City Council

To be approved at 07/05/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council Held June 28, 2022 The Regular Meeting of the Barre City Council was called to order in person and via video platform by Mayor Jake Hemmerick at 7:00 PM at Barre City Hall. In attendance in person or virtually 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, Finance Director Dawn Monahan, Fire Chief Doug Brent, Deputy Fire Chief Joe Aldsworth, Human Resources Director Rikk Taft, Planning Director Janet Shatney, and Clerk/Treasurer Carol Dawes. Absent: NONE Also present: Incoming City Manager Nicolas Storellicastro. Adjustments to the Agenda:  Infrastructure bond update is deferred.  Warrants for this week will be adjusted to include purchase of Department of Public Works vehicles.  Ratification of the firefighter collective bargaining agreement and the manager transition agreements will be taken up after discussion in executive session. Visitors and Communications – Resident Bernadette Rose acknowledged the recent passing of Jeanne Bone, who served the community as executive director of the Barre Area Senior Center. Approval of Consent Agenda: Public Works Director Bill Ahearn asked that the warrants be adjusted to include the purchase of two vehicles:  2022 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck: $29,853  2015 Dodge Ram cargo van: $28,000 Mr. Ahearn noted Council had authorized the purchases at its February 22, 2022 meeting, and is now being asked to approve issuance of the payments. Council approved the adjustments on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried. Clerk Dawes noted she had sent around a corrected warrant this afternoon after an error in the report was brought to light by the Finance Department. Council approved the following consent agenda items on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Cambel. Motion carried. A. Approval of Minutes: i. Regular meeting of June 14, 2022 ii. Special meeting of June 18, 2022 B. City Warrants as presented: 1. Ratification of Week 2022-25, dated June 22, 2022: i. Accounts Payable: $300,097.15 ii. Payroll (gross): $136,326.31 2. Approval of Week 2022-25, dated June 29, 2022, as adjusted and corrected: i. Accounts Payable: $216,168.74 1 To be approved at 07/05/2022 Barre City Council Meeting ii. Purchase of Toyota pickup truck: 29,853 iii. Purchase of Dodge cargo van: $28,000 iv. Payroll (gross): $137,622.53 C. 2022 Licenses & Permits: NONE City Clerk & Treasurer Report – Clerk/Treasurer Dawes reported on the following:  Water/sewer bills are due by June 30th.  Voters are encouraged to request ballots by mail for the August 9th primary elections. To date 775+ ballots have been mailed out. Liquor Control Board – NONE City Manager’s Report – Manager Mackenzie had nothing to add to his written report, and called attention to the transition schedule. Mayor Hemmerick said the final background check for incoming City Manager Storellicastro has been completed, and the contract has been fully executed. Manager Mackenzie said he is working with Finance Director Dawn Monahan to pull together a preliminary year-end report for FY22, and a FY23 budget report with adjusted projections due to cost increases. Both will be presented to Council in the near future. Mayor Hemmerick noted the National Night Out will be recognized by the Police Department on August 2nd with a community picnic in Currier Park. Unfinished Business – A) American Rescue Plan Act Funding Public Outreach Reboot. Clerk Dawes and Councilor Lauzon reviewed their memo on use of ARPA funds, and soliciting input from the community on ways to allocate the funds. There was discussion on the impact of current high inflation rates and supply chain issues, availability of matching funds through federal and state grants, being resilient to the economic impact of COVID on the community, and best ways to engage a consultant to conduct the outreach. Joanne Reynolds said the money is a windfall to the City, and the community should be given an opportunity to weigh in on use of the funds. Renita Marshall said the All-in-for-Barre report includes a list of projects identified by the community, and should be used as a resource in determining how to allocate the ARPA funds. Council approved having the Manager issue an RFP for consultant services to solicit community input on motion of Councilor Waszazak, seconded by Councilor Cambel. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin voting against. B) Decision/Action re: Award of Capital Improvements Planning (CIP) Consultant Contract. Manager Mackenzie reviewed the one response received to the CIP RFP, and the process he used to interview the prospective consultant and gather more information about their work. The Manager recommended awarding the contract to Public Advisory Group. It was noted Planning Director Janet Shatney will serve as the point of contact, and all department heads will work with the consultant to assist in creating the plan. 2 To be approved at 07/05/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Council approved awarding the contract as recommended by the Manager on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Waszazak. Motion carried with Councilor Boutin voting against. C) Infrastructure Bonds Update – 4th Quarter FY22. This item is deferred. D) 22 Hill Street Request for Proposals. Clerk Dawes reviewed her memo and draft documents for issuing an RFP to solicit bids and proposals for purchase and redevelopment of 22 Hill Street. Adjustments were made to the review criteria. Amanda Gustin suggested VT Historic Preservation be consulted to review the property for any historic characteristics. Fire Chief Doug Brent said the department will inspect the property to make sure it’s secured. Councilors expressed an interest in volunteering to help clear the property. Manager Mackenzie will consult with the City’s insurance carrier to make sure that’s covered. Council approved finalization of the timeline, legal notice publication, and publication of the RFP notice, and named Councilors Lauzon and Waszazak to work with staff on the RFP process. The motion to approve was made by Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Stockwell. Motion carried. New Business – A) All-in-for-Barre Task Force Report. i. Community Center Task Force ii. Housing Task Force All-in-for-Barre chair Renita Marshall reviewed the