City Council

27 WEST ALLEN STREET WINOOSKI, VERMONT 05404 (802) 655-6410 CITY OF WINOOSKI (802) 655-6414 (fax) JESSIE BAKER CITY MANAGER MAYOR SETH LEONARD DEPUTY MAYOR BRIAN CORRIGAN mayor@winooskivt.org CITY COUNCIL COUNCILOR NICOLE MACE COUNCILOR ERIC COVEY COUNCILOR BRIAN SWEENEY Agenda Tuesday, February 20, 2018 6:00 p.m. Claire Burke Council Chambers I. Call to Order II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Agenda Review IV. Public Comment V. Consent Agenda a. Approval: Liquor Control & City Council Minutes of February 5, 2018 b. Approval: Accounts Payable Warrant as of 2/14/18 and Payroll Warrant as of 1/28/28-2/10/18 c. Approval: Community Services Spring Program Fees VI. City Update VII. Council Reports VIII. Regular Items a. Discussion: Introduce Sgt. James Charkalis – R. Hebert b. Approval: Planning Commission Appointments – P. Dreher • Amy Houghton – Full Time • Abby Bleything – Full Time • Harka Khadka – Alternate • Lauren Sampson – Alternate c. Approval: Development Review Board Appointments – P. Dreher • Aaron Guyette – Full Time • Matt Bacewicz – Full Time d. Discussion: Downtown Winooski Update – K. Adams/B. Sweeney e. Discussion: Partnership for Prevention Programming Update – S. Leonard/K. Nugent f. Discussion: Quarter 2 Budget Projections – J. Ticehurst g. Approval: Community Outreach Team – Memorandum of Understanding with Howard Center – J. Baker h. Discussion/Approval: Fair and Impartial Policing Policy – R. Hebert i. Discussion: Transportation Alternatives Grant Application – H. Carrington j. Approval: National Recreation and Parks Association Grant Application – R. Coffey k. Discussion: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s ECOS Draft Regional Plan Feedback – J. Baker l. Approval: Position Description Community Services Transport Driver – R. Coffey Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 1 of 8 www.winooskivt.org  m. Discussion: Goal Update Safe, Healthy and Connected People – J. Baker IX. Executive Session a. City Manager – Annual Review to take place in Executive Session per 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(3) b. City Manager – Contract Discussion to take place in Executive Session per 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(A) X. Adjourn MINUTES The meeting was called to order by the Deputy Mayor at 6:00pm. The meeting began with the pledge of allegiance led by Deputy Mayor Brian Corrigan. Members Present: Mayor Seth Leonard Councilors: Brian Corrigan, Eric Covey, Nicole Mace, Brian Sweeney Officers Present: Jessie Baker, City Manager; Angela Aldieri, Assistant City Clerk; Heather Carrington, Community and Economic Development Director; Ray Coffey, Community Services Director; Richard Hebert, Police Chief; James Charkalis, Police Sergeant; James Ticehurst, Treasurer; Others Present: Emma Interlandi; Kelsey Adams, Downtown Winooski; Patty Niquette; Mike Fife; Courtney Fleisher; Lauren Sampson; Kate Nugent, Partnership for Prevention; Jackie Hoy, Partnership for Prevention; Diana Gonzalez, Winooski Representative; Kim Jordan, ACLU of Vermont; Will Lambek, Migrant Justice; Enrique Balcazar; Dana Rushford; Four additional people were in attendance who did not sign in and whose names could not be confirmed but spoke. III. Agenda Review No changes to the agenda were made. IV. Public Comment No public comment was made. V. Consent Agenda MOTION by Councilor Covey, seconded by Councilor Sweeney to approve the minutes of the Liquor Control Board and City Council as presented. Voted and passed 3-0-1, with Deputy Mayor Corrigan abstaining. MOTION by Councilor Sweeney, seconded by Councilor Mace to approve the warrants and Community Services Spring Program fees as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. VI. City Update Ms. Baker thanked Deputy Mayor Corrigan and Councilor Sweeney for their years of service on the Council and their support for her over the last year. Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 2 of 8 www.winooskivt.org Ms. Baker noted that Town Meeting Day is right around the corner. Early voting is available. The budget book, annual report, information on the proposed bond and regional dispatch, and a sample ballot can all be found on the City’s website. There will be multiple opportunities for the public to get more information including a Community Dinner to be held on February 21st; a presentation at the Senior Center on February 28th, an appearance on Channel 17 on February 23rd, and a presentation at the Winooski School Performing Arts Center on March 5th. The City currently has four open positions for which we have received ninety-seven applications so far. The Drag Queen Story Hour had over sixty in attendance last Saturday. The Community Services department is currently enrolling for the February and April vacation camps for THRIVE, community garden plots, and for a 3-on-3 coed basketball tournament to be held in March. Through the Promises Community Grant the City will be offering a free trauma-informed care training with Dave Melnick. There were twenty-five people in attendance at the first session held on Friday. The next session will be held March 30th at VSAC. Those interested should contact staff for additional information. Ms. Baker stated that she was elected by the Champlain Housing Trust to join their board and met with that group for the first time last week. VII. Council Reports Councilor Covey stated that the former pool committee met last week to discuss fundraising breaking the formal tie of the group to Council. They are preparing to come before Council with plans after they receive fundraising training. The Public Safety commission met and had a robust discussion on the fair and impartial policing policy but did not feel that they had enough information to make a recommendation. Councilor Sweeney stated that he had no official report. He thanked everyone on the Council and Staff for all they do. It was an honor to serve and he encouraged people to get involved. He found it rewarding, but he wants to spend more time with his family. Deputy Mayor Corrigan echoed the thanks expressed by Councilor Sweeney and stated that he will miss this, but that his family comes first. Councilor Mace stated that the evaluation and contract process with the City Manager will conclude in a week or so. Mayor Leonard stated that he appreciates how difficult it is to ask neighbors to vote for you and the time and effort required to serve on the Council. It allows you to make a difference in the community. He expressed his appreciation for the respectful nature of the current Council in discussions. Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 3 of 8 www.winooskivt.org VIII. Regular Items a. Discussion: Introduce Sgt. James Charkalis – R. Hebert Recently a promotional process was completed that resulted in James Charkalis being promoted to sergeant after thirteen years with the department. During his time with the City Sgt. Charkalis has been a field training officer, a mentor to new officers, and most recently was assigned to the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations. Chief Hebert stated he was looking forward to working with Sgt. Charkalis in a leadership role. Sgt. Charkalis expressed his respect for the department and the City and hopes that he can continue to grow and do better. He expressed appreciation. b. Approval: Planning Commission Appointments – P. Dreher • Amy Houghton – Full Time • Abby Bleything – Full Time • Harka Khadka – Alternate • Lauren Sampson – Alternate Paul Dreher was not present; but, Ms. Baker stated that the Planning Commission currently has a number of vacancies. An application process was held and reviewed by the Chair of the Commission, the Mayor, Paul Dreher, and Heather Carrington. There was an extensive interview process that resulted in the slate of two full time and two alternate members before the board for appointment consideration. Lauren Sampson was present and expressed excitement to be able to join the work to create the master plan and future vison for the City. MOTION by Deputy Mayor Corrigan, seconded by Councilor Covey to approve the candidates for appointment to the Planning Commission as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. c. Approval: Development Review Board Appointments – P. Dreher • Aaron Guyette – Full Time • Matt Bacewicz – Full Time Another interview process took place for vacancies on the Development Review Board. There are additional vacancies for alternate seats on the board. However, the two candidates under consideration for appointment to full time seats on the board are very strong. MOTION by Deputy Mayor Corrigan, seconded by Councilor Sweeney to approve the candidates for appointment to the Development Review Board as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. d. Discussion: Downtown Winooski Update – K. Adams/B. Sweeney Kelsey Adams, the Board Chair of Downtown Winooski, and several board members were present to give an update and some background on their organization. The nonprofit group exists in part because its existence gives eligibility for certain state programs and incentives to the City and developers. In November the group held a visioning exercise that determined their focus areas should be promotion of businesses, community, and vibrancy. There have been some recent changes with the group and they will be learning about finances and being good stewards of the funding they receive. They see themselves as a support arm of the City that focuses on listening to business owners and planning events. Ms. Adams reviewed a list of events that are planned for the coming year including a spring awareness event, the French Heritage Festival in July, the dog show in September, and Small Business Saturday in November. The group put forward the budget for the coming year for review. Ms. Adams reminded viewers that the group sells Access Winooski cards that give discounts at local businesses. It was noted that a memorandum of understanding with the City would be drawn up and would become part of the mission for the organization. Ms. Carrington noted that in the last few years the City and developers have been eligible for $2.6 million in funding because of this organization. Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 4 of 8 www.winooskivt.org e. Discussion: Partnership for Prevention Programming Update – S. Leonard/K. Nugent Kate Nugent, the Executive Director for Partnership for Prevention, and Jackie Hoy, the Communications Coordinator, were present to give an update on the organization. Partnership for Prevention’s goal is to prevent substance abuse through education and empowerment. The group shares information through social media, monthly newsletters, and community based dinners. They work with partner organizations including the school based health center, Counter Balance Vermont, Vermont Works for Women, the Community Justice Center, Age Well, and the Winooski Family Center. Recently they have been working with the Vermont Department of Health in data collection that will assess the influence of tobacco marketing. Recently they held a panel discussion regarding smoke free housing for interested landlords. On February 22nd it will be Prevention Day at the statehouse and they will be present to advocate for state investment in prevention as most funding currently comes from Federal funding. They then spoke about the youth group that they work with as part of an afterschool program with the Winooski School District that allows the participants to become advocates for a healthy