City Council

southburlington VERMONT MINUTES CITY COUNCIL DECEMBER 11, 2025 The South Burlington City Council held a budget retreat on Thursday, 11 December 2025, at 9: 00 a. m., in Room 301, 180 Market Street, and by Zoom. MEMBERS PRESENT: T. Barritt, Chair; E. Fitzgerald, L. Smith, A. Chalnick, A. Pugh ALSO PRESENT: J. Baker, City Manager; Chief S. Locke, Deputy City Manager; C. McNeil, City Attorney; C. Corbin, Deputy Fire Chief; P. Conner, Director of Planning Zoning; T. DiPietro, Public Works Director; I. Blanchard, Director of Community Development; A. Matth, Recreation Director; B. Drapa, Library Director, E. Towle, DPW Deputy Director of Capital Projects; M. Machar, Finance Director; R. Donahey, Deputy Finance Director, B. Britt 1. Pledge of Allegiance: The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 2. Instructions on exiting the building in case of emergency and review of technology options: Ms. Baker provided instructions on emergency exit from the building and reviewed technology options. 3. Additions, deletions, or changes in the order of Agenda items: No changes were made to the Agenda. 4. Comments and questions from the public not related to the agenda: There were no comments or questions from the public. PAGE 1  5. Budget Presentation: Community Services ( Recreation and Parks and Library: Mr. Matth reviewed the successes of the Recreation & Parks Department in the past year, especially providing 175 events in 2025, offering more opportunities to residents. Other successes included: a. Increasing access to community gardens b. Art in the Park c. 350 children participating in programs d. 1300 new accounts, including a lot from the young adult group e. Increase in Burlington residents participating in events ( which increases revenues) f. Expanded access ( shuttle service) g. Events in 20 locations The FY27 budget includes an increase in special events ( which will provide additional revenues). Capital projects include work on Red Rocks Park bath house the Master Plan will determine what work is actually done). Mr. Matth noted receipt of a donation, which helped with work done at Jaycee Park. Ms. Pugh asked if there was any value in setting up a foundation for donations. Ms. Baker noted the Library does have such a foundation. Emerging recreation issues include: a. Master Plan and resources to support it b. Indoor recreation space c. Limited space in the Senior Center d. Changing City demographics e. Serving residential neighborhoods Mr. Chalnick asked what would be helpful for indoor recreation. Mr. Matth said a multi- purpose gym space, some classroom spaces, and space for things that can' t be offered in the Senior Center. He noted they are starting to do some non- active things in the Library. Mr. Smith noted that indoor recreation space and a pool were highlighted by the public in a survey. He asked Mr. Matth how he views the need for a pool. Mr. Matth said that if the pool prevented a recreation center from happening, he would give up the pool. Library: CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 2 Ms. Drapa noted the Library was up in all measurable categories. Successes included: a. 853 programs offered with a healthy attendance ( over 14, 000 attendees) b. 11, 000 people attended meetings held at the Library c. 11, 240 active borrowers ( 2, 000 added this year) d. Sunday openings beginning 4 January 2026 e. Over 6, 000 log- ins on 8 Library computers f. Cooperation with the Recreation Department g. Patrons can now read the N. Y. Times for free, in and out of the building Ms. Drapa said the Library is now fully staffed. The proposed budget includes a one- time request to replace the self- checkout machine ( total cost $ 18, 000, but some reserve funds will be used for this purchase). There is now a small marketing budget and some staff training costs. There is an anticipated increase in room rental fees which include the Auditorium and increased pricing. There are also donations for copying ( this is done without charge). There is also some reduction because Burlington is now part of the Consortium. Ms. Drapa noted there are some things they cannot charge for by State regulations. Emerging issues include: a. Maintaining high- caliber services b. Staff- training and resources c. Sunday opening, which will include rental ability d. Collaboration with City departments e. Eliminating barriers in service f. Offerings for youth Joint Recreation and Library emerging issues include a. more demand for services because of more homes/ people. b. Ongoing unhoused population with mental and substance issues c. Serving the marginalized population d. Navigating weekend hours CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 3 Mr. Barritt asked if there will be a Social Services intern again. Ms. Baker said the issue is social work supervision. Ms. Fitzgerald asked about unaccompanied children. Ms. Drapa said there is a Child Safety Program. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an adult. There is also one staff person engaged with the " tween" group. Mr. Smith asked how they handle the " troubled population" and whether they have adequate support. Ms. Drapa said all are welcome to use the Library. She also noted it is not always the unhoused population that causes problems. They do feel supported, and staff is empathetic and proactive. It is also hard to predict when problems will arise. Staff does feel safe but can always use more training. 6. Budget Presentation: Community Development and Planning Planning & Zoning, Community Development, and Economic Development): Ms. Blanchard said she is a team of one. Some of her activities include community development, downtown vibrancy, building relationships with Green Mountain Transit ( GMT), and serving with the Economic Development Committee. Recent successes include: a. Economic Development Strategic Plan b. City Center TIF increment ( went from $ 1, 100, 000 to $ 1, 800, 000) c. Kicked off outreach to revitalize San Remo Drive Mr. Conner noted that the Planning Department is concerned with long- range planning as well as development. Recent changes to the bylaws have allowed for increased building heights, streamlined development process, infill housing, zoning district consolidation, and transportation demand management. Permits for new dwelling units have slowed in recent years, but the City has seem the opening of Market Street mixed- use buildings and growth at the Beta facility. There have also been a number of public and quasi- public projects ( e. g., Airport, CWD, stormwater projects). The Planning Department is also involved with other City departments in addressing the growing populations. Regarding transit, Ms. Blanchard said the City is working with partners to shift where bus service goes, especially on Market Street. Rural services are being transitioned to other providers enabling GMT to focus on urban routes. CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 4 Ms. Pugh asked about providing a place to sit while waiting for buses. Ms. Blanchard agreed, but the City hasn' t seen GMT' s proposal for that as yet. Ms. Pugh also noted that it is difficult to get public transit from where she lives to the Airport and to the Tilley Drive medical complex. Ms. Blanchard said they are continuing to use data to try to get changes to address needs. Ms. Pugh said it would be nice to get from Shelburne Road to Williston Road without having to go to downtown Burlington first. Mr. Conner said they are working with GMT toward long- term resilience in a way that is financially successful. Ms. Baker noted there are a lot of buses in the City serving only UVM, nurses, etc. Staff is working with GMT to address that. Significant changes/ successes include: a. Implementation of the Economic Development Master Plan with funding for an Economic Development Manager b. Downtown vibrancy ( support for SB3C) c. 6% increase in the General Fund to support transit, and one- time funds to support Transit Planning and Advocacy d. Implementing of Act 25O/ Tier 1A status which will include: updating fee structure and moving a part time person to full time in a revenue neutral manner Mr. Conner explained the Tier 1A initiative which is a full Act 250 exemption. Regulations must meet certain thresholds, and the City must prove it can do adequate planning. The City is moving forward on this for eligible areas of the City. It is a 5- 6 month process to attain the Tier 1A status, which could happen in the summer of 2026. Ms. Baker said there will be a further presentation of this at a future City Council meeting. Items in the CIP include: a. Bike- ped bridge b. Garden Street c. Williston Road streetscape d. City- wide public art ( from reserve funds) Emerging Community Development issues include: a. Infill development b. Arts & culture c. Strategic partners d. Community building CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 5  e. Revising the GMT member assessment model and developing a strategic vision as an urban service area Emerging Planning & Zoning issues include: a. Transportation plan ( Parks & Open Space Master Plan) b. Airport adjacent area planning c. Planning for a Shelburne Road Center 7. Budget Presentation: Fire Department: Chief Locke reviewed the Department' s organization. He noted they are now fully staffed with 10 Firefighters on 24 hours a day ( 48- hour work week). The Department now includes the Rental Registry. Recent successes include: a. 4% increase in calls b. Computerized station alerting resulting in a 30% drop in the movement of fire trucks as a result of " call rating." The Chief cited the importance of new software to achieve this. 58% of medical calls are " lower priority." Deputy Chief Corbin said the community is better off now by having units available. It also saves on work time on overnight shifts. c. 3200 registered rental housing units d. First new vehicle in a decade e. Officer development program Ms. Pugh asked about unregistered Airbnb' s. Chief Locke said the City subscribes to a service to address that and also does its own investigating. Deputy Chief Corbin noted that South Burlington dispatching serves as backup for Burlington, as they do for South Burlington. Deputy Chief Corbin also noted that the