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Home My WebLink AboutAnnual Report July 01, 2017 - June 30, 2018 FISCAL YEAR 2018 ANNUAL REPORT CITY DIRECTORY CITY COUNCIL Chair Helen Riehle hriehle@sburl.com Vice-Chair Meaghan Emery memery@sburl.com Clerk Tim Barritt tbarritt@sburl.com Tom Chittenden tchittenden@sburl.com Pat Nowak pnowak@sburl.com CITY MANAGER City Manager Kevin Dorn kdorn@sburl.com 802-846-4107 Deputy City Manager Tom Hubbard thubbard@sburl.com 802-846-4107 IMPORTANT NUMBERS City Clerk’s Office 802-846-4105 Community Development 802-846-4123 Community Engagement 802-846-4127 (Public Information) Fire Rescue (non-emergency) 802-846-4110 Human Resources 802-846-4127 Library 802-846-4140 Recreation & Parks 802-846-4108 Planning & Zoning 802-846-4106 Police (non-emergency) 802-846-4111 Public Works 802-658-7961 Tax Department 802-846-4109 Water Department 802-864-4361 Water Quality 802-658-7964 Sources of Public City Information Website: www.soutburlingtonvt.gov Facebook: @SouthBurlington Twitter: @SBCityVT Hashtag: #SoBu CITY MANAGER Kevin Dorn, City Manager I am happy to provide this report to the South Burlington community regarding City municipal government activities during Fiscal Year 2018. The reports from department managers in this publication will give much more detail regarding the various programs for which they are responsible. I want to provide just an overview of a few programs, developments and issues that I believe would be of interest. In many ways FY 2018 was a transitional year for the City. We saw the first real steps toward achieving residents’ 40+ year-old dream of having our own South Burlington downtown. References to a downtown (that we now refer to as City Center) on the site off of Dorset and Williston Roads can be traced back to City Comprehensive Plans dating from the mid 70’s. And while much planning has gone on during the intervening years, the first real public projects got their start in 2018. CITY CENTER PROJECTS Through the use of funds from the City Center Reserve and Tax Increment Financing (TIF), the City began and completed construction of our new City Center Park off Iby and Barrett Streets. The new Park is approximately eight acres in size and will eventually be connected to Market and Garden Streets, through paths and bridges across wetland areas. City Center Park is a natural park in that it uses many natural elements to support activities for children and adults. It is also a wonderful place to walk and get back to nature, so close to the hustle and bustle of Dorset and Market Streets. Special recognition goes to project management staff, Ilona Blanchard and Ashley Parker, for spearheading the creation of this vital public space. Speaking of Market Street, the long-sought South Burlington “main street” began construction this past summer and by late fall half of the street component was completed and the road re-opened. Work is continuing with infrastructure along the sides of the road throughout the winter and construction on the remainder of the road will begin again in earnest this spring. We expect the road to be completed by the late fall of 2019. The design of this road was arrived at over years of gaining public input and the hard work of engineers and designers. When completed this beautiful new road with bike and pedestrian facilities along both sides will not only serve as a transportation corridor throughout downtown, but be an amenity as well. Construction began and has been completed on a 39-unit affordable senior housing residence with “wrap- around” social services on Market Street, directly to the south of the Rick Marcotte Central School. The building is owned and managed by Cathedral Square, a South Burlington-based non-profit senior housing developer. All of the units were leased before construction was completed, and residents are now in their new homes. Groundbreaking and construction also began on a 60-unit mixed affordable and market rate project to be owned by Champlain Housing Trust (CHT). This residential facility is located on what will be the corner of Market and Garden Streets and will provide additional, badly needed affordable housing in our community. The project should be completed and occupied later in 2019. The City was a key player in helping to finance both of these projects. In addition to critical contributions from the South Burlington Housing Trust Fund, the City was also the grantee of well over $1 million of Federal/State Community Development Program funding, which was then sub-granted to Cathedral Square and CHT. The financial support for these affordable housing projects is consistent with the goals and efforts of the City’s Affordable Housing Committee and the City Council, to promote the development of more housing that is affordable to the residents of South Burlington. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, an enormous amount of planning and design work has been ongoing for a new South Burlington Community Center which will include a new public library, senior center, City Hall, City Clerk’s office and small auditorium. In November of 2018 voters, overwhelmingly, approved debt to go forward with the construction of this governmental and civic center. The Community Center will be built on land adjacent to Allard Square and at the south end of the Rick Marcotte Middle School -- with groundbreaking scheduled for early June of 2019. The Community Center will be financed largely through current and future City Center reserve funds, Tax Increment Financing funds, other smaller sources, and private fundraising. As a result of planning ahead and creating both the TIF District (enabling Tax Increment Financing) and the City Center Reserve Fund, the taxpayers were not asked for any, additional property taxes to pay for a municipal building that the public can be proud of and that will last for many, many decades. Credit again goes to Project Director Ilona Blanchard, as well as Public Works Director Justin Rabidoux, for their leadership throughout the design, and soon, construction process. PUBLIC LIBRARY Also during this period we made the decision to move the Community Library out of South Burlington High School and into our own space at the University Mall. There were a variety of reasons for this move but, by and large, we had arrived at the point where the City library needed its own space, even as we continued to plan for the Public Library in the Community Center in City Center. The move of the library to the University Mall has been a huge success for the City. Special appreciation goes to Librarian Jennifer Murray and her staff and the Library Board of Trustees for planning and accomplishing this move. The number of people using the library has increased dramatically in our new location and being right next door to the recently opened Target store has been good for attendance. The University Mall management and staff have been easy to work with and have been accommodating of our needs, as we continue to provide quality library services and programs to the public. All this, while we are working toward opening our new Public Library in the new Community Center. TARGET Speaking of Target, I would not normally recognize the opening of a private business in my annual report but Target’s arrival not only made local and state news, but national news as well. South Burlington welcomed the first Target in Vermont --- Vermont being the last state in the country to host this highly popular and recognized retailer. With stores now in all 50 states, we are proud Target chose South Burlington, and the tremendous appeal of our centralized and accessible location, for their first and only location in Vermont. Creating our own downtown is a central component in the City’s overall goal of helping to build community identity. As I have reported in prior annual reports, polling done by the City revealed that a near majority of the citizens of South Burlington believe that we do not have a strong community identity. Certainly, a great school system contributes to local identity but so, to will our own downtown where people can gather, shop and socialize. There are other initiatives that we have launched, however, that will help to build community identity. SoBu NIGHT OUT This summer the Recreation and Parks Department led by Holly Rees hosted six “SOBU Nights Out” at Veterans’ Memorial Park’s Rotary Band Shell. Each event featured a live band and multiple food trucks. By our estimates over 8,000 residents and visitors of all ages attended these events, listening to great music, eating some truly fabulous food, and re-connecting with friends, family, and neighbors. Events such as these help to build the fabric of community and you can expect more of these types of gatherings in 2019. OPEN SPACE As important as the built environment and events are to community identity, the value of conserving open space cannot be understated. Toward that end a group of investors including the City of South Burlington closed on the purchase and conservation of almost 400 acres of land owned by the Auclair family in the southeast corner of the City. This land along with other properties nearby in Shelburne and Williston form a large block of conserved land to be enjoyed by residents and visitors and preserved in their natural state. The size of this combined block of conserved land has led to discussions between the three communities, and possibly St. George and Hinesburg, about how we can work together to manage our important natural and open spaces, and possibly expand them to adjacent areas. Special recognition goes to Paul Conner, Director of Planning and Zoning, who led our efforts to close this very complex real estate deal to acquire the properties. The Auclair property, combined with other properties in the immediate area, as well as the Underwood and Wheeler properties, Red Rocks Park, and other municipal parks represent a significant commitment by the City and the taxpayers to permanently conserve and manage open space for the benefit of our community. BIKE & PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE Connectivity also builds community identity. In August, voters approved a “Penny for Paths” ballot item, to dedicate one cent on the tax rate, to pay for improvements to and extensions of our bike and pedestrian facilities. The Bike and Pedestrian Committee, with the help of Ashley Parker and Justin Rabidoux, has been planning and prioritizing the expansion of our bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The annual funding from the additional penny will finance the debt -- almost $3 million over ten years -- that we can invest immediately in the expansion and improvement of our bike/ped facilities. In addition to these projects, the City has been working with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission on the design for a new bike and pedestrian bridge across I-89, to be built just south of exit 14. The need for such a bridge has long been recognized as the passage for bike riders and pedestrians across the interstate bridge can be dangerous. The City is seeking federal funding for this important project and there will also be a local match. The bridge will provide much needed connectivity between the parts of South Burlington on the east and south of I-89 and I-189 and those parts on the west and north. Clearly, this bridge will also provide equally needed connectivity to neighboring communities. ENERGY The City Council has taken an aggressive stand related to energy efficiency and conservation and climate change. In 2018, the City and our partners developed an approximately 1.6 Mega-watt solar array on the closed landfill off of Airport Parkway. The South Burlington project was the first solar array to be constructed on a closed landfill in Vermont and is now generating electricity and savings in terms of utility costs to South Burlington taxpayers while reducing the overall carbon footprint. The City continues its efforts to reduce energy usage in our municipal buildings. With the assistance of the Energy Committee, the City has made significant strides through strategic investments in efficiency. That effort will now be accelerated as we have brought in local resident and retired engineer Lou Bresee to serve as our Energy Projects Manager and work with the Energy Committee to continue and accelerate our investments in efficiency and conservation. COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM Often a good measure of “community” can be found in how we care for our neighbors, friends and family in need, including those suffering from mental illness. In the spring of 2017 the managers of Colchester, Winooski, Essex, Williston, Shelburne and myself met, as we do every month, with our host Charlie Baker, Executive Director of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, to discuss emerging issues, challenges and opportunities. At this particular meeting our mutual concern over the rise in people experiencing severe mental health challenges was the