community. Council expressed appreciation for their efforts to make Winooski safe and healthy. f. Discussion: Quarter 2 Budget Projections – J. Ticehurst James Ticehurst presented the budget projections as of the end of December. He noted that the budget as a whole looks good and appears to be well managed. He noted that staff is cognizant of how funds are being spent. Discussion regarding the O’Brien Community Center vacancies and impact on the budget followed. g. Approval: Community Outreach Team – Memorandum of Understanding with Howard Center – J. Baker Ms. Baker reviewed this partnership with the Howard Center that was discussed at length during the budgeting process. This would allow four case workers to be shared regionally between communities to provide the support needed when working with those who have mental health issues. It was noted that this is a way to bring much needed resources to the community in an affordable way. Discussion regarding the composition of the steering committee and how the case workers would be assigned followed. MOTION by Councilor Sweeney, seconded by Deputy Mayor Corrigan to approve the Community Outreach Team Memorandum of Understanding and authorize the City Manager to execute. Voted and passed 4-0. h. Discussion/Approval: Fair and Impartial Policing Policy – R. Hebert The policy sent by the Training Council was reviewed at the last Council meeting. Chief Hebert stated that the police reflects the values of the department and recommended adopting as sent to us. Chief Hebert stated that the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council approved the policy in December 2017. He noted that language could be added as long as it does not conflict with the rest of the policy, but that any language changes must be submitted to the Attorney General’s office for review. Chief Hebert then review the statutory requirements. Councilor Covey presented a memo to Council outlining areas in the policy where he has concern that there are loopholes or unclear guidance. He outlined his proposals to make there section clearer and draw a line between Federal civil immigration law and the functions in public safety of the local department. He expressed a desire to make a strong statement that this is a safe place to live and that service will be provided to community members without regard to immigration status. Discussion regarding the risks of adopting other than the policy presented including the loss of JAG funding, legal obligations, and the relationships we have with Federal partners. Chief Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 5 of 8 www.winooskivt.org Hebert noted that the current year JAG funding has not yet been awarded pending the outcome of policy adoption. He noted that the funding currently at risk would have been used to purchase ceramic rifle plates for the officer vests. Additional funding would need to be sought if the federal award is lost. It was reiterated that deviations from the presented policy would need to be submitted for review. Discussion regarding what the process would be and implications. The deadline for adoption was noted as being March 1st with no extension likely. The meeting was opened to members of the public to make comment. Representative Diana Gonzalez stated that she was a part of Act 54 and stated that the intent of the legislature was to protect all with the policy. We need a uniform minimum policy for consistency across the state. Kim Jordan with the ACLU of Vermont stated that she had met with Chief Hebert and Ms. Baker regarding the policy. She offered language reviewed by ACLU legal staff which would express that the Council had no intent to violate federal laws that may be useful to include in the policy. Another attendee expressed that it is important to take a stand on this issue and while they were not directly affected they wanted all in the community to have a feeling of safety. Lauren Sampson expressed her support for the language proposed by Councilor Covey stating that it strengthens and provides clarity to the policy. She noted that she is an attorney who does work with immigration law and she herself is an immigrant her on a visa so the issue is important to her. Will Lambek with Migrant Justice stated that the proposed policy is a floor not a ceiling and that the community can go beyond the minimums that it sets. Dana Rushford, a business owner, stated that Council should consider the risk being taken under both scenarios – either defying federal law or not determining that someone it wanted by immigration if we don’t communicate with them. Another attendee stated that people are not illegal and that everyone should be protected. No one should be pulled from medical appointments or detained from busses. She noted this is an opportunity to make a statement and support community members and that the risk is not a concern. Another attendee wearing a Migrant Justice shirt stated that he himself has in the past been an illegal immigrant in France and that people in that situation still deserve respect and human rights. He stated that funding that could be lost can be found from other sources and encouraged Council to take the lead. Enrique Balcazar came forward and stated that he is an undocumented worker on a dairy farm here in Vermont. The rest of his statement was translated by a member of Migrant Justice. He stated he want to be able to expre4s his beliefs and not live in the shadows. He wants to be a part of the community and is considering moving to Winooski. He want to live in safety and have the luxury of trusting the police and be able to access that resource when needed without the fear of being deported. Another attendee stated that she was present out of concern for her undocumented neighbors and asked Council to adopt the