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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 03/01/1976CITY COUNCIL MARCH 1, 1976 The South Burlington City Council held a meeting on Monday, March 1, 1976, in the Conference Room, Municipal Offices, 1175 Williston Road. MEMBERS PRESENT Paul Farrar, Chairman; John Dinklage, Michael Flaherty, Duane Merrill, Catherine Neubert MEMBERS ABSENT None OTHERS PRESENT William Szymanski, City Manager; Paul Cormsen, Stan Wilbur, Lyla Clark, Jan Herman, Walt Platteborze, A. C. Audette, F. McCaffrey, A. G. Mackay The meeting was opened by Chairman Farrar at 8:00 p.m. The Chairman asked if there were any additions to the agenda and Mr. Dinklage asked to have a discussion regarding the distribution of agendas of the Planning Commission and the Council. Minutes of the special meeting of February 24, 1976 It was moved by Mr. Flaherty, seconded by Mrs. Neubert, and voted unanimously to accept the Minutes of the special meeting of February 24, 1976, as presented. Disbursement orders The Chairman noted that the disbursement orders were ready for signatures of Council members. Public Hearing on Environmental Assessment of Bartletts Bay Sewer Project Chairman Farrar said the hearing would be taped, according to standard procedure. He then read aloud a prepared document which is to be part of the record. The City Manager outlined the history of the project beginning with the adoption by the selectmen of the town in 1969 or 1970 of a resolution to proceed in sewering all the developed areas along Lake Champlain. The first project undertaken was a project where the Red Rocks beach house is now, including the beach house and four campsites which are now full year-round houses. The firm of Webster Martin was engaged to prepare a set of plans for the Bartletts Bay area. The plans were completed and a determination was asked from the State and the Federal government as to funding on their part. This was denied at that time and the project was then tabled for about a year and a half or two years. The State and Federal government were again approached as to their participation in the funding of the project and this time the response was in the City's favor and it was decided to go ahead with the project. The project was expanded slightly to include a few homes along the Holmes Road extension which is just north of the end of Bartletts Bay. The State of Vermont's participation is the reason for this hearing on the environmental impact. Mr. Gormsen, sanitary engineer for the Vermont Department of Water Resources, explained there are three aspects for consideration, the legal, the technical, and the financial aspect. Some of the more pertinent regulations providing for the establishment of this department refer to stream classification, pollution abatement, and water supply. More recent Federal legislation amendments to the Federal Pollution Control Act state the extent of the Federal government's commitment, and basically those rules and laws make up the framework of the Department. The Department also is technically involved in this project, reviewing the engineers' reports, specifications, plans, etc. Mr. Gormsen said he had reviewed the plan submitted by Webster Martin. More recently the up-dated plans have been submitted to the Department and are presently under review. In the area of finance, he said the Federal government does provide for grants made along with the State, 75% Federal, 15% State, and 10% from the local municipality. Mr. Gormsen stated the Department feels it is a viable and necessary project and would enhance the water quality of Lake Champlain. Mr. Wilbur of Webster Martin displayed a map locating the project in the southwest corner of the town, close to the Shelburne boundary, encompassing 2500 feet of lake shore, 19 full time houses, and 14 camps. The area is adjacent to the existing secondary treatment plant located on Bartletts Bay Road. The proposed project includes 3000 feet of gravity sewer, sewage pump station and forced main. In going through the necessity for the project, he said there are objective ways of discharge either by seepage or leach fields out into the lake or in some cases overflow pipes which go into the lake. Because of the winter he has not had the chance to review those sections along Holmes Road. The determination is based on the old determinations and under spring conditions there may be an additional portion eligible. Mr. Wilbur then reviewed the environmental effects of the project: Water Quality Has a beneficial effect on water quality Water Supply At present all of the people have their own private water supply and are not served by municipal water. The effect would be beneficial. Solid Waste Negligible Air Quality Might help the air quality Radiation No effect Noise There will be a pumping station but there should be no disturbance from the noise of the station Land Use The proposed use does serve