VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
Commissioners Meeting
Thursday April 30, 2020
The Board of Commissioners met at 9:02 am on Thursday, April 30, 2020. In attendance was Commissioners Jay Buckley, Kathy Koziell (by phone) and Adam Leiser (by phone). Also, in attendance was Highway Foreman Kelly Robitaille, and Donna MacKinnon taking minutes. The meeting was not filmed but residents could call into meeting via conference call. We had 4 residents call into the meeting.
At 9:02 am Commissioner Jay Buckley calls the meeting to order.
1. Agenda
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve the agenda. Kathy Koziell seconds.
Adam Leiser would like to make an amendment to the agenda.
Adam Leiser makes a motion for him to sign any and all construction contracts and related documents for the Water Tank project. Jay Buckley seconds the motion for discussion.
Kathy Koziell and Jay Buckley agree for Adam Leiser to sign only the documents related to the Dawson contract. Kathy Koziell and Jay Buckley agree to amend the motion for the Dawson contract to be signed by Adam Leiser.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to accept the amended motion for Adam Leiser to sign the amended Dawson contract sent in by Chris Albert. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 3-0.
Dinah Reiss asked if there is a retainage amount for the water project. Dinah Reiss stated in the past the Village has had a one-year retainage amount for the protection of the Village. Jay Buckley stated there is a performance bond with Dawson contractors. Kathy Koziell stated she thinks it is a two percent bond. Dinah Reiss stated she thinks this is being done sloppy and hopes the Village will be protected.
Adam Leiser makes a motion to attend the pre-construction meeting on Monday.
Jay Buckley stated he would also like to listen in on the meeting and that it would then need to be posted as a BOC meeting. Adam Leiser stated he would now like to opt out of the meeting, so the project is not being micro managed. Jay Buckley questions closing of the roads and coordination with the DPW for maintaining the District roads. Jay Buckley would like to understand the process and the schedule of the project. Jay Buckley brings up what the voters had discussed at the annual meeting. Jay Buckley stated he wants to listen to the voters’ concerns and that the BOC is working for best interest of the Village. Kathy Koziell respects Jay Buckley’s concerns and that Jay Buckley can listen in with the stipulation he asks limited questions. Kathy Koziell stated Jay Buckley will then be able to summarize the meeting for the BOC. Adam Leiser would like Chris Albert to approve the summary that Jay Buckley gives to the BOC. Jay Buckley agrees to it. Kathy Koziell also stated Kelly Robitaille will be listening in on Monday’s meeting.
Adam Leiser leaves the meeting at 9:21 AM.
2. Highway Department Report
Discussion on garage doors - Kelly Robitaille would like to go ahead with ordering the garage doors through Elite Door of New England. Elite Door of New England would like a $3000 deposit to start the project. Kelly Robitaille stated the project has already been approved. The $3000 will be coming out of the building and grounds line item budget.
Kelly Robitaille stated the ditching and grading of the road is going smoothly. Tony Eldridge will be taking next week off. The DPW will be cleaning the culverts next week. Kelly Robitaille stated he will be using his manpower as he sees fit for the DPW.
Discussion of the Dam – Kelly Robitaille stated he put in an 8-inch board in the dam, water was 8-inches below and he would like it to be at 4-inches. This is not any different from last year. The water should be between 4 and 6 inches below the top of the concrete. Kelly Robitaille stated he has the same battle every year and concerns with the Loons. Kelly Robitaille tells people to call the office if they have any concerns.
Discussions of the outhouses – Kelly Robitaille stated he has found somebody to look at the septic. They will rake, fill with water, and pump out the septic. There are four tanks and three are bad. The fourth is full of cans and bottles. The four tanks are holding liquid now and looks like not of them are leaking. Kelly Robitaille got an estimate of $3000 to remove, clean, and pump the tanks out. Kelly Robitaille believes the port-a-potties would cost over $4000 yearly and the septic would be about $1000 yearly. Jay Buckley to wait a week and Kelly Robitaille stated he thinks this should be done now because he is not sure if the person will be available if it is put on hold. Kathy Koziell agrees with Kelly Robitaille.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to appropriate up to $3000 for the four septic tanks to be cleaned, flushed, and pumped out. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-0.
Discussion of the opening of the beaches – Kathy Koziell asked Jay Buckley what the town of Madison is doing. Jay Buckley stated he thinks the beaches are closed and they will be having a meeting in May. Jay Buckley want to follow suit with the town of Madison.
Discussion of Kayak racks – Kathy Koziell has someone that can repair the racks. Kelly Robitaille stated that the DPW has never had anything to do with the kayak racks and would like to keep it that way. Kathy Koziell stated she will look into getting materials and a donation from the EPOA to repair the kayak racks. Kathy Koziell stated she will do that today and get an estimate on labor and materials and get back to the BOC as soon as possible.
Discussion of New Truck- Kelly Robitaille is waiting to hear back from salesperson.
