--- title: "Stamford Select Board — October 16, 2025" date: 2025-10-16 session: regular speaker_labels: 1 cluster(s) named from the roll call and that meeting's chair in the minutes, 1 named from roster attendance, 2 of 4 clusters unnamed voice_ids: {"SPEAKER_00":7,"SPEAKER_01":2,"SPEAKER_02":1,"SPEAKER_03":3} duration_min: 16 audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A87g4iVj8-_vc3HI6Kcw1Y1EaMJ_Nr3C/view?usp=sharing audio_source: town drive minutes: https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%2010-16-25.pdf minutes_pending: false present: [Nancy L. Bushika, Michael G. Denault, Kurt Gamari, John Dunn] absent: [Douglas Wright] transcribed: 2026-09-04 (faster-whisper large-v3, CUDA; names corrected per data/name_fixes.json) diarization: pyannote/speaker-diarization-3.1 (automated; cluster labels may over-split a single voice; unattributed paragraphs have no reliable speaker) --- # Stamford Select Board — October 16, 2025 **Session:** Regular · **Duration:** 16 min · [Audio](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A87g4iVj8-_vc3HI6Kcw1Y1EaMJ_Nr3C/view?usp=sharing) · [Minutes](https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%2010-16-25.pdf) **Present:** Nancy L. Bushika, Michael G. Denault, Kurt Gamari, John Dunn **Absent:** Douglas Wright --- **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** You will notice that all our meetings are recorded and made with a summarization of movements. Visitors are welcome and we allow 5 minutes of comments per visitor and 15 minutes per topic. Discussions will be held in a calm and civilized manner, respectful of others. Select board members present are Michael G. Denault, Nancy Bushika, John Dunn, Kurt Gamari. Will there be any adding of items or removing items from tonight's agenda? Will there be any adjustments to the agenda such as changing the order of items? Hearing of visitors, reading and approval of records and orders. Except was unable to make it tonight. Are you able to go up onto Bulger Road next day to look at the water problem? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We can't go. Everything that we're doing is... You were able to go? Oh, good. It's not a new issue. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I would have been there earlier, but I had to talk to this old couple up on the road. This is the house at the base of the hill. Oh, you got snared? You got snared by the British? I was up looking at deer, that's what I was told. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay, anything on recycling? I have nothing. I just got the cell phone number today, so I will give them a call tomorrow. I'll start calling tomorrow. **Speaker 1:** We also need to think about getting our caller registrations ready for 2026. Right. Is that something SWIFT is going to do and we don't have to anymore? Because I think we both did it last year. And they're on check. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That's right. I will check with Scott. Who is BFI? Is that Casella now? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah, it was Casella. BFI was before. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Anything on your discussion? Respondents, Lori? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** No, and last week we got this fire for some reason we were here early. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay, old business. The airhouse on 1022, do you have information on that, Lori? It's for the emergency training? **Speaker 1:** I do. Aubrey just called today. He said that the tabletop exercise is expected to go from 8 to 2, but he wants you to feel comfortable just stopping in for 20 minutes, half an hour. 10 minutes, if you have the time to just check it out. Don't feel obligated to commit to the whole time frame. He's not going to go through all the motions of opening up an emergency shelter and all that because we've got school in session. But they'll go through all the planning and the what-ifs and the decisions that they would make. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And will somebody from the state there, or are they probably going to be online with the state? Because it sounds like it's more of a district. It's a statewide, yeah, it's a... **Speaker 2:** It's preparation for a statewide event. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So maybe there'll be computer screen set up or talking to somebody would be interesting. Okay. Did he give you any update on the 911 numbers? **Speaker 1:** He did. Okay. He thinks he'll get the okay to drive next week, so he will start driving next week and seeing... if he can put together the inventory. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** If someone comes here to ask you about a 911, do you have that information? Or do we have to ask a resident? So most people come to ask me, **Speaker 1:** and Bill usually is the one who actually asks me. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We're in a camp over there. So I passed my camp, just recently bought it, and they don't have a number, and they asked me if I could get it. So they're in Connecticut. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Is it a camp already that's there? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah, I think they bought it. I'm not mistaken. And he'll confirm it's like a piece of paper, **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** kind of like maybe half the size of this, that you fill out and has a donation on it and stuff like that, or maybe that might be a benefit. So maybe it has some... I don't know if you have them here. I know you can buy a sign from a fire department, but you can also put your own sign up. There's rules to that sign. But they just wanted to know what their number was. If I can, I'll get that later on. **Speaker 3:** It may have a number. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** And they just don't know. Right. That camp already existed. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** They bought the camp, I don't know, two years ago, maybe. Whose camp was it? I don't even know. Right across the street from the Risky Ranch camp, we're... Remillard is there. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We can at least look it up, because at one point... **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** They're from Connecticut. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Gio Giofino is the old name. Some camps have numbers. A lot of them are still known. With the pond in front of it? Yeah. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Gio Giofino. That's the one that they, that's the one they own now. Not these people, but they own one. Okay. Oh. The guy from Adams owned it. His last name, because I can't remember. **Speaker 2:** Let's look in Lori's book. Yeah. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** It's right across the street from there. So it's on the same side as my camp. Probably. So if they need one, they don't have to actually come and give it to you? Yeah. **Speaker 4:** You can give it to me. **Speaker 1:** I'll buy the sign for them. Right? **Speaker 4:** And then give it to them, and I'll charge them double. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** You got to pay for my time. Yeah. But I got one, and then someone told my wife it was the wrong one. And then I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I got it. I got it. I got it. I got one, and then someone told my wife it was the wrong one, and she got another one. And I put them in my garage, and now I got both of them. So I have to find out which one's right before I put mine up, too. And then I got one down here. Ask Lori. Yeah. Okay. I don't know who told you it was wrong, but. My wife told me. I got two different numbers. Apparently, she got a number, and then there were signs. I don't know whose fault it was. We'll find out. Yeah. But now I got two different signs. Either one of them at the camp. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah. Okay. Okay. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So I'll give you the other one at the camp. They would get there – Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Would Lori, when you give them the 9-1-1 sign, when they get it do you give them the instructions and where to post it? Yeah. Yeah. **Speaker 1:** Maybe they get a letter saying, your new 9-1-1 number is, and then there's a second **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** page of how to put it up and where to put it up and And then they can get whatever sign they want, wherever they want to get it. Okay. The vegetation has been removed from the front yard. It's all raked off, all staked off, ready for the sun. Thank you very much, Jim Stimson. Did a lot of work there. Halloween hours. I just want to reinstate them again. And there's something going on here at the school, Trunk or Treat. **Speaker 2:** Trunk or Treat. And that, I think, runs from 6 to 8. Yeah. So there's an overlap there. And the other question is, we're going to do as best we can with where to put a fire engine. Because we don't know how much room the Trunk or Treat people will take up. I don't know whether they'll just be in the ellipse here in front of the school, if they'll be over into the church parking lot or not. **Speaker 1:** Yeah, because last year they came over. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And I think there's a dance afterwards, too, or during or after a Halloween dance. Okay. And Lori reported to me last week that all known dogs are registered. Wow. Shocking. All known dogs. Oh, good point. But the vet usually keeps us informed by sending the town a rabies certificate. And they are very good at that, the vet's office, to try to keep us informed. New business. Or any other old business first. Did everybody sign? **Speaker 1:** Go ahead. National Service Agency policy. When we do the warrant, people that the voters have approved giving money to last year are automatically on the warrant without having to go through and get a petition. So if you are new or you want to increase the amount you're asking for, you would need a petition. Well, last year I never received a request for the green-up day appropriation. So it was not put on our warrant. I had sent a letter saying now you need to do it. You need to sign a new petition and have the 5% of the people sign. They say they sent the email to me with their request and that perhaps with our new website and change of email address, I never received it. I can't confirm whether or not that's true. But they want us to now honor their 2026 email. They want us to now honor their 2026 email request without having to go get a petition. What did they request? Same amount? $50. Okay. It's the same amount. Oh, because they, yeah, yeah. But now there's a lapse. So now by rights they need to have a petition and start over. And we have a policy that says that. **Speaker 5:** But, so how are we? **Speaker 2:** How about administratively you override that? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We didn't do it last year, but how, I mean, why don't we? **Speaker 6:** But it could be an error. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yes. In lieu of the possibility of an error. Yes. I would like to say let's just let them have it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We're putting them where they're at. Yeah, I was the community update coordinator. And the person from the organization, she indicated to me that she had communicated with you. She said she, yeah, she said, she said the email. **Speaker 1:** But maybe just fell through the cracks and. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah, I mean, we're talking good cause, they asked for $50, let's just do this, push it through. **Speaker 1:** I mean, I know Jason Morris Morin has an aggressive, I don't know what you call it, firewall, so that things go into spam as opposed to coming to us. Yes. And every 30 days it wipes out, so I can only see a month, right? So by the time she said she sent it, if it went into spam, it's gone, I can't. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We should see if we can put it on our website. If you contact the town and you don't hear back from the town within three weeks. Yeah, try it, it could have gone to spam. Reach back out to us, because that wouldn't prevent that, you know? Well, we're getting way more than $50 worth of service. Oh yeah, I mean that, and if you don't put it on, I'm giving you $50. I still have bags, I still have gloves, I still have used up from last year. You probably do too. We can override our policy, and that's what I'm saying we should do. By a vote on the board, we can override it. I would say go back to it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor. On new business tax bills. They were sent out. In August, September, and everybody here knows that mail delivery has been terrible. Yes. So, I would like it known, and if Lori could put it on our web page. If you're going to mail your tax bill in, send it in a week ahead of time. Don't wait for the due date, because according to town meeting vote, post marks are not accepted. We've got a drop box there. Right, November. November 20th. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Put it on your, let all your around the town friends know, especially New York, Connecticut. That always seemed to be a problem, getting the mail from them to us. Yep, that's on my list. So, any applicants for assessor clerk? No. Any other new business? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Whoa. More money. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Boy, this is really. So, if there's no other business, I make a motion to go into executive session for pending, or probable civil litigation. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** This is the last one. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay. Wow, 17 minutes. Is that a record? Wow. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I think so. I think so. I think so. And who kept it that long? It wasn't me. Wow. Wait for nine. Could be 14 minutes. 14 minutes. Wow. Amazing. I got time to go to the bar and bat, and my wife won't even know where I'm going. She won't even know. You're ready? Yes. You're ready? Yeah. So, I got my treat, so 250 and up. Oh, wow. How are you doing now? I know. It's so easy. See you later. See you later. Bye now.