City Council

City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov Winooski City Council Meeting Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6 PM Attend in person: Winooski City Hall (27 W Allen St) Attend online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84364849328 Attend by phone: 1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 843 6484 9328 I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:03 PM Members Present: Mayor Kristine Lott, Councilor Thomas Renner, Councilor Charles Judge, Councilor Aurora Hurd, Councilor Bryn Oakleaf Officers Present: Elaine Wang, City Manager, Paul Sarne, Communications Director, Jon Rauscher, Director of Public Works, Jesse Acri, Human Resources Director, John Audy Jr, Fire Chief, Jenny Willingham, City Clerk, Amanda Casper-McFadden, Assistant City Clerk Others Present: Connor Daley, Kristin Lawson, Frankie (Liza) Nannie, Daisy Berbeco, Laura Wade, Terry, AUR Admissions II. Agenda Review Council motioned to pull Item E from the Consent Agenda III. Public Comment Minutes: Kristin Lawson brought forth safety concerns over Winooski Crosswalks and their lack of striping and painting. She expressed concern over the urgency of repainting and striping, especially with students going back to school. Public Works Director, Jon Rauscher, addressed the concerns over crosswalk painting citing availability of contractors that do crosswalk painting and striping in Vermont, lack of materials, and budgetary restrictions. Daisy Berbeco echoed Kristin Lawson’s concerns over crosswalk painting in Winooski. She also brought forth the concern of pedestrian safety and the need for signage stating it is state law to yield to pedestrians. Laura Wade weighed in on the crosswalk painting and striping, echoing concerns over lack of crosswalk painting and signage about yielding to pedestrians. Terry addressed the Council with concerns of questioning the experience of commissioners on the Planning Commission in previous meetings. IV. Consent Agenda a. Approval: City Council Minutes of July 17, 2023 b. Approval: Payroll Warrant July 9 - July 22, 2023 c. Approval: Accounts Payable July 19, 2023, August 3, 2023 & August 4, 2023  d. Approval: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Alternate Appointment e. Approval: Commission Appointments: Finance, Municipal Infrastructure f. Approval: Community College of Vermont Parking Contract Amendment Minutes: Mayor Lott noted that item E was being pulled and moved to regular items due to more information being added Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Oakleaf and seconded by Councilor Judge to approve all other items on the Consent Agenda. Voted and passed 4-0. V. Council Reports Councilor Hurd: There will be no Safe, Healthy, Connected People meeting for the month of August. There will be an Inclusion and Belonging Commission meeting this Thursday, August 10, 2023, via Zoom. The Inclusion and Belonging Commission is looking for new members, if you would like to participate, please feel free to reach out to either Jenny Willingham or Councilor Hurd for more information. Councilor Oakleaf: The Municipal Infrastructure Commission did not meet in July. They took a break while recruiting. For anyone that has any interest, there are Commissions with open spots still. You can contact Councilor Oakleaf or the City Staff for more information. The next meeting for the Municipal Infrastructure Commission will be Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be a hybrid, meeting in the Pool Room at Myers Pool as well as via Zoom. They do not have an agenda yet but is to come. Chittenden Solid Waste District will have their next full board meeting on August 16, 2023. There is no agenda as of now. Airport Commission met on August 1, 2023, there were no significant updates. There does appear to be some housing that qualifies for sound insulation in Winooski. More information on where exactly to come. The Noise Exposure Map update: They have a consultant secured for that work and will be reconvening a technical committee as well as a regional committee later this fall or winter. They anticipate the first public meeting to be held in the middle of September at Chamberlin Elementary. TBD on a specific date and time. The commission’s next meeting will be on September 6, 2023. The Winooski Bridge Development planning and scoping will be kicking off later this month which Councilor Oakleaf will be serving on. Mayor Lott: reported that she had met with the new superintendent of the school district and will be resuming quarterly meetings between the City Manager, Superintendent, Schoolboard Chair, and Mayor Lott. There will be a meeting in September to plan for October 11th when the Council joins Winooski School Board for the annual joint meeting. The Superintendent and City Manager have also resumed weekly meetings that were happening in previous years. There was no Finance Commission meeting last month, there will be a hybrid meeting on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 5:30 PM. They will be receiving input from the commissioners on the sidewalk changes, which were seen in the fall and will be coming back around soon. These changes were around sidewalk usage around the Rotary to address safety concerns. The Planning Commission will meet on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 6:30 PM via Zoom to continue discussion around the design review district. Mayor Lott’s monthly housing round table group is meeting on Friday. Their goal for this month is to collect perspectives from housing providers and support organizations working in Winooski that they can share with the Housing Commission Initiative Director to inform these priorities. Deputy Mayor Renner: reported that Downtown Winooski has a new event: Blingo which is Bingo with a Twist. Their first event will be on Tuesday August 8, 2023, at Waterworks from 6 PM – 8 PM. Additional Blingo nights will be held on August 15th, August 22nd, and August 29th. If you can