic Byway Route was also presented. No action taken.

e. State of VT Dept of Taxes – Certified Equalized Education Property Value. A letter was received from the VT Dept of taxes notifying the Town of the results of the Division’s 2011 equalization study. For Pittsfield these values are: Equalized Education Property Value: $97,373,000, Coefficient of Dispersion: 11.57%, Education Grand List (from 411): $1,019,449, Equalized Education Grand List: $973,730, and Common Level of Appraisal: 104.70%. No action taken.

f. Highwood – Thank You Letter. A letter was received from Highwood Owners Association discussing their appreciation and gratitude for the use of Mr. Desena’s Covered Bridge as a detour while repairing Bridge #11. The board decided that the letter should be forwarded to Mr. Desena.

h. VHB – Invoice. VHB sent the town an invoice for professional services from October 30, 2011 to November 26, 2011 for $4,774.98. The board unanimously approved payment.

a. Update from Chris Sullivan – Tax Appeals. Patty informed the Board that she had been contacted by Town Attorney, Chris Sullivan, in regard to tax appeals. He stated that with the board’s permission he could try to negotiate. After some discussion the Board agreed that Chris Sullivan should not negotiate, and he should discuss the situation with the listers first. The board asked Patty if she could talk to Mr. Sullivan and have him send over the information from George Sargeant so that the Town can have a chance to look it over. Patty agreed that she would do this.

b. Ken Hayes – Dog Issue. A letter was cc’d to the board which had been sent to Sheriff Benard at the Rutland County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Hayes writes that the Peyton dog is running at large not under the owner’s control. No action taken.

c. Letter to Mr. Desena – For use of Bridge. The board wrote a letter to the Desenas thanking them for the use of their bridge as a detour during the construction on Bridge #11. The letter was approved and signed by the board.

d. Colton River Project – Update. Mark gave the board a brief update on the Colton river restoration project. He is currently waiting for the State to get back to him in regard to some questions that he posed. The board briefly discussed the payment of the project but no decisions were made.

a. Stephanie Smith, VLCT – Pawn Brokers & Licensing. Stephanie Smith from VLCT sent the Town an email in response to inquiries regarding pawnbrokers licensing and bonds. In her email she suggests contacting the town attorney for further guidance. Jerry made a motion to contact the Town attorney Chris Sullivan for further guidance, motion seconded by George and passed.

b. Computer Issues – IT help from Sean Lee. Patty informed the board that recently there have been several computer issues in the Town Office. The company that the town previously used for Tech support has recently dissipated and Patty has been calling Sean Lee (the local computer expert) in to help with various issues. Patty and Sean figured that the town could benefit buy having a more formal business relationship with Sean. Sean sent the Select Board his credentials and proposed rate of pay, and the board unanimously approved it.

c. Vacation time for George/Patty – Rollover. Patty and George both had vacation time that they planned on using in the fall, but were unable to because of the additional and unexpected duties that they had to fulfill after Tropical Storm Irene hit. They both asked the board if this year an exception could be made to have those unused hours roll over into next year. This was unanimously approved.

d. Paving – On the Village Green. John Wietman asked about paving in front of the Town Office building and how much pavement will be laid. He needs to know so that he can appropriately plan where to put the steps. The Board discussed the probably thickness of the pavement and the possibility of combining two projects together. No decision was made.

e. Donations – River Restoration. Mark informed the Board that the Town received two donations to be used for river restoration. No action taken.

Two Rivers Planning Commission – increased to $683.00 due to population increase

The meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Jerry Drugonis, Patricia Haskins, Robert Salmeri, Angelique Lee, Bill Oren, Sarah Gray, Marion Abrams

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Noel’s Specialty Foods and Catering.

Mark called the meeting to order at 5:53pm. The Minutes of the November 15, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Robert Salmeri – Covered Bridge. Mr. Salmeri let the board know about a few concerns he had regarding the covered bridge on the Riverside Horsefarm property. He believes that the bridge was built in a different “footprint” than it was in before Hurricane Irene. He believes that because of the bridge’s new size that if there is another flood, that it could create a bottleneck situation. All of the low-lying properties, including Mr. Salmeri’s could be affected in the future. Mr. Salmeri is also worried about any liability on his part if something does go wrong in the future because it shows that particular part of land as his on the site plans in the Town Office. He wanted to make it clear in any case, that he had nothing to do with the bridge. He also wanted to inform the board that he has given permission to the Town to use his property for Bridge #11 related work, etc. The board thanked Mr. Salmeri for the generous offer of using his property and let him know that at this point there is nothing that they can do regarding the covered bridge, but that they would look into it.

b. Angelique Lee – WRVA, Population Increase. Angelique informed the board that she is concerned about the cost for Ambulance service rising significantly because of the latest census figures. The population in the town (according to the latest census) has risen from 414 (from the last census) to 546. This changes the cost of service from $23,109.00 to $30,205.39. She stated that she is hopeful that with new, more balanced billing practices that funding can be increased. Patty then asked if we could budget off if this new figure, Angelique answered yes.

c. Bill Oren – Fireworks. Mr. Oren came to the board with a concern about fireworks being set off close to his residence on November 19^th at 8:30pm. At this time Mr. Oren was in bed sleeping and the sudden noise outside of his residence startled him. Being so started about the fireworks display, Mr. Oren sought help to ensure that he, and other residents would be warned ahead of time of future such occurrences. He also wanted to make sure that the Fire Chief was following protocol in giving permission to set off said fire works. He heard that the Fire Chief had only given verbal permission, but should have in fact given written permission. After some discussion the board agreed that they would speak with Dave Colton and have him look into it. They will ask Dave to write the Desena’s a letter discussing the exact rules and regulations required for setting off a fireworks display.

d. Bill Oren – Pawnbrokers License. Mr. Oren informed the board that he had given Patty a copy of his passport so that they could perform a background check for the purpose of obtaining a pawnbroker license. The board thanked Mr. Oren for furnishing them with this tool to perform said background check, and informed Mr. Oren that they would need some time before they could give him an answer as to their decision on whether or not to issue the license.

e. Bill Oren – Lettering for Vehicles with Municipal Plates. Mr. Oren informed the board that all town vehicles with municipal plates must be clearly identified as being Town vehicles. George said that he had called the DMV in Rutland, and they said it wasn’t necessary. Mr. Oren said that the DMV was mistaken, and he has been thoroughly researching this issue and the Town vehicles clearly need to be labeled. The board told Mr. Oren that they would look into it, and George said he’d call the DMV again tomorrow.

f. Marion Abrams – EWP update. Marion Abrams wanted the board to know that things are moving along rather nicely with the EWP program. Ray Godfrey from the State is also willing to come down and help go through the required paperwork with her. She briefly went over the status of the sites that were approved and on hold and one that was moving forward. She shared the design estimates and contractor specifications with the board. Construction cannot begin before all of the proper documents have been filled out. It can also be put out to bid now if we want to. The board asked Marion if she knew of any deadline because of the winter season so close around the corner. She stated that she didn’t know of one but would look into it. The board’s concern was that contractors are far and few between right now and are charging a lot more than if it could wait until spring.

a. Agency of Transportation – No-Parking Signs on Route 100. The board received another letter from the State of VT about the parking issues on VT Route 100 in the vicinity of the Vermont Country Inn. In this letter they stated that they were going to discuss officially making that area a signed non-parking zone at their next traffic Committee Meeting on December 14^th, 2011. The board reiterated that they believed it would be unfair to single out one section of road. They asked the secretary to send the AOT a letter stating their position in this matter.

b. Vermont Lottery Commission – Zoning Requirements for Signage Survey. The VT Lottery is conducting a survey regarding zoning requirements for signage in VT. The board agreed that because there were no traditional zoning laws in Pittsfield, that this didn’t affect the town. No action taken.

c. Efficiency Vermont – Incentive Agreement. The agreement between Efficiency Vermont and the Town for the Town Office Renovation Project, where the town agrees to purchase, install, and operate certain efficiency improvements at 40 Village Green, was approved by the board and signed by Mark.

d. TRORC (Emma Zavez) – Community Recovery Meeting. Locked in on Monday, January 30^th for a Community Recovery Meeting. The session will be 1-4pm with local leaders from Rochester, Pittsfield, Hancock, Granville and Stockbridge, and then a 6-8pm meeting is open to anyone else in these communities. No action taken.

e. TRORC (Rita Seto) – Next TAC Meeting Agenda, Flume Demonstration. Agenda for the next Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting being held on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at the Thetford Town Hall. No Action taken.

f. Pittsfield Planning Commission – Offer to Help (Flood Related Projects). At the Pittsfield Planning Commission’s last meeting held on November 8^th, 2011, they had a discussion regarding the flood and how it has affected the Town of Pittsfield. They wanted to let the Select Board know they are ready, willing and eager to work with the Select Board to help where they may be needed. The board agreed that there was nothing that they could help with at this time, and asked that they be made aware of this, and that we may be contacting them in the future if needed.

g. Vermont Trails & Greenways – Membership Application. Membership Application and Renewal Form for 2012. No interest by the board. No action taken.

h. Ted Bradley, Field Rep., Office of Sen. Patrick Leahy – Overweight Traffic. Congress sent a bill past President Obama’s desk that includes a Leahy authorized provision to include “overweight” trucks from the state roads to Vermont’s Interstates. No action taken by the board.

i. Angelique Lee – White River Partnership and Buyouts. Angeliue forwarded an email with an article from the Burlington Free Press stating that Mary Russ,

executive director of the White River Valley Partnership, said that there are two standard culverts in Vermont. The Transportation agency requires culverts to meet a 25-year flow. ANR calls for culverts about twice the size, she said. Russ said her organization is raising money to help towns in the area to pay for the larger culverts. The group is also raising money to help the town pay their 25 percent share to take advantage of a federal program to buy flooded property. No action taken.

j. Cmd Sgt Major Lou Lertola – Reminder, Disabled Veterans. Reminder to have a proper warning for Town Meeting, 2012 for the disabled veteran’s exemption. No action taken.

k. TRORC – Municipal Survey. Vermont’s regional planning commissions engaged the National Association of Development Organizations to asses their collective and individual performance, consistency in delivery and quality of product. That being said, they would like the town to fill out the attached survey, and send in out before December 31^st. Jerry said that he would fill the survey out.

a. Donation Check from Pierce Hall – Hurricane Relief. The Town received a donation check for $1,500 from Pierce Hall for Hurricane Relief. George made a motion to make the check payable to the Pittsfield Hurricane Relief Fund, the motion was seconded by Mark and passed.

b. Ray Colton – River Project. Mark gave the board an update as to what was going on concerning the river project behind Ray Colton’s Mill. He stated that things were moving along nicely, and that he had spoken with Nancy Caparell. Nancy was concerned about the river behind her house, which is right next to the Colton river project. Mark let Nancy know how the project had progressed and that it would be helpful to the Town if she made a donation to the project as it benefited her property as well. She agreed to that, and Mark stated the check was on the way. The state is paying the biggest share, but Mark hasn’t seen the final figures yet.

c. Ken Hayes – Dog Issue. Mr. Hayes forwarded the board a letter regarding his concerns about the Hennie dog running loose on common land, the original letter was sent to Sheriff Benard at the Rutland County Sheriffs Office. This was noted by the board. No action taken.

d. Bridge #11 – Update. Mark gave a brief update on the progress of Bridge #11. So far the project is running on schedule. The Town will need to contact VHB however, about paving the bridge. The town will need to send them a letter asking for an addendum to the contract to add the paving. George agreed that he would take care of it.

e. Guernsey Hollow Bridge – Update. Mark gave an update on the bridge project over on Guernsey Hollow. He stated that residents could come and go now, via his property. Next week they should be putting the footings in.

