Minutes of the Hinesburg Annual Town Meeting
February 28, 2005
Town of Hinesburg, Vermont
Selectboard: Lynn E.
Gardner, Chairman; Robert S. Bast; Andrea Morgante; Jonathan S. Trefry; Randall
C. Volk
Town Clerk / Treasurer: Melissa B. Ross
The Moderator read each article as they came up in
order.
The
legal voters of the Town of Hinesburg, Vermont are hereby warned and notified
to meet at the Champlain Valley Union High School auditorium, in said Town of
Hinesburg, Monday evening February 28, 2005 at 7:30 pm to transact business on
all articles except Article 1 and Article 2 which will be voted upon by
Australian ballot Tuesday, March 1, 2005 at the Town Hall in said Town of
Hinesburg. Polls will be open at 7:00
am and close at 7:00 pm. The February
28, 2005 meeting to be adjourned to the Town Hall in said Town of Hinesburg at
9:00 am March 1, 2005, if necessary, to act on any business left unfinished
when met.
ARTICLE 1:
To elect the necessary town and school district officers by Australian
ballot Tuesday March 1, 2005).
Article 1 to be voted upon by Australian ballot on
Tuesday March 1, 2005.
ARTICLE 2:
Shall general obligation bonds of the Town of Hinesburg in the amount
not to exceed ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($145,000) be issued for
the purpose of financing the purchase of a new tanker truck for the Hinesburg
Volunteer Fire Department, such purchase estimated to cost one hundred
forty-five thousand dollars ($145,000)?
Article 2 to be voted upon by Australian ballot on
Tuesday March 1, 2005.
ARTICLE 3:
To hear the reports of the Town officers and take action thereon.
The Moderator recognized Lynn Gardner, Chair of the
Selectboard. Lynn referred to the
proposed budget and noted that due to an increase in the value of the Grand
List and the use of $200,000 from the fund balance an increase in the tax rate was
not anticipated.
Voter approval is now required in order for tax dollars
to be put in reserve funds for use in future years.
It was noted that significant changes were made in the
town employee structure. Lynn wanted to
recognize both Rob Bast and Randy Volk who worked hard on these important
changes. Lynn noted that Rob Bast would
discuss the changes a little later in the town officer’s report.
Lynn noted the changes and highlights of the proposed
highway budget. An appropriation of
$40,000 is proposed to improve shoulders, $50,000 for paving and $25,250 for
the down payment on a new dump truck.
Funds are also proposed for work on the new town garage and salt/sand
storage as required to comply with stormwater regulations.
The Police department budget is now a separate article
in the warning. It includes an
appropriation of $15,000 for a new cruiser and $10,000 for site work at the
police building.
There are plans for a new section of sidewalk between
the cheese factory and the Town Hall, funded in part through a grant. Additionally, funding is included in the
budget to install curbing on Route 116, south of Charlotte Road, to discourage
cars from passing on the right at the Route 116 crosswalk.
There will also be a bond vote on a new tanker truck for
the fire department.
Rob Bast presented information on the new town
organizational structure and associated job descriptions. The town needed to re-examine its structure
due to some difficult issues that included overlapping job descriptions, unclear
job responsibilities, and an unclear hierarchy that did not reflect current
responsibilities. All this caused
employee frustration to be very high.
It was also difficult for the Selectboard to adequately evaluate
employees under the given conditions.
All involved agreed that town employees were working
hard, and realized that the problem was with the system. The Selectboard started out working with a
few employees and their job descriptions.
There was an immediate realization that a professional consultant was
needed. Input was solicited from both
employees and the members of town boards and commissions. Job descriptions for all positions were
outlined in a common format.
Highlights of the changes include increasing the
responsibility for the Town Administrator who now functions as the chief
administrative officer. This type of
position is common in many Vermont towns.
As chief administrative officer, the Town Administrator will keep track
of many of the day-to-day operations of the town and will report to the
Selectboard. Another important concern
was to insure that pay scales are comparable to similar jobs in other Vermont
towns.
