City Council

To be approved at 11-29-16 Barre City Council Meeting Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held November 22, 2016 The Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order by Mayor Thomas Lauzon at 7:00 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilor Jeffrey Tuper-Giles; from Ward II, Councilors Michael Boutin and Michael Smith; and from Ward III, Councilor Lucas Herring. Also present were City Manager Steven Mackenzie and Clerk/Treasurer Carolyn Dawes. Absent: From Ward 1, Councilor Paul Poirier; and from Ward III, Councilor Anita Chadderton. Adjustments to the Agenda: NONE Approval of Consent Agenda: Council approved the following consent agenda items on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Herring. Motion carried.  Minutes of the following meetings: o Regular meeting on November 22, 2016. Mayor Lauzon reviewed City charter and ordinance, and Robert’s Rules of Order, and said he mistakenly declared last week’s motion to reconsider the previous week’s vote on ceding authority for dispatch services to the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority as having failed. The Mayor said the motion had actually passed on a vote of 3-1, and asked that the minutes of the November 22nd meeting be amended to reflect the correction. The minutes were approved as corrected.  City Warrants as presented: o Approval of Week 2016-48:  Accounts Payable: $1,700,707.28  Payroll (gross): $136,738.44  Licenses & Permits: NONE The City Clerk/Treasurer Report – Clerk Dawes reported on the following:  Water bills go in the mail tomorrow and are due by the end of December.  Annual renewals for business and animal licenses will be coming to Council through December.  Office is preparing for dog license renewals, which go on sale January 3rd, and parking permit renewals, which go on sale mid-December. Approval of Building Permits – NONE Liquor Control – NONE City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie reported on the following:  Transportation Advisory Committee meeting December 1st.  Upcoming Council activities: o Annual dollar and toy drop to benefit the Christmas for Kids program: December 3rd beginning at 8:00 AM o No Council meeting on December 6th in lieu of joint meeting with Montpelier City Council on December 7th o Council budget workshop Saturday December 10th beginning at 9:00 AM  Christmas with Santa at auditorium Saturday, December 10th. Council approved the annual holiday parking ticket amnesty program from now through January 2nd on 1 To be approved at 11-29-16 Barre City Council Meeting motion of Councilor Herring, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. Those who receive parking tickets between now and January 2nd may donate a toy of equal or greater value and have the ticket waived. Visitors & Communications – NONE Old Business – NONE New Business - A) Thunder Chicken Trail Usage Request. David Rouleau from the Thunder Chickens requested permission to use City property in the Rotary Park and bike path areas to allow access to the VAST trail system. Council approved the request on motion of Councilor Boutin, seconded by Councilor Herring. Motion carried. B) Youth Conservation Corps Update. John Woodward, VYCC community crew program manager, told the Council about the community crew program, and asked how they can partner with the City going forward. Mr. Woodward said VYCC just completed its 31st year and its highest priority is conservation work. There have been community crews in Barre City over the past few years, working in the Cow Pasture and at the Granite Museum. The crews consist of approximately 8 youth around 17-18 years old who work together with crew leaders for an eight week period of time. The youth are paid for their time, and the overall cost is approximately $85,000 per work crew eight week period. The Granite Center Garden Club and Mathewson Playground have identified possible projects for 2017. There was discussion on youth development outcomes and funding source challenges. Mayor Lauzon said he would like to have two work crews based in Barre City this summer, and will help work on finding the funding. The Mayor suggested possible partnerships with Barre Town and Montpelier. C) Discussion of Beckley Hill Solar Project Opportunity. Alex and Lou Bravakis from Novus Energy Development outlined the details of the proposed 225 Kw Beckley Hill solar project. They said the return will be 10% as compared to 15% from the 500 Kw project located near the Booth farm, however, another 500 Kw project was not feasible. The estimated annual electricity savings is $7,000 - $8,000 and will be credited to the meter at the water treatment plant. There was discussion on the possibility of other smaller projects to get the City to the original 1,000 Kw goal, and changes in the laws governing placement of solar projects. Mayor Lauzon said Council will vote on approval of the project at next week’s meeting. Mr. & Mr. Bravakis made a donation of $6,000 to the Barre Energy Committee in support of upcoming projects. The Council thanked them for their generosity. D) Ratification of Firefighters Contract. Council ratified the contract and authorized Manager Mackenzie to sign on motion of Councilor Herring, seconded by Councilor Smith. Motion carried. E) Discussion on Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program. Clerk Dawes updated Council on the PACE program, approved by voters in March 2012. The Clerk said there had been improvements to the program that would make it easier to administrate, and she has draft documents for Council consideration. However, the PACE program is being reviewed for effectiveness of the program statewide, and a decision on the program’s future will be made by the end of December. Efficiency Vermont recommends holding off on any action until after the determination is made. 2 To be approved at 11-29-16 Barre City Council Meeting Round Table – Councilor Tuper-Giles said there is a planning meeting tomorrow for the 2017 Heritage Festival. Councilor Herring said the Council should make additional appointments to the Greater Barre Community Justice Center board, as is required in the CJC bylaws. There was discussion on the expectations of Council-appointed board members, and interpretation of the CJC bylaws. Council appointed Councilor Boutin to the CJC board to represent the best interests of the City of Barre on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Herring. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin voting against. Mayor Lauzon said because this was an unwarned item, it will be placed on next week’s agenda for ratification. Mayor Lauzon reminded everyone of the upcoming Council commitments:  December 3rd – dollar drop to benefit Christmas for Kids  December 6th – regular Tuesday Council meeting canceled  December 7th – joint Council meeting with Montpelier City Council in Montpelier  December 10th – budget workshop Executive Session – NONE The Council meeting adjourned at 8:52 PM on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Herring. Motion carried. An audio recording of this meeting is available from the City Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 3