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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 04/27/1970BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING APRIL 27, 1970 The South Burlington Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting at the South Burlington Middle School Library, Dorset Street, on Monday, April 27, 1970, at 7:30 P.M. Charles H. Behney, Chairman, called the meeting to order. MEMBERS PRESENT Charles H. Behney, Chairman; Gregory L. Premo, Raymond E. Stearns, Frederick G. Blais, and James C. Pizzagalli. MEMBERS ABSENT None OTHERS PRESENT Robert M. Janes, Town Manager; Charlotte C. Marsh, Fire Chief Monell, Code Officer Ward, Mrs. James Pizzagalli and Franklyn McCaffrey. READING OF THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 13 and APRIL 17, 1970 MEETINGS Mr. Premo made a motion to instruct the secretary to insert the following omission to the item INFORMATIONAL HEARING - TAX EQUALIZATION SURVEY before the last paragraph on page 3 of the minutes of the April 13th meeting. "Mr. Wright, in answer to questioning by Selectmen and others present, said the equalization survey results did not in any way make any difference in the amount of State Aid Funds received by the School District". Mr. Pizzagalli seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mr. Premo made a motion to accept the minutes of April 13th as corrected, and the minutes of the April 17th meeting as read. Mr. Pizzagalli seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. SIGN STATE-AID APPLICATIONS The Selectmen signed, after due consideration, state-aid applications for Winter Maintenance on Selected Highways, Application for Town Highway Fund and Application for State-Aid Highway Funds. Mr. Janes, Town Manager, was instructed to return the application for State-Aid for Dorset Street to Mr. Szymanski for more details, and to resubmit it for signatures. ACCEPT STREETS IN LAUREL HILL SOUTH - YANDOW DEVELOPMENT The Selectmen agreed to consider this after more information is made available to them, and deleted the item from this meeting. ADOPT RESOLUTION ON DEATH OR MR. HIRAM F. TILLEY On a motion made by Mr. Stearns, seconded by Mr. Premo, and so passed, the Board adopted the following resolution: TOPICS PROGRAM - TOWN ENGINEER REPORT This item was deleted from the agenda due to the Town Engineer's absence. DISCUSSION ON CHAIRMAN BEHNEY'S PRIORITY LIST Chairman Behney said the "List of Major Areas of Decision" he had previously distributed to the Board was not set off in order of priority, that he had reviewed what he considered the most pressing challenges facing the Board in the remainder of the current term, and asked the members to review them in detail in order to effect a specific completion program. During a general discussion the following five items were added to the list: 20 Adoption of a Town and/or City Seal. 21 Consideration of adoption of a Burning Ordinance and enforcement of same. 22 Plan walkways through the Laurel Hill Section to the Orchard School. 23 Consider new format for financial statement of monthly receipts and expenditures. 24 Consider new pension/retirement plan for the policemen and firemen. Almost every item on the list was reviewed, in detail, at the meeting, with each member expressing interest in working on several items. DISCUSSION ON CHAIRMAN BEHNEY'S PRIORITY LIST, CONTINUED Chairman Behney said other Boards, Committees, and the School Board, as well as the Town Manager (on Administrative type items) would also be very much involved in working on the items and arriving at solutions. Intensive discussion continued at length on several items on the list, mainly enforcement of the dog, burning, and air-pollution ordinances, trash collection, illegal dumping at our land-fill area, walkways in Laurel Hill district, time table on the Queen City Park sewer project, etc. The allocation of the items to the Selectmen and other Committees and Boards for intensive work was not acted upon. It was agreed that each Selectman should go over the items carefully and choose his areas of interest and the matter would be considered again. The list is filled with and made a part of these minutes. ZONING ORDINANCE - DELINEATING THE MASTER PLAN Chairman Behney reported the Planning Commission was working on the above items and would be asking the Board of Selectmen for funds to match the state-aid funds allocated for the work. DISCUSSION ON SELECTMEN'S NEWSLETTER Selectman Pizzagalli reported that he had contacted two persons who would be interested in working on a Selectmen's Newsletter, one a man connected with the Pizzagalli office, and the other a girl who was willing to devote the time to such a project. Mr. Pizzagalli thought that the members could take turns writing articles for the paper, and members of other town committees and boards could also submit items of interest. DISCUSSION ON SELECTMEN'S NEWSLETTER, CONTINUED Mr. Premo suggested that he could make up a format such as is used by the Kiwanis Club for the Board to consider. The members agreed that this was a good idea. Chairman Behney said he hoped the first issue of the Newsletter could be distributed in a month, and contain items on the reappraisal question and the Champlain Water District which are of interest right now. He noted that the community is now showing more interest in town affairs and an early issue would keep up this interest. Methods of distribution were considered as well as the cost of printing, paper, and ink, etc. Chairman Behney then wondered if Mr. Pizzagalli could be charged with forming the committee and Mr. Premo to do what he ahd suggested in regard to bringing in a sample paper. ACCEPT SKETCH OF LOCATION OF BABE RUTH FIELD AT JAYCEE PARK Mr. Janes presented a Park and Recreation Committee approved sketch, prepared by the Town Engineer, of the proposed location of the baseball field at JayCee Park. Mr. Stearns and Mr. Premo both reported on their recent meeting with the Park and Recreation Committee. Mr. Stearns said that the Kiwanis Club wanted to be sure the ball park was laid out correctly as it was putting a lot of work into it. Mr. Blais said the JayCees were ready to go to work getting services, money, and pledges, to develop the field. Mr. Stearns asked who was going to coordinate the work. ACCEPT SKETCH OF LOCATION OF BABE RUTH FIELD AT JAYCEE PARK, CONT'D Town Manager Janes said the