Skip Navigation
Click to return to website
This table is used for column layout.
 
August 13, 2015
Rutland Development and Industrial Commission
Meeting Minutes – 8/13/15
Community Hall Annex

Meeting opened at 6:30AM.  Attending:  Mike Sullivan, Doug Briggs, Tom Dufault, Mark O’Clair, Michele Van Reet
Visitors:  Mr. Dick Williams
  • All agreed that town meeting went well.  
  • Minutes to review from 7/8/2015 meeting.  Not everyone had them, so we will review at next meeting.
  • Workplace Violence and Employee Code of Conduct policies were distributed by Mike Sullivan.
  • Barton’s response to town meeting – they were pleased with the outcome.
  • Barton has been completing due diligence on Lot 2, but wants to submit parallel proposal for Lot 1 just in case Lot 2 does not work out for them.  They have been back and forth on both sites, but as of today they are committing to Lot 2.  They are asking for an extension on the Purchase & Sale Agreement because it will take about 4 months to complete due diligence on the property.
  • Michele Van Reet brought up a concern with the fact that they may want to back out of P&S due to wetlands problems because we had agreed that they could only back out due to environmental issues.  Tom Dufault stated that wetlands could be classified as environmental.   Doug Briggs agreed.  Mike Sullivan pointed out that they are committed to building here and if there’s a real reason to back out we should let them.  Van Reet is concerned because we sold the property ‘as is’.  
  • Doug Briggs asked for a meeting in his Ashburnham office yesterday with the assessor over the issue with emails to Mike Sullivan from Margaret (Rutland Town Administrator) about Mike Sullivan’s statement at the town meeting about the potential revenue of $50,000 based on a $3 million project.  The assessor told Margaret that he had no idea where Mike got his information, but the potential revenue would be quite a bit less than stated - around $20,000 something.  Mike Sullivan explained that we calculated it based on the tax rate.  Doug Briggs disclosed that the assessor for Rutland is also the assessor in Ashburnham, where Doug Briggs is the Town Administrator.  Briggs told Harold (the assessor) that we (RDIC) requested information and got none.  Mike Sullivan stated that we did get something, which Briggs dismissed as Harold did not refute it.  Briggs explained how he calculated it.  Doug Briggs explained that at town meeting we needed a number and if it wasn’t totally correct it was better than saying we had no idea.  It was a rough and dirty number to give people at town meeting.  The assessor is concerned that the TIF paperwork needs to be accurate, as an overstatement of the number of employees would be a reason to rescind it.  Michele Van Reet asked if we had asked the assessor’s office for a number.  Mike Sullivan replied that we did a while ago, but he couldn’t find it.  Mike Sullivan stated that he had not asked for the information recently.  
  • DCAM clean-up document – Mike Sullivan is asking for documentation on the dump.  He received a 200+ page report.  DCAM checked the cover and determined that it wasn’t breached.  Mike Sullivan told them that DCAM needs to clean it up and make sure that it’s in compliance before we take it over.  
  • Flo Design – Mike Sullivan has been trying for weeks to get them to respond.  They finally responded and Mike Sullivan sent the contact pictures of the site.  They asked if they could take down foundations half way, but Mike Sullivan said no, the agreement states that they will return it to the original condition.
  • Roadway update – Tom Dufault is getting nowhere with Pare.  He spoke to the original surveyor who holds the proper certification and did the original survey work.  He agreed to take care of it for about $1,000.
  • HPPD Review Board – Mike thinks we should name the board and move on with appointments.  Michele Van Reet noted that we already voted on everyone, but others weren’t sure.  
  • Mike Sullivan made a motion, Tom Dufault  seconded to appoint Dick Williams as member at large.  Unanimously approved.
  • Mike Sullivan a motion, Tom Dufault seconded to appoint Doug Briggs.  Unanimously approved.
  • Doug Briggs made a motion, Tom Dufault seconded to appoint Mike Sullivan.  Unanimously approved.
  • Doug Briggs made a motion, Tom Dufault seconded to appoint Chris Senecal, ZBA member.  Unanimously approved.
  • Mike Sullivan made a motion, Michele Van Reet seconded to appoint Brett Russ as member at large.  Unanimously approved.
  • Mike Sullivan asked Michele Van Reet to put together a letter of appointment to send to the Town Clerk to get these members sworn.  We also need to send individual letters to these members.
  • Tom Dufault requested to be the point-person on the TIF agreements, since he worked on the other 2 TIF agreements in town.  Unanimously approved.
  • Doug Briggs wanted to publicly thank Mike Sullivan for all of the work he has put into this process.  
  • Doug Briggs asked how we will deal with closing the meeting at the town meeting.  Michele Van Reet explained that it would close at the end of the town meeting due to lack of quorum.
  • Next meeting:  Wednesday, 8/26/2015 at 6:30AM at Community Hall Annex.
  • Briggs motioned to adjourn.  Sullivan seconded.  Unanimously adjourned at 7:18AM.