Trustees Meeting 10/15/24

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 SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

7:00 PM

PRESENT: David Winchester, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Suzie Kelleher, Trustee; William “Bill” Sheets, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Daniel Chevalier, Fire Chief; Dean Ryan, Public Works Foreman; Damon Broderick and Ch. 16.

To watch this meeting in its entirety, go to Northwest Access TV on YouTube. Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried, unanimously.

1. Call to Order:

David Winchester, Village President, called the Village Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

Everyone in attendance stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Agenda Review:

None.

4. Public Comment:

None.

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from the Monday, September 23, 2024 meeting as presented:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Minutes from the Monday, September 23, 2024 meeting as presented. Suzie Kelleher seconded the motion. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Thursday, October 10, 2024:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Thursday, October 10, 2024 as presented. Adam Paxman seconded the motion. Discussion: Adam Paxman asked what the payment made to Firematic Supply Co. in the amount of $22,479.81 was for. Bill Sheets, Village Manager, stated that was for the new rescue jacks. Motion carried.

7. Discussion on Northern Forest Canoe Trail with Alex Delhagen:

Alex wasn’t online yet for this topic so we discussed #8 first. Alex Delhagen, Assistant Trail Director, Northern Forest Canoe Trail introduced himself to the Board and showed their mission statement:

● 740-mile-long paddling trail spanning from Old

Forge, NY to Fort Kent, ME

● Maintain and improve paddling infrastructure

along the trail

● 9-week summer stewardship season

→ Mission: connect people to the region’s waterways, heritage, and contemporary communities by stewarding and providing access to canoe and kayak experiences along the route.

He said tonight NFCT is requesting permission to build a small campsite along the riverbank down by Marble Mill. He showed some previous work they’ve done such as water access, campsites, restoration, docks, and portage trails. He said Marble Mill Park offers the following:

● Strategic point along NFCT in Vermont

● Access to amenities

● Few campsites along this stretch of trail

● Existing paddling infrastructure

● Ramps at take-out and put-in

● Portage trail around dam

● Opportunity to improve infrastructure

● Build new paddlers’ campsite

● Incorporate work into Swanton’s long-term plans for park

Alex showed the proposed work: Take-out

● Install new concrete ramp above dam (~30 ft x 6 ft x 6 in), replacing old

degraded asphalt ramp.

● Two options:

● Option 1: Pour concrete into one large form, create single slab. Slope presents

challenges. Maybe possible with contractor, not work NFCT could do.

● Option 2: Pour series of cast-in-place blocks (6 ft x 18 in x 6 in) like at put-in.

NFCT can do this work.

● We propose Option 2. Easier, functional, and we have experience doing the work.

● Signage – dam warning sign, take-out sign, wayfinding signage for portage trail.

He showed the Proposed Work: Campsite

We seek to establish a formal paddlers’ campsite in Ash grove near tennis

courts. Proposed infrastructure includes:

● Two 8 ft. x 8 ft. tent pads

● One 6 ft. picnic table

● One seasonal porta potty

● Campsite sign and sign-in box

● Signage – campsite name sign, campsite etiquette sign

He said they’ve modified this a bit because they don’t want the tent pads poured out of concrete. He said they’d rather have grassy spots to put tents on versus the concrete pads.

Alex showed the Proposed Work: Put-In

● Clear encroaching vegetation from concrete ramp

● Remove debris/obstacles from water access

● Update signage

Timeline:

● Work will be completed by NFCT Stewardship Crew during summer 2025,

likely during the months of June or July

● Anticipate two days of crew time with 4-person crew

Liability:

● The NFCT maintains a $1,000,000 insurance that provides liability protection

for the site construction process.

● Indemnity for land management partners (i.e. Village of Swanton)

Finances/Funding:

● Total projected project costs: ~$3500

● Can provide detailed budget upon request

● NFCT generally funds our projects through outside sources, primarily

third-party grants

● Lake Champlain Basin Program, State of Vermont, Athletic Brewing, etc.

● We seek to fund this project through LCBP grant

● Project partners often offer match of some sort, often materials or access

to machinery/equipment

Project Match Request:

We request the Village provide assistance with any/all of the following:

● Site prep for ramp

● Machinery to tear out old asphalt

● Provide & spread crushed stone/gravel throughout ramp footprint

● Concrete

● Can Village provide concrete and send crew to pour it into our forms?

● Porta potty

→ Any sort of match helps us with securing grant funding – grant organizations

like to see a match of some sort from the project partners. Demonstrates buy-in.

Potential Concerns:

● Misuse of campsite – how do we monitor it?

● Parties

● Homeless encampment

● Vandalism/destruction of property

● Flooding

Final Thoughts/Questions:

● Great opportunity for partnership, especially with new plan for park

● Satisfies need for camping facilities along this stretch of river

● Potential to drive local economic activity

● Discussion for future: Foundry Street Access & NFCT Accessibility initiative

● Potential accessibility project?

