Brookfield, Vermont

Minutes of the
Meeting of
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD SELECTBOARD
Virtual by Zoom
April 12, 2021
THOSE PRESENT: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel and Dennis LaRocque, Board Members;
Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman; Kasey Peterson, Administrator; Betty Lord, Secretary.
A. CALL TO ORDER: Chair John Benson called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
B. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: None
C. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
D. HIGHWAYS: Mr. Higgins reported the roads are drying out and the Road Crew has been busy grading. He said he had received a lot of compliments on the condition of the roads. He also reported they will soon begin to clean out culverts in getting ready for summer.
Mr. Jeff Baker has requested an access permit for property on Twin Pond Road. It was stated that an agreement had already been made for the permit and it spells out the steps Mr. Baker must perform for construction and maintenance of said access; however, if the request for a permit is for accessing a different location, the permit Mr. Baker now has would have to be modified.
VTrans has asked if the Board wishes to renew its $80,000 contract of which $26,065 has been paid out for work being done on Route 65. The Board asked Mrs. Peterson to: 1) figure the pay rate for the road crew doing the work, 2) modify the contract as necessary, and 3) prepare the contract for renewal for another year.
Mr. LaRocque asked if there was a policy for long-term parking on Town property. While there is no policy in place at the present time, Mr. Higgins was asked to order a sign stating “No Long-Term Parking” to be placed on the public parking lot at the Town Clerk’s Office.
Mr. Higgins asked about the dirt on the aprons of the roads where pavement meets dirt roads. The Board asked Mr. Higgins to compare the price of buying a sweeper versus renting one. He was also asked to contact Mr. Stan Wheatley to see if he has a sweeper and what his rate would be.
Mr. Higgins also asked when the road crew should go back to summer hours of 10 hours a day. Mr. Kimmel made a motion to begin the extended summer hours of 10 hours a day beginning April 26. Mr. Benson seconded the motion which was unanimously approved (3-0-0).
Mr. Higgins was also asked to verify the final numbers for the purchase of a new Town truck, making certain the price will remain within the limits described in the Town Meeting 2021 warning.
E. OLD BUSINESS: Mr. Benson made a motion to accept the proposal of Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission for updating Brookfield’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Mr. Kimmel seconded and the motion carried unanimously (3-0-0). Mrs. Peterson will contact TRORC and let them know the proposal has been signed.
Mr. Kimmel reported the Town Meeting 2021 warning is ready to be posted, which is within the requisite 30 to 40 days prior to Town Meeting day. Mr. Benson made a motion to approve the warning contingent upon Mr. Higgins verifying that the cost of the new Town truck does not exceed $198,000 including financing costs. Mr. Kimmel seconded this motion which was unanimously approved (3-0-0).
A request was made to ask Mrs. Godfrey, Town Clerk, to include in any announcement that everyone attending Town Meeting should wear a mask and bring their own chair.
Mr. LaRocque made a motion to approve the minutes of the March 22 Selectboard meeting as presented. Mr. Kimmel seconded and the motion unanimously carried (3-0-0).
Mr. Kimmel made a motion to accept the accounts payable in the total amount of $21,592.79 with the highest payment being made to R. E. Tucker Gravel in the amount of $8,694. Mr. Benson seconded the motion which carried unanimously (3-0-0).
F. OTHER BUSINESS: Mr. Dan Mason (Town Constable) reported a dog bite incident. Mr. Kimmel will contact Mr. Mason regarding response steps, including asking the Town Health Officer to review the situation.
Mrs. Peterson will contact VLCT again to ask about coverage for the cost of the damage done at the Ridge Road Cemetery during a December 2020 incident.
Mr. Kimmel will follow up on all license agreements and have copies provided to Mrs. Peterson.
Mr. Benson and Mr. Higgins will meet to discuss options for the public parking lot at the Town Clerk’s Office.