the developed area. There is capability for additional service off from the basic unit for some other project. Secondary Impact This is the section requiring a look at what might happen once a facility is developed. A secondary impact could be the possibility of all the camps going to homes, but the second point to consider in this would be the water before going to year- round homes. He said he had explained in a separate letter that the availability of sewer service is only one of the requirements by the City own Planning Commission requirements for a developer to get a permit. Mr. Wilbur said a number of other items would have to be required before a developer could go ahead, and he did not think the City would have any rapid growth of population down there. The Chairman asked if there were questions from the audience. There was no response. Mr. Flaherty asked how much money might be available with the inclusion of the homes on Holmes Road. Mr. Gormsen said they couldn't tell until they took a look at the area. Mr. Wilbur thought it might be in the neighborhood of $20,000 or $25,000. He said the total development cost would be $308,000 including the $50,000 he had continued to carry for rights of way and pumping station, and he is still carrying a full 10% contingency item on all the costs. The total construction cost would be $215,000, total budget cost about $308,000. Mr. Wilbur added that the next question would be the approval of Step 3 construction grant and a bond issue by the City. Chairman Farrar stated the hearing was now closed. Sign renewal notes The City Manager these notes are being renewed for three months at 3.75%. They are: $ 7,772 for street sweeper 22,300 for front end loader 25,990 for landfill 2,000 balance on sidewalk, Dutchess Avenue (will be paid up at end of this year) 15,000 welfare note for hospital bills 17,000 on Garvey property 4,000 for development of Red Rocks 20,000 " " " " " Mr. Dinklage moved, Mrs. Neubert seconded, and it was voted unanimously that the Council should sign these applications for renewal of notes as recommended by the City Manager. Preview of 76-77 budget Copies of the Summary of City Budget and Tax Rate were distributed to the Council and were reviewed briefly by the City Manager who asked for a special meeting next week to go over the budget in detail. He called attention to a problem of financing the City's share of the road for the industrial park. This would be $45,000 and is not included in his budget summary. The Chairman asked what the present status of the park was and the City Manager said it could be built this year, they are proceeding with the design he was told. Mr. Farrar said the land is worth money and suggested using the value of the land as part of the City's contribution and should be added to the total cost of the project in figuring the cost to the State. Mr. Szymanski said water and sewer would also be a problem. Mr. Szymanski explained his budget summary shows an increase of $123,000 over last year, the bulk of that being in salaries, with two other large items being the cost of the Court House and the increased subsidy for the Chittenden County Transportation Authority. Mr. McCaffrey asked about Revenue Sharing, saying it seemed to be in the bank all the time, drawing interest. Mr. Flaherty explained that the City was always a year behind in spending Revenue Sharing in order to keep a year's funding to fall back on when the program stops. The Chairman added that many communities do not know what they will have for Revenue Sharing for this year but South Burlington knows because they have it. Mr. McCaffrey also inquired about the bus subsidy, whether or not it had ever been voted on. This was explained to him and also the possibility that the Authority might receive additional funding from a bill now pending in Congress. Chairman Farrar urged cutting expenses to the minimum possible because the City was going to be faced with escalating costs in the future to be paid out of local taxes. The individual figures are to be gone over next week. Distribution of Agendas Mr. Dinklage said it seemed that Mr. Schuele was not regularly receiving the agenda for either the Council meetings or the Planning Commission meetings, and he wondered if there were other groups in the City which might benefit from receiving these notices. He asked if they were normally sent to the news media or the League of Women Voters. The City Manager said they had a regular list although they had to cut down on distributing Minutes because of the cost. Asked if copies of the Minutes were on file in the Library, he said they are. Mr. Dinklage then moved that the Council go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing the Police Department Union Contract and conduct no further business after that. Seconded by Mrs. Neubert and voted unanimously. The regular meeting was declared adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.