Brookfield, Vermont

Town of Brookfield Selectboard Meeting

11 April 2022

6:30 PM

Town Office

Draft Meeting Minutes

Those Present: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel, Dennis LaRocque (via zoom), Betty Lord (via zoom) Kate Threlkeld (via zoom) Members; Vicki Blanchard, Administrative Assistant, Amy Ingrassia, Assistant Town Clerk, Jack Zebora, Jon Jickling, Lew Stowell, Brookfield Public Safety Advisory Committee.

A. Call To Order – Mr. Benson called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:39 p.m.

B. Adjustments to Agenda – None

C. Public Comments

1. Brian Lafayette – (did not attend the SB meeting).

2. Lew Stowell – Mr. Stowell (on behalf of the PSAC) presented recommendations regarding review and updating of the Town Traffic Ordinance. The PSAC has developed draft lists of potential regulatory changes, including speed limits, stop and yield intersections, parking regulations, penalty provisions, and repeal of prior regulations. The Board will review the proposals, along with consulting with the PSAC regarding changes to the ordinance.

3. Jon Jickling – Mr. Jickling that he was going to continue to monitor the area for Emerald Ash Borer. He will work on trying to keep the Town informed through meetings on the insect also. He is looking to manage the forest going forward also. He will be putting up traps and has most everything with the exception of a lure and wondered if the Town could help: the Board recommended he contact the Conservation Commission.

4. Jack Zebora – Annual Town Meeting Warning. Mr. Zebora brought up Article 8 of the Annual Town Meeting Warning, asking for a reason why percentages were used and not monetary amounts, and felt others would question this also. Mr. Benson explained why it was done this way and then stated that at Town Meeting day he will give a full explanation to everyone.

D. Highway Report

1. The Road Crew have been out grading, hauling, and ditching and the roads seem to be in fairly good condition. Mr. LaRocque stated the Mr. Stowell called him praising Mr. Higgins for responding quickly to a beaver dam on Eagle Peak Road and that Mr. LaRocque will try and locate someone who will either trap the offending beavers or come up with a way to keep them from clogging the culvert again.

E. New Business

1. Planning Town Meeting – Ms. Blanchard will check on tables and chairs and a small tent from the Brookfield School. A larger tent from Rain or Shine will need to be rented out also. The Board will work with the OSSD school board on a backup plan in case it rains, and see if the meeting can be inside the Brookfield School if conditions warrant.

F. Old Business

G. Meeting Minutes

1. 28 March 2022 – Mr. Benson made a motion to accept the minutes, Mr. Kimmel seconded, and it passed unanimously: 5-0-0.

H. Payroll and AP Warrants – Mr. Kimmel made a motion to approve the AP warrants as presented with a total of $42,753.24, with the highest payment being made to R. E. Tucker for dense gravel in the amount of $9,150.00. Ms. Lord seconded the motion which carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

I. Other Proper Business – Mr. Kimmel reported that he and Steve Hill had reviewed the conditions of TH45 – Old Stage Road. After going over some of the history paperwork and waiting for the end of mud season, Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Hill walked the length of TH45. Mr. Hill brought along a surveyor’s wheel and they took several measurements along the way. The Westerly portion of the road is, at best, Class 4. It is also somewhat obstructed around the point where the road shifts from Class 3 to Class 4 (and/or Trail status). The goal would be to classify (or re-classify) the relevant portions of TH45 to accurately reflect actual road conditions. Which will likely trigger an update of the annual road mileage certification report.

J. Adjournment – Mr. Benson made a motion to adjourn at 7:50 p.m., Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, and there being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was unanimously adjourned.

DRAFT Minutes of the Brookfield Selectboard Meeting

28 March 2022

6:30 p.m.

Town Office

Those Present: John Benson, Chair, Jeff Kimmel, Betty Lord (via zoom), Kate Threlkeld (via zoom), Dennis LaRocque (via zoom): Members; Vicki Blanchard, Administrative Assistant.

A. CALL TO ORDER: Mr. Benson called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.

B. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA: Mr. LaRocque asked that a moment of silence for the Blodgett family be moved from Other Proper Business to the beginning of the meeting; a moment of silence was observed for Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett’s son, who passed away on Saturday from an accident.

C. PUBLIC COMMENTS – None

D. HIGHWAY REPORT – Mr. LaRocque reported that Mr. Higgins indicated the Road Crew were working on as many roads as possible. Weather has caused problems with them getting to all roads but they will do so as soon as possible. Also, the new 6 wheel truck (not tandem) is ready and probably will be here toward the end of April. No one has applied for the open Road Crew position as of 3/28/22. Mr. LaRocque checked with the Public Safety Committee about changing a stop sign to a yield sign on the Halfway Brook Road/Ferris Road intersection, but Mr. Higgins did not feel this was a good idea. The Selectboard’s position is to not change the sign.

