TOWN & SCHOOL DISTRICT OF HARTFORD, VT

MINUTES OF THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING FOR

PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENTS

Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm

Hartford Town Hall

171 Bridge Street

White River Junction, Vermont 05001

Present: Richard Grassi, Selectboard Chair; Rebecca White, Selectboard Vice-Chair; Simon Dennis, Selectboard Member; Dennis Brown, Selectboard Member; Alan Johnson, Selectboard Member; Mike Morris, Selectboard Member; Lori Dickerson, School Board of Directors Chair; Paula Nulty, School Board of Directors Clerk; Kevin Christie, School Board of Directors Member; Nancy Russell, School Board of Directors Member; Tom Debalsi, School Superintendent; Leo Pullar, Town Manager; Eliza LeBrun, Executive Assistant; Dawn Pullar, Lannie Collins, Erik Krauss, Peggy Allen, Martha McDaniels, Damon Lane, Stephanie Morse.

Absent: Sandra Mariotti, Selectboard Clerk

1. I.              Call to Order the Second Public Hearing for Proposed Charter Amendments

Lori Dickerson, School Board of Directors Chair; called the School board meeting for the Second Public Hearing for the proposed charter amendments to order at 7:03pm.

Richard Grassi, Selectboard Chair; called the Selectboard meeting for the Second Public Hearing for the proposed charter amendments to order at 7:04pm.

1. II.            Order of Agenda

There was no change to the order of agenda.

1. III.         Selectboard and School Board of Directors

1. 1.      Proposed Charter Amendments

1. Shall the Town of Hartford and the Hartford Town School District amend the Town Charter to provide for the consideration of all budget adoption matters by Australian ballot? The effectiveness of this Article is conditioned upon the approval by both the Town and the Town School District.

1. Shall the Charter of the Town of Hartford be amended to authorize the levy of a one percent (1%) rooms and meals/alcoholic beverages tax, the net proceeds of which to be deposited in a capital reserve fund until directed otherwise by vote of the Town. 

Selectboard Chair, Richard Grassi read the above proposed charter amendments. There were no public questions or comments. Mr. Grassi reiterated that the although these changes were passed by Australian ballot last March, they were not passed by legislature due to the procedural issue of not posting the language of the charter and amendments within the voting booths.

In an effort to educate voters, Selectboard Vice-Chair, Rebecca White drafted the following letter to the editor;

Dear Hartford Residents,

When you enter the voting booth on November 8th you will notice a familiar item up for vote- changes to the town Charter. You may recall last March the Hartford residents voted in Charter changes to add a 1% Local Option Tax and a change to a full Australian Ballot form of voting on the budgets. Although those changes were passed by the residents, the Vermont State Legislature, who must vote to approve town charter changes, deemed, that procedurally, they were not properly done. You will have a copy of the charter itself and the specific language being changed so that you as a voter may be fully informed when casting your decision.

Both the School Board of Directors as well as the Selectboard agreed that the Charter with Amendments noted (as recorded and posted by statute) be placed in each voting booth and a larger print copy be placed in the lobby of the gymnasium. A discussion was held regarding highlighting additions and deletions, it was decided that as adding color would be different from the recorded version of the Amendments in the voting booths, it may confuse the voters.

1. 2.      Citizen, Selectboard Comments and Announcements:

There were no citizen comments.

1. 3.      Future Meeting Dates
   1. Special Town Meeting Australian Ballot Vote November 8, 2016 at the Hartford High School Gymnasium

IV.       Adjournment (Mot. Req.)

Paula Nulty, School Board of Directors Clerk; made a motion to close the School Board meeting for the second public hearing for proposed charter amendments at 7:29pm. Nancy Russell, School Board Member seconded the motion. All 4 School Board Members voted in favor, 0 members voted nay, 0 abstained. The motion passed.

Simon Dennis, Selectboard Member; made a motion to close the Selectboard meeting for the seond public hearing for proposed charter amendments at 7:30pm. Alan Johnson, Selectboard Member seconded the motion. All 6 Selectboard Members voted in favor, 0 members voted nay, Sandra Mariotti, Selectboard Clerk; was not present to vote. The motion passed.

            _____________________________

            Richard Grassi, Selectboard Chair

            ____________________________

            Lori Dickerson, School Board of Directors Chair