The Board and Alex began discussing this and included Dean Ryan, Public Works Foreman, as well. They were talking about the concrete slab across from the VFW and replacing it. Alex feels replacing the whole slab is beyond their capabilities and suggested doing it in sections. Alex also stated that when they are applying for grants, it goes better when project partners offer a match of some sort, materials and or equipment. Dean roughly figured what it would cost to replace that entire slab and feels it could be done for $1200. Dan Chevalier, Fire Chief, asked if Dean could pour the slab at least 8’ wide so they can deploy their water rescue boat easier if needed. Dean said yes he could do that. They discussed the campsite area and placement of the picnic table. Suzie Kelleher made the motion to allow Northern Forest Canoe Trails to use Village property near Marble Mill for their trail campsite and to also add that Swanton Village Public Works Department would contribute in-kind to this project, to include equipment, stone, and concrete, not to exceed $1700. Eugene LaBombard seconded the motion. Motion carried with two yays, Adam Paxman abstained from the vote. Motion carried.

8. Public Work’s Update with Dean Ryan:

Dean Ryan, Public Works Foreman, was here for this presentation. He said his team now consist of himself, Mike Boucher, Matt Depatie, Andre Fontaine, Gary Longe and new hire Nicholas Pfiel. He said Gary Bouchard just retired after 47 years of service to the Village of Swanton.

Dean began his presentation by showing the board the stormwater improvements done on North River Street and Gallup Court. He also showed some pictures of old leaking valves being replaced on Blake Street and Grand Avenue intersection, Canada Street, Grand Avenue and Laroe Street, Middle Road and Merchants Row. He said he’s been working with Aldrich & Elliott doing an infrastructure assessment of the 50-year-old system. He said they’d use that information for budgeting purposes and grant applications.

Dean showed the board pictures of their old hot box used for paving. He told them his crew totally rebuilt the one they have and saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars. He also showed pictures of the new sidewalk on Pine Street between Canada and First Streets. He said they worked with the individual who purchased the corner lot on Pine Street and that made this installation go really well.

Dean said his department had to replace a main sewer line due to root blockage and said the camera they purchased to inspect pipes is making his job a lot easier. He said this camera attaches to their vactor and they are able to run lines and see what’s inside them. He said this, along with the root cutter, is a game changer for his department. Dean also talked about the bridge construction that took place and said he’s glad it’s over with. He said this was a learning curve but said the detour worked out pretty well with very little issues. He also said he paved New Street and Greenwich Street but said his paving budget doesn’t go very far. Dean also talked about the grants they received and said they stabilized a stormwater outlet on the riverbank on Winter’s Court. He said they will receive more grants like this in the future and will make the repairs as they get them. He also said they received a Highway Safety Improvement Grant and were able to paint all their crosswalks and replaced some street signs. He said they were also able to be a part of the Leak Detection Project again and found a water leak in the system on North River Street that they repaired.

Dean showed some of his upcoming projects to include: Valve Replacements; Sewer & Stormwater Repairs; Stormwater Drain Cleaning, Dry Hydrant Flushing, Flow Testing and Winterizing. The Board thanked Dean for his update.

9. Fire Department Equipment Discussion with Fire Chief Dan Chevalier:

Dan Chevalier, Fire Chief, presented the Board with some information pertaining to Engine 1 and a new Utility Truck. He said normally he would be before the Board to replace Engine 1 but said instead they would like to sell Engine 1 and their utility vehicle and purchase a new utility mini pumper truck. He said more and more departments are going this way because this utility truck can deliver a lot of the same things as the bigger Engine, but in a much smaller package. He said this vehicle is much easier to drive and handle and the training is minimal. Dan said he would like to form a truck committee and come back before the board with three bids on what it would cost to build a new mini pumper utility vehicle. He then showed the benefits of this plan:

• Benefits of this plan are the fleet goes down to five trucks.
• This opens up a free bay for future station needs. Gear room!
• Maintenance cost on a mini pumper are a quarter of what an engine is.
• Miles per gallon doubled/tripled.
• Can perform 90% of an Engines task.
• Can perform 100% of a Utility Trucks task.
• Can pull the boats, hazmat trailer and the Argo.
• A true multi-purpose truck that handle any call.

Dan said there are some places their current Engine 1 truck doesn’t fit and that is concerning. He then showed the board the potential funding options listed below. He said there are grants out there and it is their hope to be awarded one.

Dan then showed what it would cost to purchase this new utility mini pumper. He said if everything goes according to plan and after the sale of Engine 1 and Utility 6, they would actually end up with a profit. He said this wouldn’t add any additional taxes to the Village taxpayers.

Dan said he would also like to take some of the profit and refurbish their tanker and run it for the foreseeable future. He said if everything goes as he’s presented, they wouldn’t have to come back before the board for a new truck replacement until 2034. Village President David Winchester said he couldn’t imagine too many people having an issue with this request. The Board supports Dan moving forward with this truck committee and coming back with bids in the near future.

