Annual Town Floor Meeting

March 3th, 20147:30 PM

Shaftsbury Elementary School Gym

Town Meeting Agenda

Town Moderator Calls Meeting to Order Special Recognitions Representative Miller’s Report Selectboard Financial Report FY 2013 Selectboard Report for FY 2013 Budget Presentation for FY 2015 Town Meeting/BUDGET VOTE Ballot Articles for Australian Ballot Vote Adjourn

Special Recognitions

2013 Town Garage Committee

Harold Baldwin Barry Mayer

John Endres, Sr. Karen Mellinger

Michael Gardner Ron Schoof

Ken Harrington Tim Scoggins

Ron Jennings Terry Stacy

Rick Kobik

Special Recognitions

Hometown Olympian:

Andy Newell

2014 - Sochi, Russia

2010 - Vancouver, B.C.

2006 – Turin, Italy

Special Recognitions

Shaftsbury Road Crew:Terry Stacy, Foreman

Steve Washburn, Asst. Foreman*

Tim Greene

Tim Gulley

Ron Jennings

Dave Worthington

Roy Ware

*Completed VT Local Roads Scholar Level I

Special Recognitions

Retirement

WATER SUPERINTENDENT

Joe Herrmann35 Years of Service

Selectboard Financial Report

General OverviewFY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 (Last Year) (Current Year) (Next Year)

Raised byTaxes: $ 1,302,614 $ 1,302,258 $1,420,231

Change: 0.00% 0.00% 9.1%

Grand List: $ 3,988,275 $ 3,995,234 $3,995,234*

Tax Rate: $ 0.3284 $ 0.3280 $ 0.3575 **

* Estimated Grand List** Estimated tax rate, inclusive of local agreement adjustments

Selectboard Report for FY 2013

Finance & Administration

Ended FY 2013 with an excess of revenues over expenditures of $66,736

Total Accumulated Fund Balance - $390,318

Delinquent Tax Collections - $228,186

Selectboard Report for FY 2013

Finance & Administration

All Departments came in below budget goals

Health Deductible Expenses less than budgeted; utilization rate of 60%

Installations of Town Office computer network came in significantly less than budgeted

Continue to minimize fuel costs due to energy-efficiency improvements of 2009-2010

Selectboard Report for FY 2013

Highway Department: Performed emergency deck replacement to Bridge 35 on Lower

East Road utilizing State Culvert grant funds

Completed realignment, ditching, and guardrail installations on Cider Mill Road

Replaced 2002 One Ton with One Ton Flatbed to promote flexible use

Installed 1,000’ of fabric on Shaftsbury Hollow Road and added 12 inches new gravel to correct spring thaw problems

Installed 1,200’ of fabric on West Mountain Road and added 12 inches new gravel as another spring thaw remediation project

Replaced 1988 Cat Excavator

Selectboard Report for FY 2013

Fire Department & Fire Warden:

Downsized fleet: Sold Truck No. 66 & acquired new multi-use Rescue Pumper Truck

Completed retrofitting former Rescue Truck into firefighting Brush Truck at minimal cost

Painted & repaired Depot Road Fire Station

Selectboard Report for FY 2013

Other Projects:Due to the efforts of the Economic Development

Committee, Town received 5-Year Renewal of Village Center Designation

As part of a review of our law enforcement needs, the Town extended contract with Sheriff’s Department for continued 20 hours/week coverage

Garage Committee helped to refine overall Town Garage/Salt Shed Facility needs for future action

School/Town initiative to lower speed limit through downtown successful

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Budget Overview

A budget is:

Estimate of revenues and expenses for Fiscal Year 2015(Fiscal year runs July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015)

A policy document honoring existing commitments (Debt Service, Contracts, Taxes, Insurances, Salaries and Benefits and Dues).

Based on previous years’ actual costs.

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Goals for FY 2015 Continue planning for New Town Garage facilities and

Cole Hall renovations, inclusive of a recommended $75,000 set-aside into the Garage Reserve Fund

Completion of Sidewalk Project on RT 7A & Church St. with federal and state grant funds

Board of Listers, Cartographic Associates, and Mountain Air Assessor to complete parcel mapping initiative in order to provide 24/7 electronic access to tax maps and grand list data via website; will be an important and ongoing tool for refining the Grand List

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Goals for FY 2015

Continued enhancement of Town Website

Continued discussions on law enforcement needs

Continue to work with Emergency Management Director to identify potential funding sources to finance installation of of generator at the Shaftsbury Elementary School (which has been identified as an emergency shelter)

Repave a portion of White Creek Road with State paving grant

Goals for FY 2015

Improvements to State Park Road

Continue drainage and surface improvements to Murphy Hill Road, inclusive of fabric installation

Apply for State grant funds to replace large culvert in Shaftsbury Hollow at Hollow Hide-Away Road

Replace 2006 International plow truck

Set-aside $40,000 to the Fire Truck Reserve Fund

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Community Appropriations for FY 2015

Budget reflects 100% funding of organizational requests

These requests are voted on by Australian Ballot tomorrow 7AM – 7PM in Shaftsbury Fire Station

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Budget 2015

2013 2014 2015Actual Budget Proposed

Raisedby Taxes $ 1,302,614 $ 1,302,258 $1,420,231

TotalRevenues $ 1,882,771 $ 1,854,628 $2,001,165

TotalExpenditures $ 1,882,771 $ 1,854,628 $2,001,165

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Setting the Tax Rate

Taxes needed ÷ (Grand List – Exempt property) = Tax Rate

$1,420,231 ÷ $ 3,995,234* = .3555

Local adjustment = .0020

Total projected municipal rate = .3575

(In FY14 the Town absorbed $7,144 in education taxes on behalf of eligible veterans; The Town also absorbed $846 of education taxes on the Grange Hall.

