Chittenden County, Vermont Town of Essex, 6 Mar 2023

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From YouTube: Essex Annual Town Meeting - 3/6/2023

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Agenda: https://www.essexvt.org/818/Town-Meeting

https://linktr.ee/townmeetingtv

00:00:00 Presenting the Colors
00:13:23 Article I. Shall the reports of the Officers be accepted?
0015:36 Article II. Shall the Town of Essex vote on all public questions by Australian ballot?
00:20:57 Article III. Discussion of ballot items:
00:22:08 Article V, Adopting the fiscal year 2024 budget
00:58:12 Article VI, Increasing the capital tax rate
01:08:07 Article VII, Charter amendment to reorganize the charter
01:13:14 Article VIII, Charter amendment for ability to set license fees
01:14:56 Article IX, Charter amendment to allow for just cause eviction ordinance
01:16:52 Article X, Charter amendment to allow for recall of Selectboard members
01:19:05 Article XI, Charter amendment to transition from Zoning Board of Adjustment to Development Review Board
01:37:31 Article XII, Announcement of offices up for election in Article XII
01:39:17 Article IV. Public to be heard

This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A

Ladies and gentlemen, the flag of our country, Essex chamber, choir thing, the Star-Spangled Banner.

B

Who's my strives.

B

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B

A

Color Guard retreat.

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Audience you may be seated.

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C

Thank you very much that was lovely all right, we'll start this evening with some introductions. First to my left, we have the select board members. We have the chair of the select board, Andy Watts, the vice chair, Tracy Delphia, the clerk Ethan Lawrence, Kendall Chamberlain, and in the audience we have Don Hill flurry, uh the town staff we have here on stage, not all the staff. Many of them are up front, but the ones who are on stage we have the town manager, Greg Doug, Greg Duggan.

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We have more news about him later in the program.

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And finance director Dan Roy.

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C

All right and in the audience joining us, we have representing Chittenden North District Senator, Irene Renner and Senator Martine laroque Gulick.

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Representing District 23 representative Ray garofino.

C

And joining us online, we have Senator Tanya vihowsky.

C

Oh I'm, sorry I'm. Sorry, we have Leonora Dodge, I, Cannon's, analyssa, black I'm, so sorry you're not on the list, but I should have known. I saw you both I guess, that's it for me good night, Girl Scouts, who are here if you'd like to finish okay. We would also like to thank the folks from the T-Rex theater, who worked really hard with us to make sure that we could get into this new place and have it go as seamlessly as possible.

C

A specialty thank you to Jesse rivers and to Brady Kimball and the security staff who are here this evening.

C

I would also like to thank the folks who uh checked everybody in and who'll be doing any of the divisions of the house this evening, led by Georgia, Levine and Ken senorello, who helped make sure that everybody got into the right place this evening. So we have the voters in the place that we know the voters are going to be and the non-voters in the place where we know the non-voters are going to be.

D

C

So again, I'd like to just welcome everybody I'd like to welcome new residents to Essex and new voters. um I hope that you enjoy this first town meeting that you have here in the town of Essex. Robert's rules are the basic rules that will be governing the assembly here this evening, except for where they are superseded by state law, all motions and articles I'm. Sorry, all emotions and remarks should be addressed to me not directly to other voters or to other people in the auditorium.

C

All articles this evening must be moved seconded and restated by me before we can start debate on them. Articles may be amended. Amendments may be amended once uh debate may be cut off at any time with a motion to call the question, and that requires two-thirds majority. If there are still people who are wishing to speak.

C

When you speak, please stand and spell your name. We need that for the minutes and I can't see anything from here. So even if I know who you are in real life, I am not going to be able to see you to call your name. So please make sure that you state it and spell your name loudly um this evening when we're having conversations.

C

No voter will be recognized a second time until everyone who wishes to speak on the matter has had the opportunity to speak at least once and nobody will be speaking well without the permission of the house. Nobody will be speaking more than twice on any given issue only registered voters, so those with green armbands may make motions Vote or speak to motions unless two-thirds of the house agree to waive the rules, um my job is to help everybody have a productive meeting. So if anybody has any questions, you know Robert's Rules, it's not a thing.

C

Most people use. That's! Okay! If you have a question, just raise your hand and say that you have a point of information or, if you think, I'm getting something terribly wrong, raise your hand and say that you have a point of order, we'll figure it out. um The whole point of this is to have a conversation and to get us where we need to be um once an article has been moved. A motion for reconsideration must happen before the next article starts. So let me explain really quickly what that means.

C

If we vote on an article tonight and it uh is voted, let's say it's voted for okay, so the A's have it um you can before the next article is introduced and restated, made seconded and restated by me, you can interject for a motion to reconsider. Now, if you're going to do that, you had to be on the losing side. On the first issue on the first vote, why would you do that? If you just lost? Why would you do that?

C

Sometimes it can happen that you really had something that you thought was important to say and you didn't get a chance to say it because uh talking was cut off. So if you wanted to ask for a movement to reconsider, just know that you have to do it before the next motion has been or the next article has been moved seconded and explained when it comes time to vote on any article or any amendments we'll do it by a Voice vote and I will say, for instance, all the all the eyes.

C

All the Nays and then I will say: maybe the eyes appear to have it and then I will pause. If you think I am wrong, if you think maybe it wasn't the eyes, then you can interject immediately and say division of the house, and then we will go to everybody raising their hands um so that we can get a more precise count all right.

C

So if you think that I'm calling it wrong just call for a division of the house that doesn't need to be seconded and we will get right into that um and finally, when, if we do get to a division of the house, please make sure that when you raise your hand, you raise your hand that has the green armband on it, so that we know that you are eligible to be voting all right.

C

All right, I, think that is it. If we could now, please have uh select board member Kendall Chamberlain come on up for the invocation of Civility.

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We are gathered together in civil assembly We Gather, as a community in the oldest sense of the word, We Gather, to come together and try to make decisions about what is right about what is wrong. Let us advocate for our positions, but not at the expense of others.

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Let us remember that there is an immense gap between saying I am right and saying I believe I am right and that our neighbors, with whom we might disagree, are good people with hopes and dreams as true and high as ours, and let us always remember that in the end, caring for each other in this community is far greater than any difference of opinion. We might have thank you for being here this evening.

C

All right and with that we come to the business section of our meeting. Is there a motion on the floor.

C

Yes, ma'am I can see her she's in the front row. Mrs Don, Hill flurry.

C

All right is there a second all right, I could use State and spell your name.

C

All right, Lois Parmalee everybody got, we don't have a recording secretary right. This is online, so I shouldn't be looking up at anyone here, all right, lowest, partly everyone all right. So there is a motion on the floor to suspend the rules, which means that specifically to require a majority uh of Voters to say we want to vote by paper ballot for any of the Articles here this evening. All right!

C

This is something that requires two-thirds of a vote, and this is not debatable so for all those in favor of requiring a majority of Voters here to vote by paper ballot on any motions here, please vote I I'm sorry hold on one. Second, let me let me let me go back one second. So if you would like to keep the regular state law that says, only seven voters are required to endorse voting by paper ballots.

C

You will want to vote, nay, all right, so if you're in favor of requiring a majority to get a paper ballot vote I. If you want to stick with the regular rule of seven ballots vote, nay.

C

So all those in favor of suspending the rules and to require a majority vote to vote by paper ballots on any item this evening signify by saying I those opposed vote, nay,.

