Safe, Healthy, Connected People Commission

12/12/2023 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: Mary Hussmann, Courtney Blasius, Meredith Bushey, Hannah Kretvix City Staff Present: Ray Coffey, Community Services Director, John Audy, Fire Chief, Councilor Aurora Hurd (City Council Liaison), Nate Eddy, Library Director Guests Present: Winooski Memorial Library Committee members: Anna Marchessault, Jess Wignall, Colleen Moore, Meredith Bushey, Prudence Doherty Call to Order by: Mary Hussmann Meeting Start Time: 6:34 PM II. Public Comment None III. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: Approved Motion by: Hannah Kretvix Second: Meredith Bushey IV. City Council and City Staff Liaison Updates Councilor Hurd shared that the Walk/Bike plan will come back to City Council soon for final approval. There will be a public hearing about Historic Preservation in the city on February 5th, comments are invited. Last night, City Council discussed short-term rental ordinances for the City, and that these discussions will be ongoing and inclusive of various stakeholder groups (ie. City code enforcement, housing commission, etc.) See link for more information: https://winooskivt.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8582?fileID=12315 Last week the council started budget conversations. Elaine Wong gave a broad overview for this budget season. The City Council will be focused on funding for public infrastructure and staffing for programs (ie. the library and senior center) in FY2024. See link for more information: https://www.winooskivt.gov/fy25 Councilor Hurd invited members to attend City Council meetings/public hearings to share thoughts on the above-mentioned. John Audy shared that the public building ordinance has been recently updated. Code enforcement has also been involved in ongoing conversations about short-term rental ordinances. John Audy shared that a new fire inspector has been hired. In FY2024, staffing will be a budgetary focus of the department. SMC was responding to Winooski calls, but that will not be continuing due to student bandwidth. SMC will continue to respond to some calls, but not all. John Audy shared that the department hopes to bring on another staff member to cover 3:00- 11:00 hours on some days. John Audy shared that there has been an increase in fire calls, both in Winooski and in Burlington. V. Winooski Memorial Library Committee Presentation  John Audy shared that the department hopes to bring on another staff member to cover 3:00- 11:00 hours on some days. John Audy shared that there has been an increase in fire calls, both in Winooski and in Burlington. V. Winooski Memorial Library Committee Presentation Nate Eddy presented information about the library’s year in review–including location, hours, staffing, population served (anyone who works, lives, or pays taxes in Winooski), collection (print and online materials), cardholder data, popular titles, programming (ie. Intervale produce distribution, STEAM programming, StoryWalks, etc.), and ongoing challenges (ie. staffing/hours, visibility, square footage of library, and size of collection). A link to the presentation can be found here: https://winooskivt.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8562?fileID=12301 Meredith asked about resolution of the presented ongoing challenges. Nate shared that the proposed changes to the O’Brien center may address challenges related to square footage of library space, but will renew concerns about staffing the library adequately for an increase in space. Increased funding for staff is being discussed in budget proposals in City Council. Anna asked a question about non-book library items, and how the availability of these items is being communicated to residents/what resident response has been. Nate shared that he posts on FPF a few times a year to communicate non-book offerings, and that some of the items are on display at the library. Nate also shared that social media and the Winooski newsletter have been communication tools about non-book items. Nate shared that some items (ie. snowshoes) have been very popular, and that other items (ie. tent and sleeping bags) have not been as popular. Anna also commented about the possibility of using similar signage for the Library that is used for Landry Park. Prudence presented information about the role of the library committee–including what the committee advises on and what they do not. (Further information about the role of the library committee can be found in the link to the presentation above.) Jess presented information about the FY2023 accomplishments of the library committee–including establishment of a youth member of the library committee, assisting in wayfinding strategies, and general library support. Jess shared that in FY2024, the library committee has goals of: increasing community use/engagement with the library, commitment to outreach and tabling at four community events, and planning/facilitation of imagining sessions about the construction of a new library space. Nate shared that, in addition to the library committee, there is also a library “friends” group. This group has recently been revitalized and is seeking new members. The Friends of the Winooski Library is a 501C(3) that can fundraise for the library, can help support/advocate for certain budgetary proposals concerning the library, and operates separately from the library to help support what is in the best interest of the library. Mary asked a question about fundraising done by the Friends group, and Nate shared that there is a separate bank account for this group and a charter that governs how the group operates. VI. Adjourn Motion by: Anna Marchessault Second: Meredith Bushey Meeting End Time: 7:32 PM