Restructuring changed the responsibilities of the Public
Works Director to Director of Buildings and Facilities. The Town Planner position was also changed
to a full time position. The job
descriptions are still being finalized, and are expected to be completed this
spring. These changes serve to provide
a better workplace, better response to taxpayers, and a better understanding of
responsibilities.
Jonathan Trefry reported on the sidewalk and multi-use
path project. Considerable action has
taken place since last year, including meetings with the design firm and state
agencies. Jonathan expects a final plan
in hand this year that will allow permitting to start. Project costs will likely be greater than
the original $845,000 estimate of several years ago. Project funding is covered by the federal government (80%), state
government (10%) and local tax dollars (10%).
The town has appropriated funds for this project over the last few
years; so additional funds will not be requested this year. For several reasons construction will most
likely not begin until 2007.
A motion to accept the reports of the Town officers was
approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 4: Shall
the Town appropriate $7,000 for the purpose of purchasing vault shelving for
the Town Clerk’s Office; any unexpended portion of such sum to be placed in the
Town Clerk Reserve Fund?
Bruce Cunningham asked if there was an identical motion
last year. Town Clerk and Treasurer
Missy Ross explained that this is a three-year project of $7,000 per year, with
purchase of the shelving in the third year.
Article 4 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 5: Shall
the Town appropriate $5,000 for the purpose of construction and repair of
sidewalks; any unexpended portion of such sum to be placed in the Parks &
Sidewalk Reserve Fund?
Article 5 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 6: Shall
the Town appropriate $694,072 to defray the general expenses of the Town?
Ruth Ayer began the discussion by inquiring why debt
service for the fire trucks was not included in the Fire Department
budget. Lynn Gardner noted that money
in debt service was originally voted upon by a bond vote in previous years and
is shown as a fixed cost. Ruth thought
that since it is a Fire Department expense it should appear in their
budget. Lynn suggested that a footnote
could be made in the Fire Department budget.
Lynn advised that the Selectboard would discuss this with the auditors.
Howard Russell stated that it was unclear why the road
reconstruction budget, which was $100,000 for several years, is much lower this
year. The moderator noted that this is
actually covered in another article and it can be discussed at that time.
Ruth Ayer noted that another $5,000 is proposed for the
Fire Department landscaping. Rob Bast
advised that the expenditure for the landscaping project was spaced out over a
few years.
Carl Bohlen asked for clarification on the Expenditure
Summary. He noted the total budgeted
expenditure amount and asked what part of the total was represented by the
$694,072. It was asked whether there
was a page that clearly shows the budget breakdown and how the $694,072 amount
was derived. The Selectboard stated that a breakdown was not shown.
Carl Bohlen asked why only $200,000 from the fund
balance is being utilized when there is a total of $603,000 of unused funds
available. Lynn Gardner noted that some
funds were not expended from the previous year’s budget. The Selectboard chooses to hold funds, since
it is impossible to determine all the costs that will come up throughout the
year. Lynn also noted that forecasting
revenues is not exact and grants may be higher than expected. The Board also attempts to budget
conservatively. Lynn Gardner also
stated that a portion of this money is delinquent taxes and not actually
cash.
Carl Bohlen asked if there is in fact over $800,000 in
the fund balance, which is $200,000 more than last year. Town Administrator Jeanne Wilson stated that
Carl is correct and the fund balance has increased over the past few
years. She noted that an effort was
made to create a budget that will be closer to actual, and the surplus is not
expected to continue to grow.
Dawn Taylor stated that
there should be a list of costs that outline the numbers associated with this
article. If the voters are asked to
vote on a half-million dollar expenditure, it should be clear where the amount
comes from. Dawn asked for an amendment to the motion that asks that in the
future the Selectboard indicate in writing how the general expenditure amounts
are derived.
The amendment to Article 6 was approved by voice vote.
John Kiedaisch asked the Select Board to take the
audience through the numbers by town report page number. Tim Keefe, who is an accountant by trade,
noted a couple of pages where some of the costs and income come from. Rob Bast noted that it is a fair request by
the townspeople (to clarify the budget numbers) and there is room for
improvement. Andrea Morgante noted
pages 54 through 61 show the expenditures for each town department. Lynn Gardner noted there would be some
additional clarification in next year’s town report.