topic. South Burlington police and fire services had just responded to six suicide attempts in a prior two- week period. We found that South Burlington was not unique in this regard as the other five managers reported a similar rise in acute mental health incidents in recent months in their communities. It was with these experiences in mind that we approached the leadership of the University of Vermont Medical Center, Howard Mental Health, and others in the mental health and addiction treatment community and organized a gathering of law enforcement, fire and rescue, local managers and professionals in the field to discuss the problems being experienced. Our goal was to formulate new and better ways to address the growing mental health needs our residents. The meetings of a smaller “steering committee” that formed from this forum have continued to this day. What came out of this discussion first was a new program for the six involved cities and towns known as Community Outreach. Community Outreach is managed by Howard Mental Health and through it, we have embedded four mental health counselors with our police and ambulance teams, to provide point of contact services to our residents and visitors experiencing mental health challenges and crisis. While very highly trained, our police and rescue staff do not have the level of training and experience to deal effectively and efficiently with people suffering from mental health issues. The embedded counselors take on the role of de-escalation at the point of contact and then work with the patient to get them the treatment and services they need, thereby freeing up our first responder to take on other needs in the community. The program is funded by a large grant from the State Department of Mental Health, contributions based on a formula from the six individual communities, and a grant from the Community Health Improvement Program funded by the University of Vermont Medical Center. After only eight months in service, Community Outreach has far exceeded our expectations and is dramatically improving our response to our residents and visitors in need, while freeing up the valuable time of first responders for other purposes. Special recognition goes to former Police Chief Trevor Whipple, current Chief Shawn Burke, and Fire Chief Terry Francis for their key involvement and participation in creating and deploying this program. Community Outreach is a great example of the leadership of neighboring communities recognizing a common challenge and solution, and then working with partners to create a program to address the need. We can do so much more for our communities by working together, across municipal boundaries to address challenges today and those of tomorrow. You will see more of this type of collaboration in the future. BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT My annual report to the residents would not be complete without some mention of the continuing discussions with the Burlington International Airport staff regarding noise and other Airport externalities. Residents understand that the totality of BIA is located in South Burlington but the Airport is owned by the City of Burlington. This very unusual and perhaps unique arrangement has led to some highly publicized disagreements over priorities around noise mitigation, among other things That said, during the past year the Airport has invited the City of South Burlington, as well as the City of Winooski and the Town of Williston and other interested partie,s into a discussion over plans for a future Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) and the new mapping of noise contours based. This mapping, or Noise Exposure Maps (NEMs), being developed through funding from the Federal Aviation Administration is based in part on data related to the coming deployment of the Air Force’s F-35 at the Vermont Air Guard base. These discussions have yet to be concluded with a new plan for addressing noise abatement, but the discussions have been both informative and respectful. We expect a new plan to be working its way toward approval by the FAA later this year with the hoped-for emphasis on noise insulation in highly affected neighborhoods. RETIREMENT & NEW LEADERSHIP This year has also seen the retirement and replacement of some key members of our team. Long-time Chief of Police Trevor Whipple and Deputy Chief Paul Edwards retired from the force as well as our long- time Fire Chief, Doug Brent. The dedication of these three emergency services leaders was extraordinary and their service to the community is beyond proper recognition. We wish all three of these fine public servants the very best as they move onto new roles and phases of their lives. On behalf of the community, thank you Trevor, Doug, and Paul. We are very pleased and extremely fortunate to be able to replace these retired leaders with our new Police Chief Shawn Burke and Fire Chief Terry Francis. Chief Burke is a very highly qualified former Deputy Chief of Burlington Police Department, who started his career “on the street” and worked his way up the chain to become a Deputy. Chief Burke’s knowledge of policing, of the security challenges in South Burlington and the region, his calm but “take charge” demeanor, his ability to adapt to the every-changing environment of modern law enforcement and his humanity made him an obvious and great choice to be our new Chief. We are thrilled to have Chief Burke on board leading our Police Department and tending to the safety and security needs of our residents and visitors. Chief Francis is well known to the South Burlington Community having served as Deputy Chief and Fire Marshall for almost 6 years. Before that Terry worked his way up through fire and rescue services in Burlington. Chief Francis has an extraordinary, … you might even say encyclopedic knowledge of firefighting, rescue and emergency services threats, challenges, investigational, tactics and operational issues. Chief Francis is a great leader and mentor to his team and we are very fortunate to have him lead our fire, ambulance and rescue services. Also retiring after a combined 68 years of service to the South Burlington Community were Karen Plantier from the Department of Public Works and Darla Champine of the Department of Recreation and Parks. Karen and Darla epitomize the notion of staff people working behind the scenes to get things done for our residents and we wish both the very best in their retirement. It is with sadness but great respect that I note in this report the passing of City Councilor Pat Nowak. Pat was a loved and respected member of the City Council and South Burlington community and her presence and efforts were felt well beyond City boundaries. Pat led an extraordinary life of public service and commitment to her profession and various causes that she championed; causes that improved the lives of others. Pat was an active and engaged member of the Council right to the very end. Her dedication to the community was without limits and her loss will be long felt. RECOGNITION I do also want to recognize the hard work of your City Council…. Chair Helen Riehle, Vice Chair Meaghan Emery, Clerk Tim Barritt, Councilor Tom Chittenden and our newest Councilor David Kaufman. These are your elected representatives who set policy for the City and who labor for long hours to represent you. Nobody made them run for these sometimes-thankless positions. They did so out of commitment to their community and to public service. It is unfortunate these days that in some areas the notion of elected public service has become tarnished. But I have seen these folks wrestle with difficult and meaningful issues and while they may not make decisions on which you can always agree, they deserve your respect and appreciation for their service. They most certainly have mine. I also want to recognize the incredible service of Deputy Manager Tom Hubbard. Tom is well known, City- wide having now served the residents of South Burlington for over 40 years. As I tell many people, “Tom Hubbard is really the one who runs the City,” and the results of his hard work are present everywhere. What can you say about someone who has dedicated his entire career to public service and to serving one community? To say “thank you” seems so inadequate, but knowing Tom, that is all he would want. There is so much going on in South Burlington that I could write pages more. I could talk about our planning staff, our projects staff, the great work of our administrative team to address legal, financial and human services issues, Clerk Donna Kinville and her staff, the folks who plow your roads, maintain our streets and recreational facilities, our first responders and on and on …..but I won’t. What I do want to end with is a tribute to an amazing group of 172 City employees providing services from emergency response to planning, to library services, recreation and parks, project management, and legal and administrative services. At 62 years of age and having spent 40 years in and around government I can say without hesitation that this is the finest group of dedicated professionals with whom I have ever served. I wish every member of the community could see what I see every day of the year as your dedicated employees serve you. That doesn’t mean that we do everything right or as you might want them done. But it is to say that dedication and loyalty to service is THE hallmark of your municipal public employees. It is a privilege for me to work along-side and continue to learn and gain inspiration from them. # # # BOARD & COMMITTEE REPORTS Recreation & Parks Committee Energy Committee Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee Meetings: The South Burlington Bike & Pedestrian Committee (SBBPC) met monthly, on the 2nd Wednesday of the month throughout 2018, and held two special sessions on May 14 & 30. Committee Members *Note: Three members each served for a time as clerk in 2018 Amanda Holland, Jan - Dec 2018 Bill Wooden, Sept - Dec 2018 Bob Britt, Jan - Dec 2018 (Clerk) Cathy Frank, Jan - Dec 2018 (Vice-Chair) Dana Farr, Jan - Dec 2018 (Chair) Donna Leban, Jan - Dec 2018 Jamieson Goodwin, Jan - Aug 2018 (Clerk) Jim Grossman, Jan - Sep 2018 Katie Dolbec, Sept - Dec 2018 Roy Neuer, Jan - Aug 2018 Shawn Goddard, Jan - Dec 2018 (Clerk) City Representatives to the Committee Cathyann LaRose, Jan - Aug 2018 (Planner - Planning & Zoning) Ashley Parker, Aug - Dec 2018 (Project Manager - City Projects) Our thanks to Jamieson Goodwin, Roy Neuer and Jim Grossman for their dedicated service to the SBBPC. Penny For Paths: The primary focus of the SBBPC for 2018 was the Penny For Paths (P4P) ballot initiative. The Committee worked during the first half of the year with City representatives, the City Council, the community, and local bike/ped organizations to develop the P4P proposal and ballot language. The Committee spent the summer doing extensive outreach via local non-profit organization, The Other Paper and SoBu Life articles, the Lime Kiln crosswalk Pop-up, and direct community education and engagement at the SoBu Nite Out events. The ballot initiative passed on the August ballot with 73% of voters supporting both the additional one cent tax as well as the bond request). Once the ballot initiative passed the Committee has spent the fall working with City representatives to incorporate this new funding source into the City’s CIP with special focus on defining standards for what the P4P funds should be used for as well as prioritization of the various proposed bike/ped projects. Work with City Departments Planning & Zoning For most of the year, our committee liaison was Cathyann LaRose, a planner with the P&Z department. 1. We worked together to create standards for “end of trip facilities”. 2. Worked cooperatively on 4 recreation path/sidewalk/crosswalk scoping studies and offered recommendations to the City and to CCRPC. Department of Public Works (DPW) A subgroup of the SBBPC continues to meet monthly or as-needed with Justin Rabidoux, Public Works Director. 1. Together we set annual goals, communicate safety and maintenance items, improvement of existing facilities and creation of new facilities. We track open and closed policy and safety issues and open maintenance issues using a set of Excel workbooks. 2. This year we had a special project to help facilitate road striping. The Committee developed a methodology to prioritize and track road striping (white fog lines). a. As part of this effort the DPW and the Committee have agreed to 10’ vehicle lanes as the standard to allow for traffic calming and the widest possible bike lanes on City roads. 