--- title: "Stamford Select Board — July 16, 2026" date: 2026-07-16 session: regular speaker_labels: 1 cluster(s) named from the roll call and that meeting's chair in the minutes, 0 named from roster attendance, 4 of 5 clusters unnamed voice_ids: {"SPEAKER_00":2,"SPEAKER_01":1,"SPEAKER_02":6,"SPEAKER_03":5,"SPEAKER_04":16} duration_min: 43 audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DshjJi56rJsqHYKP1T9kqatpf56vT9vm/view?usp=sharing audio_source: town drive minutes: https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%207-16-26.pdf minutes_pending: false present: [Nancy L. Bushika, Kurt Gamari, Jedidiah Gramlin, John Dunn] absent: [Michael G. Denault] 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 — July 16, 2026 **Session:** Regular · **Duration:** 43 min · [Audio](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DshjJi56rJsqHYKP1T9kqatpf56vT9vm/view?usp=sharing) · [Minutes](https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%207-16-26.pdf) **Present:** Nancy L. Bushika, Kurt Gamari, Jedidiah Gramlin, John Dunn **Absent:** Michael G. Denault --- I pledge allegiance to the flag, and the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Welcome to the meeting of the Stamford Select Board. If you have a matter to discuss that is not included on the agenda, you may do so by addressing the chairperson and stating your name and address. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** You'll notice that all our meetings are recorded in this today with a summarization of the minutes. Visitors are welcome, and we allow five minutes of comments per visitor and 15 minutes of talk. Discussions will be held in a calm and civilized manner and respectful of others. Select board members present are Nancy Bushika. Jed Gramlin. John Dunn. Kurt Gamari. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Will there be any adding of items or removing items from tonight's agenda? **Speaker 1:** Yes. I neglected to put open Easter eggs. We used to throw bids on the early part of the agenda, so we need to add that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And a couple of correspondence. And some correspondence. Will there be any adjustments to the agenda, such as changing the order of items? I don't think so. And Jed is recording tonight's meeting for his YouTube video. Hearing, oh, open bids? Open bids you want first. **Speaker 1:** Maybe duplicate, I don't know now. No hearing, no bids first tonight. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** One bid from Capital West Construction. Estimate 183. Where's Capital West Construction? Cummington, Mass. Then we have Neil H. Daniels. 255. There's an option A and an option B. Option B is 375. Is it 255 or 25? 255. And then 375 for option B. Okay. That's from Neil H. Daniels from, he might be with Renault Brothers in Valley Crane. It might be a division of that. This is Capital West again. 183. **Speaker 1:** I think it looks like the same. One was emailed to me and one was delivered at the window. It's the same. And I didn't know the delivery one, what the name was. So I didn't know if I had, I thought I had three different ones. Okay. So two bids. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So. Did both of these show up for pre-bid? **Speaker 1:** Yeah, one of them. You know, I checked my email. I wonder if I should check my spam and just make sure nothing else was. Okay. **Speaker 2:** Do you want one of these guys or? Yeah. So, just because I have a clue what's been corrugated by me or. Yeah, so. So then. Here's. The extra charge for the . Yeah, I was curious. What's the difference? **Speaker 3:** What are we doing different on either one of these guys? **Speaker 2:** So the difference between the first option A and theirs is that it's 10 gauge for them and 12 gauge for these guys. So that's a little bit thicker. But then they also give an option B, which is a concrete box culvert, which wouldn't be better for the town situation. **Speaker 3:** Well, they have to come up with a match on it. Okay. And I don't think we would have enough. I think our grant wouldn't cover the box culvert. I think that this is the reason why I reached out to the state and tried to. Because initially, it was a 600-millimeter project. So I worked with the state to come up with that corrugated project. Yep. So you. **Speaker 4:** This one's guaranteeing a life expectancy. This other one's a 100-year life expectancy. The other one's a 100-year life expectancy. This one gives you a duration of the project, timeline, four weeks. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Dave, have you had a chance to look these over? This guy seems like he might know what the math is doing. Of course, yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So Dave, I'm thinking if you would look them over. **Speaker 5:** Because we did say it's a $70,000 difference on option A. **Speaker 4:** So we have a $200. Sorry. Go ahead. **Speaker 1:** A $200,000 grant with a 10% match. And they take our in-kind? Are we working on this at all? Yes. Removing the gravel. What does it say for headwalls on the other one? Because on this one, it says that the metal headwalls are not available. So they have to go concrete. That would be better, right? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep Somewhere there they have the type of Which wasn't option. Yeah. **Speaker 3:** So this is, yeah, for land they'll get upcharge. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I don't think we budgeted for the East Road match, did we? **Speaker 3:** Because I'm doing the work, we're doing the Into the hall. Okay. There's possible that it will cost us something, but not because we get paid for our equipment and our time. Right, right. So more than like all three of us would be calling from a peer team. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** When do you want them to start, Dave? **Speaker 3:** I mean. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** It can be completed by October 1st, 2026, or it can be delayed until 2027. You'd rather have it done this year? **Speaker 3:** Yeah, the price. Is there a start date? They just have to give us more than an hour. This one seems pretty thorough. The cap. The cap to the west. **Speaker 3:** Do we have to notify neighbors of that somehow? No, because you can get in or out. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Which culvert is this? The one right past Lawrence's? The Lawrence old. Right past the one he's fixing up. **Speaker 3:** And all the work will happen. Well, Dave, what's your opinion? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And I guess we would go along with it. **Speaker 3:** Dave wants to work with, and what's the best thing? They're not even really close. The capital investment, like you said, is quite a bit cheaper. I'm curious what the major difference was. Here. Small company, big company, hasn't done their work. Yeah, that makes sense. They're throwing it out. **Speaker 3:** This company is throwing it out there. If they get it, great. If they don't, I don't care. They're making money. These guys are trying to do the work. Yeah, right. That would be my guess. I think a thicker pipe would be better anyway, right? Yeah. **Speaker 4:** $183,000 that we don't spend anything, or we have to just... Well, I can't... The 10% match. **Speaker 3:** Right, but... So you figure, what, 18 grand? I mean, that can... We spend at least two weeks working, two out of three. And you guys are going to do the... The trucking. Trucking and, like, the road traffic detail. Traffic control, yeah. That is now quite a bit of... **Speaker 4:** Would Capital West be able to fit it in? With the time frame you're working to try to go with, or what? I mean, I can call and ask them to give me an answer about it. **Speaker 3:** They're looking to do it when it's dry. I know. They wanted to try to do it when it was at the driest part of the season. The stream flowing right now is a dry area. **Speaker 3:** We did apply for a permit. We did. So we applied for a permit. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** It says there are two pages to Capital West. Is it just... All I see is one here. **Speaker 4:** Okay. There's a page in front. Oh, there's a fly... Is that what you said? There's a flyer on the back side? Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay. Motion that we go along with what Dave feels comfortable with. And if it's... **Speaker 3:** Well, I mean, the Capital West is more thorough on what they're doing for work, if you read through it. I mean, they pretty much spell out, right down to the seating, if you guys really have it. This one's cheaper anyway, so we're not excited. Good with that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I'll make a motion then to go with Capital West. Okay. Okay. Capital West Construction. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. Kurt, could I have the bids? I'm giving you your glory and sure date and copies of them. Let's see. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Open bids. Reading and approval of records and orders. They've gone around. Everybody's signed. And I have a motion for the minutes for July 2nd. All in favor? Aye. Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Highway update. **Speaker 3:** Did. . All in favor? So moved. That cause. It took a day or so, and I had to get it in. **Speaker 1:** It's all fixed? Yeah, it's all fixed. The 2019 frame liner? Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Anything else, Dave? **Speaker 3:** It takes a lot of time. I think it's coming out great. Yeah, looks good. That's kind of prioritized because of some... **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Anything on recycling then? I'd like to get down to the paving loan and what we have on that, Lori. So, Pete and Nate finally called today and said they were unable to put together a boat for us. **Speaker 1:** I do have a quote from Adams Community Bank for a five-year loan for the paving project. It's 7.45%. That's the only one. I tried Bank of Bennington. I tried TD Bank. I tried Hoosick Bank. Beacon Bank refused it. So, that is... Adams? Adams Community is the one you have on the table. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Now, who gave us our taxi anticipation? No. That's right. That's right. Adams Community. **Speaker 3:** Was it the same rate as before? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And they were 4.25. **Speaker 6:** Why is this so different? **Speaker 3:** Well, I mean, before it was like a couple weeks ago. **Speaker 1:** In its own, it's going to be paid off in November. And this is a five-year. So, you don't really know what the market's going to do over five years. So, it's a different type of loan. I mean, it's a couple years if it drops. Maybe it could. **Speaker 1:** I mean, this is going to go through their commercial lending department as opposed to just the municipal sector. **Speaker 6:** So, you should be able to prepay it without a penalty if things change a lot. **Speaker 1:** Yeah, I think the loan that we have right now will be paid off this year. When will the first payment be for the new paving loan? **Speaker 1:** Right away, so... **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** How much are we asking for? $469,000. And they haven't billed us yet, have they? I think we better be ready to pay them when they do bill us. So, I mean, we're... I would say they're going to pay us. We're going to give you $30,000 in interest. We're stuck. **Speaker 3:** But they may not bill us until they're down the chips, you know what I mean? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Right. So, do we... We've got to do it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We've got no other choice. No, we've got to do it. We want to bid. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So, can I have a motion to accept Adams Community Bank loan for 7.5% for five years for paving? Motion. Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? **Speaker 2:** Except John and Kurt. **Speaker 1:** John and Kurt. John and Kurt. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Now, the truck, when? You're probably in the fall? **Speaker 3:** That's what I was told. I told her about that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And the truck loan, how are we getting that? How are we paying that? That's coming from? **Speaker 7:** So, the dealer did give us a quote. **Speaker 1:** That's a bank. Okay. And Adams Community gave us a quote. I don't remember the numbers, but Adams Community was less than what the dealer was offering. And we haven't moved forward. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So, we have time. Okay. So, maybe for the next meeting, you can just get preliminary figures and the truck is in the fall. I know. I don't like that. By the time we meet again, does that, or does that loan? What we're worried about is if we wait until late August, September, is that number still going to be good? I mean. It's like most time, it's good for 30 days or 15. I may have to get a new number. Get a new number then and see what we can do. If they're going to hold us to that number, get a new number, whatever's cheaper. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So, my question was, I know I asked Dave this before. The 2019 Freightliner, that's the one we paid off in 2024. Are we keeping that truck? We don't know how much it costs for insurance. What's your thought on that? **Speaker 8:** Me, personally, I don't want to keep. **Speaker 3:** You're guaranteed that you're going to have something. We have three people. We don't have. We have three trucks to run. You've got some of them you're paying for nothing. Normal service. We've always tried to have a spare. We have three trucks. **Speaker 8:** But there's times that we've had all three people out. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Last winter. Maybe not, though. **Speaker 3:** What do you mean out? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Out on the road. Working at one? **Speaker 8:** Oh, yeah. **Speaker 3:** We're always out. All three of us are almost always out. The only time it's different is if it's just me. I will say there are times when I just run, too. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Can you find out, well, we know how much insurance is on it. What would it be? **Speaker 3:** I can tell you right now, sometimes it takes a month to get these things fixed. Especially, well, you know, I've seen them up there two months. And in the wintertime, two months is a long time to not have a vehicle for somebody to run. **Speaker 4:** I would say, like, if you use it, it's one thing. If you're not, it's another. **Speaker 3:** Right. No, we're going to use them. They're all going to get used. I mean, that truck, we use a lot in the winter, in the summer, even, for ditching. So, it's just the right size. And you were just using it the other day. Right? With the steering box. Yeah. We were going to use it, and the steering box rotted. A hole got rotted in on the inside and started leaking out. So, I had to replace it. And we just, the transmission got done a year ago. The whole front end got done a year ago or so. **Speaker 3:** We put a lot of money into that truck just to, like, I don't know what we'd even get for it at this point. And I certainly need it at least until the other one's here. And then, you got a new truck that's unproven that you could end up having issues with. I know that. You know, that's happened before. So, I mean, it just makes my job harder when we get rid of stuff because then I don't have backup. And then I got to try to figure it out. And there's a better chance of something going down. And there are times when I've had everything broken. We're trying to get it up. There's something going down. So, it seems to me like you can never have enough spare equipment in this type of business, but money's tight. **Speaker 9:** I think a little peace of mind, though. Yeah. **Speaker 2:** It's worth it. **Speaker 4:** Who knows? We'll come down to what the future holds either, right? You might need it. Yeah. **Speaker 4:** You might need it to unload later, too, to get something that you want. **Speaker 3:** I don't think if we get rid of it now or we get rid of it in, you know, three, four years, I don't think we're losing much. I think the market for that truck's probably very slim. You know, nobody's going to want to pay a bunch of money for a town truck. **Speaker 4:** Yeah, because where we're at is the next part of life. Yeah. It might be like somebody's gravel pit somewhere. I mean, not being on a road. **Speaker 3:** And you name some private contrarian markets that takes care of, you know, some big development or something, they might want to purchase something like that. But certainly, I don't believe another town would want it at this point. Most towns realize that you get the useful life out of it for the most part. The ability factor after about five years really goes downhill pretty fast. So, you can't expect to get too much for it. I mean, a new one of those trucks is probably close to $200,000. That's $104,000. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That's $104,000. What are we, what's the truck, the new truck that we're getting? That's a Ram. **Speaker 3:** Like a, it's more or less identical to the Ram that we have now. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Dodge Ram. 2027 or 26. **Speaker 4:** Yeah, whoops. Dodge, that's almost paid off, right? It is, it is. You're done with the show? No. No, we're done. **Speaker 3:** Not with another one of those because of the, you know, affordability factor. And we use it a lot. I mean, I can do a lot with those trucks. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That's the size, it's not... **Speaker 3:** And repairability is, you know, a little bit more friendly for us. And the turnaround sometimes and getting stuff for them is quicker. **Speaker 8:** Yeah, we asked for $150,000 bank loan. **Speaker 3:** And we've had minimal issues for trucks. I mean, there's 50,000 miles on that now. It's been a good truck, so we really haven't put a bunch of our own money into it, that's **Speaker 4:** for sure. You still have the 17 one? Yeah, the third person. It's on the summer for ditching and stuff, but it's not as practical. It's a pretty big truck. And, you know, it's so expensive for that truck, I feel like I try to use it when I absolutely need to use it that way that it'll last. Is that the one that's usually all chained up? Yeah. **Speaker 3:** We can keep that around longer. Yeah. We can keep that around longer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Speaker 4:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Guess we're- Well we do have some equity. Guess we're good. You get figures for us and do you need it? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** You might have a chance to talk to the school board about- They haven't had meetings so I kind of like to go in person rather than just send them an email. **Speaker 3:** I'm not sure, maybe next week. They have meetings a lot, but they're not like the general school boards. **Speaker 2:** I know. All right. I think it's next Tuesday. I know it's going to be on Tuesday. Maybe the 20th. I'd love to follow along and see what they're doing. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Oh yeah, I think so too. Or send an email saying, I'm coming. I would like to talk to you guys. I know. Review education tax rate. **Speaker 1:** You guys should have sheet books like this. These are not the talent rates. The grant list is not finalized. Just the school portion. The new 2026 homestead rate, .9915. Last year's rate was .9666. So it went up 3 cents. And the non-homestead rate, 1.1323 for this year. And last year it was 1.1761. So that actually went down 4 cents. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Keep these when we do the tax bills. Yeah. When are you thinking of getting tax bills out? **Speaker 7:** Well, when you need money, by glory. **Speaker 1:** I think that if the grant list is set near the end of July, probably the first meeting in August, I'll try to have a proposed tax rate for you guys and the tax bill insert for you guys to review. Oh yeah, that's right. And maybe everything can be finalized at your second meeting in August on the tax bill insert. Or perhaps if you can approve it that night. I mean, maybe I can send it out to you early so the first time you're looking at it isn't that night. And then tax bills could go out in August. I guess it'll just... I'm Martina Barnes at the National Forest offering e-permits for anybody who wants to cut firewood on National Forest land. You have to apply for a permit first. I can put the website in the minutes for anybody who's interested. Yeah, send their website in so that you can get in contact right with National Forest. **Speaker 1:** Yeah, that would be good. I also received payment from Belmont **Speaker 1:** for their liquor, for their beer and wine licenses. And their permits don't expire until the fall. But I think last year was kind of a scramble last minute thing and so they were planning ahead early. So I'm looking at setting up a liquor board meeting before your next meeting in August. I don't know if it matters to you if I do the first meeting or the second because there's still plenty of time. Whatever works for you. We're down to two file cabinets. These are left over. Now that we have the new hard core cement cabinets, these were taken out. So if anybody's interested in taking a file cabinet home, if nobody wants them, I'd love to adopt them. I mean, if you know anybody who might be interested, it doesn't matter. I just hate to have them thrown away **Speaker 1:** if some resident could use them. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So that will be in the minutes if anybody wants them. Coming in. **Speaker 3:** Coming in. Yeah. Under the time offer. **Speaker 1:** Yeah. I don't have anything else. Oh, we do have something else. Go ahead. The library got a grant and they were given this really nice banner. They wanted to know if they could attach it to the new sign. There's grommets on each side and they thought if they just nailed it on each post of the sign. I don't know what to say. **Speaker 3:** So the notary is he? **Speaker 1:** I don't know. He's already nailed in it from the flowers being posted. But she says if you didn't want that, she would try and put it along the library wall, but it would be nicer to have it front and center in front of the building. **Speaker 4:** What if you put it on the fence over there next to the League of Memorial, that section of fence. Oh, that's facing out too. Just facing this way. **Speaker 10:** Yeah. **Speaker 4:** You can see it going south. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah. Mm-hmm. Start putting stuff on the sign. **Speaker 11:** I made that sign. **Speaker 2:** I know. **Speaker 4:** It's affiliated with the school. One of those four letter words, yeah. **Speaker 2:** I mean, I don't see why at the same time just throw some stakes in the ground. Yeah. Screw it to the stakes and have it sitting out front there. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Put it facing. That's right. Facing the road. **Speaker 2:** I mean, that might be the simplest answer. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yes, it should. Yes. I like that. **Speaker 3:** That way it's facing the road. Could even do it with a few fence posts. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah. Yes, if you suggest that to her, that way it would be seen. West Oil gave us a, a paper on fuel for 2020, **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** your season coming up. We pre-buy fixed price, pay as you go, and in previous years, we've pre-buy. And I think, Dave, you're going to talk to them. We thought that always worked the best. Anything on Green Mountain Express or movers? **Speaker 2:** Yes. I talked to the mover. They basically told me it wouldn't be in the budget during that six days. If it ever comes up, more than willing to work with her to start it up. I haven't heard anything back from, from the express one, but I imagine it's going to end up being the same situation. It's not in the budget. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's also, if you look at their routes, we're kind of like that town that is in between both, and neither one wants to come this direction. **Speaker 2:** This is a tough place to get to. Because, you know, the Green Mountain one runs seven. It's all, just basically all it stopped is one, it's just upset. It's tough to get through, through Vermont. Yeah. And then movers is Wilmington to Rattaburra. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** But I know the Green Mountain Express has come down here before to pick up individual people. **Speaker 2:** Oh, again, they're, you're back to the, if you need it for doctor's visits. Right. That kind of stuff. It's a whole different. Right. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Right. It's not a Thursday pick up or something. **Speaker 3:** The other, the other issue is, do they even go into mass? Like from here, I mean, where are you going once you get picked up? Where? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** To Bennington. **Speaker 3:** Over, up Route 9, **Speaker 2:** or out to Bennington. I mean, that's the, that was the other thing I was looking at when I was looking at routes. It would, **Speaker 2:** it would be for the mover, the furthest you could go is down to Rattaburra. Right. And then for, I think Green Mountain actually goes all the way up to Manchester. So that wouldn't be too big of a deal. But being, I think most people either go, Yeah. Massachusetts way, or, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, or, somewhere else. But I think a lot of it goes Massachusetts way. So movers got back to you, but Green Mountain Express didn't? **Speaker 1:** Yeah. Does EPOD come up here? I, **Speaker 12:** I don't, I never thought to ask. I think they're the same ideas. Massachusetts? I know, I don't know if they're in this direction, but it's the same thing as like, so I mean, there's, there's, there seems to be a lot of that ability. **Speaker 2:** Thinking about this, I was thinking of people who just wanted to, for like every Thursday, be able to go somewhere else. So, I mean, there's, there seems to be a lot of that ability. Thinking about this, I was thinking of people who just wanted to, for like every Thursday, be able to go somewhere else. Mm-hmm. Right. Without a doctor's appointment. Plus, South is Beaver and Union. Where the waterfall is, it'd be up right there somewhere. You'd see them pick up. But you're going south, you're not going north. **Speaker 2:** But again, I mean, if you're back to, if you're going south, you know, all the way down to Pittsfield, that's where a lot of the doctors are, for this area is Pittsfield. Yeah. So, I mean, that, that would be a, a good thing, if we could get that to work too. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** If they give you any updates, let us know. Definitely. We'll look at it a little. Dogs, I was going to text Luke today, and I forgot to do that. I had one come in today. All right. So, what are we down to? I had 40. Probably, 37. Oh, gosh. 36. I got a couple people come in. All right. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I will text Luke. I will make sure I do that, tonight. Any other old business, new business? What do you think? I have nothing else. How's this working? How come we're, I'm getting to social. I'm getting to social. I'm getting to social. I'm getting to social. I'm getting to social. We're not talking a lot. We're actually doing what we're supposed to be doing. A hot topic. Not that one. Not that one. Okay. Just give me a second, Matt. Good. Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Second. All in favor? Aye. Can you turn that off? Thank you.