City Council

Winooski City Council Remote Meeting Monday, May 17, 2021 at 6 PM Attend online: https://zoom.us/j/97290539410 Attend by phone: +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 972 9053 9410 I. Call to Order II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Agenda Review IV. Public Comment V. Consent Agenda a. Approval: Liquor Control Minutes and City Council Minutes of 05/03//2021 b. Approval: Accounts Payable Warrant as of 05/13/2021 and Payroll Warrant for period 04/18/21- 05/01/21 c. Approval: PAC Appointments d. Approval: Keeping of Chickens- 85 Dion Street VI. Council Reports VII. City Updates VIII. Regular Items a. Approval: CSWD FY22 Budget b. Approval: CSWD Appointments – K Lott c. Discussion: Resolution on Noise Insulation – K Lott d. Approval: Burlington International Airport – Noise Monitoring System and Easement – J Rauscher e. Discussion: Introduce and Welcome Yasamin Gordon, Equity Director – P Townsend f. Discussion: CHT Development Agreement – H Carrington g. Discussion: CHT Shared Use Parking Agreement – H Carrington h. Discussion: CHT Purchase and Sale Agreement – H Carrington i. Discussion: Historic Preservation Final Report – H Carrington j. Discussion: Housing Trust Fund Policy – H Carrington k. Discussion: Opportunities Credit Union MOU – H Carrington l. Discussion: Financial Policies on Accounting Systems – A Aldieri m. Discussion/Approval: Community Services Job Descriptions – 2 STEP positions – R Coffey n. Approval: Chicken Permit – 26 Hall Street– E Vorwald o. Discussion: Goal Update – J Rauscher & P Townsend IX. Executive Session a. Executive Session Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313 (2) the negotiation of real estate purchase or lease options related to Lot 7D (Abenaki Way) X. Adjourn Mayor Kristine Lott - klott@winooskivt.gov Councilor Hal Colston - hcolston@winooskivt.gov Councilor Jim Duncan - jduncan@winooskivt.gov Councilor Mike Myers - mmyers@winooskivt.gov Councilor Bryn Oakleaf – boakleaf@winooskivt.gov  MINUTES The Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Councilor Colston led the Pledge of Allegiance. Members Present: Mayor Kristine Lott Councilors: Hal Colston, James Duncan, Michael Myers, Bryn Oakleaf Officers Present: Jon Rauscher and Phoebe Townsend, Co-Interim City Managers; Janet Brouard, Sr Assistant City Clerk; Angela Aldieri, Finance Director; Heather Carrington, Economic Development Officer; Ray Coffey, Community Services Director; Eric Vorwald, Planning & Zoning Manager; Paul Sarne, Communication Coordinator; Yasamin Gordon. Others Present: Town Meeting TV, Sarah Reeves and Michele Morris, CSWD; Gene Richards and Nic Longo, Burlington International Airport; Britta Tonn, VHB; Robert Dipalma, Attorney; Chris Snyder, Rob Lucht, CHT; Eric Lind; Bob Ackland; Joe Perron; Rep Taylor Small; Sarah Van Ryckevorsel I. Agenda Review – None II. Public Comment – None III. Consent Agenda MOTION by Councilor Myers seconded by Councilor Duncan to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. IV. Council Reports Councilor Myers – None Councilor Colston said he’s happy to report that the Senate has approved our Charter change. It has already gone through the General Assembly and is currently on the Governor’s desk ready to be signed. He attended the SHCP meeting on the 11th. A lot of new hires in the Police and Fire Departments. The pool is experiencing some winterization issues; however, the contractor is on site to resolve the issues. The Winooski Partnership for Prevention gave a very informative presentation. Councilor Duncan – None Councilor Oakleaf said that they had interviews last week for the CSWD appointment which they will discuss a little later. She attended the South Burlington Energy Committee meeting last week. She wanted to see what their structure was as to the possibility of incorporating into our infrastructure commission later this year. Mayor Lott said last Friday we wished a fond farewell to our City Manager, Jessie Baker. She would like to let the public know that we now have our Public Works Director, Jon Rauscher and Human Resources Manager, Phoebe Townsend filling in as co-interim City Managers. Jon and Phoebe will attend each Council meeting and will split the City Updates reporting based on their department assignments. The Search Committee has been moving along, working on candidate questions. Their next meeting will be Monday at 5:30. She attended the Finance Commission meeting. They continue to work through the Financial Policies for the City, focusing on Internal Controls and Risk Management. The Planning Commission continues to discuss Form Based Code review, focusing on Bonus Story incentive, aiming towards middle income and/or energy standards. Lastly, she mentioned that she has been invited to the ribbon cutting for the Vermont Patriots Soccer Clubs first home game at Landry Park. V. City Updates Co-Interim City Manager Townsend gave the following update from the Administrative side of City Government; COVID and Public Access/Safety Plan For the most recently reported week, we saw six new cases in the community, and have seen a steady weekly decline in the number of positive cases reported in Winooski. In the coming week we expect to receive community level data around vaccination rates and will begin to assess