At a brief meeting on Monday evening, the selectboard voted to pay off the police station bond, was told that wastewater sludge disposal charges would increase temporarily, discussed a service contract for EV chargers, and heard a proposal for putting plaques on buildings notable in the history of antislavery.
Antislavery trail proposal
Dr. Kevin Thornton requested the selectboard’s support for a grant application to create an antislavery trail in Brandon.
He highlighted the town's history of abolitionist activity, including two antislavery newspapers published between 1835 and 1848. Both papers operated from the upstairs of the town office for a brief period in 1843.
"The Vermont Telegraph, which was published there, was a very vociferous antislavery paper and an important one for a long period,” he said.
Thornton proposed putting plaques on the town hall and town office as historically significant buildings in the abolition movement. He also mentioned that the Baptist and Congregational churches and a number of houses in Brandon are important sites.
Thornton said he thought the grant could come from the Walter Cerf fund. "I'm going to speak to the town museum board on Wednesday, and I'm hoping they can endorse it,” he said. “We need a fiscal agent, a 501(c)(3) for those grants."
The board unanimously approved a motion to write a letter of support for the grant. Thornton noted he would coordinate with the museum and seek help determining plaque costs and implementation.
Sludge disposal costs surge
Town Manager Seth Hopkins reported that Rutland City is temporarily unable to accept Brandon's sludge for disposal, forcing the town to haul wastewater sludge to Montpelier instead. The change has caused a dramatic increase in cost.
"A normal trip to Rutland City is under $400 for transport and disposal costs, and the same trip to Montpelier is 400% of that, so it's $1,600," Hopkins said. Brandon typically delivers two or three times a week. Rutland City told Hopkins they hope to be back in business in about 10 weeks.
Hopkins confirmed that cash flow in the sewage treatment plant fund can handle the increased costs, though he couldn't predict whether it would cause a fiscal year-end deficiency.
Alternative processing locations in Glens Falls, N.Y., and Fitchburg, Mass., have cheaper processing fees, Hopkins said, but were deemed uneconomical due to transportation costs.
EV charging station fees
Hopkins told the selectboard that the grant for the EV charging stations in Conant Square came with five years of network service through a California company called ChargePoint. That service period has expired, resulting in a renewal bill from ChargePoint, which develops, maintains, and monitors hardware and software for charging stations.
Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore negotiated a reduction and eliminated the multi-year prepayment. "They were looking for three years at $2,500 [per year], and they wound up at one year at $1,600," Hopkins said. "They wanted $7,600 from us."
Hopkins said he would do a survey of nearby rates for the selectboard to see if the contract is in line with what other towns are paying for similar services. "I will assume that many of the charging stations that were installed in that same round of grants are probably reaching the end of their ChargePoint contracts, and those communities are also having to look at service agreements," he said.
Two solar arrays salvaged from a FEMA buyout on Newton Road will eventually offset costs once connected, Hopkins added.
Recreation department report
Moore reported that the Sanderson Covered Bridge dance was successful, with approximately 50 attendees, despite only two weeks of promotion. Sudbury resident Diane Douglas offered feedback on communication, noting many residents weren't aware of the road closure. Moore agreed signage would improve next year's event.
Upcoming events at the Brandon Town Hall include the "Maiden Vermont: Music Can Change the World" show on Oct. 17, featuring an a cappella chorus, and a silent movie screening of "The Bat" (1926) on Oct. 24 with Jeff Rapsis providing piano accompaniment.
Moore said that Brandon is considering applying for a Better Connections grant to help fund the efforts around housing and trails by citizen committees formed following this year's Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) meetings.
Police station bond
The selectboard voted to pay off an outstanding police station bond maturing in 2033 ahead of schedule. The maximum amount needed to retire the bond would be $132,178. The payment would be drawn from the 1% capital fund, reducing its current balance of $649,418 while saving roughly $23,000 from the annual budget.
Budget committee member Jan Coolidge raised a follow-up question about which outstanding debts carry the highest interest rates. The highest interest rate is 4.674% on Segment 6, which will be paid off this year, followed by the highway truck loan and the Swifty Culvert and Bridge bond at 3.3%. Hopkins said paying off the police station bond was the most feasible, providing the greatest overall benefit to the budget.
The board amended the motion to specify the 1% fund as the source for paying off the police station bond, then approved the payoff unanimously.
Other business
The selectboard approved a letter of support for school zone speed limits near Neshobe School. The current posted speed limit is 35 mph; the reduced speed limit has yet to be determined. If the state traffic committee approves the new zone, the cost of installing signs or lights would be funded half by the town and half by the state.
A state law reimburses Brandon for property tax revenue lost on flood buyout properties. The town qualified for its most recent flood buyout, securing an annual grant of $1,200 to offset lost municipal property taxes.
The town's 2020 Cruiser F-150 will be sold through Auctions International, with bidding open until Oct. 19.
Police Chief Kachajian reported success in curbing unauthorized e-moto riding downtown through education and targeted enforcement, with an anecdotal reduction in complaints following interactions with young riders and their parents.
The next selectboard meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The FY28 budget workshop is Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.