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Noel’s Specialty Foods & Catering. Rehearsal Dinner at the Amee Farm on 1/14/12 and Wedding reception on 1/15/12. The request was approved by the board and signed by the Town Clerk.

b. Michael Wuerthele – Permit for Driveway Construction. Application for Permit for Driveway Construction from Michael Wuerthele on Trillium Hill Rd. George took a look at the proposed driveway and saw no issues. The board approved the Application.

c. Susan Davidson – ECFiber Delegate Resignation. Susan Davidson sent the Board a letter of Resignation for her ECFiber Delegate position. She stated that Matthew and Rebecca Humora have agreed to take over as delegates for the

remainder of her term. The board agreed that this would be fine, and asked the Secretary to send out appointment letters to the Humoras.

a. TRORC – Contract for Administrative Services. Contract between TRORC and the Town of Pittsfield for professional services for the administration of the Grant Agreement AM-2010-Pittsfield-00004. The contract was approved by the board, and signed by Mark.

b. VLCT – Builders Risk Coverage. An endorsement was received which would change coverage. The Property Schedule was amended to include Builders Risk Coverage, and an invoice was received. Jerry made a motion to pay the invoice, seconded by George. Motion passed.

c. Patty Haskins- FEMA Project Worksheets Update. Patty gave the board an update on the status of the FEMA project worksheets. Four projects have been turned in so far. Bakers Rd. Parmenter Pl. and CAT A and CAT B. One sheet was returned (CAT A) from FEMA questioning the mobilization and fuel fees on one of the bills. This can be appealed, but a certain dollar amount will be needed before that can happen. There are four more roads that will be finished today. There was also an issue with one of the invoices for South Hill Rd., the work done on the bill needs to be broken up by date. All in all, things are moving along nicely with the paperwork.

d. Select Board Secretary - Additional pay for meeting. The Board approved the additional pay of $25.00 for this meeting due to additional time in preparing letters requesting material from various organizations for Town report.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

Mark called the meeting to order at 4:12pm for the purpose of going over next years budget for the Cemetery and Highway Funds.

Cemetery Fund - There were not many changes to be made in Cemetery. The first change was in section 4-12 - Wages. Wages had gone up slightly from 2011 so the budged amount was raised to $4,000, up from $3,800.

Connie Martin, requested $1,000 for stone cleaning. She plans on cleaning one section a year at the cost of $1,500 per section. $500 in the Dumas Fund can offset the first years cost. The board was fine with this.

Highway fund was gone over next, with a few changes. 4-16b (Backhoe) will be going up from $3,000 in 2011 to $3,500 because of some bad culverts that will need replacing. 4-16e (all other) will also be going up. It will be going from $500 to $1,000.

4-17d (Chloride) will be going up, from $3,000 in 2011 to $4,600, and this is because chloride has gone up so much in price. 4-17e (culverts) will be going up from $1,800 to $2,400 because several culverts still need replacing. This amount will fund approximately four culvert projects.

4-19a (medical insurance) will be going down from $9,072.00 to $8,424.00 because of the new health care plan.

Several changes were made in the repair section. 4-22b (Ford F-550) was lowered from $4,500 to $2,500, because the truck is new and repair money will likely be more needed on the older vehicles. 4-22d (grader) was raised from $3,000 to $7,000. The reason why it is being raised so much is because a lot of work is going to need to be put into it next year. It is going to need new tires, the windshield is broken and the blade is loose. 4-22e (rake) was lowered from $400 to $100. 4-22h (international Swenson sander) was lowered from $1,500 to $750. 4-22i (ford Swenson sande) was increased from $200 to $750. 4-22o (pressure washer) was increased from $100 to $200 because it is going to need a new wand.

Patty then pointed out the $19,696.47 showing up in section 4-25 (interfund transfer). She made the board aware that this transfer money is related to deposits that are being put into the Highway fund incorrectly by the state. That money is intended for the General fund.

Patty then informed the board that everything related to the new Ford F-550 has been coming out of 4-29b (capital projects). The total is $74,246.06. Everything left over went into a Highway Equipment Fund CD.

George informed the board that he has spoken with Sheriff Benard again regarding the Hayes/Peyton dog situation. Sheriff Benard cleared up any confusion there was as to what is going on. The Sheriffs Office will be taking care of the situation going forward. They are just going to count it as one of their normal patrols. He stated that they are going to fine the Peytons and take it from there.

Mark gave the board a brief update as to the progress on the Bridge on Guernsey Hollow. He let the board know that a section of road will need to be shut down for a couple of weeks and this will affect people on Pine Needle Drive and Guernsey Hollow. He will be allowing the few people that it does affect go through his property to get in and out for the duration of the project. He believes the project should take about two weeks.

Patty informed the board that she has four project worksheets completed and ready to hand over to FEMA. There was just one small issue with the Category A project and that is that FEMA needs to know the amount of debris that was moved. They need to know where it was and how much. FEMA suggested the best way to measure is by height x length x width. The board discussed the size of the debris piles and came up with some figures.

The meeting adjourned at 5:25pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Joe Poston, John Weitman, Mark McManus, Don Flynn

Mark McManus opened up the meeting by briefly going over some of the changes that had been made to the plans regarding the widening of the stairs. These changes had been discussed at the previous meeting. He then went over the Application and Certification for payment. McManus only had one minor concern with the application, and that was regarding the amount requested for concrete, he asked that they not take out so much for it. Other than that everything else was fine. Wright Construction applied for $70,584.00 for work done on the Town Office Renovation project since the previous application. McManus went over the breakdown of work done and how much Wright was asking for each item. He also reminded those present about the 10% retainage fee again, which is being taken out in each payment. After the change to the amount requested for concrete, and the retainage fee, the current amount due for work done this period came to $62,525.60. There were no questions or concerns from those present. McManus then approved and signed the Certification for Payment.

McManus asked Joe about the status of some change orders. Joe informed Mark that he has been waiting on some sub-contractors, but he should have them soon.

Patty posed a question about ground water in the basement and was wondering if anything else needed to be done to prevent future water issues. Joe and John both responded that the drainage in there looks great. With all of the current rain we’ve been getting the water has been disappearing about as quickly as it’s been coming in.

McManus then asked Joe a few questions regarding hardware, specifically door closers. McManus stated that door closers were on all doors on the specs, but they weren’t on the schedule. Joe said that he’d be hearing back from the sub contractor on that issue tomorrow. More than likely there will be a little bit of an up charge on those, but not much.

McManus then brought everyone’s attention to the door going underneath the landing (in the new part of the building.) The electrician will be putting electrical panels in there, and his concern is that the sump-pump will also be in there. He would like to have a partition put in with drywall, etc.

Patty then brought up the electrical panel going on the outside of the building. There was a lot of discussion on whether or not to put it on the front of the building or the side and to have an enclosure built around it. The board ultimately made the decision to put the electrical panel on the front of the building.

John then voiced a couple of concerns regarding the building swaying since the windows had been taken out. He requested putting in plywood instead of wallboard to help sturdy the building a bit. Everyone was in agreement that that would be fine.

McManus then brought up putting in another window in the Library side of the building to add a little extra light, and to help balance everything out. After discussion with the board it was decided that it would be best not to have an extra window there.

There was also a bit of discussion about taking out the small closet that was going to be in the front part of the Library level of the building. The closet door would potentially be an issue when opening. McManus said he’d look into changing the design.

McManus then stated that there would be some electrical changes. The two vaults would need to be rewired. Originally the vault lights shared a circuit with other lights in the building. He wanted the vault lights to be on their own individual circuit. He said that this shouldn’t affect the electrician’s price very much because everything can still run from the same panel.

Patty then brought up an incentive agreement that the Town received from Efficiency Vermont. The Town has until the 18^th to sign it. McManus said that the list was compiled from our specifications so it shouldn’t be a problem and it would be in the Town’s best interest to sign it.

McManus agreed to come to the Town Office on December 8^th to go over color options with Patty.

The meeting adjourned at 3:45pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office and the next Town Office Building Project meeting is scheduled for Thursday January 5^th, 2011 at 3:00pm.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Jerry Drugonis, Patricia Haskins, Dave Colton

b. State of VT Utilities & Permits Unit – Safety Concerns/Parking – Amee Farm

Mark called the meeting to order at 6:15pm. The Minutes of the November 1, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting and the November 2, 2011 Special Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Dave Colton – False Alarm Policy/Fire Dept. Dave informed the board that he was thinking about putting into effect a false alarm policy similar to the one that Killington has adopted. The Pittsfield Fire Department has had over 20 false alarms from the General Store in the last two years. This policy would require fines to be paid when a false alarm goes off. Jerry suggested that since the false alarms are coming from only one location, to sit down with Joe Desena and discuss some alternative options and to let him know that the town is looking into this false alarm policy. The rest of the board and Dave agreed that this would be the best course of action.

a. Susan Scribner – Bike Racks. Susan Scribner from the State of VT sent a reminder to the board about bike racks, which will be available for Park & Ride Facilities. The board agreed that they still had no interest. No action taken.

b. State of VT Utilities & Permits Unit – Safety Concerns/Parking – Amee Farm. The State of VT sent the board a letter informing them that they are considering petitioning the Vermont Traffic Committee to create a “No Parking” zone along the segment of VT Route 100 near the Amee Farm property. There are safety concerns with vehicles being parked along both sides of the road during special events held at the Amee Farm property. The State would like to know the Board’s position on this proposed action before they decide to file a petition. After some discussion the Board decided that it wouldn’t be fair to single anyone out. They asked the secretary to write a letter stating this.

c. Michele Cyr – Murphy v. Chittenden Mediation. An email was received from Michele Cyr informing the board that Murphy v. Chittenden has been scheduled for mediation on December 30, 2011 at 10:00am at the Wing Mediation Center. No action taken by the board.

d. Casella – Ribbon Cutting Event. Casella sent an invitation to the ribbon-cutting event for their Zero-Sort Recycling Facility in Rutland. The event is scheduled for November 18^th at 1:00pm. No action taken by the board.

e. USDA/NRCS – Eligibility for Emergency Watershed Protection Program. Patty presented the board with a letter that was received by Marion Abrams from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. They have made preliminary determination of eligible sites in Pittsfield for the EWP program. Threes sites have been determined as Eligible and Exigent, and one site has been determined Eligible and Non-Exigent. Their preliminary technical determination will become final 30 calendar days after receiving this letter, unless a field visit is requested. Patty suggested that Doris Davis is interested in this program. Patty will speak with Marion about getting in touch with Doris Davis and to see if anyone wants to appeal the decision made by NRCS.

a. Line of Credit for Tropical Storm Irene Repair – Update. Patty informed the board that we have not yet touched our line of credit with Mascoma Savings Bank. She suggested that because the 1% line of credit will be available to towns for the next year that we should stick with the $750,000 until, or unless we need more. The board unanimously agreed that staying at $750,000 would be the best course of action at this time.

b. River Restoration Behind Colton’s Mill – Update. After meeting with Ray Colton regarding the situation in the river behind his mill, the board had agreed to pay 1/3 of the cost to put the river back in it’s original condition. Mark was informed yesterday however, that Ray would now only agree to paying $2,000 of his share and no more. Mark estimated that each share would be somewhere between $2,000 - $4,000. After some discussion the board agreed that the town would not pay any more than 1/3 of whatever the cost would be.

c. Hayes – Dog Issue. Mr. Hayes forwarded the board a letter, which was also sent to Sheriff Benard, regarding the Peyton dog running at large again on common land. After some discussion it was decided that the board would look into contracting with the Sheriff’s Department at the upcoming budget meeting to help solve this problem.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Clifton Hebert (Witt Associates), Rita Seto (Two Rivers Regional Planning Commission), David Thomas (FEMA PA), Kevin Walkes (FEMA), Lee Lacy (FEMA), Natalie Calderone (FEMA)

The meeting started off with a motion by George to have Witt Associates help the Town put together the FEMA project worksheets. The motion was seconded by Mark and passed.

