[0:00] Educating, informing, serving. Fact TV, keeping government honest.
[0:06] You're watching a Fact TV presentation of the Town of Westminster Select Board
[0:11] meeting.
[0:12] Call the meeting to order. Adjustments, agenda, I don't see anything that we're
[0:16] going to adjust on anything. I definitely won't have another executive session.
[0:20] Acceptance of the minutes of the last meeting we had, I've got to give those to
[0:24] Millie, we don't have them right now.
[0:27] No.
[0:27] Okay.
[0:27] No.
[0:29] In the communication and public comments, there's nobody in the audience, so
[0:35] nobody here can say anything. There's nobody on TV, so we're all by ourselves.
[0:39] Unfinished business,
[0:42] we got nothing for that, so this is going to be a short meeting. Okay?
[0:46] Yeah.
[0:46] Move on to new business. Fuel bid went out, and you can see it's all over the
[0:52] place. Chip's recommendation is to-
[0:56] Rebid it
[0:57] ... well, leave it alone right now, and then try to come back later on it.
[1:01] I think we should have a discussion-
[1:03] Well, I usually say this, it says, big red letters
[1:07] Rebid it, but he didn't say when.
[1:10] That's what he's saying. He said, don't take...
[1:12] He recommends that-
[1:13] Don't approve it
[1:14] ... don't approve it right now.
[1:16] Yeah.
[1:19] But if we vote right now, won't we lock in those prices, which might be better
[1:22] than-
[1:22] Well-
[1:22] ... the prices from now
[1:23] ... we ran into this with,
[1:26] after Russ got done in fuel. It was kind of crazy.
[1:29] Yeah.
[1:29] That we opened up bids, and when we opened them up, it was past the date that they
[1:35] were even good till.
[1:36] Right.
[1:36] So like, even if we approve these, I wonder, especially right now-
[1:39] That's what-
[1:39] ... they're even any good.
[1:41] That's what... Oh, because these are September 3rd bids, right?
[1:44] Yeah.
[1:44] So on that date, you got to go.
[1:46] Oh yeah.
[1:47] So I think what lenders have been coming here.
[1:50] Because my question is, we could go out for just to fill the tank up, as you go
[1:56] along. You just get on the phone and go, "Bonk off."
[1:58] Yeah.
[1:59] Basically, because we're buying such fill up, I don't know how much, how many times
[2:03] we fill the tank up on the heat and on the fuel for the trucks.
[2:06] You see what I'm saying?
[2:08] Yeah.
[2:09] We should have more of a discussion on this, to be honest.
[2:12] How long does our tank last?
[2:14] That's a good question.
[2:15] They're not that as big anymore because they're not in the ground tank.
[2:19] They're not the big ones.
[2:19] Right. They're in a little-
[2:20] But how old?-
[2:21] ... 20-foot cubicle now
[2:24] I don't know how often. I know when we had a bigger tank and we had quota on quota,
[2:28] they wouldn't, which they have some kind of weird deals, but they wouldn't do
[2:33] on-call. It had to be automatic.
[2:35] Right.
[2:36] And they might stop and drop a whole truck one day, they might drop only 1,000.
[2:41] And the road foreman at the time had a fit about it because he can't keep track of
[2:44] it. At the end of the day, my personal thought was that the tank's got fuel in it,
[2:48] and it's as full as it's going to get. So let's worry about...
[2:55] Let's put it on-
[2:56] On the ship of state said the fuel bids were open on September 3rd, and the
[3:01] results/recommendations are on the agenda item.
[3:05] Which was this.
[3:06] Yeah.
[3:07] So-
[3:07] He says to rebid. After that is to rebid
[3:11] ... which we could ask him to go rebid. I think you can keep doing it if you want.
[3:15] I think he should rebid it, but he also needs to make sure that when we open the
[3:19] bids and approve it, that they're good. The date is still.
[3:24] Because our stuff is so stupid right now, like, it could go up two bucks overnight.
[3:28] We don't even know. 100%.
[3:29] And how long has this went? You don't know how long this went?
[3:32] Yeah. What we should recommend to go back to Chip and recommend that he sends out
[3:37] the bid the day before the select, or that day of the select board meeting.
[3:42] So it's current.