Mr. Benson reported that he had drafted a proposal to request federal funds for Public Works Facility repairs and upgrades in Brookfield, specifically addressing the Town Garage and the Fire Department structures. Mrs. Peterson will review the draft letter, and signed copies will be sent to Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders, Representative Welch, and Governor Scott.
Mr. Benson made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss personnel matters at 7:55 p.m. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which passed unanimously (3-0-0).
During this session it was decided to review the budget numbers and discuss the matter of Mr. Higgins’ wages with him before making any changes.
At 8:17 p.m. Mr. Benson made a motion to leave executive session. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which carried unanimously.
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Kimmel made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:18 p.m. Mr. LaRocque seconded the motion which carried unanimously (3-0-0).
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Lord, Secretary

Minutes of the
Meeting of
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD
SELECTBOARD
by Zoom and Telephone Conferencing
March 8, 2021
THOSE PRESENT: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel and Dennis LaRocque, Selectmen; Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman; Kasey Peterson, Assistant Town Clerk; Betty Lord, Secretary; and Lewis Stowell.
A. CALL TO ORDER: The Chair, John Benson called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
B. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: None
C. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
D. HIGHWAYS – Mr. Benson reported the Board had received a letter from VTrans asking if the Town would be making any requests for grants for the year 2021. The Board asked Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Peterson to pursue a grant proposal with VTrans to cover the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged culvert on Halfway Brook Road.
The Town has received a letter from the State to be posted in at least two public places regarding weight limits on roads, i.e.: 15,000 lbs for 2 axle units, 18,000 lbs for 3 axle units, and 20,000 lbs. for tractor/trailer units. The Town will post the roads and the postings will be listed on the State website. Mr. Higgins said the signs had just been received from the State and would be posted the following day.
Mr. Stowell asked what work was planned for Twin Pond Road this spring and summer. Mr. Higgins stated that they would be stone lining some the ditches for water control and work would be done on some of the culverts.
Mr Benson reported that all the information has been gathered on the costs of sand ($2 a yard) and hauling ($2 a yard) and he would be setting up a time during the coming week for Mr. Hig-gins and him to meet with Mr. Keith Sprague to discuss a possible contract with Sprague’s sand pit.
E. NEW BUSINESS: None.
F. OLD BUSINESS: The Cemetery maintenance contract and the contract for sexton made with Mr. Joe Mangan of Kirkland Services are ready for signing by members of the Board. Mrs. Peter-son will be the witness. The contracts are being extended for an additional year.
Mrs. Peterson reported that she had contacted VLCT Insurance about covering the repairs to be made at the Brookfield cemetery on Ridge Road. She was assured that as long as the Town had pictures of the damage done to the stones and fencing, the repair work could commence and the costs would be covered.
G. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Mr, LaRocque asked that the draft minutes be amended in Article D, Paragraph 3, from “will contact Mr. Gilman” to “asked Mr. Higgins to contact Mr. Gil-man”. Mr. LaRocque made a motion to accept the minutes as amended, Mr. Kimmel seconded, and the motion carried: 3-0-0.
H. PAYROLL AND WARRANTS: Mr. LaRocque made a motion to accept the warrants in the total amount of $2,072.38 with the highest amount paid being $602.12 payable to NEMRC. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which passed unanimously: 3-0-0.
I. OTHER BUSINESS – Mr.Kimmel reported to the Board that Mrs. Lord will be away but as long as the meetings are held on Zoom she will be able to continue to take the minutes. It was agreed that as long as the minutes could be done efficiently by this method, Mrs. Lord would continue to take the minutes. If this does not prove to be satisfactory, other arrangements will be made.
