Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 10/17/1977CITY COUNCIL OCTOBER 17, 1977 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, October 17, 1977 at 8:00 p.m. in the Conference Room, Municipal Offices, 1175 Williston Rd. Members Present Paul Farrar, Chairman; Frank Armstrong, Michael Flaherty, William Burgess, Martin Paulsen Others Present Richard Carter, Chief of Police; Lt. Brian Searles, Albert Audette, Richard Ward, Zoning Administrator; John Dillon, Free Press Minutes of October 3, 1977 Mr. Paulsen moved to approve the minutes of October 3, 1977. The motion was seconded by Mr. Flaherty and passed unanimously. Disbursement orders Disbursement orders were signed. Meet with Chief Carter regarding needs of the Police Department and his recommendations on traffic. Mr. Farrar thanked the Chief for coming in and asked him to talk about the needs of the Department. Chief Carter said that the present building was in very bad shape: the basement is full of water and the locker room down there is not really useable any more. He said that there was not enough space upstairs, either, and it was very hard for him to have a private talk with anyone. Mr. Armstrong asked if the general location was good and was told that it was but that it was pretty far from the south end. He did not see any immediate need for a substation in the south end. He felt that South Burlington's problems were going to get much worse in the next 15-20 years. Right now a problem at the station is a severe lack of parking spaces but Mr. Szymanski said that they were planning to do something about that as soon as the weather permitted. Mr. Armstrong asked how many cruisers they had and was told 9 but not all were in operation at any one time. The Department has no mechanic and even little problems hurt them. The force consists of 26 employees and one CETA man. 13 are patrolmen. Mr. Flaherty asked how many shifts they had and was told 3 but that the number of men per shift varies. Chief Carter said that vacation, sick leave, and Air Guard time all cut into the force. The day crew is thin and many men are put on in the busy time. The shift from midnight on is getting worse and he tries to keep 3 crews, out - one in the south end, one in the east end and one roving in the middle. It is not always possible, though, and would ideally mean 6 men but is more often just 3. The trend is to having 2 men per car. Mr. Armstrong asked how many patrolmen would be needed next year and was told that if the city were to be where they were 3 years ago in terms of work load, they should have 3 more men this year or 6 next year. Mr. Armstrong asked about CETA people and was told that they are having problems with that. Mr. Searles said that the Department loses 781 man-days due to sick leave, etc. and he said that the force is the same size it was 5 years ago but the work load is up 62%. Mr. Armstrong asked how many cruisers were needed and was told that I would be good. Mr. Flaherty asked what the cost was of 3 men and another cruiser over a year and was told that it was about $40 or $50,000. He asked how the manpower stacked up with other communities and was told that South Burlington had 2.1 people per thousand and that is the National Average, but that other factors have to be considered in a number such as that. Mr. Searles said that the city had lost its full time juvenile investigation to the increased work load. Mr. Armstrong asked about speed limits and was told that they were probably the best they could be right now. The Chief felt that many of the accidents in the city were caused by people turning left, not excessive speed. Some of South Burlington's roads are owned by the state and all the city can do about problems is to make recommendations to the state. He said that he would suggest that the Council make a recommendation to the state about the left-turn off the Interstate ramp at Bonanza. It is prohibited by sign but people are doing it anyway. Mr. Paulsen asked what the average work week per man was and was told that it averaged 43 hrs per week, with detectives working longer weeks than patrolmen. Detectives are paid a flat fee, but patrolmen get overtime or compensatory time, which is a hidden expense. Mr. Flaherty said that $40,000 would not be the net cost to the department, then, of more men. Mr. Burgess asked what the average vacation period was and was told it was 3 weeks. Mr. Paulsen asked if there were restrictions as to when it could be taken and was told that they are trying to do that but it is difficult. Mr. Searles said that sick time averages out to 9 days a year per employee but said that the stresses of a patrolman due to changes in shifts and working the night shifts take a lot out him and he is likely to get sick much easily than other people. Detectives get sick much less often. The Chief said that some lights could be changed to have delayed green and the Council discussed a problem with a hedge that blocks sight on a corner. Mr. Farrar asked Mr. Szymanski, to talk to the City Attorney about removing or lowering the hedge, Mr. Burgess asked about No Turn on Red signs but the Chief thought that law was working out pretty well, and said he would like