Town of Shelburne, Vermont
CHARTERED 1763
P.O. BOX 88 5420 SHELBURNE ROAD SHELBURNE, VT 05482
Clerk/Treasurer
(802) 985-5116
Town Manager
(802) 985-5111
Zoning & Planning
(802) 985-5118
Assessor
(802) 985-5115
Recreation
(802) 985-5110
FAX Number
(802) 985-9550
Town Manager’s Report: October 30, 2015
In the spirit of encouraging teamwork, transparency, and fostering open lines of communication within
Shelburne’s municipal government, this memorandum will summarize the weekly activities of the Town
Manager’s Office. Contact me directly if you have any questions. Please note that the report may not be
comprehensive and I may have inadvertently left out important (or inconsequential) details. Confidential
and/or sensitive information will never be shared in the Weekly Manager’s Report.
November 3rd Special Town Meeting – A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for November 3rd. Voting will
take place between 7am – 7pm in the gymnasium at the Town Offices. Early voting is going on now.
Article 1 is a $3,000,000 bond for the replacement of Bay Road Bridge; Article 2 is a $3,000,000 bond for
improvements to the wastewater collection system and maintenance at the two wastewater treatment
facilities. The school district also warned two bond ballot items: (1) $2,390,000 for roof replacement on
the school and (2) $6,860,000 for window replacement and renovations to the D & E wings of the building.
Voting on November 3rd will be in the gymnasium at the Town Offices between 7am – 7pm. Information
on the two town articles can be found on our webpage.
Bond Ballot Item
Bond Amount
Estimated Property Tax Increase
per $100,000 of Homestead Value
Bay Road Bridge (Town)
Community School Roof Replacement**
Community School Window Replacement
and D&E Wing Renovations**
Sewer Capital Improvements* (Town)
$3,000,000
$2,390,000
$6,860,000
$16.30
$15.00**
$40.00**
$3,000,000
*Average Family Household
Wastewater Rates would Increase
$130/ year
**these figures, net of retiring debt, were supplied by the CSSU administration. The
formulas for determining impact on property tax payers is different between the
Town and school district because of the state-wide education funding system.
*The Sewer Capital Improvement bond would be paid by sewer rate payers; not
property tax payers.
Bond Ballot Article 1 – A final scoping report for Bay Road Bridge replacement was completed in
December 2010 by McFarland-Johnson, an engineering, planning and construction administration firm.
This project has been included on Shelburne’s adopted Capital Improvement Plan since that time. The
2010 report indicated the following needs for the project:

The deteriorated condition of the bridge warrants attention. The most recent sufficiency rating
for the bridge was a 40.6 out of 100 (2014). At the time of the report in 2010 the rating was a
41.6. Anything below 40 is considered poor/failing condition.
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The width of the bridge does not meet current standards for vehicular use and does not allow
sidewalks or shoulders for non-motorized forms of travel.
The low point in the roadway east of the bridge results in restricted sight distance for vehicles
traveling in both directions
Below the bridge there is a restricted vertical clearance for boats.
That 2010 report provided five (5) alternatives; Alternative 5 – superstructure replacement and raise
profile at bridge – was selected via Selectboard vote as the preferred alternative. The cost estimate at the
time (5 years ago) was $1,414,000.
VHB, an engineering firm, completed a re-evaluation of the 2010 report this past week. Their report
estimates the cost of construction at over $2,700,000. Requesting voter approval for $3,000,000 is
certainly prudent given the complexities inherent to bridge replacement/construction projects. This
bridge is a critical component of Shelburne’s infrastructure given the limited alternate access on Bay
Road with the low railroad overpass. Emergency response capabilities could be jeopardized if the bridge
had to be closed.
Bay Road Bridge currently sits at number 243 on the State’s priority; outside funding and/or other
innovative solutions to reduce the total cost of the project, and the burden on Shelburne’s property tax
payer, will continue to be explored aggressively.
Bond Ballot Article 2 – Shelburne’s Selectboard, on behalf of the Wastewater Department, is requesting a
$3,000,000 bond to cover system and facility upgrades required due to aging infrastructure. Both
operationally and financially issuing debt to tackle the immediate needs quickly, opposed to stretching
these projects out over many years, is the only logical solution. There are other large capital needs in the
wastewater system projected over the next decade not included with this $3,000,000 request.

Thirteen of the nineteen pump stations will meet their life expectancy over the next five years.
Due to evaluations and prioritization we need to upgrade approximately seven of these thirteen
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stations immediately. The average per pump station upgrade cost is expected to be approximately
$100,000 (each). Estimate - $700,000
Unfortunately we have areas within the core area of the village that have significant structural
and maintenance issues in the collection system. The requested bond will replace a significant
portion of this failing infrastructure. Estimate - $760,000
The facilities are now fifteen years old and equipment is nearing the end of its expected life cycle typically 20 years. This equipment is runs 24/7/365. The requested bond amount is to replace
and/or update the critical equipment. Estimate - $1,500,000
The ultraviolet light disinfection system is also scheduled to be replaced. This is our only means of
disinfection at WWTF#2 and a failure of this unit will put us in violation of our permit. The
system frequently has maintenance issues and the replacement parts are often not available.