[3:43] That's what we did in the past. We'd say, "Tomorrow night we're having a call,"
[3:47] because you can call around and say, "Hey," or send it in, but we're having a bid
[3:51] and it's going to be good for Wednesday. Today's Tuesday.
[3:54] Yeah.
[3:56] So I'd like to make a motion that we ask Chip to rebid the oil
[4:02] contracts to arrive the day before our next meeting, to get deep.
[4:08] Is there a second? We have-
[4:09] Sure.
[4:10] On that date.
[4:12] We have that, Millie?
[4:13] Yeah.
[4:13] Okay. So moved.
[4:15] And second to ask Chip to go back to rebid.
[4:18] Under discussion, I would just like to add, to emphasize to the bidders that we
[4:23] would like three products from one bidder, so we're not trying to find...
[4:28] We're not paying three different bidders.
[4:29] Oh, I see. The repeating oil,
[4:32] and we have-
[4:33] Propane
[4:33] ... propane and diesel.
[4:34] If possible.
[4:35] Right.
[4:36] Yeah. But anyway, that's-
[4:38] Actually, Bart, I mean, somebody doesn't do propane.
[4:43] Swanzey Oil only bid on the diesel.
[4:46] Because they don't do propane. The last I knew they didn't do propane.
[4:49] Well, they apparently don't do it anymore either.
[4:52] Okay. That's what. No, what they're going to do, you ever seen that fire truck?
[4:56] That's what they bought the... Well, the one that's 5,000 gallons.
[4:59] They go and they use it. The one that guy named Fred used to drive.
[5:04] Anyways, so we're under discussion.
[5:08] All those in favor. All those in favor?
[5:10] Aye.
[5:12] Was it Fred you used to drive?
[5:13] Yeah.
[5:13] Fred.
[5:14] Little Fred.
[5:16] He went to all the gas stations, all the farms. Loved him.
[5:21] Anyways,
[5:23] we're moving on to planning commission.
[5:26] Well, we might... So I could stay. You might have to stay in just...
[5:31] Before she changes her mind or before she knows that she's being appointed, I'll
[5:36] entertain a motion to appoint
[5:39] Adrian Major to-
[5:41] You're making the motion?
[5:44] I'll make a motion to appoint Adrian Major to the planning commission.
[5:51] I'll second. Been moved and second.
[5:55] You know what didn't ask is what-
[5:57] It was a fill a term
[5:59] ... we fill somebody's term.
[6:01] You just had two resignations, Matt Conklin and
[6:05] PE-
[6:06] Pablo
[6:08] ... yeah.
[6:09] Or to fill Matt Conklin's term. That's only because you could pronounce his name.
[6:13] That's right.
[6:16] Okay.
[6:17] All those in favor say aye.
[6:19] Aye.
[6:19] We got three aye.
[6:24] One, he has to go home and tell her.
[6:27] I have to remember it.
[6:28] Yeah.
[6:29] I was supposed to work.
[6:30] Probably told her the wrong committee to go up say aye on.
[6:34] We'll move on to seat listers position.
[6:37] This is the letter, excuse me, email I read.
[6:39] Oh, I read that.
[6:41] If you all read it, I think she'd be an excellent candidate for the listers
[6:44] position. She gives me-
[6:46] I make a motion we appoint her for-
[6:49] Mr. President
[6:50] ... the rest of this term, yeah, about the '27 election.
[6:54] It would be she'd have to run.
[6:56] Yeah, '27 election.
[6:56] She couldn't beat it.
[6:58] If, well, we could actually, so she would take the position-
[7:01] Till John Ewalt's term
[7:03] ... she would do John Ewalt, yeah. Because Fran's coming back. Right?
[7:07] And we still have, I mean, Rachel's coming back. I'm sorry.
[7:10] She still has to be appointed.
[7:13] Which she can be appointed just like this.
[7:16] To fill John's term?
[7:18] Well, he's the only one that's vacant because if Rachel comes back, she would get
[7:22] her term, right?
[7:23] She... Well, that, I'll look it up.
[7:26] She feel-
[7:26] I-
[7:26] I also think, I think she has to run again.
[7:28] I think she does.
[7:29] Well, no, she have, you can only fill the term until the next election, right?
[7:32] Correct.
[7:32] Well-
[7:33] Yeah
[7:34] ... until the, yeah, that's only, until next election.
[7:38] Yeah.
[7:38] Okay.
