Shaftsbury Select Board // 10-5-26

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[0:00] Oh, I'm sorry. It seems we need to check the
[0:04] replacement location of the pump in the water supply system
[0:05] .
[0:09] The replacement
[0:11] was not approved at the last meeting, but at the previous meeting
[0:13] . Josh Brace, the water supply operations manager,
[0:17] made a presentation regarding the need for replacement.
[0:19] Yes, you purchased calcium chloride from
[0:21] Innovative Surface Solutions for
[0:24] $5,781.85 with invoice number
[0:26] 016768
[0:27] . You
[0:36] also purchased calcium chloride from Innovative Services Solutions for $5,812.59 with invoice number 016746
[0:38] .
[0:49] You purchased gas piping equipment from Lind Gas & Equipment for $112.27 with invoice number 58024462. There are annual payments to the DPW (Department of Public Works)
[0:53] and NEMRC (New Mexico Energy
[0:55] Regulatory Commission), respectively
[0:57] .
[1:00] NEMRC charges usage fees for various backend operational service software, such as payroll, zone setup, and cash
[1:07] receipt
[1:14] . yes
[1:15] . Recon Industries
[1:17] Co., Ltd., Invoice No. 1314870,
[1:19] amount is $2,722.02.
[1:22] That's the gravel cost.
[1:29] Sycamore Landscaping,
[1:31] invoice number 2263208 is for lawn mowing
[1:34] costs.
[1:35] Uh,
[1:37] I'm not sure which real estate agency it is. I think it's probably here
[1:38] . The
[1:40] tracking number is 226 and the amount
[1:43] is approximately $3,200.
[1:44] Number 226 is the cemetery maintenance fee
[1:46] .
[1:47] Cemetery management? yes
[1:48] .
[1:48] All right. And
[1:50] lastly, there is one more thing
[1:51] , but I apologize. One more thing
[1:54] , no, not just anything, but the
[1:56] Vermont State Treasury, $260
[1:58] . I
[2:01] paid $200 to the Vermont Department of Finance, which is
[2:03] the fee for issuing the marriage certificate.
[2:05] I am registering my marriage.
[2:06] Ah,
[2:06] it's not the paper cost. sorry
[2:08] . This
[2:11] is the amount you must pay to the state government for the marriage certificate issued here. I
[2:13] understand.
[2:15] $83
[2:16] is the cost of the paper. yes
[2:17] . You have written 200 of these
[2:19] . yes.
[2:20] And one more thing, for Wallingford
[2:24] Crushed Stone invoice number
[2:26] 5023444, the amount is
[2:29] $4,413.53. It
[2:30] is gravel.
[2:31] great. Does anyone have any questions regarding this matter
[2:33] ? does
[2:34] n't exist.
[2:36] Is there anyone who agrees with the approval? yes
[2:37] .
[2:38] Turn it for the signature. We
[2:44] now request your consent to deliberate on the PRW03 check issuance proposal,
[2:47] namely the issuance of a welfare check for $32,530.91
[2:52] . Yes, I
[2:57] agree. This
[2:58] is the second one.
[3:00] thing I
[3:02] would like to mention here is that a significant portion of this amount is
[3:04] deducted from the employees' salaries
[3:05] . Therefore, the
[3:08] employer's share of this invoice is
[3:11] $14,727.76. Is there anyone who votes in favor of approving this check
[3:14] issuance proposal
[3:15] ? yes
[3:16] . At
[3:21] 6:07 PM
[3:24] , I will now submit the motion requesting
[3:26] approval for the check payment report PR07 for $24,973.02
[3:31] . Yes, I
[3:33] agree. This
[3:34] is the second one.
[3:36] Does anyone have any questions about this paycheck? does
[3:38] n't exist.
[3:40] Is there anyone who agrees with the approval?
[3:40] Yes, I
[3:41] agree.
[3:44] Cable TV is coming on. Let's
[3:45] do that later. Yes,
[3:47] all matters regarding the check are finished
[3:48] . yes
[3:48] .
[3:49] great. Now that
[3:51] all matters regarding checks are concluded, we will
[3:54] move on to the third agenda item, the announcements. First, let me
[3:55] tell you a few things. I have a
[3:57] list in front of me. This
[3:59] is my list.
[4:01] As discussed several times in previous meetings, we
[4:07] plan to hold quarterly meetings of the Committee Chair, Committee, and Board Chair
[4:09] . The first meeting
[4:11] will be held on November 2nd. We will
[4:14] communicate with the relevant personnel to
[4:17] specify what kind of structure to create in the future and
[4:19] formalize it
[4:20] . Doing so
[4:22] facilitates smooth communication between departments, so "Wait, I
[4:23] thought I was doing something."
[4:25] Or, "I'm going to hold this event here
[4:26] , but something
[4:26] else is happening elsewhere." You
[4:28] can prevent confusion such as that
[4:29] . The
[4:32] first step is to ensure that everyone moves in the same direction. Further
[4:34] discussions are scheduled, and we will
[4:37] contact the heads of each committee and board of directors
[4:38] . Our board members will
[4:41] check who they are in contact with and further strengthen their relationships
[4:44] . In addition, we will inform you that you can contact us
[4:45] at any time if necessary as a committee representative
[4:48] . Of course, the
[4:49] people in charge
[4:51] will take the necessary measures, but it would be good to remind them once again that this relationship can be
[4:52] utilized at any time
[4:55] . This
[4:57] is the second point.
[5:03] The meeting on the amendment to the Shaftesbury village ordinance is scheduled to
[5:08] take place at the Election Committee meeting on October 19 at 6 p.m. This
[5:15] is a procedure required by state law. The ordinance amendment has been worked on and approved
[5:19] by the Planning Committee over the past few months and will
[5:20] now be
[5:22] submitted to the Election Committee.
[5:24] This meeting is also intended to allow citizens to
[5:29] review the amendment and
[5:30] submit questions or comments.
[5:33] Members of the Planning Committee are also
[5:35] attending and participating in the relevant documentation work, so they will
[5:39] answer your questions and concerns. This
[5:43] is the third piece of news. The 7A road
[5:45] detour construction has been completed
[5:47] . Everyone is really happy. It
[5:51] ended one day earlier than scheduled, exactly as planned
[5:53] . Thanks to that, we were able to
[5:56] spend that Friday as a weekday without any road closures
[5:57] .
[6:00] Thank you for the hard work of the Vermont State Police and Sheriff's Office
[6:02] . We expressed
[6:04] some concerns regarding the traffic situation around the school
[6:05] , and the
[6:07] officials went the extra mile to
[6:10] install a new structure in the middle of the detour so that students could
[6:11] pass through more safely
[6:13] .
[6:14] Thank you very much. It was really great that the sheriff's office responded promptly, as the parents
[6:16] expressed their concerns directly and
[6:17] others felt the
[6:18] same way
[6:21] . We felt that our opinions were well
[6:23] conveyed
[6:24] , and we were really satisfied. yes
[6:25] .
[6:26] Next is the fourth agenda item, the fourth
[6:28] announcement. This is a sewer system feasibility
[6:30] study. As you know, a
[6:32] sewer system feasibility study committee
[6:33] was formed, and the DuFrain Group
[6:35] conducted the study.
[6:37] All these costs
[6:38] were covered by subsidies. The
[6:40] 90% report, which we have been waiting quite a long time for, has been
[6:42] released. The next step would be to
[6:47] convene a meeting of the City Planning Committee, provided you all agree
[6:48] . This is because it is now time for the City
[6:50] Planning Committee to handle this issue
[6:53] . Well, and a good
[6:57] idea is to meet
[6:59] again with or contact the members of the sewer system feasibility study committee so that the
[7:03] planning committee and all
[7:05] the members who participated in the sewer system feasibility study can
[7:06] gather together. If we do
[7:11] that, I think we can
[7:12] share our opinions and move in the same direction
[7:14] . I have a
[7:16] lot of information to share.
[7:18] Is that a good idea?
[7:18] Yes, that's good. That
[7:20] is a good idea. all
[7:21] right. The fifth announcement is, as I
[7:25] mentioned at the last meeting
[7:27] , that a
[7:29] class action lawsuit has been filed regarding the PFAS issue here
[7:31] . In other words, it means that there are
[7:35] individuals participating in the lawsuit
[7:36] . A lawsuit is currently
[7:40] underway, and
[7:41] at the last meeting, it was mentioned that there is a possibility that
[7:43] similar measures could be taken in Shaftesbury Town as well
[7:46] . We
[7:51] plan to proceed with that work and are currently providing
[7:53] necessary information in cooperation with the local council
[7:56] . We
[8:02] plan to contact other councils as well to support the filing of the first official complaint. We will provide more detailed
[8:03] news later. This
[8:07] is what I mentioned at the last meeting, and yes, we are proceeding with that work
[8:09] .
[8:10] Attorneys are conducting a fact-finding process to provide
[8:12] all necessary information for filing a complaint
[8:14] . Yes, that is all
[8:15] I have to say
[8:16] . Do you happen to have anything else to say
[8:20] ?
[8:21] I don't have any. All of mine are
[8:22] new agenda items.
[8:24] Yes, I have one. Please
[8:25] tell me. I
[8:28] informed you this morning that the ballots had been sent by mail
[8:29] , but I have learned that not all ballots have been sent yet
[8:32] . The state
[8:34] government's printing press is
[8:35] experiencing production disruptions. Your
[8:37] ballot may have been sent
[8:38] , or it
[8:39] may not have been sent yet. We
[8:40] cannot know for sure right now.
[8:41] If it has not been shipped yet
[8:42] , it will be shipped within a few days
[8:44] . Please continue to check
[8:45] . If you have not received your ballot
[8:47] within a week and a half from now, please come see
[8:49] me.
[8:51] I do not have
[8:52] many ballots on hand because I have to give ballots to everyone
[8:54] . However,
[8:56] if anyone happens to not receive their
[8:57] ballot within a week and a half from now, you may come see
[8:59] me
[9:00] . Yes, that's
[9:02] good. Thank you, Malin. yes
[9:04] . That's cool. yes. It's
[9:07] not cool.
[9:07] Yeah, it's not cool. However, I am
[9:10] glad that you handled it well.
[9:12] Thank you for the update. It's
[9:13] not good, but well, it's a normal thing.
[9:15] Yes, of course. Yes, things like this can
[9:17] happen.
[9:18] Ah, there is one more thing I would like to tell you
[9:19] . A town fair
[9:21] hosted by the Vermont Cities and Towns Association is
[9:23] being held this week. Marlin, Gina,
[9:26] and Marlin, the
[9:28] tax officers at our town office,
[9:32] are scheduled to be away on Thursday. Oh, I'm
[9:34] sorry. It's Wednesday. I am away
[9:37] on Thursday and Wednesday
[9:38] . Wednesday and Thursday
[9:40] . So
[9:43] please keep this in mind.
[9:44] Ashley, Jin, and I are also
[9:46] planning to go out on Thursday.
[9:48] Everyone is out on Wednesday and Thursday
[9:49] . sorry. Are
[9:52] town office staff, town administrators,
[9:54] or tax office employees going out this Wednesday and Thursday
[9:55] ?
[9:55] you're right.
[9:56] And I am also
[9:58] planning to go to the village festival. And I will also
[10:00] attend the council meeting the day before
[10:04] I think that would be important, too. Yes,
[10:07] that is all for the announcement. The fourth
[10:08] item is listening to citizens' opinions
[10:10] . We would like to inform you once again that we have slightly changed our meeting format
[10:13] . If
[10:15] anyone wishes to share their opinions,
[10:18] please come forward to the microphone and speak to the committee
[10:19] . This is to improve the atmosphere of the meeting and
[10:24] ensure that everyone has the opportunity to speak
[10:25] . I would appreciate it if you could
[10:28] come forward to the microphone and share your thoughts or questions for two minutes
[10:31] . Well, then, if you
[10:33] tell me your name, we
[10:37] will proceed step by step. Yes, since meetings sometimes
[10:39] take up to three hours, we try to
[10:42] proceed as efficiently as possible. Do you have any opinions on
[10:45] matters not on this evening's agenda
[10:46] ? You will have the
[10:48] opportunity to speak on each agenda item as well, so I would
[10:50] appreciate it if you could share your thoughts
[10:52] . Yes, it's fine.
[10:55] Then, we will welcome Tim Gulli, the temporary DPW site foreman
[10:56] . I am also praying for the
[11:03] person who will soon become the official site foreman. I
[11:05] submitted the job offer, but it
[11:07] was delayed a little. sorry. It
[11:09] is my fault. hello.
