Trustees Meeting 10/14/25

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SWANTON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SWANTON VILLAGE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

120 FIRST STREET

SWANTON, VT 05488

REGULAR MEETING

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

6:00 PM

PRESENT: David Winchester, Village President; Adam Paxman, Trustee; Suzie Kelleher, Trustee; Neal Speer, Trustee; William “Bill” Sheets, Village Manager; Dianne Day, Village Clerk; Tod Jones & Avery Mitchinson, Water Plant; Damon Broderick and Ch. 16. Via Teams: Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager.

To watch this meeting in its entirety, go to Northwest Access TV on YouTube. The video will also be posted on the Village’s website once available. Unless otherwise noted, all motions carried, unanimously.

1. Call Meeting to Order at 6 p.m.:

David Winchester, Village President, called the Regular Board of Trustees Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

2. Pledge of Allegiance:

Everyone in attendance stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Agenda Review:

Bill Sheets, Village Manager, stated he had a water resolution that needs to be added as 7a.

4. Public Comment:

None.

5. Approve and Accept Minutes from Monday, September 8, 2025 as presented:

Adam Paxman made the motion to approve the minutes from Monday, September 22, 2025, as presented. Suzie Kelleher seconded the motion. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

6. Approve and Accept Village Warrants through Thursday, October 9, 2025:

Suzie Kelleher made the motion to approve Village Warrants through Thursday, October 9, 2025 as presented. Neal Speer seconded the motion. Discussion: None. Motion carried.

7. Swanton Village Water Plant Update with Chief Operator Tod Jones & Avery Mitchinson:

Tod Jones, Chief Operator of the Water Plant, informed the Board that they’ve been busy cleaning their clarifier with the help of the maintenance team. He said they also did the 5-year service on Filter 1 Clarifier in June of last year and in May of this year they were losing beads from it so they had to order and re-foam tape the screens. He said they are still waiting on the new foam tape before they can do the number 2 clarifier service. Tod said some of the miscellaneous updates they’ve done include putting signage up at the reservoir and modified the ladder to be a walk through. They put a lock on the low lift station for added security and also installed rain gutters above the loading dock on the back of their building to prevent a build up of ice on the loading dock. He said they will need to add more rain gutters in front of the building as well. Tod explained the use of potassium permanganate at the plant. He said this is a dry powder chemical that they mix with water and it’s used to remove the smell and taste of lake water. He said this is only used when the water temperature reaches 10 Celsius. Tod said they’ve had some issues with plugs in the lines and have been flushing them. He said all the lines and the tank will be flushed and cleaned before it goes into service next year. Tod said he sees a lot of the complaints on Facebook but wants to reassure everyone that the water is safe to drink and it’s tested weekly throughout the Village and Town. Tod said some of his continuing projects include removing three half dead trees from their property with the help of Jason and Dillon; he is hoping to remove two more trees this year with help from the line crew; next year he is looking to have a stump grinder come in to remove the 10 stumps they’ll have on the property; he said the low lift station has been pressure washed and is getting painted and he’s also going to add media to the filters and will be checking it yearly in the fall. The Board thanked Tod for coming in with his update.

        7 a. Review and Adopt FY26 Municipal Resolution for Municipal Planning Grant:

Suzie Kelleher made the motion to authorize the Trustees to sign and adopt a FY 26 Municipal Resolution supporting the application for a Municipal Planning Grant in the amount of $30,000 with a $3,300 match from Swanton Village. Neal Speer seconded. Discussion: Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said this grant will be utilized to accomplish the following: -Asset Management Plan Update; -Risk and Resilience Plan; -Emergency Response Plan; and -Source Protection Plan. Motion carried.

8. Discussion on the Removal of the Island at Jones Court:

Suzie Kelleher stated they are considering having the island in Jones Court removed completely to remove the impact on the Highway crew and because it’s also a magnet for free piles and junk. Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said he received a letter from a concerned resident in Jones Court, Alexandra Bourdeau. She said they are concerned that if the island were to be removed it would cause traffic issues such as speeding. She said they are opposed to the trash being left there and they would like to plant a garden and add a bench to the existing island. The Board discussed the options and decided to give the Jones Court residents a chance to make the island look nice and plant flowers etc. They decided they would revisit this in one year. Suzie asked Bill if he could reach out to Alexandra and advise her of their decision.

9. Discuss and Adopt Swanton Village Free Pile Ordinance:

Adam Paxman made the motion to adopt the Swanton Village Free Pile Ordinance as amended. Neal Speer seconded the motion. Discussion: The board discussed the need for this ordinance and came up with a few corrections such as changing the enforcement and penalties section, making the first offense a written warning instead of a fine. Motion carried.

10. Discuss and Adopt Swanton Village Animal Ordinance:

Suzie Kelleher stated that this ordinance will help stop the free ranging of chickens and roosters in the Village of Swanton. Neal Speer made the motion to adopt the Swanton Village Animal Ordinance as amended. Adam Paxman seconded the motion. Discussion: The Board discussed the need for this ordinance and also decided to revise the enforcement and penalties section, making the first offense a written warning instead of a fine. Motion carried.

