Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 03/13/1978CITY COUNCIL MARCH 13, 1978 The South Burlington City Council held a meeting on Monday, March 13, 1978 at 8:00 p.m. in the Conference Room, Municipal Offices, 1175 Williston Road Member Present Paul Farrar, Chairman; Frank Armstrong, William Burgess, Michael Flaherty, Martin Paulson Others Present William Szymanski, City Manager; Carl Blumberg, Free Press; Chris Johnson, WJOY; Ed Blake, Exec, Manager Champlain Water District; George Mona, Planning Commissioner; James Goddette, Fire Chief; Bruce O'Neill, Recreation Director; A.C. Audette, Highway Department; Jerry Olson, Charlie Pruitt, Bill Schuele Additions to agenda The following items were added: 1) Review of waste collection system at the Airport Parkway treatment plant 2) Letter on flow measuring at the Airport Parkway plant 3) Letter from the Water Department on revenue sharing funds 4) Discussion of Capital Budget Minutes of March 6 and 7, 1978 On page 1 of the March 6 minutes, the first line should read March, not February. It was moved by Mr. Burgess and seconded by Mr. Armstrong to accept the minutes of March 6 and 7, 1978 as corrected. The motion passed unanimously. Disbursement orders Disbursement orders were signed. Discussion of City Budget including salary review committee's recommendations Mr. Szymanski went through the Councilmen's Accounts. When he reached Planning Commission expenses, Mr. Mona said that the Commission had previously asked for interim zoning to buy time and had been turned down. He said that if they could not buy time, they should buy services, and he felt that the way to do this would be to hire an engineer. He said that Mr. Page now serves as a pre-screening body and a planner. Mr. Mona said that he appreciated the letter from citizens offering help but he felt that kind of help was not what the Commission needed. He thought there should be a professional person pre-screening applications. Mr. Farrar asked what exactly the Commission wanted done and Mr. Mona replied that it needed the work currently done by Mr. Page to be done by another person so that Mr. Page can be planning. He suggested contracting with an engineer for a period of one year. Mr. Flaherty said that it was hard for the Council to plug in numbers for this sort of request without any input from the Planning Commission, which has not made a formal submission to the Council concerning the budget. He said that the Commission is slated to receive $2,000 for professional assistance, but that will not replace the city planner with an engineer to do pre- screening. Mr. Paulsen asked if the Commission wanted a full time engineer and was told that they did, for a period of one year. Mr. Farrar asked if the Planning Commission had submitted a request for funds and was told that they had not but that the chairman had felt that the $2,000 should be $4,000. Mr. Flaherty asked specifically what the Commission wanted and Mr. Paulsen asked whether partial design of the projects was being done by the city. He suggested hiring a technical man rather than an engineer to do pre-screening. Mr. Mona conceded that the work could be done by someone who was not an engineer, saying that the city has a part-time engineer already. Mr. Flaherty said that he would like to hear from the Planning Commission exactly what they want and Mr. Farrar suggested that the Council go to their next meeting and discuss it. Mr. Flaherty said that he would like to know 1) what the Commission wants as far as an engineer, a technician or secretarial help, 2) a rough dollar estimate of the cost, and 3) justification of need and why there is not a less expensive way of doing it. Mr. Mona said that perhaps when the planner spent a lot of time with the developer, the result was in the best interests of the city. Mr. Flaherty suggested that Mr. Page better schedule his time and perhaps only talk to developers on certain days and then only by appointment. Mr. Szymanski went through the rest of the Councilmen's Accounts. Discussion of Capital Budget Mr. Mona said that he had looked at the capital budget and program and that that for last year did not jibe with the capital budget which the Planning Commission might propose. He said that the primary area of focus is thoroughfares and traffic alleviation problems. He said that last year's program did not address in the near term the primary traffic problems of Shelburne Road and Williston Road from Dorset St. to Hinesburg Rd. He felt that a short term item should go in the capital budget to address the latter area. He said that the city should either accept recommendations already made, such as those of the Williston Road Task Force, or it should put an item in the capital budget to pin down what the city was going to do and then have an item in the next year to two for the specifically recommended solution. He pointed out the necessity of getting these things in the budget soon. Mr. Paulsen asked if the Commission had made a recommendation as a result of the Williston Road Task Force report and Mr. Mona replied that the Commission felt that it had recommended the entire report to the Council. Mr. Farrar asked if there was anything else the Commission thought was necessary to support the growth rate specified in the Master Plan and Mr. Mona said that the Commission had not reviewed the entire matter because of time limitations but he felt personally that there should be something in the Transportation Chapter to deal with the Williston Road problem. Mr. Paulsen said that as yet the city did not know whether it wanted to relocate local or through traffic in the bad sections of road. Mr. Farrar said that that he would like to see the extension of sewer lines for Country Club Estates