[11:17] I am Tim Gulli. The
[11:20] ground leveling of Trumbull Hill was completed in the week of September 28
[11:22] . We have
[11:24] started ground leveling on East Road
[11:25] , but we are still
[11:26] short one piece of ground leveling equipment. I am waiting for an email
[11:28] from the person in charge at Spring Field
[11:31] Right?
[11:32] Yes, we are waiting for you to send the estimate, etc.
[11:34] We
[11:39] mowed the lawn at Murphy Hill and proceeded with the work toward Shaysby Hall and
[11:41] Granger Hall
[11:44] . And this week, the
[11:47] leveling work on East Road was finished today
[11:49] . We have
[11:52] started leveling work on Glastonbury Road and are
[11:56] proceeding through Maple Hill toward Old Depot Road
[11:57] . The lawnmowers are
[12:08] scheduled to finish the potholes and work starting from Clear Road and West Mountain Road and returning. We are also
[12:16] consistently carrying out drainage maintenance work in preparation for when it starts snowing
[12:18] . yes
[12:21] Next week is a
[12:23] short week as Monday is a public holiday, so we plan to continue
[12:25] leveling and mowing
[12:26] , reload the snowplow frame
[12:28] onto the truck, and
[12:30] complete all winter preparations. yes
[12:33] great. yes. The work
[12:36] is in progress.
[12:38] Today, a
[12:40] resident of Avondale Meadows
[12:44] called to ask when the work would be finished, and mentioned that the road
[12:46] signs had also fallen over
[12:47] . yes
[12:50] . I
[12:52] will only forward the message. yes
[12:54] . great.
[12:56] thank you.
[12:58] Does anyone have any questions for the team?
[12:59] Um, no, it's fine.
[13:00] great. Thank you, team. thank you so much
[13:02] . good job.
[13:03] great. The sixth item
[13:05] is the financial report. I would like to welcome Ms.
[13:07] Melanie Dexter, our Finance Officer, to the table
[13:10] . hello
[13:11] everyone.
[13:12] hello. Do you have
[13:13] my report, Jen? yes
[13:15] . Shall we
[13:17] take a look at the September 30th report first? Um, yes. As most of you have probably already
[13:23] seen, as you can see,
[13:27] nearly $500,000 was collected in taxes in September
[13:30] . It was
[13:33] the amount needed to purchase a fire truck
[13:35] . If you look at the bottom, the AP
[13:40] amount is this high, and that
[13:44] is due to the cost of purchasing fire trucks. The
[13:47] initial budget was $500,000
[13:49] , but
[13:50] in reality, it
[13:51] exceeded $1 million. yes
[13:52] . yes. So, despite
[13:56] generating such high revenue, our
[13:58] cash balance is
[14:02] not at the level of this time of year in previous years. However,
[14:03] this is entirely planned and I
[14:05] fully understand it
[14:06] . I
[14:08] have attached the budget status report below.
[14:11] If you compare this year with last year
[14:13] , you can see that the proportion of revenue actually received out of the budget is
[14:18] increasing faster than last year
[14:22] This year, 35.6% of revenue has already
[14:25] been secured, compared to 28.2% last year
[14:28] . This is probably because the
[14:34] tax bills were sent out early this year
[14:35] . It was to allow people ample time to make plans ahead of the November
[14:37] 10 tax payment deadline
[14:44] . I need to install a sign at the corner of the intersection. Are you
[14:52] the person who cut the dog park sign with the blinking traffic light? It's
[14:54] not me.
[14:55] Ah, who are you? Do
[14:56] you remember?
[14:57] Yes, the recreation center. I
[14:59] think it's my turn next. I would
[15:05] like to make it clear that the deadline for reporting home ownership is October 15. It
[15:10] is a strict deadline set by the state, and
[15:12] some people I know haven't been able to
[15:14] file yet. I
[15:18] cannot do it for you. You must do this
[15:20] yourself, and it is a
[15:22] mandatory annual report with a
[15:23] deadline of October 15
[15:25] . If you report on October 16th, you will
[15:29] not be able to receive the benefit. So please make sure to keep this in mind
[15:32] . I will
[15:33] set up a sign. The tax
[15:35] payment deadline is November 10 at
[15:37] 5 p.m. I am asking because I am wondering if I
[15:41] understood correctly
[15:45] If I pay a portion of the amount in advance before the deadline, is interest
[15:47] applied only to the remaining amount
[15:50] Yes, that is correct.
[15:51] So, if I owe $5,000 and
[15:53] have paid $3,000 but
[15:57] couldn't raise the remaining $2,000 and paid it after the deadline
[15:58] , I only have to pay a penalty on the $2,000, right
[16:00] ? that's right. I
[16:03] think Holly will explain it in detail later, but I
[16:06] wanted to check if I understood it correctly. yes
[16:07] . Yes, the overdue tax notice
[16:11] only includes the unpaid amount, right
[16:13] ? yes. I
[16:14] understood. As of
[16:16] 5 PM on November 10th
[16:18] . great.
[16:19] Then, shall we take a look at some other things?
[16:22] Jen, this is based on today. I
[16:28] analyzed today's cash flow and
[16:32] collected an additional $170,000 in taxes today.
[16:36] Almost only today. It seems like things are getting a bit better now
[16:38] . You
[16:41] can check the details at the very bottom. You
[16:44] can check your monthly tax income
[16:46] . The reason for the high income in August is that the
[16:51] tax notices
[16:53] were sent out early
[16:54] . It seems people
[16:56] received their bills earlier than expected and wanted to
[16:57] cross them off their to-pay list
[17:00] Income is expected to increase significantly in the future
[17:02] . I would like to
[17:04] reiterate that I do
[17:08] not only collect taxes from our city. All education taxes are
[17:11] also included. This is because
[17:14] at least $8 million is required to run the city
[17:16] , and most of it
[17:17] is paid to the state government
[17:19] . The state
[17:22] education tax accounts for 70% of the total tax
[17:24] , and arrears are not allowed
[17:30] All paid amounts belong to the state government
[17:32] . Therefore, our city operates on the remaining amount
[17:35] not paid to the state government
[17:39] . It seems that many people are unaware of this point
[17:41] No, it has not been paid.
[17:43] As you know, this tax
[17:44] continues to be borne by the general fund.
[17:46] you're right. There is
[17:47] no such thing as unpaid education tax. In reality, there is
[17:50] no such thing as unpaid education tax.
[17:52] Of course, you must pay, but if
[17:54] there is anyone who has not paid, the city
[17:55] sends a bill. The city
[17:56] covers the entire cost.
[17:57] About 30% of that goes into the city budget, but
[17:59] in reality, the city
[18:00] covers the entire cost. yes. That was
[18:05] exactly the part I wanted to verify. As the
[18:08] payment deadline of 5:00 PM on November 10th approaches, I
[18:12] will continue to check this part
[18:13] . yes
[18:14] . I have a simple question regarding the other documents
[18:18] . It seems there was a period when the comparison with
[18:20] the previous year was not accurate due to accounting changes and other factors
[18:27] Will these plans proceed in the future? Actually, there are
[18:28] so many variables at this time that I do
[18:32] n't think it's even worth reviewing properly. You know,
[18:34] even just one winter storm can
[18:36] mess everything up. Well,
[18:38] so I don't always predict
[18:40] it, but I thought this was a way to show that
[18:44] profits are high simply because the bills were sent early
[18:47] . All right. yes
[18:49] . Do
[18:50] you have any other questions?
[18:52] Hmm, there isn't. yes. thank you
[18:56] Yes, Melanie, thank you. yes
[18:58] . The seventh agenda item is to open
[19:05] several bids for work to be performed for the village on behalf of the Emerald Ash Woodworm Committee
[19:07] . We will
[19:16] open each bid and
[19:18] inform you of the bidder's name and project cost
[19:20] . Hmm, I'll
[19:23] use a letter unboxing video later
[19:25] . I don't think it will work out well. yes.
[19:27] Do you have a letter unboxing video? yes
[19:28] . Yes, it would be
[19:29] nice to have one. I'll
[19:30] open the first document
[19:31] . You shouldn't do this.
[19:32] It looks like it's going to be a bit of a mess.
[19:36] I think it would be more convenient to give it to the team in an undamaged state. yes
[19:38] . Well, everyone fills out the same application form
[19:44] . This is the Shaftesbury
[19:48] Town bid. I'll
[19:50] read the top part before opening it. The
[19:53] Shaftesbury Town bid is for the removal of potentially hazardous trees along
[19:54] both sides of Maple Hill Road in the town
[19:58] . This Maple
[20:00] Hill Road section will serve as a kind of pilot project to see how things will go when this project is
[20:02] expanded to the entire village
[20:07] . We must keep in mind that
[20:10] trees will eventually fall, and
[20:12] we will have to do this work
[20:14] . Therefore,
[20:19] the key is how much to invest in advance and how much to budget each year
[20:20] . Well, similar work is being done in a few other villages as well
[20:23] , and this project
[20:25] has exactly that purpose
[20:26] . The first quote is from
[20:30] Bryant Excavation
[20:32] LLP in Paulette, Vermont. The estimated
[20:34] cost is $23,000, and the work is
[20:39] expected to take 5 days (business days) to complete
[20:41] . This company has relevant materials
[20:43] and equipment, so it
[20:45] can be deployed to the project
[20:47] . This estimate will be reviewed jointly by the Department of Public
[20:49] Works (DPW) site supervisor and the
[20:51] Emerald Beetle Control
[20:53] Board (EAB)
[20:59] The contact information for the person in charge can be verified directly by the EAB representative or the site
[21:01] supervisor
[21:03] . thank you. yes
[21:07] . yes
[21:08] . hmm. It
[21:18] seems like long estimates are illegal. The second quote is
[21:23] from Greater Heights Tree and Land Management in Bennington, Vermont
[21:25] . The estimated cost is
[21:27] $16,200, and the work is
[21:29] expected to take 4 days to complete
[21:31] . Please put it back in the envelope
[21:35] . This
[21:36] is the first envelope. Shall we open a few in advance
[21:53] ? It seems like it's illegal.
[21:55] Oh, are you okay? yes. Yes, um, if it were
[21:57] n't for that, I would have opened it, but I
[22:00] think asking for that is illegal. Hmm, this
[22:02] estimate is for L.G. It came from a company called [Company Name]
[22:04] , but I can't read the handwriting
[22:05] . However, it seems to be
[22:09] Burno Forest Products LLC in Woodbury
[22:11] . The amount is
[22:14] $39,700, and the work period is 10 days
[22:17] . And there
[22:20] is more paper inside.
[22:22] I don't know what this is. Ah, I
[22:23] think I just cut them all in half.
[22:25] Ah, that won't work. I'll have to take it out again
[22:28] . I'm thinking of opening it again
[22:29] . Hmm,
[22:31] I don't think it would be a good idea to open it again.
[22:35] Still, I can read all the handwriting
[22:37] . Is it cut cleanly
[22:38] ? It was cut very cleanly
[22:39] , and it is small enough to be taped up
[22:41] . Now, next is
[22:42] Holly's Grading
[22:44] and Land Clearing Company in Arlington, Vermont. They
[22:47] say it is expected to take 5 days for $13,000. The
[23:01] following estimate
[23:03] was provided by Michael Biddy in Shaftesbury,
[23:14] stating that it is $38,000 if one problem occurs and $41,000 if another problem occurs. There are also issues
[23:18] related to the use of city-owned land
[23:20] . And they say it is expected to take 75 days
[23:30] I think someone needs to contact him and ask if he wrote that on purpose. I
[23:34] think it probably wasn't allowed according to the regulations.
[23:36] I see. It might have
[23:39] taken several months
[23:40] . yes yes
[23:41] . I
[23:44] want to check if I read it correctly. The handwriting was a bit
[23:46] hard to read. Next is
[23:47] John
[23:49] Babson Jr.'s Jones Tree
[23:50] Service in Bennington, Vermont. The estimate is
[23:54] $32,500, and this person expects the work to
[23:56] take 10 to 15 days to complete
[23:58] . This
[24:20] is a $35,700 estimate submitted by DJ's Tree Service in Colchester, Vermont. It is expected that the work
[24:22] will take two days to complete
[24:24] . The
[24:36] final quote for review by the Emerald Beetle Committee and other stakeholders was
[24:42] submitted by Richard Sears Incorporated
[25:04] Richard C. Sears, Richard Sears Tree
[25:06] Experts,
[25:09] has offered $38,245 for this project, and the work is
[25:13] expected to take two days to complete. We have finished
[25:16] reviewing all quotes so far
[25:17] . The election committee will
[25:19] review these estimates and
[25:21] not vote on them. This amount is
[25:24] reflected in this year's budget and
[25:27] can be verified in the municipal report. Yes,
[25:33] does anyone have any questions regarding the quote opening for the Emerald Beetle?