Department is now staffing the second ambulance full time. He explained that they have to order vehicles 24 to 36 months in advance. They will receive another new ambulance in July. They will order another for delivery in 2030. Thirteen senior firefighters have been participating in the development program. National people were brought in for training. This will put the department in a CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 6 better position for the future. Chief Locke added that younger firefighters will also receive training soon. The City receives $ 300, 000 additional revenue from the second ambulance, but this does result in additional usage and additional medical supplies and billing expenses. Billing is hired out to a company in Essex. Capital expenses include: a. Fleet managing and planning b. Station improvements at Station 1( sprinklers), living quarters to allow for more privacy, and rest rooms/ kitchen space modernization Emerging issues include: a. Planned leadership transition ( Chief Locke will retire in 2026) b. Need for a dedicated Shift Commander c. Increase operational safety d. Provide administrative support e. Consistency of training f. Quality assurance of medical reports Mr. Barritt asked about the recruitment of new Firefighters. Deputy Chief Corbin said there has been more interest in recent years, as the organization is one people want to work for. There are now a few people waiting for openings. Ms. Pugh asked if there is a lot of turnover. Chief Locke said that it is a hard question to answer. 60% of the current staff have fewer than 3 years because of the hard times when the department was understaffed. They have lost very few people in recent years. Ms. Baker said they have spent a lot of time addressing the " culture" around this. Chief Locke said he is grateful for any Firefighter who stays at least 5 years. He added that the job isn' t for everyone. Ms. Baker noted that Paramedic training allows for another kind of employment which can keep younger people longer. This is also better for the community as well. Mr. Barritt asked whether there is more confidence regarding fire safety than in the past. Deputy Chief Corbin said the City' s numbers are lower than nationwide numbers, possibly because South Burlington is a newer community regarding housing stock ( e. g., the use of alarms and sprinkler systems). He stressed that CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 7 some of the fires in the past year could have been prevented with single home fire inspections. 8. Budget Presentation: Public Works: Mr. DiPietro reviewed the Department' s staffing, noting there are 8 vacancies, mostly on the labor side. They maintain 87- 1/ 2 ' road center miles," water valves, water pipes, wastewater pumps, gravity pumps, etc. He showed a list of active DPW projects. Successes this year include: a. Completed Dorset Street paving b. Purchased new salt monitoring equipment c. Completed Mary Street sidewalk paving project d. Completed implementation of adaptive traffic signals on Dorset Street e. New energy- efficient windows at Wheeler f. New energy-efficient boilers at 19 Gregory Drive g. New double- sealed garage doors at Fire Station # 1 Utilities successes include: a. Expansion of Bartlett Bay stormwater treatment system b. Repair of force main on Hinesburg Road c. Completed engineering for Bartlett Bay Treatment Center upgrade d. Upgraded some water meters e. Prepared for the Brewer Parkway water line replacement project f. Reduced water loss by 5% g. The new water tank on Dorset Street is completed; painting and site work will be done in the spring. The proposed budget includes: a. Increased tree care to allow pruning of city trees b. Consolidation, repair and maintenance of line items in the facilities budget c. Wastewater administrative services increase for additional staffing There is an anticipated 5% increase in water purchased from CWD. CIP items include: a. $ 1, 250, 000 for paving b. Engineering for Old Farm Road CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 8  c. Garage expansion additional funds d. Culvert replacement on Bartlett Bay Road and Butler Farms e. Drinking water valve replacement on Williston Road in conjunction with State repair of that road f. Pump station improvement and replacement of UV controls at Airport Wastewater Plant Emerging issues include: a. Long lead time for purchase of equipment b. Lead Service Line Inventory. No lead pipes have been found. 2452 pipes listed as " unknown" need to be addressed. c. Construction of both WWTFs will require significant time d. Many stormwater permits coming due e. Deferred maintenance at DPW facilities f. City Arborist has identified 880 " vacant" tree planting locations in the city which they need to start filling Ms. Pugh asked if they are looking not to defer facilities maintenance. Ms. Towle explained the preventative schedule which they are just going back on. Ms. Baker said this is part of the shift to " city government." Mr. DiPietro noted that utility rate increases will total about $ 40. 