Main content

Trustees Meeting 2/13/23

  • Monday, February 13, 2023
    7 PM – 9 PM

Village Trustees

Web version

SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, February 13, 2023

7:00 PM

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Chris Leach, Trustee; William “Bill” Sheets, Village Manager; Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; and Dan Chevalier, Hydro Plant Supervisor.

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried unanimously.

  1. Call to Order:

Neal Speer, Village President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

  1. Pledge of Allegiance:

Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

  1. Agenda Review:

None.

  1. Public Comment:

Adam Paxman stated the Swanton Chamber of Commerce held their Citizen of the Year award dinner on Friday evening and named Debbie and Gordon Winters as the 2023 recipients. He also said they honored Debbie Lavoie who was named in 2021 and Herb Bartemy from TDI Repair as the 2020 recipient. He said they couldn’t have dinners in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid. He said they also recognized EJ Barrette for being in business for 101 years and Neal Speer for being in business for 50 years. Adam presented Neal with a plaque for this honor.

Neal Speer stated he would be out of town during the informational meeting but would be back for voting day.

  1. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, January 30, 2023 as presented:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Minutes from the Monday, January 30, 2023 meeting as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

  1. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Thursday, February 9, 2023:

Chris Leach made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants #10-#14 through Thursday, February 9, 2023 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: Chris Leach asked about the payment made to Kittell, Branagan and Sargent for $23,975. Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated that was the bulk of the auditing invoice but said there would be one more small invoice coming in. Motion carried.

  1. Hydro Plant Update on Generation by Dan Chevalier:

Dan Chevalier, Hydro Plant Supervisor, was present for this presentation. He began with a slideshow. He showed the Powerhouse station batteries were replaced with new updated models in 2022. He said they should have a life expectancy of 20 years. He also showed they upgraded the powerhouse battery charger to a new model. Dan also showed pictures of the new concrete block that was built near the tailrace since the old one was falling apart. He said they added another layer of concrete to it and it’s doing it’s job there. Dan showed what some of their goals are for 2023 such as removing the old wooden bearing and  installing a new greased one on Unit #3. Dan said they’ve had a couple of new hires and they are Marc Tardif and David Cassidy. He said they are now fully staffed and these two new operators are working on their own and doing a great job. He said himself along with his operators have been working on capturing the most generation they can and have formulated a way to do just that with Units 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. He said it's nice to see them grasp it and adjust their units when needed and by doing so were able to capture 550 KWS more. Dan also showed how they follow the  Berkshire Gage and said snow melt and warmer temperatures are a huge factor at the plant. Dan said using the water they have and working closely with Shawn and Heather from VPPSA, they have been able to fine tune their targeted generation for monthly peaks. He showed a graph showing how they hit the nail right on the mark for February 3rd. The Board thanked Dan for his very informative update.

  1. Review and Sign Certification of Compliance for Town Road and Bridge Standards and Network Inventory:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to authorize the Board of Trustees to sign the Certificate of Compliance for Town Road and Bridge Standards and Network Inventory as presented. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

  1. Approve Ryan Jordan’s Request for a Water and Wastewater Allocation to Convert a Commercial Space into a Two Bedroom Apartment at 128 Grand Avenue:

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:27 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Ryan Jordan’s request for a water and wastewater allocation of 400 GPD for a two-bedroom apartment to be converted from a commercial space at 128 Grand Avenue in Swanton. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Water Commissioner’s meeting at 7:28 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

  1. Discussion on Coin Drops:

There was some discussion regarding reinstating coin drops in the Village. Dianne Day, Village Clerk, stated this topic was voted on in 2017 and the Village voters passed this article 153 yes to 149 no. Chris Leach stated he would like to resume them. Bill Sheets, Village Manager, stated they could also set up Venmo or Paypal to receive donations. Chris Leach made the motion to resume coin drops from May through October, one per month as approved by the Village voters. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried with two yays, one nay.

  1. Village Manager Update:

William “Bill” Sheets, Village Manager, stated he heard back from the architects regarding the Complex. He said he would have a full concept design by our next meeting to be reviewed.

He informed the Board that the Town and Village of Swanton have decided to go with the Vermont based website and that the Village paid their half which came to $6662.50. He said it will take 4 to 6 months before it’s up and running.

Bill said that he has an item for Executive Session regarding the Hotel Riveria property. He said they are on a schedule and are hoping for demolition in April. He said they are making good progress.

Bill also said that he met with Jason Barney at MVU and said four different classes will be coming in to talk with fire, police and to tour the hydro plant.

Bill informed the Board that on June 6th the Village will host Northern Vermont Economic Development Group and do a tour of the hydro plant. Chris Leach said it would be nice to have another Open House at the Hydro Plant.

Bill also said he has talked with several congressional delegates in various offices. He said he’s being told there is a vast amount of money available for projects especially in the water industry.

Bill said they had an expert in the water field come to the Village’s water plant and in just three days was able to adjust the alarm levels. He said they have been having some issues but everything is resolved now. He said no upgrades are needed at this time.

Bill stated that Jason Starr at the Village’s wastewater plant has passed his Stage 2 certification and now holds a grade 2 license. He also said Dillon Dupont passed his grade 1 and is studying for his grade 2. He encourages them to obtain the highest level possible.

Bill said the Village has the opportunity to claim some tier 3 credits because Highgate Elementary School has installed some heat pumps. He said there are times when members of VPPSA share the credits and times when they don’t. He said they can claim these credits when a commercial customer goes to solar or to heat pumps. Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Village Manager William “Bill” Sheets to solely claim tier 3 credits for the Village of Swanton. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

Bill informed the Board that he met with Mr. Richard Barwin at MVU regarding the W. Scott Mueller Hydro-Electric Summer Internship program they will be doing this summer. He showed the Board the application that has been made for students who are interested in this to fill out.

  1. Any Other Necessary Business:

None.

  1. Executive Session to Discuss Contracts, Personnel and Real Estate:

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session at 8:00 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session at 9:25 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the Hotel Riviere Asbestos Abatement proposal from Catamount Environmental, in the amount of $21,900. The Environmental science and engineering firm KAS recommended this bid proposal based on all bid criteria. The Village portion of this Asbestos abatement effort will be 20 percent. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

  1. Adjournment:

Chris Leach made the motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting of the Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:28 p.m. Adam Paxman seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:28 p.m. Motion carried.

_____________________________________             _______________________________________

Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

_____________________________________    ___________________________________

Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date