[25:34] great. I will
[25:37] move on to item number 8, the donation request.
[25:39] Hello, Art Whitman.
[25:49] Yes, I will stand up.
[25:54] great.
[26:02] thank you.
[26:04] I am glad to meet you. I will
[26:04] pass this on to Amy and Naomi
[26:07] Yes, I will pass it on when Amy and Naomi attend again
[26:13] I am Art Whitman,
[26:17] Vice Chairman of the Holiday Tractor Parade. Jennifer
[26:20] Drinkwater is also the Vice Chairperson
[26:24] Mr. Whitman, I would
[26:29] appreciate it if you could record this on camera. So that we can
[26:32] hear clearly. thank you
[26:34] . I have
[26:38] prepared a folder summarizing the progress I have made so far. It seems that permission
[26:43] to hold this year's parade was received at the last meeting
[26:49] The date
[26:53] was set for the Saturday following Thanksgiving, November 28, just like last year.
[26:56] If you look at this flyer, it starts at 6 PM
[26:59] Right? It is 6 PM. The
[27:00] parade starts at 6 o'clock
[27:02] . Of course, I
[27:04] would appreciate it if you could come before then. all
[27:05] right. The following
[27:10] are a few rules. Last year, there were
[27:13] no problems and
[27:15] no rules. But
[27:17] someone
[27:21] said that it will be a bit stricter this year. Basically, you
[27:24] must participate by vehicle only;
[27:25] bicycles or walking are not allowed.
[27:29] The driver must be at least 18 years old and
[27:33] have a valid driver's license. Another thing is that there is only one
[27:36] Santa Claus on my parade float, so
[27:40] other Santa Clauses
[27:42] cannot participate in the parade. There should only be
[27:44] one Santa Claus
[27:46] . You will
[27:48] need to discuss this among yourselves, but I think that is the
[27:50] right approach.
[27:51] great. I should let the other aspiring Santa Claus
[27:53] know this fact as well. "It's my Santa
[27:55] Claus!" You could say that
[27:56] . And
[27:58] if possible, I would appreciate it if everyone could apply in advance
[28:03] That way, it helps us get an idea of ​​the headcount
[28:04] . Also, uh, for
[28:11] those who brought vehicles other than trailers or regular cars, we plan to have them park separately and
[28:12] mixed in with other vehicles
[28:14] . Although the venue is
[28:18] spacious, there were
[28:20] many vehicles last year, and even more are expected this year
[28:22] . It's
[28:26] already explained on the website, isn't it? Right? It is
[28:28] already online. You can
[28:29] apply online,
[28:30] call me or Charlie
[28:31] , or visit the office in person
[28:31] . You
[28:33] can do it whichever way is most convenient for you. We will
[28:40] collect all applications, so please
[28:41] sign the attendance list upon arrival
[28:43] . I would appreciate it if you could apply in advance
[28:44] , but this is to determine who
[28:46] came and who did not
[28:51] Next, Ms. Gina Jenks
[28:54] prepared a wonderful program to involve the school.
[29:00] Activity sheets for students to color are prepared
[29:01] . We are striving to ensure that the entire local community can
[29:03] participate
[29:04] . That
[29:05] is a really good idea.
[29:09] And finally, I
[29:15] would like to mention that this event will grow bigger as it expands. It seems like a quarter pony (
[29:18] horse) will be needed, and it
[29:20] seems like it will be needed this year as well.
[29:24] We are also considering a food truck, but the
[29:26] cost of hiring a sheriff is separate.
[29:32] Jina said she would
[29:34] send letters requesting sponsorship to various organizations and companies, and while
[29:37] call them donation letters, they are
[29:39] actually sponsorship letters. We
[29:47] cover part of the costs by requesting small donations. We are planning to
[29:53] prepare souvenirs for all participants,
[29:54] which will incur costs, but as the
[29:56] event grows, additional expenses will
[29:58] continue to arise. yes. I have a
[30:03] few questions regarding this part
[30:04] . How
[30:06] should I structure it? thank you
[30:07] . Because this
[30:09] event is new and very interesting to us
[30:11] , our village does
[30:15] not traditionally collect donations on an ad-hoc basis as needed. For example, the
[30:17] recreation committee
[30:20] has established a dog park fund, so the recreation
[30:22] committee can receive donations and
[30:23] put them into the dog park fund
[30:25] . As I
[30:28] looked into this issue today, what I was curious about was
[30:32] what kind of structure needs to be established so that the village can legally receive that money
[30:36] . The fund must be designated for a specific purpose
[30:38] , and once it is accumulated, it
[30:41] must undergo a vote by the election committee every time it is used.
[30:44] There are a few methods, but in my opinion, the
[30:46] procedure seems quite complicated
[30:47] . However, it
[30:48] is a legally required procedure.
[30:50] There are a few different methods. One is to
[30:53] formalize the Christmas lights and tractor parade committee, and the other is to
[30:55] cooperate with the recreation committee. The
[30:57] Recreation Committee does not
[30:58] need to host events directly, but
[31:02] maintains a cooperative relationship because it hopes to host more events.
[31:04] One way is to receive donations directly this year
[31:06] without going through the City of Shaftesbury
[31:10] Then you
[31:11] can proceed with the process quickly and manage the funds directly
[31:18] Could you please tell me if you are doing this personally or through the Recreation Committee? If the
[31:18] recreation committee
[31:20] does it, they could raise funds
[31:21] . I just thought about it
[31:23] , but I'm not sure what to do
[31:25] . How about creating a permanent fund named the 'Holiday
[31:27] Lights Tractor Parade Fund'
[31:33] However, I am cautious, wondering if I am speaking rashly
[31:35] . I've never
[31:37] created a fund before
[31:39] . Still, I think it is a good idea
[31:42] . Because it is important to clearly specify where the funds
[31:44] go and how they are
[31:45] used
[31:48] What do you think?
[31:49] Yes, since I took on this job, I have
[31:50] n't encountered anything like this, so I'm not sure how to
[31:51] proceed
[31:52] , but it
[31:54] seems like it is already a popular event. I never imagined it would be
[31:55] this successful when it's only my second year
[31:57] . It
[31:59] seems like a huge success. We
[32:01] would like to support this event, but it is also important to comply with the law
[32:03] . I think I'll probably
[32:04] need to ask the finance manager, but I'll try to
[32:07] find an answer somehow. It would be a
[32:10] good idea to establish a permanent fund. It says to
[32:16] designate 'Shaftesbury Town/Holiday Parade' as the payee on the check;
[32:18] should I change this? This is
[32:19] something we are currently looking into
[32:25] I'm not sure if I'll be able to find out the answer at the bank. This seems to be an issue of
[32:32] legal jurisdiction for local governments, such as
[32:33] regulations regarding large cargo trucks
[32:35] But what I'm saying is that since they're going to
[32:37] exchange it for cash, they'll
[32:38] know what they want right now
[32:39] . I asked Melanie if it would be
[32:40] handled properly
[32:42] , and she said she
[32:43] didn't seem to care much
[32:45] . "
[32:45] No," Melanie said. "We just want to make sure this money
[32:47] is properly designated
[32:49] . We
[32:52] need to make sure it goes to the right place every time. We don't want a situation where a $100 check is
[32:54] deposited at the bank and they say, 'Oh, this should
[32:55] go into the general fund.
[33:00] That isn't its intended purpose
[33:01] . So,
[33:05] I want to ensure it is being processed properly administratively.
[33:15] I think it would be best to pay the check to the village of Shaftesbury and write 'Holiday Lighting Tractor Parade' in the memo section. And let's
[33:17] arrange the funds to deposit that money next week
[33:19] ." He said.
[33:23] Yes,
[33:24] then it would be
[33:25] best to leave it as it is. all
[33:26] right. Is it
[33:29] correct to add a memo field? May I edit this content so that
[33:30] Jina can edit it as well
[33:31] ? all
[33:33] right. I will do that and
[33:35] deliver it to Gina tomorrow to check if the money is
[33:36] being used properly and if it can be used as you all
[33:37] think is appropriate
[33:40] . Shall we
[33:45] find out if people can donate online through Muni MuniciPay? I think I
[33:48] need to add a donation option to MuniciPay as well
[33:50] , but I think I should
[33:53] search on Google to see if this is legal
[33:54] . yes. If
[33:56] possible,
[33:57] yes. I think it's probably possible, but since
[34:00] donations are a bit tricky, I'll
[34:01] check into it.
[34:03] Someone wanted to create a
[34:04] reserve fund for very general purposes
[34:06] , and I told them, "
[34:07] All expenditures must be approved by the board
[34:09] , and there must be established standards
[34:12] ." This is much simpler. Because
[34:14] the donations are for the Christmas decoration
[34:16] tractor parade
[34:17] . It can be said to be a very simple example of raising a designated fund
[34:20] . However,
[34:22] I will look into the MuniciPay part.
[34:23] Carlin or someone else will
[34:24] notice. You
[34:26] all need to be
[34:26] honest. yes
[34:28] . Then maybe next week... hmm,
[34:30] tomorrow is a bit tricky. Will you be here tomorrow
[34:32] too? I have one tomorrow.
[34:35] I will give you an answer by this weekend.
[34:36] At the very least, you should convey the request
[34:38] Yes, I think I will be able to get a response quite quickly
[34:39] . Yes, it is
[34:42] okay to start collecting donations now
[34:44] Should we hold a vote, or
[34:46] should we decide by consensus?
[34:49] Hmm, I think it would be good to vote.
[34:52] Hmm, I will vote for an amendment to add a memo item called 'Christmas Decoration
[34:53] Tractor Parade'
[34:57] . Well,
[34:59] so I would like to propose an agenda item to approve this community
[35:01] partner donation request letter
[35:04] . This letter is, well, going to
[35:09] be sent on behalf of the Christmas Decoration Tractor Parade Committee. One
[35:11] modification is to
[35:13] add a specific memo item to all donations
[35:14] . And in
[35:16] the case of cash donations, we will ask for the purpose of the donation, and the
[35:17] donor simply needs to inform us of the purpose
[35:18] . great. I
[35:20] agree.
[35:20] Second affirmative.
[35:21] Is there anyone who agrees? yes
[35:23] . great. I
[35:24] will contact you soon. Thank you
[35:26] Charlie. Yes, it's
[35:27] fine. great. Yes,
[35:29] Mr. Whitman, thank you very much.
[35:30] Many people are looking forward to it
[35:32] . The phone is already ringing
[35:33] . It hasn't even
[35:34] snowed yet
[35:35] Thank you all very much.
[35:37] thank you.
[35:41] Wait a moment. What should I do
[35:43] ? Could you give it to her tomorrow
[35:50] ? Yes,
[35:52] of course.
[35:53] She probably already knows
[35:54] . For some reason, I have a
[35:56] feeling that will happen. Yes, that's
[35:58] good.
[35:59] I believe that will be the case.
[36:00] Well, continuing on, what I just
[36:02] mentioned was a request for
[36:04] donations related to the Christmas decoration tractor parade
[36:06] . Hmm, now I will
[36:10] move on to the ninth item
[36:11] . This concerns the penalty rate for overdue taxes
[36:13] , and we have Ms.
[36:15] Holly Bean, the tax collection officer,
[36:17] joining us today
[36:19] . I pronounced it
[36:23] correctly, right? Ah, wait a minute.