C

I think we might have well, no, that's not two-thirds I'm going to say the Nays appear to have it. The Nays do have it. The motion fails. All right. Is there another Motion in the house.

C

Perhaps a motion to start with article one so moved sir, can you please say your name Mark Roberts r-o-b-e-r-t-s. All right is there a second all right and your name Arthur I'm, sorry say it again: Arthur Ramsey, r-a-m-s-e-y, all right is there anyone who would like to have a conversation about this? Anybody who has something to say about article one.

C

If you do have something to say there are, uh there are mics in the back and I can't see them.

C

Is there anyone who's getting up to say anything about the articles or the reports of the officers?

C

No, then without objection. Oh here's another note. If I say without objection- and you object, say: I object, so without objection means if it doesn't look like anybody. Has anything they'd like to say we'll just move to the vote, all right, but you can object and then we have to formally have the two-thirds vote without objection.

C

C

Sure absolutely so article one is show the reports of the officers be accepted.

C

And that that is in the annual reports.

C

All right so without objection we will move to a vote on article one all those uh I'm. Sorry, let me restate it first. Shall the reports of the officers be accepted? All those who vote yay are voting to accept the report. Those who vote no are voting to not accept the report.

C

So all those in support of article one uh vote yay those opposed the eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it Article 1 passes.

C

Article 2 shall the town of Essex vote on all public questions by Australian ballot. Could I get a motion? Please so moved? Could I get your name, please Oh Linda Myers, very nice m-y-e-r-s. Is there a second.

C

Okay, Arthur Ramsey, again all right. So now we are into the discussion of shall the town of Essex vote on all public questions by Australian ballots. Please! If you have anything that you'd like to say again, you can go right behind this first row of uh chair the first section of chairs. There are two mics one on either side and we'll just alternate sides.

C

Unless there is no oh I'm, sorry, yes, it looks like somebody's up. Yes, sir, if you could please into the mic just say your name and spell it as well.

F

Great, thank you. I was just wondering. What does that mean? Does that mean that if we vote no we're not going to have Australian ballots for the next.

C

Year or no sir, what what that means is from now on, we would not vote on anything binding from the floor at town meeting tonight, so anything that had to be voted would be voted by Australian ballot on Tuesday gotcha. Thank you. Yes, sir.

C

Is there anyone else with any other questions or comments.

C

Okay, yes, go ahead.

G

Spell it no um so I I have to say that one of the things that's been nice about living in Vermont is that we do have Town meetings with a chance to discuss things and debate things and vote on them and I realize that Australian ballot gives everybody a chance to weigh in, but it doesn't give them. It doesn't create the opportunity for them to come and listen to the discussions about items, and so sometimes when they vote they're, not really as informed as they could be.

G

I know the select where it had a lot of budget meetings and not very many people showed up. um So this is normally the place where there's a discussion, and we had a town meeting. I, don't know several years ago when somebody got up and asked to add a hundred thousand dollars into the budget, because some roads really needed fixing and it did pass and we lose the opportunity to make any changes like that.

G

If we go to a hundred percent Australian ballot, so it's it's a toss-up I think that um we lose our our personal Power by going to completely to Australian ballots. Thank you. Thank.

C

You uh sure go ahead.

H

So we're not talking about going taking the budget back from the ballot that that was a separate vote that happened in uh three or four years ago um and we're talking about questions that are um other things uh that don't actually happen very often. The last time we had a floor vote that wasn't. The budget was the question of whether to establish a conservation fund which was I believe 2015 or 2016, and the time before that I think was in 2008. So it was a a seven year gap between the prior question and that one.

H

So um it's not it's not a it's an would be an uncommon thing for us to ask a question from the floor, and so the question that's being asked tonight is: should we take those questions that don't happen very often and put those on the ballot? Also.

C

That was Andy Watts w-a-t-t-s.

C

Sorry, that's the last time you get to speak all right. Is there anyone else who would like to speak on this matter?.

C

Then without objection we will move to a vote. This is Article 2. Shall the town of Essex vote on all public questions by Australian ballot? If you vote yay, that means you want all matters to be voted on Australian ballot on town meeting Tuesday. If you vote nay, then you will want relevant items to be voted on at Monday night town meeting here in Essex.

C

Are there any questions all right? All those in favor of Article 2, shallow, the town of Essex vote on all public questions by Australian ballot? Please signify by saying I those opposed, nay, the eyes appear to have it the eyes do. Have it Article 2 passes.

C

Article 3 discussion of the ballot items could I get a motion to discuss the ballot items. Articles 5 through 12.

C

All right who is so moving Betsy, Dunn d-u-n-n. Is there a second uh sir Christopher bird, very good, all right, uh article three has been moved and seconded um one quick note: there are an awful lot of Articles here. So what we are going to do is for Article Five we're going to have a budget presentation by the chair of the board, Andy watts, and then, after that presentation we will invite comment.

C

We will then do the same for article 6. and article seven, I'm, sorry and then articles 7 through 12 will do all at the same time. All right. Are you ready, sir outstanding.

H

All right, we got the right thing up: okay, uh so uh sorry I neglected to identify myself. The last time I spoke: I'm, Andy, Watts, chair of the select board, um so I'm going to talk about the uh the uh the budget for fy24, which covers the year or the the count, or not the calendar year, the fiscal year, starting July 1st and going to of 2023 going to June 30th of 2024..

H

So um there's three major things or three things that the slack board wanted to focus on with this budget. The first was to this is the our first budget uh post separation of the uh the um of Essex Junction.

H

um Our intent was to maintain services and all of our staffing and uh while finding efficiencies and and cost savings, um and also appropriately plan for future maintenance and upgrades three big challenges that we had with this budget. One was the separation that we lost, approximately 41 of our tax base, our property tax base, um and so the, although the uh the budget itself is going down, is spread over a smaller tax base.

H

So it's resulting in a a tax rate, increase health insurance premiums, uh increased on the order of twenty percent and um you're all experiencing inflation's same as as the town on on almost anything. You buy things that we've done to uh uh to save costs as we negotiated a contract with the with Essex Junction for them to uh pay 48 of the uh the police budget that was negotiated as part of the the separation.

H

We also have our sharing uh uh assessing services and then for the first half of fy24 Senior Services Regional expenses uh such as Green Mountain, Transit, the county tax, Chittenden County, Regional, Planning Commission, or the league of cities and towns and the Winooski Valley Park District. Those costs that used to be born completely by the town are now split between the town and Essex Junction. So our costs have gone down there on the order of 422 thousand dollars that all got shifted over to the city. We've reduced our conservation, Reserve fund contribution.

H

It had been 15 000 a year, I believe we dropped it to 8 000.

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H

Four, maybe it was even lower, not we, we lowered it down commensurate with the 41 decrease. From of the of the the tax base, Capital transfers, we've level funded from previous years, uh Human Service funding, which is one percent of the budget, because the budget went down, those costs are going down um over time. We planned overtime or budgeted over time we reduced to reflect our historical spending and um we funded the the police budget at 90 percent based on historical um spending.

H

uh Considering our staffing shortages, uh let's see Staffing changes uh in this budget. The clerk's office will go from from three members to two. As we transition from a shared clerk's office to a town, only Clerk's Office, um the library is adding five additional hours to to help with their coverage. Public Works is increasing one of their positions from point five to one. uh Fte is full-time, equivalent, um full-time equivalent person um for more stable Staffing, particularly with uh coverage still present and likelihood of turnover in upcoming retirements, just to keep ourselves staffed.

