City Council

To be approved at 08-29-17 Barre City Council Meeting Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held August 22, 2017 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, Councilors Sue Higby and Jeffrey Tuper-Giles; from Ward II, Councilor Brandon Batham; and from Ward III, Councilor Lucas Herring. Also present were City Manager Steven Mackenzie and Clerk/Treasurer Carolyn Dawes. Absent: From Ward II, Councilor Michael Boutin; 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 Batham. Motion carried.  Minutes of the following meetings: o Regular meeting on August 15, 2017 o Special meeting on August 16, 2017  City Warrants as presented: o Approval of Week 2017-34:  Accounts Payable: $274,081.56  Payroll (gross): $131,005.45  2017 Licenses & Permits – o Animal License:  Dimitri Kolomeitsev, 67 Westwood Parkway, 5 chickens o Taxi Driver License:  Annette Thurston, Central Vermont Green Cab o Entertainment License:  Revision to license granted July 25, 2017 to First Baptist Church for event in City Hall Park from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Adjusted time to allow set-up to begin starting at 1:00 PM. The City Clerk/Treasurer Report – Clerk Dawes reported on the following:  The final delinquency rate for the 1st quarter property tax collection is 5.07%.  There are 6 properties scheduled for tax sale on September 7th. The Clerk said there have been a rash of fraudulent house rentals reported in the area. People post listings on on-line sites, stating they have a house to rent, however, they don’t own or manage the property. Unsuspecting renters wire a deposit, and are told the keys will be mailed in return, but they don’t receive the keys. The Clerk urged prospective renters to make sure they meet with the property owner or a property manager in person, that they actually tour the inside of the property, and that they exchange deposit funds and keys at the same time. Approval of Building Permits – Council approved the following building permits on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. Applicant Address Teming Cheng 2 Union Street City of Barre 12 Harrington Avenue Liquor Control – NONE 1 To be approved at 08-29-17 Barre City Council Meeting City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie reported on the following:  The Pearl Street pedestrian way project has been deferred until the spring.  Investigation has uncovered a significant leak in the piping at the municipal pool. It is estimated this leak is responsible for approximately 85% of the daily water loss.  The City is experiencing water quality complaints, which are likely tied to the street work on routes 14 & 302. The work crews are currently adjusting manhole covers and replacing crosswalk/sidewalk sections, which require a significant amount of jackhammering and use of vibratory equipment. The vibrations are translating to the water pipes, causing debris in the pipes to come loose. The Manager said the water is safe to use, and people can help clear out the lines by letting their cold water taps run for 5-10 minutes.  The sidewalks in Currier Park were inspected and are scheduled for repair and/or replacement.  The new vactor is scheduled for delivery in mid-September.  Police negotiations are ongoing. Progress is being made in narrowing the issues. The next meeting is scheduled for September 20th.  The Governor will hold a water quality press conference on Reid Street on Thursday, August 24th. Visitors & Communications – NONE Mayor Lauzon adjusted the agenda at this time to accommodate those in attendance. New Business – A) Proposal for Auditorium Press Box Namings. Civic Center marketer Jim McWilliam said dasher boards at the BOR rink are fully sold with a waiting list. Mr. McWilliam said half of the banners in the auditorium are sold, and he is soliciting sponsors for the remaining spots. He said he is looking for approval from the Council to name the two auditorium press boxes. The names would be changed out every 5-6 years. He suggested the first two honorees be Dave Morse and Ken Squier. Council voiced its support of the proposal. Mayor Lauzon asked Mr. McWilliam to come back with additional details on the selection process, timelines for how long an honoree’s name would remain on display, and other relevant issues associated with the proposal. Mr. McWilliam suggested the City install welcome signs inside the auditorium and BOR. Mayor Lauzon asked him to develop a proposal to be presented to the Council for consideration. Old Business – A) Continued Discussion on Community Development Fund: Creation of Committee, Review of Current Funding Request Policy. Clerk Dawes said she included an updated draft guidelines/application in the Council packet, along with a draft Community Fund Committee description and meeting schedule, and a copy of the current Funding Request Policy. The Clerk said she felt there were still unresolved issues with the proposed program, and recommended waiting until July 1, 2018 for implementation. There was discussion on including grant ranges in the guidelines, and holding an annual open house for the public to be able to meet those organizations receiving City funds. Council supported continued work on developing the fund and documents, and expressed an interest in making a few adjustments for this coming Town Meeting, including developing a shorter application that would be required to accompany an organization’s letter requesting level funding be placed on the Annual (Town) Meeting ballot. The Clerk will come back next week with a draft application and proposed revisions to the current policy language. 2 To be approved at 08-29-17 Barre City Council Meeting Round Table – Councilor Herring said he enjoyed attending the Mayor’s Innovation Project in Burlington last week. Councilor Higby said Burlington’s South End Arts Hop is celebrating its 25th year, and is a great example of the positive economic impact of an arts district. She said she will be profiling different arts districts around the country over the coming months. Mayor Lauzon displayed graphs on state taxes collected in the greater Barre area, unique individuals under Department of Corrections supervision, and house listings/sales data. Executive Session – Councilor Batham made the motion to find that premature general public knowledge of personnel and litigation issues to be discussed would clearly place the City of Barre at a substantial disadvantage should the discussion be public. The motion was seconded by Councilor Herring. Motion carried. Council went into executive session at 8:29 PM to discuss personnel and litigation issues under the provisions of 1 VSA sec. 313 on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. Manger Mackenzie and Chief Tim Bombardier were invited into the executive session. Council came out of executive session at 9:21 PM on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Batham. Motion carried. No action was taken. The Council meeting adjourned at 9:22 PM on motion of Councilor Higby, 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