City Council

To be approved at 10-02-18 Barre City Council Meeting Special Meeting of the Barre City Council Held September 25, 2018 The Special Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order by Mayor Lucas Herring at 6:00 PM at the Fire Department in the Barre Public Safety Building, Barre, Vermont. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilor Jeffrey Tuper-Giles; and from Ward II, Councilor Michael Boutin. Also present were City Manager Steve Mackenzie, Fire Chief Doug Brent and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Aldsworth. Absent: From Ward I, Councilor Sue Higby; from Ward II, Councilor Brandon Batham; and from Ward III, Councilors John LePage and Rich Morey. Due to the lack of quorum, the meeting was not considered official. Chief Brent and Deputy Chief Aldsworth gave a tour of the fire side of the Public Safety Building. Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held September 25, 2018 The Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order by Mayor Lucas Herring at 7:05 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilors Sue Higby and Jeffrey Tuper-Giles; from Ward II, Councilor Michael Boutin; and from Ward III, Councilors John LePage and Richard Morey. Also present were City Manager Steve Mackenzie and City Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes. Absent: From Ward II, Councilor Brandon Batham. Adjustments to the Agenda: Mayor Herring said the review of council decorum and Reynolds House parking agenda items will be deferred. A report from Freezing Fun for Families will be added under Visitors & Communications. Other agenda items will be rearranged to accommodate those in attendance. Approval of Consent Agenda: Council approved the following consent agenda items on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor LePage. Motion carried.  Minutes of the following meetings: o Regular meeting of September 18, 2018  City Warrants as presented: o Approval of Week 2018-39:  Accounts Payable: $513,455.75  Payroll (gross): $135,288.44  2018 Licenses & Permits – o Taxicab Service Operator’s License:  J&D Taxi, Douglas Bergeron o Taxi Driver’s License:  Douglas Bergeron The City Clerk/Treasurer Report – Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes reported on the following:  Water/sewer bills are due by October 1st.  Early voting is available for the November 6th General Election. We’ve mailed out more than 200 to those who have requested early absentee ballots to date.  The 2nd public hearing and approval of the warning for the proposed charter changes election are next week. 1 To be approved at 10-02-18 Barre City Council Meeting  Local options taxes go into effect Monday, October 1st. Approval of Building Permits – Council approved the following building permits on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Higby. Motion carried. Applicant Address Melissa LaForest 58 Lewis Street Faith Copeland 48 Currier Street Wayne & June King 7 King Street Liquor Control – Council approved Special Events Permit applications for the following applicants for Rocktoberfest at the Granite Museum on Saturday, October 6th, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Morey. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin abstaining. Applicant Location Old Route 2 Spirits Barre Town Dog River Brewery Berlin City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie reported on the following:  Have reached a tentative agreement with the police union on a 2 year contract renewal.  Travelers Insurance was here today to tour the City and discuss insurance needs with staff. They are preparing to respond to the RFP for insurance services.  The RFP has been released for Step 1 planning around Merchant’s Row. The process is likely to take at least 3 years, and have an estimated cost of more than $5 million.  The latest draft FY20 budget has been sent to the Budget Committee, which is meeting tomorrow evening. There are openings for two additional members of the committee.  Interviews for potential Financial Directors begin next Monday.  The VLCT Town Fair is next Thursday, October 4th.  Yard waste drop off is scheduled to begin October 13th. The schedule is posted on the website. Visitors and Communications – Corey Touchette, executive director of Freezing Fun for Families, said they are celebrating their 20th year with this season’s winter softball tournament. Mr. Touchette said the organization raises money to help Vermont families battling childhood cancer, and he highlighted their two decades of accomplishments, and future goals. They are looking to expand their reach state-wide, and grow awareness of the need. Mr. Touchette thanked ongoing sponsors and supporters, and councilors thanked Mr. Touchette and the FFFF board for all their hard work. New Business – C) Planning Commission Discussion of Zoning Ordinance Adoption Timeline. Planning Commission chair Jackie Calder and Planning Director Janet Shatney reviewed the statutory timelines associated with approval of the revisions of the zoning ordinances. Once the Planning Commission turns the draft over to the Council, the process must be completed within 150 days, and during that time, both the current zoning ordinances and the proposed ones are in effect. Ms. Calder said the PC hopes to turn the draft revisions over to the Council by November. Mayor Herring said due to the holidays, the Council will likely take up the public hearing and review process in early January. B) Overview of Fire/Ambulance Department Operations. Fire Chief Doug Brent and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Aldsworth reviewed department operations. Chief Brent gave an overview of department staff and equipment. Deputy Chief Aldsworth reviewed call run metrics, and said the Department averages 1,700 EMS runs and 700 fire calls each year. 2 To be approved at 10-02-18 Barre City Council Meeting There was discussion on staffing levels and availability of new firefighters and EMTs; trainings for mass casualty and active shooter events; coordination with local hospitals and medical centers, joint efforts with the Police Department; ambulance fees; ISO ratings; and the challenges moving forward with staffing and an aging population. Old Business – A) Status Review of Council Priorities and Capital Projects. Mayor Herring reviewed the list of items Council has accomplished in the last year, and ongoing projects, adjusting some timelines as necessary. B) Discussion of Council FY20 Budget Goals & Objectives. Manager Mackenzie reviewed his briefing paper. There was discussion on reviewing additional sources of revenue along with opportunities to reduce expenses. C) Discussion/Feedback re: VLCT 2019 Legislative Priorities. Mayor Herring reviewed the legislative priorities and input provided by the Council at an earlier meeting. No additional comments were added. New Business – continued A) Approval to Place Order Reservation for FY20 Police Cruiser. Manager Mackenzie reviewed Deputy Police Chief Larry Eastman’s memo on the proposed cruiser, saying this allows the City to reserve the opportunity to order the cruiser in FY20. Council approved placing the order reservation on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Morey. Motion carried. D) Review of Council Decorum and Ground Rules. This item is deferred. E) Reynolds House/South-end Parking Lot Recommendation. This item is deferred. Round Table – Councilor LePage said this is National One Hit Wonder Day, and his favorite OHW is Classical Gas by Mason Williams. He asked for a report from Central Vermont Internet on their progress to date. Mayor Herring will invite our local representatives to a future meeting. Councilor Boutin said it’s also National Voter Registration Day, and encouraged people to register and vote. He said there is a local candidate forum this Thursday, September 27th, at 6:30 PM at the American Legion. Councilor Tuper-Giles said he’s been following the Bressette/Akers drive south with the supplies collected locally to support those suffering from hurricane damage. Councilor Morey encouraged families to attend this weekend’s Fall Fire. Councilor Higby said the Vermont Granite Museum is holding a public meet & greet with granite artist Giuliano Cecchinelli this Saturday in honor of his recent induction into the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences. She said the Barre Opera House Celebration Series is beginning shortly, and highlighted some of the upcoming performances. 3 To be approved at 10-02-18 Barre City Council Meeting Mayor Herring said there will be a public safety forum at the Elks Club on October 15th, and he listed the City’s current committee vacancies. Councilor Tuper-Giles added that last week’s reopening of the Mathewson Playground was a wonderful event with plenty of cake. Executive Session – NONE The Council meeting adjourned at 9:28 PM on motion of Councilor Tuper-Giles, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried. An audio recording of this meeting is available from the City Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 4