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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, December 4, 2017 __________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Present Robert Croteau, Selectboard Chair Jody Frey, Selectboard member Paul Sicard, Selectboard member Carter Billis, Lake Region Union High School E. J. Rowell, Chief of the Orleans Fire Department Kevin Tartaglio, Chief of the Barton Fire Department Jay Ratte, First Assistant, Orleans Fire Department John Morley, Orleans Village manager Peter Emerson, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Andrée Reno Sanborn, Selectboard Clerk

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Mr. Croteau called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Call to Order

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Approval of Minutes

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Ms. Frey moved that the minutes of November 20, 2017, be accepted as written. 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 reported that the grader has been inspected and analyzed at a cost of $8,000.00. Mr. Perron had been concerned about blow-by from the exhaust. The engine was tested completely, and tests showed that the grader is in good shape. The transmission oil is due for a complete change. There is normal wear and tear on the fines. Pressures are good. Nothing is wrong with the transmission. The steering system is fine. There is a small hydraulic leak under the cab. The electrical system is good. There is a small crack in one of the windows made of safety glass. The turntable/mower board does need some work. That repair will be about $5,000.00.

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No motions were made.

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Privilege of the Floor No one appeared. No motions were made.

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, December 4, 2017 __________________________________________________ Scheduled Time

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Peter Emerson, Vermont Fish & Wildlife; re: land acquisition

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Vermont Fish & Wildlife is trying to pick up a small parcel between the Willoughby River and Route 58. It is approximately 1.4 acres and is undevelopable. When the state takes possession of the property, there will be no change in the grand list or taxes. The parcel is valued at $20,000.00. No septic can be put on it because of the closeness to the river. Mr. Emerson requested a letter of support for the Agency of Natural Resources for this purchase. It is owned by Memphremagog Rentals, LLC, and the contact person is Doug Spates.

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Ms. Frey moved that the Town Clerk write this letter of support for Mr. Emerson. Mr. Sicard seconded. There was no discussion. The motion carried.

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Fire Department Updates

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Mr. Morley, who described himself as the point person for a committee to normalize the budgeting process for the two fires departments, appeared before the Selectboard. If the fire departments merge, there will not be a change in protection, but there will be more resources. Financials, payroll, and accounting, however, would change quite a bit. The committee proposes merging under one fund in the Village of Orleans, and to meld the two budgets together. Both fire departments would be fully funded by the town. In the past, the Barton Fire Department has been fully funded by the town, but the Orleans Fire Department is funded by the town and the Village of Orleans and some other resources. The residents of Orleans Village are taxed the same as the residents of Barton Village for the fire departments, but residents of Orleans are also taxed by Orleans for the Orleans Fire Department.

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If the budgets are merged and fully funded by the town, Mr. Morley forecast a $24.61 per $100,000.00 tax increase for Barton Town.

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Mr. Morley, the Selectboard, and the members of the fire departments discussed the distribution of assets, whether Barton could contract with other fire departments for coverage (this seems to not be possible because of distances), inventories, and legalities. Mr. Croteau said that three things would be happening:

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1. The funding scheme for the fire departments needs parity. 2. It needs to be identified who is going to own what. Barton Town will not be involved with this because each village has sovereignty over their assets. What happens to the titles of the equipment? Mr. Morley said that hopefully the villages will resolve this issue.

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, December 4, 2017 __________________________________________________ 60

3. Administration: who would be in charge? Who decides which equipment goes to which call?

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Mr. Croteau also questioned whether it is legal to merge the two departments. Mr. Morley said that as of yet, the Town Attorney has not given an opinion on this issue. There is also a possible issue with the insurance company for each community for the equipment.

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Other topics and issues discussed: Mr. Morley said the Barton Village trustees have already determined which water lines and hydrants can and cannot be used. Mr. Croteau said that the town cannot sell real estate without voter approval, so he doubts that either village can sell fire department assets without voter approval. He also suspects that the budgets will be much higher than predicted. He is concerned about the designation of the Barton Village fire hydrants: would the town need to repair and/or replace those hydrants deemed by the village to not be used for fires?

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At the conclusion of the discussion, Mr. Morley said that he is going to pursue a legal opinion to see if the merger can proceed. The Selectboard thanked all for their update. No motions were made.

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Old Business

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There was no old business. No motions were made.

New Business

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There was no new business. No motions were made.

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Business of the Board

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The Selectboard discussed the changes in the by-laws, warning a vote, and scheduling a vote on the updated town plan. They asked Mrs. Sanborn to inform the Town Clerk to add the Australian ballot vote for the town plan to the next agenda for the next regular meeting.

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Mr. Sicard said that he has requested printed up-to-date budgets from the Town Clerk.

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No motions were made.

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Adjourn Mr. Croteau adjourned the meeting at 9:00 PM.

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Minutes of the Barton Selectboard Meeting Monday, December 4, 2017 __________________________________________________ 84 85

The date of the next regular Selectboard meeting is Monday, December 18, 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 Thursday, December 7, 2017.