H

Well, one of the parks employees is being split with the senior services to help provide better service on our senior van.

H

Personal costs between the general fund and the Enterprise funds has been updated. Some of our staff are paid for through your water rates, and so those have been adjusted to reflect um miraculous our historical Trends and fire department. We're increasing the pay for the first time in five years from 15 50 an hour to 17 an hour, we're also going to start paying for training, which is something that we had or restart paying for training, which is something we had dropped as we were trying to align with the Essex Junction practices for their fire department.

H

And so, although we've increased and we're also increasing hours for administrative hours,.

H

For our officers, but the the net effect is a lower salary budget for the.

G

H

Though, with those increases, the salary budget has decreased because we've.

H

Clarified the the amount of overtime.

H

uh Let's see what else we got here: uh additional costs come from: Essex rescue they've increased their ask up to eighteen dollars per capita up from 10.91 cents, It's a 65 percent increase, and although our our actual dollar amount, we're giving to we're, giving to Essex rescue is smaller, because we have a smaller population again, because it's spread across a smaller tax base. It's resulting in an increase.

H

We are using six hundred and fifteen thousand seven hundred dollars of leftover money from prior years to reduce the tax rate this year. um That's not something we can do every year. uh The the Outlook is that next year, we'll ramp that down to something smaller and then smaller and hopefully we'll we'll stop using fund balance. The intent is not to have fund balance uh again, that's left over money from prior years.

H

um We it it. uh We try not to to collect taxes that we're not going to spend. um So that's that's. um Hopefully that will will go away, but it's helping us out this year, um things that are stopping uh as of July 1st. This year, our RIT department will no longer support Essex Junction, our clerk's office I mentioned already we'll transition to a town only but and then Recreation and Senior Services will continue through the end of the calendar year uh before they stop.

H

So this is a summary of the the biggest changes.

H

We are no longer transferring money to Essex Junction we used to their their Highway. Department was used to be fully funded from town taxes, um uh a few other things, those that adds up to 1.6 million that we we don't need to collect anymore um Appropriations. They mentioned uh Essex rescue, Green, Mountain, Transit and the county tax are spread across uh they've. Their Essex Junction is picking up a share of that now.

H

Our Personnel costs are going up, 600, 000, Insurance, 142 000, and then uh here's the the inflation for salt sand, gravel, Fuel and gasoline. Those added together are going at 40, 42, 000, Professional Services are up 12 000 vehicle purchases. We've are actually down uh this year. I think we uh the way the the the cycle has worked out for vehicle Replacements election expenses are down because it's a it's an odd numbered year, there's no election in November um and then the the rest of the other uh increases and decreases add up to 31 000.

H

So again, our our budget is actually decreasing by one million two hundred seventy four thousand eighty nine dollars. But again it's spread over a smaller tax base, and so um our total budget is 15.4 million, which is down 1.27 million from last year's budget. So it's a 7.6 percent decrease. The amount of tax we're going to collect is 27 27.7 percent less than we have collected previously, um but because our grand list decreased by 40.8 percent, there's a 22 likely 22 percent um uh tax rate increase associated with this budget.

H

um I think I mentioned a couple of these reasons. Why already.

H

The the okay, the assumptions that are behind this is again the 41 tax reduction through tax base reduction.

H

uh uh We are getting Revenue that we didn't that we had not gotten previously uh we're getting revenue for the the shared services that are continuing, and then we assume that we're going to have a one percent increase in our uh Grand list, um which is slightly lower than the their three year average. So it's a little bit of a conservative estimate.

H

So um at the end of the fiscal year when the grand list closes uh in and then in August, we set the tax tax rate for the coming year, so we're anticipating to be around 22 increase, so the numbers there, our current tax rate, uh Town tax rate, is 0.5513. It's going to go to 0.67 likely go to 0.6728, which again is a 22 increase. So on a typical 280 000. Your.

E

H

That's assessed at 280 000, that's a that's about the the average. If you average out all the the um the current Grand list, um the increase would be on the order. It would be 340.20 cents, so you can scale if you know what your home value is just that you can use those numbers to scale which are um interchangeably. The other assumption I mentioned the grand list, growth of one percent and then we're using 615 700 from fund balance, which again is left over money from prior years.

H

um As Greg told me before, this is the one that signals it's the last one last slide of the foil, because it's the dessert chart. It's the pie, part the pie chart.

H

um So this is how all the the dollars get divided out. Public Works is the biggest chunk that looks like by.

J

H

uh Police department, then General government and then culture and recreation, which is the library in parks and rec. So with that I'd like to show.

C

If anybody would like to ask any questions of Andy or anyone has any comments, this would be the time to bring these up.

K

So you can sure.

H

Yes, so there's there are four municipalities that contribute to to Essex rescue, Essex town, Essex, Junction, Westford and Jericho Underhill and Jericho, not Westford, not Westford, there's five right, it's us and four, more sorry. Yes, sorry Essex, Junction, Essex, town, Westford, uh Underhill and Jericho, and so yes, they do they they can. They have been asked to contribute at the same 18 per capita rate that we have.

H

H

Is partly inflation? It's it's partly Staffing. There are difficulties with getting volunteers and so they're finding they need to pay for more paid staff. um They're also have in in recent years added additional ambulances. Because of demand.

H

um Is there anything else that I should Ethan? Is our our representative to Essex, rescues, I, don't know if there's anything else that.

E

H

Volume yeah call volumes are up um one of the yeah one of the the outfalls of having some senior senior living facilities go in in Essex is that there's some increased call volumes for that. It's also for for other things, because population increases, but a collection rate from Medicare and Medicaid are don't, don't, reimburse right right and reimbursement rates from uh uh Medicaid Medicare.

H

um Those are those are fixed and there are there's this this uh difficulty when, uh if there's a call but there's no transport made, there's no payment made. So a lot of the calls that that as expressq goes on, if they don't transfer to anybody, they they have to pay the cost of doing the call, but there's no reimbursement, and so that's one of the big factors or the reimbursement rate. If they do transport, somebody is less than their costs.

H

H

Renza r-e-n-c-a, okay, thank you.

C

All right is there anybody else who has a question or a comment? Yes, go ahead, your name Tara Greg, Greg, all right very well,.

C

um And he's just asking: could could you make it to a mic uh there's one over here and there is one over there that will make it easier for us. Thank you and anybody else. If there's anyone else who feels like there might be something I'd like to say, you could hold on just a moment either I'm having a stroke or we need to do something with this.

C

All right try it again: hello, okay,.

L

I think we're working good evening. My question is regarding the growth, the anticipated growth and the current highways part of the Public Works budget, because there's a couple of issues that I think are concerning regarding current traffic and what is the future going to look like with the growth that is anticipated with roads?

L

That may not be ready to accommodate those people, and where is that money going to come from plus a current situation of safety in maybe form of formally intersections that weren't that congested that now they are and are becoming more and more dangerous and the conditions of the roads and how much of that is shared cost with other entities.

C

um So I'll let Andy talk to the issue of growth uh in general, but one thing that I would notice if there is a specific intersection or set of intersections that you'd like uh comment on we, we would need something more specific to comment on rather than having a broad thing, because there could be a lot of different places. You're talking about.