[36:27] I feel like I'll faint if I don't sit down. I am Holly Bean. I am the
[36:30] delinquent tax collector for our village
[36:32] , and I am here today to share some
[36:34] information and the decisions I have made
[36:37] . After much consideration, we are fully aware that
[36:41] some residents will
[36:43] face a property tax increase due to calculations and reassessments at the state government level
[36:47] . For this
[36:50] reason, I have decided to temporarily adjust the
[36:56] penalty rate for Shaftsbury's 2026 property tax due on November 10, 2026
[37:04] As an elected tax collector, I carry out
[37:05] collection duties in accordance with the laws and guidelines established by the state government
[37:09] According to the relevant regulations, the
[37:11] allowable additional tax rate is limited to 8%
[37:13] , and
[37:15] this rate has been applied at Shaftesbury for many years
[37:17] . Therefore, for this year only
[37:19] , on the principal amount of the 2026 property tax that is overdue even after 5:00 PM on November 10, 2026
[37:20] (the payment deadline set by voters
[37:22] ),
[37:27] only a 4% penalty tax valid until December 31, 2026 will be
[37:29] imposed. Starting January 1, 2027, a
[37:41] penalty of the remaining 4% will
[37:43] be imposed on the outstanding principal amount. Although this may
[37:46] not solve all difficulties, I hope it can at least lighten the burden
[37:48] for those who find it difficult to pay the full amount within the deadline
[37:51] . We would appreciate it if you could make as much as
[37:55] possible by the deadline of November 10
[37:58] . Fees are charged only on the unpaid principal
[38:04] That is all I have to say. If
[38:07] you have any questions or needs, please feel free to contact me by email at any time
[38:09] . thank you.
[38:11] so much, Holly.
[38:13] Could you please send it to me by email?
[38:15] Yes, of course.
[38:17] If space is limited, please upload it to Word
[38:18] . Yes, I'll post it on the Facebook
[38:21] page or website as well
[38:23] . Yes, that's good
[38:25] . All right. Could we possibly
[38:26] discuss the interest issue
[38:28] ? How about considering a plan
[38:30] not to charge interest until January 1st
[38:35] Holly, the
[38:37] interest...
[38:37] Ah, the interest...
[38:40] No, the interest is charged by the city
[38:42] . As for the late fee... yes,
[38:47] thank you. The interest is charged by the city
[38:50] . So,
[38:51] we can control that part
[38:56] Yes, we can discuss it.
[38:59] great.
[39:01] What would you like to say?
[39:03] Hmm, I am thinking that I might be able to help people by not charging interest until January 1st
[39:08] . For the same period as the time she
[39:10] reduces the fine
[39:11] . Or
[39:17] like cutting the interest in half. I
[39:20] think it is a good idea and reasonable. all right.
[39:22] Yes, I'm not sure
[39:24] Do you know what the interest rate is? I am not sure what the
[39:25] interest rate is
[39:26] . I will
[39:27] check all the details and
[39:29] put it on the agenda for the 19th
[39:32] great. I will make a
[39:33] formal announcement after further investigation
[39:36] . Thank you for letting me know.
[39:38] That is a good starting point that naturally leads from Holly's presentation
[39:42] . I think we need to figure out exactly what we
[39:43] need to do and how we
[39:44] can help
[39:48] Yes, we should do whatever it takes to help taxpayers this year
[39:50] . I fully agree
[39:52] That's a really good idea. The reason I
[39:54] said "I'm not sure" was that I wasn't
[39:55] exactly sure what to do, but I
[40:00] think I will be able to figure out what the best solution is by November 19th. Because it is
[40:01] well ahead of the November 10 deadline
[40:04] I think it's okay. For
[40:07] things that cannot be changed, like taxes, local governments
[40:09] must maintain consistency
[40:11] . However, these matters were
[40:14] handled leniently by the local government, and if the local government
[40:16] takes measures, the
[40:17] burden on some people could be significantly reduced
[40:19] . This situation
[40:23] was a huge shock to everyone, including me.
[40:24] And there was too little we could do while going through this process
[40:27] . It was frustratingly insignificant to even
[40:29] suggest or request the use of a different period, and
[40:32] everything
[40:33] was bound by regulations.
[40:35] However, this is something that can be done in the village
[40:36] . So I
[40:37] think it is a good idea. I would like to
[40:40] thank Marlin for making this proposal. Please
[40:41] review this further and bring forward proposals that can be implemented
[40:43] before the deadline through a vote on the 19th
[40:50] Yes, that's good.
[40:55] Then, let's move on to the SESTF proposal
[41:01] We have talked a lot so far, so now we would like to
[41:02] invite Mr. Nick Zaiak to join us for a conversation
[41:04] . I
[41:07] will give you a brief overview. So, over the
[41:12] past few months, I
[41:18] have held a series of meetings with stakeholders in the Shaftesbury, Bennington, Fornal, and Woodford areas to discuss the situation regarding the massive increase in
[41:20] Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
[41:28] costs in these regions nationwide
[41:32] . The
[41:34] financial situation of the Fornal Rescue Team was the main reason this
[41:40] task force was formed and
[41:42] various solutions were devised
[41:44] . A total of
[41:47] five solutions
[41:48] were presented, and an
[41:50] in-depth analysis was conducted on each proposal
[41:52] . We reviewed
[41:54] what cooperation measures could be taken to overcome this crisis together
[41:57] . This is the first step in starting discussions at the local community level
[42:01] . Maintaining emergency medical services will be
[42:08] costly
[42:10] , and we will have to come
[42:12] up with a solution and bear the cost
[42:14] . When I
[42:17] explained this situation to someone, they said, "Someone will
[42:18] come." That's what they said
[42:19] . So I said, "If there isn't a properly
[42:21] functioning emergency medical service, that wouldn't be the case
[42:22] ." ...
[42:23] answered. Then that person said,
[42:25] "Ah, I naturally
[42:26] assumed there would be." He said that, and
[42:27] I replied, "I understand why you think that
[42:29] That is why we are making an effort to ensure
[42:30] someone is dispatched when you report something
[42:32] ." He said.
[42:33] Sharpesbury is a somewhat unique
[42:34] situation because
[42:36] some reports from the northern area of ​​Sharpesbury are
[42:37] handled by Arlington Rescue
[42:38] . Therefore, the next step is to
[42:40] contact Arlington
[42:42] . This is because the current SCS Task Force
[42:45] and the Southshire Stabilization Project
[42:47] alone cannot meet the needs of the region
[42:51] Therefore, we will also need to discuss the financial aspects
[42:54] . But tonight is
[42:56] just the beginning. Long
[42:57] discussions will continue, and we plan to gather
[42:59] voters' opinions in the March vote
[43:02] Nick, may I step outside and talk for a moment
[43:06] great. Hello, I am
[43:08] Nick Zha Yas. I
[43:10] am a founding member of the regional committee. I was
[43:16] commissioned by Mr. Buck Marton of the Bennington Rescue Team to draft this report. Mr. Marten
[43:22] will answer questions regarding emergency medical services and will
[43:24] lead this project going forward
[43:26] . To
[43:30] summarize for those present today
[43:31] , and as you just
[43:33] mentioned, emergency medical
[43:35] services are not easily accessible
[43:37] . The public and
[43:44] private sectors—specifically insurance companies, which currently bear a large portion of the costs—
[43:48] pay the expenses directly
[43:50] , while the portions not covered by insurance companies are
[43:54] supported through public subsidies
[43:55] . Until now,
[44:05] services have been provided through local government budget allocations or contracts, but the
[44:08] methods of service provision vary greatly by region
[44:10] . We are facing a very special
[44:14] situation. We are in a
[44:16] situation where we cannot rely on the county government to solve the problem
[44:18] . In other words, it means that there is
[44:20] someone who should step forward or is capable of stepping forward in that position
[44:24] However, this is a
[44:25] very natural issue that has been dealt with many times throughout this country
[44:27] . The
[44:28] basic principles of emergency medical services are
[44:30] changing.
[44:31] How should I adapt?
[44:35] Therefore, I sincerely thank the committee for
[44:37] gathering to solve this problem and presenting five solutions
[44:39] applicable to the southern Pennington County area
[44:44] . For the record, let's
[44:50] briefly look at those five solutions.
[44:52] First, it is to do nothing about the current situation and just
[44:55] watch it. Second, the
[45:03] hope is that the two existing non-profit organizations, Pennington and Town & Rescue, will merge to increase their scale and solve the problem
[45:05] . Third, it is to
[45:16] enter into contracts between various institutions and local governments
[45:18] . Fourth, it is to
[45:20] establish a special zone. I
[45:24] think I might have missed one thing; it seems to be a fire issue
[45:25] . Shall I
[45:26] list them all for you? Ah,
[45:28] yes.
[45:31] All the details are in the notes
[45:35] Ah, yes. yes. There is also a solution centered on volunteer
[45:39] firefighters providing more services
[45:45] Therefore, a
[45:50] summary memo compiling all of this information was distributed to the board of directors
[45:52] . There
[45:54] are five basic solutions.
[45:57] Experts
[45:59] do this work in various ways, firefighters
[46:01] do it, no one does it,
[46:03] or special-purpose government agencies
[46:05] do it. Therefore, while several
[46:12] different industrial organization models can be
[46:13] used,
[46:15] ultimately all solutions
[46:17] depend on various funding sources
[46:18] . And the
[46:25] stability of funds will be determined by how public funds
[46:27] flow in and how the
[46:28] economic feasibility of service provision may vary depending on the scale and institution
[46:34] . So we
[46:38] reviewed this part. This
[46:42] group rallied around an alternative, the fifth alternative, the Union Municipal District, which includes a special purpose zone providing emergency medical
[46:44] services (EMS) to four villages
[46:55] . The Union of Local Governments
[47:05] holds all the powers of the local government, and these powers are delegated by each
[47:07] village government and
[47:09] other village governments participating in this district
[47:16] Taxpayers in each village voted in favor of
[47:17] establishing a united local government district at the village meeting
[47:19] , and
[47:26] members of the district board will be responsible for formulating the district's
[47:28] budget and managing its operations
[47:29] . In other words, the United
[47:32] Local Government is a government agency
[47:34] , but it is operated according to the will of the member villages
[47:36] . There is a system that is very
[47:39] similar to this but has significant legal
[47:41] differences
[47:43] . For example, there are local-scale cooperation systems such as providing
[47:45] rural
[47:46] fire services or rural fiber optic
[47:48] services in cooperation with the Communications Union District, and securing access to hazardous waste treatment facilities in cooperation
[47:50] with the Bennington County Solid Waste Union
[47:58] . EMS
[48:00] can be viewed as a regional-scale service
[48:01] . The important thing is that the United
[48:03] Earth is different from these organizations
[48:05] . This is because the United
[48:06] District is not a public facility
[48:07] . It is not
[48:09] under the supervision of the Public Service Commission
[48:10] . The Union District is operated by member municipalities that
[48:12] approved the establishment of the district at the village meeting
[48:15] . Therefore, although it is
[48:17] slightly different from what you have seen before
[48:19] , it is similar to how you have been conducting your work in a familiar way
[48:22] . In short, a solution is
[48:26] needed. That solution will
[48:28] require a larger budget
[48:30] , and how that budget
[48:32] is secured depends on whether
[48:35] EMS services are provided to each village in the long term
[48:38] Yes, this is a summary, but if you
[48:40] have any questions, please feel free to ask
[48:42] . Yes, this
[48:44] meeting is the first of several meetings regarding this issue
[48:47] And it must receive official approval through a residents' vote in March
[48:50] . Therefore, it has not been established yet
[48:52] . Yes, I
[48:54] explained it clearly.
[48:55] Then, let me explain the next few steps
[48:57] . The first step in indicating that the election
[48:59] committee is interested in promoting this committee or this
[49:01] region is to
[49:04] form a research committee
[49:06] . This involves carrying out
[49:09] some of the work done by the previous committee
[49:10] in a different organizational manner, but
[49:12] ultimately, a
[49:18] coalition cannot be created unless the research committee says, "This is feasible
[49:20] ." And the important
[49:25] thing is to
[49:27] draft a village meeting voting agenda that all villages agree on
[49:29] . Then, we
[49:37] can discuss the key methods of region generation.
[49:40] Second, or how should I handle this in the first place
[49:42] ? The village
[49:45] meeting vote will proceed.
[49:52] All the villages that voted in favor gather to review whether it is possible to create a feasible organization, depending on whether all villages participated
[49:54] , whether one village did not participate
[49:56] , or whether other villages did not
[49:58] participate
[50:02] . You need to
[50:07] review the list of participating villages and
[50:10] determine if this can work properly.
