Town of Danville

Selectboard Minutes

December 17th, 2009

Marvin Withers called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Selectboard present were, Doug Pastula, Steve Larrabee, Denise Briggs, Marvin Withers and Michael K Walsh. Also present were Wendy Somers, Sharon Daniell, Kevin Gadapee, Merton Leonard, Jeremy Withers, William Bailey, Harold Hatch, Donald Lamothe, Scott Cromack, and visitors Ken Linsley, Barb and Gary Fontaine, Daniel Kimbell, Doug Morton, Steve Patterson, Reg Guertin, Kevin Lessard, and Fernand Theroux.

Steve Larrabee moved to accept the minutes of the December 3rd meeting as written; Michael K. Walsh seconded the motion with changes to include target shooting, light paid from the town building fund, and personnel issues; the minutes were approved as corrected.

Daniel Kimbell was present, representing the trust department of the Passumpsic Savings Bank. He informed the Selectboard that the Town of Danville is named an heir to receive funds from the Marion E Sevigny Trust. Disbursements to the town in December 2009 will include: $75,000 and 5% of any future disbursements to establish a fund with the income only to be used for the annual Memorial Day celebration in town; and $600,000 and 40% of any future disbursements to establish a fund with the income only to be used to maintain and improve the Town Hall and Danville Green Park. Mr Kimbell further stated that the Town was free to invest the funds as the Board saw fit, or could leave them invested with the Passumpsic Bank. The Board thanked Mr Kimbell for the good news and they would investigate how to best invest the money, and would advise him of their decision.

Steve Paterson Executive Director of NVDA and Doug Morton Transportation planner were present to discuss their services to the Town and surrounding areas. Mr Morton spoke of the services that have involved the town including: the Transportation Committee, of which Merton is a member, advises VTrans of the regional priority list of road and bridge repairs as seen by local officials; the three year town wide culvert inventory that was just completed GPS mapping all of Danville's bridges and culverts; receipt of a safety grant for upgrading markings, visibility, and guard rails for an identified road safety hazard; as well as various meetings, guests, and discussions of interest to regional towns. Mr Patterson continued: they also are involved with helping to attract and assist small industries that have located in area towns; encourages and assists complimentary industry to locate in the area also; assists tourism development in the area, recently assisting the Jay Peak area development; and presently they are administering the ARRA stimulus project of public building energy audits; and encourages Danville to consider using some of their development services. The Board thanked them for their past services to the Town, and would expect to take advantage of their energy audit service.

Reg Guertin was present to encourage the town to support the disabled veterans request to increase their property tax evaluation exemption from $10,000 to $40,000, as many of the towns in the state have already approved. The Board confirmed their request would be on the Town Meeting warning by presenting a petition signed by 5% of the town registered voters.

Kevin Lessard, President of the North Danville Community Club and Vice president of the ND School Association was present at the request of the Board, to discuss their concerns for the security and reportedly unauthorized use of the North Danville School Building. Mr Lessard discussed with the Board the previous attempt to control unauthorized use by limiting the keys to the President of the School Association, the librarian, and the town. This proved to be too restrictive to the use of the building and a great inconvenience to anyone that was trying to use the building. With the annual meetings taking place in September many new officers of each organization was elected. With these new officers present at their first ND School Association meeting the big discussion was over the key situation. It was decided by the ND School Association, that the president of each club would have a key as well as the librarian and the town. The librarian has two keys as she schedules the rental and use of the school to others. The individual club members may get the key from their president for their clubs use of the building, the presidents being responsible for their clubs use of the building. Denise asked about reports of lights left on, doors and windows left open and a key by the window. Kevin responded none of them has ever seen any of these reportedly happenings. If it should occur in the future they will take steps to curb it possibly adding security cameras. This is working well so far and each person with the key is committed to making it work.

Kevin Gadapee reported that winter has arrived and the storms have kept them on their toes, plowing and sanding. They got their "summertime" tools cleaned up and taken care of, now any spare time they may have between storms is spent tinkering on their trucks or cutting up fire wood. Their equipment continues to be OK, with the exception of the loader that will get new brakes on Friday. When asked about the logger down by the big tube, Kevin responded that the road has froze up making it passable and the logger did get his town permits, including leaving a cleanup deposit. This is a small lot so Kevin felt that the logger will not be there long.

Merton reported that he has a request from Martha Trudeau to use the Town Hall for Ball Room dancing on the second Saturday of each month. The group presently uses an auditorium in St Johnsbury but would like to move up to the town hall. The arrangement would be similar to the agreement with the Contra Dancers. After some discussion, Steve Larrabee moved to approve the request with similar agreement with the Contra's and include the cleaning deposit as well; Denise Briggs seconded the motion which was approved. Merton informed the board that the wood dump notice of closing was posted in the paper closing on Dec 18th for the winter. He and Kevin have been setting up next years preliminary budget, with Wendy's assistance. While the final figures from this year won't be available before the end of the year, it does shown what a proposed level funded budget would look like for next year.

The Board reviewed the budgets and signed the orders. There were several late bills that did not get on the orders, Denise Briggs moved to add them to the orders, Michael K Walsh second the motion which was approved. It is customary that one of the Board members be appointed to authorize payment of any yearend bills received after the last meeting and prior to Jan 1st. Denise Briggs moved to authorize Marvin Withers to approve any year end bills, Michael K Walsh seconded the motion, which was approved. Michaela Wells, a sophomore at Danville High School, sent a letter requesting to use the town hall for a fund raiser dance for her class on January 9th from 7 to 11pm. After a short discussion, Denise Brigs moved to approve Miss Wells request to use the town hall for a dance on January 9th and to waive the charge as usual for a school function, and that cleanup and chaperones would be required. Michael K Walsh seconded the motion, which was approved. After a short discussion on carry over money to town funds Michael K Walsh moved to transfer $5,000.00 left in the budget for building repair, to the Building Repair Fund, Denise Briggs seconded the motion that was approved.

Wendy requested an executive session to discuss personnel. Michael K Walsh moved to go into executive session to discuss personnel and to invite the personnel present to attend. The motion was seconded by Denise Briggs, and approved by the Board, at 7:11pm. At 7:33 the employees left the executive session. The Board emerged from executive session at 8:08pm, with no action taken.

With no other business, the Board adjourned the meeting at 8:30pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Merton Leonard

Clerk of the Selectboard

Town of Danville

Selectboard Minutes

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