VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
Commissioners Meeting
November 21st, 2019
The Board of Commissioners met at 9:00 am on Thursday November 21st,2019. In attendance were Commissioners Adam Leiser, Jay Buckley, Kathy Koziell and Kelly Robattialle. The meeting was not filmed. In attendance – Gloria Aspinall
At 9:00am Commissioner Adam Leiser calls the meeting to order.
1. Agenda – Adam motion to approve. Kathy seconds.
Adam motion: Approve the agenda. Second Kathy. Jay to add Thusis culvert to agenda. Adam second. Yes 3-0. Yes 3-0
2. Highway Department Report -
Outfitting and pothole fixing has been occurring. Big sander is repaired. Estimate has been requested. Kathy requests pictures of rusted sander. This is for the 7400. The 550 is at the repair shop. The front axle is in poor shape and needs some sort of significant repair that is unknown at this time because repair shop hasn’t started. This would be an expense to this year’s budget. 7400 is next to be outfitted. Grader to be last. Chains are in VDOE possession but not yet installed. Tires are done. No bills have yet arrived.
No response for dumpster. Kathy wants to get a bigger dumpster. Adam requests all tires be removed permanently. VDOE to get a 30 yard dumpster.
Adam reports that 5 Burgdorf property owner will give VDOE permission to turn around in their driveway during snow removal.
Adam reports that 2 Burgdorf has received a letter but he didn’t have a phone number which was a challenge.
Jay reports 2 boats were left at Thusis. Adam believes we need to take the boats.
Adam motion: Have DPW take the boats. Kathy second. Vote No 2-1.
Jay motion: Contact property owner and tell them the crafts will be removed on 12/2 if they remain. Kathy second. Vote yes 3-0.
Little Loop trees on 4/6 have been removed. RW Nelson is to remove the stumps. Kelly expresses concern that he has no knowledge of similar projects having been done by RW Nelson. Kathy confirms that if the VDOE has a contract for the work to get done this year, the VDOE is fine. Kelly suggests a temporary fix on 4 Little Loop to at least get us through the year. Kelly recommends using the remainder of the warrant article money to purchase materials and not sign the contract or do any work this year. The DPW could do the project next year as a non-warrant article. In the meantime, the DPW would fix the driveway at 4 Little Loop. The DPW excavator will remove the stumps. The remaining money would have to go to engineer the road.
Adam motion: Have Kathy contact Jim Rines of White Mtn Survey to get a contract this year for a full engineering of the road. Kathy second. Yes 3-0.
DPW hopes to fix driveway at 4 Little Loop on 12/2.
Adam asks when we will have a number to replace the 550. He says mid-December. Kathy says this is really a replacement to the Terra Star. Ballpark is $130,000. Adam is concerned that a replacement to the Terra Star wouldn’t be tried by others because it is a new model. Kelly did like the truck. Adam asks if this will be a four wheel drive vehicle. Answer is yes.
Discussion ensues about 33/35 Upper Lakeview. Questions of property owner are read by Adam to Kelly. Answers are given by Kelly.
Adam asks Kelly if boards were changed in the dam. Answer is yes.
Adam motion: Adopt dam management policy. Kathy second. Kathy and Adam report they never saw Jay’s proposal. Jay says he sent it. Vote No 2-1.
Kelly has not yet received a computer. Jay reports that he has information on a Panasonic Tough Pad FZM1 7 inch. $720. This can take pictures and do email. Adam wants to know why information isn’t being sent to the board.
Kathy motion: To purchase the Panasonic Tough Pad. Second Jay. Adam says that a $720 expense without any research is silly. Vote 3-0 No.
Adam asks Jay to send the information to the BOC. Jay says he will do so.
Adam asks if we have any numbers for gravel maintenance, paving, etc… and no folders can be found.
Gloria asks if Jungfrau or Reinach had pipes covered before the ground froze. Kathy clarifies that the Reinach Tank was overflowing which caused the erosion. The antenna at Jungfrau has been fixed which will now ensure that covering the tank will last. DES was not concerned. Kathy thanks Gloria.
Jay wants to encumber Thusis warrant article funds. Jay asks if Kelly can do this project with the excavator. Answer is yes. Kelly marked the trees that need to be removed. Adam isn’t sure that this warrant article can be encumbered again. Kelly agrees with Adam that it should be sent to the state for confirmation. Jay offers to check with DRA. Adam says he wants the DRA’s answer in writing prior to the next meeting.