[50:15] And if the answer is 'yes'
[50:17] , the procedure for appointing the board of directors will be
[50:19] carried out, and the board of directors
[50:29] can begin tasks such as drafting budget proposals, concluding contracts, and exercising local autonomy authority delegated by each local government to the relevant intergovernmental body. The
[50:36] research committee will be
[50:38] composed of representatives from each of the proposed participating local governments
[50:43] Yes,
[50:44] how many members would it be desirable for the research committee to be elected from each participating local government
[50:55] Given that this process has never been tested for these specific public services, it is common to
[50:56] consider a composition similar to the previous committee
[50:58] . It may be helpful to elect
[51:03] one or two members from each local government and have
[51:07] members with different skills or backgrounds
[51:09] participate
[51:11] . In addition, there is a need for committee members who can provide opinions on the capabilities that each local government
[51:17] deems necessary,
[51:22] namely the method of board composition, the method of voting rights
[51:24] allocation, and cooperation measures
[51:27] . That is
[51:29] exactly the person you are looking for
[51:30] . It is someone who wants to cooperate
[51:32] and solve problems together
[51:37] If local cities like Bennington, Woodford, and
[51:40] Shaftesbury
[51:42] join the Union Borough
[51:44] , how
[51:46] difficult would it be to withdraw? It is
[51:48] extremely difficult to withdraw from places like joint schools
[51:49] . Withdrawal is very important because decisions in the alliance are made
[51:51] through voting
[51:53] . In
[51:53] this case, a
[51:54] majority vote of either approval or disapproval is required at the village meeting
[51:57] There is no such thing as a supermajority vote. It
[52:00] is the same whether you sign up or withdraw. Yes, it could be
[52:02] a bit dangerous.
[52:03] Signing up and withdrawing are the same, but the
[52:06] important thing is that there are much higher barriers to
[52:08] terminating the contractual relationship with an EMS service provider than with
[52:11] contracts between local governments
[52:19] What would happen if we joined the union in that way, but the founder said, "Let's withdraw in 3 to 4 years"? In
[52:21] that case, it would be better if all five villages had
[52:24] to decide whether to withdraw from the association through a vote
[52:28] And the operation contract for this area
[52:40] can be concluded between the area and a financial entity, and the area may own an
[52:42] organization such as the Bennington Town Rescue Team or
[52:47] receive services by entrusting them to an external company. In addition,
[52:57] penalty clauses for withdrawal
[52:59] may be included in agreements between local governments that have jurisdiction over this organization.
[53:03] For example, something like, "To withdraw, you
[53:05] must return a portion of the operating funds
[53:07] ." The important point is that, in
[53:11] this case, incentives are relatively
[53:13] well-aligned, so there are not
[53:15] many competitors seeking the service
[53:17] . Whether Arlington
[53:22] Rescue has the capacity to
[53:24] provide services to the area south of your town,
[53:28] how that relationship will unfold
[53:30] , and specifically
[53:33] how Shaftesbury views emergency medical services,
[53:39] depends on the decision of this research committee
[53:40] . Therefore, you will likely have the
[53:42] most difficult conversations during this process
[53:45] . Also, importantly, the
[53:49] advantage of a united district is that it is
[53:50] expandable. Whether
[53:54] Arlington Rescue
[53:56] enters into a contract with you to provide a portion of its service area
[53:58] , or you
[54:01] agree to cooperate in some way, or if
[54:03] Arlington Rescue
[54:05] becomes unsustainable and the
[54:06] three towns to the north or in the middle
[54:10] wish to join the district, it can operate on a contractual basis
[54:11] , and
[54:15] towns wishing to participate in governance can
[54:16] vote in favor of district expansion at town meetings
[54:18] . Therefore, the
[54:20] boundaries are effectively
[54:22] not fixed. It is a bit ambiguous
[54:24] , but the
[54:25] barriers are set high enough so that you can leave if there is a truly valid reason
[54:29] . However, it will be much harder to leave due to minor budget
[54:31] or operational issues, or simply
[54:35] because you don't like it
[54:37] . yes.
[54:39] It's a relief that you at least thought about it.
[54:41] Yes, and if you look at existing districts of this type, such as the current labor union
[54:43] district and waste disposal district, they
[54:49] seem to be operating quite well. There aren't many
[54:52] dropouts trying to leave to find better conditions elsewhere
[54:54] . It also becomes much more difficult to leave due to these public
[54:58] services and specialized institutions
[55:04] I'm just asking out of curiosity:
[55:05] if someone from places like Eagle Bridge or White
[55:07] Creek
[55:09] wanted to participate,
[55:10] would it be possible to cross the state border? You could
[55:12] participate through a contract, I suppose
[55:14] . For example, in such a situation, a
[55:17] contract might be necessary
[55:18] . It deals with issues between Pelham,
[55:20] Wyndham, Salem, and Matthew Earn in Massachusetts
[55:24] . However,
[55:26] how should we handle weekly mutual support?
[55:28] Fire departments are already
[55:29] providing mutual support across state borders
[55:31] and cooperating despite significant differences between states
[55:36] For basic mutual support, barriers crossing state borders will be
[55:41] slightly lower than one setting higher standards.
[55:43] great. thank you. Do you have any
[55:47] other questions you've raised so far
[55:49] ? yes. This was the
[55:52] first conversation about this topic
[55:54] . Questions will continue in the future
[55:55] . I am not yet sure
[56:00] how to structure a series of conversations on this topic
[56:03] . We must begin the
[56:05] process of selecting the members of the research committee as
[56:07] soon as possible.
[56:10] And whether a decision is made on how the members
[56:12] will lead the discussions
[56:14] and in what form it will be operated will be the
[56:19] content of the report at the next election committee
[56:20] . This letter is a message to our village and its
[56:23] residents
[56:25] . We also plan to post it on the website
[56:28] . There is so
[56:31] much content to upload to the website. So that
[56:34] people can read this and
[56:36] think about what it means
[56:39] Over the next few months, you will have ample time to think about this issue and
[56:41] weigh the pros and cons
[56:43] . To
[56:46] tell you how much thought, time, and tremendous effort went into this, there was truly a
[56:47] great deal of thought, time, and
[56:48] dedication from the volunteers
[56:49] . I did my best to find a viable solution to a very difficult and
[56:54] serious problem
[56:58] . It is literally a
[57:01] matter of life and death
[57:03] . So,
[57:05] as members of the village of Shaftesbury, we must do our
[57:07] best for our neighbors and friends
[57:08] . And one
[57:15] of the things we will decide by vote is
[57:17] ... ah, no. It's just about
[57:19] appointing committee members
[57:21] . yes.
[57:22] Ah, that's
[57:24] enough. However, eventually, a
[57:27] vote will be held regarding the appointment of committee members
[57:30] To formalize that relationship at the committee,
[57:32] well, but there is
[57:34] no need to do so tonight, though that is a good point
[57:36] . Um, yes, I would like to point out that
[57:37] Pow Wow has not taken
[57:38] any action since last week
[57:41] . So, yes,
[57:42] everyone is going in almost the same direction
[57:45] Introductions and the
[57:47] appointment of committee members are
[57:48] scheduled for the next meeting or the meeting after that.
[57:49] great. yes.
[57:50] Thank you very much for attending.
[57:52] Thank you, Mr. Dyer. yes. That's all for now. I
[57:58] will move on to item number 11.
[58:00] Thank you to the two members of the task force for your cooperation
[58:02] , and I sincerely
[58:04] thank you for your hard work. Well,
[58:09] one of the proposals is 22 pages long
[58:16] There are graphs that become increasingly difficult to understand as you go up the pages; although I understand most of them now, it was
[58:18] really difficult.
[58:21] Well, and there are also a few financial models that can be sent to the board
[58:24] . I can show you
[58:25] how much it costs through them
[58:28] These costs may also apply. Well,
[58:29] and of course, that is
[58:32] something that will be discussed publicly once it becomes clearer. Because it is still in the early
[58:34] stages. While talking with the task force team,
[58:37] someone asked, "
[58:38] How much will this cost?" I asked, and he replied,
[58:39] "Well, it depends on various factors
[58:40] ." ...
[58:41] answered. "Hmm, so that is what the research
[58:43] committee will try to figure out
[58:44] , and it will likely be a carbon-related
[58:46] committee.
[58:49] But we’ll have to wait and see. We should also
[58:53] consider eliminating one committee and having it merge with another.
[58:54] Yes, we’ll have to wait and see. I think it will be a
[58:58] committee that meets about once a month, or perhaps once every two weeks.
[58:59] So,
[59:00] figuring that out doesn't seem like it will be easy
[59:01] . They
[59:02] usually hold meetings for about an hour, and that too in
[59:03] the middle of the day, and I
[59:04] really dislike meetings held in the middle of the day
[59:06] Yes, it is a bit more difficult for me.
[59:08] Yes, that is correct.
[59:09] Alright. So, that was
[59:11] Agenda Item No. 10.
[59:13] Agenda Item No. 11 is...
[59:15] regarding the vote on the hiring of an urban planning officer
[59:17] . The relevant urban planning
[59:21] officer has already
[59:23] spoken with the Urban Planning Committee and has
[59:29] completed interviews with the Urban Planning Committee, the City Administrator, and two incumbent elected committee members
[59:31] . Therefore, I
[59:37] will submit a motion to put the hiring agenda on the table. Um, I will
[59:38] briefly explain about that person first, but in
[59:40] any case, I will
[59:41] submit a motion to review the hiring
[59:42] ." Uh, I am in favor of appointing Lydia
[59:43] Avery
[59:44] as the city planner for Shaftesbury Town
[59:47] I agree as well.
[59:50] To briefly introduce Lydia, she lives in this village
[59:52] . I couldn't attend this evening because I
[59:55] have young children.
[59:56] Lydia has lived here for about 5 years
[59:58] . I
[1:00:02] have extensive professional experience, and my strong
[1:00:04] customer service skills will be of
[1:00:06] great help in this part-time job
[1:00:08] . The
[1:00:10] level of education is also high. I am
[1:00:13] very happy that Lydia has joined. I think she will
[1:00:15] be a really big help to our team
[1:00:16] . I
[1:00:25] think it is also a great synergy that Lydia takes over the role that Carlin was assigned, allowing Carlin to teach her the role. It is also very important that the two
[1:00:28] people can get along well
[1:00:29] . In addition,
[1:00:31] Lydia said that,
[1:00:32] like Mr. Avery, she believes the VLCT (Victoria
[1:00:34] Liquor Control Board) would be of great help
[1:00:37] . I am
[1:00:38] confident that she will do a great job.
[1:00:40] Then, is there anyone who supports hiring Lydia Avery
[1:00:41] as the new city planner
[1:00:45] ? I
[1:00:50] attended the interview and was
[1:00:51] deeply impressed by her
[1:00:53] . You answered all the questions excellently
[1:00:55] , and I
[1:00:57] think you fit in perfectly for this position.
[1:00:59] Yes, I think so too. I'm
[1:01:00] really looking forward to it.
[1:01:02] How many hours are the working hours? Hmm, about
[1:01:04] how many hours a week? Hmm
[1:01:06] , I
[1:01:09] think it's about 8 to 12 hours. About 8 to 12 hours
[1:01:14] . Sometimes I work more when there are meetings of the City Planning Committee or the
[1:01:16] Development Review Committee, and sometimes I do
[1:01:19] n't. It
[1:01:21] also varies depending on the season. At
[1:01:26] times like the spring, or when ordinances or urban planning are revised.
[1:01:27] So it is somewhat fluid
[1:01:28] . yes.
[1:01:30] That's really good news.
[1:01:32] So, we are
[1:01:33] proceeding smoothly
[1:01:34] . The city administrator and the city planning
[1:01:35] administrator have been appointed, and a
[1:01:36] new head of the Department of Public Works (DPW) is
[1:01:38] also scheduled to be appointed soon.
[1:01:39] Now, let's move on to item number 12, the
[1:01:41] Department of Public Works (DPW)
[1:01:43] . There are currently
[1:01:49] two vacancies in the Public Works Department (DPW)
[1:01:51] . It's not just one person. The
[1:01:53] letter of resignation has been received.
[1:01:57] Today, yesterday, or today? There are
[1:02:01] ongoing personnel changes
[1:02:02] . But it's okay. There are also
[1:02:06] two vacant positions on the road management team
[1:02:08] . Let's take a look at the job description written by Carlin
[1:02:11] . This manual is
[1:02:12] included in the meeting materials
[1:02:13] . Yes, that is correct.
[1:02:15] great.
[1:02:17] You have previously approved this job
[1:02:19] description in general
[1:02:21] . However, for the currently
[1:02:25] vacant regular part-time position
[1:02:26] ... details regarding compensation and benefits were
[1:02:30] not included in the job posting.