3. We continue to work with the department toward a viable alternative to the See-Click-Fix program that was discontinued for budget reasons. With the Committee’s repeated urging, the City has now added a link to the City’s website’s homepage under the How Do I drop down menu that reads Report a Maintenance Issue (Public Works) that links to a telephone number and email form with which to alert the DPW of an issue such as a pothole in a rec path, a tree down in a rec path/sidewalk, etc. 4. Kimball Ave / Muddy Brook Culvert Replacement: Interfaced with both the Williston Town DPW & SoBu DPW: Members attended meetings and the committee offered a formal recommendation on the project. The SBBPC requests continuation of the Rec Path along Kimball Ave across the Muddy Brook and into Williston as a protected/separate crossing. Also, the Committee requests the inclusion of designated 5ft bike lanes along both sides of the primary crossing as part of the redesign. 5. Worked to install 4 free-standing “Yield to Pedestrian” signs at crosswalks. ● Dorset & Midland (Dorset Farms) ● Dorset & Nowland Farms/Old Cross ● Spear & Nowland Farms ● Spear Street at UVM campus City Council 1. Penny for Paths ● SBBPC worked with City Council to get an item on the August 14, 2018 ballot asking SoBu residents to approve a penny increase to property taxes for 10 years and for those funds to be used to close the gaps in existing bike/ped infrastructure. A second item on the ballot requested that the City be allowed to bond for this work. ● Final P4P Ballot Language approved by the City Council June 4, 2018: ○ ARTICLE I APPROVAL OF TEN YEAR TAX FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ■ Starting in FY 2020 for a period of ten years, shall the City be authorized to levy an additional one penny on the annual city tax rate, the entirety of the proceeds of which are to be deposited into a reserve fund established by the City Council for the sole purpose of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements within the City? ○ ARTICLE II INCURRING BONDED DEBT FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ■ Only if Article I receives a vote in the affirmative, shall bonds of the City be issued in an amount not to exceed the anticipated proceeds of the ten year one penny tax levy on the annual city tax rate, of an anticipated total amount of $2,968,537.25, for the sole purpose of funding bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements within the City? ● Both items were passed by voters with significant margins. The votes results are shown below: ○ #1 (Allow the tax) 2952 YES (73.2%); 1083 NO (26.8%) ○ #2 (Allow for bonding) 2917 YES (73.2%); 1067 NO (26.8%) 2. Additional $10K to fund Striping Projects ● SBBPC requested that the City designate that an additional $10K be available to DPW to fund fog line road striping projects as part of the FY19 DPW budget. The City Council approved this request. 4. Community Engagement & Innovation (CEI) ○ We worked with Coralee Holm - Director of CEI to have a better city website presence, and to inform and educate the residents of South Burlington via various publications about our work. ○ Created a repository of photos showing bike and pedestrian infrastructure in South Burlington. Planning Commission ● The BPC has an appointed representative to the Planning Commission who attends pertinent meetings involving bike/ped issues. The BPC will be reviewing the Consolidated Roadway standards which will be incorporated into the Land Development Regulations (LDR). Intra-Committee Work Energy Committee ● The SBBPC worked with the South Burlington Energy Committee (EC) to promote bike and pedestrian infrastructure as an energy-efficient mode of transportation. The EC formally supported the SBBPC Penny for Path’s ballot initiatives and assisted with helping raise community awareness. Economic Development Committee ● The SBBPC has met with several members of the EDC to offer assistance and cooperation since its formation in October 2018. Development Review Board ● SBBPC continues to work with the DRB to review development projects and sites for future bike/ped infrastructure. ● The DRB continues to request that developers meet with SBBPC during the review process. Developers present their plans, and gather committee input before again presenting to DRB. Including the projects below: ● Underwood Project ● Dorset Meadows ● South Village ● Cider Mill ● O’Brien Project ● A subgroup of the SBBPC reviews the DRB agendas and attends meetings as needed. This group also communicates the committee’s input from meetings with developers back to the DRB. Working with other local government and community groups 1. Local Motion: Pop-Up on Lime Kiln Rd, Penny for Paths (mapping and community outreach), developed a SBBPC Community webpage on their site. Collaboration to work with other local bike/ped organizations. 2. Green Mountain Transit: Attended presentation on the bus system and its potential for bike/ped commuters and travelers. 3. Friends of a Walkable Bikeable South Burlington, a citizens group headed by Allie Stickney worked with Local Motion to design and send out over 1000 postcards to South Burlington residents explaining our ballot item and when and where to vote. Additionally they produced lawn signs and placed them at strategic locations and produced a ⅓ page ad for The Other Paper. 4. Greenride Bikeshare: Met with Nic Anderson and others inside this new organization help to promote and offer suggestions for this effort and ensure South Burlington interests were represented as this program grows. 5. CCRPC: ● Assisted the CCRPC in providing input into four recreation path scoping analyses and have begun working with them in scoping crosswalks for Williston Road, Kennedy Drive and Hinesburg Road. ● Worked with CCRPC toward a Chittenden County mapping project of all bike/ped infrastructure. ● Committee provided CCRPC with feedback on the inventory of bike-ped infrastructure in October 2018. Next steps: CCRPC will work with the Committee and City Staff to finalize and format the data so it can be used by Committees to see existing and planned infrastructure. 6. Rotary and South Burlington Business Association: We worked them to educate their members as to the issues surrounding the Penny for Paths ballot initiative 7. AARP: We worked with them to identify priorities and ultimately they supported the P4P initiative and provided handouts. 8. Burlington Walk-Bike: Met with Burlington Walk-Bike committee to discuss mutual projects, and attended Burlington DPW presentation on Burlington Greenway upcoming changes. Priorities for 2019 ● Working with adjoining communities to provide a contiguous bike/ped transportation infrastructure. ● Monitoring our top projects ● Strategic Plan for Funding each Proposed Recreation Path and Crosswalk (need to split up funding research for each path) ● Bike/Ped Infrastructure Maintenance. ● Looking into TIGER funding and working with the CCRPC to understand work that is going on in neighboring communities and its impact on our own. ● Continue work with CCRPC on infrastructure mapping of current and desired future system. (Including lengths, widths, etc...) ● Methods for informing and engaging the public in the Committee's work (tabling events, newspaper articles, website, P4P branding, etc) ● Updating the current striping inventory and getting priority projects striped appropriately. ● Listing all recent scoping studies and tracking progress monthly. ● Signage (share the road, path rules,...) Wayfinding signage. Challenges going forward: ● Primary challenge and focus for the committee remains closing gaps in the existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. ● Outlining what P4P funds can and should be spent on. ● Appropriately prioritizing and effectively leveraging P4P funds. ● Policy and Safety Recommendations: We continue to work to get City action on the Committee’s open recommendation, some of which have been open since 2015. ● The committee needs to work to find way to engage the City’s residents to report maintenance issues with recreation paths, sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes including potholes and tree root damage, excessive brush and tree overgrowth, fading crosswalk lines, broken crosswalk rectangular rapid flashing beacon lights, excessive cracking in areas of the recreation paths and recreation path re-paving needs to help maintain these valuable resources. ● Working effectively with City staff to maintain current bike/ped infrastructure. Board of Civil Authority & Board of Abatement Overview The Governance and Responsibilities of South Burlington Boards of Civil Authority and Abatement are established by State Statutes. The Board of Civil Authority hears appeals of assessed value of real estate and conduct elections for the City. The Board of Abatement hears requests from taxpayers for their taxes to be forgiven due to one of seven criteria set out in state statue. The two criteria that most requests are for fire and inability to pay. Requests for abatement due to inability to pay are granted in very few cases and only in the most severe situations. These 2 Boards operate under Quasi-judicial rules which means that they are similar to a jury who hears the facts of the case from the City and the citizen and then goes into a deliberative session and issues their decision in writing to the parties. Board Members Justices of the Peace Peter Taylor - Chair Patrick Benner Sr – Vice Chair Chuck Bolton Agnes Clift Jason Kirchick Maurice Mahoney Pat Mahoney Allyson Milot Bob Nowak Pat Nowak* Kate Nugent Chris Shaw Michael Sirotkin Michel St. Germain Lynn Vera City Councilors Tim Barritt Tom Chittenden Meaghan Emery Pat Nowak*/David Kaufman Helen Riehle City Clerk (clerk of the board) Donna Kinville Accomplishments and events • The Board of Civil Authority had a quiet year with 1 meeting as there were no property value appeals to the board • The Board of Civil Authority oversaw 1 election in FY 2018 • The Board of Abatement held 1 meeting and heard requests for abatements from 2 citizens for inability to pay Qualitative Summary The City of South Burlington Vision and Goal of “Affordability and Community Strong” to ensure transparent and accessible government apply to both of these Boards. To accomplish this, the goals for the 2 boards include: • Increasing the commitment of Justices of the Peace in Board responsibilities; • Increasing Board member understanding Vermont statutes related to the function of the Boards; • Ensuring appellants understand the appeal’s process; • Providing comment on Board related legislation; • Ensure well-staffed and managed elections; • Ensure adequate financing for Board responsibilities, especially elections We would like to acknowledge and thank Agnes Clift and Chuck Bolton (both 2013-2018) for their service to these boards. Both Agnes and Chuck decided not to rerun for their Justice of the Peace positions this past November. *The Boards would like to extend a special thank you to Pat Nowak who was a member of these boards since 1995 up until she passed away on March 31, 2018. Pat was an active member right up until the end. Out of respect for Pat’s service to these boards and to South Burlington, the Boards decided not to seek a replacement for Pat until the next election for Justices of the Peace in November 2018. Pat was known for her compassion to the citizens who appeared before these two boards. Development Review Board Mission: The Development Review Board’s mission is set forth in State Statutes. It is responsible for holding public hearings to consider proposals for land development, including applications for subdivisions, planned unit developments, site plans, variances, and miscellaneous application, and to hear appeals of decisions of the City’s zoning administrator. The Development Review Board’s objective is to determine compliance of proposals with the city’s Land Development Regulations. Members: Bill Miller, Chair; Matt Cota, Vice-Chair; Brian Sullivan, Clerk; Frank Kochman; Jennifer Smith; Mark Behr; John Wilking. David Parsons, who served the Board with distinction, stepped down near the beginning of FY 2018. Accomplishments & Events • Finished approval process of single and two family home phase of O’Brien Home Farm 458 residential and 45,000 square foot office development, largest in SB history (118 units approved). • Approved preliminary plans for JJJ South Burlington to build out Cider Mill II (142 units) • Approved final plans for buildout of 10 JAM golf course lots • Approved 3rd phase of South Village buildout (60 units) • Approved preliminary plans for Ewing land, including conservation of approximately 8 acres near Shelburne border • Approved plans for medical building in the Tilley Drive complex • Reviewed and adjudicated appeal of Administrative Officer’s issuance of a site plan approval for the first multi-story residential building on Market Street • Approved a 48-unit building consisting of microapartments as infill near the Cinema 9 complex • Received training on Form Based Codes • Participated in a joint meet with the Planning Commission to review opportunities for improvements to the Land Development Regulations Quantitative Data Decisions Issued Conditional Use (CU) 11 Site Plan (SP) 6 Subdivision (SD) 22 Master Plan (MP) 2 Design Review (DR) 6 Reconsiderations 1 Miscellaneous (MS) 2 Appeal of Administrative Officer (AO) 1 New Lots Approved 61 New