City Council

To be approved at 06-19-18 Barre City Council Meeting Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held June 12, 2018 The Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order by Mayor Lucas Herring at 7:00 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilors Sue Higby and Jeffrey Tuper-Giles; from Ward II, Councilors Brandon Batham and Michael Boutin; and from Ward III, Councilors John LePage and Richard Morey. Also present was City Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes. Absent: City Manager Steve Mackenzie. Adjustments to the Agenda: Mayor Herring said new items F and G are deferred to a future meeting. Approval of Consent Agenda: Council approved the following consent agenda items on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried.  Minutes of the following meetings: o Regular meeting of May 29, 2018  City Warrants as presented: o Ratification of Week 2018-23:  Accounts Payable: $1,784,070.05  Payroll (gross): $119,518.38 o Approval of Week 2018-24:  Accounts Payable: $145,885.20  Payroll (gross): $126,043.46  2018 Licenses & Permits – o Taxi Driver License:  Amy Lyn Lawrence, Central VT Green Cab The City Clerk/Treasurer Report – Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes reported on the following:  Water/sewer bills are due by July 2nd.  Tax bills are scheduled to be mailed out mid-July, with the first due date August 15th. The Council will need to hold a special meeting on July 5th or 6th to set the municipal tax rate. The timing for printing and mailing the bills is dependent upon the legislature passing a budget and setting the education tax rates. The Clerk distributed a memo with the responses to the RFP for tax anticipation note proposals, and said after considering the various terms and running the math, it is her intention to accept the proposal from Community Bank that allows for a combination of borrowing and investment up to $2,046,000. Paperwork will come to the Council for approval before the end of the month. Approval of Building Permits – Council approved the following building permits on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Batham. Motion carried. Applicant Address Scott Vaillancourt 495 N. Main Street Steven Maynard 61-63 S. Main Street Anita Chadderton 32 Foster Street Michael & Nancy Moran 18 Division Street Liquor Control – Council approved a Request to Cater application from Sweet Melissa’s for an event at the Old Labor Hall on June 16th from 5:30 – 11:30 PM, contingent upon notification to the police 1 To be approved at 06-19-18 Barre City Council Meeting department, on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor LePage. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin abstaining. City Manager’s Report – NONE Visitors and Communications – Barre area resident Sara Akers spoke of her recent experiences at Charlie’s Playground. She had posted comments on Facebook about trash at the playground, and several Councilors responded by cleaning up the area. Ms. Akers streamed the clean-up efforts live on Facebook, and the video has been viewed by over 2,600 people in less than 48 hours. The video led to the #BetterBarre movement, with posters going up throughout the downtown. There was discussion on trash and recycle receptacles, no smoking signs, access to public restrooms, and ways to mitigate past vandalism and abuse. Ms. Akers said she encourages others to make Barre better, and is willing to help out with any such efforts. Councilors thanked her for her efforts and enthusiasm. Old Business – NONE New Business – A) Scouting Monument Update. Steve Restelli showed an example of the cobblestones being used around the base of the monument. People can sponsor a cobblestone, which will be sandblasted with their inscription for a donation to the project. Mr. Restelli said they are within $8,000 of their fundraising goal, and any additional funds raised will go into a maintenance fund. The public can submit an application to sponsor a cobblestone until August 4th. Additional information is available on their website and Facebook. B) Shakespeare Camp for Kids. Jonny Flood from Get Thee to the Funnery spoke of the camp program they have been running at Highgate Housing for the past seven years. They work closely with Doug Hemmings, the Highgate Community and Social Services Coordinator, to recruit participants from Highgate and Green Acres. The program includes fine arts, film and theater components. There was discussion on working with kids-at-risk, and the impacts of stress on learning; and possible future funding options. Mr. Flood said most of the funding comes from Housing VT, however, there is a $700 shortfall this year. C) Consideration and/or Approval of Brusa Trust Funding Request for Highgate Summer Shakespeare Program. Clerk Dawes said the Brusa Trust has nearly $40,000 in available funding. Council approved donating $700 from the Brusa Trust to the Shakespeare camp on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. D) Pearl Street Pedestrian-Way: Another Perspective. Orange Street resident Michael Hellein gave a Powerpoint presentation on the Pearl Street pedestrian way, parking, and pedestrian ways in the downtown. Mr. Hellein asked the Council to consider stopping the Pearl Street pedestrian way project, and updating the Summer Street plan. There was discussion on adjusting intersections for pedestrian safety, parking in support of downtown businesses, parking availability for those living in the downtown, long-term planning, and reducing demolition of properties to increase parking. 2 To be approved at 06-19-18 Barre City Council Meeting E) Approval of Bond Paperwork: March Town Meeting Voter-Approved Bonds. Council approved the bond paperwork and authorized the Mayor to sign on behalf of the City on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Batham. Motion carried. F) Discuss/Establish City Mission Statement. This item is deferred. G) Approval of DPW Large Truck Purchases. This item is deferred. Round Table – Councilor Batham said he has been watching the conversations in Barre Town about possible conflicts of interest for a selectboard member that serves as the Town liaison to the Aldrich Library Board. Councilor Batham said he serves as the City’s representative to the library board, and does not see any conflict. Councilor LePage said he attended this evening’s Granite City Grocery board meeting, and he encouraged people to show up at meetings to let their voices be heard, and to get involved. Councilor Boutin said the cash mob scheduled for this Saturday has been postponed. Councilor Tuper-Giles thanked the businesses that hung up #BetterBarre posters, and the people who came out to clean up the playground and other areas around the City. Councilor Morey said he enjoyed being part of the group cleaning up the playground, and he thanked those who helped out. He said the City has been working on the bike path entrance, and it is much improved. He said the retirement party for BCEMS principal James Taffel is tomorrow. Councilor Higby showed a photo of the Summer Street wall, where the Rotary Club is planning to install a mural. She noted the poor appearance of the wall, and encouraged people to support the Rotary Club project by purchasing raffle tickets or making donations. Mayor Herring said he spoke at the Memorial Day ceremonies, and attended one of the recent neighborhood watch meetings. The Mayor participated in the Board of Abatement hearings at the end of May, and an Agency of Commerce and Community Development workshop on opportunity zones. Executive Session – NONE The Council meeting adjourned at 9:26 PM on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Batham. Motion carried. An audio recording of this meeting is available from the City Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 3