[1:02:33] So, when posting a job opening, I
[1:02:40] would like to add details so that people know what they will receive in return for their work. The only part I am requesting approval for is
[1:02:46] regarding compensation and benefits by position
[1:02:48] This part has already been approved, and the
[1:02:50] budget has been allocated. The
[1:02:56] current structure is as follows. There is
[1:03:00] no new content. The
[1:03:02] only difference is that it has been documented for public viewing
[1:03:05] . The rest is what has already been
[1:03:09] discussed and approved
[1:03:10] . This is the
[1:03:13] only change.
[1:03:16] Therefore, this document is about the recruitment structure
[1:03:21] , and applicants will
[1:03:23] apply. I understand that a
[1:03:25] job posting is currently posted on the website
[1:03:27] . If not, I will post it
[1:03:29] . I'm not sure if it's
[1:03:29] posted on the website
[1:03:32] After seeing the VLCT job advertisement, I plan to
[1:03:33] contact community members to
[1:03:37] let them know who is interested in this position. yes
[1:03:38] . I am a full-time employee
[1:03:39] and work a lot of overtime. The
[1:03:43] starting salary is $22 to $25 per hour
[1:03:45] . The city
[1:03:53] provides quite generous medical insurance and various benefits such as sick leave and paid vacation.
[1:03:57] In addition, we are willing to support applicants who do not have a CDL (Commercial Driver's License) in
[1:03:59] obtaining one
[1:04:00] . I would
[1:04:03] like to clarify this point. yes
[1:04:04] Therefore, this position will be a good opportunity for someone who is interested in this field and
[1:04:08] wants to take their career to the next level
[1:04:11] . The recruitment process involves city
[1:04:14] administrators and road management supervisors
[1:04:16] reviewing and recommending candidates
[1:04:17] , followed by formal hiring by the selection committee
[1:04:22] Therefore, I will submit a proposal to approve the city administrator posting the
[1:04:24] job descriptions for the public works team in various locations
[1:04:29] . To attract applicants
[1:04:31] So I agree.
[1:04:32] as well.
[1:04:33] Do you all agree? yes
[1:04:35] great. I
[1:04:37] have a personal question, but
[1:04:39] what is the difference between CDL B and A?
[1:04:43] Is B closer to A?
[1:04:45] License B allows you to drive only regular trucks
[1:04:47] . yes
[1:04:48] License A allows you
[1:04:49] to drive a cargo truck.
[1:04:50] Wait a moment. Ah,
[1:04:52] it's an articulated truck. Yes, I understand.
[1:04:55] there are trucks with large trailers. Yes, that is
[1:04:56] another trailer I have
[1:04:58] trailer.
[1:04:58] license. I understand
[1:05:00] . thank you. yes
[1:05:04] Well, that's all for this item
[1:05:05] . Now, let's move on to item number 13
[1:05:09] . It is the
[1:05:13] settlement money for opioid-related lawsuits
[1:05:15] . Hmm, there is an amount.
[1:05:20] There is someone in the waiting room.
[1:05:22] That's interesting. Um, yes. A
[1:05:26] certain amount of money is received through an agreement
[1:05:27] . This is compensation from the state government
[1:05:35] for problems arising from opioid-related lawsuits and the handling process. Over the years, the amount of
[1:05:39] money coming into the village is
[1:05:41] not very large and must be used for appropriate measures
[1:05:43] related to reducing damage to the local community
[1:05:47] and must be in line with the direction of the agreement
[1:05:48] . So, we have
[1:05:53] kept that money separately without using it yet. I currently have
[1:05:55] about $2,000.
[1:05:58] In many places, these funds are
[1:06:04] provided to local organizations active in related fields, such as damage reduction or family-related services
[1:06:08] I am not sure if we will be able to reach an agreement tonight, but anyone
[1:06:10] with questions, who would like to
[1:06:12] learn more, or who wishes to suggest other organizations is
[1:06:15] welcome at any time. This
[1:06:16] is not an urgent matter.
[1:06:18] We have about $2,000
[1:06:19] , and I think the
[1:06:20] most suitable organization is
[1:06:21] Turning Point in Bennington
[1:06:22] . I understand that they
[1:06:23] provide the following services there
[1:06:27] It is the organization responsible for most of the services provided to this community.
[1:06:28] That was my thought.
[1:06:29] Yes, because this is a massive
[1:06:30] medical crisis, and I know that many people in this village are
[1:06:33] benefiting from their services
[1:06:34] . Because they
[1:06:38] are a local institution that provides exactly that kind of medical service. And I also
[1:06:41] know that they host AA and Alanon meetings, etc.
[1:06:42] Therefore, I will submit a motion to approve the proposal to support our
[1:06:46] opioid settlement to
[1:06:48] Turning Point LLC in Bennington, Vermont
[1:06:52] . approval.
[1:06:53] Second.
[1:06:54] approval? yes
[1:06:56] great. The following is a
[1:06:58] Casella quote from our materials.
[1:07:03] We have already
[1:07:05] spoken with Mr. McGuire of Casella and
[1:07:14] have officially agreed to switch from the cardboard trash cans and glass and plastic trash cans currently in use to a different method. We
[1:07:18] had a problem. The cardboard
[1:07:20] trash can used to fill up almost every Saturday
[1:07:24] when we started talking, Casella
[1:07:32] estimated that switching to a compressor would result in annual cost savings of about $28,000.
[1:07:34] To operate the compressor, some electrical
[1:07:36] equipment upgrades and plumbing work are
[1:07:38] required. The
[1:07:41] reason for such significant cost savings is that
[1:07:46] the number of garbage collection runs Casella needs to make to use the compactor is
[1:07:48] much lower than with the conventional method
[1:07:50] . Therefore, there are significant
[1:07:51] cost savings,
[1:07:52] which is very good news. The
[1:07:55] introduction of this compactor
[1:07:58] is part of an effort to improve the waste treatment plant, and we expect this
[1:07:59] method to be effective
[1:08:00] . Does any
[1:08:07] member of the board have any
[1:08:08] opinions or questions regarding this service agreement
[1:08:09] ? Yes, it
[1:08:13] seems there will be significant cost savings. yes. Then,
[1:08:16] does that mean separate recycling isn't allowed?
[1:08:17] Yes, yes, separate recycling is not
[1:08:19] allowed. We
[1:08:20] separate and collect all recyclable items. yes
[1:08:22] Or is there another classification method
[1:08:23] ? Are we now throwing trash and
[1:08:24] recyclables all in one
[1:08:25] place?
[1:08:26] no. Yes,
[1:08:27] so you are only throwing away recyclable items that do not require separation
[1:08:29] Yes,
[1:08:31] things like cardboard, glass, and plastic. The same goes for
[1:08:32] glass; you have to
[1:08:33] keep washing and throwing away yogurt containers
[1:08:35] . Otherwise, it wo
[1:08:36] n't be recycled properly. Hmm, yes
[1:08:38] , that is the key point.
[1:08:40] And large metals still need to be
[1:08:42] separated and disposed of separately. Yes, you
[1:08:43] still have to separate and throw that away
[1:08:44] . yes. yes. Well,
[1:08:46] if you are all okay with it, we
[1:08:51] will proceed with the agenda to approve the service contract between us and Casella.
[1:08:53] Through this contract, our village will be
[1:08:58] able to receive a single recycling collection service from Casella upon request, and reduce costs
[1:08:59] for the village while maintaining the existing relationship
[1:09:03] . Yes, I will submit it.
[1:09:05] Is there anyone who agrees? yes
[1:09:06] . I'm
[1:09:18] sorry, I
[1:09:20] write a bit slowly. Okay, then,
[1:09:31] goodbye. When is the date? It
[1:09:33] is the 5th. 10/5. I will hand it over to you again
[1:09:40] Could you pass this on to Mr. McGuire? I do
[1:09:41] n't remember the name very well. yes
[1:09:43] . The following is a quote from KAS
[1:09:46] . This is item number 15. As I
[1:09:51] mentioned,
[1:09:53] the village of Shaftesbury is responsible for managing a
[1:10:00] series of
[1:10:01] wells and groundwater for residents living near the transfer station
[1:10:03] . A long time ago,
[1:10:09] nearby
[1:10:11] wells and groundwater
[1:10:12] were contaminated due to landfill issues. As a result, the village
[1:10:19] is responsible for solving these problems, which mainly involves supplying clean water
[1:10:23] . The
[1:10:29] main method of supplying clean water to residents in the village is to provide a point-of-intake treatment system when PFAS concentrations exceed 4 ppt (
[1:10:34] the standard set by the federal government and the state of Vermont)
[1:10:38] . Therefore, this is about
[1:10:52] the work performed by KAS Environmental Science and Engineering regarding the installation, sampling, and management of PFAS systems, and the details of these ongoing
[1:10:54] processes
[1:10:56] . This is
[1:11:01] the background behind why we discussed this agenda item, and what I have
[1:11:02] said so far was a
[1:11:03] background explanation regarding this item
[1:11:05] . It is marked as 1, 2, and 3 here
[1:11:11] Based on the sampling in June 2026, there
[1:11:13] are 6 affected parties, and the
[1:11:14] village is responsible for providing them with the POET system
[1:11:21] Therefore, in this work plan, the
[1:11:25] scope of work for the estimate we are reviewing includes overall project coordination with the village, residents (it
[1:11:29] seems the word 'residents' is incorrect here), and subcontractors, the
[1:11:34] design of each POET system, the
[1:11:37] installation of POET systems at all locations,
[1:11:39] initial and three-month follow-up sampling,
[1:11:41] and the submission of a report containing a description of the systems installed at each residence to
[1:11:44] us and the Vermont Department of
[1:11:46] Environmental Protection (DEC)
[1:11:48] . This is
[1:11:53] because the Vermont Environmental Protection Agency continuously verifies that we comply with regulations and meet these requirements
[1:11:54] . These are the affected parties
[1:11:56] . Here
[1:12:00] are the details of exactly what they will do
[1:12:01] . Detailed information is provided across several pages
[1:12:03] . There are
[1:12:09] two types of costs here
[1:12:11] . However, I did not fully understand
[1:12:17] what is being asked of us today
[1:12:21] . So I am a little hesitant to vote on this matter
[1:12:24] . I thought about it earlier as well
[1:12:25] . If you look here, non-
[1:12:27] recurring costs are
[1:12:28] expenses we have to bear, but I am
[1:12:30] curious about exactly how much we have to pay
[1:12:31] . Looking at the details they provided, the
[1:12:34] total non-recurring costs are
[1:12:36] $48,865. Also, there is an additional $
[1:12:40] 1,600 per household for UV installation costs
[1:12:42] , and it seems you
[1:12:44] should multiply this amount by 6 units to
[1:12:46] easily determine the total. I'm
[1:12:48] a bit confused right now.
[1:12:51] On the next page, there are
[1:12:53] annual recurring costs for planning
[1:12:54] . They say that the
[1:12:56] village has to
[1:12:58] spend $21,960 annually to manage these six facilities
[1:13:00] . Um,
[1:13:02] regarding the system. It seems the
[1:13:04] requested amount for tonight is $48,000, but I
[1:13:08] think we need to be a bit clearer. And I think I need to
[1:13:10] receive a document with a signature section
[1:13:12] . yes
[1:13:12] . Because the amount is quite large.
[1:13:15] Also, I
[1:13:26] understand that Culligan is in charge of water-related work rather than KAS installing this system, so it seems likely that this is for review
[1:13:27] purposes. I
[1:13:34] apologize for not being able to provide you with accurate information. I received
[1:13:35] the email 20 minutes before the Waterworks Committee meeting, so I did
[1:13:38] n't have time to check it right away. However, it seems to be a
[1:13:45] reference for understanding what measures Culligan will take in the future
[1:13:49] Or, that is how I
[1:13:51] understand it right now, but I will check with the person in charge again
[1:13:54] . I would like to
[1:13:58] ask if approval is required for this part, Tony, or if it is being sent for reference before sending the invoice
[1:13:59] . all right. I am
[1:14:04] aware that you paid KAS for the well inspection and various procedures. We are adding up all these
[1:14:06] costs, but it is
[1:14:08] not optional. The state
[1:14:10] government mandates that these wells be continuously
[1:14:12] managed and maintained to ensure the drinking water is available
[1:14:16] So, I think it would be best to postpone this matter for now
[1:14:17] . Does anyone
[1:14:19] have a different opinion before doing that
[1:14:20] ? it's
[1:14:21] okay. I am curious why there is an
[1:14:24] additional cost for installing UV sterilizers per household
[1:14:26] . Because it might
[1:14:28] not be necessary for every household
[1:14:29] . It is not for PFOA removal
[1:14:32] Yes, it might be
[1:14:33] necessary if the well is shallow
[1:14:35] . I need to
[1:14:36] find out who needs it
[1:14:37] . Because if
[1:14:39] no one needs it, you
[1:14:41] can save a lot of money
[1:14:43] . That is a good point. It would be a good idea to
[1:14:47] ask if Kalin is needed for all the furniture.