ways to address any gaps in vaccination that we identify. Additionally, Vermonters from ages 12 – 15 are now eligible to register for a vaccine. If residents need assistance with registering to get a COVID vaccine, please call the Winooski Library at 802 655 6424 for support. Governor Phil Scott Lifts Mask Mandate for Vaccinated Individuals On Friday, May 14, 2021, Governor Phil Scott announced that because Vermont has already hit its necessary vaccination threshold with over 60% of the population receiving at least one dose, it will move into Step 3 of the Vermont Forward Plan more than two weeks ahead of the anticipated schedule including changes to the masking mandate. Please view the Vermont Department of Health website for more information. City of Winooski Municipal Services Public Access Plan and Safety Plan We will be taking a phased approach to public access to City buildings and returning to full-service hours over the next six weeks. City leadership is continuing to monitor the guidance updates from the CDC, Governor Phil Scott, and the Vermont Department of Health. Please note: masks and 6’ social distancing is still required inside any City-owned building until further notice. Current Access Plan – Until June 1, 2021 • City Hall is open to the public from 9 AM to 3 PM. • The Library is open for curbside pick-up Monday - Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM and Saturday from 10 AM - 2 PM. Browse and Borrow Sessions appointments can also be made online. • The Senior Center and the O’Brien Community Center are currently closed to the public but for by appointment. • Police, Fire, and Public Works - Services remain fully operational. • Public meetings - City Council, board, commission, and committee meetings will continue to hold their meetings remotely via Zoom for the foreseeable future. • Parking and Code Enforcement - Parking is being enforced Downtown. We encourage people to use the Park Mobile app as much as possible. Parking kiosks will be sanitized daily. • Utility Disconnections - All disconnections due to utility non-payments are canceled for the quarter. • Code Enforcement Residential and Commercial Inspections - Following public health guidance, we have restated inspections with safety procedures in place. Housing complaints continue to be processed. • Zoning Permit Application Submission - To the extent possible, applications for zoning permits including any supporting documents should be sent via email to evorwald@winooskivt.gov. • Building Permit Application Submission - To the extent possible, applications for building permits, including any supporting documents should be sent via email to lkeating@winooskivt.gov. • Public Parks - Following State guidance, parks and trails remain open for safe, responsible use. Public Access Plan – Starting June 1, 2021 • The Winooski Memorial Library will be open for appointments on Wednesday from 1 PM - 6 PM. Additionally, it will be open for in-person, drop-in (limit capacity to 11 patrons): Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10 AM - 2 PM, Friday: 1 PM - 6 PM • The Winooski Senior Center will be open from Tuesday to Thursday, from 9:30 AM to 1 PM as well as for programs scheduled outside those weekly drop-in hours. • The Myers Memorial pool will open to the public on Sunday, June 6, with an initial capacity of 75 swimmers at a time, managed through a combination of pre-registered slots (30%) and drop-in slots (70%). Please see the complete schedule at winooskivt.gov/pool. Pool Passes are still for sale, and we’ve got scholarship and payment plans available for all season passes. With opening day scheduled for June 6th, we encourage you to get your pass soon! Public Access Plan – Starting July 6, 2021 • City Hall will be open to the public from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. • The Community Services Department at the O’Brien Community Center will be staffed and open to the public from 9 AM to 5 PM. • The Library will be open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. • The Senior Center will be open from Tuesday to Thursday from 9:30 AM to 1 PM as well as for programs scheduled outside those weekly drop-in hours. • The Myers Memorial pool will expand capacity to 100 swimmers at a time, managed through a combination of pre-registered slots (30%) and drop-in slots (70%). Please see the complete schedule at winooskivt.gov/pool. COVID-19 Testing The City of Winooski has partnered with the Vermont Department of Health and CIC Health to provide daily on-going COVID-19 testing in Winooski at the O’Brien Community Center (32 Mallett’s Bay Ave). Register for any time listed below at vermont.force.com/events/s/self- registration (walk-ups are also welcome). Testing availability for the remainder of May 2021: • Mondays / 2 - 8 PM • Tuesdays / 9 - 3 PM • Wednesdays / 2 - 8 PM • Thursdays / 9 - 3 PM • Fridays / 2 - 8 PM • Saturdays / 9 - 3 PM • Sundays / 9 - 3 PM Free public testing will continue in June – the schedule and details may change. Please continue to see our updates for the latest testing information. For full testing details and translated materials, please click the “testing” tab on our COVID-19 page: winooskivt.gov/covid-19. View the Vermont Department of Health testing page: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing • North End Studios update: the remainder of North End Studios’ property is in the process of being removed from the O’Brien Community center this week. • Working Communities Challenge Grant - Four members of the grant team attended an Adaptive Leadership Training last week following a full grant team meeting. Yas Gordon is taking over as the primary point person on City staff for the grant, and our next full team meeting will be scheduled for July. • American Rescue Plan Act funding – more information about how municipalities can use ARPA funds continues to emerge so staff are continuing to analyze how we can put those funds to best use. 2024 is the deadline for earmarking the funds for use, so there is time to fully evaluate options. Co-interim Rauscher gave the following update from the Safety side. Vtrans Circulator roadwork update • Vtrans’ contractor is expected to start concrete grinding work on Friday (5/21). This work will be performed 7PM -6AM • The schedule will be confirmed this Thursday during their weekly project update. 355 Main Street – traffic detour Wednesday • Wednesday 5/19 the 355 Main Street project will be installing a private water service tap. In order to install the utility connection a traffic detour will be required along wthl some temporary on-street parking to be blocked off.  • Work will occur Wed around 9am and be completed around 3pm • City has reached out to Downtown Winooski to notify local business on the north end of town regarding the disruption. Women’s Fund Grant Award • The City was awarded $9k to foster the participation of women and girls in municipal decision-making, aligned with our Working Communities Challenge equity initiative. VI. Regular Items a. Approval: CSWD FY22 Budget Sarah Reeves, Executive Director of CSWD said the Board of Commissioners approved the attached FY22 budget on April 28, 2021. Per their charter it states that within 45 days of the approval, the legislative body of each member municipality shall act to approve or disapprove the budget. She gave a high overview of the budget. She said they continue to be funded by three areas; User fees, Management fees and the sale of materials and products. They do not receive any funding directly from municipalities they serve. The budget for FY22 is $12,954,793 for projected revenues, which is on the conservative side according to Ms. Reeves and expenses of $12,323,072. The remainder of funds will be split into reserves funds for future capital infrastructure needs. The Mayor thanked Ms. Reeves and Ms. Morris for their presentation. MOTION by Councilor Oakleaf seconded by Councilor Colston to approve the CSWD FY22 budget as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. b. Approval: CSWD Appointments – K Lott The Mayor said that Councilor Oakleaf, Ms. Reeves and Community Services Staff interviewed candidates and recommend the appointment of Mr. Ron Stotyn to the CSWD Board. MOTION by Councilor Duncan seconded by Councilor Oakleaf to approve the CSWD appointment as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. c. Discussion: Resolution on Noise Insulation – K Lott The Mayor said this Resolution language is associated with the proposed BTV Noise Compatibility Program. The purpose of this Resolution is to highlight City priorities and expectations of the noise insulations improvements. These Priorities include, use of acoustical windows and doors, making sure residents understand eligibility requirements, easements and warranties and making sure communication from the FAA/BTV is strong and reaching our diverse population. The Mayor said Gene Richards and Nic Longo of the Burlington International Airport are here tonight to update us on the noise mitigation efforts and monitoring systems being put into place. Mr. Richards gave an overview of pilot program beginning with 10 houses split between So Burlington, Williston and Winooski, with Winooski expecting to have 2 houses done by the end of June. Mr. Longo said the grant they applied for will cover the costs of the first 10 house and then prepare for the next 50. Their hope is to have a rotating schedule each year with 50 houses in the design phase and 50 houses in the construction stage. Depending on the Department of Defense, there could be additional appropriations made available to increase the number of houses done each year. Mr. Longo said approximately 50 Million could be put into the program, but it is not guaranteed funding. The Council had some questions on eligibility and determination of chosen properties. Mr. Longo said they have a lot of data that will determine the selection. Properties with the highest decibel levels would be considered priority. Discussion ensued with constructive public comment. The Mayor said this was very informative and they will continue to voice their concerns with BTV. She said this resolution is on the agenda for discussion only and it will come back at the next Council meeting for approval. d. Approval: Burlington International Airport – Noise Monitoring System and Easement - J Rauscher Mr. Rauscher said the City of Burlington/Burlington International Airport is proposing to install noise monitoring systems in each of the three communities. One will be at City Hall in Winooski, Chamberlain School in South Burlington and