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 Tuesday, February 20, 2024, 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 6:04 PM. Members Present: Mayor Kristine Lott; Councilor Thomas Renner; Councilor Aurora Hurd; Councilor Charles Judge; Councilor Bryn Oakleaf Officers Present: Elaine Wang, City Manager; Paul Sarne, Communications Director; Eric Vorwald, Planning and Zoning Manager; Ray Coffey, Community Services Director; Jazmine Hurley, Housing Initiative Director; Angela Aldieri, Finance Directo; Jon Rauscher, Public Works Director; Kristen Wilson, Library Youth Services Coordinator; Jenny Willingham, City Clerk; Amanda Casper, Assistant City Clerk Others Present: Robert Millar; Bryan Davis, CCRPC; Nick Brownell; Clayton Clark, GMT; Michael Monte, Ashley Lucht; Mike Connolly; Tom Buckley; Zoom Attendee “iPhone(82)” II. Agenda Review Minutes: Mayor Lott proposed to Council to rotate item G with item F under Regular Items due to time constraints of the guest speaker for item G Motion: A motion was made to approve the agenda changes by Councilor Renner and seconded by Councilor Hurd. Voted and passed 4-0. III. Public Comment Minutes: None IV. Consent Agenda A. Approval: City Council Meeting Minutes of February 5, 2024 B. Approval: Payroll Warrant January 21 - February 3, 2024 C. Approval: Accounts Payable February 15, 2024 D. Approval: Bankruptcy Plan of Reorganization of Endo International plc and its Affiliated Debtors E. Approval: Thrive Fee Resolution (No Change) F. Approval: Grant Approval and Letter of Support - VT Department of Libraries Capital Grant G. Approval: City Manager Review Summary H. Approval: Annual Vermont Agency of Transportation Mileage Certification I. Approval: Champlain Mill Bridge Assessment Reserve Request  City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov Minutes: Mayor Lott presented Items A through I on the Consent Agenda for approval from Council. Motion: A motion was made to approve the Consent Agenda by Councilor Renner and seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0. V. Council Reports Mayor Kristine Lott: reported that the Finance Commission met, reviewed, and provided feedback on the budget handouts and presentation, which have been incorporated now. The Planning Commission is meeting this Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 6:30 PM to continue review of our land use regulations in response to the Homes Act. The meeting will be hybrid, so you can attend in person or via Zoom. Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner: reported that he would be meeting with Downtown Winooski this week and would have no updates until then. He issued a reminder about upcoming budget presentations and conversations: Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 6:30 PM Council, City Staff, and members of the School Board will be at Monkey House. Monday, March 4, 2024, will be the final presentation at the School District. If you have any questions about the budget, you do not have to wait until those events, you can reach out to members of Council or City Staff. Councilor Judge: reported that on Wednesday, February 14th, 2024, he and Mayor Lott attended a coffee chat at the Senior Center to discuss the budget and answer any questions they may have had. There weren’t many questions, but there were concerns over what exactly is included in “Capital Expenses” and being priced out of the community. Appreciation was expressed to Councilor Judge for Council’s community engagement and willingness to hear out residents over concerns. Councilor Hurd: On Tuesday of last week, the Safe, Healthy, Connected People Commission. During the meeting they had a Q&A with the new Chief of Police, it was a great and lively discussion where they heard about some of the key focuses of the new Chief of Police on staffing back up to 15 officers, working on the constraints of the building, as well as finding ways to engage with the community and doing some level setting to make sure the police are providing what the community is looking for. Last Thursday, there was an Inclusion and Belonging(I&B) meeting where a lot of things came up about Housing from all the different commission reports. There is a big interest in Housing and how the I&B commission might be able to assist the other commissions by bringing other perspectives into the housing situation within Winooski and having a joint commission meeting. Councilor Oakleaf: reported that the Infrastructure Commission did not meet this month due to lack of agenda items to warrant a meeting, they will be meeting next on March 21, 2024, at their regular meeting location in the community room at the pool. Oakleaf reported that they anticipate going over the second half of the year work plan during that meeting. The Bridge Committee met on February 7, 2024, to review notes of the public meeting that was held at the school at the end of January. The next public meeting is not set yet but the planning of that will be focusing on the southern intersection on the Burlington side and that is going through a separate but related funding, more announcements about that coming soon. The Project Team is meeting with Local Motion on March 21, 2024, and other interested groups later in March. The format for future meetings will be more of an open house format, as they are trying to accommodate different opportunities for people to access the Project Team and ask questions. The next Airport Commission meeting is March 6, 2024, and the agenda has not been set for that meeting yet, but it will be available on the Burlington website once it is. There’s always recurring agenda items for the Noise Exposure Map updates and Sound Insulation project progress.  