Dave then asked how many road projects the town has. Kevin responded that FEMA went out and did some of their own surveys and it looks like there are 18 sites. Clifton then spoke up and said that he believed there were a total of 20 individual assessments. Dave then asked how many miles of town road the Town is maintaining. George responded that the Town is maintaining roughly 18 miles of roads.

Dave then asked how many repairs have been completed to date. George responded that most roads have been repaired and gave an overview as to what has been done and what few things still need to be completed.

There are some concerns regarding category B and FEMA funding. What Dave would like to do because of this, is write in the projects as permanent work. What’s done is done and this would allow additional work to be completed on the projects. If the Town puts these projects in as permanent work we will have 18 months to complete them. The town now just needs to capture dimensionally what still needs to be done, and then the Town can either use historic local costs or FEMA costs codes. The cost codes have been adjusted to our region, and he believes that they are considerably higher than the national cost codes.

Dave suggested that if we have a good idea of the work that needs to be done on a particular site, if we have the material costs and all labor costs together, that they could put an estimate on it. He stated that everything should be put together by project. The better these costs are documented the better chance the Town has of being reimbursed. Patty then stated that we have been putting a lot of this information together already; we just need to be able to sit down with someone who can guide us in the right direction.

Dave then stated that FEMA is going to try to do their best to get the Town back together and get the Town what we deserve within the limits of the law. They have to stick by the book, and not everything is within FEMA’s control. There are a lot of other agencies at play here that they are coordinating with. One is responsible for banks (NRCS), one is responsible for in stream work (Army Core of Engineers), Federal Highways, etc.

Dave then gave the board a brief overview on the grant process and stressed that we need to try to be as thorough and have as much complete information as possible. Everything will be subject to review and roughly 8-10 people will see each project during the review process and before it can be funded.

Dave stated that in regard to Bridge#11 that the abutments will be changing the footprint of the bridge and that could potentially be an issue. However, if all the engineering reports and geotechnical reports show that this is the only way that the bridge can be repaired properly then they may be able to write it as-is. What FEMA normally does is reimburse for structures being put back into the original condition that they were in, but if there is no other way with bridge #11, they can write in their reports that there was no other way for the bridge to function in the way that it did before. Kevin said ultimately it will come down to whether or not this is a mandatory or a recommended thing, FEMA doesn’t want to have to come back.

Patty then asked if after the meeting we would have something in writing. Dave answered that yes there will be a project worksheet written up. He discussed that Natalie will be working on our workbook. Patty then asked for some clarification as to whether or not that would include all the reasons for Bridge#11 not being put back to the exact same way it was before Irene and why FEMA could accept it. Dave said that it would include all of that information. Dave then talked a little bit about reimbursement and stated that FEMA will pay what it actually costs within the scope of work.

Regarding Bridge #11, Dave then asked the board whether or not the bid included the geotechnical study. The board responded yes, and Patty added that it includes the oversight of the project as well. Dave then explained to the board that the engineering costs are all built in to the one line cost. Then regarding the bid itself, Dave stated that the board is probably going to have to help them justify why the bid is what it is and document the procurement process that the Town went through to obtain that bid. Everything such as advertising, bid spreadsheet, who took the packages, etc… The board responded that the engineering company took care of that for the Town, and all of the FEMA representatives agreed that that would make things a lot simpler.

George then brought up the potential detour on the private temporary bridge that is currently under construction. He stated that there are some costs that the town will need to pay the owner. All of the FEMA reps responded to get it in writing, have an agreement. Make sure that he gives the Town an invoice for the work done, and sign a contract. Also, a weight limit will need to be posted as well as clearance heights.

Patty then stated that the owner of the bridge asked that the bridge be put under the Town’s insurance for the duration of the detour. George then stated that the Town doesn’t actually have insurance on any of its roads. Dave responded that the town should probably look into getting a bond in the Town’s insurance package for 90 days or so.

Dave then asked if anyone had any questions for him. Rita stated that she had a question regarding roads. She wanted to know if there are any sites that could become an issue during the spring thaw and could they pose a threat to finishing the project worksheets. George responded that he doesn’t think so; everything is looking pretty good.

Kevin stated that FEMA would start dividing by road. They will go through each location, and look at each site individually. He stressed the importance of including as many details as possible. He would like to see a better damage description of each site. Rita responded that the first week after the storm that the RPCs went around to all of their towns and filled out damage assessment forms, she has that compiled and she can get those to FEMA. George

stated that there were some sites that were missed. Kevin responded that he wants to come back, sit down with George and confirm that list. Dave stated that before and after pictures will be needed for each site. Also, in regards to culverts and pipes, if the town puts back a culvert that is the same size as the one originally there, but hydraulic studies indicate that a larger one is needed, FEMA will likely not reimburse if that needs to be taken out and upsized.

Mark asked if it would be ok to go forward with the Bridge#11 contract. Should we sign it? Dave said to go for it, FEMA will put funding into it. The dollar amount may not cover the entire bid amount. He also stated that they will need the geotechnical report to be able to move forward.

Patty then informed Dave that Clifton from Witt Associates is going to be working with the Town to help fill out the project worksheets. Clifton gave the FEMA representatives a bit of a background as to how he is going to try and help the Town. Witt Associates has been brought in by the Governor to work very closely with Towns in getting through all of this paperwork. They are disaster recovery specialists. They will help the town enter the data into templates and get it over to FEMA more quickly. After some discussion, it turned out that the templates Clifton had were a little out of date. Dave said he’d give him the most recent ones with the updated cost codes for VT.

Mark then made a motion to go sign the paperwork for Bridge#11 at VHB headquarters. The motion was seconded by George. Motion passed. Mark was also given authority to sign the contract.

The meeting adjourned at 10:15am. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Jerry Drugonis, Patricia Haskins, Don Flynn, Howard Gunter

h. David Gunn, VLCT – List of Proposals for Legislation Related Recovery Efforts

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the Amee Farm, Mixer

Mark called the meeting to order at 5:50pm. The Minutes of the October 18, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting, October 20, 2011 “Good Night Irene” Town Meeting, October 27, 2011 Bridge #11 Meeting and the October 27, 2011 Town Office Building Renovation Project Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Howard Gunter – Donation from Pierce Hall. A donation was received from Pierce Hall Community Center for $1,500. With it was a letter stating that the money is to be utilized as the Select Board and/or Relief Committee deems most appropriate. Howard stated that he would like very much for the check to go to the Stumpfs who lost their home to Tropical Storm Irene. The Stumpfs own a small piece of land in Pittsfield, but because their house was located in Stockbridge, the Pittsfield Hurricane Relief Fund has not been able to grant them any donated monies thus far because of the way their bylaws are set up. The check however, is written out to the Town of Pittsfield. The board unanimously agreed that they would also like to see the Stumpfs receive the check, and after some discussion decided that the easiest way to do this would be for the Pierce Hall Community Center to write the check out directly to the Stumpfs. A letter will be sent to Pierce Hall Community Center asking them to re-write the check out directly to the Stumpfs.

b. Don Flynn – Hazard Mitigation Grant Buyout Program. Don informed the board that there will be a meeting at 11:00am in Stockbridge this Sunday about the buyout program. There are a total of three families in town that are currently interested in the program. Don wanted to elaborate on exactly how the program works. He reminded the board that if the Town decides to go through with the buyout program, that it would have those properties forever. The board discussed the potential uses for these properties and ultimately decided that the Town has no reason not to go forward with the program. Mark made a motion to go forward with the FEMA buyout program, seconded by George. Motion passed.

a. Park House – Thank You. Park House sent a letter to thank the Town for sending an allocation to them for 2011. No action taken by the board.

b. REDC (Rutland Economic Development Corporation) – 74^th Annual Meeting. Rutland Economic Development Corporation will be holding their 74^th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 15^th, 2011 at 12:00pm at the Rutland Country Club. No action taken by the board.

c. VCIL (Vermont Center for Independent Living) – Thank You. VCIL sent a letter expressing their appreciation to the Town for sending a donation of $75.00 for their FY 2011. No action taken by the board.

d. Heart of Vermont Productions – Relay Race. On Saturday, August 18^th 2012 Heart of VT Productions plans on holding their annual charity relay race. They would like to confirm permission for the runners and race volunteers to pass through Pittsfield. They enclosed an approval form, which should be sent back with a decision. The board agreed that it would be fine for the runners and race volunteers to pass through Pittsfield and asked that the Secretary fill out the form and send it back in.

e. Terry Shearer, ANR – High and Medium Risk Debris Jam Locations. As part of the ongoing flood recovery work, the River Management Program is working with the regional Planning Commissions and partners to help document where there are high and medium risk debris jam locations that need to be removed to protect critical infrastructure and public safety. They are asking that if the board is aware of any potential debris jam, to let them know. The board discussed this and decided that they would need to do some research before they could respond.

f. Kevin Geiger, Two Rivers – VT Watershed Grants. An email was forwarded from Kevin Geiger at TRORC that originated from Marie Caduto from the State of VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The email talked about VT Watershed

Grants and an opportunity for Ecosystem Restoration Program specifically for land conservation/easement acquisition. Kevin wanted the town to know that this could be used as a potential match source for HMGP. No action taken by the board.

g. David Gunn, VLCT – Gravel and Rock Fill (Act 250). To assure availability of material requested by the state and towns during the post-Irene emergency period, the Natural Resources Board (Act 250) temporarily suspended enforcement extraction limits and trucking and allowed closed gravel pits and rock quarries to be reopened on an as-needed basis. By November 15, 2011, quarries that are operating outside of permitted hours, extraction limits or other conditions must return to permitted levels. No action taken by the board.

h. David Gunn, VLCT – List of Proposals for Legislation Related Recovery Efforts. The VLCT Board of Directors distributed a list of proposals for legislation related recovery efforts from Tropical Storm Irene at the VLCT Annual Meeting on October 6 in Killington. The VLCT Board is looking for suggestions from local officials for legislation as the need becomes apparent. No action taken by the board.

i. Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation – Annual Meeting. The GMEDC Annual Meeting will be held on November 14, 2011 at The Quechee Club in Quechee VT, from 5:00 – 7:00. No action taken by the board.

j. Kris Sperber – Temporary Bus Stop. Kris Sperber received an email from Sheila Pilsmaker from Killington Elementary School who wanted to inform the town that there are a lot of “unsafe” practices occurring at the new Firehouse Bus Stop. They are asking bus stop parents to please live park in the Fire House Parking Lot and wait in the car for their children to load/unload the bus, or park alongside the Fire House on the road that leads to Stanley Tool and walk their children to and from the bus or the Pitt Stop. Kris sent this email to the board asking if the bus stop could move back to the green when the foundation work is finished for the Town Office Building Renovation Project. The board agreed that it would be too dangerous to have busses coming in and out and children around the construction at any time during the project, therefore it would not be safe to move the school bus stop back to the green until after the construction is completed. The board asked that Patty send an email back to Kris Sperber informing her of this decision.

k. Pete Fellows, Two Rivers – FEMA Anticipated Payment Schedule. Two River’s has asked the State’s Public Assistance coordinators when towns should anticipate receiving payments from FEMA. The response they received from AOT is “There is no definitive answer to the timing of FEMA payments. The earliest that applicants would see any payments for Irene is around January 2012.” No action taken by the board.

l. Karen Horn, VLCT – Work in Streams. Second phase guidelines are available on the VLCT website. No action taken by the board.

a. Line of Credit for Tropical Storm Irene Repair – Increase. The board decided that the line of credit from Mascoma Savings Bank for $750,000 would likely not be enough to cover the cost of repairs after Tropical Storm Irene. After some discussion it was decided that $1,500,000.00 should be enough to cover everything and it’s better to have more available even if the Town doesn’t use it.

Jerry made a motion to change the amount on the line of credit to $1,500,000.00, the motion was seconded by George. Motion passed.

b. Chair and Table Policy – Revised. Patty showed the board the revised Chair and Table Policy that was proposed at the last regular Select Board meeting. The board approved of the policy.

c. Ray Colton – River Project. The river project to put the river back to where it was behind Ray Colton’s Mill is underway. Mark informed the board that the Town will be paying for 1/3 of the cost of the project. The State and Ray Colton will pick up the other two thirds.

d. Bridge #11 – Update. Patty voiced some concern that Two Rivers Planning Commission has about the acquisition process for the bid on the project for Bridge#11. They are concerned that down the road, FEMA may not approve of the way it was done. Mark stated that the Town used the same process that we always would in that particular situation. The board agreed that time is of the essence and the bridge must be completed before winter starts. The Town did their best within the time constraints posed. The board will make a final decision about moving forward after meeting with FEMA on November 2.

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the Amee Farm, Mixer. Permit approved by board and signed by Town Clerk.

b. 2011 Census Figures – Population Growth. Patty informed the board that the census figures for 2010 seem very high. The population according to the census rose from 424 in 2009 to 546 in 2010. She discussed the possibility of the town possibly appealing the figure. The board discussed who the additional people may be. There are more apartments in town now then there were in the past, which could account for some of that number. No action taken by the board.

c. Invoice from Joe Desena – Bridge Upgrades. Patty stated that Clifton Hebert from Witt Associates as well as the FEMA representatives advised her that there should be a written agreement between Joe Desena and the Town for the use of his covered bridge as a temporary detour during the bridge#11 project. Patty drafted an agreement and showed it to the board. She also informed the board that a few hours earlier the town received an invoice for upgrades from Mr. Desena for work that will need to be done on the bridge to get it ready. Mark said that he would like to speak with Mr. Desena first to clarify some things. George and Mark decided that they would stop by and talk to Mr. Desena tomorrow morning at 7:30 to clear up those questions.

d. FEMA Meeting – 11/2/11. Patty reminded the board that there would be a meeting with representatives from FEMA as well as Cliffton from Witt Associates and Rita from Two Rivers Planning Commission on Wednesday morning at 9:00am.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Joe Poston, John Weitman, Mark McManus, Don Flynn, Chuck Colton

Mark opened up the meeting by going over the Application and Certification for payment with the board. Wright Construction applied for $32,805.00 for work done on the Town Office Renovation project thus far. Mark went over the breakdown of work done up to this point and how much Wright was asking for each item. He also reminded the board that a 10% retainage fee is being taken out. Before the retainage fee the total requested was $36,450.00. There were no questions or concerns from the board. McManus then approved and signed the Certification for Payment.

McManus then had a few things to go over with the board. The first was regarding the fire rating for the treasurer’s vault. He spoke with the Fire Marshall and the Fire Marshall stated that there are no standards for Vermont. The responsibility for determining the amount of fire protection needed is on the owner, in this case being the Town. McManus stated that he believes four-hour protection should be fine.

McManus stated that when talking to the Fire Marshall the subject of the width of the stairs came up as a potential issue. The stairs that are on the plan are not quite wide enough for two people carrying someone on a stretcher. There are two options that the Fire Marshall recommended to rectify the situation. The first option would be for him to write up a statement and sign off on it, the second would be to widen the stairs to 48’’. Joe stated that it would not cost much more at all to widen them, just a little bit of extra materials cost. The board said to go ahead and widen them. McManus then stated that he would adjust the drawings to include the widened stairs at no additional cost.

McManus informed the board that the call button for the elevator needs to go into a 6’’ block wall and will need to adjust where it will be slightly.

McManus then brought up the subject of humidity in the new vault and asked whether or not the Town would be interested in putting a vent in the vault to try to speed the concrete curing process. He recommended it not only for the main floor Treasurer’s vault, but the one in the basement as well. He asked Joe if he could get a price on it. Joe said he’d look into it.

On the same subject of moisture, McManus also proposed that instead of installing new fiberglass insulation in the basement, that rigid foam with sheetrock should be installed instead. This would greatly help to combat the moisture issues. Joe said he’d check into a price on that as well.

McManus also wanted to inform the board that there are no major rot issues on any of the upper levels of the building and the Town can safely tap into the contingency fund if needed, but should do so carefully.

The next point McManus brought up was concerning the windows. Originally the plan was to use Green Mountain Windows, but after further research it seemed that the windows were not what he expected. The windows were the wrong kind, specifically they are the kind where you have to take out the entire storm window and screens in fall/spring. He found that Marvin Windows has windows with panels that slide up and down and would be wood framed. Joe priced out the extra cost for these windows to be approximately $2,639.00, and the board was fine with the change.

Mark then reviewed some of the fixtures, including the sinks and toilets and drinking fountains. He also went over some color samples of the vinyl that will be covering the stairs as well as the tile, which will be in the lobby, air locks, both bathrooms and the landing on the second floor. He recommends picking something light that will hide the dirt. He went over the color options for the elevator as well and recommended either white or black. The board all agreed on white for the inside cab. McManus said he would check on the options for the outside. McManus then went over some hardware options including door handles. He said that for one of the next meetings that he would get together a more complete board of potential colors to choose from.

Chuck Colton asked a few questions regarding the steel support system. McManus replied that it will be going in; the building is being brought up to code. All existing rafters will also be getting 2x10’s nailed on either side of them for extra support.

Chuck then asked about the drainage and what the plans were for that. McManus responded that new perimeter drains are going to be put in and it will be back filled with stone. Any rain should go right down to that gravel level.

Patty then asked what the plans were for the large pile of foundation cement. There was some discussion and it was decided that the State of VT may be able to use it for road construction or rip-rap. Joe said that he’d ask around and try to find someone interested.

The meeting adjourned at 3:58pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office and the next Town Office Building Project meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 3:00pm.

Pittsfield Select Board Special Meeting Minutes

Date:        October 27, 2011

Present:    Mark Begin – Select Board, George Deblon – Select Board, Clifton Hebert - Witt             Associates, Kevin Walkes - FEMA PA, Dave Conger - AOT PA, Natalie                 Calderone - FEMA Bridge Specialist, Aaron Guyette - VHB, Scot Burbank - VHB,         Patty Haskins - Town Clerk

Agenda:    Bridge #11, Tweed River Drive

Mark Begin called the meeting to order at 1:15 pm and asked for a report from Aaron Guyette, VHB Project Manager. Aaron gave a summary of the procurement procedure for the bridge work. VHB was engaged by the town for an emergency project after the flood of August 28, 2011. The Tweed River Drive Bridge was heavily compromised by the flood and needed immediate attention. The bridge services about 50 homes and there is no other way in or out of the Tweed River Drive community. Nothing has been done to the bridge other than backfilling the washed out road leading to the bridge and limiting traffic to one lane passenger traffic. VHB developed plans and specs. The opportunity to bid was given to 4 area contractors that were already working in the area. Draft plans and quantities were sent to all four contractors on Tuesday, October 18 and all were informed that the project would go out to bid on Wednesday October 19. One immediately said they would not be able to get to the project this year. Three contractors actively took the specs. The public bid opening occurred at 4 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011. Only one bid was received.

Aaron described the damage at the bridge and what needs to be done. A scour hole was created at one of the western abutments. The abutment sunk. VHB has taken borings. VHB believes the bridge can be rehabilitated. The bridge will be raised, a new abutment installed, bridge placed back on the abutment, will need fill and rip rap. There does not seem to be actual bridge damage at this time.

Everything included in the design specs are in accordance with what VTrans would normally do.    The engineer estimate was a little over $400,000. The one bid received is from the Kubricky Construction Corporation and came in at $587,975. Everyone agreed that this seemed a little high but the time frame is the problem. The bridge needs to be done before winter in order to service the homes beyond the bridge. There are extra costs built in for the cold weather. There is also a materials shortage at this point in the area. Gravel backfill is approximately three times the normal rate. Local suppliers are out of material and so it needs to be trucked in. Time is definitely the biggest issue. Pittsfield needs to get something in there as soon as possible. It is the only way in or out of the Tweed River Drive community.

There is a neighboring property owner, Joe Desena, who is rebuilding a covered bridge that was destroyed by the flood. He has offered the use of his covered bridge and his driveway as an alternate route during construction of the Tweed River Drive Bridge.

The plans and specs were reviewed by Natalie Calderone and Kevin Walkes. They agreed the price seemed high but understand the necessity of moving the project ahead as soon as possible. Alternatives were discussed such as a temporary bridge for the winter so that the project could be delayed and perhaps get a better price. It was noted that easements would be required, a temporary bridge would need to be located, abutments poured, etc. It would be an approximately 70 foot bridge. The cost for a one year rental would be approximately $100,000 to $150,000. Regulators would not allow temporary piles in the river over the winter. The total cost would probably end up much higher than the proposed solution with the received bid. The town will be paying at least 10% of the project and so this greatly affects the town as well. The town has tried to make sure all of the possibilities have been explored.

Pittsfield Select Board Special Meeting Minutes – October 27, 2011, Page 2

Natalie Calderone and Kevin Walkes agreed that they could not give the town a definite okay that the project would be covered by FEMA. They will contact their higher ups to try to get an okay. They agreed that it looked like the town had followed proper procurement procedures. The best they could do in these emergency circumstances. Mark Begin remarked again that the town wants to make sure this is an eligible project for FEMA. Kevin said that determination could not be made until a full pack of information had been completed and turned in. Mark asked what the time frame for that was. Kevin said that couldn’t be done until after the project was done. It was agreed that it was necessary to continue to move forward with this project because it has to get done in order for residents to continue to get in and out of the Tweed River Drive community.