10. Review and Approve the Purchase of a Lighting Tower for Public Works Department:

Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said his Public Works Department has a critical safety need that requires a portable light tower for the work being done at night. Our Public Works Department does night work, at all times of the year in all types of weather. We must ensure that our employees have the equipment they need to complete the job safely and effectively. We received multiple bids for light towers, as follows:

Finke Equipment:                                           $11,300 (low bidder) for a Wanco Light Tower

Got That Sales and Rental:                            $12,719.99 for a Wanco Light Tower

Sunbelt Rentals:                                             $19,350 for Terex/Generac Light Tower

This purchase would be funded using water funds. Public Works is recommending that we purchase the Wanco Light Tower from Finke Equipment, the low bidder, for $11,300.

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the purchase of a Wanco Light Tower from Finke Equipment in the amount of $11,300, using water department funds. Suzie Kelleher seconded. Motion carried.

11. Village Manager Update:

Missisquoi River Crossing:  Nearly all work has been completed. The paving is scheduled for next week, weather permitting for both Foundry and the small strip on Canada Street. Public Works has installed a locked gate on the Webster Terrace side, and they have installed no trespassing signs as well. As soon as paving in complete, our Public Works will ensure that everything else is all set and they will remove any remaining material from the Foundry Street cornfield area by spring.

Lead Service Inventory: This inventory has been completed in a combined effort between many Village employees and Aldrich and Elliott. Of the 1,375 service lines inventoried, four were identified as having lead and four had galvanized requiring replacement. The next steps are for the State of Vermont to identify ways to assist homeowners in changing those service lines, and those efforts will likely involve the Village acting as an administering agency. We will be mailing out direct communication to the eight impacted addresses to verify next steps and assist them with this process.

Public Works opening:  This job opening in public works has been filled, with Nick Pfeil being selected out of an incredibly strong pool of applicants. Nick started with us on Monday October 9^th.

Wastewater:  This project is progressing well, with a busy and active job site trying to get as much work as possible completed prior to winter, when things will slow down on site. This project has a completion date of mid-December.

Hydro:  Unit 1 and 2 still down for repairs. Unit 1 is waiting for the manufacturing of spacers, which will take several weeks. Unit 2 will have engineers on site soon to continue efforts to get this unit back online.

Hydro Internship: At the end of September, we completed another successful hydroelectric internship. This collaboration with MVUHS, made possible by Attorney Paul Nolan and the Village of Swanton, allowed intern Blake Hancock to learn all about hydroelectric power and our facility operations. He did an outstanding job, and he would be an excellent candidate for full-time employment in the future if we had an open position.

Electric Department: The Electric Department was out on mutual aid with VEC for most of the weekend. The winds impacted only a couple of spots in our service area, where power was quickly restored.

We continue to work with Weimann Lamphere Architects (WLA) on the design of a new facility and we are nearing the point where we evaluate submissions to identify a Construction Manager. This firm would then help us identify firm costs and final design of the building to bring to the voters in the form of a bond vote in March of 2025.

Marble Mill Lighting: The Electric Department has installed new lighting on the utility poles in Marble Mill leading to the tennis courts. We are waiting for the contractor to complete some underground boring before we can finish the lighting at the tennis/pickleball courts.

Consolidated Communications has made progress (4-5 poles, plus more planned this month) to remove dual poles in our area.

AMI: We continue to make progress on this project. Any corresponding fee increase, if any, has yet to be determined for both electric and water meters. More to follow in the next several months related to AMI.

124 First Street: (BRELLA/Brownfields cleanup) update: We continue to make progress on identifying final data gaps, working with the State of Vermont and our environmental specialist, for the remainder of this year. We hope to have a course of action ready to go based upon the final design of the proposed Electric Department. Suzie asked when the Village planned on annexing the property. Bill said he would start outreach in November or December and said once it’s annexed they will get tax relief.

Police: We are actively advertising and searching for two full-time employees for the Swanton Police Department. If anyone is interested, please do not hesitate to contact Chief Matt Sullivan.

Fire Department: On 10/09 Swanton hosted elementary school students for a tour of the fire department with a focus on fire prevention.

12. Any Other Necessary Business:

Suzie Kelleher said the Hometown Heros Banner Program is going great and so far 33 out of the 75 have been sold. She said there are 19 names in Veteran’s Park and currently three have been sponsored. She said she is looking for 16 more sponsorships.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman said Halloween in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 26^th from 5 to 7 p.m. He said there will be a lot of businesses participating in this event. He asked Bill if he had a FERC update. Bill said they are making progress with studies and said they have an extension on the ability to operate on their old license.

13. Executive Session to Discuss Legal Matter:

Suzie Kelleher made the motion, seconded by Adam Paxman, to go into Executive Session at 9:09 p.m. to discuss confidential personnel, contract and legal issues where premature general public knowledge of the subject matter would place the Village and others at a substantial disadvantage. Motion carried.

Suzie Kelleher made the motion, seconded by Adam Paxman, to exit executive session at 10:12 p.m. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: None.

14. Adjournment:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting of the Board of the Trustees meeting at 10:13 p.m. Suzie Kelleher seconded. There being no further business at hand, David Winchester, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 10:13 p.m. Motion carried.

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David Winchester, Village President                  Date

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date