the third will be located at the Public Works Department in Williston. Mr. Rauscher said in order to install the monitoring equipment, an easement and access agreement must be executed. See attached. These monitoring systems are anticipated to be installed and live by the end of July. The units will be 100% maintained by the airport. Councilor Oakleaf had some concerns over how the monitors can distinguish area noises other than aircraft, particully with the unit at City Hall being placed so closely to the Railroad track. Mr. Longo said the units have been programmed to filter out area noises and focus on high noise levels. The Mayor called for a recess. The meeting will reconvene at 7:46 p.m. e. Discussion: Introduce and Welcome Yasamin Gordon, Equity Director – P Townsend Ms. Townsend said she is very pleased to announce Yasamin Gordon as our first Equity Director, Yasamin started on May 10th and has already hit the ground running. She had already made a lot of great recommendations and had a number of meetings. Her position will support the City in making sure that all our residents voices are represented in our municipal decision-making processes. Yasamin is super humble to be chosen for this role and can’t wait to have the opportunity to connect with the residents of the City. The Mayor and Council welcomed Yasamin to this new role. f. Discussion: CHT Development Agreement – H Carrington Ms. Carrington said the next three agenda items are for discussion only. They are a variety of draft agreements with Champlain Housing Trust pertaining to the proposed housing development located at 32 Mallett’s Bay Ave. A pre-development agreement was executed between the City and CHT back in 2018. This agreement brings forward perpetually affordable homeownership opportunity to be located at the front of the O’Brien Community Center. The project furthers our Master Plan goals. At the February 16th Council meeting, we brought to you you a full update on the project design and development plans for the new “Butternut Station”. At that time, you gave staff the authorization to negotiate agreements with CHT. We present these agreements here tonight for discussion and anticipate approval at the June 7th meeting. Ms. Carrington said Rob Lucht from CHT is here tonight to answer any questions you may have. Ms. Carrington gave a high overview of each agreement. She said the Development agreement basically outlines the mutual intent and laying out our roles and obligations. The next agreement is the Shared Use Parking Agreement. This agreement took the most negotiation. This is for the use of 4 spaces at the O’Brien Community Center that CHT was not able to implement into their design of the 34 required by zoning. CHT expressed the possible need for an additional 5 spaces. If this need arises, then those spaces will be made available to them only between the hours of 5pm – 8 am. They would not be dedicated spaces just available for overnight use. The final agreement is a premliminary Purchase and Sale Agreement. We are still working on the clarity of the easements within this document to ensure the location and dimensions are as defined on the site plans. All three of these agreements will be brought back to you at the June 7th meeting. We will also have a resolution authorizing the transfer of title. The Mayor said it was nice to see this move forward with ease. g. Discussion: CHT Shared Use Parking Agreement – H Carrington This was presented along with item f. h. Discussion: CHT Purchase and Sale Agreement – H Carrington This was presented along with item f. i. Discussion: Historic Preservation Final Report – H Carrington Ms. Carrington said that the City of Winooski secured a Municipal Planning Grant in December of 2019 to hire a historic preservation consultant to perform a Historic Resource Inventory and provide recommendations for a preservation bylaw for the City. Ms. Britta Tonn of VHB was hired and her focus was the gateway corridors; Main Street, East Allen Street and Mallett’s Bay Avenue. Ms. Tonn provided an overview of her inventory findings at the February Council Meeting. After obtaining feedback as to the Council’s vision and priorities, Ms. Tonn compiled her final report containing her recommendations for preservation policies. Ms. Tonn said she was excited about this project. She has a real passion for historic properties. She recommends the following; “The City of Winooski become a Certified Local Government (“CLG”). The CLG program, administered by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation (“VDHP”), encourages the direct participation of local governments in the identification, evaluation, registration, and preservation of historic properties within jurisdictions. It promotes the integration of local preservation interests and concerns into local planning and decision-making processes. There are many benefits to CLG status, the most important being the matching grants awarded to CLG’s each year for preservation-related projects.” Ms. Tonn said the first and most important requirement for achieving CLG status is for the City to establish a Historic Preservation Commission. This Commission will be responsible for preparing a set of guidelines for future builders to go by when looking to develop properties within the City. The Mayor thanked MS. Tonn for all her time and energy put into this project. It is certainly something the Council will give much thought to. Ms. Carrington recommended that it be a discussion item at the next Priorities and Strategies Retreat. j. Discussion: Housing Trust Fund Policy – H Carrington Ms. Carrington said a Housing Trust Fund was established by a City Council Resolution at their January 7th meeting. The Resolution allocated the full amount of the Housing Improvement Loan Program Funds to the Housing Trust Fund. The Housing Commission developed policies and procedures for the Trust Fund to go by and previously presented them to the Council. The attached draft policy has been updated based on the Council’s feedback. Ms. Carrington said staff anticipates presenting the final draft, barring any significant changes from Council, at the June 7th meeting. k. Discussion: Opportunities Credit Union MOU – H Carrington Ms. Carrington said the City established a Housing Trust Fund with the goal of providing financial assistance to incentivize the development, preservation and improvement of affordable housing within the City as well as providing access to low to moderate-income first-time homebuyers. Ms. Carrington said the City has partnered with Opportunities Credit Union to develop a draft Memorandum of Understanding which allows them to provide loan servicing in the program. This MOU is presented tonight for your review and comments. A final draft will be presented for Council approve at the June 7th meeting. l. Discussion: Financial Policies on Accounting Systems – A Aldieri Ms. Aldieri said the City of Winooski has financial policies and procedures that were adopted between 2014 and 2017. Many of those documents need to be updated to reflect changes to operations including staffing and technology. She said there are five policies presented tonight for your review. They include Accounting, Auditing and Financial reporting Policy, the Balanced Budget and Budget Management Policy, the Fund Balance Reserve Policy, the Revenues and Receivables Policy and lastly the Purchasing Policy. All of these have been reviewed and approved by the Finance Commission. The Mayor thanked Ms. Aldieri and the Finance Commission for all their work to update these to current standards. m. Discussion/Approval: Community Services Job Descriptions – 2 STEP positions – R Coffey Mr. Coffey said back in May the Community Services Department and Finance Department have been working together to finalize a contract with the Winooski School District which will support the expansion of Recreational Programming with in the City. Mr. Coffey said we are proposing to add the following positions; STEP Summer Meals Program Assistant and STEP Snack Bar Assistant. These positions will be funded from the Winooski School District Contract. Councilor Oakleaf had some concern over the Snack Bar position in that we have contracted those services to a “For Profit” business. Why is the City funding a position for them? Mr. Coffey said this is similar to the position we had in previous years with Vermont Works for Woman. Councilor Oakleaf asked Mr. Coffey to look into the ramification of the City doing this. MOTION by Councilor Duncan seconded by Councilor Myers to approve the Community Services Job Descriptions as presented. Voted and passed 3-0-1, Councilor Oakleaf abstained. m. Approval: Chicken Permit – 26 Hall Street– E Vorwald The Mayor said this item pertains to Councilor Duncan; therefore, he will recuse himself from this item. Mr. Vorwald said the City received Mr. Duncan’s application and any residence interested in keeping chickens must get approval from Council. Mr. Vorwald said the Zoning permit has been reviewed and it meets the standards as set by the City’s regulations. There was some concern voiced by Mr. Lind, resident of 75 Main Street with the rising in number of permits the City has been approving. His main concern is with the infections and diseases that can be spread. The Mayor said she will have a conversation about his concerns. MOTION by Councilor Colston seconded by Councilor Myers to approve the Chicken Permit – 26 Hall Street as presented. Voted and passed 3-0. Councilor Duncan recused himself o. Discussion: Goal Update – J Rauscher & P Townsend Ms. Townsend said each year the Council and Leadership Team establish a list of priorities for achieving the City’s Strategic Vision. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic you adopted a 2020 Recovery Plan. I am pleased to present our 8th report-out. The Mayor thanked the Leadership Team and staff for all the work completed given the hardships of the pandemic. IX. Executive Session MOTION by Councilor Myers seconded by Councilor Oakleaf to enter into Executive Session Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. Section 313 (2) the negotiation of real estate purchase or lease options related to Lot 7D (Abenaki Way) at 9:00 pm. and to invite Jon Rauscher, Phoebe Townsend, Heather Carrington, Bob Dipalma, Bill Niquette, Doug Nedde, Liam Murphy and Lynn Davis as presented. Voted and passed 4-0. X. Adjourn MOTION by Councilor Colston seconded by Councilor Duncan to adjourn the City Council Meeting at 10:10 pm. Voted and passed 4-0. ATTEST: ________________________________________ Sr Assistant City Clerk