L

um Ethics, uh it's Susie Wilson bypass across from the Colonial Market, there's uh quite a bit of quite a few accidents that happened there and um again it's just that there seems to be a lot of congestion on the roads. There's a lot of time spent in traffic, particularly during peak hours, when folks are coming home from work and going to work, and it seems like we're spending a lot longer on the roads as it is.

L

So if that growth is indeed coming and we're spending such a large amount of time on the road and plus, what's expanding those roads going to look like, and would that be something that would happen as a result of the growth that I think everyone sees coming. So what it? What is the plan?

L

I guess to accommodate more cars on the road and also how would the highway and the road system be affected, coupled with Staffing shortages and lengthy construction and that type of thing, because that's something that is in the works or is it just going to sustain the way it is correctly.

C

Is there anything that.

C

um Well, so what Andy is asking is whether there's a specific budget related like so? Are you talking about for future years? What what are they intending to plan? Yes,.

L

Because I I think, if there's not a plan in place for growth, that will suddenly spurt and happen that you could end up in a situation. We could all end up in a situation where we're stuck in traffic a lot longer we're dealing with congestion, we're dealing with maybe roads that might need to be expanded or improved upon, and we've kind of weren't ready for that and I kind of feel I see that coming currently.

C

So I would say as a general matter that that is something that the town is always thinking about.

C

um If you are, if you are specifically interested in learning about the the growth plan and how things like that are going to be managed, there are Town committees that you could be a part of I know that uh you could follow the the Planning Commission or the the zoning board um or depending upon what happens tomorrow. Perhaps the perhaps the developmental review board, but I, don't know if there's a specific budget question for today, I we want to be responsive, but we're not seeing a hook for a specific comment. Perhaps.

H

My sense is, you might be talking about some of the state roads, the route 15 or.

L

I'm not necessarily sure how they're divided, because they see that highways and Public Works is in them. Budget is.

M

L

So is that something, as far as expansion of the roads that would be in that part of the budget, would that go to the state so.

H

So Route 15 uh 117 2A, all those those highways are all state highways. Yes, those are all.

I

H

Are completely funded by the state we do have the you know, we do participate in the regional Planning Commission, which also does work with the state to assess traffic patterns and traffic issues and dangerous intersections and so forth, to coordinate between the town and the state. With regard to you know addressing those kind of concerns, but from the standpoint of our uh the town budget, we're budgeting for the Small.

I

Town based roads, okay,.

H

um And we, but we do you know we do also work with the planning with the regional Planning Commission, with regard to getting grants uh to to help for any of any of our infrastructure improvements, um and so especially for.

M

H

Know Federal money we quite often will go through the the regional Planning Commission um I, don't know. If Greg is there anything else that I could no.

L

That that clears it up. Thank you.

H

Okay, all right all right thanks.

C

Foreign, yes, sir,.

N

Bill dobel d-o-b-l-e. Thank you, a question regarding the police department and the uh splitting of the costs, the sharing of the costs with the city of Essex Junction and how those uh figures come about. Is it related to the percentage of calls that are in the city of Essex Junction versus the town? How is how does all that work.

H

It's totally based on population. We took the the 2020 census. There's uh um if you have 52 percent is in the town, 48 percent uh um in the village and so they're they're, not in the city, I'm, sorry and so they're they're paying 40 48. It is totally based on population.

N

H

N

Any figures about the percentage of calls that are in the city of Essex Junction uh versus the town, yeah.

H

So that was that was looked at and it's it's very it's a little difficult to suss out completely because uh it's a it's a it's an interesting thing where, if somebody walks into the police station within which is in the city, it gets recorded as a City Event, even though the thing they might be complaining about is in the town, so that there's some some. You know stuff that would need to be sorted out um in the in the police, the uh the shared the or the police service contract that we have with the city.

H

There's an in there's a clause in there that reevaluates the costing model in I think three years um and so those kind of questions we will certainly Circle back around okay.

N

So we will keep an eye.

H

On it, okay, yeah, if it seems inappropriate to be done based on total land population, we, the intent, is to revisit it uh within a three year period. Yep.

N

All right, thank you.

C

All right, I see another gentleman making his way to a mic. Is there anybody already there that I'm not seeing all right, we'll just wait? A second.

O

Mark Roberts r-o-b-e-r-t-s, thank you. um I I saw in the beginning that one of the priorities of the select board was to maintain current Staffing levels, I'm curious as to why that was a priority when we lost 41 percent of our income.

H

um It's largely to do with the with the services that those those folks provide, even though you know, we've we've lost uh 48 of our population and 41 of our our tax base. We still have to provide the exact same Services we did before we have the same number of Roads. We have the the um uh same number of libraries same number of you.

I

H

Has had has changed there, and so in order to continue to provide all those Services, we need all the same. The same number of people that we have we had. You know there is uh with the with the separation. There was a you know, a management position that was taken out. That was also taking out a um a town clerk position, um but other than that, we're keeping all Staffing.

C

Is there anyone else.

C

All right not seeing any other comments, we will move into the discussion. I'm. Sorry, oh I'm! Sorry! Yes,.

P

Sir, my name is Lester pelkey and uh I'm. Just surprised that we knew that we were changing the structure of Essex, Junction and Essex that there's not more consideration given to shrinking the budget. You get eight percent, uh that's being taken away from our savings right now.

P

You got 22 percent that you're saying that we need to pay more in property tax you're, going to ask for one more percent uh on top of the 22 percent so and possibly two percent you're saying so you're really asking for 24 percent increase, that's what you're really asking for and I just don't I! It's it's mind-boggling to me where you think that we're supposed to reach into our pockets and just keep you know, throwing money away.

P

I know, in my case, for my house that I live in that it's going to cost me 2200 bucks to to go the additional I, just I. Think it's crazy I think that select work could have done a lot more with shrinking uh budgets. You know if you look at one item.

P

You know why are we still needing to pay uh 22 222 dollars is going in the in your little pie, chart to culture and Parks. Why wasn't there some way that we could look at reducing culture and Parks uh by just 50 bucks? You know uh I I, just I'm I'm, just it. It blows my mind away that you're uh you're asking for 24 percent, maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm the only one in the audience. That's uh feeling uh feeling uh not so much love.

C

Thank you, Mr pelkey uh b-l-k-e-y, great thanks uh sure uh Andy would like to comment.

H

So you mentioned 2200 impact I I.

I

H

Wanted to make clear that the the increase is only on your Municipal portion of your tax. This, the majority of your tax bill is, is education tax we have no control over, and so it's only on the the municipal portion of your bill that the the 22 applies. It's not your entire um tax bill, I, don't know if there's a a misunderstanding there, or if maybe I, used to understood what you said um but yeah. We we fully get that this is a. This is a big ask, foreign.

C

I believe we have another comment or question over.

Q

Here: okay, yes, uh Henry, Gaber, g-a-b-e-r-t, uh all right, Uncle, Henry, there's the this question. Probably just should have been asked later on or whatever. What's going on with the uh land records.

C

uh That might be better unless there's a specific budgetary comment about the land.

Q

Records that might.

C

Be good to come up in uh public to be heard.

Q

Because it's got to be part of the budget, I mean the town office, maintains all the land records and that they'll no longer have to maintain half. As many.

H

So all of all of the land records that are currently in our vault are Town land records, except for the ones that have been recorded since uh July 1st would, but so all of the land records that exit from the the Essex Junction that were generated when they were part of Essex town. Will they remain in that Vault and we still have to maintain them all.

Q

H

Also gives us the revenue from people who are in there needing to search those those documents, so in the future, um uh there's there's a potential that Essex Junction properties would have to be searched in both faults, ours and and the city's development.

Q

So what are they creating their vault.

H

um I I they're.

Q

Or when are we going to stop recording there so.

H

We we are, we are well uh July, 1st is when we, when the two departments split July,.

Q

1St of this year so coming July 1st, if I sell a property in their sex, Junction, I I, take it somewhere.

H

Else, you would be recorded in the Essex Junction land records, not in the Essex town land records correct, but if it.

Q

Okay, thank you.

R

I

Right now, Harry.

R

C

Thank you, sir.

R

The dirty secret is that, because all those people who lived in Essex Junction also lived in the town of Essex, they paid to support a lot of the services that we used and that and they use to some extent, but probably to a lesser degree.

R

So while they left us and they're no longer paying a higher percentage of the taxes that went to some of which went to us, we have to cover those because we're still providing the same services that we used before and they're, not contributing anymore.

C

Thank you, sir.

C

I, don't see anyone else, I'm. Sorry there is somebody nope, all right, very good.

S

Thank you, moderator um and Gil Allen Essex, that's Gio, last name L and A L L, E N um in in a bit of a rebuttal to Mr pelkey and also in a query to the committee members here and I. Think that you know I think you ended up coming saying something in the neighborhood of 340 additional Municipal Taxes on a home of a valley appraised at about 280, 000.

S

um I'm, still a bit flabbergasted, I'm sure. There's a mix of Voters here uh both for and against the merger two years ago and I know that I Told You So politics are not liked by anyone. So I won't go there, but it is quite impressive that two years ago the predictions that were on the line came out to I think 329 dollars of additional Municipal Taxes on a home of 280 thousand dollars. So we should have seen we we should have seen the writing was on the wall.

S

It was spelled out in the original merger proposal to be cushioned by a gentle 10-year kind of Entry phase. If you will so, we knew that this was coming. We knew we were going to see somewhere in the neighborhood of a 22 plus a three percent annual increase in Municipal Taxes over every year, which we have kind of seen.

S

Historically, instead of maybe gouging into culture and recreation storm water were there other avenues of Revenue explored and I know that the um the select board did ask the question or pose the question um about a about a local options. Tax I mean honestly I saw that as the only way out of this hole and I've heard from other people that something like that would never pass in this community.

S

But then I'm thinking wait. A second I go to I, go to Williston and I'm, paying a one percent option: tax I'm, paying one percent option tax on everything, I bought at Costco and Colchester is getting ready to build a huge Recreational facility on top with the money in the income earned. So if we're all given our money to Williston and Colchester, why aren't we thinking about a local options, task tax to dig ourselves out of this hole that we are in now.

C

uh And did you have a question at the end of that? That was my question.

S

Oh okay, yeah, no I'm, sorry that was.

I

J

C

That's okay, I was.

J

S

Rhetorical, that's a real question.

C

Well I, would you like to say anything about it.

E

H

I guess I'd all I'd have to say. Is you know? Yes, we understand what the situation we're in uh we're going to talk about Capital next, which, which is a a another uh difficult situation and I would say that local option tax is not off the table.

C

All right, okay, very good, I, see a person.

K

um Honest Fisher burn I'm likely gonna have to spell the whole thing. H-A-N-N-E-S-F-I-S-C-H-E-R-B-Y-R-N-E.

C

Excellent. Thank you. Mr fisherberg.

K

um I saw that there was some mention about um moving into a new space for Essex and I was wondering how that will affect the budget going forward and how that will be negotiated with the city of Essex.

K

um And are we going to get anything out of potentially moving out of those offices and into new offices?.

H

So we have publicly talked about what we're going to do with our arpa money. There's a proposal to buy a piece of property to.

R

H

Build a new municipal center um on it yeah it's it's, our our town, hall is no longer in our town, and so there is some desire to move out. We did have some public question your public discussions about uh what to do with the alpha money. There was a proposal to use it to do tax relief so that the art this so that this.

Q

H

Increase this year would not be so large, it's quite as large. That would be a temporary thing. A lot of the feedback we got was to buy to use that money to to do something more permanent.

H

So we are having discussions about that and yes, if we do build, uh if we buy the piece of property, it would likely uh not incur any uh that particular transaction would not incur debt for the town, but building a new facility would a new a new building and we have gotten an appraisal of our current town hall, and um so we would be looking at at options there I don't know I, don't have a timeline, um but those discussions are are absolutely happening.

H

Thank you. Police Department, also, the police department. There's no plan to move the police department now.

C

Was that Henry gabard I know that all right um do we have? It does not appear that we have anyone else wishing to speak.

C

So if there is no objection, we will move on to the presentation for article six increasing the capital tax rate.

C

H

Okay, so the question is: shall the town of Essex increase the capital reserve fund by adding one cent to the tax rate in addition to the two cents previously authorized for the purposes of financing capital projects? The last time the Capital Tax was increased was 2007. It went from one penny to two pennies uh and so we're asking for an increase here uh it. The purpose of the capital budget, is to pay for all the stuff. We have all the the vehicles.

H

The um buildings to uh you know maintain the roads, maintain all our facilities, all of our heavy equipment.

H

um So it's broken into several areas: buildings, highways, equipment, park, facilities, path, pact, paths, walks and trails, uh storm, water, information management and natural resources management, and then we have an undesignated category um again. The capital, the current tap Capital Tax Rate is is two cents per um 100 000 or 1 000 or 100 yikes of assessed value. We're proposed to go up to three cents. This is largely because of the separation of Essex Junction.

H

um Again we they also paid into the town Capital Tax, uh the same rate that we we have also that goes away. Come uh July 1st um and so the uh again, because it's 41 we want, we need to offset the difference. The town, the town staff actually asked for 3.93 cents.

H

um The select board chose to roll that back a little bit because of we're asking for 22 on the general fund budget um and because a uh all of our properties are going to get reassessed over the next couple of years, um and so we really wanted to see what the impact of reassessment would be before we asked for the full amount that we need, because there's there's a bit of an unknown there.

H

We don't know how it's likely that everyone's property values will increase with that assessment, um who we don't know by how much and so we didn't want to have uh be over taxing uh once we get to that point. So we're going to reassess the capital situation once everyone's homes are reassessed um and the situation is that the two cents prior to separation used to would generate about 530 000 a year after losing 41 percent of the tax rate.

H

It only collects 322 000, so there's a there's, a shortfall of 208 000 and so we're trying to work our way back toward having uh full funding for that.

J

H

Asking for this first step of going to three cents on the tax again, we may ask for more. We may not, depending on how the reassessment of properties goes, and so in FY um 24. We will be collecting 480 000 with that with that tax. If it's, if it's approved.

H

And so storm water infrastructure, Road improvements, building repairs, maintenance, Park assets and heavy equipment and fire trucks. Those are the things that that your Capital dollars pay for, um and we also use those Capital funds for matching funds for for Grants, we get grants from the state or from the federal government whenever we can and they often carry a typically a 20 or so a match. So we have to pay a portion of the cost of the item that we're purchasing. So that's that's the other place that Capital goes.

H

We leverage that as much as we can and the um the 320 000 that this uh that would, if, if we don't, um if this this three, the it one penny increase, doesn't pass um the Capital demand. It exceeds that by by quite a bit, just the just highways and storm water alone uh add up to the amount that we would collect. uh If we stayed at two cents, um we don't spend Capital every year we collect the money it has to build up.