A full replacement of the bridge was discussed. VHB estimated a full replacement would cost approximately $1,500,000.

The alternate route was discussed again. It was asked if it would be possible for the covered bridge to be used for an extended period of time as the route in and out of the Tweed River Drive community. It was explained that it is a private bridge that uses the Desena driveway. The driveway literally ends up in their dooryard. The speed limit would need to be only 10mph. It would be approved for 20 tons, basically passenger vehicles. Limited traffic only. It could only be a very temporary route. The town will need to maintain the stone driveway. The owner has also requested some rip rap. This will all need to be spelled out in an agreement.

Natalie requested the bridge inspection report by VTtrans which is undertaken every other year. This was provided by Patty.

FEMA explained that the bridge is in large project Category C. The emergency engineering work done by VHB will be included in Category C as well, not Category B. The bridge potentially has unknown damage as well. If any unknown damage is found the town will need to notify the state for a change of scope on the project.

George Deblon noted that this project is too big for the town to undertake themselves. VTrans normally helps the town with procurement for a project of this size. Because of the current circumstances from Tropical Storm Irene, VTrans could not fill that role. VTrans recommended the town contact VHB. VHB has worked for the state of Vermont and is currently working in the area. The town followed its normal procurement procedure by hiring an outside entity to do the procurement for the town for this large project.

Kevin and Natalie will check into the town’s process and get back to the town within a couple of days, if possible, with a sense of if the project is okay or not. Kevin will contact Patty with any info.

With no further business to be discussed, the meeting was adjourned at 2:05 pm.

Approved, November 1, 2011                Recorded by:
Pittsfield Select Board


                            Patricia S. Haskins
Mark Begin, Chair                    Town Clerk & Treasurer


Jerry Drugonis

George Deblon

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Doug Mianulli, Bruce Nichols, Mark Colgan, Terry Shearer, Michael O’Brien, Richard Downer, Toby Rice, Tate Jeffrey, Jeff Gephard and approximately 80 members of the community

a. Roads – A road update was given by Road Commissioner George Deblon. He stated that the roads are coming along very nicely and that several damaged roads are now complete. The only two roads that still need a lot of work are Forsha Rd. and Liberty Hill Rd.

b. Constables – Doag Mianulli graced the Town with a delightful jingle in song about curfews and how confusing they can be. A lot of laughing and clapping ensued.

c. Administrative – Patty gave an update regarding the administrative side of the Tropical Storm Irene aftermath. Business in the Town Office is still going on as usual but things may take a little longer to get done due to all of the paperwork that Irene created. Patty also stated that just after the flood the Town was lent several hand radios from Killington and one is still missing. A watch has also been found that was left on the Village Green. If you can describe the watch to Patty, the watch is yours. Patty also announced that anyone with significant damage or a total loss of property that is planning to rebuild needs to talk to Sarah Gray, the Flood Plain Administrator.

a. Bruce Nichols (VTrans) – Bruce gave an update on the work that has been completed so far on VT Route 100 and plans for the continued reconstruction of the road. He also stated that the temporary bridge by the town garage will likely be there for approximately 2-3 years before the damaged bridge can be repaired.

b. Mark Colgan (VHB, representing VTrans) – Mark gave an update on the progress of VT Route 73 and VT Route 107. Route 103 has been an 8-mile project and it is currently about 90% complete. Route 107 has required a lot more work. It has been a 10-mile project with 41 separate repair sites, with 6 of them considered major repairs. The target date of completing and re-opening of the road is sometime in December. They will keep Towns posted when they hear updates from contractors. Mark also gave an update on the plans for the bridge on Tweed River Dr. The

bridge will be closed during construction, which will begin within the next few weeks. There will be a detour during construction.

c. Terry Shearer (State of VT, Water/Wastewater Management) – Terry gave some information on compromised wells and septic systems. Permits may be needed for replacement. A licensed designer will need to be contracted for the first part of the process but he did have contact info for people doing free design work for flood victims. There are also exemptions depending on the situation, and exemption forms can be found on the state website. Patty also stated that there is only one water test kit left in the Town Office, but more have been ordered if people need them.

d. Michael O’Brien (Rutland Mental Health) – Michael spoke a bit about the emotional impact as a result of the trauma due to the flood and managing these emotions. His office is in Rutland and he would be glad to speak with anyone who seeks their services.

e. Richard Downer (FEMA Hazard Mitigation Engineer) – Richard gave same information on the property acquisition program that FEMA offers as well as some other mitigation measures that FEMA can help with. The program is voluntary and the deadline to apply is January 20^th 2012. He also mentioned mitigation measures that FEMA can help with such as: raising the elevation of your home or relocating your home to a higher elevation/further from the river.

f. Toby Rice (FEMA Supervisor Community Relations) – Toby gave a few updates regarding several different FEMA related subjects. He stated that the recovery center in Rutland is now closed as of today, however anyone still needing recovery assistance can call the FEMA hotline. He also reminded everyone about FEMA’s different deadlines regarding applying for loans, unemployment assistance, etc. He also wanted to make people aware that there are a few attorneys that he’s been in contact with who are giving pro bono legal advice, and to contact him for their contact information. He will be in the area for the next week to answer questions.

g. Tate Jeffrey (USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service) – Tate spoke about some river mitigation programs to protect against future damage for those whose property is threatened by water. There have been four properties in Pittsfield that have been eligible thus far, and they currently have funding for two of them. Anyone interested in the program should talk to Marion Abrams.

h. Jeff Gephart (Efficiency Vermont) – Jeff spoke about a “Button Up After the Flood” workshop, which will be held on October 26, 2011 in the basement of the Town Hall. The workshop will entail such things as how to keep your home safe and efficient, and it will be modified to Tropical Storm Irene Recovery.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15pm, moments after the Town joined together in singing their own version of “Good Night Irene”.

a. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Irene Recovery Update 9/30/11

c. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Irene Recovery Update 10/7/11

e. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Large Bridge Project Management Information

g. Mike Kline, State of VT Rivers Program Manager – Guidelines for Instream Work

j. Mike Brouillette, Senior GIS Project manager, VT Center for Geographic Information – The Highwater Vermont Website

Mark called the meeting to order at 6:00pm. The Minutes of the October 4, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting were approved with one minor correction.

a. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Irene Recovery Update 9/30/11. This update covered Project management, Federal Aid Highway information, Temporary vs. Permanent Fixes, Reimbursement for In-stream Work, FEMA 404 & 406 Mitigation and FEMA Mitigation Grants Workshops. No action taken by the board.

b. NeighborWorks of Western Vermont – Thank You Letter. NeighborWorks of Western Vermont sent a letter thanking the Town for the donation of $100 on October 5, 2011. No action taken by the board.

c. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Irene Recovery Update 10/7/11. This update covered TRORC’s Role, FEMA and/or FHWA reimbursement for temporary and permanent bridges, Covered Bridges, iron Bridges and Other Historic transportation Infrastructure, Large Bridge Project Management Information, Rivers and Streams and More FEMA Mitigation Grants Workshops. No action taken by the board.

d. Peter Welch, US. Congress – Federal Grants Workshop. On Monday, October 31, 2011, Peter Welch is hosting a federal grants Workshop for Vermont organizations that have limited experience with federal government grant applications or are new to the grant process. The workshop will be in Rutland at the Rutland Free Library from 1-3pm. No action taken by the board.

e. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Large Bridge Project Management Information. To make the process simpler TRORC included a listing of potential bridge contractors, listing of potential municipal project managers, sample request for municipal project manager, sample procurement for residential engineering services and a sample simple bridge contractor RFP. No action taken by the board.

f. Visiting Nurse & Hospice of VT and NH – Thank You Letter. Visiting Nurse & Hospice of VT and NH sent a letter thanking the Town for their recent donation of $940 in support of home health and hospice services. No action taken by the board.

g. Mike Kline, State of VT Rivers Program Manager – Guidelines for Instream Work. Mike Kilne sent Guidelines, which are consistent with the ANR Secretary’s Press Release. The guidelines included points such as: expedited assistance and approvals for emergency situations, non-emergency related flood work, stream alteration work not related to flood disaster recovery, recommendations for instream work alternatives, etc. No action taken by the board.

h. Green Up Day (Green Up Vermont) – Selection of Coordinator. It’s time to verify the Green Up Day Coordinator for May 5, 2012. The board agreed that Peyton Veilleux did a great job this past Green Up Day and asked Jess Kuzma if she could call Peyton and ask if she would be interested again. Jess said that she would.

i. Pete Fellows – Bridge on Tweed River Drive. Pete Fellows sent the Town an email inquiring about the status of the bridge on Tweed River Drive. Patty responded to him saying that the Stockbridge Town Clerk would be notified when there are definite plans for the bridge so that she can notify Stockbridge residents residing above the bridge. Patty will notify Pittsfield residents. It will also be posted around town so that residents can plan ahead. No action taken by the board.

j. Mike Brouillette, Senior GIS Project manager, VT Center for Geographic Information – The Highwater Vermont Website. The website provides information about where high water mapping is already happening, as well as an interface for citizens collecting High Water Mark data with high-accuracy GPS receivers. No action taken by the board.

k. Pete Fellows – Town Aggregate Resource Needs Through Winter and Spring. Towns need to communicate with their ACT 250 District Coordinators regarding their current and anticipated aggregate and gravel needs for the continued relaxation of the regulations governing pit operations. No action taken by the board.

a. Hayes/Peyton Dog Issue – Update. Mr. Hayes sent a letter informing the board that Corporal Fox did meet with him regarding the Peyton dog situation. The corporal informed him that he was going to deliver a notice to Mr. Peyton; and he also requested that all future correspondences from Mr. Hayes regarding this issue be sent to both the Select Board and the Sheriff’s Office. The board noted this.

b. Bridge #11 – Update. Patty stated that Pete Fellows from VLCT suggested that the Town should get a temporary bridge for the project. The board discussed the prospect of a temporary bridge and decided because of the time constraints that other options should also be explored. Use of the private covered bridge as a detour was discussed again with insurance and liability being the main focus of conversation. Mark suggested that the town call VLCT to see if it would be possible to get insurance on the private bridge for the duration of the project. Patty said that she would call and ask.

c. Road Update – Forsha & Liberty Hill. George informed the board that he did receive an estimate from Marcowski for fixing Forsha Rd. and Libery Hill Rd. The price was almost twice as much as what Ray Harvey quoted, so the project has been awarded to Harvey.

d. Town Meeting – Speaker Update. Patty informed the board of all the speakers who are lined up for Thursdays “Good Night Irene” Town Meeting. There will be representatives from organizations such as: VTrans, VHB, State of VT Watewater/Water, Rutland Mental Health, FEMA Hazard Mitigation, FEMA Supervisor Community Relations, USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and Efficiency Vermont. Each was asked to speak for 2-3 minutes. No action taken by the board.