[7:38] Okay, great. Thank you.
[7:40] All those in favor?
[7:42] Aye.
[7:42] Who second to Jason?
[7:44] No, railed it.
[7:45] No, railed it.
[7:46] Railed it.
[7:48] I'll second it. It's okay.
[7:49] Thank you.
[7:49] And it was those two over there. Okay?
[7:52] Yeah. Okay.
[7:53] You got four ayes.
[7:54] Fine with.
[7:55] Town manager report.
[7:59] Oh, boy.
[8:01] What's wrong with the report?
[8:04] Well, Chip, I don't know if Ray likes it, but I'm going to read it, okay?
[8:07] I'm in the office on this tax assessment date. Well, he's basically summarizing.
[8:12] He's saying that there's a lot of traffic of people coming in paying on their
[8:17] taxes. The credit card machine is up installed.
[8:20] We've actually taken tax distribution from it.
[8:24] He's calculated the amount of tax distribution for West Minister and High School,
[8:29] which we already signed
[8:31] articles on that, which was a lot of money.
[8:34] But the fire district and highway provide half the budget amounts for taxes as
[8:38] well. The payment grant reimbursement has been assigned and submitted for 200,000
[8:45] in reimbursement on the 121 repayment project.
[8:48] The total was 343,695 with our share and the grant, and
[8:54] it was a check cut to Basen Brothers. Did a good job.
[8:58] The warrant for collections of delinquent taxes submitted to town clerk on August
[9:02] 27th. A total of 22 parcels were presented to SP&F, our attorney.
[9:09] They'll begin a title research to prepare for pending tax sales There have been
[9:15] two properties that have been paid off.
[9:17] The amount on the list, Kelly continues to monitor all other agreements every
[9:20] month.
[9:22] We still do, by the way, have a lot of agreements of people who are paying so much
[9:26] a month. Any concerns brought up by taxpayers will be addressed as soon as
[9:30] possible. He's doing it with Kelly.
[9:32] A few bids were sent out, recommendation is to what we just did, rebid it.
[9:37] The survey condition that Joe, I assume it's Joe Di Donato-
[9:42] Yeah
[9:42] ... yeah,
[9:44] is, where did I skip to? Joe is almost done. Northwest is the community.
[9:51] Basically, they moved the fence up, and I will get all the info together and set up
[9:55] a meeting with what happened with the fence in that tenant next door.
[9:59] The town tenant at the post office, yeah, he called the other day, and he had to
[10:03] get permission. I was like, "Go ahead and do it," because he's got to charge.
[10:07] I couldn't come. He skipped down to the
[10:10] post office. They said the septic tank was leaking on the hot water tank.
[10:14] So he went down and checked it out, and he had permission to go ahead and call and
[10:18] get somebody to come and fix it. It will come out of the maintenance fund for the
[10:22] post office.
[10:22] Is that one of the bills that we just paid 3,400 to?
[10:26] I believe so.
[10:27] It's a PO.
[10:28] PO.
[10:29] Really? Because I thought Donnie Adams just barely told us that, the septic tank.
[10:33] I think it's a bill for decamping that, yeah.
[10:38] Maybe.
[10:38] It could be. That's a possibility.
[10:40] Well-
[10:40] No, it'll be this one
[10:41] ... if it's not this one.
[10:44] That's payroll.
[10:45] Yeah. Chip said, I gave Chip authority to go ahead and fire someone.
[10:51] That's fine, yeah.
[10:51] I don't know who he did. I was out of town when he called, and he said, "I can skip
[10:55] down and give him authority to do it." And I said, "Go ahead."
[10:58] He did come. He did come by.
[11:00] Yeah.
[11:01] Yeah. Yeah. He did.
[11:02] It sounded like something that we had to fix right away.
[11:05] Okay.
[11:07] And information that Ben and his wife welcomed a baby girl.
[11:12] He's actually been back to work part-time already when he wasn't supposed to.
[11:16] He's been taking some well-deserved time off. He still reports to me the following.
[11:21] This is kind of like the town road foreman's report.
[11:25] They finished up the grants on Pine Bank Road. What was that for?
[11:28] A ditching.
[11:29] The ditching of the road.
[11:31] And they did a lot of work on that one.
[11:32] They really?
[11:33] Yeah, because I've been out. I've seen it all.
[11:35] And grading Church Street in prep for the Westminster West Fair.
