Trustees Meeting 6/26/23

Web version

 SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

                       SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX                      

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 26, 2023

7:00 PM

PRESENT: Neal Speer, Village President; Chris Leach, Trustee; Eugene LaBombard, Trustee; Adam Paxman, Trustee; William “Bill” Sheets, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Heidi Britch-Valenta, Grant Specialist; Matthew Sullivan, Chief of Police; Nicole Draper, Swanton Recreation and Ch. 16. Via Teams: Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager.

Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried, unanimously.

1. Call to Order:

Neal Speer, Village President, called the Village Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7 p.m.

2. Agenda Review:

None.

3. Pledge of Allegiance:

Everyone in attendance stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

4. Public Comment:

None.

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from the Monday, June 12, 2023 meeting as presented:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve the Minutes from Monday, June 12, 2023 meeting as presented. Chris Leach seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried with one abstention.

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Thursday, June 22, 2023:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve and accept Village Warrants #57-#63 as presented. Eugene LaBombard seconded. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

7. Swanton Village Grant Specialist Update with Heidi Britch-Valenta:

Heidi Britch-Valenta introduced herself to the Board and said she has been finding plenty to do lately. She asked the Board if they had any questions about any of the grants she is currently working on. Adam Paxman said he is curious about the bridge repair and where they stand at this time. Heidi said she is just now scratching the surface on that now and said she’s learned there was an inspection done on it two years ago. She said there will be another one this summer. She said she has spoken with Carolyn Cota, who is the project manager from VTrans, and she has confirmed this upcoming inspection. She said they will bring in trucks where they can get under the bridge to really see where the issues are. She said Carolyn is available to come to a Trustees meeting to let the Board know where they stand and dig into the details. She said they can also discuss long term options for the bridge repairs. Heidi also said the Village is in the State’s que for bridge replacement in 2029. Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said that VTrans will meet with the Village’s public works crew, find out what our needs are regarding the expansion joints, take a comprehensive review and appear before the Board to answer any and all concerns. Bill said they want to be reassured that if they go ahead and spend the $200K, plus any additional money to fix the expansion joints, that that will remedy the bridge and have it last until 2029. He also said VTrans is doing feasibility and advance design work right now which means it truly is in the que and on schedule to be replaced in 2029. Bill said he’s glad that they are willing to come here and answer any questions we may have. Neal Speer, Village President, said the State also had Route 78 in the plans when he first got on the Board several years ago and it’s not done yet. Bill said that this second inspection will answer questions and if they find out they need additional funds for the repair there will be time enough to work on that. Adam Paxman stated he’s already been on record once saying this, but said he is not willing to spend $1 of taxpayer dollars on this bridge. He said he would shut it down first. Bill said that’s why he’s glad they’re coming in.

Heidi asked if there were any other topics they wanted to discuss. Eugene LaBombard asked if any of the Downtown Traffic Improvements would be completed this year. Heidi said yes but first they need to secure a contract with a consulting firm, and they would need to come in and pick up where the study left off. She said they would do more public work with the local businesses to make sure they all understand what is happening and get those projects rolling as soon as possible. Bill said that after reviewing and scoring six contractors they chose VHB who also happened to do the initial downtown scoping study. He said there’s continuity there but said they still have to determine if they have the capacity to meet our timeline. He said they meet with them this week to have that discussion. Bill said they have a $300K grant with a $75K match and said this week they will start going to the downtown businesses to identify what they’re going to do and get everyone on board. Chris Leach said he thought it would be advantageous to know how many multi-axle big trucks cross the bridge on a daily basis. He said an old study determined there were 1,800 trucks per day and said he’d like to know the amount today. Chris said that amount of truck traffic is causing damage to our bridge and roads and that information could be used

to their advantage. Bill said no doubt this is a major truck route and a major concern. He said they may already have that information. Neal Speer said he believed Northwest Regional Planning did the last study. He also asked Heidi if she’s heard anymore on the Rivieria property. She said there is a little more ground water sampling that needs to be done before they determine the clean up plan. Bill said he would keep them posted on this topic.

Heidi said two other applications she’s completed since she’s been here is a Highway Safety Improvement grant to replace and improve a lot of the signage in the Village with reflective signs and to repaint crosswalks in the Village. She said if that comes through the Village would do the work and be totally covered by the $35,000 grant. Heidi said she was also able to maximize the visit from the Vermont Economic Progress Council meeting that was held here recently and just completed her application for $1 million dollars to go towards the Wastewater Plant upgrade. She said hopefully this comes to fruition soon. The Board thanked Heidi for her good work and for her updates.