Jay motion: encumber funds for Thusis. Kathy second. Vote No 3-0.
Kelly may take fewer vacation days than originally requested. Kelly wants flexibility for days off. Adam states he has no objection. Kathy and Jay agree.
Adam states a “thank you” should go to Mark from the office for the pics of 11/20. Jay wonders if this should go to the police. Adam says no.
Kelly asks about employee handbook. Adam says it would go to the board, then the lawyer and then the employees. Jay says he’s looked at it but hasn’t sent any feedback.
Jay says looking at Madison would have been a better option as a starting point. Jay says this project should be done together. Adam says we tried this and Jay threw the BOC under the bus. Adam reiterates that the Conway employee handbook was made by an evaluation of roughly 30 towns.
A decision to be made on 12/12 about sending it to legal or inviting employee participation.
Jay reports that Joe Farnese sent a letter to the VDOE. Kathy, Jay, and Kelly are confused by what he sent. Adam offers no opinion because he didn’t attend the meeting. Adam asks if we should contact Joe during the meeting.
Adam motion: Allow Adam to contact Joe Farnese and invite him to a BOC meeting. Jay wants to do it. Kathy second. Yes 3-0.
3. Water –
Discussion ensues about the water system and how to fund it properly. Dinah wants a lower price on the tank. The BOC does not want to voluntarily lose grant money.
Discussion ensues about 10, 20, 30 year loan. BOC agrees that the BOC should do everything possible to get entire grant money.
Water usage quarterly report has been filed with DES.
Water testing came back. All is well.
Water usage report is here.
4. Administration –
Employee handbook discussion ensues.
Adam motion: contact Wendy Parker and grant authority to Adam for future conversations. Kathy second. Vote yes 3-0
Adam reports he reached out to Neighborhood Energy. He hopes to have something next meeting.
Newsletter discussed.
Cards went out for the 12/7 meeting. Everyone should receive one by 12/2.
5. Accounts Payable –
14 checks to be paid in the total amount of $19,463.06.
Account balance is $43,581.18.
Adam reads the $350 expense for striping and says the BOC should have put the line down the middle of Eidelweiss Drive.
Payroll – Nancy 40 hours
Nancy 40 hours
Donna 9 hours
Donna 11 hours
Tony 32 hours
Tony 8 hours
Kelly 40 hours
Kelly 56 hours
Jeff 40 hours
Jeff 56 hours
Note that Kelly and Jeff earned double time on Veterans Day (hours put in as double on payroll)
Adam motion: Approve payroll for $8143.02. Jay second. Yes 3-0
6. Minutes –
Adam motion: Approve minutes of 11/14/19. Kathy second. Yes 3-0
7. Commissioners Reports
Kathy
Newsletter review.
Newsletter to go out today.
Adam asks if the communications committee reviews things and discusses suggestions. Kathy reports they do.
The communications committee wants to know about survey monkey, DYK?, spotlighting an individual in the district. Committee wants website a “go-to” place. FAQs on the website.
Adam recommends that the district have a formal document to send people upon moving here or those interested in buying a parcel of land. Adam can see if he has something.
How do we drive people to the website? We need to fix the website before we drive people there.
Adam reports heat in lodge downstairs. Breakers should be off. Jay to do it.
Kathy found a 13 year discussion about the DPW drainage issue. Jay to continue working on this project. He estimates $10,000 as a total cost.
No word back on water hook-up. Administrator to follow-up.
Job description for administrator being worked on but not yet complete.
Adam reports that we should get a contact number for every property owner in the district.
8. Signature Items
Kathy motion: Adam to sign form for the annual meeting . Adam second. Yes 3-0
9. Correspondence
10. Scheduled Appearances
11. Public Comment
12. Other Business
Exit non-public at 12 Noon
Adam motion: Seal the non-public minutes. Kathy seconds, Vote yes 3-0.
Motion made that Kristen Johnson has been hired at $17 per hour.
Motion made to give Donna MacKinnon a raise to $17 per hour effective 11/25/19.
Motion made that Jay Buckley is no longer the office liaison.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Koziell
Commissioner