[11:39] Mm-hmm.
[11:39] Oh.
[11:41] He worked it.
[11:42] Did not work.
[11:43] I went out there this week. It's all graded up.
[11:45] Yeah, okay. Grading also down in South Valley. That, you spell it right?
[11:49] Valley.
[11:50] No morals. South Valley Road. The mower has been out.
[11:54] Yeah.
[11:55] Yep, and Joey has been fixing the screener and all that.
[11:58] Ben will be back on Monday. So this is Chip's report and also our road foreman's
[12:03] report. And-
[12:06] I have a question here. On the paving job, okay, which it's a
[12:11] good job and all that, but we got-
[12:14] 121,000.
[12:16] 121.
[12:16] Okay.
[12:17] We got $200,000 from the state, plus we put in $200,000 in that budget.
[12:24] Why did we leave $56,000 in the paving budget?
[12:28] Why didn't we go and do another section?
[12:31] Because there was other bills, it was a lot less than that.
[12:33] I think he did it on his shoulder. Ask the boss man.
[12:36] I understand that, Craig, but I'm saying you had $400,000
[12:41] and our roads are going to Westminster, west up over the hill.
[12:45] Mm-hmm.
[12:46] $56,000 could have fixed some section.
[12:49] I just don't think we had the 56,000. That's all I'm questioning.
[12:52] Well, you had 400,000. It's in the budget for 200,000.
[12:56] I'm not disagreeing with you. I thought you used some of it for...
[13:00] We'll just have him to come and explain it, because last time when I talked to Ben,
[13:03] he already had spent some of the money. I thought, anyways.
[13:07] I could be wrong, but I think-
[13:09] Well, that's the question I have. I have the right to ask that question.
[13:11] No, you do. You're right. Give me another piece of pizza.
[13:15] No, I need to smoke.
[13:18] You do?
[13:18] Okay. Yeah, I'll have Ben come back when he-
[13:21] I'm just trying to,
[13:23] to clarify, the decamp bill was for a pump pressure
[13:28] switch,
[13:31] yada, yada, yada. It says also post office and town office, they have a sewer leak
[13:37] above the pressure tank next to the water supply.
[13:40] So that is something separate than what this is.
[13:42] I don't know.
[13:43] Because I knew they had pump problems.
[13:45] Sewer leak over the pressure tank?
[13:48] Yep.
[13:49] That was what the phone call was. It was dripping on the hot water tank.
[13:52] I don't think it's bad yet, but-
[13:55] I don't care.
[13:56] I know.
[13:58] It's just a small sewer thing. I got it marked down.
[14:00] Well done. John's good.
[14:02] He says, "I know the smell pretty well." And she said, "We have decisions.
[14:06] You go or I go." And I says, "By coincidence, I'm not down, so I guess you're
[14:10] going."
[14:12] Okay.
[14:12] Quick response.
[14:14] And I did hear back from them, but I figured you'd cut the air there, obviously.
[14:20] That's the town manager executive session, and we don't have one.
[14:23] Boards and committees, yeah, we got to still figure out how to meet up with the
[14:28] planning commission when we get all done, figure out where we are to get some more
[14:31] input.
[14:32] Yeah, we just invite them to all our meetings.
[14:34] That's, I think, that is the simplest thing for us.
[14:37] Yeah.
[14:37] Then why not do that since that's easy for us?
[14:39] Yeah.
[14:39] I'll reach out and see if it's possible.
[14:42] Okay.
[14:42] Yeah.
[14:43] And then there's no other business. The date of next meeting.
[14:47] When is the date of the next meeting?
[14:49] It's there. Fine.
[14:51] If we went back to the regular schedule, it would be next Tuesday, but in
[14:57] two weeks it's going to be the 27th.
[14:58] But I can't do... It's not next Tuesday. I can't do anything.
[15:01] No, I'm just saying come back to the regular second Tuesday.
[15:03] This is-
[15:04] That's going to be the 6th of October.
[15:07] Yeah. We want-
[15:07] No, but listen, the three of you guys, we had agreed with him if he ran again-
[15:13] Sure
[15:14] ... that he could get out of Tuesdays.
[15:16] Sure we can.
[15:16] And now we've got to switch because it's his music class that's holding us up.
[15:22] Okay. So, hey.
