Unapproved Minutes

Braintree Selectboard Meeting

December 3, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Present:

Daniel Burson, Acting Selectboard Chair Jeff Masterson, Road Commissioner

Loren Bent, Selectboard Member Katja Evans, Kimball Public Library Board

Charlie McMeekin, Selectboard Member Kris Haupt, Cemetery Commission Chair

Megan O’Toole, Selectboard Chair (via phone) Jessie Brassard, Treasurer

Holly Jarvis, Admin. Assistant

Mr. Burson called the meeting to order at 6pm. 

The Board reviewed the agenda. The Cemetery Commission’s semi-annual report was added. 

On motion of Mr. McMeekin, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board unanimously approved the minutes of November 19, 2019. 

Citizens’ comments:

• Ms. Evans, stopped in to explain what Kimball Public Library has been doing this last year, and about future planning that will be taking place.  They will be asking for $10,500 in special appropriations this year. Which is an increase, therefore a petition will be circulated. 
• Mr. Kris Haupt and the Board talked about the Town’s New Holland tractor. 

Guests

• Mr. Kolbey Haupt and the Board discussed the additional costs for Tannenburg Bridge. There was more ledge at the site than anticipated. On motion of Mr. McMeekin, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board unanimously approved paying the $5,000 additional costs for the unanticipated work on the bridge.

• Mr. Kris Haupt provided the Cemetery Commission report. The two year mowing contract with Jason’s Handiworks was signed recently. A new commissioner member will need to be found as Linda Morse had resigned.  The commission doesn’t normally meet in the winter months so they are waiting until Town Meeting Day to fill the position. Ms. Brassard mentioned an idea about hiring someone as a town employee, who would mow at the town office, town hall, and cemeteries, and do basic repairs of the town buildings. The suggestion wasn’t for this budget, but a thought to consider for FY22. Equipment could be rented instead of bought.
• Mr. Masterson provided the highway report. The Thayer Brook Road culvert planning is still ongoing. Mr. Masterson is working with TRORC for a Better Roads Grant on Peth Road for a $20,000 grant. The signs for LaRocque Road have come in. Soon when the weather allows, the signs will be installed.  The Highway Department has been dealing with the winter weather. 

Old business

• • The current draft of the budget was reviewed. A number of lines in the regular budget, and in both the capital fund and the vehicle fund were discussed. There are a few numbers still to come in. The budgets are in good shape. How to show the proposal from the Sheriff’s Department for policing in Braintree, which will be on the warning, was discussed. Estimates for work on the garage, will be sought for the capital fund.  

• On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously approved selling the 2009 International Truck, and trade in the current angle plow on the 1-ton pickup, for a v –plow as long as it is less than $4,800 (the purchase of the plow was not contingent on the sale of the 2009 truck). 

New business

• A Thank you note from the school to the Highway Departments was reviewed. 
• VLCT Cannabis Resolution relating to S.54 was reviewed and tabled. 
• Holly Jarvis has resigned as Zoning Administrator and Admin. Assistant, as she will be moving out of state. The Board thanked her for her service. The resignation was anticipated, and an ad was run in the newspaper last week looking for someone to fill both positions. Mr. Burson and Mr. McMeekin will be conducting interviews and overseeing the transition. Ms. Brassard will look into a suggestion from a resident about hiring Compucount for payroll. 
• There is a new commercial motor vehicle operator drug and alcohol clearinghouse. The particulars of it were disused. On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously approved Ms. Jarvis as the administrator. It was understood that this will be passed along to the next Admin. Assistant when they start work.

On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. Bent, the Board unanimously approved the payment orders.

On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board voted unanimously to go into Executive Session for personnel matters under 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(B).

The Board came out of executive session.

On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously approved paying the two years of overtime back pay without the consideration of comp time and how it affects overtime (this will mean the employees will be paid slightly more in back pay than if it is calculated the other way). 

On motion of Mr. Burson, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously adjourned the meeting at 8:25 pm. 

Respectfully submitted,

Holly Jarvis

Approved Minutes

Braintree Selectboard Meeting 

October 22, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Present:

Megan O’Toole, Selectboard Chair Kathleen Juffre-Ernst: resident about bus route

Daniel Burson, Selectboard Member Jim Barlow: Town Attorney, LT 10

Loren Bent, Selectboard Member Paul Hannan: Town Surveyor, LT 10

Charlie McMeekin, Selectboard Member Paul Kendall: Resident, LT 10

Keegan Haupt, Selectboard Member Kelly Braman: LT 10

Mark LaRocque: LT 10

Jeff Masterson, Road Commissioner Aaron LaRocque: Resident, LT 10

Jessie Brassard, Treasurer Zac Freeman: RASTA, LT 10

Holly Jarvis, Admin. Assistant Kevin LaRocque: LT 10

Ms. O’Toole called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. 