8. Swanton Village Police Department Update with Chief Matthew Sullivan:

Chief Matthew Sullivan informed the Board that during the month of May the police department responded to 104 incidents in the Village; issued 3 traffic stops and issued 4 tickets and 3 warnings; and made 7 arrest charges for 5 individuals. He said the top ten calls for service were 12 suspicious person/circumstance; 9 evidence; 7 citizen assist; 7 community outreach, 7 motor vehicle complaint; 6 agency assistance; 5 citizen dispute; 4 search warrant; 4 crash w/damages; and 3 thefts.

Chief Sullivan said for the Town and Village combined they responded to 223 incidents; issued 14 traffic stops which resulted in 8 tickets and 14 warnings; made 2 arrests; and issued 18 arrest charges for 11 individuals. He said the top ten calls for service included 23 suspicious person/circumstance; 21 agency assistance; 18 motor vehicle complaint; 16 community outreach; 14 traffic stop; 12 directed patrol; 11 citizen dispute; 9 evidence; 9 citizen assist; and 8 threatening.

Chief Sullivan said he has one item for executive session regarding contracts. He said they also hosted a training this weekend for rescue personnel responding to incidents. He said one of their officers was the lead instructor for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care. He said it was a great training bringing together EMS personnel and law enforcement officers, learning how to respond to critical incidents. He said they’ve also focused on traffic issues on Spring Street, South River Street and Grand Avenue. He also said the Howard Center has lost funding for the detox facility they had in St. Albans. He said even though they don’t have a huge number of people going to detox it still presents a problem. He said there needs to be coordination and he will reach out to corrections on this. He said related to their focus on drug enforcement they’ve received some positive feedback from community members who were aware of what was going on. They’ve told the police department that the drug dealers felt as though they were pushed out of the community due to their proactive drug enforcement. He said they’ve executed 12 search warrants since last fall and will continue to do more. He said they’ve partnered with federal agencies to address this issue as well. Chris Leach asked about the robbery at Sunoco recently. Chief Sullivan said the store owner happened to be there when they broke in, a fight ensued, and the robbers left with no money or anything else. He said they’re still investigating it and have had several leads. Adam Paxman said he knows that the Town has opened some of their roads to ATV’s but said they are getting a lot of ATV traffic in the Village. He asked if the Chief had any thoughts on how they can contain it and said he doesn’t support the Selectboard with their decision regarding ATV’s. Chief Sullivan said the Village doesn’t allow ATVs on Village streets and said part of it is confusion on the rider’s part. He said the difficulty enforcing it is keeping everyone safe including the rider. He said the best thing someone can do is to take a picture or video of the person operating the ATV. He said the police will be able to do follow up work with that and figure out who the individual is. He said they can then issue tickets to deter the issue. Chief Sullivan said they know it’s a problem and said this may help. He said his department has had some success with photos. Adam said he appreciated the information and said he would pass it on. The Board thanked Chief Sullivan for his update.

9. Review and Sign Swanton Village’s Internal Financial Controls Checklist:

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to approve Swanton Village’s Internal Financial Controls Checklist for Municipalities. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

10. Approve Swanton Recreation’s 2023 Cornfest Event Alcohol Permit:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve Swanton Recreation’s request to sell alcohol at their August 12, 2023 Cornfest event from 2 to 8 p.m. and moves to issue them a one day alcohol permit for that event. Eugene LaBombard seconded the motion. Motion carried.

11. Review and Authorize Village Clerk to Sign Declaration of Official Intent to Reimburse Certain Expenditures from Proceeds of Indebtedness for Public Safety Facility and Municipal Complex Project:

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated this declaration is necessary so that the Village can be reimbursed for certain expenditures pertaining to the Public Safety Facility that will go out for bond. She said these expenses can be added to that bond amount. Chris Leach made the motion to authorize Village Clerk Dianne Day to sign the Declaration of Official Intent to Reimburse Certain Expenditures from Proceeds of Indebtedness for Public Safety Facility and Municipal Complex Project. Adam Paxman seconded. Motion carried.

12. Village Manager Update:

Village Manager, William “Bill” Sheets, gave the following updates to the Board:

Downtown Enhancement Grant:  $300K with a $75K match. A committee selected VHB from a list of six VTrans “At-The-Ready” Consultant Engineering Services. We have our initial meeting with them this week and if all goes well, we will enter a contract with them to provide engineering services for a portion of the project identified in the last scoping study, which happened to be performed by VHB.

