City Council

To be approved at 05/10/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Special Meeting of the Barre City Council Held May 3, 2022 The Special Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order in person and via video platform by Mayor Jake Hemmerick at 6:00 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilors Emel Cambel and Thom Lauzon; from Ward II, Councilors Michael Boutin and Teddy Waszazak; and from Ward III, Councilors Michael Deering and Samn Stockwell. City staff member present was Human Resources Director Rikk Taft. Absent: NONE Others present: Members of the Manager Search Task Force: Amanda Gustin, chair, and Michael Sitton. Adjustments to the Agenda: NONE Executive Session – Councilor Lauzon made the motion to find that premature general public knowledge of personnel discussion associated with the city manager search would clearly place the City of Barre at a substantial disadvantage should the discussion be public. The motion was seconded by Councilor Waszazak. Motion carried. Council went into executive session at 6:01 PM to discuss personnel under the provisions of 1 VSA § 313 on motion of Councilor Cambel, seconded by Councilor Lauzon. Human Resources Director Rikk Taft, Ms. Guston, and Mr. Sitton were invited into the executive session. Motion carried. Council came out of executive session at 7:20 PM on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried. There was no action taken. The meeting adjourned at 7:21 PM on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Waszazak. Motion carried. There is no recording of this meeting. Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held May 3, 2022 The Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order in person and via video platform by Mayor Jake Hemmerick at 7:30 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance were: From Ward I, Councilors Emel Cambel and Thom Lauzon; from Ward II, Councilors Michael Boutin and Teddy Waszazak; and from Ward III, Councilors Michael Deering and Samn Stockwell. City staff members present were Manager Steve Mackenzie, Planning Director Janet Shatney, Buildings and Community Services Director Jeff Bergeron, Deputy Fire Chief Joe Aldsworth, and Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes. Absent: NONE Adjustments to the Agenda: The reallocation of VCLT stipend is deferred; the flag display request is moved to the beginning of the new agenda items to accommodate those in attendance, and the consent agenda item report on Judd v. City of Barre is moved to the end of the new agenda items. 1 To be approved at 05/10/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Visitors and Communications – NONE Approval of Consent Agenda: Council approved the following consent agenda items on motion of Councilor Stockwell, seconded by Councilor Cambel. Motion carried. A. Approval of Minutes: i. Regular meeting of April 26, 2022 B. City Warrants as presented: 1. Approval of Week 2022-18, dated May 4, 2022: i. Accounts Payable: $139,781.85 ii. Payroll (gross): $127,884.29 C. 2022 Licenses & Permits: 1. Food Vendor Licenses: i. Crown Ice Cream LLC, ice cream truck 2. Entertainment Licenses: i. Bake With Love, Saturday, June 11th from 8AM – 2:00 PM, fundraiser PRIDE event with flags, games, activities, and bake sale D. Authorization to Submit GHSP (Governor’s Highway Safety Program) Grant Application E. Authorization to Award BOR (Bureau of Outdoor Recreation) Roof Evaluation Proposal F. Assessor Certificate of No Appeal or Suit Pending PVR-4155 for filing in the 2021 Grand List Book G. Authorize Manager to Execute Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities 2020 Grant Agreement for updating the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan H. Report on Judd v. City of Barre Lawsuit Status & Expenses to Date [moved to end of new items on agenda] I. Authorize Award of Annual Supply Bids City Clerk & Treasurer Report – Clerk/Treasurer Dawes reported on the following:  Fourth quarter property taxes are due by May 16th, as the 15th is a Sunday.  House bill 444 containing the City’s 2021 and 2022 charter changes just passed the House moments ago. Liquor Control Board – Clerk Dawes reported all 2022 license renewals have been issued by DLC. City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie said he didn’t issue a written report this week, and noted the following:  Beginning negotiations on the collective bargaining agreements with the firefighters and steelworkers.  Painting of stop bars, cross walks, and long bars has started.  Two bulbouts are being installed on Washington Street as traffic calming devices.  COVID numbers in Washington County are climbing. The Manager is monitoring the situation, and may issue new guidelines for staff and City buildings. He doesn’t anticipate bringing mask mandates back.  Lucas J. Herring Green Up Day is this Saturday, May 7th. There will be a dumpster behind City Hall where people can drop off their green bags, and the Public Works Department will pick up green bags left around the City next week.  The Barre Town stump dump is available through this Saturday for drop off of ward waste. Manager Mackenzie will ask Barre Town if it’s possible to extend the dates beyond this weekend. 