City Council

To be approved at 12-11-18 Barre City Council Meeting Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held December 4, 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 Rich Morey. Also present were City Manager Steve Mackenzie and City Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes. Absent: NONE Adjustments to the Agenda: Mayor Herring said new item C is not a first reading; it’s a discussion. 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 of November27, 2018  City Warrants as presented: o Approval of Week 2018-49:  Accounts Payable: $1,916,347.31  Payroll (gross): $126,000.57  2018 Licenses & Permits – NONE The City Clerk/Treasurer Report – Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes reported on the following:  Water/sewer bills were mailed out last week, and are due by December 31st.  Free 2-hour parking is available at the black and yellow-topped meters through New Year’s Day. Funds collected in the meters during this time will be used to support recreation programs. Approval of Building Permits – Council approved the following building permits on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Higby. Motion carried with Councilor Tuper-Giles abstaining. Applicant Location Peter & Susan Walbridge 44 Granite Street Metro 159 LLC 159 N. Main Street Eleanor Bouffard 72 Summer Street Liquor Control – NONE City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie reported on the following:  The Manager and Public Works director Bill Ahearn attended last week’s Act 250 hearing for the planned Fecteau development off Beckley Hill. They testified about water/wastewater capacity, and the City’s concerns about traffic impact at the affected North Main Street intersections. The Manager and Mr. Ahearn will provide the Council will a written copy of their testimony.  The Manager called Council’s attention to a memo from Police Chief Tim Bombardier outlining the department’s November activities.  The City received three proposals for pool upgrades by last week’s deadline. A recommendation for awarding the contract will come to next week’s Council meeting.  Have started posting notices seeking those interested in serving on the pool advisory group.  The Energy Committee and Efficiency VT are holding a workshop tomorrow at Alumni Hall. 1 To be approved at 12-11-18 Barre City Council Meeting  Breakfast with Santa is this Saturday at the auditorium.  The City staff holiday party is Monday, December 17th at Ladder 1 Grill. Visitors and Communications – NONE Old Business – A) Follow-Up Discussion and/or Action re: CVPSA Proposed “Project Plan 2018”. Mayor Herring said the Council has a variety of options available with regards to our future with the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority, including withdrawal, ceding authority, and encouraging the legislature to address dispatching by the state police during the upcoming session. Board chair Tom Golonka said the City will need to address dispatching staffing and technology upgrades in the near future, and being part of the CVPSA will allow for easier and more cost effective options. There was discussion on filling the vacant CVPSA executive director’s position, providing clarifying information in the business plan, participating in training opportunities currently offered by CVPSA, and having Councilors serve as representatives to the board to improve the flow of information between the two bodies. Board at-large member Kim Cheney said the current plan for a single dispatch center creates improvements and opportunities for all members, and will improve public safety throughout the county. Councilors voiced support for continuing to monitor the situation, and encouraging the legislature to address state police dispatching concerns. New Business – A) Appointment of Health Officer. Fire Chief Doug Brent introduced Fire Marshall Capt. Robert Howarth, and recommended he be appointed health officer. Such an appointment will be effective January 1, 2019. Council appointed Capt. Howarth health officer on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. B) Vermont Granite Museum 2018 Recap. VGM executive director Scott McLaughlin said the museum is open from May through the Granite Festival in October. In the winter they host Winterfest, and offer groomed trails for recreational use. This coming year marks the 25th anniversary of the birth of the granite museum concept. The museum is planning for completion of construction, and developing partnerships with local schools and organizations. Their plans for the upcoming year include growing membership and annual donations, enhancing tourism in the area, improving exhibit content, and growing their pool of volunteers. This past season saw 6,500 paying visitors to the museum, and more than 2,000 visitors who stopped by to see the new Agriculture statue as it was being carved for the top of the refurbished statehouse dome. C) First Reading: Proposed Revisions to Ordinance Chapter 18 Trash for Composting. Amanda Garland from the Central Vermont Career Center, along with Cassandra Hemenway and Brenna Toman from Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, spoke of the universal recycling law, which is phasing in over the next few years. They suggested revisions to the trash ordinance to accommodate composting and composting containers. There was discussion on proposed language, offering composting workshops in the community, other ways to manage food scraps, and addressing possible odor issues. CVSWMD, City staff members and City Attorney Oliver Twombly will review the ordinance and proposed language, and it will come back for a first reading in the near future. At this point in the meeting, the Mayor rearranged the agenda to accommodate those in attendance. 