Approved

Select Board Minutes of
October 16, 2007

Present: Bill Callnan, Mary Just Skinner, Mary Alexander, Cindy Carlson, Peter Hood, Gary Lamell, Bill Rossmassler, Dave Shepard


Meeting called to order at 6:10 pm.

Motion: Mary Just Skinner moves approval of the minutes of 9/25/2007. Bill seconds, Motion carries.

Correspondence
VLCT Managing the Municipal Highway System 11/1/2007

Schedule of 2007 VLC Workshops

Letter from State of Vermont, Agency of Natural Resources concerning the Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Stewardship Plan

Letter from Paul S. Gillies concerning the Austin case

Newsletter from Watershed to Well

Central Vermont State Police Community Advisory Board minutes for 10/16/07 meeting.

VLCT News

RCAP Solutions letter of introduction.

Little Tikes Commercial Brochure

Information and Visualization Service letter of introduction

Gary Lamell, Road Commissioner
Gary reports that he met with Martha Harris last summer and explained to her the situation with ledge which prevents and further ditching to be done along the edge of their property. Gary has re-inspected the property and did some test digging to confirm the ledge. The Town can not do any additional drainage in this area. The culvert which drains onto their lawn has always been there. The previous owners at one time had a pipe from the culvert to drain off the lawn and a swale which is no longer there. 

Gary reports that there has not been any ditching near Marty McMahn’s property, he did install a swale but there was not damage any property when the work was done.

The Flood repair work has been completed with total expenses of $80,000. There will be $60,000 reimbursement from FEMA, $10,000 reimbursement from the State and the town will have an expense of $10,000.

The proposed Town Plan was discussed and recommendations were made to chapters 7-9.

The Highway Department is crushing gravel and winter sand is in place. The crew is now off summer hours. 

Conservation Commission, Bill Rossmassler and Dave Shepard
The VT River Conservancy has reviewed the Ott/Stead property and is interested in submitting an application to the VT Housing Conservation Board. Luce Hill Appraisal Associates from Stowe has completed an appraisal of the property showing a value of $343,000 for the 403 acres. 

There is a shortage of $50,000 towards the purchase price if an appropriation is received from the VT River Conservancy. The Conservation Commission would like to use a portion of the town’s conservation fund towards this project and other fundraising efforts would take place. It was suggested that from town funds $3,000 for every 100 acres could be used, however, the Board feels a public hearing should be held if the town is going to contribute funds. 

The Board is in support of this project with the understanding that the town would have a town forest and would able to do land management for potential harvest of the woodlot, which would give the town an offset to the loss of tax base. There would be a conservation easement imposed on the property.

There is another land owner who may be interested in including their land in this process. It consists of 100 acres which is landlocked. There was discussion of including the two separate lots that the town owns that are abutting these properties. The deadline for the application is 10/19/07. A decision would be made in January 2008 by the VT River Conservancy.

The Conservation Commission will submit a letter concerning green space on the former Morse property. 

Middlesex Building Committee update. Bill reports that the committee is investigating as part of the plan an alternate site due to access and site concerns at the former Morse property. The alternate site would be in the industrial park adjacent to the lot the town owns. The lot the town owns in the park will not support a building. The Fire Department has been in contact with local business and is looking to access volunteers to donate time and resources to the project.  The project will involve a comparison of replacing the current structure with a comparable structure approximately 5,000 square feet as opposed to the current structure of 2600 square feet. The increase in size is based on providing adequate space for the current configuration, not adding any additional bays, but adding additional storage space and bathroom facilities.

The Board also discusses invoicing vehicles owners for service calls on I-89. Cindy is gathering necessary information to implement a plan for invoicing.

Meeting adjourns at 8:55 pm.

Respectfully submitted,


Cindy Carlson
Assistant to the
Middlesex Select Board