Selectboard Special Meeting

JOHNSON SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES JOHNSON MUNICIPAL BUILDING MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2026 Present: Selectboard members: Mike Dunham, Peter Hammond, Adrienne Parker, Eben Patch, Paul Warden Others: John Sutherland, Rosemary Audibert, Lois Frey Note: All votes taken are unanimous unless otherwise noted. 1. Call Meeting to Order Adrienne called the meeting to order at 6:30. Rosemary administered the oath of office to those newly elected. 2. Nominate and Vote for a Board Chair for the Upcoming Year Mike nominated Paul for board chair, seconded by Adrienne. Paul Warden was elected chair. 3. Nominate and Vote for a Board Vice Chair for the Upcoming Year Mike nominated Eben for vice chair. Paul nominated Adrienne for vice chair. Peter said he wants to be sure that if Eben takes on the vice chair position that is not placing a burden on him that he was trying to get away from. Eben said he does not think it would be too much of a burden. Mike said he thinks it would be best to have Eben working in concert with Paul. Peter, Paul and Eben voted for Adrienne. Adrienne and Mike voted for Eben. Adrienne Parker was elected vice chair. 4. Consider Additions or Adjustments to the Agenda No changes to the agenda were needed. 5. Public Comment and Public Announcement No members of the public were present. 6. Selectboard Updates and/or Concerns Paul said he thinks we missed an opportunity to engage people on some of the issues we were prepared to discuss at town meeting. He feels we should have had a discussion on topics such as the library. Peter agreed. Adrienne said maybe at the next town meeting the report from the selectboard chair should be read and it would spark comments. Mike said it sounds like it was a loose meeting. Probably someone should have stated right at the start where he was. Eben said he opted not to say that Mike was traveling and his flight was delayed because he didn’t know if Mike wanted the world to know that. 7. Review and Consider Appointments for the Upcoming Year Eben moved and Adrienne seconded to disband the Racial Justice and Social Equity Committee and to make the following appointments: Road commissioner: John Sutherland Constable/animal control officers: Dean Locke, BJ Putvain, Crystal Earle Fence viewers: Beth Foy, Eric Osgood, Mark Woodward Official weigher of coal: Michael Patch Tree warden: Noel Dodge Health officer: Dean Locke Deputy health officers: town administrator, BJ Putvain Emergency management director: Eben Patch Energy coordinator: Mark Woodward Selectboard Meeting Minutes p. 2 March 4, 2026 Inspector of lumber, wood and shingles: Richard Simays Green Up Day, Chair: Adrienne Parker LCPC municipal director: John Sutherland Green Mountain Byways representative: CEDS Sheriff’s department communication advisory committee representative: Eben Patch Fire warden: Corey Davis Assistant fire warden: Gary Underwood Town historian: Linda Jones LCPC Brownfields Committee representative: Kyle Nuse Lamoille FiberNet representative: Paul Warden Lamoille FiberNet alternate: Mark Woodward Planning Commission: Kyley Hill (term ending 2029) Skate Park and Bike Track Committee: Casey Romero, Howard Romero, Greg Fatigate, George Swanson, Alexis Daniels Conservation Commission: Sue Lovering (term ending 2029) Tree Board: Sue Lovering, Rob Maynard, Noel Dodge, Jacob Vandorn, Brian Vandorn Historical Society: Linda Jones, Lois Frey, Richard Simays, Alice Whiting, Kelly Vandorn, Mary Jean Smith, Mike Dunham Development Review Board: Will Angier, Jim MacDowell, David Williams Development Review Board alternate: Kim Dunkley Beautification Committee: Adrienne Parker, Lauren Philie, Blake Parker, Kyle Nuse Tuesday Night Live Committee: Howard Romero, Tim Mikovitz, Sophia Berard, Joie Lehouillier, Tom Moog, Charles Flaum, Geoff Hollis Johnson EATS: Jasmine Yuris, Pam Jaspersohn, Diane Lehouiller, Gregor Novakowski, Kate Riley, Charlotte Roozekrans, Jesse Whitworth Johnson Rail Trail Committee: Jan Gearhart, Lynda Hill, BJ Putvain, Adrian Schmidt, Doug Molde, Mary Lou Kopas, Kim Dunkley Adrienne seconded and the motion was passed. Rosemary said Beth Foy got 23 write-in votes for moderator and David Williams got 19 write-in votes. Beth has 3 days to decline if she wishes and if she does, the board can appoint a moderator. Eben moved and Adrienne seconded to approve the following list of elected and appointed positions: Moderator: Beth Foy Clerk: Rosemary Audibert Selectboard: Michael Dunham (3 year), Paul Warden (2 year), Eben Patch (1 year), Adrienne Parker, Peter Hammond Plot Cemetery Agent: Selectboard Whiting Hill Cemetery Agent: Selectboard Evergreen Ledge Cemetery Agent: Selectboard Grow Cemetery Agent: Selectboard Town Assessor: Justin Mason LNMUUSD School Directors: Kyley Hill (3 year), Mark Nielsen (3 year) Library trustees: Kelly Vandorn, Suzanne Dodge, Eric Schultz (3 year), Jasmine Yuris, Trista Tallman Lamoille Regional Solid Waste District Supervisor: Howard Romero Selectboard Meeting Minutes p. 3 March 4, 2026 Board of Civil Authority: Gregory Hill, Jan Gearhart, Margo Warden, Jasmine Yuris, Bari Gladstone, Cynthia Hennard, Diane Lehouiller, Eric Osgood, Martha Leonard, Gary Underwood, Kyle Nuse, Helen McElroy, selectboard, town clerk The motion was passed. 