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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, November 6, 2017 __________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Present Robert Croteau, Selectboard Chair Jody Frey, Selectboard member Paul Sicard, Selectboard member Merle Young, Glover Trailwinders Ozzie Henchel, SWIP Committee, Green-up Day Coordinator Fred Wiseman, resident Cathy Swain, Barton Area Senior Services, Inc. (BASSI) BASSI Board of Directors: Richard Royer (on behalf of Mary Ann Royer) Richard Jesmer Cathy Reinsteim Dolores Chamberlain Dara Wiseman Elizabeth Trail, Barton Chronicle Andrée Reno Sanborn, Selectboard Clerk

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Mr. Croteau called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Call to Order

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Approval of Minutes

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Mr. Sicard moved that the minutes of October 16, 2017, be accepted as written. Ms. Frey seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.

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Ms. Frey moved that the minutes of the public hearing of October 27, 2017, be accepted as written with the following change; there were two members of the press present. Mr. Sicard seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.

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Approval of Bills and Warrants

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All bills and warrants were signed. No motions were made.

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Road Foreman Report

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Mr. Croteau updated the Selectboard on recent activity. There was minimal wind damage from last week’s wind storm. Mr. Croteau said that the lack of major damage demonstrates the good maintenance that the road crew puts in. The town highway summer maintenance budget will be over because of the jobs that were done this summer, but this will save money down the road. Class 2 paving is under budget. The road crew has been getting in the winter sand. One truck is out of commission with a rear end issue. Mr.

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, November 6, 2017 __________________________________________________ 33 34 35 36

Croteau is confident that it will be covered under warranty, even though it is the oldest truck, because the town had purchased an extended warranty. The road crew worked on the new slab at the recycling center. It is poured. The canopy needs to be moved, the electric needs to be moved, and gravel needs to be placed. Any time after Wednesday, Casella will install the new compactor. No motions were made.

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Mr. Sicard said that trees need to be removed at the Maple Hill Cemetery because of power line issues. Barton Electric will take the trees down for no charge.

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Mr. Sicard moved that the Selectboard authorize buying and installing a shelter at the recycling center for employees, up to $10,000.00. Ms. Frey seconded. In the discussion, Mr. Sicard said that the town clerk has told him that there is money left over for this. Ms. Frey mentioned prefab shelters, which the entire Board approves of. Mr. Croteau said that another slab will have to be put in for this, but it would be best to wait until the shelter (which can be picked up and easily moved) is used and a perfect site is determined for it. The motion carried.

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Privilege of the Floor

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No one appeared. No motions were made.

Scheduled Time

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Merle Young: Glover Trailwinders

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Ms. Frey moved that the Selectboard approve the permit for the Glover Trailwinders to use the road and right of way on Breezy Hill Road from Earle Randall’s field to Burton Hill Road. There is to be no grooming snow into the road and whips are not to be knocked down. Mr. Sicard seconded. In the discussion, Mr. Young told the Selectboard that the season is December 15, 2017, to March 15, 2018. The motion carried.

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Rupert Chamberlin: Gilman Housing UDAG loan status

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Mr. Chamberlin did not appear. No motions were made.

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Ozzie Henchel: possible furniture dumpster)

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Mr. Henchel appeared before the Board to request consideration of a one day free bulky day, such as Albany has. Hopefully, this would help the increasing level of illegal dumping on road sides and in the woods. Mr. Croteau said that bulky days are typically MSW and not recyclables. There was a discussion of including bulky materials on Green-up Day. However, Casella may not give a discount for bulky items on Green-up Day because the objective of Green-up Day is to clean the roadsides and not to gather illegal

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, November 6, 2017 __________________________________________________ 61 62 63 64 65 66

dumping. Bulky Days are not free dumpster days. There was also discussion of a Tire Day. However, a Bulky Day, Mr. Croteau noted, would put the town into competition with its registered haulers, who make their living hauling MSW, and that would not be a good thing. The Selectboard agreed that the SWIP Committee should meet and look into doing a Bulky Day in conjunction with the haulers, and perhaps explore asking the high school if any students would like to participate for community service hours. The Selectboard thanked Mr. Henchel for appearing. No motions were made.

