Lapel Town Council Special Meeting

September 9, 2021 @ 11:00am

Lapel Town Hall

In person attendance was Chad Blake, Tom Marvel, Teresa Retherford, Paula Lee, & Kourtney Krabbe. Town Attorney Jeff Graham attended meeting virtually. The public could attend the meeting either in person, or online using the GoTo Meeting link provide on the Town’s Facebook page.

Home Value Renovation Inc.: Town Attorney Jeff Graham has provided Settlement Agreement & Complete Release of All Claims between the Town of Lapel & Home Value Renovation Inc. A motion to approve the settlement agreement for payment to Home Value Renovations was made by Marvel, 2^nd by Retherford; all were in favor. The funds for this settlement will come from the Gas Fund.

Railroad Fees: Sara Wittig with CommonWealth Engineers sent Paula Lee an email stating the permitter failed to inform us that there is a Contract Prep Fee for both locations of $1,250/location. This would be an additional $2,500 to the $7,000 that was previously approved. A motion to approve the additional $2,500 for the Contract Prep Fee was made by Blake, 2^nd by Retherford; all were in favor.

New Business: Retherford states that two people were recently interviewed for the Utility Department.

A motion to hire Nicholas Bogue as a full-time General Laborer @ $15/hour pending his drug test results & background check was made by Retherford, 2^nd by Blake; all were in favor. Retherford states Bogue is to be on-call certified within 3 months of his start date.

Retherford states there is a second candidate interested in a full-time General Laborer position. This candidate lives approximately 45 minutes away, has worked with Utility Superintendent Mary Armacost, and is licensed in the water department. Discussion was held on hiring this candidate in at $15/hour, and withholding any potential raises that comes with having his water license until he moves within a 30 minute area by 6 months of hire.

A motion to hire said candidate, Roger, as a full-time General Laborer @ $15/hour pending his drug test results, background check, and with the stipulation that he is to relocate to 30 minutes of Lapel within 6 months from hire was made by Blake, 2^nd by Retherford; all were in favor. Jeff Graham is going to provide an Acknowledgment Form for Roger to sign.

Holiday Pay: Currently when a utility employee works on a holiday they receive time and a half for hours worked, as well as 8 hours straight time for the paid holiday. The Police Department only receive straight time for hours worked on a holiday as well as 8 hours straight time for the paid holiday. Blake would like to update the handbook to say that paid holidays are equal to the employees average work day.

A motion to amend the holiday pay policy for the Police Department to receive time and a half for hours worked on a holiday, and 10 hours straight time for the paid holiday was made by Blake, 2^nd by Marvel; all were in favor.

Marvel wants it documented in the minutes that he wants to revisit holiday pay in regards to being paid for the holiday when the holiday does not fall during your work schedule.

A motion to amend the holiday policy for all full-time town employees except police officers so that holiday hours count towards their 40 hours worked for that week was made by Retherford, 2^nd by Blake; all were in favor.

Being nothing further to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.

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