VILLAGE STEERING COMMITTEE MINUTES

July 9, 2007 (Monday, 7 pm, Town Hall)

Members present: Donna Constantineau, George Dameron (Chair and interim Secretary), Karla Munson, Dona Walker

Not present: Tracy Applin, Brian Busier, Rolf Kielman

• Minutes of June 11, 2007 approved
• Brief updates and reports: 
• Transportation update (KM): United We Ride. KM reported that she, Alex Weinhagen, and Rocky Martin had met about how to manage the grant; Rocky Martin will set it up and do the marketing with CCMPO and CCTA. The three will meet again soon to discuss the implementation of the grant. GD will invite RM to attend a VSC meeting in September to discuss the signs project.
• Affordable housing discussion update. DC reported that the town task force on Affordable Housing will produce a survey on affordable housing by September. It will then be distributed to town residents. DC is also trying to think of a logo for the task force.
• Traffic control in village. GD reported on the following:
• The bid for the Charlotte Road/Main Street light has been awarded, and work is still slated for this summer.
• The Town Administrator is currently conducting a survey of speed limits on town roads as required by state law before the lowering of speed limits can take place.
• The Committee discussed the problems caused in the town by high speeds on town roads and by the neglect of the town pedestrian crossing on 116.
• The Committee also discussed the damage being done to the 18^th and 19^th century foundations of existing buildings in the village caused by traffic vibrations. Slowing down the traffic may help remedy the situation.
• The construction of the sidewalk on the west side of 116 will proceed, even though a property owner has requested a reassessment of some of the features of the project.
• Planning Commission: Village Growth Project (http://www.hinesburg.org/villagegrowthproject.html)
• GD offered a general report on the meeting last week that brought together representatives of the Village Steering Committee and the Planning Commission to discuss the location of public areas and amenities in the village. The VSC reviewed the document sent by Rolf Kielman regarding the possible locations and criteria for location of these public areas.
• The VSC unanimously voted to endorse locating the public spaces (village green, band shell, amphitheatre) in Commerce Park. The rationale is that Commerce Park is in the middle of the village and close to the historic center of the village.
• The VSC also voted to recommend the placement of benches throughout the village.
• Village signs. GD reported that there is no news about any initiative regarding village signs. KM reported that the DRB wants the VSC to work with Rocky Martin to produce suitable signs for entering both the town and the village. GD will consult with Rocky Martin about this project and report back to the committee. The committee decided to make this project a high priority for the summer and fall.
• GD reported that the VSC has not spent the money allocated to it for the current fiscal year. He will suggest to Alex Weinhagen, Town Planner, that the money be re-absorbed into the town reserve or used by the Planning Commission for pre-June 30 bills associated with the Village Growth Project.
• Initiatives regarding traffic on town roads: a new priority?
• The VSC voted unanimously to ask to Town Administrator to work with VTrans to re-paint the pedestrian crossing on 116.
• The VSC also voted unanimously to re-enforce and reiterate a previous recommendation to the Select Board to lower the speed limits on town roads to 30 mph and to post appropriate signage to that effect. GD will ask to be placed on the agenda of the Select Board at a future meeting.
• The VSC has also voted unanimously to ask the Select Board to write Saputo to ask that its truck drivers not use air brakes in the village. Secondly, the VSC will ask the Select Board to post a sign in the village to that effect.
• There was also discussion about the creation of a noise ordinance in the village. KM assumed there was some sort of ordinance already. GD will check with Alex about it.
• Terms of service on committee (expirations of terms in November). The VSC briefly discussed the termination of several terms of committee members. GD will ask the Town Administrator to invite names for volunteers for the committee, beginning in November of 2007. GD also announced that if he requests a second term, he would prefer not being chair.
• Announcements:
• Information about committee work will be posted by GD on Front Page Forum, Record, the county Sentinel
• Other business or announcements
• There will be no August meeting, as the chair will be out of town.
• GD will draft email messages to town officials and chairs of the major committees detailing the recommendations made at this meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

GWD

Attachment: