 And we'll open up this this meeting and we will have room for public comment After the items on the agenda, which will limit to five minutes. Could you be a little louder doing I can't hear you Okay, Martha, yeah, we're opening better and thank you. You're welcome. We're thanks for keeping us loud They're opening this meeting here at 616 now and After the item items on the agenda and turn off my loud phone Hello, Robert, are you having trouble signing into the meeting? Oh So are you coming in person or are you going to join us with zoom That's right, is that right? Yeah, yep, that's correct. So We've got the meeting just started. Yeah, you should have all that information. I think you need sounds No, nine one eight one oh two he said one twice nine one eight one oh two No, one only one one there nine one eight one oh two There you go. All right. We'll see you. See you on the computer there Well, I guess it's good. I answered the phone don't want anyone not having access No, okay As I was about to say when my phone rang with someone that was having trouble getting into the meeting Well, it's this is this is the number of people won't have trouble logging in. So we want to be accessible we will There's five minutes per public comment after the end of the agenda. So let's start in with the Prior minutes for the October 11th meeting and those look fine to me. I didn't have any corrections So I moved to approve those a second date all in favor. Hi. Hi. All right and we have I see the Murray family is hovering in the doorway. We're your First on the new business. So you want you want to speak? We're just wondering can we go second on the new business? I know you had one other issue One person's not here. Yeah. All right. So we'll put you on hold there for a second And they do talk I could barely hear her if they could come little close. Yeah, if you come closer to the mic You know, we could turn the mic around. All right. So we have the appointment of Not the new health officer because he was the existing health officer John White and his term of office expires on November 30th And I did talk with John and he said that unless anyone else steps up that is dying to hold that position He's willing to continue on Do I hear any takers? No, so I'd I'd move to reappoint John White as the town health officer. My second dad. All in favor reporting in progress. All right Okay And you'll just I guess they'll let us know when they're ready to move forward. So we have a Jump to that little bit Yep park use We have an application for use of the Rochester Park for the Rochester rec committee for a Halloween event on 1029 Yeah, the classic jack-o'-lantern pumpkin display I Like that might think that everyone likes that I'd move to approve that application And they're still not ready for us so we've got a Lawn mowing sidewalk snow removal contract renewal for the summer of 22 and winter of 22 23 and we have We have to advertise that don't we do yeah, I think we do need to advertise. I don't think we can just approve No, someone's asking that so we should table that and put that out for advertising Make sure you guys were ready. Yeah, yeah, I think we should put it right out. Yeah Does that go in the paper? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I Believe that the current contractors Looking to see if he can get a commitment for longer term So he can just find besting and some new equipment that would be more appropriate for the width of the sidewalks Last year for winter. Yeah, if I'm putting in an ad, what is the time of life of time? To run the ad no mean Another three years Yeah, this is saying two years here, but I think that are usually we run that for three years So let's revisit that and see what? Okay, so we'll table that for Ron We have a request to use a town office basement for monthly free food distribution Frank Do you want to talk about that a little bit? You looked into that. I think Vic's on the line there on the zoom So I think he's got a proposal. He was gonna they were gonna try it out To see how much space they needed this past weekend. I don't know how they did make out. Yeah He's here and unmuted okay Hey, Vic Yeah, okay, okay Yeah, yeah, all right good. Thank you So Since the past year a group of volunteers Have been providing monthly food distribution provided through the food bag to Gifford and also through an everyone eats program through area restaurants and we've been doing it monthly in the parking lot behind Hancock Town Hall and The way that the food is going to be packaged going into the future It's going to require some read packaging of the food and just it's logistically a little more difficult And so we're looking for indoor space to do that as well as to be able to provide distribution from the same general location So that's what's driving us to ask this ask for this now. And this is a program that's serving Rochester Hancock Grandville primarily, but the other communities adjacent to us are certainly welcome to to benefit from it So we've been distributing 60 to 100 bags of food each time once a month the last weekend of the month and We'd like to do that as it mentioned from the town office Parking lot. This would be on a Saturday morning typically or afternoon doesn't have to be in the morning I know that we have the recycling and But what we would do would be to bring in food in in bulk package on Friday Break it down into packages that can be given to people into their cars and then and pass it out on Saturday afternoons, so Lolly Lizzie and I and Monica Collins and Anderson Have been working on this together a nonprofit organization called the feeding the Valley Alliance And we're all about Helping with food insecurity the valley. So we think this is an important service for people who are food insecure and We'd love to be able to do this from Rochester town office. We think the lower level lends itself well to this We have gotten some donations We would like to get a freezer put in there so that the Restaurant prepared frozen meals can be brought in Friday kept good and then handed out on the Saturday afternoon So it's a combination of those prepared meals plus fresh vegetables From the food bank is what would be distributed? No cost. No questions asked. The question is how much do you need? So that's what we're all about and we'd love to have the permission to to do that So Frank you went and We've been cleaning that space up since the it ceased to become the constable's office, and it It looks like they'll be easily accommodate this Yeah, we'll have to move some of the paperwork that we stored in there Just Repurpose it a little bit there so they got a space where they can spread out and be able to pack the bags Because they're getting them in large containers now where they're not Sorted for individuals. Yeah, so that's what they really need the space for I Vic you're not going to need Refrigeration other than the freezer. Is that correct? that yeah, that's all for your aware right now and Yeah, just the vegetables that we're getting it's potatoes apples onions Then there'll be a couple of variables from once Each month of those we have three stores of their shelf stable And we put them in rubber tubs or something for the overnight Period that they would be in there. They come in on Friday. We break them down into bags put them in a Excuse me, Vic. It's marks. I have a question you said that you do this monthly Is it on a specific like the first Saturday or the second third or something of each month? Is there a specific thing I could put in last the last Saturday last Saturday? Okay, thank you And now it turns out that in November and December the food bank has changed its distribution date to a weekday to just because of the holidays tapping the fall As they do so it's in from November being November 22nd 23rd December 2021 So those are Monday Tuesdays as opposed to Friday Saturday Well, that's just because the holidays Vic. Are you asking for a Permanent home or just for the winter and then go back to the outdoor setting you had Well, we'd like it to be indefinite But you know if something comes up to either the town's need or the program changes in some fashion then you know We should revisit it and see if it's still working We'd like to be able to have it on an ongoing basis Do you have a line on a freezer We're looking yeah, it's gonna say it might be something that we put in the Put out there that looking for a donation of a freezer to help with that because I know it's not easy to just go out and buy Utilities right now. I Could certainly mention that in my hero's article that you don't Yeah, I would agree we are a 501c3 non-profit You know All right, right, so I'd I'd Not a huge freezer though, right Vic. You're only looking like a you know a three to five cubic foot probably Yeah Yeah, well I'd I'd be in favor of allowing this. Yeah, I don't have an issue with it Yeah, I'm fine with it as well. Yeah, right well Thank you for keeping that that endeavor going big All right. Well, thank you I mentioned a number of other people involved as well. I see Mike then do's on the call and Ian and it's been Very helpful and distributions as well. So thank you Mike. Can I make a suggestion? Yeah Do it in everyone. It's Robert. Um, I had breakfast at the Hancock hotel on the last day this past Sunday I'm wondering that by the way, thank you for all your goodness because things are going to get a little rough but I'm wondering if if The owner of the Hancock hotel in May could offer a temporary Repository for all the goodness that you're delivering to the valley. It seems logical logistically and I'm probably going to be up there this week Sanitizing and cleaning all the reefers and Freezers up there So I'm just wondering if that might be an option for everyone in town to not stress about putting a reefer or a freezer in the Basement of the town clerk's office Yeah, we have worked with Meg in the past and she's been terrific Sometimes we have overloaded her her refrigeration capability. So she's a she's a great partner in all this But I think we've we've probably asked her for about as much as we really can so The reason I bring that up is that as of Sunday Six o'clock the Hancock hotel business, you know makes businesses shut down And for the season and maybe that would be an opportunity for everyone to take advantage of not take advantage, but ask if you could be using and Dispensing food for people in the valley. It seems very logical You know, and that's just a suggestion You know Well, thank you. Thank you, Robert. It sounds like That I I'm assuming Rob that you would like to continue on with the Would you request to do the the town town office basement? Yes. Yeah, okay Now it's good to have options, but I think that that's Like we're all in favor of doing that. So yeah All right, thank you The so you have you got everyone here that you wanted for your He's about to ride. Oh no service guy or about no, but we could start talking, but if you more business to do that, that's great well We have another Interesting item on the agenda about the public kickoff of the high school repurposing feasibility study Vic do you want to speak to that Sure I don't know Catherine shampons in the room there not but I can not in the room is she on the can not on the zoom No, I was in search of that. Anyway, but I speak that so Catherine. I co-chair co-chair the high school repurposing Feasibility committee and we're asking the select board to approve Our providing a public kickoff to the repurposing feasibility study In which we'd like to invite people from all five towns And and the reason is because if this program Proves to be viable. This would provide services to the whole valley not just to Rochester the working date for this Public kickoff would be November 17th We're going to ask the school board if we can hold it in the auditorium itself and live streaming so it can be highly visible and and accessible Just to Sort of recap with the closing the high school We now have this large vacant building in the middle of town Figure out as a community what to do with it. It has tremendous Potential value and also significant risk The building has the auditorium has lots of floor space the shops the parking Fields next door it's in the billet Center But at the same time it has Building systems that are outdated and you know, it could be millions of dollars to repair. So we want to go into this Making sure that everybody clearly understands what the potential benefits and risks are or this this venture and You know, we don't want to saddle the town with a lot of Unexpected costs we want to see that the programs of having mind are truly financially viable and you know, can can the rents in the program income cover the operating costs and Can we reasonably expect to find grant in philanthropy to cover these? Large capital improvement costs. Those are unknown. We don't know the answers to those yet But we've been able to get a grant for feasibility study. We have a Well-qualified Consultant lined up to get started and we want to kick it off with a very public Dialogue about what you know what this involves. What's the process? What's the timeline? Answer questions take comments and and do this periodically the Timeline for this feasibility study will take us into June of 2022 and we want to have periodic public briefings on how it's going along the way so that transparency I guess is the word of the day and We're very interested in Seem to go forward We only want to do it in a way that public is fully informed about What this project is about? What's what's the upside? What's the downside and So so this is the kickoff to that whole process Excuse me, but do you have a time for that me evening? I mean, it's an evening thing, right? Not been down yet. They say we are still working on finalizing the location and the the date is So if I said Wednesday evening November 17th, and you hope to have it in the auditorium Well, I wouldn't want to say that without approval. I'm from the school court. Oh, okay. So what do you know where we're 17? Location TV location to be announced. Okay Sorry about that All right Anybody have any questions predict I think since we did support the feasibility study this would be Something that a lot of people in town are wondering where does this all stand and what's the next step and who's doing what? And this would bring bring it forward so that interested people can visit and ask questions and Get informed about where we stand so This will also Bring the Fairweather consulting to the public So that he can also get feedback Public I'm gonna say that where he should be going next. So it's a two-way street that could be beneficial down the road to Open avenues of discussion back and forth I think I could just touch on the agenda as we have it so far. So we'll we will Just briefly recount how we got to where we are over this building give an overview of condition of the building Give an overview of what we'd like to do with the building Introduce the consultants and have them go through the process and the timeline of the different components to the study and take questions and As I say, we hope to have it live in the auditorium and and live stream at the same time Robert can you hold on just one moment, please Robert Gardner was ahead of you. Oh, I'm sorry Robert Sure, I just want to first of all say thank you big for doing all this work and for putting transparency in the foreground or something like this I really appreciate that I think that's very important for something as complicated as this is for everyone to understand the very best they can The upside in the downside of this of this very complicated question So I first I want to thank Vic for that But secondly, I want to bring up something I may mention before which is that the condition of the high school and the condition of the other Town buildings, which we recently found I have have their own issues and in your energy audit Seem to me they they have a very much of a common theme and a common set of problems to deal with and I wonder if there's a way to put those together and Or consider them as one whole either with the committee Or whatever the high school building being the biggest and the most potentially expensive of all the town buildings I wonder is there a way to do that or is that complicating and things more than they need to be I think that It might be something that comes into the discussion a little further down the road This is this is the the first touch base with public So, you know that that may they come up, but we don't want to make it a point of our agenda at this point in time Well, I may be making myself clear I'm just saying that that in my mind the town Should be examining this question of the delay maintenance on all these sound buildings or what the potential costs are and how you're gonna deal with it It's to me. It's a very big and complicated question and the high school is part of that. So I wish there was You know an effort as informed and thorough as big has done for the high school for the for the rest of the buildings There's not but I just see an awful lot of commonalities and the questions. How are you gonna pay for it? What's the specific damage? What's the what's the gap between what the engineers are saying what realistically might be done? You know, there's a lot of parallels in all these buildings And I wish there was a way that the high school would not be kind of an orphan or separated from that and treated in a different way I'm not I don't have the answer to that But to my mind there ought to be a committee or something addressing this problem of Deferred maintenance and building conditions in these high schools the biggest but I won't talk the rest of the night So that's I don't know what the town if it were me if I ran the zoo there I'd say let's have a committee and find four people sit down start to chew on this very big and long-term problem It's a it's a big problem. I can solve it tomorrow But I wonder if that could be done if it's a discussion for another day or whatever. That's all right We have talked about that to some extent Rob So we we are kind of looking at it that way Jeff and I have talked about it some in our Times together. We you know, we needed to address the whole town at once not Just the school, but it's a whole big conversation that we need to have as a community And I'm not sure where how that's going to materialize yet, but I think it's in the air So I think that's the way we're kind of looking at it Yeah, and this is definitely with this public kickoff is there's a step in the right direction And you know this definitely be something that can be brought up But I think the focus of this is the the feasibility study that's been no grant money has been found to To attack this piece of the puzzle, but it doesn't mean that we we're gonna shove everything else under the rug, right? Okay, thank you my chance. Can I have a come and make a comment go ahead Robert? I just want to respect and congratulate Patty Harvey for her her words which are very respected with regards to Vicks energy and Katherine shanklin and Robert Gardner I believe that Then the the kerfuffle with the school is all about the parents and the children of the Valley and I think it would be a great idea to have a festival Just ask the children whether they're full fourth graders or high school kids say what do you guys want? And then ask the parents. What do you guys want and then we'll we'll have a We'll have a conversation if you bring in consultants and engineers. They have no Empathy or compassion. They they're just looking to see how they can lie a bill from a liability standpoint Make a reference to the town to say this is what you should do But I truly believe and I'm sorry to go on here. There are Parents in pain There are parents that are making serious educational decisions for their children Meanwhile, we have a shop a wood shop down there. That's been of Obsolete since before I read and And that is what the children want. So it's it's about the children. It's not about Engineers consultants and lots of money to be paid to decide what the town needs it's up to the children and the parents of the Valley and in that I Believe that if there was there was some kind of an open festival to just say hey, what do you? know What are your thoughts regarding? you know revitalizing this building and An eight-year-old child will say, you know, I want to know how to build motors or I want to know how to do So children will be invited to this public kickoff whether they come in person or on zoom So they would have their chance to Have their input well, I think the I think that the The disposition of the topic of the meeting should be we want to know We want to hear from the children and the parents of the Valley not a consultant from wherever we're an engineer from wherever to Jurisdict what we should do with the building structurally. I know it's in a major trouble But that building is a sacred place where The um, you know, I you we get your point and then that that is a Really a big point of this public kickoff the public aspect of it not just hiring a consultant to Sit in his office and make his advice But to bring him here to meet the community and those people that are that are concerned and have input So it's um, I think they were headed in, you know, I I Sense that we're all in favor of this of supporting this public kickoff meeting and my corrector. Yeah We have to figure out a solution And you're right Robert the more input the better we know doing Being endearing and compassionate is a very important thing and You know forget taxpayers and all the stuff we're dealing with with the stress of this building it's like Let the children speak let the parents speak and then they'll decide what we're going to do with the building All right Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Yeah So Not everybody here yet Not quite it's okay close enough so close enough we can start all right Well, if you give might as well have your whole contingency here if we want to we still got some more stuff Yeah, so the consortium planning grant resolution There you go this Europe Sandy, thank you My okay, I don't know how that is. This is for a very tall person So what you I sent the the dot the paperwork to do in a few days ago This is an application for a municipal planning grant We have we have one of the reasons I came tonight is because we have to make sure you don't get confused So the the planning commission is doing its own small grant that Dan has has sent you a resolution to support to do update to the zoning to Come in to come into conformance with the recently adopted read adopted plan But in addition to that there is a seven-town consortium That's being led by two rivers To look at housing issues in in our region We have we have a housing crisis all over Vermont and particularly in in the area that's covered by two rivers So seven towns together are applying for a grant to study housing The important thing for you to know is that it will cost the town nothing that particular one And and I'm here tonight to ask your support for the we need to have a sign off for the for a municipal resolution To add up at our name to that particular grant application I'd move to prove that make that Robert Frank sure what do you got Robert? Keep it short Hey Frank. How are you pretty good? I've got major concerns for people that live in Rochester that are still waiting for the minutes of the planning board October 5th 2021 planning and zoning with regards to quarry Hill and The former state representative is now saying she's got a grant for something else. Well, I Think the minutes of the planning or the wait a minute. Robert. We're this is your This is not what we're talking about your You're on a tangent here this that's something that You want to bring up in the public comment afterwards, but right now we're talking about this particular resolution So if you want to bring this off at the in the public comments then that that would be the appropriate time To do this because this is not exactly what we're talking about right now. Thank you. Yeah Yeah all right, so I think it before Robert spoke we were just agreed to adopt this resolution for the planning grant consortium planning grant and join these other six times. Yeah Yeah, all in favor. All right. All right, and then you can sign that right here. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you And now You've got everybody here to the Murray farm solar project So do you want to Introduce your your topic here Yeah I'm gone Murray My wife Jean is here my daughter Tay in a town John is not here. She's down in New York but We bought our land our farm back in 1988 so we put up for 33 years We bought the that's at the end of West County Drive. We bought the property on Bethel Mounthood 11 years ago and We always intended this to be our home But we were taking care of my mother my mother-in-law and three aunts who have now passed away That I've been five many years of our time, but we're here. We've been here almost two years now full-time I've been involved with solar for a long time. I built a house designed for solar back in 1977-78 In 1979 I was on all news radio stations in Boston Every day three times a day every weekday talking about the reason from from weather-struck into Global warming including sold So I was talking about global warming over 40 years ago Then my dream to have solar for a long time and I actually installed a solar system on a trans-barn a few years ago and We use our farm its agricultural land and we grow hay on it Always for years and we don't resell and have all the equipment from a tractor to a baler to do that And We really wanted to have solar we put some on our buildings, but they need roofs and this is not a practical Solution right now and It's not enough for what we need for our two houses there our daughter John has a house that she bought recently and Another one that she rents so it's really for those houses. So we really want to put solar and We put a lot of consideration into Where we put it and my daughter and and Jonathan will talk more about that but We care a lot about the land we care a lot about the appearance of the solar is when I see solar Panels I think well somebody cares somebody's doing something about the environment and it means a lot to me And I'm sorry that some people find it to be an eyesore, but to me it's it's like caring about the future So that's basically Good evening Do it smart there. I'm wondering Do they need to get approval from the board to do this? I didn't know that they did it They didn't know what there's residential scale solar is exempt from local zoning laws. So I think that this this here is a Basically just providing information to the town about what your intent is But Jonathan is it? Yes. Yeah, I'm sorry for my tardiness. There was a fog on Rochester So so the reason I'm Jonathan Nelson I represent Murray farm solar is the developer on the project so What we're here for actually this evening I think there was a letter that was sent over to you the sample letter from the board of Board selection and planning board in wardsboro from what I have a very similar letter from Wyndham We're doing a couple of small projects not unlike Murray farm solar down in wardsboro and Wyndham which is in the West Virgin Valley, it's towards towards Brattleboro and I Personally own several solar projects in New Hampshire and I build many megawatts of them out of state So this is a very small scale little really community solar project the energy would stay here in in Rochester really would go to the Murray family And what we need and what we've received in Wyndham in wardsboro is what's called a letter of support From the board of selection and it's a very key to the project Both to have support from the I believe here would be the three burgers commission The planning board and the board of selection and that's for what is called preferred site status That's what we would be seeking a different state to have the site designated as a preferred site now Economically what this does to the project is it makes it Really viable energy energy is going up generally and solar panels tend to track the price of energy You don't realize that your Vermont, New Hampshire, New England is going to get slammed by natural gas prices this winter and Internext year and natural gas is really going up solar panel prices. Unfortunately going up Everything's going up and steel prices have gone up 300% racking for solar panels is skyrocketing blue or not and It would be critical to this project's economics To receive what's called preferred site status so that gives it parity With the green mountain powers net metering Payback if you don't get that Green Mountain power will literally pay to the Murray's Less than what they would charge them with the energy later on and I have this problem in New Hampshire as well With the utilities so preferred site status really avoids this problem. It avoids what is effectively attacks on solar power and it's it's very necessary It's really It's something that It's it needs to be done with the project needs to be able with all these small-scale projects especially with energy prices skyrocketing and prices of solar panels and steel and It just brings it to parity really first compensation for the Murray's and the Part of that siting criteria is why did you put it in why did you put it where you put it? Why why should this be a preferred site? So the Murray's believe it or not Hired a wetlands consultant. I had them hire that and he went through several sites on the Murray farm, they own quite a bit of land and The in the back of the property is there's an issue with prime agricultural soil, you know, they're still hanging going on there Solar is important, but so is food and so is our cultural activity and the heritage of that That's not going on in the site that it is currently being selected There's also not a wetlands issue where it's being selected where there was into the back is those might be look like fields They are also sort of swampy and the state considers that to be a wetland in back there And there's this parts of that field that's it's all wetland in the back of the Murray farm over on Western Young Road over there and the third most critical piece is Utility interconnection The old line going on long west long young drive is an old single-phase line and those poles I swear and I got a pretty good radar for this I'll bet you those poles are from the 40s and I've got a few of them in the Hampshire with the co-op that are from the 40s that are still standing those that line and that poles are Those those are very problematic for an interconnection You know Green Mountain Power might say I have to rebuild the whole line or something and Put in all new poles gets really expensive and it just becomes not Economically viable in the front of the property. There's a relatively new single-phase Green Mountain line And you know, that's that's another technical Consideration to this so the siting criteria really pointed to where it's being proposed now. It's not just some arbitrary Selection it was done for good reason and good cause and the first site that we actually looked at was in the back on the West Young Drive where no one would see it and nobody wouldn't likely complain or say anything and it just For the siting criteria that was there Which is wetlands Primax soils and interconnection It really pointed to the front where it where it's being proposed now Which is a good site it meets all the criteria and This is a relatively small-scale project it's a It's really only a few times larger than a residential project believe it or not and So what is the dividing line between a residential scale and non-residential scale? In my opinion, I think well actually the state law would speak to this as well if you're at 15 kilowatts AC around 15 kilowatts. I think that's where they cut it off around 15 kilowatts This is 50 and 50 is really The it's still considered to be the the least intrusive of a ground now. It's it's the the lowest permitting requirements and Anything anything after 50 so if you go to 51 52 55 And you do what we're doing in Wardsboro and Wyndham, which are small-scale projects The permitting is really considered more mediums a Medium a scale and then of course if you're 500 kilowatts, it's it's a whole other different scale of things so It's 50 for a couple of reasons one the Murray's want to use this power Inversionally net meter it for the properties they have here in Rochester. They want to keep it local power This isn't some massive commercial enterprise And also the permitting at some point when you go over 50 it is just Extremely basically I have to get a law firm involved So is my time expired Robert the select board is asking him to continue with this one going to mute your line for right now Sorry So that's the reason that it's cited the way it is that's the reason that it's the size that it is it's meant to stay lower it's not meant to be an obstruction or a hideous item on the landscape and We've received actually letters of support in Wyndham and Wardsboro for much larger-sized projects in fields And the Rochester Board of Selectment of course can make its own Determination as to whether they want to have a letter of support Wyndham and Wards and Wyndham and Wardsboro Board of Selectment were Very supportive of the renewable energy projects there they They have citing criteria from from their regional council that shows You know that those sites were secondary preferred sites or primary preferred sites Imagine Rochester has this as well. I do that I was wondering if you had a chance to review those maps because we do have and they actually I don't know if you've seen them. I mentioned them to on the phone earlier and the Backfield actually is as a primary, you know, it's a prime spot. Yeah It's just curious that that one of the criteria would be to optimize the efficiency of the Solar installed that it seems that would be an important consideration I'll tell you one of the things they didn't put on those maps is they didn't consider inter-connection And that's a really old single-phase line there And I'll tell you I did a small project in New Hampshire. I Literally had a three-phase line right across the street I mean, you know the width of a street right in front of the project right in front of a piece of property Liberty utilities charged me $16,000 to go To put one pole in and cross over a street That was just that was just across literally from pole here to pole here across the street $16,000 To go and rebuild the line in West Young Drive. You don't want to even on a single-phase project you You'd be looking into the hundreds of thousand dollars I mean hey and even green mountain power because they don't want to burden on the rate payers if you put a solar project in They make you play the full cost of the rebuilding of any upgrades to their to their infrastructure You bear it as the developer and the owner Because they don't want it fairly enough going to the rate base, which is fair enough so Unless you're putting an enormous project on West Young Drive Which would not be supported. I don't think by that single-phase line Anyway, I Don't think that would be a viable spot to be quite honest with you and then there's ag soils and wetlands up there as well We checked it and we have the wetlands maps on it from the wetland to linear So that's that's really what we would be hoping for would be a consideration for a letter of support And we'd be asking the planning board as well I Think Don is concerned with global warming. I think most people are These little small projects like this. I think Vermont It's more favorite favors more of these smaller scale projects than these monsters And that's what really this fits the bill. It's a smaller little guy. It's a community solar project. It's a local power It's people trying to do their small part to Maybe make this a better world for a grandchildren So so are you still in the phase now of Seeking a certificate of public good from the regulatory? Yes, in fact, we There was a deadline Unfortunately, it's September the first where the rates dropped and because we did not get the certificate of our letter of support from the board of select and the planning board Well, I think to get the certificate of public good from the state first. It's no it's actually we should have came to you first believe it or not and It's still pending the application is pending the CPG to the to the PC. It's been filed for There's been a butter notifications. There's been a permit package and that's in the works the The thing that we would be waiting for really would have been that letter of support from the planning board board of select men and the Regional Commission the three rivers Commission and we should do that months ago I Would have to take some blame for that because I thought you could do it afterwards. It's a it's a very confusing process I have to say the permitting process We can go forward and we are going forward with the CPG application But it it really we would need the letter of support as well. It's kind of dual-tracked at this point, so it's been filed for It's been filed for It was a thank God it wasn't it wasn't a larger project because I know my two larger projects and In 10 minutes ago Um Robert this is a this is not a public comment This is an item on the agenda where he's presenting information about the project So that's why he's going beyond the 10 minute speaking. Yeah I would I would recommend that maybe those minutes that we just spent listening to You know solar energy and marketing we focus on The school in Rochester Because you're you're going off topic here. Yeah Yeah Could you give me the name of the gentleman who spoke the installer and Jonathan what's your last name? Yes, Jonathan Ellison Jonathan and what was the last name Nelson Nelson Nelson, okay? And I really don't remember where is this Murray property located in Rochester It's right at the intersection when you go about the mountain road when you turn right to head up up the mountain That's right to the left Gary Left of so if I said it left of Gary Rice is all place Okay Okay West young road Did did you have more that you wanted so if so in terms of permitting the if you We're going through it as well for our other two projects in the southern Vermont that I'm the developer for and I tell you the permitting process even for these little guys. I Think the printing bill from Staples was something like five hundred dollars. That's so much paperwork. We had to do it It was unimaginable and fortunately have the backing of a very good friend of mine That's willing to do these small projects. It's a Very credible developer And he's just had to wear with all three To to do this otherwise most people would have just quit because it's a permitting. It's just It's amazing. It's a lot to be honest with it. It's even sound studies believe it or not. It's it's everything. So It's amazing You have any anybody have any questions for When you've done the only thing I would suggest right now would be to Talk to Green Mountain Power to see what they're Going to allow you to do for a hitch up Because that's a pretty small wire size up there and whether or not that'll support what you're trying to do Or not it's going to be up to them. So Yeah, I would suggest you do that first and find out what you can do up there with what you're planning Or even thinking about so you cross that bridge and I would also suggest Personally, I think you need to this is kind of a land use type of thing It's not really what our jurisdiction is that I feel anyway I think that this should start at the planning board should start at the planning commission and get their approval And also go through the two rivers People to see if they support this project and then if you need us to give you a letter and everything works out that way Then we would follow suit with whatever the planning commission came up with in two rivers That's the way I view that so so to your point the GMP line and I went through this in our number small lines in The one on is it Bethelmont roads Bethelmont road that line That one's okay. That's the same. That's the same wire size as what's on West Young Road I can tell you that yes, and in the past what they've always done is asked you to upgrade a one pole situation Possibly yeah for where they melt their their equipment. Yeah, and that's the you know having worked there I kind of know a little bit about that so I Would suggest you go through their planners to see what they would allow you to do Well, actually I have spoken to them. They they seem to be They seem to be okay with the with the West Young The Bethelmont Road line there. Yeah holes are okay there Those actually should be moved out of the field I've been told that they would not actually be averse to moving those poles out of the field and put them along the side of the road because they have servicing issues right on those poles in the field and They they would have preferred that those be taken out. We had a discussion actually that went to the calm people and to the Green Mountain Power They'd be willing to move those with new poles at their expense not at the solar projects expense to Right along Bethelmont Road right there, so right We the Murray's are concerned about making too much of a fuss on that because if you start moving wires and moving poles Then you're going to get into more tree cutting which isn't on us It's on the utility to be perfectly nice with you, but they don't want to you know make too much of a fuss and have this You know have a lot of unintended consequences starts filling over and we end up with more tree cutting and then you know all these kinds of environmental issues that you know as Stewards of the land the Murray's care about their tree. This is what it amounts to and can I make you comment? Robert hold on just one second, please Rob Gardner was ahead of you and we're waiting here in the room for your turn So hold on just one second, please So to the other point The three Rivers Commission is going to want to see the support from board of selection and planning board before they look at We we did this the reverse way what you just said go to the regional first And they said well normally we don't look at this But we know the project we've all talked about it and we're gonna okay as long as it's subject to the planning board and the board of selectman So they usually kick it back to you guys and they want not they do they want us to start with the planning board and the board of Selectment and that's from West River regional Maybe three Rivers does it differently, but that's my understanding from going through this a couple of times earlier this year Do you have any knowledge of that Sandy being on the planning Commission, no, I Said approval from us our understanding was that our jurisdiction was limited to setbacks and such things So if it so I guess we'll need to do a little research and figure out What is that break between residential scale versus a larger scale whether that's 15 or or 50 and And to what extent where our zoning laws where whether we even have any say about it, you know Let's saw a hand in the back there And we've got one person All right, you have more to say Hey Rob Gardner, you're on my radar. We're just gonna finish up in the room here. Oh, thank you. Thank you And just wanted to talk a little bit about the project and My father's have said I've grown up hearing about solar and Have gotten to experience a more in a personal level working for the same solar company that Jonathan works for and We have put in enormous amount of thought and effort in our family with Jonathan on every aspect of it and where it should go and Working with Jonathan he is takes every effort to not cut down any tree that can possibly be cut down his own solar project Walnut tree that hangs over it and he's losing a lot of money a year because he's keeping the tree and we have the same values And so we have spent a lot of time trying to find the best place And we hire for almost five hundred dollars the wetlands delineated that they talked about and he looked at all the all the sites and One of the sites was along Depple Mountain Road, but involved removing it was completely wooded and removing all the trees and As a family we didn't want to do that The other sites what our preferred favorite site was on West End Drive. It was too wet The other sites are farmlands and just to be honest we value the farmland We have not utilized it's being hazed, but we haven't utilized it till it's full of capacity You know we're my family's talking about crops and animals on it We spent many years traveling back before taking care of my older relatives and so we couldn't You know we had to be back and forth content, but that's not the case anymore and the weather delineator said that that Farmland is not a preferred site Of course wetlands are not a preferred site in any endangered species or whatever He picked the site and I can show anybody the map I have of all the sites that he looked at He said that this was the preferred site and it's also better for all the practical reasons that Jonathan mentioned and just going back to these stewards of land when we bought it when I was a kid years ago Richie Curtis said to us that the barn was built and he has his name written on it They built the barn there because it was on the wetland they valued every square foot of the farmland And they did not want the barn to be to take up any space of usable land so they built on the wetland We're paying for that now by a barn that's sinking and needs a lot of work And we bought the land it was about to be developed over 10 houses We put it back up offer got it we treasure every bit of it And we don't want to put the solar project on farmland and and that's what the wetland delineator said to us If this was the best spot So we're trying to be good stewards of the land We also value Have it not be in anybody's vision or not, you know something that's an eyesore I think there is something said for you know as you approach Rochester if you see a little glimpse of it It's kind of a gateway to Rochester and kind of speaks for the town I think That people would be proud of seeing some of it But we took great consideration for the Blaine's and what they might see one of the sites was oh more right in front Of their house or down for Kinley's house. We x that off It's it's actually by our house. It's you know, I know that they've wrote a letter of objection But it's it's their view where they look in the mountains the valley It's not in that direction. If they were to look at our house, that's in the direction of the solar. It's not They would not see it in the direction of their view So we we took that into great consideration We've told them that we there's a row of trees there already that we put some evergreen trees on We're also in the process of doing research on a low-profile solar that Jonathan has built Several of these I have as well where the solar is very close to the ground so the bottom It's only maybe a foot and a half off the ground or what in the top is maybe three feet It's low-profile. It's not much less visible We're in the process of investing in about revert or so it sends power back through the panels To melt snow because that's the problem around here with it would get covered with snow so having it be something that is Not in it visibly objectionable to people it's something very important to us for our neighbors But also for us because it's directly right near our house And we pick that that spot for all the practical reasons and we're the ones bearing the the visual disturbance the most of having it by our house So those are basically the reasons that that we picked that spot and I don't know if anybody had any questions just I think my sister wanted it Hi, I'm Tara Marais. I want to say 30 seconds If there's something one negative about our family as we care a lot about other people and we put a lot of time into Into that concern and I personally was involved in hours and hours of discussions mostly about the blades and not wanting them to be upset Before we even told them anything about it. That was our biggest concern and Honestly that was and so as much as they're talking about solar being a positive I want you to know that a setting is also very important to our family and we don't love solar in our face We think it's a nice thing, but we didn't intentionally put it there. The people would see it and We like she said it's not in their view of the mountains. It's more in their view if you look at our house I know they'll see something and anybody who drives by will see something But we've done our best to move it as away from the view as possible Closest to our house is possible and it's done our best to do that and I Know I we have like a family vote where to put it and I wanted to put it down That's a mountain road, but it required tons of tree removal. Everyone was like no, we're not cutting down a hundred the trees So I just wanted to know that there was enormous thought put into it so we can open it up to now to Some of the public comment response to do in-house first. Yeah, let's do in house first and then move on to zoom So mark you want to speak? Just give me an idea this is the scale of the solar project that we're Say this with a certain caveat because as we know everything on here is 100% true But I did do some research as to what the size of a 50 kilowatt solar installation is and I've also got the cool homework on my own here 50 kilowatt is a hundred approximately 157 panels 330 watts per panel was pretty much the industry standard right now And according to paradise energy for what it's worth That comes to roughly 3061 square feet of disturbed space just to give you a point of reference. That's roughly 50% bigger than our house Common size solar panels of 330 watt it is an area of 18 square feet from the Panasonic company So we're talking some fairly good sized disturbed space Question I had and this is going back from a cell tower installation I had some input on a few years back is there a regulation that requires owners to post a bond or surety to ensure the Removal of the system if it fails or is no longer economically viable. The answer is no It's not required for net metering under pipe PUC rule 5.9. Oh is only required on installations of one megawatt or larger The other question I had it was what is the zoning of the Murray property in June? You can probably answer this better because you're on planning and zoning board Well, I'm not on the zone that's the administrator I'm not on the board, but yeah, yeah, so so what did what what is the zoning that conservation? Conservation residential as per the verb 2016 Vermont guide to residential solar systems over 14.3 kilowatt are not considered residential. This is a commercial scale installation Net metering rules in Vermont encouraged the use of sites not suitable for other development and discourages But does not prohibit the siting on other properties and that's from the Vermont public interest research group Installation of solar facilities is administered under Act 248 Which under is under the authority of the Vermont Public Utilities Commission Act 250 and local ordinances are not applicable That's from MSK attorneys up in Burlington Regarding aesthetic mitigation It's required under PUC rule 5.8 and in addition Act 248 B1 Requires compliance with local screening ordinances, which cannot be more stringent than for any other type of development Does the town of Rochester have such an ordinance in place? And really that's about it. I mean don't get me wrong I've been Involving some solar stuff Since I was in junior high school. I'm an industrial electrician. I do a lot of different stuff I'm not against solar But I think there needs to be a better more consideration given to other places to site it really That's about all I've got. All right. If you have any questions for me. I'll try to answer them as best as I can No, thank you. Thank you for the information Hi, my name is Tim Lee tenor. I'm also in a budding neighbor and I just want to Register an opposition to that project be incited where it is at the moment I think it'd be intrusive on both the immediate neighbors and people coming and going through our town To support solar for the future, but I hope you guys will look closer at the Possibility of the back 40 maybe even a bigger project or a joint project with the power initiatives that are going on right now But I'd rather not have it right out there on the road That's all I got So I'm head Robert Gardner Robert Gardner if you have something Yeah, I it's just a kind of an effort to understand the scope of this thing So I have solar on my house on the house and on the barn roof. It's 30 panels. So How many panels are you guys talking about? I know what 30 So the energy density is important So the prior gentleman is mistaken in his assertion. That's 330 watts. I just put 4200 panels on a roof and Panels on a roof 4100 panels on a roof. Yes Looked into corporations through a big roof. Yeah, and that was those were 405 watts And that's that's old by industry standards. I was actually looking at the new 540 watt panels So the impact is It's half of what was just stated and that's just the way it is So this is old information and perhaps incorrect information on area of disturbance So how many panels are you talking about then with the newer higher wattage? 75 kwdc divide by 540 of the latest, you know most efficient monocrystalline back-reflecting panel that will begin a benefit from snow replenishment Yeah, so you do the math it would be You would be about half of half of the 200 roughly. Yeah, maybe a few less than that. Yeah So maybe a hundred maybe a little less maybe The Murray project is 200 panels that I hear correctly. Nope. No, we just determined this there would be around a hundred panels And are these the standard size or I mean you say the panels that's relative to how big the panel is These are the newer more efficient panel So whether with each 1% increase of efficiency you get a much higher energy density So the industry wants to go obviously to higher energy densities and smaller footprints, right? Right? It's better for everything It's better for your racking. It's better for everything installation So 330 is a project. It would have been maybe three years ago. I would have done I Actually use 330 watt panels on a couple of my projects in, New Hampshire With a low-profile installation and you can hide the visual aesthetic impact of that with a six foot Vinyl PVC fence. I put it right on the main street or one of the main thoroughfares And on a property I own and I've not had a single Person say anything about it. In fact, I've had a lot of people tell me that looks fine or we don't even see it They're so so Robert Gardner. Did he answer your question? We're looking at about a hundred panels Yeah, yeah, and which would be three houses It's usually 30 panels on one house is it all right. Thank you Just my dad It would be approximately 60 feet by 90 feet Maybe 50 feet by hold on Robert feet square foot that it would take up. It's very small So say that again. It's approximately 50 feet by 70 by 80 feet that would be three sets Yeah, so it depends on your racking again if we used a really ultra low profile, which you know, I've used successful It's it's gonna be lower and it's gonna spread it out a little bit, but it's gonna be much lower I mean, it's literally The only problem there is the snow around here. That's that's the problem. It technically can be done Thanks now is your turn Hey, thank you, dude. Hey, I wanted to ask the gentleman that is Promoting and marketing his solar panel array down at the merry farm. It's a simple question What per foot does it cost to run electricity proper electricity to a household? Is he still online and can he answer that question? I I'm not Commercially it's extra extraordinarily expensive to run. I can't hear that person He's coming to the mic Robert just one second Yes, Robert, can you hear me? I can hear you. Yes, so your question cost of residential Line extensions, I guess is what you're saying The question is the proper electricity delivered to homes in Vermont. What is the price per foot? Well, normally property electricity is priced in kilowatts cents per kilowatt. I didn't ask you that question. I asked you I guess I don't know the answer Well, if you're if you're developing solar panels up on the merry farm And you don't know the answer to the price per foot of electricity provided by the state or the country, I Think you should be dismissed I Respectfully disagree as I don't quite understand your question, but I respect your your your opinion forward to you again We've heard it twice now, Robert. It's it's Your question I assume is how expensive would it be to improve the line to move the the array somewhere else? Is that what you're getting at? No, I'm asking for Electricity in the United States and the price per foot tonight So so I guess we don't have the answer to that question here Well, if you don't have the answer to that question the this whole discussion is mute Thank you, thank you for your opinion Yeah Is there anyone else on zoom that has a comment on this? There are no hands raised no hands. No hands raised. Can I say one really quick thing? Sorry just sitting here I don't I don't breathe solar and drink it every day like that. I don't understand it So sitting I'll make sure maybe other people don't understand something which I wouldn't if I hadn't been looking to them for days That we I believe this is