Brookfield, Vermont

Town of Brookfield
Selectboard Meeting
Town Clerk’s Office
23 November 2020 at 6:30 PM
Those present: John Benson, Chair – by telephone conferencing, and Jeff Kimmel, Board Member; Dennis LaRocque, Board Member; Kasey Peterson, Administrative Assistant; Tim Higgins, Road Crew Foreman; Betty Lord, Secretary; and Shawn Krisch; all attending by Zoom.
A. Call To Order -The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Mr Benson, at 6:37 pm.
B. Adjustments to Agenda – None
C. Public Comments – Mr. Krisch appeared before the Board with a request that someone from the Board of Adjustment respond to his request for a variance pertaining to his property. He requested a Zoning permit in September which was rejected due to the fact that his property, on which he wishes to build a camp, is only three acres instead of the required five acres. He said the property was under contract and he only had a limited amount of time to work things out with the seller. Mr. Kimmel stated that he was a member of the Board of Adjustment and would be in touch with Mr. Krisch to go over the steps necessary to finish the process. Mr. Kimmel will also provide information on the steps the seller needs to take.
D. New Business
1. COVID Guidelines – Mr. Benson, Mr. Kimmel, and Mr. LaRocque reported they had read the guidelines and had no questions. Mr. Benson said he would contact the Town Health Officer asking her to forward any updated material relating to the guidelines. In the meantime, he asked Mrs. Peterson to act as a second Health Officer until all the guidelines had been met. All other entities of the Town, i.e. the Library, Fire Department, Town Garage, and all Boards that represent the Town will have to be self-policing. Mr. Benson asked Mrs. Peterson to send a copy of the COVID guidelines to all the various boards and offices along with an acknowledgment form to be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office confirming that everyone included in each organization or board had read and will conform to the guidelines and has had the necessary training conforming to the Town’s policies.
The Board agreed that a plexiglass shield be placed in front of the Town Clerk’s desk. Mrs. Peterson was asked to be responsible for ordering the plexiglass. Also, beginning the next day of business following the Board Meeting, the Town Clerk’s office would be responsible for keeping a record of everyone entering the office for contact tracing. Anyone visiting the Town Clerk’s Office will sign in with their name, address, and phone number.
2. Cloud-based NEMRC – Mr. LaRocque made a motion to move to a “Cloud- based” NEMRC system in the amount of $600 annually. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion, which was passed unanimously. (3-0-0)
3. MVP Health Care premiums – Mrs. Peterson reviewed the advantages of signing with MVP Health Care to provide health care coverage for employees of the Town. One of the main reasons for the change from BC/BS to MVP is a savings of $10,000 a year. Employees would continue to have basically the same coverage, as required by the Affordable Care Act.
Open enrollment for the MVP plan begins December 1, 2020. Mr. LaRocque made a motion to change the Town’s health care insurance to MVP. Mr. Kimmel seconded and the motion was carried unanimously. (3-0-0)
4. Notice of Heavy Cut – Twombley and Benedict Property – Mr. LaRocque reported to the Board that the property in question is being cut according to Current Use guidelines and is being watched over by a forester.
E. Highway
1. Mr. Higgins, Road Crew Foreman, reported that work continues on clearing out ditches and culverts and preparing for winter. Discussion ensued regarding paid leave for employees who miss work due to COVID. The guidelines indicate that if an employee either has tested positive or is caring for a spouse who has tested positive, that employee will be paid during the time they are away from their job. If an employee is absent from work waiting for testing, that employee can take vacation time or sick time but will not be paid for the time away from the job.
Mr. Higgins said the new time sheet program was up and working and should make payroll operations much easier. Mrs. Peterson was asked to check with ECFiber to verify if the computers at the Town Garage could be connected to the network including computers at the Town Offices.
The Board asked Mr. Higgins to research the costs of purchasing a new Town truck minus the trade-in value on the old truck that is to be sold.
Mr. Higgins was also asked to contact Randolph and ask what they are paying for sand; this would help establish a fair market value for operations at the proposed Sprague Sand Pit. He was also asked to find out the cost of the bulldozer work to clear the site for procuring the sand and also site recovery after the sand has been gathered.
2. Mutual Aid Templates – COVID – Mrs. Peterson stated that Mr. Higgins and she will have a report for the Board by the first meeting in December.
It was suggested that a list needs to be made of people, who with their approval, would be willing to be on call in the event of a number of illnesses or other emergencies to fill in on the road crew. Mr. Higgins will reach out to neighboring towns to see if they would have any interest in a reciprocal agreement in supplying help in times of an emergency.