* Current Grand List; next year’s to be determined

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Fiscal Year Grand List Tax Rate

FY 2015 $ 3,995,234 * 0.3575**

FY 2014 $ 3,995,234 0.3280

FY 2013 $ 3,988,275 0.3284

FY 2012 $ 3,999,673 0.3231

FY 2011 *** $ 3,987,354 0.3235* = Estimate of FY 2015 Grand List.

** = Estimate of FY 2015 Tax Rate – actual tax rate set in August (includes estimated local agreements for Veteran’s and Grange Hall exemptions)

*** = Year reappraisals adjusted Grand List.

Budget Presentation for FY 2015

Effect the Budget has on Taxpayer

Median House Value (2010 Census estimate) $208,400

Grand List Value $ 2,084

Proposed Tax Rate 0.3575

Total Town Tax on Grand List Value $ 745

Budget Presentation for FY 201Effect the Budget has on Taxpayer

Effect the Budget has on Taxpayer

**

Real Property Value

Grand List Value

Actual FY 2014

Proposed FY 2015

Tax Rate 0.3280 0.3575

$ 75,000 $ 750 $246 $ 268

$100,000 $1,000 $328 $ 357

$117,300* $1,173 $385 $ 419

$125,000 $1,250 $410 $ 447

$150,000 $1,500 $492 $ 536

$175,000 $1,750 $574 $ 626

$208,400** $2,084 $684 $ 745

$300,000 $3,000 $984 $1,073

* Median House Value as of 2001 Census: $117,300**Median House Value as of 2010 Census: $208,400

Australian Ballot Articles

Zoning– Two bylaws changes– One procedural change (see Background)

Constable– One year ==> two year term

Background– “Procedural defect” in zoning bylaws

adoption– Rural vs. Urban Town

Zoning: 1a) Compost

New section 7.13 “Solid Waste Management Facilities - Industrial Composting Facilities” for the purpose of regulating and permitting industrial compost facilities in Industrial I and Industrial 2 zones as a Conditional Use

Regulates lot size, traffic, operations, etc. Moves Town toward alignment with new state

regulations Exempts backyard composting (< 100 cubic

yards)

Zoning: 1b) Flood Areas

Revisions to Section 7.15 Flood Hazard Area Regulations

Minor changes to floodway maps and bylaw language

Mandated by FEMA IMPORTANT: Necessary for

– National flood insurance– FEMA aid after flood catastrophe (like

Irene)

Zoning: 2) Procedure Change

Shall the voters of the Town of Shaftsbury authorize future zoning bylaws and amendments thereto to be adopted by majority vote of the Selectboard, in keeping with routine adoption practices outlined in 24 VSA Sec. 4442(c)(1)?

Current practice: Town-wide vote

Zoning: 2) Procedure Change (cont.)

“Rural Town” vs. “Urban Town”– Pop. < 2500 = Rural Town

Zoning bylaws adopted by town-wide vote– Pop. > 5000 = Urban Town

Zoning bylaws adopted by select board majority

– Shaftsbury ~= 3600We can go either way (and have: see

Background)

Zoning: 3) Procedure Change (cont.)

Recommendation: Urban Town– Zoning issues can be technical, complex and consequential

For example: Article 1b) above– Requires identifying “fluvial erosion hazard zones”– Could affect national flood insurance, FEMA aid

– Zoning bylaws adopted by select board majority, but only after…

Planning Commission public hearing(s) Select Board public hearing(s)

– Voters retain final say Voters’ petition can require town-wide vote

Constable

Shall the voters of the Town of Shaftsbury change the terms of its First and Second Constable from one year terms to two year terms in accordance with Vermont Statute 17 V.S.A. Section 2646(7)?

Enhance continuity in office of constable

Background

In 1987 Shaftsbury voted to be Rural Town for adopting zoning bylaws– Requires town-wide vote

Process became sidetracked during a period of multiple personnel changes in Town government

Two year statue of limitations on “procedural defects” in zoning bylaw adoption process

Articles 1a and 1b are only bylaws changes adopted in last two years

Annual Town Meeting(Australian Ballot Voting)

Tuesday March 4th, 2014

7:00 AM to 7:00 PMBuck Hill Road Fire Station

Please remember to vote!!!

Selectboard

Karen Mellinger, ChairCarl Korman, Vice-Chair

Ken HarringtonMitch Race

Tim Scoggins