Commercial Square Feet Approved 22,060 # of Trainings 1 2018 Goals and Priorities • Communicate to Planning Commission areas that cause trouble for DRB • Work with Planning Commission on requirements for footprint lots and other setback issues • Increase DRB member knowledge of related South Burlington and Vermont Land Development Regulations, statutes and rules • Work with staff on administering new Form-Based Codes • Ensure that DRB members are up to date on regional and statewide trends in planning and zoning • Recruit two additional DRB members Energy Committee Overview The Energy Committee’s mission is to promote energy conservation, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable energy resources among the city's residents, businesses, and in municipal affairs. All projects support the Comprehensive Plan. Committee members: Don Cummings, Keith Epstein, Drew Gelfenbein, Jeremy King, Fred Kosnitsky, Linda McGinnis (Chair), Karen Mckenny, James Mount, Marcy Murray (Treasurer), Sam Swanson, and Patty Tashiro. Marcy Murray, James Mount, Sam Swanson, Don Cummings and Keith Epstein served in the rotating committee chair role. Accomplishments ● Climate Change: City Council voted to join the Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition (Resolution August 7, 2017) pledging to meet or exceed the US obligations under the Paris Agreement and directing the City Manager to work with appropriate committees and the public to develop a SB Climate Action Plan. o The plan should include specific goals, identify sectors that contribute to GHG emissions and develop strategies to reduce our emissions by 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025. o SBEC continues to work with city staff to help develop a plan to implement ● Renewable Energy: o The City’s 2.1MW Landfill Solar Project, developed in collaboration with the SB Energy Committee, was commissioned and began saving approximately $10,000/ month in electricity expenditures as of Oct 4, 2017. Savings are collected in a Reserve Fund as per June 2017 Resolution. Similar monthly electricity savings are accruing to the SB School District. o SBEC collected $13,390 in donations from Energy Prize solar consortium members and delivered them to school district for an educational solar-related project. ● Sustainable Energy/Climate Funding: o Proposed to City staff to finance all priority energy efficiency projects up front, and pay them off with a revolving loan fund fueled by energy savings generated. (Jan 2018) o Advocated for City to utilize the solar reserve funds for energy efficiency projects, and not “infrastructure” in order to maximize savings (financial and emissions). ● Outreach: o Carried out energy efficiency, clean transportation, and renewables education and outreach to the SB community through digital and print media, presentations to non-municipal organizations, expert-led workshops, event tabling (e.g. Cityfest 2017, SunCARnival, etc.). o Continued to run household energy ads and regular energy columns, developed new transportation related ads, and published several articles promoting low and no CO2 modes of transportation. o Distributed monthly newsletter to 532 readers, daily Facebook postings (with over 876 followers) ● Transportation: o Broadened energy goals to include transportation. Succeeded in getting City Council/Staff to advocate to the VT Agency for Natural Resources to direct the $18 million in VW diesel emissions settlement funds towards electric vehicles rather than more efficient diesel vehicles o Provided formal support of Bike/Ped priority projects to the City Council, the Bike/Ped committee summer outreach program and the Penny for Paths ballot initiative in light of the critical safety, health and transportation efficiency impacts of these projects o Made a formal recommendation to the City Council to explore consolidation of trash collection services to reduce emissions from multiple collection vehicles servicing the same geographic area ● Energy Efficiency o Proposed to City Manager the need to have an energy manager named to coordinate implementation of the City Council’s 2014 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Resolution requiring a City Energy Efficiency Plan with annual progress reports to reduce municipal energy usage by 20% . No plan or progress report has been completed as of the end of this FY. o Advocated for airport-related sound attenuation efforts (to accompany the arrival of the F35s) to incorporate energy efficiency upgrades to affected residences to help make those houses more affordable, while also reducing noise and emissions ● Energy Committee: o Drafted orientation materials for new committee members o Member Don Cummings received the South Burlington Rotary Club Fred Tuttle Award for his contributions to our community Fiscal Year 2019 Priorities ● Support city staff in taking substantive action to fulfill the City’s August 2017 Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition commitment of helping Vermont achieve the December 2015 Paris Climate Agreement pledge by the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions levels from 2005 by 26 to 28 percent. ● Support city staff in fully developing and implementing a City Energy Efficiency Plan, with sustainable funding resources, dedicated staff time, and metrics to measure annual progress ● Place specific focus on clean transportation solutions for SB ● Minimize energy usage by residents, businesses, schools and municipal departments by driving energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, renewable energy generation, and low- and no- carbon transportation initiatives. Support continual fulfillment of the March 2014 City Council Resolution prioritizing energy efficiency and conservation actions. ● Continue to build an energy-efficient and clean energy community to maximize the health, safety and economic well-being of community members. Recreation and Parks Committee The Recreation and Parks Committee is appointed by the South Burlington City Council to serve the residents of South Burlington by acting in an advisory capacity to the Recreation and Parks Department and the City Council. The Director of the Recreation and Parks Department serves as the staff liaison for the Committee. Accomplishments & Events • Advocacy: The committee advocated for public approval of votes for the City Center Community Center. The Senior Center/Program Space run by Recreation and Parks Department will be located in the new facility. These spaces will create opportunity for many kinds of programming. The Community Center will open in 2020. • In August 2018, Recreation and Parks presented a Resolution to City Council to support creation of an indoor recreation facility. Recreation and Parks and city management are studying plans for a facility adjacent to the Cairns Arena in Veteran’s Park. • City Center Park opened in August, 2018. The Committee participated in planning and naming the park. • Task force/liaison: Members of the R and P Committee serve on the Open Space and Gap Analysis Task Force and the Interim Zoning Open Space Task Force. The committee has liaison to the Dog Park Committee. • Review of site plans: The committee meets with developers to review proposed site plans to ensure sufficient and appropriate open space in development. Updates to PUD guidelines, and the menu of options are helpful in this review. • The Wheeler Nature Park Conservation Easement Task Force presented the Framework to City Council January 3. • May, 2018 NRPA Review: The Committee submitted a summary of the review to City Council. • The committee welcomes comments and suggestions from residents. Outdoor courts were reworked to accommodate our many avid pickle-ball players. • Goals and on-going concerns: Chief among those are the need for indoor recreation and program facilities; after decades of advocacy these facilities are in planning. Second is creation of sufficient playing fields to accommodate demand and maintenance. Also needed: review of recreation priorities for open space, and developing a Master Plan for Parks. George Donovan and Linda Chiasson ended their terms this year; we thank them for their service. We welcome new members Jon Pence and Tami Zylka. We are excited to begin 2019, working closely with Holly Rees and her exceptionally talented and committed staff. We thank Maggie Leugers who retired as Director of Recreation and Parks Department in May, 2018. South Burlington Library Board of Trustees Overview The South Burlington Library Board of Trustees is an appointed body that works closely with the Library Director to develop goals and policies ensuring the library is meeting its mission and addressing community needs. The Board meets once a month and Trustees also serve on the following committees: Fundraising, Advocacy, Governance & Nominating, Evaluation, Finance. Members are: Diane Bugbee; Mark Coel; MargaretAnn Cross; Linda Darlington; Nancy Fawley; Bonnie Finnigan; Lee Freeman (Secretary); Patrick Leduc (Chair); Stacey Pape (Vice Chair); Jay Pasackow; Penelope Tompkins. Nancy Simson, Kathryn McConnell and Myke Esposito also serve as committees volunteers. Accomplishments and events In FY 18, the Library Board met the following goals: • Completed the 501C3 requirements to create a Library Foundation, including the development of the Foundation’s bylaws. • The Board of Trustees also reviewed and revised their own bylaws. • The Fundraising Committee developed a fundraising case statement, contracted with a graphic designer for fundraising collateral, created naming guidelines and met regularly with the contracted fundraising consultant regarding a fundraising feasibility study. • The same committee also initiated the first annual giving campaign in September of FY19, mailing out over 5,000 letters. The timing of this served to raise funds for the current library and to put the library top in residents’ minds prior to the vote. • The Advocacy Committee worked closely with City Council, staff, and the Recreation Committee in FY18 & FY19, to develop and implement an advocacy plan for the November 2018 vote. The vote passed by a wide margin in FY19. • Trustees attended City meetings for Board leaders and met with those from other committees. Qualitative Summary • The first annual fundraising campaign to raise money for library projects and services raised over $4,000.00. • Our consultant initiated a fundraising feasibility study, leading to expectations that the Board will be able to raise $850,000.00 to enhance the new library at City Center. • Established a meeting schedule with City Manager and City Council Chairperson. • Reviewed and approved several library policy updates. • Attended multiple design meetings with the public, and have a representative on the Design Committee. Goals and Priorities Goals: Objectives: Strategies: FY 18 FY 19 Finish paperwork for 501C3 12, 13 26 ✔ Develop fundraising campaign materials for the new library 9, 10 23, 28 ✔ Ongoing Inform the public about the need for a new library and complete an advocacy campaign for the November 2018 vote 12, 13 23, 29 ✔ Work with other city committees to enhance the new library and help others meet their needs 12, 13 28 ✔ Ongoing Complete the update of board bylaws 12,13 25, 27, 31 ✔ Plan a board retreat 12,13 27-29 Develop Strategic Plan 10 25 Develop public library pay study 10, 12 25, 29 Additional fundraising goals include: Hire a part-time fundraising campaign coordinator; develop and follow a fundraising timeline; implement “quiet campaign” 9, 10 23, 28 Natural Resources Committee Annual Report 2018 Mission Statement The mission of the South Burlington Natural Resources Committee is to promote community awareness and recommend policy, to sustain and enhance natural resources on behalf of current and future generations within the South Burlington community. Accomplishments in 2018 • Updated operating structure and operating policies • Published educational articles on natural resources related topics released through The Other Paper. • Tabled at community Green Up Day and Recreation & Parks “Progressive Parks Tour”. • Provided comments to the Planning Commission and Development Review Board on potential impact on existing natural resources located on specific properties, by citing specific priorities and goals identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. • Hosted two special topics evenings on “community gardening and the role of pollinator gardens”. Goals and Priorities for 2019 • Support the City Council and Planning Commission Interim Zoning efforts. • Update Annual Work Plan. • Finalize and approve open land "scorecard". • Collaborate with appropriate staff and other resources to assess, the health and increase the city tree canopy and recommend appropriate zoning regulations. • Publish educational articles on natural resources related topics through The Other Paper. • Provide NRC resource support at community events. • Collaborate with the Recreation and Parks Department to increase community garden plots. • Support Weed Warriors events through promotion of volunteer efforts. • Draft, present and adopt a city-wide herbicide policy in collaboration with City Arborist. Committee Members David Crawford, Chair 2020 Elizabeth Milizia, Vice-Chair 2021 Laura Williams 2020 Lisa Yankowski 2021 Linda Chiasson 2021 Duncan Murdoch 2019 Alyson Chalnick 2020 CITY DEPARTMENT REPORTS City Clerk’s Office Department Overview: Main duties of the clerk’s office are land record recordings, elections, dog and cat licensing, issue marriage licenses, certified copies of vital records, liquor licenses, notary, DMV registration renewals, keeper of the records and assist the tax department with tax installment collection. Donna Kinville - City Clerk since 2001, current term ends March 2021 2 full time positions – Laura Kimball (1980) and Deb Woodward (2017) Annual Budget for FY 18 Budgeted Revenue $225,000 Actual Revenue $194,293 Budgeted Expenses $251,734 Actual Expenses $232,456 Accomplishments and events • Oversaw 1 election - Annual Town meeting. 