a. Chair/Table Usage/Rental Policy – Proposed for Town Hall. Patty presented a potential Chair & Table Usage/Rental Policy that she and Jessica came up with for the tables and chairs in the Town Hall. Borrowing of chairs/tables would require prior permission from the Select Board and a $50.00 refundable deposit would have to be paid before taking them out. Patty and Jess also believed it would be a good idea to have a sign out sheet for the tables and chairs. The board agreed that the policy was a good idea but asked that the deposit be lowered to $25.00 and for some of the wording to be changed. The board also agreed that the locks should be changed to the downstairs door, and only a few keys made for those who need them.

b. Invoice for Robert Baker – For use of property after Tropical Storm Irene. Robert Baker’s property was used to store river debris and gravel during the emergency phase of Tropical Strom Irene. A verbal agreement was made between Mr. Baker and the Town. The agreement was $200.00. Patty will make up an invoice reflecting what was agreed upon. The board agreed that would be the best course of action.

c. Gordon Merrill Invoice – Wooden Bridge. Mark ran across a questionable line item on an invoice from Gordon Merrill when working on the orders this past week. He pointed out that one of the line items was for work done on a wooden bridge, which he believed, was a private road. George pointed out that it is in fact Lower Michigan Road, which is a class 3 road and it is our responsibility.

d. Donation Check from Suzanne Massoneau – Where to put it. Patty informed the board that the Town received a donation check from Suzanne Massoneau for $500.00 but did not know what fund she should deposit it into. The board agreed that the Emergency Fund would be the best place to put it.

e. Two River-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Recovery Specialist. Patty let the board know that this Friday October 21^st, she would be meeting with a recovery specialist (Clifton Hebert) and she has a very long list of questions for him. Specifically she is going to need the “Scope of Work”. There was some discussion as to what the “Scope of Work” actually entails. The board agreed however, that most of the “emergency” work has already been completed.

a. Town HW #11 – Appeal of Murphy. Patty informed the board that she received a call from Chris Sullivan the Town Attorney regarding the Appeal of Murphy ongoing lawsuit. Chris wanted to know if the Town wanted to go through VLCT to solve the matter. The board agreed that going through VLCT would be fine. Patty wrote up a letter stating that the Town will now confer authority to VLCT in the matter of the resolution of Town Highway No.11, Town of Chittenden – Appeal of Murphy. The board approved and signed the letter.

b. Status of Invoice – Joe Desena. Patty asked the board what the status was on the invoice for Joe Desena for work done during the emergency period of the flood. Mark said that he needed to get together with Bob Blair and crosscheck and that he would then talk to Joe.

The meeting adjourned at 7:42pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Patricia Haskins, Ray Colton, Jessica Kuzma

b. Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Public Assistance process Overview and Mitigation and Recovery Information

d. State of VT Agency of Natural Resources – Project Review Sheet RE: Richard Schrim

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the River Side Farm and Amee Farm, Rehearsal Dinners & Wedding Receptions

b. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Vedia, Inc at the River Side Farm, Rehearsal Dinner & Wedding Reception

Mark called the meeting to order at 5:52pm. The Minutes of the September 20, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting, the September 27, 2011 Special Select Board Meeting and the September 29, 2011 Special Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Ray Colton – Road and River Status Inquiries. Ray asked the board what the status of Forsha Rd. was and what is being done about it. George responded that nothing has been done yet but he is currently looking into it. He has gotten a few quotes so far, he was hoping to get more, but most contractors are exceptionally busy right now. An estimate was received from Ray Harvey and Craig Mosher has been up twice to look at it Forsha Rd, an estimate has not been received. Ray then stated that time is getting short and something needs to be done before the winter. The board agreed and decided that if we don’t hear from anyone else by the end of the week to go with Ray Harvey. Ray also pointed out that the river by Bakers Bridge is a mess. Gravel was taken out hoping that someone would come in behind them and relocate the stream. Right now the water is just all over the place. Mark stated that they could go take a look at it. Ray inquired if Jim Ryan would be the one he needed to deal with. George then stated that Jim Ryan is the person that he should contact.

a. Better Backroads – 2012 Vermont Better Backroads Small Grants Program. The Program’s goal is to promote the use of erosion control and maintenance techniques that save money while protecting and enhancing Vermont’s lakes and streams. Funds, subject to availability, will be distributed as small grants to municipalities and local organizations to address town or private road erosion problems. Applications will be accepted until October 28, 2011. No action taken by the board.

b. Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Planning Commission – Public Assistance Process Overview and Mitigation and Recovery Information. The Public Assistance Process Overview is an outline consisting of helpful tips for the town to go through the process in several different categories including: Debris Removal, Emergency Protective Measures, Permanent Work, Small vs. Large Projects, Time Limits, Improved Projects and Alternate Projects. There were also some special considerations such as Hazard Mitigation, Environmental and Historic Preservation Compliance, Environmental Protection, Floodplain and Wetland Management and Historic Preservation and Cultural Resources. No action taken by the board.

c. Heart of Vermont Productions Inc – Thank You. Thank You for supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs in Vermont, the Green Mountain Club, and the 100 on 100 Relay and wishes for a speedy recovery after Tropical Storm Irene. No action taken by the board.

d. State of VT Agency of Natural Resources – Project Review Sheet RE: Richard Schirm. The project is generally described as: Replace connection to public community water supply with individual drilled well for existing single family residence, Lot 5 Our World Association. No action taken by the board.

e. Timberline Events – Green Mountain Relay Race. This year, the summer solstice falls closer to the fourth weekend of so the planned date so the planned dates of the relay are June 23^rd & 24^th 2012. They requested permission to use the maintenance yard parking area as an exchange again. The board had no issues or concerns and agreed that that would be fine.

f. VLCT – Planning and Zoning Forum I. This workshop is designed for all local officials involved in the planning and development review process. The workshop will be held

on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier VT. No action taken by the board.

g. VLCT – Managing the Municipal Budget Workshop. This workshop is designed for select board members, town managers and administrators, treasurers, finance directors, and auditors. The workshop will take place on Wednesday October 26, 2011 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier VT. No action taken by the board.

h. Vermont Municipal Bond Bank – Financing Tropical Storm Recovery Efforts. Given the uncertainty related to the timing and amount of funds to be received from FEMA or private insurance, governmental units may want to consider working with local banks to issue Current Expense Notes, structured as lines of credit, to cover the full amount of such costs. No action taken by the board.

a. Hayes/Peyton Dog Issue – Update. Jessica informed the board that an officer from the Rutland County Sheriffs Office stopped by the town office to give the town an update on the Hayes/Peyton dog issue. He stated that he was on his way to the Peyton’s house to issue them a written warning; and that he would inform them that any future infractions of the Pittsfield Dog Ordinance would result in them receiving a fine. He also stated that he would stop by Mr. Hayes’ house to keep him apprised of the situation.

b. Bridge #11 – Update. Patty stated that Pete Fellows and Kevin Geiger from Two Rivers feel that for Bridge #11 that it is very important that the town stay on top of VHB now to get the design and engineering done so that we can put it out to bid and get an accelerated bid. They also recommend that the town get a resident engineer to oversee the project, it could be VHB. This person would oversee the bidding process and the construction process. Pittsfield should call at least three people (and document it). Two Rivers sent over a list of resident engineers. The updated contract with VHB was looked over and it was apparent that there needed to be some clarification as to whether or not someone from VHB could or would be the resident engineer. George said that he would call them to verify. The contract with VHB for the engineering was also signed.

c. Line of Credit – Legal Opinion. We received the legal opinion from the town attorney and can now move forward with the line of credit with Mascoma Savings Bank. The town now needs to fill out the paperwork that comes from the bank. The board signed the paperwork. Patty also informed the board that she will be moving money from the General Fund to the Highway Fund to cover the costs of road repairs, so that we don’t have to draw from the line of credit as soon, to save money on interest.

a. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the River Side Farm and Amee Farm, Rehearsal Dinners & Wedding Receptions. Rehearsal dinners 10/14, 10/28 & 11/11. Weddings 10/15, 10/29, 11/12 & 11/19. Approved by the board and signed by the Town Clerk.

b. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Vedia, Inc at the River Side Farm, Rehearsal Dinner & Wedding Reception. Reception 10/21 and Wedding 10/22. Approved by the board and signed by Town Clerk.

c. Town Wide Meeting – Follow Up after Irene. Patty thought that it would be a good idea to have a follow-up Town-wide meeting to help close out some Hurricane Irene Related stuff. It would be a good place for people to ask questions and voice concerns. There could be several speakers there to give helpful info; George could

give road updates; etc. Patty suggested we could have representatives there from the Agency of Transportation, Rutland Mental Health, “the river guy” Pat Ross, FEMA, Efficiency VT, etc. The meeting would have to be at least a few weeks in advance to have time to prepare. The board were all in favor of holding the meeting on Thursday October 20, 2011 at 6:00pm in the Church.

d. Hiring a FEMA Administrator – Discussion. Patty stated that she had been speaking with Two Rivers Planning Commission and that they recommend the town should look into hiring a FEMA Administrator. The Administrator would take care of the significant amount of FEMA related paper work that could last anywhere from the next 6 – 18 months depending on how long projects take. Patty then stated that Killington has hired an assistant to help with all of the FEMA related paper work and that Pittsfield could benefit from one as well. George stated that the town will have to do some research before we can hire someone. Jerry said that he would talk to Rita Seto from Two Rivers and ask her what she suggests and get back to the board.

e. Proposed Personnel Policy – for Emergencies and Unusual Circumstances. Patty has been discussing the Tropical Storm Irene Administration with Two Rivers regarding the unusually high amount of man-hours that have been worked by salaried personnel. Two Rivers recommended drafting a policy that would cover such unusual circumstances and that it can be retroactive. Patty developed a policy that would help compensate for any hours worked over 40 in one week. The amount would depend on the average number of hours worked per week during the last calendar year. In order for the proposed Policy to go into effect the board would need to approve it. For the Policy itself to go into effect for any emergency the board would need to vote to put it into effect each time. Jerry made a motion to accept the new Personnel Policy for Emergencies and Unusual Circumstances, seconded by George. Motion passed and adopted. George then made a motion to put the policy in effect beginning August 28^th 2011, motion seconded by Jerry. Motion passed.

f. Oil Tank in River – Behind Stanley Tool. Patty wanted to inform the board that there is an oil tank still in the river behind Stanley Tool. They thought that maybe the Fire Department could come and remove it. Patty sent an email to the Fire Department to ask if they could.

g. Lift in Town Hall – Out of Order. Patty let the board know that it is time for the annual inspection on the lift in the Town Hall. When she talked to the lift company they informed her that the battery is probably drained from the power being out so long right after Tropical Storm Irene and should not be used. The battery will be tested during the yearly inspection.

h. Parking for School Buses – Moved to Fire House. Patty wanted to let the board know that the temporary location for pickup and drop-off for school children would be in front of the Fire Department during the duration of the Town Office Renovation Project starting on October 10, 2011.

a. Speed Limit Signs on RT 100 – What to do with them. The speed limit signs that were made during the Tropical Storm Irene Emergency are conflicting with the new speed limit signs posted by the AOT. Nobody knows where they came from or who made them but they need to come down. George stated that he would go around and take them down before the weekend.