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Kimmel made a motion to adjourn at 7:07 p.m., Mr. LaRocque seconded the motion which was unanimously approved: 3-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Lord, Secretary

Minutes of the
Meeting of
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD
SELECTBOARD
by Zoom and Telephone Conferencing
February 8, 2021
THOSE PRESENT: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel and Dennis LaRocque, Selectmen; Tim Higgins, Road Foreman; Kasey Peterson, Assistant Town Clerk; Betty Lord, Secretary; and Da-vid Pattison, Elizabeth Templeton, Chelsea and Keith Sprague, Alexis McLean, Kevin and Marie Dunwoody, Matt Denzen, Jon Binhammer, Jim Merriam, Pamela Krausz, Dan O’Brien, Curtis Koren, Gary Lord, and Kym Anderson, Town Residents.
A. CALL TO ORDER: The Chair, John Benson called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m.
B. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: As many Town residents were present to discuss the solar array proposed for the Sprague property off of the Ridge Road, Item F1 Solar Project was moved forward on the agenda.
Mr. Benson stated that at the last Selectboard meeting of January 25, 2021, Mr. Merriam of Nor-wich Solar Technologies had been asked to report back to the Board how the placement of the solar array complied with the Town Plan and how the site was selected.
Mr. Merriam reported that he was meeting with the Town Planning Commission the following evening (February 9, 2021) and he would report back to the Selectboard following that meeting. Mr. Benson then asked the community members if they had anything to say regarding the issue.
There was much discussion by the attending members of the community (most being residents whose land abuts the said solar array site). One of the concerns raised was the number of panels that would be in the array. Some of the residents wanted to know why the land had been deemed a “preferred” site by the applicant. Other topics at issue were the aesthetics, and putting the array in an area that had primarily been used for residential and agricultural use.
Mrs. Dunwoody asked if the neighbors were so opposed to the project, why was it was still on the table? Could the array be placed in a better location? Mrs. Krausz asked to whom the residents’ concerns should be addressed and she said they must be done right in order to benefit the com-munity interests.
Mr. Benson said the Selectboard does not have the authority to approved or disapprove a Section 248 process before the Public Service Board and the only issue for the Selectboard is whether the land is a “preferred” site. The Selectboard is only asked to sign a letter stating that site is in keeping with the Town Plan. He says he has no intention of signing the letter until he receives a report from the Planning Commission stating the site is in compliance with the Town Plan.
Mr. Dunwoody stated he had information regarding the site and will email to anyone who requests it before the Planning Commission Board meeting the following evening at 7:00 p.m.
C: PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
D. HIGHWAYS
l. Excess Weight – Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Peterson reported they had reviewed the suggestions from the Public Safety Committee but found that the process Brookfield is using to grant permits is already in compliance with state law. An inventory will be taken of bridges and culverts in Town, but to-date all are in compliance.
2. Bear Hill Culvert Grant Amendment – Mr. Benson will sign the amendment for the Board and Mrs. Peterson will contact VTrans and remind them that the timing for completion is dependent on them submitting a design of the culvert so it can be constructed this summer.
Mr. Higgins related to Mr. Keith Sprague that the Board is still in the process of going over pricing and a meeting will be set up soon to talk about the Sprague sand pit.
Mr. Higgins reported that W. B. Rogers will sell the Town sand at $12.50 per yard with the Town screening, loading, and hauling it. Mr. Rogers could provide samples in the spring.
Mr. Higgins also reported that a new AWD Freightliner truck with a belly scraper, back-up grader, radio, heater, and plow wing would be $188,242 (with a trade-in).
The Road Crew will have every road completely plowed throughout the Town by the end of the week.
A letter has been sent to Mr. Larry Brassard notifying him that his mailbox protrudes into the road.
All speed and excess weight signs to be installed on Northfield Road in the Spring have been or-dered.
E; NEW BUSINESS
Audit Contract – The Board reviewed the Audit Contract and will request a clarification regard-ing the Town paying for the audit in installments. Mr. Benson made a motion to authorize Mr. Kimmel to confer with Mrs. Godfrey, Town Clerk, to confirm terms, and allowing Mr. Kimmel to able to sign on behalf of the Board and to have the audit contract revised. Mr. LaRocque seconded the motion which was unanimously approved: 3-0-0.