Lamoille Valley Rail Trail:  On Saturday July 15^th, starting at 7:30 a.m. Governor Phil Scott will be riding the entire length of the Rail Trail, starting in Swanton. Update: The Governor’s Office has requested that the police department close Robin Hood Drive at Short Street to traffic from approximately 6:45 a.m. until the Governor departs.

Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Bridge (Depot Street):  This bridge is due for an inspection this summer. They will use a truck that will allow them to look under the bridge. They will work with Dean Ryan about our concerns and mitigation plans prior to the scheduled bridge replacement in 2029.  The State of Vermont Structures Division is willing to come in and update the Trustees on this project.

MVU Career Fair for Teens:  We are going all in for MVU Futures Week on July 28^th from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Duane Couture, Dean Ryan, Lynn Paradis, Matt Sullivan, Tod Jones, and I are participating. Bill said the intern they have working at the Hydro Plant is doing great and may be a future employee of the Village.

Swanton Village Butt Litter Clean Up 2023:  On Tuesday, June 27^th 10 – 12 the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition will be picking up butts around the Village Green. On July 19^th from 10 – 12 they will be picking up around Swanton Recreation.

On Monday, March 8, 2024, there will be a total eclipse in our area. There is significant demand as tourist attractions and neighboring communities are preparing for maximum visitation.

74 Merchant’s Row: The Village of Swanton is now the owner of this property. Heidi and I will begin to explore the best avenue for the creation of a parking lot with a level 3 charging station. This parking lot is not within the scope of the $300,000 grant we currently have. Options could include seeking alternative funding or seeking an amendment to the grant. Regardless, we will begin to determine any zoning restrictions and be ready to proceed.

River Crossing Water Line: We are making progress, but we do not have SHPO sign off and A&E are still awaiting follow-up on the additional soil sampling required as part of the archeological survey. A&E   still plans on going out to bid on or about June 12^th, with an onsite pre-bid meeting on June 20^th, followed by a bid opening on July 11^th.  Chris Leach stated they had issues with a contractor on a previous job and he prefers that the Village not use that company. Bill said they would do their due diligence.

Marble Mill: The port-o-let has been installed for the summer. Heidi will be researching funding to explore grant funding opportunities for flood prone parks. This is in the early stages of exploration only. I have met with Brian Savage, and we have discussed the displacement of the tennis courts and skate park from Marble Mill. We will work collaboratively with the town to seek grant funding to find alternative locations for those recreational activities. 

124 First Street: Our first kick-off meeting with our selected construction manager, ReArch and Weimann Lamphere, was held on Thursday, June 22^nd.  

Due to the need for office space, I am requesting that we limit allowing outside partners into the complex for daytime meetings. While we love collaboration it has begun to interfere with our ability to conduct normal business now that we have an overflow of office space located in the meeting area. We can continue to accommodate evening events and will be able to accommodate all once we have space in the new Public Safety facility. 

Swanton Village hired Andre Fontaine for the Public Works department, and he will start full-time on July 3^rd.

13. Any Other Necessary Business:

Village Clerk, Dianne Day, stated the Village Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary is requesting permission to hold a coin drop on Saturday, August 5, 2023, with a rain date of Saturday, August 12, 2023. Chris Leach made the motion to approve the Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary to hold their coin drop on Saturday, August 5, 2023, with a rain date of Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eugene LaBombard seconded the motion. Motion carried with two yays, one nay.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman asked if the Village could put on some “No Trespassing” signs on the 6 South River Street property. He said he’s getting some feedback that there’s a lot of activity

going on there like vehicles and motorcycles. Bill said he has urged the neighbor to report any of these issues to the police department when it’s happening. Bill said security fencing is expensive. It was decided that the police department would make sure to check the area more frequently.

Any Other Business: Adam Paxman asked if it would be possible to make the wood chip trucks take Beebe Road instead of coming through the Village. He said they speed and don’t follow any of the rules. That was also brought to the attention of the police department and Chief Sullivan said he would keep an eye out for that.

14. Executive Session if Necessary:

Adam Paxman made the motion to enter Executive Session at 8:25 p.m. to discuss contracts.  Eugene LaBombard seconded. Motion carried.

Eugene LaBombard made the motion to exit Executive Session 9:05 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: None.

15. Adjournment:

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting of the Board of the Trustees meeting at 9:06 p.m. Chris Leach seconded. There being no further business at hand, Neal Speer, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 9:06 p.m. Motion carried.

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Neal Speer, Village President                            Date

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date