CITY HALL

BURLINGTON, VERMONT

MINUTES OF MEETING

October 16, 2017

                                                    MEMBERS PRESENT:      Mayor Miro Weinberger

                                                                                                 Jane Knodell

                                                                                                 Kurt Wright

                                                                                                 Sharon Bushor

MEMBERS ABSENT:         Karen Paul

OTHERS PRESENT:          Beth Anderson, Interim CAO

                                                Rich Goodwin, DFO

                                                Eileen Blackwood, City Attorney

                                                Richard Haesler, Assistant City Attorney

                                                Lynn Reagan, HR

                                                Brian Lowe, Mayor’s Office [arrived 6:40 PM]

                                                Steve Locke, BFD

                                                Peter Brown, BFD

                                                Shawn Burke, BPD

                                                Lise Veroneau, BPD

                                                Chapin Spencer, DPW [arrived 6:11 PM]

                                                Martha Keenan, DPW

                                                Patrick Mulligan, DPW

                                                Noelle Mackay, CEDO

                                                Todd Rawlings, CEDO

                                                Jeremy Farkas, Davenwood

                                                Morgan True, VT Digger

1.0       CALL TO ORDER and AGENDA

Mayor Weinberger called the meeting to order at 6:02 PM on October 16, 2017.

1.01 Agenda

MOTION by Councilor Bushor, SECOND by Councilor Knodell, to approve the agenda as presented.  VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

2.0       PUBLIC FORUM

There were no comments from the public.

3.0       MINUTES

3.01 September 18, 2017

MOTION by Councilor Bushor, SECOND by Councilor Wright, to approve the minutes of 9/18/17 as presented. VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

4.0       BOARD OF FINANCE APPROVAL

4.01 Payment on Driveway Retaining Wall, College Street to Parking Garage - DPW

MOTION by Councilor Bushor, SECOND by Councilor Knodell, to authorize payment on the city share of the invoice for the retaining wall on the driveway from College Street to the parking garage. VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

5.0       APPROVE AND RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL

5.01 Contract to Purchase Three Fire Trucks – BFD

MOTION by Councilor Bushor, SECOND by Councilor Wright, to approve and recommend to City Council for approval the contract to purchase three fire trucks manufactured by E-One and sold by Desorcie Emergency Products.

            DISCUSSION:

• Councilor Bushor spoke of attending an open house at the fire station on Mansfield Avenue and learning about the MSU.
• Fire Chief Locke said two of the trucks will be arriving and in service in another month.

VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

5.02 FY2018 Vehicle Purchase - BPD

MOTION by Councilor Bushor, SECOND by Councilor Knodell, to approve and recommend to City Council for approval the authorization for FY2018 vehicles purchase.

            DISCUSSION:

• Councilor Bushor said the packet of information provided to the Board is complete and most of the questions asked in the past have been answered.
• Mayor Weinberger said staff works to ensure the quality of the material sent out is high.

VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

5.03 Reclassify Lead Program Outreach Specialist – CEDO

Councilor Bushor expressed concern about the decrease in time for the education component which has great value in educating people on lead issues and risks, especially people who rent in the city or who are new to the country and the community. CEDO Director, Noelle Mackay, said there was a $500,000 reduction with the same number of outputs and units, but staff feels the education component can be done with the enrollment specialist and a little more targeting. There have been conversations with partners in the community on how to do better education together.  Housing Program Manager, Todd Rawlings, said the Mayor and Noelle Mackay have allowed substantial improvements in the Lead Program’s relationship with the Vermont Dept. of Health whose charge is to do general lead education. Councilor Bushor requested a report on how the education piece will be covered by March 1, 2018.

Councilor Knodell confirmed the grant funds the position and the work. The focus on enrollment is to reach more people in order to make more homes safe.  Housing Program Manager Rawlings said the benchmarks for the program have always been met, but help is needed with enrollment. Director Mackay said there may be a door-to-door campaign and looking at duplexes and over-occupied duplexes.