3,592 voters showed up to cast their ballot which is a 25% voter turnout. Absentee ballots continue to be popular with 757 voters casting early ballots which equated to 21% of the votes cast. • Participating in a pilot program on blockchain. South Burlington City Clerk’s office recorded the first blockchain deed in the country! My interest in participating was to see what benefits (if any) using blockchain for land record recording would have for our citizens. • Continuing to work putting prior years land records (deeds, mortgages, power of attorney, …) into our computerized system. We are now back to the year 2000. • Conducted 5th annual Top Dog and First Feline contest with Oakley and Salaam the winners. See below for their photos. • On a professional level I received the level of Master Municipal Clerk from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks • Was elected the President of the Vermont Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association for a 2-year term 2018 Top Dog –Oakley 2018 First Feline – Salaam Qualitative Summary The flow of the City Clerk’s office changes almost daily depending on the time of the year that you visit us. We could be registering a dog or cat; notarizing paperwork; taking tax payments; assisting our citizens find their deed or property boundary lines; handing out absentee ballots; doing a DMV renewal; taking a water payment; assisting attorneys; or answering general city related questions. However, behind the scenes the Clerk’s office does the recording of all land transactions that occur in the City from sales of properties, property transferred into a trust, mortgages or refinancing and maps are the most common documents. We pride ourselves in being one of the best, if not the best, clerk’s office in the state. Stop by and see for yourself. Dog and Cat Registrations: The Clerk’s office registers dogs and cats who reside in the City. For more information visit our webpage http://www.southburlingtonvt.gov/departments/city_clerk/dog_and_cat_licenses.php. For the past 5 years the clerk’s office has run a contest for the Top Dog and First Feline. The qualifications for the contest are simple: register your dog and/or cat by April 1st and they are entered into the drawing. The lucky winners receive tag #1 or tag #2, their photo up in City Hall lobby, announced in The Other Paper, photos used in next year’s registration paperwork as well as on our website and a generous prize package of goodies donated by our very kind sponsors. Last year’s sponsors were Pet Food Warehouse, Guys Farm and Yard, Pet Advantage, Hannafords, Price Chopper and Happy Tails Pet Resort and Spa. This event has greatly contributed to continually increasing the number of dog and cat registered which helps us comply with the state law that all dog owners must register their dog every year. Elections: The Clerk’s office administered 1 election. Each election had average participation when compared to other years. The Board of Civil Authority, in cooperation with the senior homes, performs early voting or “mobile voting” at their facility to assist them in casting their ballot. This continues to be a very popular event before every election. Please make sure that your vote counts by registering to vote and then casting your ballot on Election Day. If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, please contact our office. If you are going to be out of town or can’t make the polls on Election Day don’t forget about your ability to cast an early ballot. Call the clerk’s office for more information. State law does not allow us to keep an ongoing absentee ballot request so if a voter wants an absentee ballot they must call our office every year and request all ballots for that year. The Secretary of State’s office has implemented an on-line voter registration (https://olvr.sec.state.vt.us/) and a My Voter Page (https://mvp.sec.state.vt.us/) which allows voters to make changes to their voting information as well as request absentee ballots. Quantitative Data Revenue generated by the Clerk’s Office During the period from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 there were 204 births, 192 deaths and 145 marriages recorded in the City Clerk’s Office. Recording & copy fees: deposited to general fund $ 136,683 Civil Marriage Licenses: 103 licenses issued @ $60 $ 6,180 Paid to state treasurer $ 5,150 Transferred to general fund $ 1,030 Animal Licenses: 1,2019 dogs 247 cats Deposited to general fund $22,170 Dog Control Kennel Fees: deposited to general fund $2,130 Motor Vehicle Renewals: deposited to general fund $ 573 Green Mountain Passport: deposited to general fund $ 288 Beverage Licenses: deposited to general fund $ 9,255 1st, 2nd class, tobacco licenses, entertainment City Manager’s Office: Project Management — Ashley Parker Overview • Oversees projects that fall within the confines of the City’s Penny for Paths and Open Space funds. These include projects that complete gaps in existing City bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; as well as projects that aim to improve ecosystem function and user experience at Red Rocks Park, Wheeler Nature Park, and Underwood Park. Ashley staffs the Bicycle & Pedestrian and Natural Resources Committees, and work with them to ensure projects falling under either fund are identified and implemented. She also works with other municipal and non-municipal partners on creating a regional conservation partnership to aid in the preservation and connectivity of additional open space. • The Penny for Paths and Open Space funds are now connected to their own City CIP and were approved by the Council in December 2018. • The Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee works with Ashley to revise and update the Penny for Paths CIP, otherwise known as the “Bike/Ped Improvement CIP.” Accomplishments and events • In August 2018, residents voted to designate one penny on the tax rate for bike and pedestrian path infrastructure throughout the City. • Ashley Parker completed the state offered Vermont Natural Shoreland Erosion Control course in November 2018. Qualitative Summary Bike/Ped Improvements - • Any bike/pedestrian improvements or gaps filled help the City fulfill its vision of being a bike and pedestrian friendly City as noted in the Comprehensive Plan (1-1). Some of these projects fall under many of the noted missing links and improvements in the Comprehensive Plan’s discussion of Gray Infrastructure (2-54). • First Bike/Ped Improvements CIP created and approved. • Priority project list collated in collaboration with the Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee and the Department of Public Works. • Landowner/Stakeholder conversations initiated for three projects (Jug Handle Sidewalk, Allen Road Shared Use Path, and Airport Parkway Sidewalk & On-Road Bike Lanes). • Working to bring engineer on board to assist in development of two projects. • Website updated to include infrastructure needs/problems reporting form. Open Space Improvements – • The Open Space Fund, and thereby the projects covered by it, help maintain and improve the natural areas the City has already acquired and made accessible. This is something that was noted as being needed in the Comprehensive Plan (2-99 and 2-112). • First Open Space CIP created and approved. • Timber & Stone LLC brought on to assess Red Rocks Park Trails and provide City with recommendations and schedule for work. • Mike Bald, with Got Weeds?, completed his second season of invasive plant removal with the City. He focused his efforts on Red Rocks Park and Wheeler Nature Park this past year. • VYCC completed another season of work for the City, including trail maintenance and invasive plant management. • The City also brought in the Winooski Valley Park District to complete installation of new posts and signs at Red Rocks Park. • Staff is working with contractors to determine the best solutions for erosion problems found at Red Rocks Park. • Collaborated with Recreation and Parks Department and Public Works staff to identify and prioritize park needs for 2019, as well as what groups/opportunities might exist to assist the City in getting more work done. • Website updated to include hazard tree and trail issues reporting form. Regional Conservation – • By working to create a regional conservation partnership, the City is creating a means of conserving more open space (Comprehensive Plan, 2-99), sharing resources to better manage open space (Comprehensive Plan, 2-99), and possibly work to improve and manage resources at a watershed scale (Comprehensive Plan, 2-83-84). • Developed regional conservation partnership idea to work with other municipalities and share resources that will allow for a larger network of conserved, open spaces in the region. • Introduced the regional conservation partnership idea to the Town of Williston’s Conservation Commission and the City’s Natural Resources Committee. • Working with staff at the Town of Williston to create framework that will guide the discussion of a partnership with municipal managers possibly from South Burlington, Williston, Shelburne, St. George, and Hinesburg. Quantitative Data Bike/Ped Improvements – • Initiated projects include: 2,800 feet of sidewalk, 2,500 feet of on-road bike lanes, and 850 feet of rec path. • Projects completed Fall 2018: repaving of bike path off Park Road; three roads had on-road bike lanes widened (Spear Street, Kimball Avenue, and Nowland Farm Road). Open Space Improvements – • Red Rocks Park trail assessment for almost three miles of trails. • Invasive Plant Management at Red Rocks Park: 8 hotspots of Oriental bittersweet vines removed, 2 early outbreaks of garlic mustard removed, 900 glossy buckthorn shrubs removed. • Mike Bald/Got Weeds? Invasive Plant Management at Wheeler Nature Park: 209 wild parsnip removed, early outbreak of garlic mustard removed, phragmites cut back, buckthorn cut back. • The Red Rocks Park Peregrine Falcon breeding pair had 5 fledglings in 2018 – the most in the state. • VYCC 2018 Results: 16 crew members, 8 weeks of work at Wheeler & Red Rocks, 2.4 miles of trail maintained, 472 feet of new puncheon constructed, 450 invasive plants removed, 64 drainage structures maintained, and 15 new drainage structures installed. 