City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov VI. City Updates Welcoming Justin Huizenga as Winooski’s New Chief of Police City Manager, Elaine Wang, reported that they appointed former Winooski Police Lieutenant Justin Huizenga to Chief of Police. After a rigorous national search and screening process, they are confident that Justin is the best possible next Police Chief for our community. Chief Huizenga brings to the role a deep commitment to community policing, improving the profession, and building meaningful relationships with residents, colleagues, and partners. The desire for these priorities was evident in all of the feedback we received for this role and the department. Justin’s law enforcement career of 18 years includes a degree in Criminal Justice from Champlain College, an Executive Development certification from Roger Williams University, and experience as Patrol Sergeant, Detective, Lieutenant, and Interim Chief. City Manager, Elaine Wang appreciates the many community members who provided critical feedback not only to aid this decision, but to inform how the Police Department operates into the future. You can find this and more information in the Winooski Newsletter. Town Meeting Day Election The annual Town Meeting Day election will take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Winooski Senior Center on 123 Barlow Street. All election, ballot, and budget information can be found at winooskivt.gov/townmeeting. Early and absentee voting will be available as always – learn how to register and find helpful voting resources at winooskivt.gov/vote. Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner, noted the two more opportunities to learn more about the budget: And, as he mentioned, you can always email budget@winooskivt.gov or call us at 802 655 6410 for more details. VII. Regular Items A. Discussion: Public Hearing for Draft Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 17 (Housing) to Address Short-Term Rentals Minutes: Housing Initiative Director, Jazmine Hurley, introduced Council and the Public with the key components on the Draft Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 17 that will address Short-Term Rentals in Winooski, VT for the Public Hearing. Robert Millar, Winooski resident and member of the Housing Commission, voiced his support for the draft updates. Dupreno, a Winooski resident, also voiced his support for the draft updates as a protection measure against the increasing amount Airbnb/other Short-Term rentals within Winooski. Ashley Lucht, a Winooski Short-Term rental owner and resident, inquired about the Room and Board tax clause within the Draft Updates to Chapter 17, due to already paying this through the Airbnb platform. Discussion ensued. B. Discussion/Approval: Adopt Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 17 (Housing) for Short-Term Rentals Minutes: Discussion was opened to Council to voice their thoughts and concerns over adoption of amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 17 for Short-Term Rentals in Winooski. Councilor Renner shared feedback he received from residents with Short-Term Rentals that are also Owner-Occupied with concerns over the fee being too high. Discussion ensued. Councilor Oakleaf voiced concerns over the language being used in the amendments for Chapter 17 and asked for clarifying language to be added. Discussion ensued. Ashley Lucht  City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov made public comment in support of the drafted fees being presented for Short-Term Rentals. Councilor Hurd asked for clarification on how the city is defining the second and subsequent under 17.16 C 1 (b). Discussion ensued. Motion: A motion was made to adopt the amendments to Chapter 17 by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0 C. Discussion/Approval: Champlain Housing Trust Development Services Agreement Minutes: Elaine Wang, City Manager, presented Council with the Champlain Housing Trust Development Services Agreement for discussion and approval and introduced Michael Monte (Champlain Housing Trust) to provide for details to Council and the Public. Michael Monte introduced himself and presented a quick overview of how this partnership would provide better support for a vibrant, functional, and financially sustainable O’Brien Community Center. Mayor Lott inquired about lease lengths, space usage, and expected costs for the City in regards to the City Budget. Discussion ensued. Councilor Oakleaf inquired about termination language and/or clauses included in the agreement. Discussion ensued. Councilor Hurd inquired about what Community outreach had been done to inform the Public about the agreement of this sale, other than City Council Meetings. Discussion ensued. Dupreno made public comment over use case for the building and echoed that communication had been provided to the public and community over the Agreement. Robert Millar asked about communication with current tenants already in place and what the future of their leases is like. Michael Monte and Ray Coffey confirmed that current tenants will be staying and have communication coming their way. Motion: A