Select Board – April 27 – MINUTES
by admin
Town of Woodbury Select Board Meeting Minutes
April 27, 2026
Attendees
Select Board Members: Diana Peduzzi, Chris Casey, John Gordon
Town Officials: Robin Durkee (Town Clerk}, Lilly Baron (Town Treasurer)
Town Employees: Alfred Larrabee (Road Commissioner); Peter Dailey (Road Foreman);
Members of the Public: Graham Christie; Bob Martin; Skip Marchesani
Media: Jerome Lipani -HCTV
Call to Order Chriscalledthemeetingtoorderat6:01 P.M.
Adjustments to Agenda LEMP approval struck from the agenda; THO added to Appointments
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the April 13, 2026, Select Board meeting were approved
Public Comment None
Road Commissioner's Report with Alfred Larrabee and Peter Dailey
The road crew is focused on grading the Class 3 roads. The roads are still posted but signs will come down this
week. The 550, recently repaired, broke down again after a few days. This time the trouble is with the engine, with
the fix suggested by the Ford dealer, who did the initial repair, that the motor needs to be replaced. Peter does not
feel it is worth the town's expense to invest more money in this vehicle. Alfie needs to speak with the tech and
dealership at Ford to better understand why the engine trouble was not taken into account before the previous
$12,000 repair work was done. It will cost at least $165,000 to replace the 550. Discussion follows on how that will
be accomplished with thought of putting the 550 replacement at the top of the HERF priority listing, bumping back
the excavator as discussed at a previous meeting. No decision was made at this meeting.
CVFiber wants to place underground fiber in the ROW of some sections of the Class 4 section of Scribner Road.
The town has a permit form for work within the right-of-way.
Alfie announces that the roadside spring in the gulf is now flowing again. The road crew and town volunteers
contributed to the repair work. Peter has been talking with a person interested in applying for the 3
rd
full-time road
crew member position. This person is currently working to get a CDL license and will be submitting an application.
The WSB thanks Alfie for his care and efforts during his time as the town's road commissioner. Alfie's last day will
be May 1
st
.
Town Clerk's Report with Robin Durkee
Robin asked if her resignation has been accepted. Chris states that the resignation has been accepted and
apologizes for not letting Robin know. Robin has a copy of the Town Meeting Minutes that the town moderator and
the WSB will need to sign and then the TC will attest to as a witness. Chris has not had a chance to review the
draft, so the approval may have to wait until a subsequent meeting.
The ad for the town mowing contract stated that bids be sent sealed and by mail. Robin presents 3 bids, only one
came as requested and the other two arrived through email. The WSB reviewed all three bids, and discussed rates
presented. After discussion, the WSB voted to award the mowing contract to AW Lawncare. Robin will call AW
Lawn care to notify them they have received the contract award.
Robin has been working to clean up errors on the voter checklist, in preparation for turning over to the new clerk.
The MVUESD budget re-vote will be held on May 20
th
• Chris thanks Robin for her 6 years of service as town clerk.
The WSB also presents Robin and Pam with thank you gifts.
IT Management during Town Clerk Transition with Skip Marchesani
Skip gave an update of the recent upgrades to the town's IT systems over the last two years, including the services
provided by RB Technologies. He also shared the town's protocol for IT management, with Skip appointed as our
volunteer IT manager and Wayne Lap pen as the Assistant, with John Reid and -Ben Witte managing the web site. IT
questions and support are dealt with by Skip as the town's first line of resolving problems. RBT is the town's
second "go to" for help but only after Skip has had a chance to resolve any issue. This is being done to help reduce
costs as RBT's support is valuable but expensive.
Town Treasurer's Report with Lillian Baron
The Fund Balance Policy, developed by Lilly and already approved by the WSB, was signed by the WSB. The CVR PC
Mutual Aid Agreement was signed by the WSB chair. John Gordon, as the town's EMO, is designated as the point
of contact. He is working on finding a second person to be designated as his backup. The amendment to the
town's school lease to MVUESD, discussed at the last meeting, was again discussed. The amendment is regarding
the insurance coverage and clarifies language suggested by PACIF, the town's insurer. Lilly requested the WSB
send her any suggested changes to the amendment. Lilly will connect with OSSU to share this lease amendment
with them and get their opinion of the change.
Lilly reported that the town will receive a $7,869 refund on its Workers Comp PACIF insurance for 2025, which will
appear as a credit on the next PACIF bill for FY27. This refund is the result of an overestimation of the
2024 annual highway payroll by approximately $100,000. The payroll estimate has since been adjusted
for 2026, and an additional credit following the completion of the 2026 WC audit after the year-end is anticipated.