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Cathy Swain (et al): Barton Senior Center appropriation

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Ms. Swain delivered a public statement to the Selectboard that she has also given to Barton Village Trustees last week. The Barton Senior Center was abruptly closed at the end of September. Notice was only informally given. The Senior Center Corporation dissolved and all board members resigned. However, Ms. Swain and the other people appearing tonight have formed the Barton Area Senior Services, Inc. (BASSI). Last Friday, their status has been approved, effective in October. They have a post office box in the village, and a mission, which focuses on providing meals for seniors. They need to hire a cook and an executive director to get the meals going. For this, they need funding. The BASSI Board thinks that the $7,000.00 appropriation for the old Senior Center has not been allocated and they are appearing to ask for it as the successor to the old senior center. They are also trying to acquire the assets of the old corporation. The allocation would put them into business. They have a draft of a contract and a commitment for reimbursement for meals from the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, they are working on a contract with the village, and need to sign a contract with the food bank.

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The Selectboard discussed how they could not, at this point, make the appropriation, but that it can consider making a grant for the start-up. The intention of the appropriation was for the money to go to the seniors, not to the group. Without the appropriation being made, there will be a surplus in the budget. After some figuring, it was decided that BASSI will need about $3,500.00 a month. A $7,000.00 grant will carry them through the end of the year and enable them to provide Thanksgiving dinners.

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The Selectboard needs a written directive from an attorney to confirm the dissolution of the old senior center, and confirmation of what the Selectboard has been told tonight about pending contracts.

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Mr. Sicard moved that the Selectboard authorize a grant of $7,000.00 to BASSI as long as it provides the Board with sufficient paperwork to show their status, directors, and commitment to carry out to the end of the year. Ms. Frey seconded. In the discussion, Mr. Croteau said that the grant money cannot come out of appropriations, but will be out of the contingency fund. He also said that it will be pleasant to support a worthy group. The town clerk will be given a checklist of documentation to verify and that when received, she can issue a check directly. Mr. Croteau will come in and sign the check. In a letter of support,

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, November 6, 2017 __________________________________________________ 93 94 95 96

it will say that the Barton Selectboard, on behalf of the Town of Barton, is supporting efforts of BASSI to replace the functions of The Barton Senior Center in providing meals for seniors on a weekly basis. The Board is awarding a grant equivalent to the amount voted at the last annual town meeting, and wishes BASSI success.

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The motion carried.

Old Business

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There was no Old Business. No motions were made.

New Business

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Poginy Lane Class 4 Discontinuance

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Mr. Sicard moved to remove this item from the Selectboard agenda until such time that the Town Attorney returns to work. Ms. Frey seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.

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Mail Items

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No motions were made.

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Memo from Town Clerk: Health Insurance 2018

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In a memo to the Selectboard, the Town Clerk reported that there is a 14.6% increase for health insurance in the coming year. For the Selectboard budget, this increase will be 7.16%, and the Highway budget will increase 3.26%.

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Mr. Sicard moved that the Selectboard authorize continuing with the same level of insurance, the Gold Plan, subject to voter approval on town meeting day. Ms. Frey seconded. In the discussion, the Selectboard said that they are absorbing the increase. The motion carried.

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Update from Fire Departments

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Ms. Frey was contacted by John Morley, Orleans Village manager, Kevin Tartaglio, Chief of the Barton Fire Department, and E. J. Rowell, Chief of the Orleans Fire Department. The Barton and Orleans fire departments are exploring how the two departments can merge and provide better services to the town. Ms. Frey will be meeting with them again tomorrow. No motions were made.

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, November 6, 2017 __________________________________________________ 118

Town Plan and By-laws Review

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Kenneth Russell and family want to be zoned as mixed and not industrial. The zoning administrator said that she thinks it’s a fine idea. The state still needs to review the town flood areas and they want to interject language in the documents. This is more of a clerical change and not a substantial change. The changes have been requested by Sacha Pealer, Regional Rivers and flood Plains Manager scientist at the state. Upon the change, the by-laws will meet the minimal standards as set by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The changes will be forwarded to Mr. Croteau.

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Mr. Sicard moved that the zoning by-laws be changed for the Russell family (see public hearing minutes). Ms. Frey seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.

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Business of the Board There was no Business of the Board. No motions were made.

Adjourn

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Mr. Croteau adjourned the meeting at 9:38 PM.

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The date of the next regular Selectboard meeting is Monday, November 20, 2017, at 7 PM in the Conference Room of the Municipal Office at 34 Main Street, Barton.

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Respectfully submitted by Andrée Reno Sanborn on Friday, November 10, 2017.