F. OLD BUSINESS
1. Solar Project – See Above
2. Town Meeting Date and Location – Mr. Benson reported the Brookfield Elementary School Principal had agreed to allow the Town Meeting to be held on the school ballfields on Saturday, May 22 at 10:00 a.m. Mr. LaRocque stated he would contact Mr. Perry Armstrong of Rain or Shine Tent Company to discuss the costs of tents. The best scenario would be a large tent to cover all those attending the meeting, but if the cost is prohibitive, then the tent should at least cover the voting booth area.
The printed draft of the Town Report should be ready in March and the warning printed and post-ed by April 10, 2021.
G. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of JANUARY 25, 2021 MEETING – Mr. LaRocque said that he was not included in the group who would be going to talk with Mr. Sprague about the sand pit and asked that the minutes be adjusted. Mr. LaRocque made a motion to accept the minutes as amended in Item 3, paragraph 2. Mr. Kimmel seconded, and the minutes were unanimously ap-proved.
H. PAYROLL AND WARRANTS – Mr. LaRocque moved to accept the warrants in the total amount of $50,009.63 with the highest payment being $38,220.89 payable to Orange County Treasurer. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which was unanimously approved: 3-0-0.
BUDGET – Mr. Benson said the budget would be for seven months instead of six months and as soon as he had the figures for the price of sand and the pricing from Northfield Savings Bank for financing the loan of the truck, he would have a final draft and would send it out to the other Se-lectboard members to peruse.
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Kimmel made a motion to adjourn. Mr. LaRocque seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m.: 3-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Lord, Secretary

TOWN OF BROOKFIELD
Selectboard Meeting
Held by Zoom
11 January 2021 at 6:30 PM
Those present: John Benson, Chair; (telephone conferencing) Dennis LaRocque, Board Member; Jeff Kimmel, Board Member; Kasey Peterson, Assistant Town Clerk; Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman, Betty Lord, Secretary; Jim Merriam, Kevin and Marie Dunwoody, Jose´ Luzardo, Gwynn Zakov (Brookfield Planning Commission Chair), Timothy Kirsher, Chris LaPointe, Scott Brock, Shawn Krisch, Wayne Fontanella, Will White, Zoe Newmarco, Jon Binhammer, Nancy Jacques, Don Dobeck, and Wayne Meginnes.
A. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chair John Benson at 6:41 p.m.
B. Adjustments to the Agenda
Mr. Benson acknowledged there were quite a number of people present who wished to speak to the Solar installation issue, as well as to the zoning requests, and the agenda was adjusted accordingly.
Sprague Sand Pit: Chris LaPointe asked for a clarification of where the Sprague sand pit is located. Mr. Benson stated the site is along Route 14, on the west side of the valley across from the Woodruff residence. Mr. Benson further stated the Town needed a source for winter sand as the source that is presently being used is only adequate for perhaps one more year. If terms can be reached with the Spragues, indications are the new site could be used for 15 to 20 years. As the sand is taken, the topsoil would be replaced on the site making the land available for agricultural use again.
Solar Array: Mr. Benson explained that Mr. Merriam of Norwich Solar Technologies attended the last Board meeting by Zoom to ask that the Chair of the Board, along with the Chair of the Planning Commission, sign a letter to the Public Service Board of Vermont in which the proposed site for a solar array on the old Smith Farm (on the Ridge Road), presently owned by Sprague Farms, be “deemed preferred.” Questions ensued by members of the community and especially those who own properties that abut the proposed project land.
Mr. Merriam was informed that at least four landowners whose properties abut the Sprague land have not been notified of the proposed plan. It was also pointed out that solar arrays should not affect historic sites and the land to be used abuts the property of the Marvin Newton House, owned and operated by the Brookfield Historical Society, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
It was also pointed out that in 2017 the Two Rivers-Ottaquechee Regional Commission prepared an Energy Plans Packet with a map of potential solar sites and the property in question did not appear on that map for the Town of Brookfield.
