Wallingford Fire District No. 1

 MINUTES OF THE PRUDENTIAL COMMITTEE MEETING
 January 23, 2008


The official copy of these minutes can be obtained at Wallingford Fire District #1 Office.

Called to Order:

Chris Rabtoy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.   Also present were Chris McPhee, Rose Regula and Stephanie Biagini/Clerk-Treasurer.  

Visitors:  Greg MacLeod and Scott Sendra  

Highland Water Supply Association: Mr. MacLeod attended the meeting to discuss a few issues surrounding the leaks and the process of billing them for water usage.  He informed the committee that the bridge work is completed and leaks were repaired.  He also asked when the change in the billing procedures would take place.  Mr. Rabtoy said that it would start with the readings that take place as of January 2008, the bill that would be due in June 2008.  A letter will be generated from the Prudential Committee addressed to Mr. MacLeod explaining the upcoming change.  

A brief discussion ensued regarding how to hand blow offs.  Mr. Rabtoy commented that they would have to work out internally Mr. McPhee said that if were billing from the meter pit, then they would need to let us know who has a blow off, just like we do here in town.  Mr. Rabtoy said we were going to bill from the meter pit and they would have to work out amongst themselves.  He would research it and get back to Mr. MacLeod.  

On another note, Mr. MacLeod had a conversation with Mr. Lohsen and he said on occasion the Transfer Station takes water from their blow off.  Mr. MacLeod doesn’t know how often that may occur, but it would register as water used by the Association.  asked about where the water comes from for the Transfer Station.  Mr. Rabtoy replied by saying that meter will be checked and deducted on the Association’s bill.  Ms. Regula interjected to say that they haven’t been using any water anyways for quite awhile now.  Mr. Rabtoy said traditionally it had been turned off for the winter months and reconnected in the spring, in the event there is a need to hook up to their water that he would notify Mr. MacLeod.  

Approval for Minutes:  C. McPhee made the motion to approve the minutes for January 7, 2008 with revisions as presented.  C. Rabtoy seconded the motion.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

Prudential Committee Pay Order:  C. McPhee made the motion to approve the pay orders as presented.  C. Rabtoy seconded the motion.  Ms. Regula inquired about a charge for fireplace mortar and two (2) $9.99 shovels purchased for the Fire Department.  C. Rabtoy responded by saying they must have needed them to chop ice in front of the doors at the Fire Station.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

Old Business:  C. McPhee brought copies of the draft Caretaker Contract.  C. Rabtoy made a motion to table any discussion about the contract until the next meeting.  He’d requested that each member review it and offer feedback.  C. McPhee seconded the motion.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

Oil Prices and Usage:  C. McPhee mentioned Johnson Energy and Ultra Mart.  Johnson Energy has a large volume user discount 3,000 gallon plus at $3.24 cash price.  Last years contract price set in May 2007 about $2.59/per gallon, this years at price at about $2.80-$2.95/per gallon.  Ultra Mart wants bundle business Oil/Propane they set their contract prices in June/July.  R. Regula said that she had forgotten her information for the meeting.  Mr. Rabtoy made the comment Johnson’s service and Ultra Mart’s service is amazing, as he’s worked with all of the oil companies.   

R. Regula made the comment that the Fire Stations should cut back on their fuel consumption.  Mr. Rabtoy had made a trip to the South Wallingford Station and made suggestions last year and they have since completed them.  The Fire Station on Railroad Street could probably use some work on it.  The clerk mentioned that we started having cooler weather earlier this year than last year and with the prices of fuel we would be seeing higher bills for fuel.  R. Regula said that every time she turns around there’s someone in the building and they need to cut back and kind of conserve on their part. Mr. Rabtoy said if there is activity going on at the Fire Station that isn’t fire related, to have Ms. Regula call him.  He would go down and speak to them.  She doesn’t mind their regular meetings.  He does remember in years past that there had been issues there with Junior Firefighters doing their homework.  He didn’t believe that it should be a place for them to hang out.  Ms. Regula said that she would just keep a record.  Mr. Rabtoy replied that it wouldn’t do any good if she keeps a record and don’t react to it.  He again requested her to give him a call, so that he would go down there to react to it while it’s happening.  

As far at the discussion regarding oil prices, Mr. Rabtoy said that we would look at it at the next meeting.   

Reply from Attorney Regarding the Contract Between the Town and Fire District:

C. McPhee had received an e-mail from the attorney regarding the Select Boards requested as too whether or not the vote for the New Fire Truck was binding.  The attorney’s response reads: As we discussed on the phone, the way the 2002 agreement with the town is set up, if the fire district wants the town to share in the cost of a capital acquisition such as a new truck, then it would have to go through the budget process set forth in the agreement. It would still require a approval by the voters if it involves financing beyond the statutory limits. To recap, if the district wanted to buy a new truck and have the cost as part of the town's share, it would first be approved by the budget committee and then submitted to the district voters for approval of the financing. If you have any questions, please call me.

Paul Kulig

A copy of the e-mail was forwarded to the Town Administrator to be presented to the Select Board as response to their question apposed to the Prudential Committee.  

Mr. Rabtoy is going to work on the Charter to allow Fire District #3 to be able to vote on the Fire Protection Budget.   

The committee was informed by the Select Board the following change for District #3 budget committee:  Last night the Selectboard accepted the resignation of Kevin Mulholland.  They appointed Robert Minter of 338 Green Hill Lane in Wallingford to replace him.  His appointment is for 1-year, til 2009.  