The meeting adjourned at 7:24pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Joe Poston (Wright Construction), John Weitman, Mark McManus

Mark McManus gave the board a brief description of what the meeting would cover. Joe then stated that construction will begin the week of October 10^th 2011 and that it should be about a six-month project. Some spring work will be required such as exterior painting.

McManus asked if the playground would be used much more at this time of the year. The concern being that the playground will have a lot of construction equipment in close proximity to it during the length of the project George stated that the weekend of October 8^th will be the fall bazaar, but after that it shouldn’t be used too much.

McManus then asked the board if they knew of any weight restrictions on the roads that would prevent Wright Construction from being able to get trucks in. George stated that many different types of heavy vehicles including semi trucks have been passing through town so that won’t be an issue. Also, the new temporary bridge down by the town garage should be up and running by this weekend and that can hold somewhere around 100,000lbs.

McManus asked the board if the addendums to the building contract had been discussed. The board agreed that they had. Joe than pointed out that the most important change to the contract was dealing with the elevator shaft. Now that the project is being delayed a few weeks because of Tropical Storm Irene some heating will be required. Some snow removal may also be required and more than likely about an additional month of heating costs that they weren’t originally planning on.

McManus then brought up some concerns about the vault. He stated that there are no official vault construction regulations in the State of Vermont. The vault that will be going in is a four-hour vault. He checked the latest National Fire Protection Association guidelines for 2012 and the new regulations state that for any combustible construction that they want a six-hour vault. Although we are not governed by that he wanted to run it by the board and make sure that the four-hour vault is ok. Mark also stated that another regulation that the NFPA wants to see are sprinkler systems in vaults. He reminded the board that these are only guidelines and that he is not necessarily recommending that a sprinkler system be added into the vault.

McManus informed the board that another thing that the NFPA recommends is putting a closer on the vault door. The closer would have an automatic hold-open

device (usually with a magnet), then if a fire alarm goes off a sensor trips and it closes the door. These are generally meant for larger facilitates and operations.

Another point that McManus brought up was moisture in the vault. He informed the board that the vault will have a much higher moisture level just after the project is completed lasting several months. The moisture comes from the concrete and new concrete needs time to cure. The state archivist states that concrete should have at least six months to cure. McManus did not agree that this was enough time though. He stated that temporary vents could always be put into the vault and taken out at a later time once the concrete has cured. He talked to a structural engineer and asked if there was any way to help the concrete dry faster. The engineer suggested that when the concrete is finished being poured to run a fan over it 24 hours a day to circulate the air over it and to leave the vault door open once the door is installed. Humidity will be very hard to control for a while. Every time the vault door is closed, the humidity will rise until it is opened again. McManus also recommended to keep the thermostat around the same level as much as possible and to not let it fluctuate too much.

McManus then informed the board that the town should get some money back from Efficiency Vermont because of the efficient lighting that will be installed. They also plan to put in occupancy censors, which should save the town some money over the years in electricity. McManus stated that if money becomes tight toward the end of the project that the censor lights can be scrapped. Overall, all of the board members liked the idea of the censor lights.

McManus then informed the board that there will be regular once a month meetings. The board, McManus and Joe all agreed that the meetings should take place the last Thursday of each month at 3pm. Before the meeting McManus will review the payment application from Wright Construction so that he will have time to review it. They will only be paid for work completed, including parts of work completed. They can also be paid for any materials purchased that may not be on-site yet but will be used exclusively by Wright Construction for the Pittsfield Town Office Renovation project. Once approved, the payment application will be turned over to the town.

McManus then addressed a question asked by Patty regarding the grant money. McManus stated that the grant money is there so that the town doesn’t use all of their own money. The town has the money for the project. McManus believes that the town has the option to draw on some of that grant money as some of the work is completed or drawing on the grant money at the very end, and will likely be easiest in his opinion to use it at the end when the elevator goes in. The bulk of the elevator should be paid in February.

McManus then stated that he had a few questions regarding the Davis Bacon wage related stuff, as he had never done it before. (The Davis–Bacon Act is a United States federal law, which established the requirement for paying prevailing wages on public works projects.) Joe then stated that they do a lot of Davis Bacon related projects and that he is familiar with the process. Patty pointed out that at some point the town needed to sign the Davis Bacon Affidavit, which was included in the contract. Joe looked through the contract and noted that it couldn’t be completed on his end because there was still some information missing on the town’s side regarding loan agreements. Patty said she would look up the date of the loan agreement.

McManus then asked the board if there was anywhere on the schedule that they needed something in particular done by, such as milestones, like an open house to show progress. The board agreed that no such thing would be necessary. It can be open for people to look at when it’s complete.

McManus wanted the board to know that safety is the sole responsibility of the contractor. If the town notices anything dangerous, make Wright Construction aware of it but do not try to fix the situation. People will need to check in at the job site.

Joe wanted to let the board know that he had been talking with a site work sub who advised putting in a brand new septic tank. It would be cheaper and easier to abandon the old one and just put a new one on top of it.

McManus then asked the board if they wanted to reuse the old vault door in the basement. The door in the basement is rated as a two-hour door. It was originally thought that the storage area created would be used by the Historical Society. The board agreed that it would make sense to re-use the door rather than buy a new one. McManus asked Joe if it could be done and Joe said that he would look into it.

The meeting adjourned at 2:55pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office and the next Town Office Building Project meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:00pm.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Aaron Guyette, Dave Conger, Pete Fellows

b. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the River Side Farm, Two Rehearsal Dinners & Wedding Receptions

a. Tweed River Bridge #11 – How to proceed concerning FEMA reimbursements. In order to ensure that the Bridge #11 project coincides with FEMA guidelines for reimbursement. The Board met with Dave Conger (consultant working with VTrans), Pete Fellows (Two Rivers Regional Planning Commission) and Aaron Guyette (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.) for a question and answer session.

The Board began the session by talking with Aaron Guyette as neither Dave nor Pete had arrived yet. Aaron gave the board a rundown as to what has been happening so far with the design process and his contact with other external agencies involved. They have had contact with the state disaster relief officer from VTrans and they want to see the plans before construction begins. They also had a site meeting yesterday with Jim Ryan from ANR where they outlined their work plan. Jim Ryan was in agreement with the plan. From there they agreed to send Jim Ryan an outline of the construction staging sequence (which was passed around at the meeting) so that Jim could voice any concerns that he may have. Aaron then briefly described to the board how the timeline for the construction of the bridge would look.

George then asked Aaron if VHB would be doing all of the work for the bridge project and Aaron responded that they are just doing the engineering. Aaron stated that this would likely need to go out to bid for a contractor.

At this point Pete Fellows arrived and asked Aaron exactly what they have done regarding the project. His main concern is the town getting reimbursed. At this point in the disaster it’s all about following FEMA protocol and the project may potentially have to go out to bid. Pete stated that the town may be able to use VHB just to get an initial “scope” and design of the project. Pete then asked Aaron approximately how much they had invested in the project so far as professional fees. Aaron stated that it was somewhere between $5,000 - $10,000. Pete said that was good because that could still fall under emergency pretty easily. The way he understands it is that everything that happens generally the first couple of weeks after a disaster still falls under an “emergency” situation so it is unclear

whether or not the engineering portion of the project will need to go out to bid. Pete then stated that more then likely though, the actual construction of the project would have to go out to bid because that will be taking place further down the road.

After Pete’s discussion, Dave Conger arrived and told the Board what he would be doing in town today. He wants to sit down with a town official and go over some paperwork to go over summaries of labor, equipment, and those types of things. He also wants to scope out the town by driving around with George and then doing some follow-up.

Aaron then asked Dave if he was just hired by VTrans as a district representative and not in fact the project specialist for FEMA. Dave responded that at this point there is no project specialist for Pittsfield. Aaron then turned to the board and stated that the person who will shepherd the town through all of the FEMA paperwork and through the entire process will be the FEMA specialist. At this point in time the town can look to Dave to serve as the temporary FEMA specialist. Dave also wanted to make it very clear to the board that FEMA is not here to tell the town “how” to do anything. They are here as a reimbursement program. The town are sub-applicants through VTrans and should be saying “Here is what we did, and this is what we want to get reimbursed for.” Dave can collect the data and ask whether or not something is reimbursable but he cannot tell the town what to do.

Mark then turned the conversation back to Bridge #11. He stated that it services many homes in town and we need to move quickly to get it done. Aaron then asked Dave if the town would need to go out to bid beyond the initial engineering assessment. Dave responded that the town is now in the phase where they should be using standard procurement procedures, even for the engineering. As far as the engineering goes, it is still kind of a gray area. There should be an effort to meet your procurement procedures. The most important thing is to document everything that is being done and why, especially if it falls beyond Pittsfield’s normal procedure.

Aaron then stated that he thinks that the bridge situation falls into a different category altogether, it is dangerous and could give out at any time. Pete responded that George could state that we are still having a partial emergency situation and could make a few calls around to other engineers for opinions. They will likely not be familiar with the project and turn it down, but rough accelerated standard procurement practices would have been followed. There is a chance that the town may not be reimbursed with the cost if those procedures aren’t followed. The most important thing is to document everything.

Pete then stated that to close out the bridge discussion that we need to get a final assessment and design recommendations from VHB and then the town needs to decide whether or not to go out to bid. Dave then added that the town should be following Pittsfield’s own procurement guidelines to do this. If the town deviates from their own guidelines it needs to be documented and why. George’s response is that the town is doing is exactly what we would have done anyway in regard to the Bridge #11 project. He believes that VHB has done a lot of work so far and should continue and the rest of the board agreed.

a. $750,000 Line of Credit – Attorney Choice. The town needs a legal opinion in order to get the $750,000 line of credit with Mascoma Savings Bank. The town clerk wanted to know if the Select Board wanted to use Chris Sullivan for the legal opinion or if they had someone else in mind. Jerry made a motion to use Chris Sullivan for the legal opinion; the motion was seconded by George and passed.

b. Request to Cater Malt and Vinous Beverages & Spirituous Liquors – Constance Mendell’s Occasions Catering at the River Side Farm, Two Rehearsal Dinners & Wedding Receptions. Rehearsal Dinners: September 30, 2011 & October 7, 2011. Wedding receptions: October 1, 2011 & October 8, 2011. Permits approved by board and signed by Town Clerk.