property was public, the Park and Recreation Committee was the agent appointed by the Board of Selectmen and should coordinate the work. Mr. Premo said he was sure a lack of communication was what was holding up the development of the park. Mr. Blais disputed there was a lack of communication and recapped past events leading up to acquisition of the Park and Civic Center. He said the JayCees have engaged an architect and are waiting for a go-ahead. They need to know what goals the Committee has, what they want to use the field for, and what they to use the house for. He also said the parking lot should have been paved last month, but nothing has been done. Mr. Stearns mentioned that the Park and Recreation Committee did cut down on the number of committeemen and had agreed to consider women's and girls' activities. Chairman Behney noted that the facilities were often misnamed, it should be the JayCee Park and the O'Brien Civic Center, and said this phase (development of the park and building) needs to be jumped into if the ground work is done this season. He said we must get the people working together. Mr. Premo suggested that Town Manager Janes set a date for a meeting with the Park and Recreation Committee, the Selectmen, a representative of the State Recreation Committee, the architect, and the JayCees. Mr. Janes said he would see that the meeting was scheduled. ACCEPT MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS - FIRE DEPARTMENT Chief Monell presented for consideration mutual aid agreements he had prepared with Williston, Shelburne, Winooski, and Essex Junction. Chairman Behney read the agreements in full. Mr. Pizzagalli asked that the agreements be forwarded to the Town Attorney for review. Mr. Premo made a motion to accept the agreements subject to review for content and intent by the Town Attorney, and clarification of the question of insurance coverage. The motion was seconded by Mr. Pizzagalli and passed unanimously. FINANCIAL STATEMENT - FIRE DEPARTMENT Cheif Monell went over the line items on the financial statement he had prepared and presented to the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Premo asked of the Chairman or Town Manager if it was standard procedure for a department head to spend that amount of money without going to the Board of Selectmen. Town Manager Janes answered that it is a good question, that it was not his purpose to embarrass Chief Monell or himself, but he did not know the money was being spent till after the equipment was ordered, at which point he asked the Chief to type out the purchase orders since he had obtained competitive bids. That, as of this time, he did all he could on a retroactive basis. Chief Monell said that Mr. Janes had not been aware of the purchases, that he (the Chief) thought he had the power to buy the equipment up to the amount of the Bond Issue, that he was hired to establish a department and went right ahead. The matter brought up a discussion that since Town Manager Janes is Purchasing Agent purchases should not have to be brought before the Board. Chairman Behney explained that Chief Monell worked on his purchases with two experts in the field, Captain Smith and Captain Wamsganz, so there were three good minds on buying the equipment, and that since it has all been substantiated with comparative bids received, he felt that it had worked out satisfactorily. The above brought on a discussion on the purchase order system now going into effect, with the department heads authorized to process orders up to $200.00. Chairman Behney instructed Town Manager Janes to get together with Mrs. Paquin and get her recommendation on selling the bonds for the fire station and equipment or preparing anticipation notes. BID OPENING - FIRE DEPARTMENT BUILDING Mr. Pizzagalli asked Chairman Behney if he had decided how the bid opening would be conducted. Chairman Behney asked what he would recommend, and Mr. Pizzagalli said it worked out well if the bids were opened and read publicly, and then each contractor had the opportunity to explain his bid privately. The Selectmen agreed that the bidding procedure would follow Mr. Pizzagalli's suggestion. STORAGE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT Chief Monell said he had already received some of his equipment and was storing it in his garage for the present. He was advised to get fire and theft insurance. CONSIDER RESIGNATION OF CHIEF LISTER - IRVING L. DOUGLAS Chairman Behney read in full a letter of resignation, dated April 13, 1970, from Mr. Irving L. Douglas, Chairman of the South Burlington Board of Listers. Chairman Behney reported he had conferred with Mr. Douglas on this, and Mr. Douglas had agreed to help out throughout the compiling of the current Grand List, and then entertained a motion that the resignation be accepted effective upon completion and signing of the current Grand List. Mr. Premo made a motion to accept Mr. Douglas' resignation effective upon completion and signing of the Grand List. Mr. Pizzagalli seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. APPOINTMENT OF TWO NEW LISTERS Chairman Behney charged the members of the Board with the responsibility of considering 2 additional listers' appointments, one to take effect immediately, the other to take effect after the signing of the Grand List. NEW JOB CLASSIFICATION - TAX ANALYST Mr. Stearns made a motion to eliminate the position of Assistant Assessor and create the position of Tax Analyst at Grade 13, as recommended by the Town Manager. The motion was seconded by Mr. Blais and passed unanimously. The Board agreed that it would not take any action of offering the position of Tax Analyst to Richard Underwood, a town employee, as the Town Manager was authorized to hire employees. The regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was adjourned at 10:45 P.M. and convened as the Liquor Control Board. LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD MEETING Chairman Behney presented several liquor license applications for consideration. The Board considered and approved and signed the license applications. The Liquor Control Board meeting was adjourned at 10:50 P.M., and reconvened as a regular meeting. On motion duly made, seconded, and so voted the regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was adjourned at 10:52 P.M. Approved James C. Pizzagalli, Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.