8. Review and Discuss Goals for the Upcoming Year John said he got a call from someone who had been doing some cemetery stone work for the town and was wondering about going forward on that. Eben asked if we already spent all the money budgeted for cemetery work this year. Rosemary said yes. Eben said John should work with the contractor on getting a quote of what he can do with the amount of money we have budgeted, but the work won't start until after July 1. He recommended that John called Duncan Hastings to hear his ideas for what it would be good to focus on. Paul said it would be nice to get an update on the cemeteries to know what is needed. Eben said he thinks the board should probably bring back its projects and priorities meeting. Historically, we had a meeting like that in late March but we didn't do it last year. Paul agreed that would be a good idea. Paul said the Planning Commission is supposed to be organizing a third visioning meeting. Eben said he thinks we will be busy this year with staff turnover and restructuring. Adrienne said she feels like at the last meeting we approved the CEDS job posting, but did we tell John to post it? John said there were more adjustments to make. The board will review it after those have been done. The board reviewed the plan for Legion Field that was developed by Dubois & King. Paul said he talked to Dan from DuBois & King today. Paul didn't think this plan reflected the consensus from the two meetings as well as he expected. He had a list of suggested edits that he had shared with the board. We only have $23,000 so we can't do everything that is on the plan, such as toilets. He thinks with the money we have we can do the grading for the ice rink, and move the bandstand, put storage behind it and run electricity to it. That is probably about it. Eben said he would like to see the play area moved from where it is shown. He would like it to be moved away from the bandstand. He suggested switching the locations of the sculpture space and the playground. Paul said he thought the consensus at the meeting was that sculpture space was not a priority. People also did not seem to be interested in the stone patio. Adrienne read Paul's suggested list of edits and board members agreed with them. The board discussed whether there is a need for a second storage shed as shown on the plan. It was agreed that that should be removed from the plan and we should try to see if we can combine all storage in one shed. There was discussion about whether the four new lights that are shown are all needed. It was suggested that perhaps there could be fewer. Adrienne said she thinks the lights around the play area should be lower. Selectboard Meeting Minutes p. 4 March 4, 2026 Paul said a lot of people in town had ideas and thoughts about Legion Field. He thinks they are expecting to have the final plan brought back to them. It was agreed to have DuBois & King make edits and then present the final plan to the public. Eben suggested the play area should be accessible and viewable from the porch of the library. Peter and Adrienne agreed. Adrienne asked what the french drain is for. Paul said it gets wet back by the hill when it rains. Adrienne asked, if people are not going into that area, why is it important? Paul said he doesn't think it is. Adrienne said she thinks that could be moved down on the priority list. Lois said her recollection was that there was discussion about having paths on one side of the field for vendors, but not having them graveled. John said he thinks they were talking about putting down a gravel base with grass over it in the area where the food trucks would park so the trucks would not sink. Paul said we have not had issues with food trucks sinking. He said Dan from DuBois & King had mentioned that gravel paths make wheelchair access easier. Lois said the ground has always been pretty solid there and wheelchairs have been able to get across it. She thinks a path around the perimeter makes a lot of sense. Paul said DuBois & King took out the perimeter path. It was agreed that Paul can send the suggested edits to DuBois & King. The board discussed priorities. The top priorities are leveling the space for the ice rink, moving the bandstand, putting in electricity and putting the storage shed behind the bandstand. Peter said the storage shed might have to wait. We might only have money for the first three things. 9. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 7:43. Minutes submitted by Donna Griffiths