41 for the year for most users ( those who use the minimum amount of water). Mr. Smith noted that 41% of people have no incentive to conserve water because of the minimum rate. Mr. Barritt noted that under 1, 000 cu. ft. is very low. Mr. DiPietro noted that every unit must be individually metered. There are some older systems with meters that serve multiple units. Ms. Pugh asked if there is any value in changing them to individual meters if there is a break of some other change in the building. Mr. DiPietro said there is. It is also more effective for leak detection. Mr. DiPietro then addressed pavement and sidewalk condition. He noted there was an assessment done in 2024 by Street Logic. They found the city' s pavement to be in good condition with relation to other municipalities. The average condition is ranked at 75 out of a possible 100. Mr. Smith said that as a cyclist, he did not rank the paths at 77. Ms. Baker said the Council can ask to meet a higher standard. She stressed the assessment was done by professionals. CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 9 Mr. DiPietro showed a graph of how sidewalk work has been funded in recent years and a list of budget scenarios. He said there will be an opportunity to discuss the prioritization of types of projects to do. Mr. Britt said the City needs to show people the work is being done. Mr. DiPietro then showed a graph of budget scenarios. In 10 years, that 77 rating will go down to 56 at the current budgeting level. There is also a need for people to manage the budgets. Roads: A street pavement overview was done by CCRPC in 2023. That average was 73 out of 100. It is now about 70. Mr. DiPietro showed a graph of funds over the years. Council members noted how expensive it will be just to maintain the current standard. Mr. Smith said the alternative is to lower expectations. He felt the money being put in now is just " triage." He cited the need for more conversation. Mr. Chalnick asked if there are choices as to how roads and paths are built. Mr. DiPietro said there is now a standard as to how things are built. He noted that roads in Dorset Farms are deteriorating because of the materials that were used in the base when the roads were built. Mr. DiPietro then showed a map of the Hubbard Recreation and Natural Area shared use path. Ms. Towle said they now have all the permits, and work is planned for next They will be going to bid in January/ February 2026. summer. The work is to be funded by the Open Space Fund, Pennies for Paths, and recreation impact fees. Mr. Smith questioned the need for lighting. Ms. Towle said lighting is in the parking area and is at pedestrian scale for safety. 9. City Council Budget Discussion: Ms. Baker noted there will be additional budget discussion at Monday night' s Council meeting. The budget must be set to send to voters on 12 January. She asked members if there was anything they needed. CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 10 Mr. Chalnick questioned the role of the cemetery person. He asked if there is anyone who can do the work without having to employ someone. Mr. Smith said setting things up will take a large chunk of time. Ms. Pugh was concerned with micromanaging. She also noted that the person employed will be doing both City Center work and Ms. Baker stressed that both elements are emerging cemeteries. needs. She estimated that to start, the work will be divided equally between the 2 elements, then become more focused on City Center. Mr. Chalnick wanted to know how much is spent on cemeteries. Mr. Barritt said the Council needs to discuss whether Pennies for Paths should include maintenance and whether a ballot item is needed for that. Mr. Smith said that should be part of a larger discussion. Ms. Towle said there is $ 885, 000 in the Pennies" fund. It has to be spent by 2030, and all the funds have been allocated to projects. Mr. Smith noted those funds provide only a small portion of the 500, 000 a year just to stay even. Mr. Britt said the effort should go into repairing " hot spots," which is what people are complaining about. Mr. McNeil noted that any potential ballot language must be posted by 1 February, so it should be decided upon in January to allow for printing.Mr. Barritt noted that if " Pennies" money is taken for maintenance, the city would lose the ability to apply for grants. Council members leaned toward not having that ballot item since there has not been a public discussion about it. Mr. Chalnick wanted to increase the amount budgeted for sidewalk maintenance and suggested deferring other CIP projects to accomplish this. Mr. Smith had the same issue with roads. Mr. DiPietro explained the complexity of assigning funds to specific " issues" based on the scores. Ms. Fitzgerald said she would like to know the percentage of taxes paid for by commercial vs. residential users. 10. Other Business: No other business was presented. As there was no further business to come before the Council Mr. Chalnick moved to adjourn. Mr. Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 1: 06 p. m. CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 11 Clerk CITY COUNCIL11 DECEMBER 2025 PAGE 12