By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—The Brandon Selectboard held its regular meeting on Monday, July 24. As a first order of business, it convened as the Board of Liquor Control Commissioners. All agenda items were consented to with no discussion and the Board was adjourned and reconvened as the Board of Cannabis Control Commissioners.
Ben Hsiung of Pine Grove Organics, a licensed cannabis retailer on Route 7 just north of Brandon Village, asked the Board to take into consideration when approving new cannabis licenses whether the applicant was a local entity or an out-of-state corporation who was not going to make the same investment in the community as Pine Grove has.
The Board expressed appreciation for Mr. Hsiung’s attendance but informed him that they lacked the authority to investigate applicants. Their role was mostly to approve applications that had met the state’s standards. But the Board asked Mr. Hsiung to explain the state’s tiered system of cannabis licenses, a request which Mr. Hsiung was happy to fulfill.
The Board went on to approve six new Tier 1 licenses for cultivators of cannabis.
The Board then adjourned and reconvened as the Board of Sewer Commissioners. A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the extreme weather of the previous two weeks and its effects on the wastewater system. Brandon’s wastewater system was designed to process a maximum of 750,000 gallons per day but was seeing over 2,000,000 gallons per day at the peak of the recent runoff.
Board Member Tim Guiles noted that the town of Waterbury didn’t have to release any “effluent” (i.e., untreated sewage) from its own plant during the flooding and wondered if there were any modifications the town could make to improve its wastewater system. A significant issue with the system, which was installed in the 1930s is that the pipes take on additional water from the ground through leaky joints and damage from tree roots.
Town Manager Seth Hopkins stated that he had spoken with Tim Kingston and Stephen Cijka, the two operators at the wastewater plant, and had come up with three options to improve the town’s wastewater system.
- Replace the 22 miles of pipes at a cost of $1,000,000 per mile.
- Build a holding reservoir to store excess wastewater with a capacity of roughly 15,000,000 gallons.
- Install a sequencing batch reactor system, which treats wastewater chemically.
Mr. Cijka, who was in attendance, suggested that the Board look into replacing the pipes, since they’re nearly 100 years old.
Mr. Hopkins stated that the expense of such a project would have to be covered primarily through grants.
The Board then adjourned and re-convened as the Selectboard.
In his Town Manager report, which is available in full on the town website, Mr. Hopkins stated that Newton Road in Forestdale was still closed as of Monday evening, except for the ingress and egress of street residents. Lower Carver/Syndicate Road was also still closed.
The town’s request for FEMA assistance had been received and confirmed, according to Mr. Hopkins. There’s a $3,800 minimum threshold for damage, so only roads that suffered significant impacts were included in the request.
Parts of Arnold District Road will be closed Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday this week for construction unrelated to the storms.
Board Chair Tracy Wyman asked whether contractors had been secured for the repair work on Newton Road. Mr. Hopkins indicated that several firms, including Markowski and Casella, had been contacted but none had been hired. A firm from Rhode Island had been recommended, but the hope was that a local firm could be found.
An attendee asked whether the drinking water had been tested for contamination since the storms. Mr. Hopkins noted that drinking water is the sole responsibility of the Water District, which is under the control of the Prudential Board. Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore noted that water reports for all towns in Vermont are available online. Mr. Hopkins assured the room, however, that the aquifer from which Brandon’s drinking water is drawn is well protected.
Newton Road resident Oscar Gardner thanked Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Cijka for their efforts to protect and restore the street.
Mr. Hopkins also noted that one of the two pumps on Newton Road had “melted” from overuse. The machine is still under warranty and will be replaced. He also stated that downtown Brandon, with its culvert, had been successfully protected and it was now time to turn to other vulnerable areas in Brandon for mitigation efforts.
An attendee inquired about an item in the TM’s report suggesting that Police Chief David Kachajian had identified a particular cruiser he wished to purchase for the department. Mr. Hopkins noted that there had not been money set aside in the budget for the purchase and no action had yet been taken. Board members Tim Guiles and Cecil Reniche-Smith reminded Mr. Hopkins about the town’s Green Fleet policy for new town vehicles.
Recreation Department Director Bill Moore gave his report, in which he reminded attendees that the Brandon Carnival is this coming weekend, starting on Thursday, July 27.