moved up at least 1 year and the same with the widening of Williston Road at Gaines. He also was not sure space at the present police station would last as long as it was planned to and suggested moving that item up one year and City Hall improvements up 2 years so that they could be a single project. He said that this would move projects into 1984-85 when the total tax rate would be diminishing and the average obligation would not be significantly higher in constant dollars. Mr. Goddette, Fire Chief, felt that there should be an item for the addition of one day to the fire station, saying that for the cost he felt this would be better than building a new station on Shelburne Road. He did feel, however, that the city should be looking for land down there for a future station. Mr. Farrar said that item should be figured in with the police and city hall improvements. Salary Review Committee Recommendations Mr. Farrar said that the city would raise the mandatory retirement age to 70 with optional retirement at 65. The Council locked at the recommendations of the salary review committee (see attached copy). The Committee had unanimously recommended City Council adoption of this plan for next year. The Council agreed to use the document for planning purposes, and they went through the document increasing the salary figures by the recommended amount. The Council also made other additions and changes to the budget which will be reflected in the final budget. Mr. Farrar felt that 3 new sub-accounts should be added to the Water Pollution Control Department so that its costs could be put in the right places. Two accounts are now in the Highway Department budget and one is in the Councilmen's Accounts. Mr. Farrar said that he felt two people, a dispatcher and a patrolman, should be added to the police department but that it should get along without a new transcribing system for another year. He also suggested that the police dispose of two vehicles and purchase three. Mr. Farrar felt that the new person requested by the Recreation Director was a reasonable request and he also said that he thought the fire department should add one man. He felt that this department would have to cut $2,000 out of the 02 account and left it to the Chief to say where. The Council discussed the Planning Commission budget and Mr. Farrar wondered if the city needed additional people in the office and if so what kind. He did not think that the city could cover the cost of a full time professional person within the charter limitations but said that it would have to be funded by a tax increase. Mr. Farrar wanted to discuss the item with the Planning Commission before taking any action. The Council then discussed anticipated income in the next year. Mr. Farrar suggested adding an item for pothole filling so that if money comes from the federal government for that the city will be able to accept it. Mr. Burgess asked if there was any item in the budget which was more discretionary than the 2 highway people and Mr. Armstrong said that he could not see requesting a planner or an engineer at the polls. He felt that the city had to look to next year when revenue sharing and school aid would probably go down and said that he was not sure bigger government meant better government. He said that he felt the city should stay at the City Manager and planner level. Mr. Szymanski was not sure another person was needed. Mr. Flaherty said that if they did not get another man, money for consultants would be necessary. He suggested that one meeting per month be set aside for planning and that Mr. Page only see developers on certain days by appointment. If that does not work out, they can go to something else. The Council said they would like to discuss this more with the Commission. Mr. Paulsen moved to continue this meeting until 9:00 tomorrow night. The motion was seconded by Mr. Flaherty and passed unanimously. Discussion of letter from Water Department The Council looked at a letter dated March 10, 1978 from Gary Farrell, chairman of the Board of Water Commissioners (see attached copy). Mr. Blake said that hydrants cost about $1200 apiece and Mr. Szymanski said that the city already had one that it could use for Williston Road. Mr. Paulsen asked about installing additional valves on the lines but Mr. Flaherty said that they could not fund both valves and hydrants and Mr. Blake and Mr. Goddette both felt that it would be better to have hydrants than valves. The Council decided to discuss the matter further at their next meeting on the budget. Mr. Paulsen said that fire protection on the road was about 35% of what it should be. Discussion of sewer capacity Mr. Paulsen said that the Council had received a letter indicating that more sewer capacity might be available (see attached copy) and he wondered how it should be allocated. Mr. Burgess said that there were some alternatives; either first come, first served, or it could be apportioned by proposed use. He suggested that the City Attorney look into the question. Mr. Paulsen said that he would like to see the details of the study. Discussion of waste collection system at the Airport Parkway plant Mr. Paulsen said that he would like a list of connected users of the Airport Parkway plant and Mr. Szymanski replied that he had not had time to do that yet. Mr. Paulsen wanted to know the connected population and Mr. Szymanski said that he would work on it. Discussion of interim zoning proposal All the Council members had read the two proposals received from the City Attorney and they agreed that they would like the one dated March 10. 1978. They decided to discuss the issue further at their next meeting. The meeting was declared adjourned at 11:20 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.