H

You know a a fire truck can cost quite a bit of money and if you don't have all that money in the bank at one time, it takes a couple years to to stock it up, and so that's what we have. The the reserve funds we um otherwise we'd be having a large uh Peaks and valleys in our what we're asking for for the tax rate.

H

If we waited until we needed a fire truck to ask for all of the money for it, and so it's uh putting money away until the to the point that you need it. um Stormwater costs are increasing, because the state standards and federal standards are increasing.

H

Our tightening.

H

And we have to maintain all of our existing infrastructure. There were a couple of unexpected stormwater repairs that happened fairly recently: Heather Bush, Road and Cypress Lane that resulted in that cost us 240 000. We had that money available, so we were able to to make those repairs, but those are the those the kind of things that that come up unexpectedly and if we have the capital funds available to to fix them, we can do do so without having to borrow money.

H

So the cost to taxpayers um this is actually fairly easy to figure out what your increase would be since it's one penny, based on your.

R

H

Home value and our example here of a 280 thousand dollar home, uh one penny is twenty eight dollars, so the difference is, is 28 so so you just take the move. The decimal point over for to get how much your.

I

H

My home is assessed at 359 500, so my increase is going to be 35.95, and so it's a it's. uh It's pretty easy to figure out, but a typical home, 280 000 home would be a 28 increase and you've been this. You know if your home is a set of 280. 000 you've been paying that 56 a year every year since 2007 and it never it doesn't increase until we ask for more so this is. This is asking for more and it'll increase the for this home.

H

It would increase to 84 dollars after reassessment it will increase again because it's based on the the value of your home, and so that's the that was the reason why we didn't ask for the full 3.39 is because um we don't know where your, where everybody's gonna end up at that point, I think that's the last slide yep. So all.

I

C

Thank you, Andy both for the presentation and the lesson on powers of 10 and place value in mathematics. All right. Are there any questions or comments about the capital? You're, not raising your hand, all right. Are there any questions or comments?

C

I see movement on the floor either they are vacating the premises where they have things to say.

C

There were two of them, so I think they're leaving all right. Are there any other people who would like to ask any questions or have any comments about article 6.

C

Seeing none, then, if there is no objection, I'm sorry, there is an objection. Okay,.

T

Thank you will Dodge uh w-I-l-l-d-o-d-g-e. Thank you just very briefly, linking Article 5 and article six, one of the three challenges on Article Five that the town is facing uh and it was among I think it was in the third bullet was Heating and gasoline, and that was part of the 42 000, which is, admittedly, a drop in the bucket. But it seems like a big challenge for article 6.

T

Is that if we're going to be investing in building repairs and maintenance, heavy equipment for Public Works new vehicles, we've got to make efficiency a priority in those decisions so that we don't keep seeing the cost of gasoline and heating driving this up year after year. So I would just hope and I think I sense that it's certainly a priority of the Town staff that thinking about efficiency in these new capital Investments, not just for buildings but also for equipment and vehicles, becomes a priority in the future.

C

C

Is there anything else by anybody else.

C

Than if there is no objection, we will move into discussion of Articles 7 through 12. the charter amendments presentation.

J

H

We live in Vermont, which is a Dillons rule state, which means that municipalities can only do what the state allows you to do as opposed to a home real estate, where municipalities can do whatever they want unless they're prohibited from doing it by the state. And so that's that's the um the the way the laws work in Vermont is.

H

We can't do anything unless the legislature, municipalities, can't do anything unless the legislature says they can and the governor, and so what a a charter is a essentially a constitution or it's it's not a full governance uh uh document. Our Charter is is only eight pages long when it's printed, um but it gives us the you know unique powers that are unique to us or that that we exercise on a daily basis. uh It says that we have uh uh manager Council former government.

H

It says we have five select board members, it determines how often uh you know what their terms are and and um those those kind of things. So it allows us to do things that uh uh are explicitly stated uh within the charter that aren't necessarily part of Statute or that modify statute, or um so we have. We have special permission to do things, the way that we do them, um and so in order to uh change how we do things, we need to ask the legislature if we want to add any new powers.

H

If we want to change how we do business, we need to ask the legislature and the governor's permission to to do so, and so that's the reason why we have um this Charter changes before us. We the select board. um uh We we had a request to make some a charter change come from a member of the public and uh we decided, rather than only address that one change. We established a charter committee over the summer um with a a very tall mission to come back to us with recommendations in time for this town meeting.

H

We did get those recommendations on uh December 6th. They met weekly for for all summer into the fall. They did a lot of work um and and brought back a lot of suggested changes, and with these five uh articles represent, are the pieces that we felt we could go forward with in the time that we had between December, 6th and- and today we had to warn them. Warn the uh the the town meeting contents by the the end of January that was done on January 30th. So we essentially, we had from December 6th to.

R

H

30Th to just to decide what we wanted to bring forward and again these are the five that we wanted to bring forward. There were several other things. As I said, the the committee did great work and there are a number of things that we left on the table that we're gonna. We will continue to consider, and so we very well may be back uh a year from now with additional changes from that effort um and we were committed to to go through the rest of those changes as well. So.

H

Having said all that the first one is a reorganization of the charter, I mentioned that it's eight pages long I've been on the select board for nine years and every time I read the charter. I have a hard time finding what I'm looking for, because it it is uh kind of messily organized not very it's very difficult to find exactly what what you're looking for in there, and so um the the committee did come back with a a better ordering of the content, and so in order to make it more readable, more understandable.

H

The select bar chose to move forward with that to that request. With that request, without without uh changing too much the language, there is one uh segment, that's being here, one section, that's being deleted that refers to the Essex town, school district and the Essex Junction graded School District fiscal year calendars. That's really not relevant! Now that they've merged into the Essex quest for school district, and so we're just taking that that language out, that's the only delete. We have there's no ads so this this first article again is just rearranging the content.

H

That's already there and taking out one small segment, no new words added nothing, nothing other than other than the organization changed.

H

The next one is about allowing the select board to uh set fees.

H

uh It's a it seems like it should be an easy thing for us to be able to decide how much we charge for the services we provide, but there are some services that the the state defines the how much you can charge in statute. An example is dog licenses. We discovered that during covert a lot of people were renewing their dog licenses by mail, and so our costs went up because we had to mail. The the dog license is out, and we found that, because the state statute sets the cost of a dog license.

H

We could not recoup that that cost. This is just an example. It's not a it's, not a big Revenue generator or anything, but it's it's the kind of cost that we could we could address if we had the the ability to set our own fees. There are a couple of municipalities. Nearby we use chose to use the language from South Burlington.

H

It includes a list of potential fees. The non-inclusive list, like things like fireworks, displays.

H

Itinerant vendors, public, Resort and accommodation I, don't really know what that means, but uh we can you know having the right to to set our own fees. We can address some costs. We could generate a little bit more Revenue.

H

So that's that's! That's the intent here and again we're taking language. That's already been approved by the legislature for another nearby municipality um and uh we'll.

H

um So that's what that is about um the next one is in a a charter amendment that would give the select board the authority to establish a what's called a just cause um uh ordinance eviction ordinance so uh when, if, if a landlord wants to remove a tenant, uh there's a there's, a form that needs to be filled out and one of the in a box checkbox needs to be selected for the reason for a person being evicted and one of those choices is no cause, and so with the intent here would be to give the select board the power to establish an ordinance that would remove the ability of a landlord to remove a tenant for no cause.