Carl Bohlen asked which article would be best to make an
amendment to use more of the surplus towards the budget, particularly to use
$221,000 instead of $200,000. Randy
Volk suggested to do it under Article 23 (any other business). Andrea Morgante noted that Article 20 might
be the place to make the motion, but other Selectboard members disagreed.
One audience member stated he understood that if the
motion was voted as presented we would not lower the taxes. Randy Volk said that if the voters voted to
reduce this budgeted amount, it would indicate to the Selectboard that they
should not incur the expense for the projects planned. The intent instead may be to deficit spend
by using some of the fund balance.
Jonathan Trefry stated that if the voters advised the Selectboard to use
more of the fund balance to reduce the tax rate, the Selectboard would do that
when the tax rate was set.
Ruth Ayer inquired about the employee short-term
disability insurance. Jonathan Trefry
stated this benefit was negotiated during the highway union negotiations as an
employee alternative to using sick time.
Bill Lippert asked to return to the discussion of the
surplus and fund balance. He noted that
it is clear in the paragraph following Article 19 of the warning that $200,000
of the fund balance will be applied toward expenses. He asked where the voters authorize the use of the $200,000
amount from the fund balance. The
Selectboard advised that the amount is not voted upon, but an advisory motion
can be made to use more than $200,000 of the fund balance towards the budget
when the tax rate is set.
Peter Regan said
voters vote money to spend and the town is authorized to raise the money
necessary to meet the expenses. The
Selectboard is not authorized to hold excess revenues. Rob Bast stated that there is a value in
keeping a cushion to stabilize the tax rate, but the challenge is finding a
balance between what to hold for a cushion and what to give back to the
voters. Lynn Gardner again noted that
some of the assets are uncollected taxes.
Loy Harrell stated that in 1979 his taxes were about
$1,800 and with the exception of the police department, his services have not
increased despite new homes generating new taxes. He stated that the more money the town gets the more it
spends.
Howard Russell noted that in the balance sheet it was
confusing regarding the amount of reserved and unreserved funds. He noted that the $200,000 amount to be used
toward the budget was listed separately from the $633,000 listed as unreserved
funds. He asked whether the unreserved
funds would be over $600,000, instead of $400,000. Jeanne Wilson noted that the $200,000 listed in the balance sheet
was the amount of surplus used towards the current year budget, and the
$200,000 proposed for use toward next year’s budget would come out of the
$633,000, leaving an unreserved fund balance of around $400,000.
Andrea Morgante reiterated that using $200,000 of the
fund balance toward the proposed budget would leave a little over $400,000 in
the fund balance. Randy Volk also attempted
to explain.
Article 6 as amended was approved by majority voice
vote.
ARTICLE 7:
Shall the Town appropriate $15,000 to be placed in the Police Department
Reserve Fund for purchase of a replacement cruiser?
Elizabeth Lee stated that she understands the need for
four-wheel-drive vehicles, but was wondering what the fuel economy was. Police Chief Chris Morrell noted that the
vehicle rating for the police cruisers was around 20 mpg on the highway. He stated there is a need for rapid
acceleration for obvious reasons. Elizabeth
asked that fuel efficiency be considered.
Sam Hemingway asked if this money is going to be put
aside each year. Chief Morrell noted
that this is the best way to fund these vehicles. The vehicles have about 130,000 miles when they are retired. A new vehicle is about $30,000 along with
the specialized equipment that is necessary.
Carl Bohlen asked for clarification on whether the
$20,000 listed in the balance sheet as being reserved for a police vehicle
would be combined with this $15,000 amount.
Chief Morrell explained that the $20,000 in reserve funds would be
combined with the $10,000 in the current year budget to purchase a cruiser this
year.
Howard Russell asked why there was a 50% increase in the
amount of the appropriation for the cruiser.
Chief Morrell noted that the town had tried a three-year replacement
plan ($10,000/year for three years) but it did not work well due to increased
maintenance costs. What is proposed is
a two-year replacement schedule ($15,000/year for two years). He noted that the cars are replaced every
six years.
An audience member asked where the money goes when we
sell an old car. It was stated that it
goes into the revenue side of the budget.