process used during the community forums, and the priorities identified: 1. River access 2. Community center 3. Housing task force Ms. Marshall requested Council consider allocating ARPA funds in support of the projects identified during All-in-for-Barre. Community Center Task Force Chair Becca Lo Presti said the community center is a multi-year project. Ms. Lo Presti said a survey of Barre youth yielded comments about safety, opportunities other than sports, and lack of transportation. The Task Force is looking to conduct a feasibility study on possible uses of the Civic Center Auditorium, and they’d like to see the calendar section of the City website updated on a more regular basis. Ms. Lo Presti said she is relocating out of state, and noted Task Force member Bernadette Rose will be taking over as chair. Housing Task Force Chair David Sichel said they are meeting monthly and have adopted mission & vision statements. Mr. Sichel said they have five subcommittees: 1. Housing needs assessment; 2. Researching creative housing solutions; 3. Conducting analysis of current resources; 4. Developing strategies to improve skills in the community. There was discussion on possible funding sources for All-in-for-Barre projects, proposed zoning changes being proposed by the Planning Commission, and past efforts to create a community center. Bernadette Rose said the City is rich in community spaces, and wants to see the Community Center Task Force explore what options are already available when she assumes chairing the Task Force in the fall. Ms. Marshall said the Task Forces will give another update in six months. 3 To be approved at 07/05/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Manager Mackenzie noted labor attorney Scott Cameron has joined the meeting, and recommended Council move into executive session to discuss the firefighter collective bargaining agreement and the manager transition agreement to accommodate Mr. Cameron’s schedule. Executive Session – Councilor Lauzon made the motion to find that premature general public knowledge of personnel and negotiations discussions would clearly place the City of Barre at a substantial disadvantage should the discussions be public. The motion was seconded by Councilor Cambel. Motion carried. Council went into executive session at 8:22 PM to discuss personnel and negotiations under the provisions of 1 VSA § 313 on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Waszazak. Manager Mackenzie, incoming Manager Nicolas Storellicastro, Labor Attorney Scott Cameron, Human Resources Director Rikk Taft, Fire Chief Doug Brent, and Clerk Carol Dawes were invited into the executive session. Motion carried. Council came out of executive session at 8:34 PM on motion of Councilor Stockwell, seconded by Councilor Lauzon. Motion carried. B) Heritage Festival Main St American Flag Request – Barre Partnership. Council approved the flag request on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Boutin. Motion carried. C) Adoption of Fixed N. Main St (American Flag) “Flight” Schedule. Councilor Lauzon said he will vote against the proposed schedule so as to continue to allow flag requests to be heard by the Council. Manager Mackenzie said the intention behind the proposed schedule was to limit work required on the Manager’s office and other staff regarding requests and display of the flag. Councilor Boutin made the motion to approve the first part of the recommendation, seconded by Councilor Lauzon: The City Council approves and directs that the city’s large American Flag be displayed on Main Street around the following dates each year until otherwise directed by the Council:  The last Monday in May (Memorial Day)  July 4th (Independence Day and the Barre Heritage Festival (31+/- days)  November 11th (Veterans Day) Motion did not pass with Councilors Lauzon, Boutin, and Deering voting in favor, and Mayor Hemmerick and Councilors Waszazak, Cambel, and Stockwell voting against. Councilor Waszazak said he voted against the motion because the Council has spent too much time on flag-related issues and there is other work to do. Councilor Lauzon noted this does not affect Council’s previous action approving display of the large flag for Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans Day. D) Ratification of Firefighter Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). Council approved ratification of the firefighter collective bargaining agreement on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Waszazak. Motion carried. E) Ratification of City Manager Transition Agreement(s). Council approved ratification of the transition agreements on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Stockwell. Motion carried. 4 To be approved at 07/05/2022 Barre City Council Meeting Upcoming Business – Mayor Hemmerick noted the Manager’s previous announcement about upcoming presentations on the FY22 financial report and FY23 budget. Round Table – Councilor Deering said he is dismayed by the violence in the community. He recently walked the bike path between the elementary school and downtown, and encountered two police officers. He thanked the Police Department for providing extra coverage in that area. Councilor Lauzon said it’s great to see the municipal pool open, and he reminded people of City practice that no child is turned away from swimming, regardless of whether they can pay the fee. Councilor Boutin said he enjoyed attending the recent Cemetery Committee meeting. Councilor Waszazak said it’s been a horrible week following the US Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Other Councilors echoed the sentiments. Councilor Stockwell said she worked on a Habitat for Humanity build in East Barre, and is learning new skills in home construction. Councilors voiced their disappointment with the revelations coming out of the January 6th Committee hearings. Mayor Hemmerick said it’s a reminder of how fragile constitutional democracy is. There was discussion on next week’s meeting. The Mayor’s original schedule has it canceled. The Mayor and Manager will review potential agenda items and make the decision on whether to hold the meeting or not. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM on motion of Councilor Lauzon, seconded by Councilor Stockwell. Motion carried. The meeting was recorded on the video meeting platform. Respectfully submitted, Carolyn S. Dawes, City Clerk 5