Attending the Meeting: Selectboard Members: Lynn Gardner, John Guttler, Andrea Morgante, Jonathan Trefry and Randall Volk. Texas Hill Residents Kim Coates and Debbie Light. Dog Hearing attendees: Kim Burgess, Rose McGrath, Renee McGrath, Rebecca Meecham, Sandra Lavalette and Nancy Picard. Stewart Pierson for the Hinesburg Record. Kathleen Ramsay, Town Administrator.

At 7:00 p.m. Chairman Lynn Gardner called the meeting to order.

Intersection of Texas Hill Road, North Road and Richmond Road/Texas Hill Residents Kim Coates and Debbie Light urged the Board to ask the Highway Department to trim the brush and cut back the bank at the intersection of Texas Hill with North Road. The poor visibility northerly to Richmond Road creates a hazard for traffic entering the intersection from Texas Hill Road. The Board asked Kathleen Ramsay to obtain a schedule for the work from Road Foreman Michael Anthony and contact Coates and Light with this information.

At 7:30 p.m. Lynn Gardner called the hearing to order. Gardner read the provisions of the Town’s Ordinance for the Care and Control of Dogs pertaining to Vicious Dogs to the assembly. Animal Control Officer Barb Brisson reviewed the complaints received about the dog: he has killed two cats, attacked a person and is frequently off the owner’s property unrestrained. Kim Burgess, representing Rose McGrath, said that McGrath does not dispute these claims and asks for permission to remove the dog from Hinesburg and relocate the dog to her father’s farm in Sutton.

Jon Trefry moved that pursuant to the provisions of the Town’s Ordinance for the Care and Control of Dogs, Rose McGrath’s dog "Chuck" is to be removed from the Town of Hinesburg and relocated from the Town’s holding facility at O’Neil’s Kennels in Shelburne to McGrath’s father’s farm in Sutton. If the dog returns to Hinesburg it will be destroyed in a humane manner pursuant to this order. McGrath is further ordered to pay O’Neil’s Kennel in full and demonstrate that all vaccinations are up-to-date prior to release of the dog. The Town fine for second violation of the Ordinance is hereby waived. Andrea Morgante seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

Approve Warrants/ Randy Volk moved that the Board vote to approve the warrants for bills payable as presented by the Town Treasurer. John Guttler seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

Approve Minutes/Meetings of October 4 & October 11, 1999/ Jon Trefry moved that the Board vote to approve its Meeting Minutes of October 4, 1999. John Guttler seconded the motion which passed with Randy Volk abstaining. John Guttler moved that the Board vote to approve its meeting minutes of October 11, 1999, as corrected. Andrea Morgante seconded the motion which passed with Randy Volk abstaining.

Better Communities Grant Program Application/Town Hall Acoustics/Faith summarized a grant application to the Better Communities Grant Program, sponsored by the Burlington Free Press and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Rocky Martin, Robert Bast and Diane Gayer agreed that carpeting and drapes are the most practical solutions to improve the acoustics of the Main Hall. The grant application will ask for $3,000 to match the Town’s contribution of $2,000 for the purchase and installation of

Andrea Morgante moved that the Board vote to authorize its Chairman to sign the grant application to the Better Communities Grant Program, as outlined above. Jon Trefry seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

- Craig Brown/Magee Hill Road/The Board asked for additional information about the application of

Craig Brown for a permit to bury electric cable and a water line in the Town right-of-way to serve his property on Magee Hill Road, Grand List Lot Number 5-1-8.