It was asked if we couldn’t put that back into a fund specifically for
replacement of these cars. Randy Volk
stated that trying to account for this small amount would be difficult. It goes to general income.
Article 7 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 8: Shall
the Town appropriate $10,000 for the purpose of site work and garage planning
for the police department parcel; any unexpended portion of such sum to be
placed in the Police Department Reserve Fund?
Loy Harrel
asked whether this amount was worth discussion. Peter Erb asked what would be done with the money. Chief Morrell noted that the site work would
be tied to the improvements on the fire department parcel. He also noted that they would attempt to use
Department of Corrections (convict) labor for this future project.
Carl Bohlen asked whether the site work would be
completely funded by this article.
Chief Morrell said the site work would be done with this money and any
remaining funds would be used for additional planning. The intent would be to utilize Department of
Corrections labor to stretch the funds further.
A resident asked where the police vehicles are currently
stored. Chief Morrell advised that two
are stored in the public safety garage, and one is stored in his garage.
Peter Erb asked if this money is for planning or
labor. Chief Morrell explained the
money is for labor to complete the existing site plan and any unused portion to
be used for planning the garage.
Article 8 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 9: Shall
the Town appropriate $333,983 for the general expenses of the Community Police
Department?
George Dameron
referred to the survey conducted by the police department in November, which
indicated that many people want more traffic enforcement. He inquired whether more money for traffic
control is reflected in the police budget.
Chief Morrell stated yes.
Roger Kohn asked why we couldn’t get officers to direct
traffic during peak hours. Chief
Morrell stated that hiring outside traffic officers will not reduce the amount
of traffic but it will reduce the amount of funds available for traffic
enforcement. He also noted that using
officers to direct traffic is very dangerous, and would cost more than other
traffic control measures, such as traffic lights.
Bill Marks asked about the fitness program for the
police department. Chief Morrell stated
it is a physical fitness program that rewards fitness.
Beth Sengle noted that there has
been a lot of concern about pedestrian safety and with this very large budget
it makes no sense to be talking about $800 when there is a real danger for children.
Paul Lamberson stated that he
agrees with the Chief that mechanical devices are the best way to control the
traffic.
Chris Hurley stated he
did not see any money in the budget for these mechanical devices. Chief Morrell noted that a mechanical device
refers to items such as traffic lights, and reviewed the efforts his department
has made to address traffic concerns.
Another audience member asked
about the State Police, and what they do to cover for traffic and town
issues. Chief Morrell said the State
Police cover only at night when the Hinesburg force is off duty. They will assist when needed, as will other
town police forces. He said he has
encouraged other departments to help with enforcement when appropriate.
An audience member asked about the
long-term growth of the police department and what we should expect in the
future. Chief Morrell noted the
decision about the growth of the police department is in the hands of the
taxpayers.
George Dameron asked if a cruiser
could be placed on the Charlotte Road, just past Ben’s Sandwich shop. He noted the village should get priority for
traffic control, as this is where the children are at greatest risk. He would like to see more of the police
cruisers in the village.
Rob Bast stated that the police
department is unable to deal with all the traffic issues. The town is working with the state on a
traffic study, which may ultimately help slow down traffic. He noted that Shelburne has chosen to have
twelve police officers versus the three officers for Hinesburg.
Chuck Reiss suggested having the
cruisers park at the public safety garage and having the officers walk to them
rather than building a new police garage.
This would forgo the need to build a garage and also help out with the
fitness program. This received a few
laughs from the audience. He then asked
what the per capita cost for our police force was versus other towns. Chief Morrell said our per capita costs were
the lowest in Chittenden County.
Carl Bohlen noted that one of the
best things the Selectboard did was defy the state and put up the orange
cones. It was suggested to again defy
the state and put up a light. Lynn
Gardner noted that efforts are on going with the state to get a three-way light
at the Charlotte Road intersection. Rob
Bast said another solution under consideration is a four-way stop sign like the
one in Williston, which would be much less expensive than a light. Rob feels we should push for the stop
sign.
Jonathan Trefry noted that the
Agency of Transportation was planning to fund improvements to three
intersections in the town. The town
also received a grant for sidewalk studies and curbing that could act like the
cones at the crosswalk on Route 116 near Lantman’s. These are all positive improvements.