H

There would have to be a just cause: a a non-payment of rent uh property damage, criminal activity. You know those those are the kind of things that could be included in that um the uh Charter committee came forward with a fairly extensive language that they asked for us to put in there. We didn't feel like we had enough time between December 6th and January 30th to fully vet that language, and so we we condensed it down simply to giving the the select board the power to enact an ordinance that would address this question.

H

All of the details around how that would work would come in the during the discussion of establishing the audience. We would go through the complete public process. The whole standard process that we would use for, establishing or for um uh setting a new new ordinance, um so I think that's that one and then uh recall of Select board members. This was actually the issue that a resident brought forward to us in Vermont. The only way to remove a select board member is to vote against them.

H

The next time they're they they're up for election there's, no there's. No. There is no General recall provision um in Vermont statute, so if, if a municipality wants to have this power, then they have to put it into their Charter. There are a couple dozen, maybe it's even more than that I, don't remember, maybe as many as 40 municipalities, I'm trying to remember how many it is that have recall Provisions um they don't it it.

H

My understanding has only happened twice in the history of Vermont and it's only succeeded once, um but we're going forward here with this. The the conditions would be that you'd need 15 of registered voters to sign a petition to remove a select board member once the select board is given that petition. They have 60 days to call an election, so this would be you know if it's, if it's close to town meeting you could you could piggyback on an existing uh or or general election in November. You could piggyback on that election.

H

But if not, you have to call a special election and then in that election at least, the number of the same number of people who voted in favor of the particular candidate would need to be voting against that candidate. So there's a provision in the in the the charter change proposal that um says again that the at least the same number of people that voted in the election that uh elected the select board member would have to vote in the election to remove them or one-third of the registered voters.

H

Whichever is greater the other provision in there is that a recall can't be called for more than once in a in a 12-month period. So you can't do a repeated, a recall, vote on the same individual over and over and over I think I hit all of the points there.

H

Okay and then the next one is transitioning from a zoning Board of adjustment to a development review board. Our Charter specifies how we do our planning. It says we're going to have a Planning Commission we're going to have a zoning review board. The difference here is that in the in our current model, the the Planning Commission does both Planning and Development review.

H

The zoning board does adjudicates. Zoning Appeals am I getting that right and so in the new model. If we move to a development review board, the Planning Commission would only do planning and the development review would happen in the development review board. They would also do the the role of the current zoning board, and so it's a it's. A procedures really would not change it's just a matter of uh how or who which which group is doing the the the the activities it transitions.

H

The uh development review from from uh one appointed commission to another and then is that it.

H

So, okay, so the question is: when were these uh uh take effect? So if, if uh tomorrow the vote on in any of these passes, it has to go then to the legislature. As I said before we're in a Dylan's rule state, you need to have the legislature to approve, uh and then the governor needs to either sign or allow it to be coming to go into a law without a signature, and so it needs to get through the the legislature and the um and the governor.

H

The legislature has the power to change the language any way they choose to, and so it's likely that they will take testimony um and uh uh they may they may ask us to add language. They may take language out, they may they can. They can change Charter requests, however, they want or they can choose not to take them up at all. As you may recall, several years ago, we voted on a three plus three Charter change. It went to the legislature and and uh never never went beyond the uh the initial committee review.

H

There was testimony taken, but it never it never moved forward. Then we got into separation and became a moot point so um so again, we're totally dependent on the legislature to get any of these uh pass through.

H

And that's it for Turner changes.

C

Thank you again, Andy all right. So if anybody has anything they'd like to say about any of these articles, articles 7 through 12., um if you could please go to the mic again state. Your name spell your last name and then say which article you'd like to speak about and remind us which one it is and then say whatever it is you'd like to say or ask whatever. It is you'd like to ask.

C

Oh, there is a great murmuring: I can see movement.

U

Brad Kennison k-e-n-n-I-s-o-n thank.

C

You Mr Kennison.

U

um I am the resident that uh made a proposal to the select board on uh the recall of uh elected officials. It turned out to be a recall of Select board members.

U

um What started out as a collaborative effort uh with the select board after went to the Charter committee and came back to the select board. The proposal had changed dramatically and what I take issue with is section c of that proposal.

U

It reads at least as many registered voters of the Town vote as voted in the election, wherein the officer was elected, or at least one-third of the registered voters of the Town vote. Whichever is greater the issue with this is, if the select word member had been elected at a time when mail-in balloting was in effect, participation rate is much greater than when vote.

U

When someone when an in-person voting is in effect as an example, last year's annual meeting participation rate was 40 percent and that was in that was mail-in balloting in the previous year in 2021 mail-in balloting. It was 46 percent so that if there was a recall, successful petition, that would mean that in usually in a special election, it's a it's a walk-in or in-person voting that would require 40 or 46 percent. Something like that of the registered voters, would need to vote to recall that select board member and that's a significant.

U

We have 8 700.

U

8785 registered voters, so this is over almost three thousand votes.

U

um So my proposal originally was that um that the named official or select board member shall be removed when the petition is approved by the majority of ballots cast.

U

Just like the select board member, when they're elected an annual um meeting their annual election, they win if they win by one vote.

U

So that would that's the proposal that I had made and which I would like to see changed.

U

They're twice, the recall has been using in in Vermont once in Windsor in 2003, the other in Underhill in 2021 both required the 15 for a petition in Windsor. They required one-third of the registered voters to vote.

U

Only 23 percent voted in the walk-in special election. Even a 77 percent voted for recall in an Underhill. The same number, 23 percent voted for the in the recall special election in 96 percent voted for recall that passed because it was the majority rules. Thank you very much.

C

Thank you, sir. Do we have someone over here yeah.

F

Francis Raymond uh I'm concerned about the rental uh I, don't know if Essex has a problem with people being kicked out of their place, I do own one rental and, uh and it's in Essex Junction, but I, don't know if people have ever people who don't ever have one and have people who are abusive or don't take care of the place uh and you try to get them out. Anyways with the state is pretty difficult.

F

I called up my lawyer once to because I wanted to get a person out. He said, go over and offer them three or four thousand dollars and ask them to leave I I. Don't think that the town should be getting in the business of monitoring rental business, people have to make a living pay their bills and- and you might just say well, we're gonna tell you that you can't do it. I, just I, just I'm against this one and I voted against it. Thank you.

V

Thank you, sir.

W

uh Arthur Ramsey r-a-m-s-a-y. Thank you um regarding uh article 10 uh with regard to the specific requirements in section c, where does that uh compare not just with the two specific examples that have been discussed but overall across those 40 or so municipalities that do uh allow for recall elections is that? Is it more standard that it's the one-third of registered voters that had voted in the previous election majority? Where does that stand? Andy do.

C

H

Oh I didn't study up on that. It's it's pretty variable! There's no standard um and I I I I I can't directly answer that question because I'm sorry, I, don't I, don't have the the specifics.

W

One of your select board, colleagues is Raising her hand in the front yeah.

H

Okay, okay, uh don Hill Fleury was was part of the uh um the charter committee. So thank you for that clarification, so the the um so.

H

This was right, those numbers were were vetted by our Charter committee, and this is the recommendation they came came to us with, based on the um an overview of all other municipalities that have a a recall provision in their Charter.

W

C

O

Mark Roberts again um I think that the recall provision, I think is, is the way it's written. I'll be voting against it, but I think it's reasonable.