11. Review and Approve Proposed Swanton Village Balance Refund Policy:

Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, stated she would like this balance refund policy to be approved by the Board so that any refunds $3 or less not be refunded unless the customer contacts the Village for it. She said they can either give the credit to another customer or request a refund check. Lynn said this will save the Village time and money because many of these refund checks get returned and end up being voided after so many months of not being able to reach the customer. Suzie Kelleher made the motion to approve the Swanton Village Balance Refund Policy as presented. Adam Paxman seconded the motion. Motion carried.

12. Discuss and Approve Church Street TAP Grant Additional Funding Request:

Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Village Manager, William Sheets, to request additional grant funding from the State of Vermont for Church Street upgrades, in the amount of $126,250, with a match of $31,256. Neal Speer seconded. Discussion: Bill said this would bring their total grant award to $600,000. They also discussed project dates and being construction shovel ready. Suzie said as of right now they don’t know where the funds are coming from for the match. Bill said this motion is only to allow them to apply for the grant and if successful that would be the match. Motion carried.

13. Discuss and Approve Canada Street/Merchants Row TAP Grant Additional Funding Request:

Neal Speer made the motion to authorize Village Manager, William Sheets, to request additional grant funding from the State of Vermont for Merchants Row upgrades, in the amount of $166,000, with a match of $33,200. Adam Paxman seconded. Discussion: Suzie Kelleher asked if this was approved where would the $33,200 come from for the match. Bill said this could be worked into next year’s budget or another option would be to sell the 124 First Street property to the electric department because it will be used solely by the electric department. He said you would then have $400,000 in a separate account to be used for expenses such as this. Suzie also talked about putting the Local Options Tax question on the next ballot so that may be a possibility as well. Lynn said the only thing about the property next door is they need to be careful because they don’t know what the costs are coming in at yet. She said the electric department may not have the money. She said they’re facing a huge rate increase next year and they need to be very careful on how they go about that. She said between the hydro dam and the impact of the bond that’s been approved, cash flow might not be there. She also said that $400,000 was grant money and could have been allocated to the electric department. Bill said yeah but they didn’t and said this is where him and Lynn disagree and that’s ok. He said it’s a good dialogue and we will be doing rate cases for multiple years with everything they’re facing. He said this can be a known and measurable and it’s just an option. Suzie said she’s just concerned about where the funds would come from. She said the property taxes have gone up, and to then go and say we’re going to do this project and that project, seems like a big ask right now. Bill said he feels it’s time the board have a discussion with their counterparts, the selectboard. He said he watches their meetings and they’re always saying they want to help the Village. He said now is the time to start asking for help from the Town. David said this type of project is a “One Swanton” project. Suzie agreed but said it’s not on a one budget. Motion carried.

14. AMI Project Update:

Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said the AMI work continues with more than 750 water meters and over 2500 electric meters installed. We have seen some progress, at least in terms of responsiveness from the various vendors involved in this project. The entire front office team and the line maintainers remain committed and busy seeing this project to its completion. Lynn Paradis, Assistant Village Manager, said this project is moving slowly but one day the electric crew installed over 180 meters. She said this is a lot of work for the front office but things are moving forward. She said she feels like she has the attention of the software company now.

15. Orman E. Croft Hydroelectric Generating Facility Dam Repair Update:

FERC license renewal: We have notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the State of Vermont, Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) that we wish to move forward with our 401 Water Quality Certification Process. We have informed both entities that we wish to move forward with the understanding that we intend to restore the Hydroelectric Facility Dam to the height and operational level that it was operating at prior to the failure of the rubber dam.

Our annual plant shutdown has concluded, with the following work performed.

Sigma C: Completed inspection and testing for tiebreaker and relay maintenance for all five units.

Knowles Engineering: Completed crack detection and sealing (grout injection) within the scroll cages of units 1 and 2. Recommendations include follow up work to seal the wall area within the next two years.

Norcan: Examined the vibration issues within the unit 2 turbine. They could not determine the root cause of the vibration; the unit is likely at the end of its life cycle. It is recommended that the unit be disassembled with significant work required, the scope of which is to be determined.

H.L. Turner: This is our engineer of record, who was on site representing our interest and ensuring that all work was done to contract specifications and industry standards.

Penstock inspection and maintenance: We are now dealing with a new reality of needing to remove mud in the penstock and turbine areas, due to operating at low water levels. The Hydro team will monitor this closely to ensure that we remove, as necessary. Removing requires dewatering.

Surge tank: The surge tank also has a significant level of mud that was completely cleaned out by utilizing the Fire Department Tanker and 6,000 gallons of water to create a slurry to remove.

We completed our search through an RFP to identify a consultant to assist us with our Capital Assessment/Capital Planning of the Hydroelectric Facility. Velergy, utilizing a group of various subject matter experts were selected from three highly capable firms who submitted. We have secured a $60,000 grant for this purpose as we want outside expertise to help us prioritize our requisite upgrades.

The grant was highlighted by Governor Phil Scott’s office as one of eleven projects funded by the Community Development Block Grant. The media release emphasized that the project will focus on strategic and technical planning around the current and potential expansion of services by the Swanton Village Electric Department. The Village is an area-wide benefit community.