Peter Regan stood to compliment
the Chief on the work he does along with the entire police department.
Vicki Mathews asked if it would be
beneficial to jump-start VTrans efforts with a petition. Jeanne Wilson thought it might help, but
there is progress being made and according to VTrans, these projects are on the
fast track.
Mary Hurlie asked why
traffic lights are preferred to stop signs if the goal is to slow traffic. Stop signs make everyone stop. Lynn Gardner noted that a traffic light
could be programmed to most effectively deal with the fluctuating traffic
levels.
Phil Pouech stated that the
traffic will only continue to increase and the issue is with the number of
cars. The state is only interested in
moving the largest number of cars through our town. The real solution is to move the cars around the town. At one time our town plan had a roadway that
went behind the cheese factory and not down our village roadway. He thought the town should be thinking about
these more radical ideas.
Tom Ayer asked about the $17,500
funding for C.U.S.I. Lynn Gardner noted
the money funds our portion of the C.U.S.I. expenses. He said the town is committed to these funds. He asked if perhaps Bill Lippert or Diane
Snelling could address the legislature’s efforts to fund C.U.S.I.- type
programs on a statewide level.
State Senator Diane Snelling
stated she is working to get this type of program funded by the state. She explained that C.U.S.I. is a program
that coordinates police officers and social workers to help sexually abused
children. There are steps being taken
to get the program state funding.
Sam Hemingway asked why the amount
was doubled. Lynn Gardner noted that in
previous years we did not fund C.U.S.I.
Last year we funded only half of what was requested. We are now fully funding Hinesburg’s share
of the program.
Ruth Ayer asked if we were getting
our money’s worth. Town Administrator
Jeanne Wilson noted these are difficult cases.
This year there were 11 cases investigated by C.U.S.I. in Hinesburg. Investigations can take hundreds of
hours. Special investigators are
available for the town of Hinesburg.
This program could be considered like an insurance policy.
Sharon Lee Trefry asked how old the
children who are served are. Jeanne
Wilson clarified that C.U.S.I. investigates all cases of sexual abuse, not only
crimes involving children. Trefry then noted that when there is abuse, the
effects could last a lifetime. She
feels this is an important program.
Town Representative Bill Lippert
noted that not all counties in the state have a C.U.S.I. unit. A legislative committee, of which Bill is a
member, is working to get this service to all state communities and fund it
with state money. Crimes investigated
by C.U.S.I. usually result in more successful prosecutions.
Article 9 was approved by majority
voice vote.
ARTICLE 10: Shall
the Town appropriate $28,000 for the purpose of design, engineering and site
plan for a new highway garage, salt shed and sand shed; any unexpended portion
of such sum to be placed in the Highway Department Reserve Fund?
Ruth Ayer asked whether voters had previously approved
funds for this same purpose. Rob Bast
stated that they had, and there is currently $12,000 held in reserve. Funds have been spent so far on survey and
site work. The expense is necessary, in
part due to stormwater runoff regulations and a need to relocate the CSWD drop
off center.
Article 10 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 11: Shall
the Town appropriate $25,250 as initial down payment and finance an amount not
to exceed $114,750 plus interest over the next four years for the purpose of
purchasing a dump truck, such purchase plus interest estimated to cost
$151,231?
Peter Regan noted that the newest truck is a
tandem. It was asked whether this new
truck would be a tandem, and what was the benefit of a tandem. Lynn Gardner stated the tandem could hold
more sand and salt along with hauling more material. This reduces the need to travel back and forth to the town gravel
pit. The plan is to have two tandems
and two single-axel trucks with one of those being a four-wheel-drive.
Ken Brown asked why we didn’t purchase town trucks the
same way we purchase cruisers referring to putting money aside every year. Randy Volk stated the trucks cost more and
last much longer, so it makes more sense to finance them.
Article 11 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 12:
Shall the Town appropriate $535,647 for highway purposes?
Dawn Taylor asked whether funds for snow plowing is in this
budget item. She stated that recently
the snow plowing has not been that good.
