BENNINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING BENNINGTON FIRE FACILITY 130 RIVER STREET BENNINGTON, VERMONT 05201 MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2008 MINUTES BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Lodie Colvin-Chair; John Zink-Vice Chair; Sharyn Brush; Joseph Krawczyk; Matt Maroney and Jason Morrissey. ALSO PRESENT: Stuart Hurd-Town Manager; Mary Ann St. John; John Waller-Bennington Banner and Nancy Lively-Recording Secretary. At 7:00 P.M., Lodie Colvin called the meeting to order. 1.MINUTES - DECEMBER 8, 2008 Sharyn Brush moved and John Zink seconded to approve the Minutes of December 8, 2008 as submitted. The motion carried unanimously. 2. WARRANTS The warrants were circulated for signatures after Mr. Hurd answered Board questions on the transfer station gatekeeper contract, road surveys/sewer line, flood plain restoration and CDL reimbursements. 3. CITIZENS Ms. St. John explained that BROC had been solicited by the Department of Corrections to partner in subsidizing short term housing - six months to a year - for both male and female non-sex offenders that have served their prison time and are returning to society. This project, paid for by grant funds to the Department of Corrections, will hire a case manager who will help these clients with permanent housing searches, interpersonal relations, teaching life skills, budgeting, shopping, vocational coaching and counseling. In addition, therapeutic group counseling will be provided by United Counseling Service to address mental health and substance abuse concerns, as well as, working with the Department of Labor to help provide employment. Bennington County residents are the only eligible clients. Board questions/comments and clarifications were as follows: * This program is for Bennington County residents only. There is a concern as to how "residency" is determined. * The Department of Corrections will be screening these individuals. * The temporary housing will be scattered throughout the community but the neighbors will still be advised. Sex-offenders are not eligible for this program. * The grant will pay for the services provided by United Counseling Service. * Employment is critical to long-term success of the program. * These people are due to be released from prison and their parole officers will work with the case manager. * This project should lessen the number of homeless in Bennington. * Landlords are presently being contacted. It is a concern that a landlord will fill his/her building with several of these clients, as well as, the fact that not co-mingling with other inmates upon release is often a term of their release. * This will not increase the number of released prisoners in Bennington because they are due to be released anyway. It is a concern that this program may encourage prisoners to be released to Bennington, when, in fact, they are from other towns in the County. * There may be housing searches in other towns of Bennington County besides Bennington, however, transportation then becomes an issue. * The amount and length of the grant that is being applied for was not available this evening. * This is a statewide initiative, and the belief is that Rutland and Chittenden counties are also considering the project. More information must be available, and it must be an agenda item, before the Board can consider endorsing the project or not. 4. CAPITAL BUDGET AND PROGRAM DISCUSSION Mr. Hurd explained that the Capital Budget and Program first began in 2006 by Dubois and King with the Bennington County Regional Commission finishing the project in 2007. The Plan includes all major projects that we are aware of at this time listed under General Fund, Highway Fund and Water Fund. The numbers, projects, vehicles, and timelines have all been updated from 2006. All department heads have participated in this upgrade. The dollars for 2010 are really 2007/2008 numbers and projections beyond that are based on a 10% inflationary increase. It is important to remember that this is only a guide. A Capital Budget and Program needs to be adopted as a requirement for our Growth Center designation, as well as, for the water facility upgrade borrowing. Adopting the Plan does not require going forward with the projects as presented - decisions on that will be made annually as each budget is prepared. Mr. Krawczyk pointed out that the Growth Center is required to have a 5 to 20 year build out, and Mr. Hurd stated that this Capital Plan is able to project out 10 years but is presented out 5 years in compliance with the Statute. Our Growth Center application did go out the 20 years and this is the first 5 years of that. Mr. Maroney asked if our equipment is appraised by an outside source, and Mr. Hurd answered that there is nothing that broad but rather an accumulation of advisements as repairs are done. The Capital Budget and Program will be on the agenda for the next meeting. 5. MANAGER'S REPORT The Board will meet on the following dates, as needed, for FY10 budget work sessions: January 3, 2009 - 8:00am-11:00am January 10, 2009 - 9:00am-12:00noon January 17, 2009 - 9:00am-12:00noon Mr. Hurd reported that VTRANS Special Projects engineer Jim Harris will make a presentation on the current Route 279 systems interchange for the Welcome Center design, and the reasoning behind it, at our January 12, 2009 meeting. We will then set up a second meeting - possibly a regular Select Board meeting - with FHWA and VAOT personnel present to offer our suggestions for a change in the design. Mr. Hurd explained that the 2008 Equalization Study and Analysis done by Property Valuation and Review (PVR) has concluded that we are at a Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) of 89.69 and a Coefficient of Dispersion (COD) of 14.54. This is lower than was expected because of our reappraisal, however, we had increased taxable assessed values for the overwhelming majority of town properties in 2008. Also, the numbers from three years ago when sales were good has been eliminated from the calculations. 6. OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Krawczyk asked if there had been any calls concerning the care of the roads, and Mr. Hurd responded that there was one call to note the good job that was being done. Ms. Brush asked about our de-watered compost, and Mr. Hurd answered that we are contracted with a company in Massachusetts, it's a soil additive and we sell it. Ms. Colvin wished everyone the best of holidays and a Happy New Year. 7. EXECUTIVE SESSION A.CONTRACTS At 8:08 P.M., John Zink moved and Sharyn Brush seconded to go into Executive Session to discuss Contracts. The motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Nancy H. Lively Secretary