As a result, the town can also expect lower insurance costs in FY27.
Lilly then discusses the possibility of transferring some of the unassigned TH funds from FY 25 to the HERF to
cover the cost of the truck purchased in FY 26. This had been previously discussed informally with the WSB when
the final cost of the truck exceeded what was in the HERF. This transfer to the HERF can be done legally but will
need formal WSB approval. The transfer will not involve the use of current-year funds or funds raised for the FY26
tax year. Lilly requested WSB approval for time, mileage, and registration reimbursement (6.25 hours, 34 miles,
$40 fee) for her attendance of the Women Leading Government Conference. The WSB approved the request.
Updates on Buyouts with John Gordon
John has received two versions of the RFP for the demolition of the buyout buildings supplied by Keith Cubbon of
CVRPC. Chris asks about the possibility of an extension. John states that is a possibility but the town would need
to show some steps of progress toward the demolition work. Getting out an RFP that shows a timeline for progress
would help in that extension request. John asks other WSB members to review the RFPs. John did reach out to an
electricians to discuss the transfer of the wiring connecting the emergency generator that presently goes to the old
fire station, to the town hall which is another emergency shelter. Tim Higgins looked it over and gave John an
estimate -$3,000 and two days work. There will also be a need to re-configure the water distribution -currently the
well located on the Post Office property serves all three buildings, with the pump station in the old fire station.
There are hot water tanks in the fire station and the town hall. These changes will have to be financed by the town,
not as part of the demolition contract. John suggests the electrical transfer could be done at a later date to help
with budget issues but the water would need to be done with the demolition, to maintain water service to the Post
Office building. John believes that both buildings are now under town ownership and covered for liability with
PACIF. Lilly asks about the small fee change incurred; John states that issue has been resolved. A final question
asks when the RFP should go out. John suggests the WSB review the RFPs. Site visits for each of the buildings is
also discussed with the thought of hazardous materials that would need to be addressed in the demolition. Diana
will look up the RFP used for the demolition of the old store, which may be helpful. Those RFP's were prepared by
Skip Lindsay. John also requests, on behalf of the WVFD, if they could use the old Shattuck property for training.
WSB okays this.
Recovery Officer's Report
Skip was not in attendance for this meeting but did provide a written report to the WSB. The main issue of this
meeting is presented by Chris addressing the leftover funds, the change of work scope for the bridge replacements
on TH23 and TH 24 and the town's ongoing dispute with the return of the leftover funds to FEMA. Chris had spoken
with Mark Johnson of VEM and Skip regarding the acceptance of the change of work scope which would essentially
end the WSB's dispute of the leftover funds used for other mitigation projects, originally thought to be in
accordance with FEMA policy guidance. Mark Johnson unofficially admitted that FEMA, through one of the many
personnel changes of FEMA managers, missed the communications sent by SKIP of the scope of work changes for
the bridges. Mark says this is unfortunate but there is not much the town can do about it. Discussion concludes
that the town has two choices -one is to sign off on the new scope of work changes, VEM will pay for the work of
the bridge replacements based on the actual scope of work costs but will want the leftover funds returned and will
not pay for the other mitigation projects done with those leftover funds. The other option is for the town to refuse to
sign off on the scope of work changes which would cause FEMA to open a new investigation of the FEMA funds
designated for the 2023 flood recovery. Mark suggests that if this happens the town could lose all funding granted
by FEMA for all the 2023 flood recovery work the town undertook. Both Mark and Skip suggest the WSB sign off on
the scope of work changes and not pursue further disputes with FEMA; Chris recommended the WSB follow Mark
and Skip's suggestion. The WSB has considered these options and approved signing off on the scope of work
changes. This means we will be required to return the $105,000 spent on other mitigation projects. There is a brief
discussion of how the town will pay back the $105,000. Lilly offered to work on a contingency plan to help cover
this expense. Diana mentioned that some of the funding in the Town Building Maintenance fund has been intended
to build up sufficient funds to replace the roofing on the Town Hall. That roof replacement was done as one of the
mitigation projects that used "un-obligated" FEMA funds. There are also some ERAF (state match) funds owed by
the state, which cannot be released until all other paperwork on the 2023 projects has been approved and signed.
Town Official Appointments
Appointments to the following positions were discussed:
~-Graham Christie is interested. The WSB is aware that Bonnie Collins has also volunteered
to take this position. Diana spoke with her. Considering her elected role as a lister and new role as assistant to
the Treasurer, Bonnie decided not to pursue the ZA position as long as there is another viable candidate. And she
would be willing to serve as the Assistant Zoning Administator. The WSB appointed Graham as the town's new ZA,
and Bonnie as Assistant ZA .. Bob Martin stated that he is willing to help with the transition. Diana will set up a
meeting between herself, Bob, Graham and Bonnie to plan for the transition.