- Champlain Valley Telecom/Shelurne Falls Road/Randy Volk moved that the Board vote to approve Champlain Valley Telecom’s request to bury cable in the Shelburne Falls Road (TR #1) right-of-way, as outline din their October 14, 1999 Right-of-Way Agreement. The line will be a distance of 1000' along the southerly side of the road, westerly of the Shelburne Falls Road/Route 116 intersection. Jon Trefry seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

St. Michael’s Fire & Rescue/Request for Coin Drop on November 13, 1999/John Guttler moved that the Board vote to approve St. Michael’s Fire & Rescue’s request for a Coin Drop on Route 116 on November 13, 1999, with conditions as outlined in the Board’s letter of October 18, 1999. Andrea Morgante seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

Appointment to the Zoning Board of Adjustment/Jon Trefry moved that the Board vote to re-appoint Joseph Iadanza to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a four year term expiring on October 7, 2003. Randy Volk seconded the motion. The motion passed with Guttler, Morgante, Trefry and Volk voting in favor and Gardner opposed.

Correction to the Grand List/ Pursuant to the provisions of 32 VSA 4261, Andrea Morgante moved that the Board vote to accept the correction to the Grand List requested by the Listers in their letter of October 14, 1999. This correction will result in a Municipal Grand List Value of $224,692,354 and an Education Grand List Value of $221,887,959. John Guttler seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

Ethics Policy/The Board discussed holding an All Board Meeting in January to discuss the topic of Ethics Policies.

- August Invoice from Phelps Engineering/ Jon Trefry moved that the Board vote to authorize payment of Phelps Engineering’s invoices for oversight of the water system upgrade project, for the amount of $18,002.83, from water system upgrade account #330-5488-83, as detailed in Phelps’ October, 14, 1999 Statement of Account. Andrea Morgante seconded the motion which was approved unanimously by the Board.

- Water Service Agreement/The Board signed a Water Service Agreement with Raymond & Elizabeth Thaler, Piette Meadow Road.

$129,723

Andrea Morgante seconded the motion. The Board discussed the concept of reserving funds from year to year and decided to review the practice during the upcoming budget cycle. The motion passed unanimously.

Town-Owned Masons’ Property/Correspondence with Hinesburg Elementary School Directors/When the school was planning for its renovations, the State required that the Town agree to enter into a lease agreement with the Hinesburg Elementary School for their use of the Masons Property. As a follow-up to that requirement and the Town’s pledge to enter into a lease agreement with HES, the Board sent the HES Directors a letter regarding this issue last year at budget time. The HES Directors replied on January 6, 1999 with a letter outlining their concerns about taking over the entire property with the conditions restricting its use as stipulated in the Town’s lease with the Masons, especially given the School’s use of only the eastern portion of the property for parking. The Selectboard decided to maintain the status quo of Town ownership of the entire property and school use of the parking lot.

Iroquois First Response/ John Guttler updated the Board on Iroquois First Response’s proposal to reimburse squad members for participating in training programs and attendance of business meetings.

Recreation Path/Sidewalk Update/ Jon Trefry reported that on October 13, 1999, Doug Henson of Lamoureux & Dickinson presented a proposal for a road-side alignment for a sidewalk along the Mechanicsville Road from the post office to CVU four corners and a spur from the post offfice to the Village Shopping center on the east side of Mechanicsville Road.

Doug Henson will prepare 81/2 X 11 concept drawings to facilitate Committee members’ meetings with affected landowners. Committee members are to meet with affected landowners before the public presentation of the proposal on Wednesday, November 10, 1999 at 6:30 p.m.

At Road Foreman Michael Anthony’s request, the Selectboard discussed ways to increase communication with the Highway Department. Board members will make a greater effort to make informal contacts with the Department (such as by stopping by the garage more frequently), in addition to, but not in place of, the Town’s formal organizational structure whereby communication between the Board and members of the Highway Department is channeled through the Public Works Director.

Outgoing Correspondence:

The Board signed the following:

• A letter to Michael Anthony, Road Foreman, regarding the Selectboard’s appraisal of his performance;
• A letter to Town Agent Bud Allen regarding enforcement of zoning violations;
• A letter to Philip Spargo regarding the water system upgrade; and
• A letter to the Zoning Board regarding its conditional use approval for dismantling of the Miner Property (requesting a one-year extension).