2 To be approved at 05/10/2022 Barre City Council Meeting  The City is waiting to receive a number of grant agreements from different state agencies, to begin implementation of various projects. The Manager will provide an update on ARPA outreach efforts in the near future. It was suggested department heads add information on their reports about the items they can’t get to on a weekly basis. Unfinished Business – NONE New Business – A) Reallocation of VLCT Herring Stipend Deferred. C) Request for the City to Fly US Flag Over Main Street. Mayor Hemmerick asked Councilor Boutin to introduce the topic. Councilor Boutin said he had spoken with other Councilors and was prepared to offer a motion to approve the flag request from resident Brian Judd, and proposing permanent approval to fly the large City-owned flag over N. Main Street annually for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans’ Day. Mr. Judd said he submitted the application and Councilor Boutin shouldn’t be representing the request. Mr. Judd said he sent the application to all Councilors, requesting the flag be displayed from May 27 – June 2, 2022 in honor of Memorial Day. He said he intended to submit future flag display requests for Fourth of July, anniversary of 9/11, and Veterans’ Day, and he reviewed the history of his request last year to display the flag for the 9/11 anniversary. Councilor Boutin began to read his motion to approve the request, with additional display dates, however Mr. Judd interrupted Councilor Boutin to say he wanted the Council to act upon his application rather than any motion being made by Councilor Boutin. Mayor Hemmerick attempted to restore order, however there were unsolicited comments from Mr. Judd and others in attendance. Councilor Boutin was unable to read his complete motion due to interruptions. Councilor Stockwell made the motion to approve Mr. Judd’s application, seconded by Councilor Boutin. The motion and second were withdrawn, as Mr. Judd continued to make unsolicited comments and objections. Councilor Boutin made the following motion, seconded by Councilor Cambel: In honor of our veterans, the City Council approves the current flag request and directs that the City’s large American flag be displayed on Main Street on the following dates of each year until otherwise directed by the Council;  The last Monday in May (Memorial Day)  July 4th (Independence Day)  November 11th (Veterans Day) The City Manager or designee shall be charged with implementing this directive and will handle the logistics and other related concerns for safety and maintenance on the flag and anchors. The goal is to have the flag flying at least those days. The flag can be put up prior and taken down after based on staffing availability but the desire is not more than a week. Mr. Judd continued to state that Council needed to act on his application. Councilor Boutin made the motion to call the question. There was no second or action on calling the question. Council voted on the motion as presented. Motion carried. 3 To be approved at 05/10/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Councilor Boutin made the motion to recess the Council meeting at 8:00 PM, seconded by Councilor Stockwell. Motion carried. The video recording of the meeting continued, while the audio recording was turned off during the recess. Mayor Hemmerick reconvened the meeting at 8:05 PM, and the audio recording was resumed. B) Discussion of Housing Initiatives, Junior/Assistant Planner Position & On-boarding Timeline Planning Director Janet Shatney said the junior planning position will take over some of the planning duties to free her up to work on grant management. Ms. Shatney said this position has been part of her succession planning for the past several years, and she talked about the work in the office, and the current vacancies for a full time assessor and a full time permit/zoning administrator. Planning Commission chair David Sichel said the PC is meeting twice a month, with one meeting each month devoted to a work session. Current areas of focus include density issues; housing-related zoning; bringing zoning ordinances into conformance with statute changes; removing barriers to development; signage regulations; infill development and minimum square footage; retail cannabis; and parking and how it relates to housing. Online viewer Shirley Snelling-Sexton said she is a veteran of 28 years, and she thanked the Council for approving the flag display. Mr. Sichel said he is part of the All In For Barre housing task force, and they have formed five subcommittees to focus on specific areas of concern. There was discussion on increasing housing costs and shrinking vacancies and inventory; use of ARPA funds for housing initiatives; review/adjustment of design review district boundaries; creation of gateway districts; internships for identifying and inventorying vacant properties in the neighborhoods; how to build staff capacity; inviting Code Enforcement personnel to attend a future Council meeting to discuss their efforts surrounding vacant properties; timeline for bringing on new staff; and revisions to the vacant building ordinances. Mr. Judd said he would volunteer as a non-paid intern to inventory vacant buildings throughout the City. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried with Mayor Hemmerick voting against. After the meeting adjourned, Councilor Waszazak said the Friends of the Aldrich Library will be holding a concert as a memorial for longtime supporter Christine Litchfield. New Business - Other: Report on Judd v. City of Barre Lawsuit Status & Expenses to Date [moved from consent agenda] Upcoming Business – Round Table – These items weren’t taken up, as the meeting had adjourned. The meeting was recorded on the video meeting platform. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 4