3. Wage paperwork and Interim Foreman compensation – The Board signed the paperwork and agreed upon compensation for Mr. Rob Wheatley, who served as Interim Foreman after the untimely passing of the Road Crew Foreman.
4. Highway Laptop Replacement – Mr. Higgins also reported that the laptop at the Town Garage needs to be replaced. The Board asked Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Higgins to research the replacement cost(s). Mr. LaRocque made a motion giving Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Higgins approval to purchase a new laptop in an amount up to $800.00. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which carried unanimously. (3-0-0)
5. MRGP Amendment Form – the Board approved and Mr. Benson signed off on the Municipal Roads General Permit – Road Erosion Inventory form.
F. Old Business – None
G. Approve the Minutes of the 9 November 2020 Meeting – Mr. LaRocque noted that it was Mr. Kimmel who made the motion to appoint Mr. LaRocque as a temporary member of the Board of Adjustment, and Mr. Benson who seconded the motion (not the other way around). There being no further corrections, the minutes were unanimously approved as corrected. (3-0-0)
H. Payroll and AP Warrants – Mr. LaRocque moved to accept the list of Payroll Accounts in the amount of $77,852.30 with the largest payment being to Western Star (Highway Department truck) in the amount of $65,501.78. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion which carried unanimously. (3-0-0)
I. Other Proper Business – Mr. Kimmel reported the draft agreement between the Town and Sprague Farms regarding the proposed Sand Pit had been received and he asked the other Board Members to read the agreement and make their recommendations. Mr. Kimmel noted that the technical status of Sprague Farms (and its formal business entities) is incomplete and that the Board also needs to know who has the authority to sign for the sand pit.
Mr. Kimmel reported that a license agreement is still needed from ECFiber for an installation on East Street, along with a license for emergency work done by the Town at the north end of West Street.
Mrs. Peterson was asked provide the Selectboard with a list of grant funds the Town had received, including the grant for East Hill, to be included in the upcoming Town Report (2020).
Mrs. Peterson confirmed that at present the Town has only one auditor: Ginny Brees. Mrs. Peterson was also asked to list the positions open for employment by the Town and to post it in The Herald and on Front Porch Forum.
J. Adjournment – There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Kimmel made a motion to adjourn, Mr. LaRocque seconded, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:09 p.m. (3-0-0)
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Lord, Secretary

Minutes of the Meeting of
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD
SELECTBOARD
Town Clerk’s Office
October 12, 2020
THOSE PRESENT: John Benson, Chair; Jeff Kimmel, Dennis LaRocque, Board members, Tim Higgins, Rob Wheatley, Scott Brock, Chris Bunt, Lew Stowell, Richard Doolan, Theresa Godfrey, Town Clerk; and Betty Lord, Secretary
A. CALL TO ORDER: The Chair, Mr. Benson called the meeting to order at 6:33.
B. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: None
C. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mr. Scott Brock appeared before the Board to ask his name be corrected in the minutes of September 14, 2020. His main purpose in appearing was to request that he be considered as a member on the Board of Adjustment. He agreed that he had read the by-laws of the Board. Mr. Benson made a motion to accept Mr. Brock as the fifth member of the Board of Adjustment. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion and Mr. Brock was unanimously elected as a member of the Board of Adjustment.
D. NEW BUSINESS:
1. FY19 Audit. Ms. Theresa Godfrey, Town Clerk, reported to the Board that the paper work of the audit for 2019 was completed by the auditors after July 1st; therefore, the changes to the audit have to be put in the beginning of the 2020 audit. Payment for the 2019 audit will have to come out of the 2020 budget. Mr. Benson moved to accept these terms of a letter from the auditor, Mr. Kimmel seconded and the motion was unanimously approved.
2. Local Emergency Plan Update. Mr. Richard Doolan, Director of the Emergency Management Plan of the Town of Brookfield appeared before the Board to present changes he had made to the EMP. A copy of these changes is attached and have been made a part of these minutes. Mr. Benson introduced Mr. Lew Stowell to Mr. Doolan and stated that Mr. Stowell had considerable training in emergency management and might be of help to the committee. Mr. Benson moved to accept the emergency plan as outlined by Mr. Doolan. Mr Kimmel seconded the motion which carried unanimously.