E911 Coordinator-Darwin Thompson has offered to fill in this position. The WSB appointed Darwin as the E911
coordinator. Diana will contact the E911 Board to let them know of this appointment.
Town Health Officer -Chris spoke with Kathryn Saunders. Kathryn is currently the health officer for Calais and
Worcester and is willing to be Woodbury's THO as well. The WSB appointed Kathryn to this position. Chris will
contact Kathryn and offer to be a backup for her, going along on site visits or guiding her to sites, as needed.
Swenson/Polycor Act 250 Hearing Application Status
Chris reported that John Reid is working on documentation, based on clear data and evidence, to back the town's
request for a hearing before the Act 250 commission, to ask for a larger rate of compensation from Swenson for
road upkeep. Bowman/Polycor have sent a letter to the Act 250 commission asking that the town submit their
evidence prior to any hearing. The Commission has not decided whether to hold a hearing.
The WSB will ask David Mears, the town's lawyer, for his opinion regarding the Polycor letter.
Executive Session citing 1 VSA 313(a)(3)
The WSB voted to enter Executive Session at 7:55, inviting Graham, Robin and Lilly. The Executive Session closed
at 8:43. The following decisions were made during the session:
Town Clerk -the sole applicant was Graham Christie. The board had reviewed his application letter and found him
to be highly qualified. Graham was appointed to fill the Clerk position until the next regular Town Meeting. Agreed
to the advertised wage of $25/hour, for 20-24 hours per week. He will take over on May 4.
Peter Dailey was promoted to the position of Road Commissioner, upon Alfie's end of employment on. April 30.
His hourly wage will be $33.00.
Mi,liichael Gray was granted a raise to $20 I hour for his invaluable work as Select Board Assistant and Road Dept.
Assistant/Grant Manager.
Robin Durkee will be paid $33/hour for her time training the new Clerk. She estimates that it may be two months,
during which time she will also fill in as Assistant Town Clerk.
Updates and Other Business
Bills and Payroll
Bills and payroll orders were signed at the end of the meeting.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M.
Date Approved
April 27, 2026
Attendees
Select Board Members: Diana Peduzzi, Chris Casey, John Gordon
Town Officials: Robin Durkee (Town Clerk}, Lilly Baron (Town Treasurer)
Town Employees: Alfred Larrabee (Road Commissioner); Peter Dailey (Road Foreman);
Members of the Public: Graham Christie; Bob Martin; Skip Marchesani
Media: Jerome Lipani -HCTV
Call to Order Chriscalledthemeetingtoorderat6:01 P.M.
Adjustments to Agenda LEMP approval struck from the agenda; THO added to Appointments
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the April 13, 2026, Select Board meeting were approved
Public Comment None
Road Commissioner's Report with Alfred Larrabee and Peter Dailey
The road crew is focused on grading the Class 3 roads. The roads are still posted but signs will come down this
week. The 550, recently repaired, broke down again after a few days. This time the trouble is with the engine, with
the fix suggested by the Ford dealer, who did the initial repair, that the motor needs to be replaced. Peter does not
feel it is worth the town's expense to invest more money in this vehicle. Alfie needs to speak with the tech and
dealership at Ford to better understand why the engine trouble was not taken into account before the previous
$12,000 repair work was done. It will cost at least $165,000 to replace the 550. Discussion follows on how that will
be accomplished with thought of putting the 550 replacement at the top of the HERF priority listing, bumping back
the excavator as discussed at a previous meeting. No decision was made at this meeting.
CVFiber wants to place underground fiber in the ROW of some sections of the Class 4 section of Scribner Road.
The town has a permit form for work within the right-of-way.
Alfie announces that the roadside spring in the gulf is now flowing again. The road crew and town volunteers
contributed to the repair work. Peter has been talking with a person interested in applying for the 3
rd
full-time road
crew member position. This person is currently working to get a CDL license and will be submitting an application.
The WSB thanks Alfie for his care and efforts during his time as the town's road commissioner. Alfie's last day will
be May 1
st
.
Town Clerk's Report with Robin Durkee
Robin asked if her resignation has been accepted. Chris states that the resignation has been accepted and
apologizes for not letting Robin know. Robin has a copy of the Town Meeting Minutes that the town moderator and
the WSB will need to sign and then the TC will attest to as a witness. Chris has not had a chance to review the
draft, so the approval may have to wait until a subsequent meeting.