Ruth Ayer asked how many highway employees we have. The Selectboard advised that we currently
have four highway employees. Ruth noted
that $1200 /month/employee is budgeted for health insurance. It must be a “Cadillac” plan.
Paul Lamberson asked to hear more about the insurance
program and the associated costs. Town
Administrator Jeanne Wilson noted that the budget includes a fifth highway
employee, which would lower the insurance cost per employee. Paul said that brings the expense down to
about $1000 per employee, which is still quite a lot.
Welly Cobden said he hears a lot about the cost of speed
enforcement and wondered whether paving Pond Brook Road will only increase that
cost. He proposed the budget be reduced
by the amount budgeted for paving Pond Brook Road. Lynn Gardner provided clarification that there is no money
budgeted this year to pave Pond Brook Road.
There are only funds budgeted for making improvements such as culvert
replacement and upgrading. Next year
the Selectboard will include funds in the budget for paving Pond Brook
Road. There would be a public hearing
just like those for Texas Hill Road.
A resident of Pond Brook Road asked whether the work on Pond Brook Road would be necessary, even if
the road were not paved. The
Selectboard advised that it would be.
Howard Russell repeated his earlier question regarding
the reduction in the amount budgeted for road construction from $100,000 in previous
years to the proposed $62,700. Lynn
Gardner said that this number was more realistic given what can actually be
accomplished during the short reconstruction season.
Donna Cunningham asked how much employees contribute to health insurance premium
costs. Town Administrator Jeanne Wilson
advised that the town covers 100% of insurance premium costs for
employees. This was a benefit
negotiated for the highway union contract and was expanded to all town
employees. The policy is the Vermont Freedom Plan for employee and family.
Article 12 was approved by majority voice vote
ARTICLE 13:
Shall the Town appropriate $139,400 for the Carpenter Carse Library?
Article 13 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 14:
Shall the Town appropriate $600 for the Lake Iroquois Recreation
District as Hinesburg's share?
ARTICLE 15:
Shall the Town appropriate $5,000 to the Hinesburg Land Trust?
Article 15 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 16:
Shall the Town appropriate the sum of $7,500 for the purpose of
obtaining options and/or the acquisition of lands, or those rights in land,
which would preserve open space and natural resources; any unexpended portion
of such sum to be placed in the Land Preservation Reserve Fund established?
Dawn Taylor asked whether rights, such as mineral
rights, were included when the town purchases land rights from landowners. Bill Marks, a member of the Conservation
Commission, noted the town does not have the rights to sell since the purpose
is to preserve the natural state of the land.
Article 16 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 17:
Shall the Town vote to raise the sum of $23,656 to be disbursed as
specifically designated to the following agencies/organizations?
Funded Budget
FY 04-05 FY 05-06
Center for Independent Living 250 250
Visiting Nurse Association 6,329 6,456
Committee on Temporary Shelter
(COTS) 1,350 1,350
Hinesburg Green Up 300 300
Champlain Valley Area Agency on
Aging 2,000 2,000
Hinesburg Community Meal Site 500 500
VT CARES 700 700
Vermont Adult Learning
250 250
Howard Center for Human
Services 750 750
Totals
$23,529
$23,656
Dan Opton asked what
the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation was. Lynn Gardner said they are involved with economic development and
the cost is our membership dues.
Article 17 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 18: Shall the Town appropriate $2,000 for the
Hinesburg July 4th Celebration?
Tom Whitney, chairperson of the Recreation Commission
asked what these funds were for. Andrea
Morgante noted that there is currently no Fourth of July committee.
Roger Kohn asked if the Recreation Commission would
again organize the parade. Tom Whitney
stated that the Commission is going to organize the parade and activities
scheduled until 2:00 pm of that day. Last year the $2,000 was used for the
bands, parade awards, and daytime activities.
Carl Bohlen asked how much the fireworks cost and whether
those funds could be added to this budget.
Tyler Wainer said that Northstar (a pyrotechnics company) quoted
$11,000. This cost would include the
storage, insurance as well as the display.
It was noted that a fundraising effort for fireworks is currently
underway.
Vicki Mathews made a motion to increase the amount of
the article from $2,000 to $7,000, with the additional $5,000 being for the
fireworks.