correct that if we did it in a field on agriculture lane We couldn't get preferred site and that would mean that's not necessarily true actually I don't I don't think that we were told by the body engineer the civil engineer wetlands deleted that Agriculture land is not considered preferred and the problem is that if we don't get preferred site We can still do the project, but we'll just get a lower percentage from from the the electric company Which you know, we're hoping to use any benefit of this to preserve our barns preserve our property and to make things better On our property or in town, so it's not like we're trying to you know take advantage of anybody We just Want the product to be more viable. That's all Yeah, I guess I've never heard about this Necessity for a dedicated preferred site So I don't remember having to get that when I put the solar on My roof If it's something different than what you said before you could yes The answer to my comment is $16 per foot All right, good good, so you knew that thank you So I guess we're on you know, this is an informational meaning I would encourage you to get back on the agenda with the The planning board you're on the agenda for the last meeting, but I didn't things didn't work out. I guess for that Give one more. Yeah, I just want to quickly add I was just going to say what you said We apologize. We didn't know that it was on the agenda and so You know we apologize We would never have something on the schedule that we were not there for so it was unknown to us So it will be on either in the first meeting in November or in December. I spoke to Sandy about that And it just wanted to ask again that we're hoping that you guys can write the letter of support is if We meet all the criteria and it is a preferred site based on the rules and all the regulations that we're following And all the information that we have I think that we are Entitled to to that letter and again, it doesn't preclude us or enable us to do it It just makes it more financially viable and help like my sister said support an old farm We're trying to preserve literally the barns that were built on wetlands and do other things and so You know just ask for for your support. Thank you. Yeah, I guess we're that's not a decision We can make right now that this is a new Presentation us. So I have to you know do due diligence and Would it would help you to talk with the soft board at Wordsboro? No, not really. I think it's more I mean, that's that's probably a whole different situation I have two questions. We've got someone in the room here Robert. Hold on just one minute Hi I'm Jean Murray and Don's wife and the mother of three girls right and friend of John and I just couldn't let time go by without me saying that We've you know, we've we've almost over 30 years and and have dreamt I came I came to open Dorchester inner city Just dreamt of going to a farm so long and I'm kind of like the research person Who and has has done stuff about crops that we want to grow who are talking about We went to a solar thing five years ago about growing hemp For rope and other things like that I mean we've we haven't done that because of health issues and so was this played our family for a while but we seem to be past that hopefully and Also, I've done research on different animals. We have two barns and we want to we want to make it a farm the way it's supposed to be in the way it was and We use every bit of hay that we cut on my husband cuz it's got all sorts of hay rakes and all sorts of things that we have We use every bit of it and we've sold some we we've used it for all different things. We haven't we've had events on the farm You know weddings and different things that we've done and you know, it's it's it's a nice It's a nice Place that that shows what I think of what why I think of Vermont to be and I love to have people come and see it We went the house in the front and we invite people to come and see the farm And I think it's it's a good it's a good thing and I'm sorry We we hate the idea of putting the panels where we don't like them I mean, it's like I wish I could take this of this and that of that and put it all together make the best but we can't the Wetlands the linear looked around he said he you know bite by just looking at vegetation that grows if it's the most Prominent thing that grows in the field and he knows what kind of what kind of water that is and that this was out This is out. This is out. We were shocked and so we had not very little choice in the end Actually, we didn't have any choice at the end. So that was it and so And and we don't like it, you know, basically pretty much in front of you know At least a quarter in front of our house in front We're trying to make it a smallest can we're gonna spend more money as much as we can possibly scrape together To get the best panels to make them as low to the ground and as much efficient as possible so that it'll be the least and basic for anybody because That's just you know what we want to do and hopefully we'll get to do it And I hope I hope that this isn't you know car barged by By You know, I understand I wouldn't like it either I would if I you know had a few and I found out hey, there's gonna be some solar panels there I wouldn't like it either I don't know what to say about that we tried we tried our best we're very worried about the planes Kindly and we've we eliminated as much as we could to try to get as best as we can We've really we're in a corner. We're just boxed in and that's how it is We didn't have any idea it was gonna be like that and we can't put it way far away It's just it's so far away. They said we could prohibit it And if you had a million dollars you wouldn't do it because you're just this money Paying for all the the wires to go underground all the things to get away in the back of that up high there So Thank you, thank you. All right, no hands on zoom think we're good to go Okay, thank you. We'll just to be continued. I guess we'll get on we'll have this Conversation again on at the planning board, which is Probably we're we're to start a good place to start No, I mean not that we haven't started already You did me no and I'm gonna make a very serious question to the town of Rochester Directed to Martha Slater and Julie The town clerk there are two questions and one request You just please make your point Robert, it's not a point. Okay. Make your question number one Who is the webmaster of? Rochester website of Vermont Well, Robert, I'm not sure why you are asking questions that you know the answer is of you know that norm christiansen is the Manages the website For the town of Rochester, Vermont. What's your second question next question? Who has access to the open the open? Software that can access the Deletion Requests and anything on to the Rochester website. I believe that Julie can add the She regularly adds the agendas and minutes to to the meetings And when we need something more complicated we ask for norm support Okay, so why are the meetings of October 5th? 2021 planning zoning board meetings not President on the website. I suppose it's because we have a new person that volunteered to take those minutes And they're not quite up to speed on What is required of that and we're working to remedy that? Well, I would suggest that anyone whether elected appointed or employed by the town of Rochester that they Wear the hat of the responsibilities They take on open meeting rules and make certain that they are proper Thank you for that suggestion Okay, yep gotta go yep, but I'm still in the meeting All right the next item on the agenda was the issue of the reserve counts at the White River credit union and our recommendations to move those to Mascoma's that we're thinking that we can Get a better return on Those which which accounts are we talking about? So these would be all of the reserve accounts That are currently at the credit union. It was a suggestion that they made Because they know that there's possibility that we would have a Better return on that money if we do yes, I'm done with her too so it's Say It's all the accounts in the Must be 20 Yeah, they're printed on a page in there, but yeah, it's all the all of our reserves that we have at the credit union So you would still be opening an individual account for each reserve. Yes, yep They would be set up the way they are at the credit union, but just move to it at 19 Yeah No, I might as well I don't know if we can you know and be a little bit more we can get in the coffers is Is a plus yeah Yeah, I'd move to make that make that switch a second and all in favor. All right. Yeah Now we're getting on to Joan. Are you still here? Yeah, do you want to give us your updates? You're muted Joan. Are you there Joan? Oh, here she comes. I am muted myself Okay, I'll start again. It's gonna be really quick given I sent you a cooperative agreement from the Federal Highway Administration Yeah Okay, so that's the only thing is Take a look at it. See if you have any questions I think it's pretty straightforward at this point and then we need to get it back to the Federal Highway Administration And then I think we're all set with our grants for the West Hill Ridge. Okay, good We need to Joan this is Frank we need to meet at some point or get together and talk about the emergency generator for the town office to Yeah Okay, yeah, I need to put together a bid pack for a big package and the bid announcement Talk about that. Yeah Okay, okay This is Robert from zoom is Yeah, you have a quick comment Robert on topic The generator company that's removing the Converter from Property on to the other side today on the Bethel