2 To be approved at 12-11-18 Barre City Council Meeting E) Community Garden Committee Appointments. Amanda Garland, Ellen Sivret and John LePage expressed their interest in serving on the new Community Garden Committee. Council approved the appointments on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried with Councilor LePage no participating in the vote. F) Tree Stewardship Committee Appointments. Amanda Garland, Niko Rubin, Nathan Ebert and Conor Teal expressed their interest in serving on the new Tree Stewardship Committee. Council approved the appointments on motion of Councilor Tuper- Giles, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried. D) Assign 2nd Policy Workgroup. Mayor Herring noted they had not properly warned the creation of the second Council policy workgroup, which will consist of the Mayor and Councilor Morey. He said only consensus is required, without formal action. Hearing no concerns, the workgroup is formed. G) Discussion re: Revisions to Chapter 11 – Offenses and Misc. Provisions. Several Councilors asked to defer the discussion as they didn’t receive the draft proposed revisions until late this afternoon. Councilor Boutin will draft a memo outlining the proposed changes, and will ask City Attorney Oliver Twombly to review the section on loitering to ensure its legality. H) Report on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations/Approval of Chargepoint Contract. Clerk Dawes reviewed her memo on usage of the stations, fees received and costs incurred since the stations were installed in early 2015. There was discussion on increased usage, revenues not covering expenses, use of meters instead of Chargepoint, and the relationships with Green Mountain Power and Chargepoint. Council approved a one year renewal of the Chargepoint contract on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Morey. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin voting against. Round Table – Councilor Higby offered sympathies to the family of President George H. W. Bush on his recent passing. She said he personified a statesman, and we should all try to walk in his big shoes and use his leadership skills. Councilor Morey reminded everyone of this Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa at the auditorium. Councilor Tuper-Giles said Santa will be making a number of appearances throughout the City over the next few weeks. He thanked the Manager, Mr. Ahearn and Fire Chief Brent for helping with the lighting of the gazebo. Councilor Boutin reminded his fellow Councilors of this Saturday’s coin drop, from 8AM – noon. Councilor LePage encouraged people to be kind and let traffic out at intersections. Councilor Batham said the Church of the Good Shepherd is holding its annual Christmas bazaar this Saturday. He encouraged people to keep their walkways shoveled to mailboxes and fuel oil fill pipes. Mayor Herring made the following announcements:  There are a number of upcoming neighborhood watch meetings; some for new watches just being established, and others for updates. 3 To be approved at 12-11-18 Barre City Council Meeting  The Red Cross opened a shelter at the auditorium during the recent storm-related power outages.  “Coffee with the Mayor” was a success, and they will be setting up additional dates in the future, along with dates for “Coffee with a Cop”. Some of the comments heard at the “Coffee with the Mayor” were adding more sidewalks up Prospect Street, and widening the bike path and cleaning out sections of the cow pasture to help with tick control.  There will be an update on the possible development of a teen center at next week’s Council meeting.  There is a Routes & Trails meeting on December 6th, to begin working on an overlay map.  The Rise Up Bakery is holding its grand opening on December 15th.  There is a Vermont Mayors Coalition meeting on December 4th.  The Elks Club is offering a kids-friendly New Year’s Eve event.  Hedding Methodist Church is hosting two additional holiday meal locations this year, and is looking for additional support.  There will be a tax stabilization policy discussion at the December 18th Council meeting.  There will be a joint Barre City Council/Barre Town Selectboard meeting on Wednesday, January 2nd, to discuss shared programs that receive funding from both communities. Executive Session – NONE The Council meeting adjourned at 9:14 PM on motion of Councilor Batham, seconded by Councilor Tuper-Giles. Motion carried. An audio recording of this meeting is available from the City Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 4