motion was made to approve the Resolution on the Sale of O’Brien Community Center by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Hurd. Voted and passed 4-0 D. Discussion: Public Hearing for Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 28 (Fees) Minutes: Finance Director, Angela Aldieri, presented a quick overview of the Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 28 for Public Hearing which included: addition of extension and short-term options for sidewalk permits, addition of short-term rental license fees, increase of non-resident fees, addition of rubric and rate structure for community services programs, additional of fees for frequently requested parking services such as group codes and the blocking of paid spaces, and other clerical updates for clarification or to correct previous errors. No public comment was made; Mayor Lott closed the Public Hearing. E. Discussion/Approval: Adopt Amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 28 (Fees) Minutes: Mayor Lott opened the discussion to Council. Councilor Oakleaf asked for clarification on the rubric. Ray Coffey and Angela Aldieri clarified the rubric grading and its usage. Motion: A motion was made to adopt the amendments to Chapter 28 (Fees) by Councilor Judge, seconded by Councilor Hurd. Voted and passed 4-0 F. Discussion/Approval: Winooski Walk-Bike Master Plan Minutes: Eric Vorwald, Planning and Zoning Manager and Bryan Davis with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) gave a quick introduction to the Winooski Walk-Bike Master plan which will accomplish the following: study or analyze existing infrastructure to identify walking and biking options that will be most appropriate for the designated location, create missing connections to community facilities or points of interest, improve existing facilities to better accommodate more users and expand transportation  City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov options throughout the City. Mayor Lott and Council made comments and asked questions. Bryan Davis responded. Discussion ensued. Tom Buckley made public comment. Motion: A motion was made to approve the Walk-Bike Master Plan by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Hurd. Voted and passed 4-0 Minutes: Mayor Lott called for a 5-minute recess starting at 7:38 PM and to be reconvened at 7:42 PM. G. Discussion: Green Mountain Transit Presentation Minutes: Clay Clark, General Manager of the Green Mountain Transit (GMT), and Nick Foss, GMT Financial Director, gave a presentation to Council and the Public on the services that GMT provides and a detailed explanation of the Fiscal Year 2025 GMT Budget. Discussion ensued. H. Discussion/Approval: Proposed Changes to Municipal Code Chapter 5 (Business Licenses Permits and Regulations) for Sidewalk Use Minutes: Eric Vorwald, Planning and Zoning Manager, presented Proposed Changes to Municipal Code Chapter 5 such as: clean-up of the current regulations for internal continuity, establishing specific timelines and processes for permitting, and clarifying processes for permitting including deadlines for discussion and approval for scheduling a public hearing. Eric took questions from Council. Discussion ensued. Motion: Councilor Renner introduced Changes to Chapter 5: Sidewalk Use. A motion was made by Councilor Judge, seconded by Councilor Hurd to set a Public Hearing for April 1st, 2024. Voted and passed 4-0 I. Discussion/Approval: Adopt Fiscal Year 2025 Fund Budgets and Capital Plans (Water, Wastewater, Parking, Community Services Programs, and Community Development) Minutes: The Fiscal Year 2025 Fund Budgets and Capital Plans were presented for approval from Council. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Oakleaf, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0 J. Discussion/Approval: Resolution: Fiscal Year 2025 Wastewater Rate Minutes: The Resolution on the Fiscal Year 2025 Wastewater Rate was presented to Council for approval. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0 K. Discussion/Approval: Resolution: Fiscal Year 2025 Water Rate Minutes: The Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025 Water Rate was presented to Council for approval. Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Hurd, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0 Minutes: Mayor Lott introduced going into Executive Session - Pursuant to 1 V. S. A. §313 (3), the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee Motion: A motion was made to have an Executive Session by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge. Voted and passed 4-0.  City of Winooski 27 West Allen Street Winooski Vermont 05404 Vermont’s Opportunity City 802 655 6410 winooskivt.gov Motion: A motion was made to enter Executive Session inviting in City Manager, Elaine Wang, by Councilor Judge, seconded by Councilor Hurd. Voted and passed 4-0. Entered Executive Session at 8:46 PM VIII. Executive Session - Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. §313 (3), the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee Motion: A motion was made by Councilor Judge, seconded by Councilor Hurd to exit Executive Session at 9:00 PM. Voted and passed 4-0 IX. Adjourn A motion to adjourn was made by Councilor Renner, seconded by Councilor Judge to adjourn. Voted and passed 4-0. Adjourned at 9:01 PM. Attest: _____________________________________________________________ Amanda Casper, Assistant City Clerk