He also noted that volunteers are needed to coach and organize youth sports. An innovation that has been suggested at several recent meetings is to hire paid “commissioners” to oversee specific sports so that administrative duties, such as scheduling, don’t need to be handled by volunteers who want to focus on coaching. Mr. Wyman stated that more parents should volunteer without pay.
Brandon resident Clare Astone asked what offerings were available for older teens, since it seems that there isn’t enough recreational activity to keep teens out of trouble. Mr. Moore stated that the Rec Department has focused mostly on younger kids because there are organized sports available at school for older teens. But there was general agreement in the room that offerings for older kids would be beneficial.
Brandon resident Bernie Carr, who grew up in Brandon, expressed his appreciation for the scope of what the Rec Department offers, a sentiment seconded by Board member Heather Nelson, who also grew up in town.
During the public-comment segment of the agenda, State Representative Stephanie Jerome urged residents to call 211 to report any damage sustained during the floods and tornado so that FEMA had a full understanding of the scope of the damage. She also informed the town that the House Commerce Committee, of which she is a member, will be meeting in Montpelier to discuss how to distribute $20,000,000 in relief funds to help local businesses recover from the storms. She will also be participating in a short-term group focused on rural economic development.
Brandon resident Sandra Mayo Jackson let the Board know that despite the fact that she has a PhD, she was “disgusted” by the estimated cost of the renovations underway at the Brandon Free Public Library (BFPL) and suggested that a “small town like Brandon” didn’t need to renovate its library. Board Chair Tracy Wyman informed Ms. Mayo Jackson that the library is not a municipal entity and that the Board has no authority over its actions.
David Roberts, President of BFPL’s Board, was in attendance and responded by saying he would share good news about the library’s renovation when the library came up again in a later agenda item.
Town Clerk and Treasurer Sue Gage announced the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival to raise funds for the McClure Miller Respite House on August 6.
The Board then appointed Bill Moore as Town Moderator, a position that had no candidates on the ballot at Town Meeting but for which Mr. Moore received the greatest number of write-in votes.
The Board also appointed Stephanie Bourque as the Municipal Project Manager (MPM) for the Brandon TAP TA23(2) project being undertaken in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Ms. Bourque is a Planner with the Rutland Regional Planning Commission. Her resume is available in the Selectboard packet for 7/24 on the town website.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution to release $100,000 in ARPA funds to the Brandon Free Public Library (BFPL), as per its vote in a prior meeting. These funds will be used by BFPL to match a $100,000 grant.
Mr. Roberts, President of BFPL, noted that construction on the library was underway, with a projected finish date of February 28, 2024. He also noted that Molly Kennedy, Director of BFPL, had received a call from Senator Peter Welch to inform the library that a $1,000,000 allocation for the project had been approved by the Senate and would be included in the spending bill that will be sent to the House of Representatives this fall.
Brandon resident Clare Astone remarked that the library was “the heart of the community.” Board member Heather Nelson recalled that the library was a central support in her years as new mother, calling the experience “priceless.”
The Board voted to appoint Vice-chair Cecil Reniche-Smith and Member Tim Guiles to a working group overseeing personnel policy revisions. The group will draft updates to the town’s personnel policy for approval by the Board.
The Board also stated that they had received several suggestions for the use of the remaining ARPA money (approx. $559,000) through their solicitations of ideas from the community. The list of suggestions is available in the Selectboard packet for 7/24 on the town’s website.
The Board did invite Reverend Sara Rossigg of the Brandon Congregational Church and Brandon resident Barbara White to present their own suggestion: a nonprofit Community Development Corporation called “Brandon Essential Care” that would help local residents find the resources they need for their economic, social, and educational development. They were seeking ARPA funds for initial operating and administrative costs.
Board Chair Wyman stated that the Board will digest all of the suggestions and discuss at the next meeting.
The Board’s final public business was the approval of two warrants. The first, against the 22/23 budget was for $182,355.87. This warrant included a charge for $37 for an engraved Cross pen given as a “traditional” gift to new police officers at the Brandon PD. Board member Brian Coolidge objected to the approval of the charge and was the sole nay vote for this warrant. “This town is hemorrhaging money,” he said.
The second warrant was for $125,393.31 and was approved unanimously.