Town Representative, Bill Lippert wanted to know the
relationship between the town and the Fourth of July committee and who does the
fireworks. Lynn Gardner stated that up
until two years ago the fundraising for the Fourth of July event was completely
a volunteer effort. It was not clear
who would lead the effort this year. It
was noted that regulations regarding fireworks were more stringent since
September 11th.
Roger Kohn stated that if a professional costs $11,000,
the town should appropriate that amount.
Another audience member noted that more non-residents enjoy the
fireworks and disagreed that we should spend this amount.
Rob Farley said he thought fundraising would be
successful and the town did not need to appropriate the $5,000. Andrea Mogante noted that there are expenses
associated with the Fourth of July celebration that the town does cover,
including setup, police coverage and cleanup.
Carl Bohlen asked to amend the motion to include that
any unexpended funds be put into a fireworks reserve fund. Rob Bast stated that first this reserve fund
would need to be set up. Another audience
member asked how much money was raised in the coin drops. Vicki Mathews stated that normally $2,000 -
$3,000 was raised.
The amendment to add $5,000 to this original motion in
order to fund the fireworks with any unexpended funds to be placed in a
fireworks reserve fund to be established in FY 06 was voted by voice vote. Moderator Joseph Fallon stated the vote was
too close to call. He asked for a
standing vote.
After the standing vote the count was 64 for the
amendment and 72 against the amendment.
The amendment was defeated.
The Moderator asked for the vote on the original motion
as warned. Article 18 as originally
warned was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 19:
Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to furnish the Town of St.
George fire protection and first response coverage at the sum of $16,320 for
the period of one year?
Mary Hurlie inquired about the cost to the town to
provide service to St. George. Fire
Chief Al Barber said that the amount represents 15% of the town’s budget for
the fire department, and is a good deal for the town.
Article 19 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 20:
Shall the voters authorize the Select Board to borrow money when needed
to meet current expenses and indebtedness of said Town?
Article 20 was approved by unanimous voice vote.
ARTICLE 21:
Shall the voters authorize the payment of real and personal property
taxes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 payable in full to the Town of
Hinesburg in one installment, with the due date being November 15, 2005. Any and all payments received in the Town
Treasurer's Office later than midnight on November 15, 2005 will be considered delinquent and will be subject to the collection of
interest at the rate of 1% per month or fraction thereof for the first three
months and thereafter at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or fraction thereof.
An audience member stated there is an increase in the
number of delinquencies and wondered if multiple payments would help decrease
these delinquencies.
Article 21 was approved by majority voice vote.
ARTICLE 22: (By
petition) Shall the voters support the following resolution: The Iraq war was authorized by Congress
based on erroneous claims. Saddam
Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and was never shown to have a
connection to the 9/11 attacks. The
costs of deploying troops and Vermont National Guard members for the occupation
of Iraq have been substantial, as reckoned in deaths, injuries, and personal
trauma, as well as dislocation and financial hardship to families, businesses,
and communities. We call on the
congressional delegation to work to restore a proper balance between the powers
of the states and the federal government over state National Guard units. We call on the legislature to set up a
commission to study how National Guard deployments have eroded Vermont’s
ability to respond to natural disasters.
We call on President Bush and Congress to withdraw American troops from
Iraq immediately and to adhere to the mandate of international humanitarian
law”.
Karl Novak asked to say a few words and read a statement. He wrote the resolution and stated it is an important message to
send to our government. He then read a
prepared written statement.
Robert Meynecke said he opposed Article 22 and questioned the statement that the war
was authorized based on erroneous claims. Rob stated that Saddam Hussein did
use weapons of mass destruction. Saddam
was in contact with terrorists. He
agreed with the statement about the costs of deploying troops and National
Guard members. He disagreed with the
assertion that we need to restore a proper balance. He disagreed with the statement that our ability to respond to
natural disasters could be comprised by such extensive use of the Vermont
National Guard. He was also not sure that
voters understood what was meant by a mandate to international humanitarian law
is.
George Dameron supported this resolution while also
acknowledging those who have served and those who will serve. He said he strongly supported this
resolution for three reasons, although people of good faith may disagree with
the resolution: 1) Too much federal
control over the National Guard, creating an imbalance. 2) Our National Guard could not respond to a
natural disaster such as the one in 1929 or a terrorist attack. 3) We should
withdraw whether things are getting better or getting worse. He feels it is a local issue and that the
resolution does support the troops.
Dawn Taylor stated that her mother is a veteran of the
Korean War; her father is also a veteran and all her relatives fought in
wars. She supported the article and the
National Guard should not be used for this war. It belongs at home in Vermont.
Lisa Carlson made an amendment to the article adding the
following to the last sentence of the resolution: “including the immediate release
or charging of all prisoners including those held at Guantanamo Bay”.
Sara Cahan
stated that she would like to support the resolution but it covers too many
things: local, national, past and future.
She felt that the voters should be discussing things that affect us
locally.
Elizabeth Lee stated that up until the first gulf war
the National Guard was under the control of the Governor of each state. Vermont has the second largest deployment
rate in the US. She is a mental health
employee and post traumatic stress syndrome will affect families for years to
come and there is not the staffing or budgets to support these needs and we
will pay the price for generations.
The amendment to add the following to the last sentence
of the resolution “including the immediate release or charging of all prisoners
including those held at Guantanamo Bay” was approved by voice vote.
Leonard Duffy
stated the language is too difficult and made an amendment to delete the first
two sentences and the last sentence. He
could support the resolution if these changes were made.
Erol Bayar noted that the 911 Commission concluded there
was no connection between 911 and Saddam Hussein.
Vicki Matthews stated that her son Jason was in Kuwait
and his family is having a hard time, but those are the risks when you sign up
on the dotted line. She suggested
writing personal letters.
Craig Chevrier said removing the last line makes this
resolution more important and this is a local issue when you consider the cost
of $200 billion going on $400 billion.
John Kiedaisch stated that you do not have to support
the President to support the troops.
Emilie Bass said she whole-heartedly opposed the war but
to remove the troops is wrong. We
started this issue and we need to support the people of Iraq.
Todd Bailey stated that there will never be agreement on
the exact verbiage, but there is a need to move forward and make a
decision.
The amendment to delete the first two lines and last
line of the motion was voted by voice vote and failed.
Ken Brown asked whether the word “immediate” could be
eliminated. Karl Novak stated that he
felt we have a moral obligation to save people from being mutilated and killed
from an unjust war.
Article 22 as amended was approved by majority voice
vote.
ARTICLE 23: To transact any other business proper to be brought before said
meeting.
Leonard
Duffy made a motion that Commerce Street be changed to
Giroux Street, in honor of the later Bernard
Giroux.
The Moderator advised that the motion
would be advisory only. The motion was voted and approved by majority voice
vote.
Vicki Mathews stated that the
Hinesburg Lions Club would like to extend thanks to those who supported the
farmers market at the United Church.
George Dameron expressed his gratitude
to the Selectboard and Town Administrator Jeanne Wilson for their efforts to
make the village safer for pedestrians.
Carl Bohlen made an advisory motion
that the Selectboard use $250,000 of the fund balance toward the budget, which
is a $50,000 increase over the proposed $200,000. The motion was approved by majority voice vote
Bill Lippert stated that he would like
to acknowledge the presence of Hinesburg’s other representative, Scott Orr, who
covers both Hinesburg and Charlotte.
There was a motion to adjourn at
10:55PM. The motion was seconded and
approved by majority voice vote.
Respectfully Submitted,
Phil Pouech
We have read, approved and accepted
these minutes as a true record of the proceedings that were held at the
Hinesburg Town Meeting held on February 28, 2005.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
/s/ Robert S. Bast /s/ Andrea Morgante /s/ Howard E. Russell
Chairman, Selectboard Selectperson Selectperson
__________________ __________________
/s/ Jonathan S. Trefry /s/ Randall C. Volk
Selectperson Selectperson
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a
true record of the proceedings that were held at the Hinesburg Town Meeting on
February 28, 2005. Witnessed and
attested to this _____ day of ______, 2005 by
_________________________
/s/ Melissa B. Ross
Town Clerk / Treasurer