In addition, we are continuing the pursuit of waiving our annual licensing fee, as we believe that we are exempt. We are also in the process of changing our nameplate designation from just under 11 Megawatts to under ten, based upon Penstock restrictions.

Theft: Within the last two days the Hydro garage was burglarized, with approximately $2,200 in electric hand tools and batteries stolen. Many other area thefts over the same period. Our PD is investigating.

16. Village Manager Update:

B-6 Bridge: Provide a handout (synopsis) as a snapshot of conclusions and preliminary pricing. The full 200-page report is available for review as needed.

Fire Department: We had three members of the FD, Lindsay Potter, John Greer Jr., and Alexandra Bourdeau present both classroom and an outdoor fire truck demonstration to both Swanton Elementary and Middle Schools. According to SRO Chad Parah, this was well received to include the firefighters having lunch with the kids.

Within the last several months the Fire Department has added five new members to the Department who are working on certifications that will allow them to respond to incidents. With these new additions the Department is nearly fully staffed, with twenty-eight members. The maximum, based on gear rack space, is thirty-two.

MVUHS Field Trips: Starting this Thursday we host numerous MVU classes for tours of the Police, Fire and Hydro.

Opioid Funding: As you recall we partnered with Northwestern Counseling and Support Services, as they were able to use our Opioid settlement money to help educate our youth on the dangers of opioids. NCSS was scheduled to attend a Trustees meeting this month to report on progress. We are going to ask if they hold off until next January when they will have better metrics to report out. In collaboration with several others, they have created three separate screenings of a presentation titled “ScreenAgers” related to raising kids in the digital age. The three events take place on October 8, November 12,and December 3. Vermont Digger is doing a story on the use of opioid funding.

VLCT Safety Inspections: Following up on the inspections at Water and Public Works, VLCT looked at the Village complex. Only a few minor recommendations were made, such as refining emergency lighting and covering low hanging sprinkler heads, ensuring our liquid storage is up to code and fixing potential trip hazards. All deficiencies have been addressed.

Public Works: They completed work on the Grand Avenue sidewalk and will continue down Grand Avenue towards Platt Street next year.

Public Works are hosting classes here at the complex over the next few months. Those include a three-day chain saw class, a Complete Streets training and a Tree Pruning class. By hosting we get free seats to attend this training.

They are winterizing hydrants and doing general preparedness for the winter. We do have a decent supply of sand, salt and calcium chloride (liquid) that should take us into January.

The bathrooms at Maquam Beach, the drinking fountain and the cascade fountains will all be shut down by the end of this month.

Wastewater: We are still on schedule to complete by the end of this year, or in the first couple of weeks of January. The first clarifier construction is complete and is due for start-up testing this week. Progress continues on the filter building and wiring is complete for all aerators, and work is underway for the sludge pumps.

Reminder: October 21, 2025:  The Swanton Village Board of Trustees will be holding a joint meeting with the Town of Swanton Selectboard on October 21, 2025, at 6 PM at the Swanton Town Office. The board will be discussing the Local Option Tax, Promote Swanton, and Policing.

17. Any Other Necessary Business:

Adam Paxman said Halloween in the Park will be held on Saturday, October 26 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Any Other Business: Suzie Kelleher said that last year when the light crew was taking down Christmas decorations they found some that weren’t working. She said she did some research and found some in the $5000 to $6000 dollar range. She is requesting permission to use some of the remaining ARPA funds for this purchase. Bill Sheets, Village Manager, said this is a perfect example of asking the Town to help split the cost. Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize the Village to purchase Christmas decorations using ARPA funds. Neal Speer seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Any Other Business: Suzie Kelleher also said she will be working with Nicole Draper from Swanton Recreation on an agreement to share assets. She said the Recreation department will be able to apply for grants that may help purchase tennis court nets, etc.

18. Proposed Executive Session to Discuss Real Estate: Discuss the Proposed Land Lease on Merchants Row:

Suzie Kelleher made the motion, seconded by Adam Paxman, to go into Executive Session at 7:57 p.m. to discuss real estate issues where premature general public knowledge of the subject matter would place the Village or person involved at a substantial disadvantage. Motion carried.

Adam Paxman made the motion to exit Executive Session and Re-Enter Open Session at 8:10 pm. Suzie Kelleher seconded. Motion carried.

ACTION TAKEN: Adam Paxman made the motion to authorize Village Manager, William Sheets, to enter into a lease with Sam and Betty LLC, as well as Masonic Lodge Seventy-Six Lodge #14, to utilize the parking area behind and adjacent to 74 Merchants Row, for parking, as outlined in each lease, to be filed with the Swanton Town Clerk. Suzie Kelleher seconded the motion. Motion carried.

19. Adjournment:

Adam Paxman made the motion to adjourn the regular board of trustees meeting at 8:12 p.m. Neal Speer seconded. There being no further business at hand, David Winchester, Village President, adjourned the meeting at 8:12 p.m. Motion carried.

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David Winchester, Village President                  Date

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Dianne Day, Village Clerk                                Date