MOTION by Councilor Knodell, SECOND by Councilor Bushor, to approve and recommend to City Council for approval the reclassification of the Lead Program Outreach Specialist. VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

5.04 Burlington Town Center Development Agreement - CEDO

Director Mackay reviewed the work done on the BTC development agreement that builds on the pre-development agreement previously approved by City Council. The development agreement includes the schedule of construction, sustainability, public improvements, streets, Waterfront TIF payments, labor and community workforce and construction management, protection of financial risks.

Councilor Knodell asked for an explanation of the public improvements and the additional public improvements. Director Mackay and Public Works Director, Chapin Spencer, said the two new streets and blocks of Cherry and Bank Street, St. Paul to Pine, are the public improvements and everything else are the additional improvements. Councilor Knodell asked about the construction costs, soft and hard numbers and not-to-exceed amounts. Director Mackay said the numbers are based on the Dubois & King numbers in the feasibility study. The numbers will evolve. Director Spencer said the not-to-exceed numbers are hard and fast. Councilor Knodell noted the construction wage taken from the predevelopment agreement needs a reporting form. Director Spencer said the developer has agreed to this.

Councilor Bushor asked about the following:

• Use of the rooftop space - Director Mackay said the space can be closed to the public if there is an event being held otherwise there will be access by the public. The space can be rented to nonprofits and for educational events at a reduced rate.
• Lease for housing with UVM and Champlain - Housing Program Manager Rawlings said the only master lease allowed is the master lease with Champlain College, but the settlement agreement says no student housing. The settlement agreement prohibits entering into master leases.
• Stronger language for Burlington Telecom in the contract - Attorney Haesler advised legally a contract condition cannot be drafted that favors Burlington Telecom.

Councilor Bushor commented positively on having money in the contract to protect the businesses around the project and mitigate impacts. Mayor Weinberger said CEDO has been focused on the businesses, holding multiple meetings. The feedback has been positive. Business owners were briefed on the encumbrance permit.

MOTION by Councilor Wright, SECOND by Councilor Knodell, to approve and recommend to City Council for approval the development agreement for Burlington Town Center.

            DISCUSSION:

• Councilor Bushor spoke in support of having the best development agreement though the changes wanted in the pre-development agreement did not happen, and spoke against the project as designed, but in support of the information that helps the city get its needs met from the development. It is hoped people understand this.
• Mayor Weinberger stated the opposition by Councilor Bushor to the design of the project is well documented and a matter of public record. Councilor Bushor separately compartmentalizing the development agreement piece is acknowledged as is recognition of the work of the team.

            There were no further comments.

VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

6.0       COMMUNICATION

6.01 FY17 Unassigned Fund Balance – C/T

Interim CAO, Beth Anderson, reviewed the projected surplus from FY17.

Mayor Weinberger noted there is $6 million in the bank which is the 10% target for the contingency. There is no need to continue to accrue contingency funds indefinitely. CAO Anderson said the FY18 budget has a smaller contingency than in the past so less money will be put aside.

6.02 BT Retirement Liability – C/T, City Attorney

There was discussion of BT employees in the city’s retirement system after BT is sold. Attorney Blackwood pointed out the employees have vested retirement.  Each enterprise fund (BT is an enterprise fund) is responsible for an amount of unfunded liability. Per GATSBY68 there is $1.16 million attributed to BT for its proportion of the currently existing unfunded liability. June 30, 2016 is the most recent GATSBY68 (one year look back). There will be two GATSBY68 done to catch up and to have the most accurate unfunded liability balance for BT.

Councilor Knodell asked if the past unfunded liability predated BT. Attorney Blackwood will ask the actuaries.

7.0       ADJOURNMENT

MOTION by Councilor Knodell, SECOND by Councilor Bushor, to adjourn the meeting. VOTING: unanimous; motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 PM.

RScty: MERiordan