Used Fire Truck:

Ms. Regula brought up having a meeting to discuss the purchase of a used fire truck because we need one.  Mr. Rabtoy asked her if it was going to be her pet project.  She responded with she has two few meeting to go to and she knows that she’s not going re-elected, so she thinks it should be done by someone that was going to be on the board longer than her.   Mr. Rabtoy said that he will put on his list of to do’s, it’s not going to happen this month or next month.   

Budgets:

Ms. Regula had some questions on the budgets.  She stated that they weren’t finalized and she transferred them over to her format.  Mr. Rabtoy said that items should have been gone over when the budgets were being formulated and not two months after.  She said that she was waiting for “her” to have the final bank statements and figures, so that a meeting could be set up to finalize the numbers.  She went on to mention budget line items in question.  The clerk questioned Ms. Regula as to why she didn’t request this to be put on the agenda so that the committee and treasurer would be prepared to go over the questions.   

Ms. Regula brought up a question regarding Robert Davenport paying rent for land used in the amount of $50.00.  Nor Mr. Rabtoy or Mr. McPhee could recall ever seeing that in the budgets and they had been on the committee for 3 years.  Mr. Rabtoy said that he would look into it.  

Mr. Rabtoy said that motions were made on the proposed for all of the budget expenses and passed.  Mr. McPhee said that the numbers are all speculative and the most important part is the expense side.  Mr. Rabtoy requested a motion be made to change the budgets.  No motion was made.    

New Business:

Mr. Rabtoy brought the boards attention the following statute that was removed from the Annual Warning.  V.S.A. Title 20, Section 2482 – “Persons residing within the limits of the Fire District who are voters in the Town Meeting shall be voters in Fire District Meeting.”  He said that statute was put in the annual report previous years.  The clerk wasn’t just arbitrarily putting things in the book, that hadn’t previous been put in the book before.  

Water/Sewer Rates: 

Ms. Regula wanted to know how the blow off’s work.  Mr. Rabtoy said that we look at what was historically used in the past, that’s normally how it has been done.  Mr. Rabtoy is almost certain regarding the decision made from the committee for Highland Water Supply, whatever goes through the meter they paid for and if they have blow off then they would have to split that between their constituents.  That was the whole point to go through the meter pit.  He will double check to make sure.   

Ms. Regula asked if anyone had checked the meter pit that belonged to the Fire District.  Mr. Rabtoy responded by saying that part of the reason for that they have had so many leaks over there.  That’s why the numbers never jived and we are going to start billing what’s going through the meter pit.  That’s why Mr. MacLeod attended the meeting to let us know that they are fixing the leaks over there.   

Ms. Regula had questions on some of the readings.  Mr. Rabtoy had asked her about what figures that she had.  She responded by saying that she didn’t have those figures with her.  She said that the reading for the Wallingford House is in correct.  Mr. Rabtoy asked her if she would like to read the meter.   She said that she didn’t have a problem with it.  The meter reading device was placed on the table for her to take.  The device was in turn left on the table.   

Mr. McPhee made a motion to approve the rate of $3.26 for Water and $4.42 for Sewer.  Mr. Rabtoy approved the motion.  No further discussion ensued.  Motion carried (2/1).  Ms. Regula opposed.  Ms. Regula said to just prepared to answer the question as to why the rate fluctuates.  The rates are based on water use and the question has been addressed in the past.  Mr. Rabtoy said that we weren’t going to put us in a situation like Rutland City where they’ve put themselves in debit because they don’t want to change the rate for 20 years.  

Bearings on Rotor Unit for Sewer Plant:

M. Breznick handed in a written request for the purchase of bearings for Oxidization Ditch Rotor. C. Rabtoy made the motion to approve the purchase of the bearings as presented with an approx. cost of $2,300.  C. McPhee seconded the motion with the understanding that the cost will be taken out of the Capital Improvement Line Item.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

Another request from M. Breznick was for the purchase of Pressure Reducing Valves approx. cost would be $880.   C. Rabtoy made the motion for them to purchase pressure reducing valves.  C. McPhee seconded the motion.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

Testing Water:

J. West sent in an e-mail regarding a call from Emma’s Place about some of their resident’s being sick and asked if it could be due to the water.  J. West’s response the committee:  I responded to a complaint of diarrhea at the residence in Wallingford and assured the occupants that it is not our water making them sick. Chlorine residuals monitored throughout the district and our testing regimes prove that there is no problem with the water.

I have offered to perform a bacteriological test to confirm that their water line is not the problem but informed them that it would not be until next week.

The district must decide if they are going to cover this expense. We have done so in the past but must consider that during flu season we could be testing all homes with diarrhea.  

Mr. Rabtoy made the motion to treat this incident like the water meters, if the resident would like the test to be done we will do it and if the test comes back negative then the cost of test would be incurred by the resident.  Mr. McPhee seconded the motion.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  

W-4’s:

The clerk made mention to the blank W-4 that the committee had received and requested them to be completed for the files.  

Public Comments:  None.  

Other Business/Announcements:    

Executive Session:  None.  

Next Meeting:  The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Prudential Committee will be held on February 13, 2008 @ 7:00 p.m. – Town Hall.   

Adjournment:  C. Rabtoy made the motion that the meeting be adjourned.  C. McPhee seconded the motion.  No further discussion.  Motion carried (3/0).  Meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m.  

Respectfully Submitted:

Stephanie P. Biagini - Clerk/Treasurer                                       Date Approved:   February 27, 2008

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