3. Public Safety Committee – Lee Stowell appeared before the Board to present a status report from the Brookfield Public Safely Advisory Committee. He reported there were fourteen roads in town with speed limits. He stated there was $6,500 in the budget that has not been used to-date. He suggested that $4,000 of the budget line item could be used to replace destroyed or stolen signs now and the additional monies be used in May to replace those destroyed over the winter. Mr. Rob Wheatley reported there are quite a few signs in the Town Garage but that many of the signs are also missing posts. Mr. Benson asked that a plan be made to include what is needed in the way of traffic signs, what is on hand, what is needed to be purchased, and the costs of what is needed to get the post in the ground. Mr. Wheatley said it would be more cost effective to rent the equipment for the post holes rather than buying it. Mr. Benson also said replacing signs that still have poles should not be a problem, but for those requiring poles, the road crew is busy preparing for winter and those signs may have to wait for installation.
Mr. Stowell also discussed the over-weight permit processing procedure. A copy of the report for (1) Traffic Sign Recommendations and (2) for Vehicle Over-weight Permit Processing Procedures is attached and made a part of these minutes.
Mr. Stowell also reported that although the threat of the Emerald Ash Bore is still prevalent, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused most efforts to be put aside this year. The Lure/Bait kits and the traps have been stored and there are plans for a more concentrated effort in 2021.
Mr. Stowell asked that a No Parking sign be placed at the turn-around on his property as people are parking in the space making it impossible to use the turn-around . He also talked about the contract that is made with the Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Benson said the contract was coming up again in the spring and he suggested that Mr. Stowell talk with the Sheriff or his second-in-command to discuss the fee schedule to see if an increase in the contract might be necessary or to ascertain that the Town is already getting the services set out in the present contract.
E. Highway – Mr. Rob Wheatley reported the East Hill grant has been paid off. The grant requires that photographs before and after the completed project be taken.
Mr. Aaron Mace on West Street is seeking to install a driveway. Mr. Wheatley will get in touch with him to start the process.
Bear Hill Road Culvert – Mr. Chris Bunt of the State of Vermont, Agency of Transportation attended the meeting to discuss ways in which the culvert on Bear Hill might be repaired. After much discussion, Mr,. Benson asked Mr. Bunt to prepare a report of the costs for having the State do the pilings, what the other costs and the timing of the project would be.
The Board approved two license agreements for ECFiber installations within the Town right of way: one is for Old Cross Road and the other is for Bear Hill Road. Mr. Benson made a motion to approve the license agreements. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. Copies of both license agreements are to be held at the Town Garage and the Town Clerk’s office.
Washington Electric. A utility pole has been installed on Old Cross Road by Washington Electric. Mr. Benson stated they will be held to the same provisions as those of ECFiber, i.e., if the Town needs to have the pole moved for any reason, Washington Electric will move it and be responsible for the cost. Mr. Kimmel made a motion that it is the condition of this license that after working within the highway ROW, Washington Electric shall restore the surface of the highway ROW to its present condition, including removal of tree stump remnants created during the course of the construction . Once the utility is installed, Washington Electric shall install and maintain at the edge of the ROW on both sides of each underground line road crossing, permanent markers with the words “Underground Utility” on them denoting the utility crossing location. Mr. LaRoque seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Mr. Benson presented to the other members of the Board a draft of a lease agreement for the sand pit project. He asked Mr. Kimmel and Mr. LaRoque to review the draft and after any changes to forward a copy to the Town’s attorney.
Executive Session: Mr. Kimball moved that the Board go into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters at 8:30 pm. Mr. LaRoque seconded the motion. At 8:48 the Board voted unanimously to come out of Executive Session.
F. Old Business
1. Amendments to the 14 September Meeting Minutes The secretary was asked to
make the necessary adjustments of changing Mr. Brock’s first name to Scott.
2. Approve Minutes of the September 28 Minutes. Mr. Kimmel made a motion to accept the Town of Brookfield, Selectboard minutes of September 28, 2020 as presented. Mr. Benson seconded the motion and the minutes were approved unanimously.
G. Payroll and AP Warrants. Mr. LaRoque moved to accept the Payroll and Accounts Payable Warrants in the amount of $13,913.70 with the largest payment being to Gorman Group in the amount of $4,107.80. Mr. Benson seconded and the motion was unanimously approved.
H. Other Proper Business. Mr. LaRoque reminded everyone the Garage Committee would be holding an Open House at the Town Garage for the General Public on Saturday, October 17, 2020.
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. LaRoque moved for adjournment. Mr. Kimmel seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote at 9:10 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty Lord, Secretary