Mountain Road Regarding Jones commentary. I'm just wondering Why that The cost of that is Moving forward Secondly, I want to ask the town of Rochester including Martha and Nancy and the rest The price of the guard rails that were removed. All right. I'm sorry Robert, but we're gonna we're gonna mute you again because you're you're Removing off topic not what we're talking about here All right, where were we Jones, yes We talked to you good. You're working on the Put it to bid package out for the generator for the town office Yeah, I asked it's on my to-do list, but I haven't started working on it yet because I'm still doing FEMA stuff Okay I'll have some conversation with you about that. Anyway, I thought I've been talking about it a little bit checking around a few things and I'd like to run them by you You mean with regard to the generator. Yes All right, all right Tony Goofy's not here today Jeannette on zoom as well, I don't know if she's here, but she's here. All right I think we sent you a letter that was an update of the things that are needed on the at the library Okay, and I would just say that I second or even more Rob's comments about the committee to look at these situations of the town building Yeah Jeanette has something that she wants to join in on she's still muted if you have anything Jeanette Nope, I'm just here as an observer. Okay. All right. Thank you I Don't have anyone here from the highway. I know that Pretty much got the sand stash built up for the winter and that's looking good. I noticed they were Putting the rigs on the trucks to get ready to plow so winter is coming Terry Have you got anything on the utilities front? No? No, and I just Jeff get part here on zoom He is on zoom Jeff. Do you have anything? Hi, yes briefly Just wanted to note that the Vermont Council on Rural Development assisting us through the model communities program has Put together flyer. I got one down of the town office and do we need some copies and be distributing the rest today for a Quintown Second-stage meeting November 1st. It will be in person at Pierce Hall from 6 30 to 9 p.m And also available at that same time via the zone And the conversation earlier there was Desire expressed that we look at our buildings and mass sites realistically and What I think the Rochester area To do we'll be doing is we'll be looking at those buildings and gauging public sentiment in the Valley for You know prior prior legislation actually the things that we need to do That I pulled up tail nicely with a piece of the study kickoff November 17 Just two ways where we're trying to read the public's desires When they understand the condition of our town assets In doing that we have received this month The light audit performed by energy efficiency Investments incorporated and I say light because it's a pre-audit It's a desire on their part to help us and make some money, but we need to have a discussion going further as to what we do with the audit and How we react Part of what has come back in the audit is is energy related, but it's really not energy. It's the structure of our library itself and I did happen to notice in the Herald of October 21st the Preservation Trust of Vermont has announced an opening of a 2022 call historic revitalization grant round These are grants 50,000 to a hundred thousand dollars With an application deadline of December 15 The awards are for the preservation and restoration of non-profit and municipal-owned buildings and community gathering Faces of economic and social significance in rural communities That sounds like our library And we have a structure right now that's not shedding water if we allow that to continue We will not have a structure The Only other thing I wanted to mention Select board has already proved it correct me if I'm wrong. I'd like to take a look at the mowing contract the upcoming mowing contract and see if there's a way that I Can work things that the board would find comfort in attempt to Move some of our mowing to electronic Excuse me Jeff could I ask you a quick question? The meeting you're having November 1st it is that Pierce Hall, but I didn't get the time. I'm sorry Okay, thank you very much Alright That's the The grant for the preservation trust Issue that that seems that's that's something we should pay attention to you. Yeah, I think so Is that Jeanette you're on the line. Is that something that you'd be You'd be willing to take a stab at writing a grant. You're looking at that grant I Would however the question is what would we want the grant to do? Well, it sounds like there's some Some issues about as Jeff put the water shedding, you know Basically stable stabilizing the identified issues with the Envelope for the building structure the structure. Yeah Cuz I know I mean they won't pay for routine maintenance items Such as the painting what? Yeah, yeah, yeah What I'm wondering is that Being preservation trust I've had it on my to-do list to ask them this question anyway the first floor Exterior wood cladding either because because of the nature of the wood or because of the nature of The way it is attached to the to the building itself Won't retain paint We've only painted the second floor of the library once in the 17 years that I've been at the library and I believe we've done the bottom half three times and that's all you know now the worst of it. I Don't know if preservation trust would allow us to replace the siding on the first floor You know being a historic building or or not I don't know if that's something the trustees or the town would even consider doing But but it certainly is a continued problem One contractor did mention to me that they felt the cold air was getting up under that first floor boards And with her just somehow closing off access to cold air You know with health things but before you write a grant you have to know Exactly what you're asking There needs to be some discussion About what these structural things would be And I am not the person to come up with that Have you read the Energy audit from energy efficiency investments Inc. Have you read that from October 5th? Do you have a copy of that? I believe Jeff said me a copy It isn't it's not something that I've I've been thinking about in regard to a You know a grant for the building Right, but that energy audit directly addresses a lot of the issues that you're also concerned about So you may want to read that to see if that helps you determine What you want to apply for with your grant Okay, okay, but again being a town building and You know The select board the trustees, you don't need to be in the agreement on exactly What to write a grant for? And then that information needs to go to the grant writer I mean, I just can't pull out of my hat that we're going to do this to the building on my own Okay, so you you're you are or you are most in being the one that writes the grant If we feed you the information about what we're asking for the money to do well We've never found another grant writer in the last 17 years. So I guess yes, it would be me I would love to have you know help But I Certainly will endeavor to take it on All right. Well, I think we have a some good material to work with with this this review of the town buildings and in the specific identification from a You know qualified person to point out the issue. So what I think that Oh, we can we can work with you on Well, maybe Jeff can you know give us the top five that we should go Yeah and Jeff could probably Speak to what the content of the grant what needs to be written into the grant is just so we can know how Difficult it is to write up the grant. Yeah Jeff I sounds like you'd be Join in with that I will assist it. You know, I think that you may Remain you to open things up a little bit to see exactly what is there in order to Prescribe an appropriate fix As well as identify the very unusual cladding that exists on the first floor and I know That is going to be I think a challenge To Got a serious water issue. That's for sure. Yeah, we need to address. Yeah And that's part of the reason why the paint won't stay on the building. Yeah, it's the moist here We have to keep exterior water to the exterior Inside All right Yeah Sounds like first thing we need to do is Determine what The historic preservation folks will allow us to do with that expect cladding Hopefully we can get rid of it Yeah, well, maybe I said hopefully but if we could at least Eliminate the infiltration of water behind it. That'd be a good first step. Yeah. Yeah I'm looking to make a comment About this grant Robert Yes, I believe that the town of Rochester and Jeanette and the library or whatever should not depend on three rivers and the grants that are being offered now with regards to one one important thing in a library is silence and I do not go to the Rochester library because there is no silence Because the librarian Is not proper Oh Okay Well We take that um That seems to be a separate topic than what we're what we're talking about right here, but Diverging from is the Bethel library silent Let me make this clear the clabbers that Janice talking about could be replaced repaired Insulated and restored in a proper manner in the next week Okay Again, you do listen. Yeah, well, they're not clabbers either so Thank you, thank you so I think that we don't have anything under old business and We do have an item for a public comment Is there anything that we didn't cover tonight that someone would like to speak about? Then I'm going to thank everyone for For their input tonight and we have plenty of things to think about I Move to a jar On favor, okay. Thank you. Good night everyone. Thank you