[15:24] I know you had problems with Wednesday.
[15:26] Yep, my second and fourth Wednesdays are tied up.
[15:29] Okay. What about-
[15:31] Let me think it's the second. I got to look that up. Hold on.
[15:38] How about these?
[15:39] Let's just say my Wednesdays are-
[15:40] How about the first and third Wednesdays?
[15:42] Or, okay, I mean, whenever we got to change the schedule, be honest with you,
[15:46] remember? So the first and third Wednesday, Ray?
[15:51] Or the first and third Monday? I'd rather do the Wednesday.
[15:55] He's got zoning or DRB in there somewhere. He said that the other day.
[15:59] Well, we got to make sure that the executive secretaries downstairs don't interfere
[16:03] with the select board when they have the zoning board meetings and stuff.
[16:06] But I think they're on Mondays.
[16:07] We give that priority to the building.
[16:10] I don't think of anything on Wednesday.
[16:12] Yeah, I think that-
[16:13] You are just not agreeable.
[16:15] So the 7th. You're agreeing to go on the 7th?
[16:19] I don't have the calendar. What's the first-
[16:21] The third Wednesday is the 28th. I got to really find that out.
[16:25] Can I just-
[16:26] It would be, it was the second.
[16:27] Yeah, because we've had to cancel my meeting this month.
[16:33] And I got-
[16:34] I have to make a phone call. Thank you
[16:35] ... I'm sorry. I need to schedule another for you.
[16:37] I think mine is the second and the fourth Wednesday is my meetings.
[16:42] Okay. So-
[16:43] Let us know. We'll-
[16:45] Okay. I'll let you know
[16:46] ... I will do is poll the board. And
[16:50] so we got two more weeks in this month.
[16:52] Okay.
[16:53] Let me do that. Let me just poll and let Ray get back to me.
[16:56] Yeah.
[16:57] And see. But right now you're out, and Wednesdays are fine?
[17:00] Wednesdays are fine. I mean, I'm going to make a, so we'll know if our planning
[17:04] commission goes. Adrian is not available Wednesday nights if she's on the planning
[17:09] commission and they were coming in here. But that's at this moment.
[17:12] I just know we need, to be honest, we don't even know if we need the whole planning
[17:16] commission. At least we need some-
[17:17] Yep.
[17:18] We have the whole here, they would have to warn us.
[17:20] We at least have the chair or somebody from the planning commission to come and
[17:23] give us an update.
[17:23] Have you had any interaction or block on it all?
[17:26] Not yet.
[17:27] It's not, uh-huh.
[17:28] I'm trying to get justice of the peace appointments from the governor.
[17:33] No.
[17:33] I'm not sure what's on them.
[17:36] What about board of amendment? 28th, 29th, are any of you...
[17:40] I got to have a quorum again.
[17:42] 28th.
[17:42] I got three different-
[17:44] I don't got it
[17:44] ... I got Vidal, I got Hudson, and I got-
[17:46] 28th. What is it?
[17:48] 28th or 29th of September.
[17:50] I don't care either way.
[17:51] No.
[17:52] So you still want the 28th?
[17:54] You're the most agreeable one of all of them.
[17:56] Yeah. 28th or 29th is fine.
[17:58] I'm trying to make this so easy.
[18:00] 28th or 29th is fine. 30th, no.
[18:03] Okay. I got it.
[18:07] Okay?
[18:07] Yeah. Are we adjourned?
[18:08] Yeah. Well, I'll entertain a motion. Yep. Okay.
[18:11] Second.
[18:11] So as you were, we haven't decided that meeting, so-
[18:14] No, we'll wait for Mike to call just to make sure.
[18:17] So make motion to-
[18:18] I just got to make sure.
[18:19] He backed you guys both.
[18:21] Yeah.
[18:21] Last week was supposed to have a meeting.
[18:23] Hey, one second. One of you guys-
[18:25] Yeah.
[18:25] One second. Okay.
[18:27] Move.
[18:27] Is that all in favor?
[18:28] Aye.
[18:29] Aye.
[18:31] Thank you for watching this Fact TV presentation.
[18:34] If you would like a digital or DVD copy of the meeting, please contact us by phone
[18:39] or email. Our phone number is 802-463-1613, or
[18:45] email us at fact810@gmail.com. Falls Area Community Television, keeping
[18:51] government honest.