2019 Goals and Priorities Bike/Ped Improvements – • Construction of Jug Handle Sidewalk and Allen Road Rec Path. • Begin design work for South Dorset Street Rec Path and finalize crosswalk locations along Williston Road and Kennedy Drive. • Submit grant application for partial funding of South Dorset Street Rec Path. • Promoting “Share the Road” initiative and work with Bike/Ped Committee on engaging residents in bicycling/pedestrian activities that utilize new and existing City infrastructure. • Installation of regulatory and wayfinding signage along City rec paths. Open Space Improvements – • Completion of Red Rocks Park trail restoration/maintenance and installation of at least two erosion control or shoreland stabilization projects at the park. • Complete and install new wayfinding signage at Wheeler Nature Park. • Bring contractor in to assess trails at Wheeler Nature Park and develop basic system of trails at Underwood Park. • Complete an ecological assessment and wetland delineation of Underwood Park, and begin assessing current Master Plan and location of active areas on the site. Formalize pedestrian access to the park. Create a management plan for the park. • Initiate invasive plant management at Underwood Park, and continue previous work at Red Rocks and Wheeler. • Work at formalizing a citizen volunteer program, either through the Weed Warrior Program or in collaboration with the Natural Resources Committee. Regional Conservation – • Develop a map to depict the regional partnership and existing conserved lands and potential conservation areas. • Formalize regional conservation partnership and brand it. • Apply for watershed grant to implement Weed Warrior program across South Burlington and Williston, with a future goal of expanding it across the entire partnership area. • Regular meetings of the conservation partnership to discuss strategies for conservation and develop list of priority projects. • Conserve one or two properties located within the regional partnership area. • Identify non-municipal partners for this effort and get buy-in. • Reach out to local businesses to get buy-in and support. City Manager’s Office: Project Development — Ilona Blanchard 1: City Center Park Construction, 2nd – 180 Market Street Public Outreach meeting Overview • Lead special project initiatives, primarily related to City Center TIF District implementation and capital projects, staff the Energy Committee and Public Art Selection Committee, and advance economic development initiatives within South Burlington • Budget is part of the City Manager’s budget. Special Fund Revenues expended totaled $1,255,011, including project costs and related costs. During this period leveraged and additional $62,426 in consultant scoping services funded through CCRPC. $5M TIF bond secured and $134,661 used to service this debt. Accomplishments and events • First TIF project under construction using a combination of grants and TIF Debt: o City Center Park (bid out, contract awarded, handover to Public Works for construction management and the bulk of the park was constructed). • Market Street bid out, the contract awarded, an inspection/project engineer hired and mobilization for the project began (including a groundbreaking ceremony). • Secured a Federal Aid grant for $800,000 to design and construct the south side of Williston Road streetscape between Dorset Street and Midas Drive. o Contracted with engineering firm and began design of the project. • Continued design work and Right of Way acquisition process on Garden Street (preliminary engineering for the Williston Road Intersections). • Completed Phase I of scoping for a Pedestrian Bicycle Improvement over I-89/Exit 14 at Williston Road and successfully secured continuing consultant support for Phase II of scoping; prepared grant application. • Participated in and supported negotiations to secure land for public facilities in City Center. • Contracted with a design and construction team to develop the 180 Market Street – Public Library, City Hall and Senior Center, conducted public outreach and developed conceptual design for project. • Staff liaison to the Energy Committee (see Energy Committee Annual Report). This year, the Landfill Solar Array was completed, the contract was amended and net-metering contract administration began. • Coordinated with the artist selected by the Public Art Selection Committee that is creating the geese. • Coordinated with SBBA, SB3C, SBCCA, and others. • Prepared the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure grant application for submittal. 2019 Goals and Priorities In FY 2019 work to advance City Center projects and economic development is limited due to only 1 FTE available: • Meet ongoing contractual obligations such as administration of the TIF District, the Market Street Federal Grant, and the Williston Road Streetscape Grant. • Complete design/contracting phase and handover of construction-ready projects to Public Works for construction management (continued participation in project): o Market Street; and o 180 Market Street – Public Library, City Hall and Senior Center. • Scheduled to be initiated: o City Center Infrastructure Standards (policy), and o Impact Fee Study & Policy Support - Public Facilities (policy). • Continue advancing design, permitting and ROW acquisition for: o Williston Road Streetscape (south side). • Complete Phase II scoping, concept development for the Bicycle/Pedestrian Crossing over Exit 14 (at US 2/Williston Road) and seek grant funding through applications. • Support scoping and ongoing discussions regarding: o Performing Arts Facility; and o Indoor Recreation Facility. Fire Marshal Report Total of Divisional staff activities: Permits/inspections/consult/ 2509 1488 Request for information: 2107 1492 TOTAL Activity by Trade 4616 2980 Total of All FMO Activities 7596 Sampling of Activities by type: Permits: Construction Electrical Project reviews mtgs. 75 12 Emergency permits 10 15 Permits reviewed (all types) 279 374 Permits Issued (all types) 257 2-rejected 325 1-rejected Rough-in inspections 606 372 Final inspections 222 292 Stop work 7 1 Daycare /Res-care 24 Certificates of Occupancy 126 Certificates of Completion 59 309 Complaints 28 16 Fire investigations 4 0 Time of Sale inspections (residential) 381 RTOS Re-inspections 361 CTOS inspection 27 CTOS Re-insp. 26 Engine Co lisc. Inspection 82* Engine Co. lisc. Re-insp 78* (not included in FMO totals) ZONING ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S REPORT The Planning and Zoning Office issued a total of 1,248 permits in FY18. This includes Zoning Permits for all types of construction (residential, commercial, public projects), Sign Permits (Permanent and Temporary), Certificates of Occupancy, Certificates of Compliance, Peddler Permits and Chicken Permits. Category # Issued Construction Cost # of Dwelling Units All Issued Permits FY18 1,248 Zoning Permits - All 491 $68,285,365 Zoning Permits - Residential 73 $36,494,667 192 Residential construction increased this year over the previous year. The number of new dwelling units increased significantly from 45 units to 192 units reflecting a rise in construction of new housing units. Overall, the trend in new housing unit construction has been steadily climbing since FY14 – with FY16 as a peak (see chart). The 192 new units represent 61 single family dwellings, 14 two-family dwelling units, and 117 multi-family dwelling units. Also, of note in FY18, nine (9) single family dwelling units were removed near the Burlington International Airport as part of a Federal Aviation Administration noise compatibility program. The value of new commercial construction was slightly less than the previous year with the number of new commercial buildings permitted during the year decreasing from three (3) buildings to two (2) buildings. The number of new commercial buildings constructed each year is small hence the greater variability in the value from year to year. FY14, 119 FY15, 143 FY16, 252 FY17, 171 FY18, 192 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 TOTAL NEW DWELLING UNITS BY FISCAL YEAR Each year we remind residents of the need to obtain a zoning permit when making repairs or renovations which exceed $5,000 OR if you are changing the footprint of your home (deck, porch, sunroom, etc.) regardless of cost, as well as any accessory structure (shed, detached garage, etc.) also regardless of cost. If you have any questions about whether your project requires a permit, please call the Planning & Zoning office at 846-4106. Zoning Permit Type Ttl # Issued Construction Cost Ttl # Issued Construction Cost Residential 73 36,494,667$ 38 11,086,007$ Residential Additions & Alterations 220 8,238,099$ 227 4,997,637$ Residential Garages 3 107,000$ 2 35,000$ Commercial Buildings 2 1,975,000$ 3 5,750,000$ Commercial Additions & Alterations 99 16,298,551$ 95 4,878,688$ Other 78 2,034,970$ 53 328,568$ Non-Taxable 16 3,137,078$ 24 29,364,438$ Total 491 68,285,365$ 442 56,440,338$ FY18 FY17 Recreation and Parks Department Main Function of Department: The mission of the Recreation and Parks Department is to connect divers, dynamic public spaces and programs which grow, inspire and create inclusive social interactions through land and people. We aim to foster a supportive and constructive environment that embrace equity through inclusive decision making and mindful daily actions. Department Head: Holly Rees (8 years of service) Current Number of Staff: 4 Accomplishments & Events Staffing: Fiscal year 2018 proved to be a significant year of change in the department as we saw the retirement of two key individuals: Administrative Assistant Darla Champine (a 35+ year city employee) and seasoned Director Maggie Leugers. As retirement doors closed, windows were opened, allowing for the advancement and promotion of the existing Assistant Director to an initial Interim leadership position and eventual permanent Directorship. Additionally, a new collaborative position of Customer Service Specialist was created to meet the needs of the vacated Administrative Assistant role, while addressing the need for a dynamic front line greeter at city hall. This new Customer Service Specialist position was filled in February and has been providing energy and efficiency to the Recreation Department as well the greater City Hall. Parks: 2018 saw the permanent closure of the Jaycee Dog Park as fencing was removed and a new committee formed by the City Council to study available lands and protocols for a new South Burlington Dog Park(s). This independent committee of the City Council was created by merging interested residents along with representation of both the Natural Resources Committee and the Recreation and Parks Committee as a one year initiative. Former Director, Maggie Leugers, was hired as a consultant to run this year long project with anticipated results due to City Council early spring of 2019. While the dog park closure navigated through some tumultuous waters, residents rallied behind the Opening of two new city parks: City Center Park and Bay Crest Park Phase 1. City Center Park, located off Barrett and Iby Streets, is host to a variety of native plantings, trails, natural play elements, connected pathway and an urban forest. Access from Market Street is a planned highlight of this park, as infrastructure is already in place for future connectivity. On the other side of town, located between Spear Street and Shelburne Road, we welcomed Bay Crest Park. A small parcel that will remain fairy open, preserving the free play space area this neighborhood has long enjoyed, while providing a modest walking trail and connectivity to neighboring communities. The pathway and bridge were opened this year as phase one, and phase two in the upcoming year will see the installation of small natural play element structure and viewing benches. Additionally, with changes and improvements planned through Open Space funds for Red Rocks, we tested our first summer at Red Rocks Park without an entry fee for parking. Instead of hiring for parking attendants, we invested the funds into Park Rangers, who provided both maintenance and patron support which allowed for increased communications regarding the assets of the park and education and enforcement of ordinances held within the park. Programs Senior Center: 180 Market Street saw the approved addition of a Senior Center, which brings excitement to the community as the first owned, operated and programed spaced afforded the recreation department. The space will be programmed for Senior Activities Monday – Friday from 8:00-4:00 with additional community programming in the evening and on weekends. Both the Recreation and Parks Committee and Staff have been involved in the initial planning stages of this space to include space requirements, and amenities and will stay connected in the project through the fit and finishes as completion. Day Camp Closes its Doors: With an active program already existing through the School District for out of school care, our day camp numbers have been dwindling for years. It became clear that the city’s needs were being met through an established and stellar program and that the Recreation Department Day Camp was no longer sustainable so we shifted focus to providing a varied inventory of ½ day specialty camps. The preparation for summer camps thus became far less complicated as we did not have to advertise, hire, train and manage the fleet of 20-30 seasonal staff that we traditionally had. This allowed us time to focus on other offerings and infuse amenities into both established and new programs. Bikes and Bites Rebranded: The food truck event formally known as Bikes and Bites, was rebranded to SoBu Night Out and yet again proved successful, engaging more than 1,200 over the summer series. Feedback on this popular event point to the desire to have the frequency increased to weekly during July and August and an enhancement of a fireworks display for at least one of the nights. We have worked diligently to stream line the efficiency of program and have included significant cost savings for the event and look to continued sponsorship to provide these events free to the community, 2019 Goals and Priorities 1) To be fully staffed with 5 full time employees to include: Director, 2 Recreation Specialists, 1 Special Projects Coordinator and 1 Customer Service Specialist. Once appropriately staffed, work to fine tune structure and efficiency flow by reviewing job descriptions, responsibilities and duties. 