The meeting adjourned at 9:32am. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Patricia Haskins, Marion Abrams

a. VTrans – Pittsfield-Stockbridge STP 022-1(22) VT Route 100, Bridge 127 over Guernsey Brook

b. VT Agency of Transportation – Pittsfield VT100, Amee Farm – Violation of Condition of HW Permit

d. State of VT Dept of Environmental Conservation – David Schirm, Project ID#: WW-3-1977, Drilled Well

e. State of VT Dept of Environmental Conservation – Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit, David Schirm

g. Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission – TRORC Local Road Response Resource Coordination Center, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

h. Leslie Wright with the Natural Resources Conservation Service – Possible Federal Assistance for Flood Repairs through EWP

i. Email from Wendy Tudor (Dept of Economic, Housing and Community Affairs) – Deadline for Municipal Planning Grant application

j. FEMA Intergovernmental Affairs – “Managing Disaster Generated Debris” –Requests for Dumpsters

k. Mark McManus (email) – Pittsfield A1A 201 Proposed Changes & Revised Revisions

m. Vermont Municipal Clerks Treasurers Association – Financial Concerns for Towns with Damage

n. Vermont Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund State Share – Match Incentives – FEMA-4022-DR-VT

Mark called the meeting to order at 6:02pm. The Minutes of the August 16^th, 2011 Regular Select Board Meeting and the September 8^th, 2011 Special Select Board Meeting were approved with no corrections or changes.

a. Marion Abrams – Emergency Watershed Protection/Damage Survey Reports. Program by the USDA that does flood mitigation, rip-rap, shoring up banks, etc. In order to be eligible for assistance there are a few criteria that must be met. The town needs to apply for assistance; she filled out the form but didn’t want to send it in until the board had read it. Tate Jeffrey, a Civil Engineer with NRCS sent her an outline of what the Town needs to be aware of before filling out the DSR’s and a list of sites that are tentatively eligible thus far. There are two rounds of funding, exigent and non-exigent sites. There are 3 exigent sites that are tentatively eligible, 2 in Pittsfield and 1 in Stockbridge. She than explained a little about the program. If the town qualifies and is chosen the government will pay for 75% and the homeowner will pick up 25%. Marion also volunteered to be the Town Contact for this program. The board had no objections. Mark then signed off on the letter to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

a. VTrans – Pittsfield-Stockbridge STP 022-1(22) VT Route 100, Bridge 127 over Guernsey Brook. Mark stated that he believes the temporary bridge should be in place in 2-3 weeks. There were some concerns about property lines being difficult to find due to pins being washed away during Hurricane Irene. George stated though that it has likely been surveyed by the state at some point and hopefully they have the locations on GPS. No action taken by the board.

b. VT Agency of Transportation – Pittsfield VT100, L.S. Amee Farm – Violation of Condition of HW Permit. Complaint about parking. Violation of the conditions of highway permit. During the period from June 24-26, 2011, a special event known as “The Death Race”, was held at the Amee Farm. During this event it was documented that vehicles were parked along both sides of Route 100, many of which spanned over the while edge line thereby narrowing the traveled way. This notice stated that all future special events are required to adhere to the terms and conditions of the permit. No action was taken by the board.

c. Kenlan, Schwiebert, Facey & Goss, P.C. – Tim Pins, Land Use Permit #3W1037 (KSF&G File No.:2506-300). Planting Plan (to plant hemlock and spruce staggered in the open area along the river) prepared by Trombly’s landscaping as required by Paragraph 11 of the above referenced permit. No action taken by the board.

d. State of VT Dept of Environmental Conservation – David Schirm, Project ID#: WW-3-1977, Drilled Well. Replace connection to public community water supply with individual drilled well for an existing SFR, located at 348 Tweed River Dr. Receipt of application from the State of VT. No action taken by the board.

e. State of VT Dept of Environmental Conservation – Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit (see above), David Schirm. Permit was approved under the requirements of the regulations and conditions stated within the permit. The permit will be filed at the Town Clerk’s Office.

f. Vermont Tennis Court Surfacing – Tennis Related Solicitation. No action taken by the board.

g. Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission – TRORC Local Road Response Resource Coordination Center, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Patty explained that the town does have to apply for this. Two Rivers Planning Commission will help the town with it. Marion stated that she received a call yesterday from Richard Downer who is a FEMA Mitigation Engineer. He had a lot of answers for her. The VT Dept of Emergency Management administers the program. What they want to know is who from the Town of Pittsfield is interested in getting a buyout. Anyone who is interested should contact him, the sooner the better. It’s a competitive grant process. The Town needs to apply by May 1^st.Homeowners are then up against other homeowners in the state, and a committee decides who gets bought out. Patty then stated that at the FEMA meeting that she attended they highly encouraged that towns apply. Patty then suggested that since Jerry has had experience working with the Regional Planning Commission before and that he take on this project. Jerry said he’d be glad to do it and that he would send Rita Seto at Two Rivers an email tomorrow.

h. Leslie Wright with the Natural Resources Conservation Service – Possible Federal Assistance for Flood Repairs through EWP. See Guests and Committee Reports section A.

i. Email from Wendy Tudor (Dept of Economic, Housing and Community Affairs) – Deadline for Municipal Planning Grant application. Because so many municipalities were affected by the flooding from Hurricane Irene, the FY12 Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) application deadline has been extended from September 30 to October 31, 2011. They expect to announce grant decisions by mid-December. No action taken by the board.

j. FEMA Intergovernmental Affairs – “Managing Disaster Generated Debris” –Requests for Dumpsters. Patty informed the board that she had a couple of landowners ask if the town is going to provide a dumpster for the flood debris that they are cleaning out of their houses. The board discussed some options and decided that due to the nature of the debris (potentially hazardous materials) and associated costs that the town would not obtain a temporary dumpster for this purpose. The board agreed that if residents need large materials picked up that they should contact John Benson.

k. Mark McManus (email) – Pittsfield A1A 201 Proposed Changes & Revised Revisions. Patty let the board know that Mark Begin signed off on the A1A documents where the town had asked for three revisions. She also informed the board that they want to have a pre-construction meeting possibly the week of the 26^th. The date of commencement for the project will be pushed back due to the road conditions. She also stated that she had been told that the potential for additional winter condition costs is somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 but it’s hard to know for sure. George made a motion to move forward with the project, and if funds get low during the project we can choose to cut something. Jerry seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

l. VLCT Workshop – Weathering Storm(s): Land, Water, and the Local Role. Workshop being held on October 19, 2011 at the Capitol Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier, VT. This workshop offers participants a chance to hear about and discuss timely water resource management issues facing municipal officials. No action taken by the board.

m. Vermont Municipal Clerks Treasurers Association – Financial Concerns for Towns with Damage. Patty let the board know that she had been contacted by Mascoma bank, and they informed her that due to the recent tropical storm that they could offer the Town a line of credit at 1%. The board agreed that 1% was a very good deal.

n. Vermont Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund State Share – Match Incentives – FEMA-4022-DR-VT. Patty informed the board that Vermont Emergency Relief and Assistance sent us a form dealing with the State share and match incentives. The town meets the two minimum standards for eligibility. In addition to the two minimum standards, the town also needs to adopt 3 hazard mitigation measures. Pittsfield has adopted an emergency rapid response plan; a driveway curb ordinance and watershed protection and wetland preservation plan components. This makes the town eligible to pay only 10% as opposed to 12.5%. Mark initialed, signed and dated the form.

o. Email from Rob & Stacey Nardelli – Driveway Washout. The town received an email from the Nardelli’s asking if anything could be done about the runoff that has washed out their driveway on several occasions. The board agreed that because the water was coming from Hawk common land that it was not an issue that the board could address. The board asked the Secretary to write a letter to the Nardelli’s advising them to contact the Hawk Homeowner’s Association.

a. Excess MRE’S – What to do with them. There are a lot of extra MRE’s, other food, baby diapers, water, cat & dog food, etc. left from the donations sent after Tropical Storm Irene and they are taking up a lot of room. George stated that the fire department is looking into giving them back to where they came from and that Sara Hunt is going to take the cat & dog food to the Humane Society. Patty then suggested that Edna Gunter expressed an interest in helping distribute the food to the residents in town who were displaced. The board agreed that this would be the best course of action.

b. Mark Peyton – Madison Brook full of Trees. Mark Peyton contacted the town to inform that a great number of trees are stuck in Madison Brook. The board was concerned that this could become a public safety issue. Mark and George decided that they would assess the situation together so that they can decide how to proceed from there.

c. Line of Credit – Mascoma Savings Bank. (In reference to Correspondence m.) The board decided to obtain a line of credit to help fund the flood recovery expenses while waiting for FEMA reimbursement. George made a motion to take out a $750,000 line of credit with Mascoma Savings Bank; Jerry seconded the motion. Motion passed.

d. Tweed River – Assessment & Clean up. Patty received information from Two Rivers that she thought would be helpful. She read “VTrans has released guidance regarding debris removal from rivers, streams and shorelines affected by Tropical Storm Irene. If logs, trees and other debris is building up against public infrastructure and or blocking stream flow in such a way to threaten public infrastructure, it should be removed with an excavator and logs cut and removed.” Patty suggested that the board take a look over this document before assessing the tree issue at Madison Brook. No action taken by the board.

e. Tim Pins – Liability Concerns (Wood Pile) Tim Pins inquired about some liability concerns relating to the woodpiles being stacked on his property. He had seen someone cutting wood on his property on wet logs without proper gear. The board agreed that the best course of action would be to get a log truck in and get the logs out. Mark said he would make the call and take care of it.

f. Road Update – Status of Road Construction/Clean-Up. George stated that yesterday they got Fifield’s mostly finished up, all it needs now is crushed gravel. Bakers has been fixed around the bridge, all that needs now is crushed gravel and grading. Also, as far as hauling out river gravel, he thinks we won’t need any more. The other side of Liberty Hill still needs some attention, it needs another culvert. George then stated

that they have a big project on Forsha Rd and on Liberty Hill and he is looking into options as far as contractors for the job.

g. Hand-Held Radios – 4 Missing. Patty informed the board that the radios that came from Killington during the storm had four missing. There were sign-out sheets for people to fill out, but four hadn’t been filled out or returned. She suggests that someone local had taken them either the first or second week after the disaster. George said he would call Tim Hunt and see if he knew anything about the situation.

h. Town Equipment Used on RT100 – How to Bill the State. Patty asked the board how the town was going to bill the State of Vermont for using town equipment to work on State Highways to make them passable after Irene. Mark suggested that Patty call Bob Blair from the District 3 AOT and ask him exactly how to go about this.

i. Jack Conboy – Time Sheets. Patty informed the board that Jack had organized volunteer time sheets on excel spreadsheets by date and job for the FEMA in kind match. No action taken by the board.

j. Payroll – Hurricane Irene Related Jobs. Patty asked George if the exact roads that were being worked on were indicated in the time sheets. George said that every week he would be sending an itemized list of exactly what was done, where they were, what they used, etc…

k. Two Rivers (Rita Seto) – Town Project Manager for FEMA related business. Patty informed the board that she had been contacted by Rita, who asked if Pittsfield was going to assign a town Project Manager for any FEMA related business. Rita said that we don’t need one; she just wanted to know if we wanted to assign one. George then stated that this isn’t something that we need to worry about right now.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20pm. The next Regular Select Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 6:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office.

PITTSFIELD SELECTBOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES

DATE: 8 September 2011

PRESENT: Mark Begin, George Deblon, Patricia Haskins, Jerry Drugonis

NEW: The meeting was called to order at 0800 for the purpose of discussion

PRESENT: Mark Begin, Jerry Drugonis, George Deblon, Patty Haskins, Mark McManus, Don Flynn, Joe Poston, Donna Wilson

a. Donna Wilson (State of Agency of Transportation) – Pittsfield-Stockbridge STP 022-1(22)S Parcel No. 1 Right-of-Way Project Explanation

b. Joe Poston/Mark McManus – Pittsfield Town Office Reconstruction Project Contract Review Q&A

f. State of VT Dept of Taxes – Penalties for Late Filed Homestead Declarations