There was some question of whether or not approving the property as a “deemed preferred site” would be binding for the Town, or whether changes could be made subsequently, such as a vote “no” on the project, after these letters had been submitted.
Kevin and Marie Dunwoody expressed concerns as owners of property which would abut the solar array; i.e., the effect on property values, the land has been designated for residential and agricultural use, and with the panels being 10 feet high the array will be seen from the road and a deterrent to the view and the beauty of the landscape. Mr. Dunwoody further commented the project would “benefit a few people and affect many people.”
When asked about the need to have the letters to the Public Service Board by February 2, Mr. Merriam explained that new guidelines would go into effect on all applications filed after that date, so that the fee for filing a full application would increase by 15%. Up until February 2, the cost of filling a complete application is $30,000. These points will be further discussed on January 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Planning Commission Meeting.
Zoning Requests: Mr. Kimmel stated there were three cases awaiting decisions on requests for variances: (1) Mr. Krisch is requesting a variance on a three-acre lot to build a camp. The minimum required acreage in that zoning district is five acres; (2) Mr. Schmechel is requesting the building of a handicap access ramp from a porch that will be 25 ft from the road instead of the required 65 ft, and (3) Mr. Brock is requesting to build a shed which will be less than the minimum 50 ft from the property boundary.
Discussion ensued in which a request was made that a better process be put into place to handle these variance requests in a timely manner and that the names and email addresses of the members of the Selectboard, Board of Adjustment, and the Planning Commission be put on the Town website so that if there is no response from one member, another member could be contacted.
Mr. LaRocque made a motion to consider the three requests for variances to be deemed approved due to the amount of time that had transpired since the requests were made. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion.
The question arose as to whether the Selectboard had the authority to move that the request be “deemed approved.” After discussion, Mr. LaRocque withdrew his motion and the Board will refer this issue to the Town’s attorney for further information.
C. PUBLIC COMMENT: See above.
D. HIGHWAY
1. Gravel Pit: Mr. Higgins, Road Foreman, said the southern bridge across from the Woodruff driveway would be the best of two bridges to use to get into the gravel pit. He stated it would need to be widened and reinforced by another piece of steel.
Mr. Benson asked Mr. Higgins to give him further information about what the costs would be for buying sand on the open market. Mr. Higgins said that the Hebert operation would charge $6.00 a yard if the Town does the hauling. Mr. Higgins was also asked to call other vendors to get additional comparative pricing.
Mr. Higgins reported that Mr. Larry Brassard had contacted him about a post that had been knocked down in front of his house. The Town installed a new post off the travel way. Said post has now been moved into the travel way. Mrs. Peterson was asked to send a letter to Mr. Brassard asking him to move the post back out of the travel way. A copy of the letter is to be sent to the Town’s attorney.
With regard to people clearing snow out onto the road, Mr Kimmel will contact the Town’s attorney about the issue and Mr. Higgins will contact VTrans to see what action can be taken by the Town.
Mr. Higgins stated that a road signs inventory had been taken at the Town Garage. He has also talked with someone at WorkSafe about ordering Weight Limit signs for Northfield Road.
2. Certificate of Highway Mileage: Mr. Kimmel will review and confer with Mr. Higgins. Initial conclusion is that no changes have been made to road classifications during the past year.
E. NEW BUSINESS
1. Zoning requests: See above.
F. OLD BUSINESS
1. Solar Project: See above.
2. Budget and Town Meeting: Mr. Benson reported that he had updated the budget with all information received and had sent a copy to the Selectboard members.
There has been no final action yet by the legislature giving towns the option of changing the date of their Town Meetings to a later time in the year due to COVID-19 concerns. If permitted, Brookfield’s Town Meeting could potentially be moved to sometime in May.
