Charlotte Selectboard meeting

The Thompson Point’s Wastewater ordinance is going to go under the microscope again at the end of the month after board members decided during the Sept. 10 meeting that additional work was needed on the enforcement and penalties section.

The connection fee is composed of three costs:

• The cost of extending the wastewater system to the end of Lane’s Lane to serve the seven camps—this is $2,400 per camp
• The cost to connect each camp—one camp has been connected, and the cost was $6,880
• The pro-rated, depreciated cost of the original construction of the system—this is $10,500.  The draft ordinance indicates this can be paid over 20 years.

The draft ordinance indicates that all camps must connect by December 31, 2028.  Lot 204 is a non seasonal camp and is currently exempt based on an agreement from 1979; if it’s converted to seasonal use, the exemption will end.

The purpose of an ordinance is to provide regulation and enforcement, said Select board Chairman Lane Morrison. He pointed out that the town won’t necessarily fine residents not following the ordinance, but can work with individuals.

A violation under the proposal means that an individual does something not permitted by the ordinance, for example placing an item, such as a disposable diaper, into the system. Seven Lane’s Lane camps aren’t hooked up to the town’s wastewater system.

The Thompson’s Point Wastewater Advisory Committee ‘s responsibilities include recommending a fee schedule to ensure viability of a reserve fund and to suggest proposed amendments to the Indirect Discharge permit.

Town Administrator Dean Bloch told the board at the meeting that the town attorney added provisions for Article XI, a section outlining proposed enforcement and penalties.

According to the ordinance, violations are a civil matter and enforcement may be overseen by the Vermont Judicial Bureau, which has statewide jurisdiction over civil issues.

The proposed ordinance spelled out spelled out fines associated with violations.  A civil penalty of up to $800 per day could be charged for each day that the violation continues.

The board will discuss the proposal at its meeting on Monday, September 24.

Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Plan
Charlotte Tree Warden Mark Dillenbeck updated the board about how to best tackle the emerald ash borer, an invasive Asian species.  Dillenbeck and a planning committee are drawing up a proposal on dealing with the pest.  Carrie Spear is the Select board liaison.

The committee is working on a plan that includes completing the ash tree inventory, drawing up a FY 2019-20 $20,000 budget and prepare a $20,000 spending plan that covers late fall through next spring for cutting and treating ash trees. The panel is studying which trees should be removed in the future and those that should be preserved. Trees in Charlotte’s right-of-way are the most important for the commission.

The committee is also working on a 2019 March Town Meeting report about the preparedness plan.

In other news, the Charlotte Senior Center is working on a Request for Proposal for a kitchen countertop replacement project at the building.

Town staff is helping the Center put together a draft RFP for a package that includes countertop replacement and plumbing and fixture costs. Bloch said the town’s Improvement and Repair Fund will pay for the project.