policy with the proposed changes as she felt it would create a safer community for all. She stated that there may be a loss of funding but that you cannot put a price on the safety of community members. Mike Fife stated that he felt these are the ways that the department is already policing and noted that an unclear policy is not advantageous. Codifying values is important. Patty Niquette came forward and expressed concern that the Council is approaching a slippery slope and asked that they do the right thing. She noted that with her 17 year experience working for the City finding a source for $10,000 can be very hard. Heather Carrington came forward as a resident to remind the Council that during their discussion on Sanctuary Cities unintended consequences were concerns raised. Making a stand could have an impact on the very people the changes to the policy are trying to protect. Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 6 of 8 www.winooskivt.org Discussion by Council followed regarding the changes to language proposed by Councilor Covey, the ACLU language and the risks. MOTION by Councilor Covey, seconded by Deputy Mayor Corrigan to adopt the Fair and Impartial Policing model policy with the proposed changes submitted by Councilor Covey and the inclusion of a legislative intent statement in the purpose section that the policy is not intended to violate state or federal law. Voted and passed 5-0. Councilor Covey volunteered to review the final draft of the policy as amended by the motion passed by Council to ensure the intent of the vote was met. i. Discussion: Transportation Alternatives Grant Application – H. Carrington Ms. Carrington stated that the due date on this grant is March 19th. We are eligible for funding and were encouraged by the Director of Vermont Downtown to apply. The grants are up to $100,000 with a 50% match requirement. In kind match is accepted. Ms. Carrington went on to explain the possible options for the grant including a bike share program or alternatively improving pedestrian access in the downtown. There is questions regarding the bike share since they would move regionally if it would be an acceptable use of funds that have been submitted. Question regarding the use of funds for the Weaver Street bike facility project. Consensus was to let staff make the final decision regarding the project that would be applied for. j. Approval: National Recreation and Parks Association Grant Application – R. Coffey Mr. Coffey stated this grant is a $40,000 grant that aims to put residential addresses within ten minutes of a park. The City already meets this goal, so our application would be toward improving connectivity and access to the existing parks to thoughtfully cultivate the parks in the community. The grant is due March 9th and we would know if it was awarded on April 1st. The grant also requires the Mayor to sign in support of the ten minute walk initiative. MOTION by Councilor Sweeney, seconded by Deputy Mayor Corrigan to approve the grant application as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. k. Discussion: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s ECOS Draft Regional Plan Feedback – J. Baker Ms. Baker stated that the ECOS plan from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission is the equivalent of a countywide master plan. Response is not required, but Ms. Baker stated she wanted to provide the opportunity for Council to give feedback. The plan has also been provided to leadership and to the Planning Commission for comment. Ms. Baker reviewed staff concerns including affordable housing, equitable public transportation through the county, and childcare capacity and access. l. Approval: Position Description Community Services Transport Driver – R. Coffey Mr. Coffey stated that there was previously a paid driver for the Senior Center van who stepped down earlier this year. The City attempted to fill the position using volunteers but did not have any interest. This job description codifies what the position will do as one did not previously exist. The position would be filled using the funds budgeted for the position previously. MOTION by Deputy Mayor Corrigan, seconded by Councilor Covey to approve the position description for a community services transport driver as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 7 of 8 www.winooskivt.org m. Discussion: Goal Update Safe, Healthy and Connected People – J. Baker It was noted that a number of other issues discussed tonight area related issues including the Community Outreach program and the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy. It was requested that historical progress be included for reference for new Council members in future updates. Discussion regarding the progress with childcare followed with Mr. Coffey noting that he anticipates having further information after a meeting on March 12th where a letter of intent may come. IX. Executive Session Mayor Leonard stated that the items to be discussed tonight include a personnel matter and contract negotiation that should not be discussed in open session to protect personnel information and not put the City at a disadvantage during negotiations. No formal action will take place tonight with a special meeting to possibly be scheduled for Monday March 5th. Council will only reconvene in open session tonight to adjourn. MOTION by Councilor Covey, seconded by Deputy Mayor Corrigan to go into executive session bringing the City Manager at 9:16pm. Voted and passed 4-0. X. Adjourn MOTION by Council Mace, seconded by Deputy Mayor Corrigan to adjourn the City Council meeting at 10:02pm. Voted and passed 4-0. ATTEST: ___________________________ Assistant City Clerk Minutes of February 20, 2018 Winooski City Council Page 8 of 8 www.winooskivt.org