Mr. Benson made a motion to hire Harmony Electric for $1,900 to upgrade the lighting in the Town Clerk’s office. Mr. Kimmel seconded and the motion was carried unanimously: 3-0-0. Mrs. Peterson will contact Harmony Electric to schedule the work.
G. APPROVE MINUTES OF 28 DECEMBER MEETING
Mr. Kimmel made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. Mr. Benson seconded the motion, which carried unanimously: 3-0-0.
H. PAYROLL AND AP WARRANTS
Mr. LaRocque made a motion to accept the accounts payable/warrants in the amount of $16,131.43 with the largest amount being paid to Conniff’s Custom Builders in the amount of $9,000. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which carried unanimously: 3-0-0.
I. OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Richard Cox notified the Board that he would be doing a heavy cut.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. LaRocque made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved (3-0-0) and the meeting was adjourned at 9:18 p.m.

TOWN OF BROOKFIELD
Selectboard Meeting
Held by Zoom
14 December 2020 at 6:30 PM
Those present: John Benson, Chair – by telephone conferencing, and Jeff Kimmel, Board Mem-ber; Dennis LaRocque, Board Member; Kasey Peterson, Assistant Town Clerk; Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman, Betty Lord, Secretary; with Greg Wight, Town Moderator; Shawn Krisch, Alyce Brouillard, Dan Childs (all by Zoom) and Stuart Edson by telephone conferencing.
A. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Mr. Benson, at 6:30 p.m.
B. Adjustments to Agenda
As there were those waiting to make presentations to the Board, the Agenda was adjusted as folows:
D. 2. Mapping Proposal- Cartographic Associates—
Mr. Stuart Edson suggested changing mapping companies from Avatar/Terra Map to Cartograph-ic Associates. He said he had met with the owner of Cartographic Associates, Mr. Franco Rossi, and was impressed with what he was told. After the initial set-up cost of $5,350, which can be paid out of the reappraisal monies provided by the state (Mr. Edson will verify this with Barbara Schinger of PVR, the state advisor to Town Listers) and following this initial set-up/conversion of data cost, the budget for the April 1, 2021 update cycle would be $2,800, followed by $1,500 an-nually for the April 1, 2022 and April 1, 2023 updates. Mr. Edson proposed increasing the annual budgeted amounts accordingly, and would provide a new set of maps for the Town by April 2021.
Mr. Kimmel made a motion to use the monies in the reappraisal budget to pay for the set-up/conversion costs to work with Cartographic Associates and to raise the amount annually budgeted for mapping costs from $1,500 to $2,800 a year (as described above). Mr. LaRocque seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 3-0-0.
C. Public Comment
Mr. Dan Childs made a request to the Board to add the name of Dan O’Brien as a second repre-sentative to ECFiber for the Town of Brookfield. At present there is only one other alternate. Mr. Benson made a motion to add Mr. O’Brien as an alternate for ECFiber for the Town of Brookfield. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which carried unanimously. 3-0-0.
Mr. Benson also asked Mr. Childs to provide him with a budget proposal for the Brookfield Public Library for the upcoming year. Mr. Childs agreed.
Mr. Shawn Krisch spoke to the Board asking why his request for a variance is taking so long. He stated that he had first applied for the variance on September 9 as the property on which he wants to build a camp is three acres instead of five acres. He pointed out that the current property owner had missed a tax opportunity by not closing on the property before the end of the year. The owner, Alyce Brouillard, was also present by Zoom to discuss her concerns about the time that it has taken to bring this variance request to fruition. Mr. Krisch stated that he had received a notice of meeting for January 4 at 6:30 p..m and that he would be ready and present for that meeting.