E. NEW BUSINESS – None

F. OLD BUSINESS – None

G. MEETING MINUTES – Ms. Lord made a motion to accept the minutes, as corrected, from the 28 February, 2022 Board meeting; Mr. Kimmel seconded it and it passed unanimously: 5-0-0.

Mr. Kimmel made a motion to accept the minutes from the 14 March, 2022 Board meeting, Mr. Benson seconded it and it passed unanimously: 5-0-0.

H. PAYROLL and AP WARRANTS – Ms. Lord made a motion to approve the AP Warrants as presented with a total of $17,887.77, with the highest payment being made to White River Valley Ambulance in the amount of $3539.17. Mr. Benson made a motion that pending Mr. LaRocque’s checking with Mr. Higgins to confirm that a delivery of salt happened, then the total would still be $17,887.77. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

I. OTHER PROPER BUSINESS – Sign Tax Map Maintenance Proposal: Mr. Benson made a motion to approve the Tax Map Maintenance Proposal, Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

American Rescue Plan Act funding was briefly discussed, including it being set up in the Treasury portal.

J. ADJOURNMENT – Mr. Benson made a motion to adjourn at 7:40 p.m., Mr. LaRocque seconded the motion, and there being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was unanimously adjourned.

MINUTES of the Brookfield Selectboard Meeting

14 March 2022

6:30 P.M.

Town Office

Present: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel, Betty Lord, Kate Threlkeld (via zoom), Dennis LaRocque (via zoom): members; Vicki Blanchard, Administrative Assistant; Amy Ingrassia, Assistant Town Clerk

A. CALL TO ORDER – Mr. Benson called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:29 p.m.

B. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA – none

C. PUBLIC COMMENTS – none

D. HIGHWAY REPORT – This past week the Road Crew got caught up on some equipment maintenance and repairs. The number 4 truck is back and ready to go again. They also did go out and try to smooth up some of the roads around town, but with the storm we got and warmer weather roads are about the same. They plan to go out and fill in ruts and smooth out what they can. They also posted road conditions warning signs to keep some unnecessary vehicles from making roads worse. Ms. Blanchard will be updating these postings on the state’s website.

1. Road Crew posting – A full-time ad for the Road Crew position has been sent out to two newspapers, and is being posted on Front Porch Forum and Brookfield’s website. Mr. LaRocque is checking in with the VTC Diesel program in Randolph to see if anyone might be interested in also applying.

E. NEW BUSINESS – none

F. OLD BUSINESS

1. Budget Discussions – Mr. Benson asked the Selectboard to make final approval on the budget so it can be given to Teresa the Town Clerk and then be sent to the printer so the Town Report could be finalized.

2. Hippo Park discussion – Ms. Lord reported that the Hippo Park Committee looked over the repairs that need to be made and the cost was $3,000 to repair the Hippo. They agreed that the fence needs to be replaced and that a handicap-accessible picnic bench would be a better addition to the park. Mr. Benson made a motion to provide the Selectboard’s approval for the Hippo Park Committee to seek a 1:2 fundraising grant from the Better Places project and to give the Selectboard’s approval for the committee to upgrade the Town-owned park with work including, but not limited to, repairing the crack in the Hippo sculpture, replacing the bench presently on the property, repairing the fence, and installing a handicap-accessible picnic table. Ms. Threlkeld seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

G. MEETING MINUTES: 28 February 2022 – Ms Lord made a motion to make a correction under Old Business on the ARPA Funds discussion: Ms. Lord and Ms. Blanchard attended a webinar presented by the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (not Vermont League of Cities and Towns). The draft minutes will be corrected and re-posted on the Brookfield web page and then approved at the next Selectboard meeting on 28 March 2022. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

H. PAYROLL AND AP WARRANTS – Ms. Lord made motion to approve the AP warrants as presented with a total $19,543.42 with the highest payment being made to Fothergill Segale & Valley in the amount of $7,200.00. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which carried unanimously: 5-0-0.

I. OTHER PROPER BUSINESS – Ms. Threlkeld brought up a question regarding the Halfway Brook road sign and Mr. Benson asked Mr. LaRocque to have Mr. Higgins check into whether this situation was resolved.

J. ADJOURNMENT – Ms. Lord made a motion to adjourn at 7:20 p.m., Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, and there being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was unanimously adjourned.