The ad for the town mowing contract stated that bids be sent sealed and by mail. Robin presents 3 bids, only one
came as requested and the other two arrived through email. The WSB reviewed all three bids, and discussed rates
presented. After discussion, the WSB voted to award the mowing contract to AW Lawncare. Robin will call AW
Lawn care to notify them they have received the contract award.
Robin has been working to clean up errors on the voter checklist, in preparation for turning over to the new clerk.
The MVUESD budget re-vote will be held on May 20
th
• Chris thanks Robin for her 6 years of service as town clerk.
The WSB also presents Robin and Pam with thank you gifts.
IT Management during Town Clerk Transition with Skip Marchesani
Skip gave an update of the recent upgrades to the town's IT systems over the last two years, including the services
provided by RB Technologies. He also shared the town's protocol for IT management, with Skip appointed as our
volunteer IT manager and Wayne Lap pen as the Assistant, with John Reid and -Ben Witte managing the web site. IT
questions and support are dealt with by Skip as the town's first line of resolving problems. RBT is the town's
second "go to" for help but only after Skip has had a chance to resolve any issue. This is being done to help reduce
costs as RBT's support is valuable but expensive.
Town Treasurer's Report with Lillian Baron
The Fund Balance Policy, developed by Lilly and already approved by the WSB, was signed by the WSB. The CVR PC
Mutual Aid Agreement was signed by the WSB chair. John Gordon, as the town's EMO, is designated as the point
of contact. He is working on finding a second person to be designated as his backup. The amendment to the
town's school lease to MVUESD, discussed at the last meeting, was again discussed. The amendment is regarding
the insurance coverage and clarifies language suggested by PACIF, the town's insurer. Lilly requested the WSB
send her any suggested changes to the amendment. Lilly will connect with OSSU to share this lease amendment
with them and get their opinion of the change.
Lilly reported that the town will receive a $7,869 refund on its Workers Comp PACIF insurance for 2025, which will
appear as a credit on the next PACIF bill for FY27. This refund is the result of an overestimation of the
2024 annual highway payroll by approximately $100,000. The payroll estimate has since been adjusted
for 2026, and an additional credit following the completion of the 2026 WC audit after the year-end is anticipated.
As a result, the town can also expect lower insurance costs in FY27.
Lilly then discusses the possibility of transferring some of the unassigned TH funds from FY 25 to the HERF to
cover the cost of the truck purchased in FY 26. This had been previously discussed informally with the WSB when
the final cost of the truck exceeded what was in the HERF. This transfer to the HERF can be done legally but will
need formal WSB approval. The transfer will not involve the use of current-year funds or funds raised for the FY26
tax year. Lilly requested WSB approval for time, mileage, and registration reimbursement (6.25 hours, 34 miles,
$40 fee) for her attendance of the Women Leading Government Conference. The WSB approved the request.
Updates on Buyouts with John Gordon
John has received two versions of the RFP for the demolition of the buyout buildings supplied by Keith Cubbon of
CVRPC. Chris asks about the possibility of an extension. John states that is a possibility but the town would need
to show some steps of progress toward the demolition work. Getting out an RFP that shows a timeline for progress
would help in that extension request. John asks other WSB members to review the RFPs. John did reach out to an
electricians to discuss the transfer of the wiring connecting the emergency generator that presently goes to the old
fire station, to the town hall which is another emergency shelter. Tim Higgins looked it over and gave John an
estimate -$3,000 and two days work. There will also be a need to re-configure the water distribution -currently the
well located on the Post Office property serves all three buildings, with the pump station in the old fire station.
There are hot water tanks in the fire station and the town hall. These changes will have to be financed by the town,
not as part of the demolition contract. John suggests the electrical transfer could be done at a later date to help
with budget issues but the water would need to be done with the demolition, to maintain water service to the Post
Office building. John believes that both buildings are now under town ownership and covered for liability with
PACIF. Lilly asks about the small fee change incurred; John states that issue has been resolved. A final question
asks when the RFP should go out. John suggests the WSB review the RFPs. Site visits for each of the buildings is
also discussed with the thought of hazardous materials that would need to be addressed in the demolition. Diana
will look up the RFP used for the demolition of the old store, which may be helpful. Those RFP's were prepared by
Skip Lindsay. John also requests, on behalf of the WVFD, if they could use the old Shattuck property for training.
WSB okays this.