2) Mindfully engage with the public in sharing information about our park system and recreation offerings (access, maps, narratives etc) to include weekly articles in the The Other Paper and subsequent website postings, as well as formulate and execute a strategic marketing plan for the department. Telling out story to the community we serve is essential and high priority in this coming year. 3) Further outreach, education and advocacy efforts for indoor recreation space to support the communities long identified need. This will include diligent work with the Recreation and Parks Committee as well as identifying and networking with individual stakeholder groups. 4) Increase community engagement opportunities through the addition of new events to include seasonal fun runs, festivals, concerts etc. and continue to collaborate with community partners to provide sustainability through sponsorship opportunities. 5) Increase program inventory offerings by 25% and additionally infusion significant growth (+/- 40%) for our adult and pre-school populations. South Burlington Public Library Departmental Overview The public library is a place where people connect with each other, books and information. Our mission is, “The South Burlington Library strengthens our community through abundant opportunities to learn, share and succeed. We do this through collections, programs, technology and services for all ages.” Annual Budget for FY17 was $488,379.12. Our actual budget was $451,910.05 due to a reduction in materials ordering during the move and to a vacancy in the Children’s Librarian position which also led to fewer program expenses. Department Structure Jennifer Murray, Director (4 years) Kathryn Plageman, Circulation & Tech Services (18 years) Susan Bliss, Adult Services (5 years) Kelly Kendall, Children’s Librarian (1 year) Number of staff: 13, five with 9 hours a week or less, three 19-28 hours, 5 FT. Accomplishments and events FY18 began with preparations for the move to the UMall, which included rigorous review of our materials for condition, use and relevance and separation of our collection from that of the SBHS library. Over 50 volunteers were involved in the move, from dividing the collections through moving, reshelving and various carpentry jobs. Opening day showed a crowd of library fans waiting to get in, and our door count continued to grow through the year. New populations were attracted to the mall location, including many special needs individuals with assistants, visitors from outside Chittenden County stopping in for a shopping break, and local residents who had never visited the library before. • Library staff started the ongoing process of evaluating programs to maximize output for effort. Some programs that were particularly popular were Photography with your phone, Jewelry-Making, the annual Garden Storytimes, Children’s performers set up outside the doors in the mall proper, the ongoing Cookbook Club, ongoing book discussion groups and the growing Great Decisions discussion group. • Staff also selected, trained on and troubleshooted around the new catalog and circulation system, Verso. A highlight of this system is the popular email reminder that patrons get prior to items being due, something that also met LEAN goals in reducing the price of postage and the times spent on overdue mailings. • Jennifer and Trustee, Mark Coel, began meeting regularly with the design team for what came to be a Library & Senior Center & City Hall building. Selecting the architects, participating in public and staff focus groups, and working with them on layout and design was exciting and time consuming. • She also worked closely with various Board committees in early preparations for the November 2018 vote. Qualitative Summary • Offering the public a separate public library was a dream-come-true for many library users. At the same time, a few pledged to never visit us because they did not want to visit the mall. Library staff had some reservations at the outset of the plan, but were firmly engaged and supportive by opening day. Customer service in the new location continued to be our top priority, with staff assisting patrons with library services as well as providing information about the public design process. Excitement is high around the new library! • Verso allowed us to highlight digital resources on the catalog start page, making them more prominent. Our e-book collection grew, with circulation up as well. Kanopy video streaming was researched and introduced in FY19. • Staff continues to offer programming opportunities to community members, currently continuing the volunteer-led Cookbook Club, ESL discussion, Knitting, and Great Decisions. High School summer interns assisted with Garden Story times and summer reading registration, the League of Women Voters began a series around elections and state government, and Tech4Tomorrow offered technology training. • Responding to results from the EDGE evaluative tool, we added web links to a job-seeking program supported by the state library and learned about accessibility resources available on public pcs through Windows 10. Staff offered a public tech survey which pointed to desirable products for the library to offer in circulation, for example, ROKU boxes, printers and wifi hotspots. Project Outcome surveys were delayed into 2019. Due to high volume use of the public pcs, we created an Express station that is available for only 20 minutes. • Hired a new Children’s Librarian who learned primarily on-the-job with staff mentors. She started the class work for Public Librarian certification to be completed in FY19. • Worked closely with Trustees and City staff to apply for a large federal humanities grant which was not successful, but having that information gathered will make future requests easier to pull together. Quantitative Data • General statistics comparing FY18 to FY 17 are not useful measures due to several factors: Circulation was affected by disruption of shelves during preparation for the move, by being closed for two weeks, by relocation and by initial problems with the new system’s reports module; programming in the old location was minimal so that staff time could be spent on the move; children’s programming was reduced during the period without a Librarian. • More relevant data can be seen in a snapshot comparing June 2017 to June 2018, for example: • Around 40% of SB residents have cards, cardholders totaled 8267. • Circulation in 2018 has not reached the level of 2017, down 19%. • We offered the same number of programs in June, but with fewer attendees. Specific programs, like the Garden Storytime, had record numbers but we offered half the occurrences as the new Librarian transitioned into her duties. • Visits to the library were up in June of 2018 by 480, and continue to grow into FY19. • 30 more items were requested from other libraries through inter-library loan. • Overdrive checkout of e-books and e-audio books was up 24%. FY 2019 Goals and Priorities 1. Plan and implement a staff retreat with support from the Friends of the Library. 2. Work with Trustees to gather information and begin application process for grant-seeking. 3. Research and implement a community survey towards gathering information for strategic planning. 4. Release new library web page. 5. Add staff hours to high traffic periods to meet public service needs and safe staffing standards. 6. Offer staff security training and develop procedures to handle emergency situations. 7. Increase circulation through greater display and marketing within the library. 8. Train additional staff in planning and presenting ongoing programs. 9. Continue to serve on the library design committee and influence plans for the new library. 10. Work with the Trustees to define a new strategic plan and compile research for a public library salary study. Police Department Department Overview The South Burlington Police Department is currently authorized fifty four employees working across two divisions; patrol and support services. The patrol division is commanded by two Lieutenants; Shawn Demore and Gregg Jager. Support services is under the command of Lieutenant Jeff Martel. Of the authorized strength forty four positions are sworn police officer positons, there are six full time dispatch positions, two records clerks, one human trafficking case manager, and one executive assistant to the Chief. The sworn staff of the department serve in uniform patrol, youth services, detectives, the Chittenden Unit for Special investigations, and on the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force. The department responds to approximately 14,000 calls for service a year. Management Team Trevor Whipple, Chief of Police (12 years) Paul Edwards, Deputy Chief (27 years) Jeff Martel, Support Service Lieutenant (21 years) Shawn Demore, Patrol Lieutenant (22 years) Gregg Jager, Patrol Lieutenant (14 years) Department Structure 39 sworn officers, 6 dispatchers, 2 records clerks, 1 administrative assistant, 1 human trafficking case manager, 5 part-time community justice center staff, 2 part-time dispatchers Accomplishments and Events The organization saw the retirement of Deputy Chief Paul Edwards who had committed 27 years of service. Deputy Chef Edward’s retirement left a gap in the organization that is quickly being filled by the talented staff who remain. Recruitment of service oriented police officers has been a priority given the number of retirements on the horizon for FY 2019. Recruitment challenges are facing police departments across the country as we all compete for those interested in law enforcement. Lt. Gregg Jager has assumed the role of the department’s recruiter. Lt. Jager attended an executive level recruitment workshop held by the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington DC. This workshop focused on a variety of topics to include diversity in recruitment, recruitment strategies, and effective process. As we look to the future we strive to recruit a diverse workforce, one that closely represents the City we serve. The organization has also embarked on a new training priority, leveraging de-escalation tactics in response to those in crisis. We have made investments in some baseline training and acquired some equipment in this regard with plans to expand this philosophy across the agency. Lastly, the department’s web site has been updated in a few ways to better engage with citizens. The records tab of the web site features more systems and automation whereby citizens can gain access to records they need while leveraging efficiency for our records staff. We have also stood up a compliment / complaint tab on the web site which allows anyone to provide feedback about the organization. The compliment / complaint form is an electronic submission that immediately notifies the Command Staff so timely and appropriate steps can be taken to serve the City. Qualitative Summary • New Officers were hired to fill the vacant ranks • Community Outreach Team responded to 253 incidents in the City of South Burlington in the last quarter of FY 2018 providing critical services to those in crisis. Call types included suicide attempts, drug over dose, and a variety of incidents induced by poverty and homelessness. • K-9 Rush and his handler Officer Sarah Bellavance graduated from the Vermont Police Academy, follow K-9 Rush on Instagram @k9rush to keep up with the team. • Shawn Burke was hired as the new police chief and began his transition process in early FY 2019. Quantitative Data 2019 Goals and Priorities • Examine the relationship between our quantitative data and legitimacy in policing. • Policy development and implementation in line with recommendations found in the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing report. • Recruitment and retention of service oriented staff. • Professional development tracks for future leaders in the organization. • Training and equipment to further enhance the philosophy of de-escalation as the number of mental health crisis calls continue to rise. • Examination of operations with an eye on efficiencies that can be gained while maintaining a service level citizens expect. 2016 2017 2018 Arrests 736 661 753 Vehicle Stops 4885 3491 3167 Traffic Tickets 2233 1015 919 Traffic Warnings 2652 2476 2570 Crashes investigated 722 679 619 Total calls for police service 15,102 13,951 13923 Criminal Arrests 2016 2017 2018 DUI 103 98 83 Heroin possession 14 11 7 Burglary 42 49 64 Theft from vehicles 144 63 60 Retail Theft 271 238 213 Domestic Assault 41 36 35 Department of Public Works Department Management Justin Rabidoux, Director, 9 years Tom DiPietro, Deputy Director Environmental Services and Stormwater Superintendent, 13 years Adam Cate, Deputy Director Operations, 9 years Bob Fischer, Wastewater Superintendent, 4 years John Tymecki, Water Retail Superintendent, 6 years with Champlain Water District Department Divisions and their Responsibilities 1. Highway Division 9 employees Maintain City’s public infrastructure including: Roads and sidewalks Traffic signals and street lights Sewer lines Street signs and pavement markings 2. Stormwater Utility Division 8 employees Maintain City’s stormwater infrastructure and manage the daily operations of the Utility Provide GIS services to the Utility and the City as a whole Construct stormwater improvements to comply with federal stormwater permits 3. Parks Division 4 employees Maintain the City’s parks and recreation paths Manage the City’s urban forest and forested parks Support the Recreation Department as their operational staff 4. Sewer Division 8 employees Staff and operate the City’s two wastewater facilities; Airport Parkway and Bartlett Bay Perform lavatory analysis of each facility’s products to ensure permit compliance Maintain the City’s three dozen sewer pump stations and miles of pressurized sewer lines 5. Technical Services and Operations 2 employees Perform in the field inspection of all roadway construction work in the City Run the Department’s day to day operations 6. Water Division 6 employees Contracted employees from Champlain Water District serve as the City’s Water Division Operate the City’s water system, including lines, hydrants, valves and lift stations FY’18 Budget – The Department’s total FY’18 budget was $14,054,160.68. All DPW divisions and fund balances performed within expectations. 