[1:14:50] Kalin, I'm sorry. We plan to talk again tomorrow, so I do
[1:14:54] n't think there is a need to call separately
[1:14:57] sorry. I missed this. These are the
[1:15:00] six houses we spent all day yesterday dealing with
[1:15:03] Six identical houses, six houses
[1:15:06] . Hmm, I understand. And the
[1:15:08] well test results just
[1:15:09] came out, and even though I live really far north, it
[1:15:11] already came out as 2 ppt (parts
[1:15:13] per trillion). It's on the
[1:15:15] higher side in my neighborhood
[1:15:16] . That's a bit fascinating. My
[1:15:18] well is really shallow, so water
[1:15:19] comes up from all directions. I do
[1:15:20] n't think that's supposed to happen
[1:15:22] . But I wo
[1:15:23] n't worry about it right now. Yes, that's all
[1:15:25] . I'm just
[1:15:26] curious, did you
[1:15:27] pay for the test yourself?
[1:15:29] Or did you receive it in person? It
[1:15:30] was free. I
[1:15:31] really bothered someone named Richard Spice
[1:15:33] . His last name is sp i e
[1:15:37] s e, and after sending him so many emails, he was
[1:15:39] finally able to get tested
[1:15:40] . Yes, it would be
[1:15:43] great if you could let me know how you received it. I
[1:15:44] didn't do the test.
[1:15:46] I guess I was really bothering you. Yes, I will let you know
[1:15:49] I really bothered you.
[1:15:51] Which company does he/she work for? I
[1:15:54] asked if they were an Environmental Protection Agency employee. Keep
[1:15:56] bothering me.
[1:15:57] Okay, I will.
[1:15:58] I sent that person a
[1:16:00] lot of messages. Well, so
[1:16:02] one day it suddenly appeared. huh.
[1:16:06] Then Emily asked, "Who is that person
[1:16:08] ?" That's what I said. "Hmm,
[1:16:10] so it is 2.2 ppt (parts per
[1:16:12] trillion). The
[1:16:14] 4 is
[1:16:15] the threshold, but it is
[1:16:17] given in nanograms per liter (ng/L). I am
[1:16:19] not exactly sure, though.
[1:16:21] Anyway, it has far exceeded the threshold
[1:16:22] . If it were 4 ppt, it would probably have been
[1:16:25] over 20 ppt a few years ago
[1:16:29] So, the current figure is around that
[1:16:31] level.
[1:16:32] This one is 21 ppt.
[1:16:33] Yes, but the units are different,
[1:16:34] aren't they? Because it is nanograms per liter
[1:16:36] . I am not sure how to calculate it with the ppt unit
[1:16:39] . Do I
[1:16:39] have to multiply it, or is there a
[1:16:40] different calculation method? It would be
[1:16:43] nice if it were displayed in the standard units we are familiar with
[1:16:45] Yes, that is right.
[1:16:50] The way we become accustomed to this issue, which will become increasingly important in the future
[1:16:52] . Hmm, do you have anything else in mind before we move on to the next agenda item
[1:16:58] no.
[1:17:01] Now, we have Agenda Item No. 16, which is a
[1:17:05] review of the plans to expand the Cub Scout warehouse and composting area
[1:17:06] . The composting expansion is
[1:17:09] for Casella
[1:17:11] . yes
[1:17:13] . Timmy kindly
[1:17:19] made a few plans for me, and thanks to him, I was
[1:17:25] able to look into specific plans for the waste disposal site. Casella
[1:17:32] requested an expansion of the composting facility, and they
[1:17:35] say the warehouse is filling up really fast.
[1:17:38] It seems there are animal carcasses as well. Also, since it seemed like they were
[1:17:46] having trouble lifting the compost bins, I
[1:17:51] requested that four less-filled compost bins be installed to make them easier to transport
[1:17:58] Did Casella cover the costs?
[1:18:00] Yes, we will cover the cost. Timmy
[1:18:02] gave a quote. yes
[1:18:05] Timmy gave an estimate of about $720
[1:18:07] . It might be possible to make it a little cheaper, but
[1:18:11] that is roughly the amount. expense.
[1:18:13] That is roughly the extent. And
[1:18:20] regarding where to build the two warehouses, here is a GIS document
[1:18:30] There is a map on one of the pages.
[1:18:32] I couldn't attend last time
[1:18:34] . Did you approve the 8-foot x 5.5-
[1:18:37] foot Cub Scout shed
[1:18:41] No, those things were
[1:18:43] not approved at all. Yes,
[1:18:45] nothing was approved
[1:18:46] . We are merely sending
[1:18:48] recommendations for one or both
[1:18:49] . I
[1:18:53] thought it would be a good idea to look into where you could theoretically place it. all
[1:18:54] right.
[1:18:56] One of the things we discussed was placing the compost bin
[1:18:58] near the bushes, away from the main area
[1:19:01] . Yes, food
[1:19:06] waste. And it seems like the Cub
[1:19:12] Scout warehouse can be built on the opposite side,
[1:19:13] near the parking lot
[1:19:15] . I mean the place where the cars come in
[1:19:16] . Yes, the
[1:19:21] right side where people are parking right now.
[1:19:22] Yes, I know. yes.
[1:19:24] What should we put in the Cub Scout warehouse
[1:19:25] ? Scout Warehouse
[1:19:27] ? It
[1:19:29] seems like they are trying to collect recyclables. Um, and a place to put
[1:19:32] cans or bottles, like in Arlington
[1:19:34] . You
[1:19:38] collect recyclables and get paid for them
[1:19:40] . I understand. yes. yes.
[1:19:42] All right. Personally, however, I
[1:19:45] have some doubts as to why it has to be this big.
[1:19:46] I think it's too big. Hmm, I'm not sure if it's right to build
[1:19:51] such a large structure on this site
[1:19:55] . Before proceeding, I
[1:20:02] think we need to discuss in more detail how often they plan to visit.
[1:20:08] I see a closed barn door on that building; how do cans and bottles
[1:20:09] get inside
[1:20:11] ? If the relationship doesn't work out,
[1:20:14] who is responsible for demolishing that structure
[1:20:19] I know it's a good idea, but I
[1:20:22] have a few questions about the structure itself. It's really
[1:20:23] big. There is a shortage of parking spaces
[1:20:25] , and while the goal is to involve people so that vehicles do
[1:20:27] not block the collection of recyclables and trash,
[1:20:30] such a large facility
[1:20:31] takes up a lot of space. I
[1:20:34] think this idea is great and should be supported.
[1:20:35] However, I don't think it needs to be this big
[1:20:37] . Still, I
[1:20:39] would like to speak with the people in charge. It seems like they intend to
[1:20:40] use it for the Eagle Scout project
[1:20:41] , and since someone is going to
[1:20:43] build it themselves, they
[1:20:44] seem to be trying to make it this big.
[1:20:45] This is my personal opinion
[1:20:47] Where is this Cub Scout organization
[1:20:49] from?
[1:20:52] Ah, I think it's Arlington, but I'm
[1:20:54] not exactly sure. Let me ask you
[1:20:59] That is a really important question.
[1:21:01] If you are from Bennington or Arlington,
[1:21:03] why are you installing it on our land instead of doing it at your own recycling center
[1:21:07] Yes, I'll take a look. I’ve brought this up
[1:21:09] three times, but since it has
[1:21:12] n’t been properly discussed each time, I’m not really
[1:21:13] sure either. I
[1:21:15] no longer have the documents in front of me, but
[1:21:18] I received a letter containing detailed information. I would like to emphasize this point once again at the next meeting
[1:21:21] . I understand that
[1:21:22] they are frustrated because I haven't been able to answer, but I've been
[1:21:25] busy with several things lately.
[1:21:27] Well, there are
[1:21:29] no Girl Scouts in our area.
[1:21:31] Yes, that is correct. So they
[1:21:34] are asking us for a lot; should we grant their requests
[1:21:36] Yes, they intend to
[1:21:37] use our property
[1:21:39] Yes, that is correct.
[1:21:40] And we are in a
[1:21:42] situation where we have to give them money.
[1:21:44] Yes, that is also something we are considering
[1:21:46] . That
[1:21:49] is a good idea. I wonder what the composition of the unit is
[1:21:51] like, where the children are from
[1:21:53] , and perhaps some of them live here
[1:21:55] ? It would be a good idea to ask about those things and
[1:21:58] learn about the organization
[1:22:02] I think these would make for good follow-up questions.
[1:22:04] Hmm, I
[1:22:06] think composting is something that definitely needs to be done. In my
[1:22:08] opinion. great. yes
[1:22:10] That is something Casella requested a lot
[1:22:13] . It will
[1:22:15] be of direct help to our village.
[1:22:18] If the required structure is about that size, I have
[1:22:19] no problem. Because it is exactly
[1:22:19] the same as what already exists
[1:22:21] great.
[1:22:22] I was just building something else
[1:22:23] . great. That's
[1:22:25] all I have. I have
[1:22:26] no other questions. I
[1:22:27] understand perfectly. Well then, I’ll wrap things up here
[1:22:32] until next time. I’ll look into it
[1:22:34] a bit more and get
[1:22:36] in touch. Since he has
[1:22:39] sent us several emails
[1:22:40] , he is surely willing to provide more useful information
[1:22:44] . yes
[1:22:47] And we could try voting on October 19th
[1:22:49] . Whether the vote
[1:22:51] result is in favor or against, it is
[1:22:53] too big. Most of the ones I saw looked like
[1:22:56] 3x3 wooden boxes
[1:22:59] . You have to open the lid
[1:23:01] . It is
[1:23:02] a bit bulky, but the most
[1:23:04] important thing is whether they will
[1:23:05] clean it properly
[1:23:07] . Because it's just a
[1:23:08] warehouse. yes. Yes,
[1:23:10] so it could fill up quickly and
[1:23:12] spill out in all directions
[1:23:14] Then, problems such as swarms of bees might
[1:23:15] arise
[1:23:17] . So, we
[1:23:18] need to clearly determine who is responsible. I
[1:23:20] know they emphasize responsibility, so there must be a
[1:23:21] solution
[1:23:23] . yes. Hmm, good.
[1:23:27] Shall we vote on the compost shed? Is it absolutely necessary?
[1:23:32] I'm not sure if I really have to do it, but I feel like I might
[1:23:33] . Because it is
[1:23:35] municipal land. that's right.
[1:23:37] All use of city-owned land must go
[1:23:39] through a vote at the City Council. Ah,
[1:23:41] otherwise, I'll just come and slam the door shut
[1:23:43] Okay, I propose a motion to approve the construction of this composting warehouse as explained by the DPW interim representative
[1:23:48] . Manager Tim Goulet. I
[1:23:50] did that.
[1:23:52] second.
[1:23:52] Is there anyone who agrees? yes
[1:23:54] . yes.
[1:23:55] great. It is
[1:23:59] finished. The following are
[1:24:05] other agenda items.
[1:24:07] Is that
[1:24:15] about the real estate transaction we are currently conducting?
[1:24:16] Yes, that is correct. This is the
[1:24:21] transfer of private real estate owned by the Watson family
[1:24:22] . There is a 30-day warning letter
[1:24:30] , and a signature must be obtained
[1:24:32] . Now,
[1:24:35] here is a warning notice. Yes,
[1:24:37] here is a warning notice. This is a
[1:24:41] notice regarding the conditions for the transfer of municipal real estate in Shaftesbury, Vermont, issued by the State of Vermont
[1:24:43] . Pursuant to Vermont State Ordinance 24 VSA
[1:24:46] 1061.