The Board reviewed the agenda, adding a conversation about repairs to a culvert on Thayer Brook Road. 

On motion of Mr. Haupt, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously approved the minutes of October 8, 2019. 

Citizens’ comments

• Ms. Juffre-Ernst came to talk about the bus routes. She would like to find a way to have her children picked up by the school bus. She lives on Summit Road (a short private road off from Braintree Hill Road). The section of Braintree Hill Road that Summit Road enters is not a part of a bus route. She read the Superintendent’s email to her regarding his concerns about winter maintenance and turn around options of that section of Braintree Hill Road. The plowing/sanding routes have been planned to work with the current bus routes. It may or may not be possible to find a workable solution.  It was unclear if the school would be willing to consider a change in a bus route if a workable change in the plowing route was found. Ms. Juffre-Ernst was asked to talk to the school some more about it and get back to the Town. 
• Mr. Freeman asked about the Braintree 3,5,7. He had heard quite a lot of positive feedback, but was wondering if anyone had heard any negative feedback. Ms. Brassard indicated that she encountered some people sitting in chairs at one of the intersections. People on bikes were stopped in the middle of the road talking to the people in chairs, and barely moved enough for her to get by them. She had heard of a few other comments about bikes taking up more than their share of the road. Mr. Freeman indicated that he always reminds the people at the event to abide by the rules of the road. He will make sure that reminder continues to occur. 

Guests

• Mr. Hannan passed around a LiDAR map on which he overlaid the plotting of a number of road layouts. The LiDAR map clearly show that there is currently a course through the woods where Legal Trail 10 had been thought to be; a trail New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) and Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA) is currently using. He found three different layout records that when all three are considered together appear to match up with the legal trail and LaRocque Road quite well. It does appear as if a mistake was made in one of the layout records. This is not uncommon. The method used back when this layout was done involved measuring with a specially designed chain and a compass. The surveyor would note the measurements and directional readings and then the town clerk would copy those notes in the town record books, sometimes years later. On the map he showed the course as it was written in one color and the course with the added section in another. Both courses were purposefully off set from the course that was visible on the ground so that it could be seen as well. The assumption being made was discussed with him and the audience members. It was his professional option that this mistake in the old record isn’t a fatal flaw regarding the legal standing of the trail. The intent of the layout record was clear to him. Following this discussion, the Board asked Mr. Hannan to review the town records to determine if the trails were ever discontinued. He advised that a reasonable search for the discontinuance will be done. 
• Jeff Masterson provided the Highway Report. The turn arounds were briefly discussed. 
  • Ms. O’Toole made the motion to pay Hilltop Construction the $195,000 for the construction of Tannenburg Bridge, Mr. Bent seconded the motion. There was a lengthy discussion, as the contract was for $190,000, with a clause stating that it could be increased by $5,000 with prior permission if unforeseen circumstances were encountered. Following the discussion the vote was taken and the motion failed (Mr. Bent, and Ms. O’Toole voted in favor, Mr. Burson, and Mr. McMeekin voted against the motion, Mr. Haupt abstained from the vote as Hilltop Construction is his brother’s business). 
  • On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board voted in favor of paying the $190,000 to Hilltop Construction now and invite Kolbey Haupt to the next Selectboard meeting to discuss the $5,000 (Mr. Haupt abstained, the other Board members voted in favor.) 
  • The Board discussed the repairs needed to a headwall on a culvert on Thayer Brook Road.  On motion of Mr. Haupt, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board unanimously agreed to ask four contractors for bids instead of advertising it, if that will not cause a problem with FEMA funding for the project. 

Old business

• Mr. Burson reported that the time period the bidder had to accept the counter bid on the tractor has expired. He will look into putting the tractor on the muni-bid site. 

New business

• On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Haupt, the Board unanimously approved the discharge of the mortgage for The Housing Foundation.
• On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board unanimously approved singing the following documents for the grant in aid reimbursement packet:
  • Operations and Maintenance Agreement
  • Transfer of Ownership Request
• The Board agreed to support the local collaboration for the Boston Fed’s Working Communities Challenge. The current plan is to focus the funding on expanding the availability of childcare in the area. 
• On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board unanimously approved the payment orders.  

On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Haupt, the Board voted unanimously to go into executive session for personnel matters under 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(B).

On motion of Mr. Haupt, seconded by Ms. O’Toole, the Board voted unanimously to come out of executive session. 

On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. Burson, the Board unanimously approved the addendum to the personnel policy to change how the full time highway personnel are paid for wintertime standby. 

On motion of Ms. O’Toole, seconded by Mr. McMeekin, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 pm. 

Respectfully submitted

Holly Jarvis, 

Admin. Assistant