There may be a need for a phosphorus upgrade by the year 2022, above and beyond our normal
required upgrades, due to the new Lake Champlain TMDL. Both of Shelburne’s wastewater
facilities must meet a 0.2 mg/l effluent discharge concentration. This equates to a total permitted
allowance of 670 pounds of Phosphorus per year. We currently are permitted for 1862 pounds per
year and have averaged a total of 429 pounds over the past 5 years. We maintain an average of
approximately 0.30 mg/l in our effluent; as the flow to the facilities increases we will be required to
reduce the concentration to 0.2 mg/l. In order to maintain a 0.2 mg/l the facility may need to be
upgraded. The total cost of this is hard to know but probably will be in the seven figure range.
Vacancy on the Development Review Board – There is an open seat currently on Shelburne’s
Development Review Board (DRB). The DRB is responsible for all development review functions
including Site Plan Review, Conditional Use Review, and Subdivision approval. The Selectboard will
make this appointment at their November 24th meeting. If you are interested in service to Shelburne on
the DRB, please submit a Letter of Interest to the Town Manager by November 20th. Service on the DRB
is an excellent way to engage yourself with civic life in Shelburne.
Stormwater Management and Cooperation with South Burlington – South Burlington’s Stormwater
Department is in the process of reviewing our current (stormwater) requirements and identifying
Shelburne’s stormwater needs going forward. The goal is to have South Burlington complete this work
prior to FY2017 budget adoption so we can properly budget a contract amount with them to help manage
our stormwater requirements. Over the long-run, as Shelburne’s stormwater mandates increase, the
most efficient way to handle these responsibilities is likely a partnership with So. Burlington.
Update and Private Railroad Crossings – At the October 27th Selectboard meeting, board members
approved a Policy for Recouping the Costs of Laying Out New Town Highway Rights-of-Way at Railroad
Crossings. Residents with right of way issues at railroad crossings will pay for all the costs associated
with making the crossings public in advance of the process based upon an estimated amount. The
approved policy also states that residents must agree to never petition the town to upgrade the crossings
from a class 4 status. The next step is for legal counsel to work with Champlain Drive and Pine Haven
Shores on agreements along these lines. Meanwhile, a solution for Windmill Bay Road continues to be
worked on.
Peddlers/Food Truck Ordinance – During the October 27th Selectboard meeting the Board discussed a
proposal to update Shelburne’s Peddlers Ordinance to allow for food trucks. Food trucks have become the
en vogue thing around the country. I know this because my wife turns the channel away from the game
I’m watching to the Food Network. Planning & Zoning Director Dean Pierce supplied the board with a
memo outlining possible approaches and considerations. While they have not endorsed a policy at this
point, the Selectboard’s preferred method of attack is to review potential updates to Shelburne’s Peddlers
Ordinance rather than drafting a new ordinance specifically for food trucks. The November 10th
Selectboard meeting will include a review of an initial updated draft of the Peddlers Ordinance.
www.shelburnevt.org
Appointed Town Treasurer – This week staff started drafting language for voter consideration at Town
Meeting in March to eliminate the elected Town Treasurer position and make the position appointed.
The Selectboard will review draft edits to the Charter on November 12. They indicated an interest in this
proposed change but have yet to take an official position. In order for the proposal to move forward the
Selectboard would need to endorse the amendment(s) and place this item on the Town Meeting Warning.
Library Building Steering Committee Update – The Library Building Steering Committee met on 11/29.
The Committee discussed the upcoming fundraising feasibility study, including expanding the scope of
the study to include more interviewees, reviewing the draft invitation letter, and discussing the
prospectus which details the reasons the building project should be pursued now. The committee also
discussed the recommendations in the confidential internal readiness assessment completed by our
fundraising consultant earlier this fall. A brief discussion was held about hiring a potential project
manager for the project in the future, but further discussion was tabled due to time. Discussion of the
next steps for the new site idea (along Route 7 next to the SCHIPS building) was also tabled due to time.
The next meeting will be held on 11/10 at 9:00 a.m. in the Town Offices Meeting Room #2.
Upgrades to Baseball Fields – This week we upgraded drainage on the baseball field across from the
wastewater treatment facility on Turtle Lane. That field has historically been unplayable for large
portions of the year due to lack of good drainage/standing water. Hopefully the new pipe we placed along
the 3rd baseline will improve conditions and allow the field to be used properly.
Form Based Code Update – The Planning Commission will continue their Public Hearing on the form based
code proposal November 12. Materials available here.
Upcoming Meetings –
November 4 – Development Review Board
November 4 – Natural Resources & Conservation Commission
November 4 – Water Commission
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It’s a pleasure to serve Shelburne as Town Manager. My job is to assist this community and the people
who live here to the very best of my ability. Please never hesitate to contact me.
Contact Information for the Town Manager:
Joe Colangelo
Town Manager
Town of Shelburne
P.O. Box 88
5420 Shelburne Road
Shelburne, VT 05482
Office: 802-985-5111
Mobile: 802-355-6848
Email: [email protected]
Web: shelburnevt.org
www.shelburnevt.org