2018 Accomplishments and Events 1. 2018 saw the City invest over $1.4 million in repaving of city streets, including large sections of main roads like Dorset and Spear Streets. We will continue to invest in the repaving of Dorset Street proper to make sure it is in the great condition going forward. 2. In 2018 two very large City projects began, the over $7 million reconstruction of Market Street and the over $3 million investment in new sewer and water infrastructure in the larger Hadley/Proctor/Farrell neighborhood. The latter project will save Sewer rate payers millions of dollars in the coming years. This project’s financing from the State also included ‘gifting’ the City a free stormwater project, which will begin the spring of 2019 along Kennedy Drive. 3. 2019 will see anywhere between four and eight medium to large stormwater projects constructed. To support these projects and to lessen the impact on South Burlington property owners, our Stormwater Division applied for and received approximately $1 million in grants. 4. In collaboration with the region’s wholesale water supplier, the Champlain Water District, our Water Division continued to evaluate low to no cost options to improve water pressure in South Burlington. Qualitative Data Figure 1 - Local FY’20 Water Rates South Burlington provides high quality water service to its residents and does so in an economical manner. $3.86 $3.98 $4.45 $4.45 $4.58 $5.01 $5.17 $5.18 $5.35 $5.42 $5.61 $5.76 $6.48 $6.65 $- $1.00 $2.00 $3.00 $4.00 $5.00 $6.00 $7.00 Water Rates: Cost per 1,000 gal Figure 2 – Cost of Salt and Liquid Deicer Application per Lane Mile the last Seven Years One of our goals the past few years is to both track our salt usage during winter events as well as be more efficient in our use of winter materials. Recent investments allow us to both track our fleet via GPS and also quantify exactly how much salt we are using at any point in the City. New chloride best management practices are being drafted at the state level; collecting and tracking this data today puts us in a great position for when these rules will be enacted. 2019 Goals and Priorities 1. Continue to make investments in our infrastructure and facilities with the goal of ‘spending money to save money’ through energy efficiency upgrades, improved operational tactics (Figure 2 above helps get us there) and coordination with the City’s Chief Sustainability Officer to help implement our lessons learned city wide. 2. Complete the Hadley/Proctor/Farrell neighborhood sewer project, which will save the City millions of dollars in the process. 3. Complete the Market Street Reconstruction Project. 4. Break ground for and substantially complete the new City Hall/Library Project on Market Street. 5. Implement next level technology along our main traffic signal corridors, Williston Road and Dorset Street. This technology adjusts the timing of the lights on an ongoing basis lights to accommodate changing traffic patterns and ease congestion. The main benefits of over conventional signal systems are that it can: a. Continuously distribute green light time equitably for all traffic movements b. Improve travel time reliability by progressively moving vehicles through green lights c. Reduce congestion and CO2 emissions by creating smoother flow 6. Work to expand the City’s offerings of regionalized services, specifically providing stormwater services to area communities. $0.00 $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00 $10.00 $12.00 $14.00 $16.00 $18.00 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY18 FY18 FY19 Winter Maintenance Cost per Lane Mile of Salt and Liquid Deicer Trend Line CITY PARTNER REPORTS We are a municipality created in 1987 to oversee and manage solid waste in Chittenden County. We are governed by a Board of Commissioners. Each of the communities in Chittenden County appoints a representative to the Board. Our mission is to reduce and manage the solid waste generated within Chittenden County in an environmentally sound, efficient, effective and economical manner. Who we are Material Sales Tip fees SWMF 42% 29% State/local tax 0% 27% Other 2% $11.6m(FY18) how we manage wastehow we reduce wasteHow we’re funded Our revenue comes from three primary sources: Tip fees on incoming material at our facilities; The Solid Waste Management Fee (SWMF), a per- ton fee on material sent to the landfill; Material sales from items that we collect, sort or produce for sale at our facilities. We are not funded by state or local tax dollars. 1021 Redmond Rd, Williston, VT 05495 | (802) 872-8111 | info@cswd.net www.cswd.net FISCAL YEAR 2018 REPORT board of commissioners As of 7/1/18 BOLTON Rep: Duncan Galbraith BURLINGTON Rep: Rob Green Alt: Jennifer Green CHARLOTTE Rep: Abby Foulk Alt: Rachel Stein COLCHESTER Rep: Dirk Reith Alt: Jeffrey Bartley ESSEX Rep: Alan Nye Alt: Max Levy ESSEX JUNCTION Rep: Alan Nye Alt: George Tyler HINESBURG Rep: Lynn Gardner Alt: Doug Taff HUNTINGTON Rep: Roman Livak JERICHO Rep: Leslie Nulty Alt: Bert Lindholm MILTON Rep: Donna Barlow Casey Alt: Erik Wells RICHMOND Rep: Adam Sherman ST. GEORGE Rep: Nina Friscia Alt: Maggie Kerrin SHELBURNE Rep: Timothy Loucks Alt: Joe Colangelo SOUTH BURLINGTON Rep: Paul Stabler UNDERHILL Rep: Dan Steinbauer Alt: Paul Ruess WESTFORD Rep: Michelle DaVia WILLISTON Rep: Craig Abrahams Alt: Caylin McCamp WINOOSKI Rep: Ted Regula Alt: Bryn Oakleaf 1021 Redmond Rd, Williston, VT 05495 | (802) 872-8111 | info@cswd.net www.cswd.net cswd FISCAL YEAR 2018 REPORT SCHOOL AND YOUTH OUTREACH programs reached more than 5,300 students and staff via 107 presentations, three waste audits, and 43 facility tours. Staff had direct contact at 36 of the District’s 75 public and private K-12 schools. BUSINESS OUTREACH directed three waste audits, conducted 13 workplace presentations, and led four facility tours for local businesses and institutions. Staff provided direct assistance to more than 260 other businesses and distributed over 350 deskside recycling bins and 80 food scrap buckets to business and non-profit workplaces at no charge. COMMUNITY OUTREACH included 27 backyard composting workshops, 19 tours of CSWD facilities and six presenta- tions to a total of 480 people. EVENT OUTREACH programs trained 50 Waste Warriors who volunteered 382 hours educating guests at 32 events and provided on-site training to 50 additional event volunteers. Forty-three events borrowed 184 recycling and compost col- lection containers and used them to keep 1.4 tons of recyclables and 6.9 tons of compostables out of the landfill. OUTREACH & COMMUNICATIONS The FY18 General Fund expenditures were $10.9 million and the revenues were $11.6 million, representing a $344,000 increase in expenditures (3%) and an essentially level $9,000 decrease in revenues compared with FY17. Revenue was flat due to a significant drop in the price we received for recycled paper. This was offset by a significant in-crease in the tip fee for large loads of recyclables at the MRF and Solid Waste Management Fee revenue from increased trash tonnage. Increases in expenditures were largely due to higher fees for sludge and trash disposal and normal increas-es in salaries, wages, and benefits. ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE DROP-OFF CENTERS (DOCS): Owned & operated by CSWD. Convenient, one-stop facilities for household quantities of blue-bin and special recycling, food scraps, trash, and more. Blue-bin recycling collected at Drop-Off Centers dropped 2.8% to 2,964 tons, and household trash increased 5.5% to 6,060 tons over FY17. FACILITIES & OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL DEPOT: Owned & operated by CSWD. Safe drop-off for almost all types of household hazardous waste.1,086 households and 700 businesses brought in 811,673 lbs. of hazardous waste for processing in FY18, a 19% increase over FY17. This included 9,138 gallons of latex paint re-blended and sold in Vermont as Local Color. GREEN MOUNTAIN COMPOST: Owned & operated by CSWD. We turn community food scraps, leaves, and yard debris into high quality compost products to improve soil in lawns and gardens. We composted 14,864 tons of material in FY18, including 5,876 tons of food scraps, an increase of 14% over FY17. MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY (MRF): Owned by CSWD; operated by Casella. The MRF sorts and prepares large loads of blue-bin recyclables -- paper, cardboard, and clean containers -- for sale to processors. The MRF received 47,445 tons of material in FY18, a 0.3% increase from FY17. Roughly 7% was contaminated or improperly recycled material sent to the landfill. The weighted average sale price was $86.54 per ton in FY18, a 19% decrease over the FY17 average. COMPLIANCE: In FY 18, we licensed 59 haulers (390 vehicles), 13 processing facilities, and 3 transfer stations. We completed 40 load check events (400 individual vehicle checks at three facilities) and assessed Banned Materials Fees on 60 loads. We conducted 32 construction site visits to provide education on managing demolition waste. BIOSOLIDS: CSWD brokered 15,360 wet tons of sewage sludge for our member communities in FY18, which is 6.5% more material than FY17. CSWD staff is continually investigating options for local treatment of sewage sludge from District members with a focus on removing phosphorus from member wastewater treatment plants. CSWD is in the fifth year of a 5-year contract with Casella Organics for sewage sludge disposal through FY18. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Our research and development efforts targeted recycling markets for hard-to-recycle products and packaging, MSW disposal trends, and consolidated collection of food scraps, recyclables, and trash. MEMBER GRANTS: CSWD provided $13,720 in grant funding to member towns via the Community Cleanup Fund in FY18, and $10,466 in waived Green Up Day disposal fees and financial support to Green Up Vermont on behalf of our member towns. OTHER PROGRAMS The New Vital Records Law (Act 46) and What It Means for You The Vermont Legislature passed Act 46 in May 2017, which significantly changes the state laws that govern vital records –namely, birth and death certificates. The new law and rules will enhance the safety and security of birth and death certificates, provide better protection against misuse of these legal documents, and reduce the potential for identity theft. Additionally, the changes streamline the entire statewide system for creation, storage and tracking of birth and death certificates. Act 46 will impact anyone who seeks a copy of a Vermont birth or death certificate. The changes go into effect on July 1, 2019. The most notable changes are: • Only family members (as defined in Act 46), legal guardians, certain court-appointed parties or legal representatives of any of these parties can apply to obtain a certified copy of a birth or death certificate. In the case of a death certificate only, the funeral home or crematorium handling disposition may apply for a certified copy. • An individual must complete an application and show valid identification when applying for a certified copy of a birth or death certificate. • An individual who refuses to complete the application or cannot provide valid identification will be ineligible and referred to the Vital Records Office. • Certified copies of birth and death certificates can be ordered from any town, not just where the birth or death occurred or where the person was a resident. • Certified copies will be issued on anti-fraud paper. • Access to noncertified copies (previously called “informational” copies) is not significantly changed by the new law or rules. • Marriage, civil union, divorce or dissolution certificate copies and processes are not affected by the new law or rules. For text of Act 46, go to https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2018/Docs/ACTS/ACT046/ACT046%20As%20Enacted.pdf CIty of South Burlington, 575 Dorset Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 www.southburlingtonvt.gov