O

I think that the will of the voters is a very important thing in the the necessity for the amount of people who voted in the election to come and vote in the recall is important because they expressed their will at a at a regular election. And if you want to remove somebody and change the will of the voters, then those very same voters need to weigh in, and so, if you have a small amount of people who can come in and take somebody off the board, there needs to be a a threshold that.

O

Celebrates the will of the voters. Thank you. Thank.

C

You Mr Roberts.

M

Yes, Robert luang l-e-u-a-n-g I've been a landlord since 1976 now retired I've had a very positive relationship with all of my tenants over the years so in addressing the just cause eviction, and so this is from my perspective from uh and it's there's pros and cons with everything. So this is a con. In my experience, 99 of my tenants have been fabulous. They're, just really good people taking care of the places paid to rent Etc, et cetera and I have had the one percent that um I guess nicest way to say.

M

Is they just hadn't been good neighbors, so I've had duplexes to four plexes to 13. You know 13 unit places, and it's been my experience that the 99 would like to have that one percent removed from their environment so they can have a decent lifestyle and also I have relationships with all the neighbors of my properties.

M

um It's just I'm a Hands-On person and I've done all the maintenance. I do all the upkeep mow, The Lawns et cetera, et cetera. So my question is in putting a clause in. Are we going to put in something to protect and 99 of the people and their environment to be safe? And you know this allowed this one percent and it's not every it's, not all of them and I understand that, uh but as a landlord I try to take care of everybody as a whole for the health of my buildings and my people.

M

So my my real thought, I'm passing forward is it's great if we can protect the one percent that need protecting from my perspectives and experience, but we also need something to protect the 99. When there's someone in there, you know you can't prove that they're doing drugs or they're, you know maybe they're just um they have a negative behavior that doesn't fit the normal tendency of what's expected in today's Lifestyles. So that's my one point. Thank you.

C

Thank you, Mr Lang um I'll, just say very quickly that um this doesn't have any language specifically about protecting the rights of the landlord or a tenant, because that would have to be articulated through the the process of coming into an orange which, which Andy had mentioned. So, if you want me to let him answer more about that, I am happy to do that. But there isn't any specific language here uh that he could really comment on.

M

Yeah, so my recommendation is that you do consider that when you put the mechanics of that language together, thank you. Thank.

V

You, sir hi Bruce post one Cindy, Lane I, was a member of the charter, Review Committee I. Just for a point of information regarding the recall provision. This is not. This provision is not what the charter committee recommended. There are elements of it that were in there. One of our major concerns was you don't have to put in a reason why you're recalling someone and we did research, we looked at other states, we didn't stay restricted to Vermont. We had hoped we had put in some pretty specific conditions, malfeasance and things like that.

V

But um you know I just wanted to make the point that we we did come up with a different approach uh based on some things we found in our own research. uh So this isn't perfect in my uh review, but I've supported it anyways. Thank you.

C

Thank you, Mr post.

X

um Maureen McDermott.

X

M-A-U-R-E-N-M-C-D-E-R-M-O-T-T regarding article 9, the just cause eviction, can the select board give any indication of whether um or if the article is passed by ballot. The select board will be acting on the acting on moving forward to craft and attempt to enact the just cause: Charter change, given the intensity of the housing crisis in the state and the urgency that renters face every day. Just because I know the article gives you the power to move on it. But I just am curious.

X

Whether you can give any indication that you will move on it once it's enacted um if it's an or if it's voted on and then Allowed by the legislator, legislation sure.

H

So we haven't had that discussion, yet I can't say one way or the other whether we would or would not, because we haven't had that discussion and I can't I can't uh project what a future select word may choose to do or not do so now we, we I I, think it's likely. Given the discussion we have had about the the desire to include this Charter change on the ballot this year, but there's we haven't committed. We haven't taken an official position on that.

C

All right: okay, yes, ma'am and thank you. Ms McDermott.

L

Hi, sorry to speak again, but just um real briefly on the Just Cause changed. There seems to be some confusion in this room about what that is. What I'm hearing from landlords or former landlords is the one percent that are not good tenants. This is going to protect them and make life miserable for the 99 that are good tenants from what I understand. I have friends who worked really hard on this is that is fundamentally not true at all.

L

Just cause means that you have to have just cause with just cause the one percent of tenants who are doing those things to get them evicted will still be legally evicted. So what are you saying? It's protecting them for it's? Not it's not protecting them at all. It's protecting the 99 of good tenants.

L

It's allowing their lease to be renewed automatically. That's it that's all period full, stop bad tenants, committing crimes and doing bad things are still going to be legally evicted. Okay, thank you.

C

Thank you. Are there any.

V

G

C

C

No I don't see anything. So if there is no objection, we will move to article four, the public to be heard. I'm. Sorry, we did not do article 12., oh I'm, sorry, article 12., the announcement of offices up for election in article 12.. Do we have that list.

H

um It's Ethan and I.

C

So there are two different select word. Sorry.

C

ah Very good: there are two select board positions and a moderator position. You might want to look somewhere else.

C

It is on the slide all right there are they two three year positions.

C

There are two three-year positions for the select board and one one-year position for moderator.

C

H

C

There, that's all right, I think we got it.

C

All right, that's it now. Does anybody have anything to say all right if there is no? Oh I'm? Sorry, yes, okay,.

Y

My name's Elizabeth Poulin p-o-u-l-I-n I for one will be writing in John's, Sonic s-o-n-n-I-c-k for moderator and I suggest others do the same. Thank you.

C

He's never been right in the head.

C

C

uh Very well, then I shall consider you admonished Elizabeth Bullen all right. If there is no objection, we will move to Article 4 the public to be heard. I would just like to mention that I am a member of the public and I am a horrible horrible person for having to forgotten to mention the world of Tammy getchell played in arranging all of this. You thought this was cacophonous and we're the moderated without her. This would have been a whole different thing. There would have been no popcorn. There would have been a lot fewer company.

C

I mean it was a great job that she did. So my apologies for having left you out I know that you didn't put yourself in but I had you starred in circle deny somehow missed the stars and the circles um are there any other things that the public might like to say?

C

Yes, I can Craig Duggan's been sitting over there wondering oh no, he mentioned at the beginning. It's like chekhov's gun. It's the third act, Greg.

J

So I learned earlier this evening that it's our town, manager's birthday today so.

D

Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday, dear Greg, happy birthday to you.

C

C

All right um is there anything that anybody would like to comment on generally anybody. This is completely open. There's we can't make any motions, we can't take any bonding action, but if anybody just has something they'd like to share or say, this would be the time to do that, and if there are no people who have any thoughts. They'd like to share I would entertain a motion to adjourn so move from Mrs Don Hill Fury can I get a second I'm. Sorry.

C

I, I am sorry. It is too late because we have emotion that has been seconded by I'm sorry, Maggie, George, very good.

C

H, j o r t out outstanding hjord.

C

um All right, we have a motion to adjourn that has been seconded. This is non-debatable, so all those in favor of adjourning indicate by saying I those opposed, nay, the eyes appeared to have it the eyes do have it, whereupon we shall dispose of the said business and we are adjourned until tomorrow, March 7 2023. If you have not already voted in the Town Offices, please come to EMS tomorrow, where I will see you there with my excellent team of people who will check you in and get your votes counted.

C

Thank you everybody for coming this evening and I hope to see you tomorrow and next year.

G