Discussion of speed bumps- Kelly states that we have usable ones. Kelly is asked where he would put another one if we could get another one. He would put it at Little Shore.
3. Administration
Discussion on water bills- Donna MacKinnon states that the bills are coming in. There is a fee for processing QuickBooks payments that is being charged to the District. The water bills were switched to have the homeowners call into the office to pay their bills so that the processing fees can be added to the bill. Dinah Reiss questions if the water usage account should be changed to a checking account and also stated that the BOC had the email from Rhonda Rosand from New Business what the fees were going to be for processing the online water bills. Dinah Reiss questioned when the documents will be on the website. Kathy Koziell will be putting them on the website.
Discussion on Kristin Johnson’s resignation email. Jay Buckley would like to put a letter out to Kristin Johnson.
Discussion on the updated budget Kathy Koziell is working on cleaning up the accounts and will start posting it to the website on a monthly basis.
Discussion on the Dam Management Plan – make people aware of the plan.
Discussion on drainage – concerns from over the winter, 4 Grachen Dr., 31 Upper Lakeview Dr., 47-49 Eidelweiss Dr., and 27 Diessbach Dr. Large culvert on Burgdorf Rd. Kathy Koziell would like classification of stream for the repair and replace of culvert. Kelly Robitaille stated Chris Albert is the engineer and should sign off on it.
Lost office conference call at 10:00 am and Jay Buckley calls in on cell phone.
Discussion on employee handbook. Jay Buckley asked administration to send it out via email to the BOC so they can send in their comments.
Discussion on final audit. Jay Buckley stated he emailed questions to Tamar Roberts for the over and under expended amounts. Articles 5 and 6 was discussed, 85K was advanced on loan borrowed from the bank to pay Just Electric and EEI. Jay Buckley will finalize numbers and get them out to the people. Kathy Koziell thought there were missing article from 2018.
Discussion on going forward after next week for basin project of Little Loop. Kelly Robitaille had no survey for the trees on Little Loop.
Dinah Reiss can forward the amount in the unassigned funds. Dinah Reiss thinks the district should look into a new auditor and Tamar Roberts fees are going up, maybe a change is needed.
Discussion on newsletter Kathy Koziell has drafted and has included the funding of the Tank Project and Valley Pride Day. Kathy Koziell wants BOC to review the draft to be put on the website. Kathy Koziell has reached out to Isabel Pais to help with the website and is waiting to hear back. Kathy Koziell has concerns about the kayak portal, Andrew Harteveldt would like to try out the portal. Kathy Koziell and Jay Buckley will get bac to Andrew Harteveldt.
Jay Buckley open up the meeting for public comment.
Ralph Lujten questions the website, he would like to know when it will be updated and stated the website has not been handled appropriately. Kathy Koziell stated she will be updating and posting as soon as possible.
4. Signature Items
Signature for Driveway permit 8 Middle Shore Drive
Jay Buckley makes a motion to sign driveway permit for construction for 8 Middle Shore Drive. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passes 2-0.
5. Accounts Payable
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve Manifest of 4 checks for a total of $4,053.29. Kathy Koziell seconds. Motion passed 2-0.
6. Commissioners Reports
Jay Buckley asks BOC if thank you letters should be sent to Patti Alventi, Paula Doyle, John Cancelarich, Terry Cancelarich, Erin LaPlante, and Andrew Harteveldt.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to draft thank you letters. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-0.
Discussion on water system. Jay Buckley mentions seasonal water turn-ons. Jay Buckley questions Ian Hayes contract. Kathy Koziell thinks Ian Hayes contract consists of a monthly meeting and logs. Kathy Koziell thinks it is in Ian Hayes’ contract for the first Thursday meeting of the month. Kathy Koziell will check with Ian Hayes. Como PRV water is coming online.
Dinah Reiss stated the new water project account should be opened.
Discussion water usage was up for the month of March.
Jay Buckley questions Adam Leiser’s email wanting to amend 11/14/2019 meeting minutes. Kathy Koziell thinks there was confusion of the meeting with Rick Skarinka, Chris Albert, and Adam Leiser regarding the grant funding. Jay Buckley states he can send in his amendment into the office.
Discussion of water hookups. Donna MacKinnon needs clarification of procedure for sending out to the engineer. Jay Buckley questions what does Fluet own/does not own. Kathy Koziell wants Jay Buckley to check with Chris Albert prior to sending out to Fluet engineering. Jay Buckley states that Chris Albert has been asked and has not gotten back to the office and the homeowner has been waiting for the hookup.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to send water hookup for 10 Barden Place off to Fluet engineering.
Kathy Koziell seconds it. Motion passes 2-0.
Jay Buckley opens the meeting up for public comment. No discussion.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to adjourn meeting at 11:06 am. Kathy Koziell seconds. Motion passed 2-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna MacKinnon
Administrator