Recovery Officer's Report
Skip was not in attendance for this meeting but did provide a written report to the WSB. The main issue of this
meeting is presented by Chris addressing the leftover funds, the change of work scope for the bridge replacements
on TH23 and TH 24 and the town's ongoing dispute with the return of the leftover funds to FEMA. Chris had spoken
with Mark Johnson of VEM and Skip regarding the acceptance of the change of work scope which would essentially
end the WSB's dispute of the leftover funds used for other mitigation projects, originally thought to be in
accordance with FEMA policy guidance. Mark Johnson unofficially admitted that FEMA, through one of the many
personnel changes of FEMA managers, missed the communications sent by SKIP of the scope of work changes for
the bridges. Mark says this is unfortunate but there is not much the town can do about it. Discussion concludes
that the town has two choices -one is to sign off on the new scope of work changes, VEM will pay for the work of
the bridge replacements based on the actual scope of work costs but will want the leftover funds returned and will
not pay for the other mitigation projects done with those leftover funds. The other option is for the town to refuse to
sign off on the scope of work changes which would cause FEMA to open a new investigation of the FEMA funds
designated for the 2023 flood recovery. Mark suggests that if this happens the town could lose all funding granted
by FEMA for all the 2023 flood recovery work the town undertook. Both Mark and Skip suggest the WSB sign off on
the scope of work changes and not pursue further disputes with FEMA; Chris recommended the WSB follow Mark
and Skip's suggestion. The WSB has considered these options and approved signing off on the scope of work
changes. This means we will be required to return the $105,000 spent on other mitigation projects. There is a brief
discussion of how the town will pay back the $105,000. Lilly offered to work on a contingency plan to help cover
this expense. Diana mentioned that some of the funding in the Town Building Maintenance fund has been intended
to build up sufficient funds to replace the roofing on the Town Hall. That roof replacement was done as one of the
mitigation projects that used "un-obligated" FEMA funds. There are also some ERAF (state match) funds owed by
the state, which cannot be released until all other paperwork on the 2023 projects has been approved and signed.
Town Official Appointments
Appointments to the following positions were discussed:
~-Graham Christie is interested. The WSB is aware that Bonnie Collins has also volunteered
to take this position. Diana spoke with her. Considering her elected role as a lister and new role as assistant to
the Treasurer, Bonnie decided not to pursue the ZA position as long as there is another viable candidate. And she
would be willing to serve as the Assistant Zoning Administator. The WSB appointed Graham as the town's new ZA,
and Bonnie as Assistant ZA .. Bob Martin stated that he is willing to help with the transition. Diana will set up a
meeting between herself, Bob, Graham and Bonnie to plan for the transition.
E911 Coordinator-Darwin Thompson has offered to fill in this position. The WSB appointed Darwin as the E911
coordinator. Diana will contact the E911 Board to let them know of this appointment.
Town Health Officer -Chris spoke with Kathryn Saunders. Kathryn is currently the health officer for Calais and
Worcester and is willing to be Woodbury's THO as well. The WSB appointed Kathryn to this position. Chris will
contact Kathryn and offer to be a backup for her, going along on site visits or guiding her to sites, as needed.
Swenson/Polycor Act 250 Hearing Application Status
Chris reported that John Reid is working on documentation, based on clear data and evidence, to back the town's
request for a hearing before the Act 250 commission, to ask for a larger rate of compensation from Swenson for
road upkeep. Bowman/Polycor have sent a letter to the Act 250 commission asking that the town submit their
evidence prior to any hearing. The Commission has not decided whether to hold a hearing.
The WSB will ask David Mears, the town's lawyer, for his opinion regarding the Polycor letter.
Executive Session citing 1 VSA 313(a)(3)
The WSB voted to enter Executive Session at 7:55, inviting Graham, Robin and Lilly. The Executive Session closed
at 8:43. The following decisions were made during the session:
Town Clerk -the sole applicant was Graham Christie. The board had reviewed his application letter and found him
to be highly qualified. Graham was appointed to fill the Clerk position until the next regular Town Meeting. Agreed
to the advertised wage of $25/hour, for 20-24 hours per week. He will take over on May 4.
Peter Dailey was promoted to the position of Road Commissioner, upon Alfie's end of employment on. April 30.
His hourly wage will be $33.00.
Mi,liichael Gray was granted a raise to $20 I hour for his invaluable work as Select Board Assistant and Road Dept.
Assistant/Grant Manager.
Robin Durkee will be paid $33/hour for her time training the new Clerk. She estimates that it may be two months,
during which time she will also fill in as Assistant Town Clerk.
Updates and Other Business
Bills and Payroll
Bills and payroll orders were signed at the end of the meeting.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M.
Date Approved