D. 3 – Town Meeting Guidelines
Mr. Greg Wight, Town Moderator, appeared by Zoom to discuss whether or not Town Meeting 2021 should be moved out from its regular meeting day on the first Tuesday in March. While the Vermont legislature has not yet authorized moving Town Meeting dates, it is reasonably certain that due to COVID-19 restrictions, it will be left to the Town to decide on the date of the meeting. Mr. Benson said that moving the meeting date out would not affect the financial year as the new budget would not come into effect until the first of July. He also stated that by May the chances of having the meeting at an outdoors venue would be much better than in March. Mr. LaRocque said he would be in favor of moving the meeting to May and holding the meeting outside with an ap-propriate audio/speaker system. Mr. Kimmel suggested waiting to see how the legislature will proceed and it was agreed that an initial approach would be proposed by the next Board meeting on December 28.
F. Highways
Mr. Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman, said an inventory of the Town roads with erosion prob-lems amounted to about 13 miles of road that needed work. This number represents about 16% of the Town roads. Mr. Higgins was asked to contact Rita Seto at Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Re-gional Commission to ascertain when the erosion grants will be available.
Mr. Higgins reported that he had talked with Mr. Bill Grady about a tree with which Mr. Grady has concerns. Mr. Higgins stated the tree is on a neighbor’s property and he would be consulting with the landowner in the near future and would get back to Mr. Grady.
Mr. Higgins also reported that work would continue with ditching and culverts until the roads begin to freeze up. He met with Mr. Tucker concerning crushing stone. On the open market crushing is $9.50 a yard and $13.50 if they have to haul it. There is still a lot of work to do at the Sprague property and there is still another year to work with Mr. Larry Hebert. Mr. Higgins was asked to make sure Mr. Hebert knows the Town wants another 6,000 yards of sand priced ac-cordingly. Mr. Benson said he had met with Keith Sprague and had given him a copy of the plans. Mr. Sprague said he intended to work fairly with the Town and the supply of sand should last from 15 to 20 years.
It was reported that a car had gone off the Ridge Road and damaged some memorial stones in the Brookfield cemetery. Ms. Peterson said the Town’s insurance does not cover the cost of the stones but that the driver’s insurance should cover the cost.
Mr. Benson asked Ms. Peterson to check on the cost of including damage to memorial stones in the Town’s policy and also to see if there was flood insurance to cover the Fire Station.
Mr. Benson asked Ms. Peterson if all the compensation for Rob Wheatley’s work for the Town Highway Department had been settled and Ms. Peterson stated that it had been completed.
D. New Business
1. Public Safety Advisory Committee – Traffic Ordinance Review
The report of the Committee recommended several changes be made by putting up yield signs and MPH signs on various roads in Town. Some of the signs will have to be warned before they can be put up. Mr. LaRocque will check the ordinance to see which roads need to be warned. Mr. LaRocque will also ask the Sheriff about vehicles encroaching at a residence on Stone Road. Mr. Higgins will review the Committee’s report and report back at the next meeting.
2. Mapping Proposal – Cartographic Associates (See above)
3. Town Meeting Guidelines (See above)
4. Local Hazard Mitigation Plan – Mr. Benson signed on behalf of the Board.
F. Old Business – None
G. Approve Minutes from the 23 November 2020 Board Meeting
After a review of the minutes of November 23, Mr. LaRocque moved to approve the minutes as presented. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion and the minutes were unanimously approved. 3-0-0
H. Payroll and AP Warrants
Mr. LaRocque made a motion to accept the payroll and accounts payable warrants as presented with the total amount being $72,711.90 and highest amount being paid to the Town of Barre Am-bulance Service in the amount of $31,536.90. Mr.Kimmel seconded the motion. There being no objection, the motion passed unanimously.
I. Other Proper Business
Ms. Peterson brought up the issue of the invoice for the Town Audit which included the amount for two years’ audit which will bring the amount to be paid over budget. Mr. Benson suggested the Town wait until June to pay the invoice. Mr. LaRocque and Mr. Kimmel agreed.
J. Adjournment – Mr. Benson asked if there was any further business. Everyone wished each other a Merry Christmas. There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Kimmel moved for adjournment. Mr. LaRocque seconded and the meeting was adjourned at 7:56 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty T. Lord, Secretary