attend, you are encouraged to wear clothing with a funky flair. Downtown Winooski is currently in the planning  stages of Winooski’s Pride Celebration. This year will be the first year Winooski has a Pride Parade to be held on September 9, 2023. If you are interested in volunteering or partaking in any way, please contact Downtown Winooski. You can visit their website at downtownwinooski.org. Councilor Judge: reported that at the most recent Housing Commission meeting a debate was had regarding whether the Winooski Housing Trust continuing to offer downpayment assistance vs offering a graduated interest reduction program through Opportunities. Discussion is still ongoing; no decision was made. They also overviewed the Housing Initiative Directors Work Plan alongside the City’s priorities and strategies. The Housing Initiative’s Chair and Councilor Judge will meet on Wednesday August 9, 2023, to determine the Agenda for the meeting occurring on August 22, 2023 at 6 PM. VI. City Updates Minutes: Winooski Finance Commission Seeks New Members - The City of Winooski seeks engaged and dedicated residents to serve on our Finance Commission! Are you interested in or want to learn more about the City's finances and economic vitality (for example budgets, financial policies, grants, and loan programs)? Looking to connect with your neighbors and get involved in the public process? Applicants with related experience, skill sets, and interests are encouraged to apply – simply visit the news updates section at winooskivt.gov to learn more. The Council and staff welcome diverse voices. If you've never served, we will do our best to support you. Utility and Tax Payments Due August 15 - As a friendly reminder, property tax, water, and sewer payments are due on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Payments can be made online at winooskivt.gov/pay or by cash/check/credit card in person at Winooski City Hall (27 West Allen St). The City Clerk’s Office will be open on Tuesday, August 15th from 8 AM - 4 PM (normally closed on Tuesdays). Residents may also use the after-hours drop box located just to the left of the entrance. Postmarks will not be considered on-time payments. Expiring Free COVID-19 Test Kits - The free COVID-19 take-home tests available at Winooski City Hall, the Winooski Senior Center, and the Winooski Memorial Library will expire on September 30th, 2023. We still have plenty in stock, just ask during your next visit! VII. Regular Items a1. Discussion/Approval: Commission Appointments: Finance, Municipal Infrastructure Minutes: Mayor Lott pulled Item E from Consent Agenda and moved it to Regular Items due to one of the applicants for the one-year alternate position having to pull out, so a motion needs to be made to approve the applicants except the one year alternate position. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Oakleaf, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. a. Discussion/Approval: Budget Adjustment – Code Enforcement – Angela Aldieri, Finance Director Minutes: Finance Director, Angela Aldieri presented the Code Enforcement Budget Adjustment from Fire and Public Safety to Police Public Safety. This will be a neutral budget adjustment. Angela answered questions from the Council regarding Union conflicts and staff support. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. b. Budget Adjustment – Saint Michael’s College Fire and Rescue Support - Angela Aldieri, Finance Director Minutes: Finance Director, Angela Aldieri presented Council with a Budget Adjustment for using part of the Saint Michael’s Collage Fire and Rescue Support funds (FY’24) to purchase a Diesel Fuel Tracking System to aid with tracking the fuel Saint Michael’s uses. Amounts are based off quotes collected by Public Works Director, Jon Rauscher. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Oakleaf, seconded by Councilor Renner. Voted and passed 4- 0. c. Position Authorization - Part-Time Fire Inspector/Firefighter - Jesse Acri, Human Resources Director, John Audy, Fire Chief Minutes: Human Resources Director, Jesse Acri, and Fire Chief, John Audy presented Council with the Part-time Fire Inspector/Fire fighter Position for Approval. Fire Chief, John Audy reviewed Position requirements and expectations. The Council inquired about budget costs for this position. It was confirmed that this is a neutral cost. Discussion ensued. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Hurd, seconded by Councilor Renner. Voted and passed 4-0. d. Fire Department Compensation Plan – Update for Part-Time and Per Diem Firefighters – Jesse Acri, Human Resources Director, John Audy, Fire Chief Minutes: Human Resources Director, Jesse Acri, and Fire Chief, John Audy presented the Council with the updates for Part-Time and Per Diem Firefighters. Fire Chief, John Audy explained this change to stay relevant and keep staff happy and compensated properly for their time. The Council inquired about location and educational requirements for applicants. Discussion ensued. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. e. Personnel Policy Manual - Cash Out Policy Addendum – Jesse Acri, Human Resources Director Minutes: Human Resources Director, Jesse Acri, presented Council with an Addendum to the Personnel Cash Out Policy, where employees will be able to cash out unused CTO in the case of an unforeseen circumstance to alleviate financial strain. Since employees are encouraged to use their time off, this will only be available for use, per employee, one time every 12-month rolling year. This will be at the discretion of the Department Head, Human Resource Director, and City Manager. Council inquired about  number of Employees that this would apply to and how it would affect the budget. Discussion ensued. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. VIII. Adjourn Motion to adjourn by Councilor Oakleaf, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:11 PM. Attest: ________________________________________ Amanda Casper, Assistant City Clerk