to wait a while. Mr. Farrar thanked the Chief for coming in. Sign Vermont Highway Department Annual Financial Report for South Burlington Mr. Szymanski said that the city had to submit a report of what they spent on their roads during the year. Mr. Flaherty moved to sign the Vermont Highway Department Annual Financial Report for South Burlington. Mr. Armstrong seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Planning Commission and Zoning Board agendas There was no Zoning agenda and there were no comments on the Planning Commission one. Adopt Resolution of Commendation for Southern Connector Committee members Mr. Farrar read the resolution. Mr. Paulsen moved to sign the Resolution of Commendation. The motion was seconded by Mr. Flaherty and passed unanimously. Consider Regional Planning request for funds for Pyramid Mall impact studies Mr. Paulsen excused himself from this discussion. Mr. Szymanski gave the Council copies of a letter to him from Regional Planning indicating the studies that they would like to undertake or have been undertaken, and adding a request that South Burlington help them fund some of these studies. Mr. Farrar asked if other communities had been approached and Mr. Szymanski said that as far as he knew, it was only Burlington, South Burlington, and Essex so far. He said that he had suggested pro-rating it but that Art Hogan had said that just the traffic study would be worth more than the $5,000 they are asking from South Burlington. Mr. Burgess asked if South Burlington could direct a specific amount of money for a specific study that was of interest to them, and said that he was not sure that he wanted to spend that much money without being sure South Burlington would get something for it. He pointed out that it is one third of the total amount needed, and said that he would favor paying for some percentage of the traffic study, since that is where their interests lie. Mr. Armstrong asked about the time deadlines of the studies and was told that they had to be done by December. Mr. Flaherty asked Mr. Szymanski to ask Mr. Hogan if recommendations would be included in the studies. Mr. Armstrong moved that the City Council go ahead and reply to Art Hogan's request of October 14, 1977. We agree to authorize the City Manager to spend up to $5,000 from South Burlington for the studies mentioned in the letter under the conditions that all the studies be done, that they all be completed sometime in 1977, and that South Burlington receives copies of all the studies and any preliminary documents. The motion was seconded by Mr. Flaherty and passed with Mr. Burgess voting no. Discussion of Sign Ordinance amendments Mr. Farrar said that the amendments had not been warned so that no action could be taken on them tonight, but that they should be discussed. Mr. Ward said that the Sign Review Board had to come up with a definition of "promotional signs", and said the Board might go back to 60 or 64 square feet on signs. 64' is probably the best size, he said, because the construction costs are the same for that as for the 60'. Mr. Ward and the Council discussed what to do with old non-conforming signs, although the draft of the amendments did not deal with the issue as yet. The amendments will give the Board more responsibility as to placement of signs. Façade signs will be larger, since the current size is not really enough, and they have had problems with size in the past. Concerning the removal or alteration of existing non-conforming signs, Mr. Farrar suggested June 25, 1978 or 15 years from the date of erection, whichever is later, for the date that they must come down or be changed. He suggested that Mr. Spokes be contacted about possible clarification of sections dealing with that issue. Mr. Farrar said that he would like to reduce visual blight but that the city had to help businesses succeed and that signs were important for that. He said that he found some of the proposals of the Vermont Travel Council concerning signs very good. Mr. Farrar said that they would like to say that those signs which are more than 40 but less than 60 square feet can stay. Mr. Armstrong said that the Council had to decide what to force the signs presently over 60 square feet to come to when they had to come down. Mr. Ward said that they would come to 60 with less grief. Mr. Paulsen suggested that they go to the Ordinance in effect at the time they were erected, but Mr. Farrar said that would be giving a permanent advantage to older businesses and he was not sure that was fair. Mr. Flaherty wanted to go to 60 square feet and Mr. Armstrong agreed, if they decided how to deal with the 27 signs over 60'. Mr. Ward said they could pay them compensation or take them to court. Mr. Ward told the Council that real estate signs in residential neighborhoods are not allowed under the present Ordinance. Mr. Armstrong thought that was unreasonable and Mr. Farrar suggested that real estate agents get a special permit which would allow them to put up signs for a certain time period. Mr. Armstrong felt that private home sales should be exempt from any need for a permit. The meeting was declared adjourned at 9:50 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.