[1:24:48] Shaftesbury City Council plans to transfer city-owned
[1:24:50] real estate via a guarantee transfer deed
[1:24:51] . It is a small plot of land
[1:24:54] next to the house of the couple, Marie and Michael Watson
[1:24:55] . This discussion has been
[1:25:00] ongoing for over a year to determine all the details
[1:25:01] . Marie
[1:25:05] finished the survey. The on-site work has
[1:25:08] been completed. It
[1:25:10] also passed the development review committee. We have
[1:25:12] also secured a plot of land. We
[1:25:14] also agreed on the sale price. Well, actually, it's a
[1:25:17] small plot of land next to the site she manages. Well, I am
[1:25:25] transferring 0.18 acres on the north side. And,
[1:25:31] right? The
[1:25:33] east side? yes
[1:25:37] Yes, but it is
[1:25:39] a bit different from what was explained in the previous meeting
[1:25:41] . I can fix it, but it's
[1:25:44] a bit strange. Ah,
[1:25:47] then I
[1:25:49] have a question regarding this part. Hmm,
[1:25:56] this is all the data I have checked.
[1:25:59] Not this much land, but silence?
[1:26:02] Are you talking about the plot over there in the back?
[1:26:04] This
[1:26:05] is not an area that can be transferred.
[1:26:06] No, no, no. This is the
[1:26:08] total area, and this is the
[1:26:09] area that is transferred.
[1:26:10] Ah, I understand. all
[1:26:12] right. It is fine now
[1:26:13] . This description is
[1:26:15] used for all parcels and all descriptions
[1:26:17] . I'm a little confused.
[1:26:19] However, the property already
[1:26:21] consists of 2.3 acres of land
[1:26:23] , of which 0.18 acres are
[1:26:25] scheduled to be transferred almost exactly
[1:26:27] . This is just
[1:26:30] like the expression written on blueprints or things like that
[1:26:40] To explain for the general public, this 0.18 acre used to be a
[1:26:42] passageway to the store, but
[1:26:44] now the site is
[1:26:46] divided into several parcels. The
[1:26:53] parcel boundaries changed quite a lot
[1:26:54] , and this small piece of land was a passageway to a
[1:26:56] parcel that no longer exists
[1:26:58] . So this
[1:26:59] explanation is
[1:27:03] intended to make her paper complete and easier to understand. Yes
[1:27:05] , this land used to be the road to the village garage, right
[1:27:07] There was a furniture factory, and I
[1:27:11] think that was probably the old village garage.
[1:27:12] But the garage went around to the other side of the road
[1:27:13] . Anyway,
[1:27:16] the garage was on the other side of the road, but it was
[1:27:18] managed by the village. You had a
[1:27:21] right of way when you bought that land, didn't you? yes
[1:27:23] And she does
[1:27:25] n't want to build a road there, and
[1:27:26] I understand that.
[1:27:27] Yes, yes, yes. I
[1:27:28] completely understand. As
[1:27:29] we agreed earlier
[1:27:31] . Okay, here is the announcement. Well, it will
[1:27:35] take effect immediately once the three of us sign.
[1:27:36] Naomi and Amon
[1:27:38] need to sign later this week, but since the
[1:27:39] signature requirements have been met, it takes
[1:27:41] effect starting today
[1:27:42] . The other two people
[1:27:44] will sign later. It is simply because they are
[1:27:46] not here that we are not getting signatures
[1:27:47] . And the transfer process will take place
[1:27:50] 30 days after the initial posting date, that is,
[1:27:52] on November 5
[1:27:54] . Then, I will sign this document
[1:28:05] There is one more agenda item. Although the
[1:28:08] part regarding Eastern Salt
[1:28:10] has already been voted on, your
[1:28:11] consent is required.
[1:28:12] And also matters regarding the air pack
[1:28:14] . yes.
[1:28:19] Where did I put the documents related to the air pack?
[1:28:24] There is a request from the Glastonbury Fire Department regarding air packs
[1:28:26] . There are a few options.
[1:28:29] One is to repair it, and the
[1:28:31] other is to replace equipment that is likely to break down within the next two years
[1:28:36] Another option is to
[1:28:38] purchase a new Airpack worth about $12,000
[1:28:39] . The repair cost is
[1:28:41] $2,000, and the new product
[1:28:43] is $12,000. Since the air pack can be
[1:28:46] used for about 10 years
[1:28:48] , you are essentially spending 20% ​​of the total cost on 2 years of
[1:28:50] use, so it might be
[1:28:52] better to replace it instead
[1:28:54] . Funding for these purchases is set aside in the fire department's budget and
[1:28:56] capital plan
[1:29:01] Could you please read out the exact amount? yes
[1:29:02] . I think the repair cost was around 3,000 dollars, but I do
[1:29:06] n't remember exactly.
[1:29:07] Ah, I see. Yes, that is correct. The
[1:29:13] total cost to purchase one new fire truck is $11,972.42
[1:29:21] What do you think?
[1:29:23] Well, fire departments usually have their own budgets, so it is
[1:29:27] common for them to just let us know.
[1:29:29] So, if the fire department
[1:29:31] thinks that way, we can do the same
[1:29:34] Yes, that is correct.
[1:29:35] Well, I will proceed with a vote to approve this estimate
[1:29:38] . Because it is an amount that exceeds the limit for a city administrator to sign
[1:29:41] . I agree.
[1:29:42] second.
[1:29:43] Is there anyone who agrees? yes
[1:29:45] . I
[1:29:46] also got my signature. Um, I will
[1:29:51] sign this quotation.
[1:29:54] And do you have any other agenda items
[1:29:59] Hmm, I have to sign this too, but I'm not
[1:30:03] sure if I have enough time.
[1:30:05] Well, here is an agenda item
[1:30:06] . I won't go into specific details
[1:30:08] , but there is something called the
[1:30:10] Julia Madison Fund
[1:30:12] . It is a specific public
[1:30:14] fund. This fund is
[1:30:23] designated to be used to provide financial support to elderly women in difficult situations within the community. We
[1:30:35] received a request for specific repairs for someone who is unable to afford essential repairs due to financial difficulties. The election committee has the authority to
[1:30:42] designate the use of this fund, but
[1:30:48] may only use a fixed amount ($2,000) annually. This fund
[1:30:54] cannot be used for other purposes. Therefore, this fund will
[1:31:04] provide community members with the opportunity to overcome current difficult situations and have positive experiences. You
[1:31:09] must attach financial supporting documents, etc., to the request form.
[1:31:12] Basically, since the principal of the fund
[1:31:14] cannot be touched, it is configured to be
[1:31:16] usable only about once a year
[1:31:17] . I have
[1:31:24] already finished voting, but I just need to sign
[1:31:25] . What I wanted to let everyone know is that
[1:31:28] this is an amount spent from the Julia Madison Fund
[1:31:31] . This amount will be
[1:31:32] submitted to the Public Fund Management Committee
[1:31:34] . I will not discuss this issue any further
[1:31:37] . Do you have anything else to say
[1:31:41] ? does
[1:31:42] n't exist. All right.
[1:31:44] Then, let's review the measures.
[1:31:46] Um, I
[1:31:47] have something to send. Ah, that
[1:31:49] was water. I need to send Jen the contents of this meeting.
[1:31:54] What are they? There are too
[1:31:56] many agenda items.
[1:31:58] Hmm, Holly will send it to Jen
[1:32:02] I received it. thank god. It
[1:32:09] seems like urgent memos regarding STF have already been posted.
[1:32:12] It's very important. Yes, it is complete
[1:32:14] What about the DPW posts?
[1:32:16] This is a DPW post. Now that I
[1:32:18] have received this, I will send it to you.
[1:32:23] I think it would be okay to send it tonight.
[1:32:23] And
[1:32:25] the letter from the Tractor Parade Committee is going to have
[1:32:26] one correction.
[1:32:28] However, I know you have already
[1:32:30] posted about the tractor parade. I'll
[1:32:31] check it out.
[1:32:32] Regarding donations, I will add
[1:32:34] details to be written as a memo on each check
[1:32:36] . I think Jina will probably
[1:32:38] revise the letter around tomorrow
[1:32:40] Ah, I
[1:32:41] don't think Jina asked me to donate. yes that's
[1:32:44] right. It
[1:32:45] probably hasn't been posted yet. I am
[1:32:47] talking tonight. I'm going to have
[1:32:49] Jina add a small item to that letter
[1:32:52] . And once that is confirmed,
[1:32:54] Jen will post it on social media and the
[1:32:56] website. yes
[1:32:59] . Regarding donations. yes.
[1:33:02] And I also
[1:33:03] need to talk to someone about the fund designation.
[1:33:08] Yes, I'm going to talk to BLCT and Mel about the fund designation
[1:33:15] Yes, Rob could do it. It might be
[1:33:17] Rob.
[1:33:18] Anyway, I’m going to look into the
[1:33:20] financial aspects of the Christmas light tractor parade
[1:33:21] , and I’ll figure it out somehow
[1:33:22] . We
[1:33:24] plan to accept donations in the meantime.
[1:33:29] Please write 'Holiday Lights Tractor Parade' in the memo section of the remittance to Shaftesbury City. And I will look into where to allocate that money
[1:33:33] Yes, we will
[1:33:33] designate and distribute it. In
[1:33:35] the meantime, we will
[1:33:36] look into the interest rates on city taxes and discuss them at the next meeting
[1:33:40] Ah, I should write that down as an important part
[1:33:41] . yes
[1:33:42] . Well,
[1:33:47] if I can formulate a city budget regarding the parade, I will
[1:33:49] handle the city budget portion and
[1:33:51] look into the interest rates as well. yes
[1:33:54] . And I... yes, I am
[1:34:00] proceeding with the process of officially paying the support funds for the turning point of the opioid settlement
[1:34:02] . You must also send the Casella
[1:34:06] Service Agreement, the Salt Service
[1:34:08] Agreement, and the
[1:34:10] Reynolds Service Agreement regarding the Airpack
[1:34:12] . I will
[1:34:20] contact Tony at CAS/KAS to check whether I
[1:34:22] need to approve the estimate or if it
[1:34:24] only needs to be reflected in the budget
[1:34:29] And it is for the purpose of providing information
[1:34:33] Who will write the offer letter to send to Lee Avery?
[1:34:36] Should I do it?
[1:34:37] Or is there another way
[1:34:38] ? all right. Will it
[1:34:40] take about 8 to 12 hours
[1:34:41] ? Let's talk about email
[1:34:43] . I will
[1:34:45] write a job proposal for a district manager
[1:34:46] . I have mine, so I can
[1:34:48] send it to you.
[1:34:49] have one too.
[1:34:50] great.
[1:34:51] Excellent. This is a question. Hmm
[1:34:53] , good. Since
[1:34:56] there are no other questions, I propose a motion to close the
[1:34:57] Shaftesbury Election Committee meeting
[1:35:00] . I agree. I second the
[1:35:01] motion.
[1:35:02] Anyone in favor? yes
[1:35:03] . yes. and. yes. There were a
[1:35:06] lot of agenda items. The
[1:35:08] recording has been stopped. It's
[1:35:09] only
[1:35:09] 7:39.
[1:35:11] Yes, it was nice meeting both of you
[1:35:13] Yes, it's surprising to see you this early at 7 o'clock
[1:35:15] . Hmm,
[1:35:17] yes, now I will get back to the main point
[1:35:21] Do I need to sign the Reynolds documents in person, or is it sufficient
[1:35:22] if I just approve them and then
[1:35:24] send the invoice? Please
[1:35:27] send us the document we signed back.
[1:35:30] Right? I'll just sign. Since I'm
[1:35:32] doing it anyway. I don't think so
[1:35:33] . I could
[1:35:34] do it here, though. Yes
[1:35:36] , I hope so.
[1:35:37] Yes, it is going to be a really
[1:35:38] tough year. yes.
[1:35:40] That is my only strength
[1:35:41] . I feel the same way. I'll
[1:35:43] email Jen right now
[1:35:44] . yes
[1:35:44] . All right. I'm also worried about the information
[1:35:47] Jen, I'll
[1:35:48] send you an email about the water right now.
[1:35:49] All right. I will
[1:35:49] send an email tomorrow. I
[1:35:51] left at 10 o'clock.
[1:35:54] Two people. I am passing 370 George Street
[1:35:56] . yes
[1:35:58] . And if it
[1:35:59] wasn't him...
[1:36:00] Okay.
[1:36:00] Yes, yes, yes. Cemetery. I walked all the way
[1:36:02] there. It will
[1:36:04] be a problem in the long run
[1:36:05] . We can
[1:36:05] talk about it.
[1:36:07] Unfortunately. yes
[1:36:08] . Just before we arrived
[1:36:10] ...
[1:36:11] uh... yes. Well, Andy...
[1:36:26] there are quite a few people who dislike him