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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 04/27/1981CITY COUNCIL APRIL 27, 1981 The South Burlington City Council held a special meeting on Monday, April 27, 1981 at 7:30 p.m. in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset St. Members Present Michael Flaherty, Vice Chairman; John Towne, William Burgess, Martin Paulsen Member Absent Paul Farrar, Chairman Others Present William Szymanski, City Manager; Frank Mazur, Fred Maher, Raymond Jennett, Gloria Yandow, Richard Ward, William Schuele, Margaret Picard, Sonny Audette, Ruth Poger, The Other Paper Agenda additions The following items were added: Discuss the Assistant City Manager post in executive session, and discuss the CCTA and the letter from the representative. Minutes of April 20, 1981 Mr. Paulsen moved to approve the April 20, 1981 minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr. Burgess and carried unanimously. Disbursement orders Disbursement orders were signed. Public hearing on proposed Charter changes Since no one in the audience expressed a desire to have the changes read, Mr. Paulsen moved to dispense with the reading of the Charter changes. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and it passed 4-0. Items for change are the budget limitations and the inventory tax. Mr. Flaherty explained that the first item would take the CCTA subsidy out of the operating budget and put it into debt service. The second item would eliminate the inventory tax over a 10 year period. The city will also take an average of the past 2 years, take 10% off that, and any inventory added after that time will not be taxed. Mr. Maher asked why the CCTA would be treated as debt service and was told it would not really be debt service, it would be a separate tax rate set for that expense. It would be listed separately on the tax bill. Mr. Maher noted that the voters voted on debt service expenses, but they would not be allowed to vote on this tax, and the cost could go up every year without a vote. Mr. Burgess responded that it does that now and that the Council wanted people to look at how much the bus service costs and whether they are willing to, for example, reduce the fire department by two men to pay for it. Mr. Maher felt that a new category of expense was being created here and Mrs. Poger felt that doing this would be giving CCTA a blank check. Mr. Maher was not sure that the legal authority was present for making this change, but it was felt that the authority would be there if the change were approved. On the inventory tax repeal, it was noted that some reluctance had been shown by firms in the city to expand with the tax in effect. Mr. Paulsen moved to close the public hearing on the Charter changes. Mr. Towne seconded the motion and all voted aye. Meet with South Burlington City Hall Employees Association Mr. Ward said the employees had decided to make a counter offer, as expressed in the 4/22 memo. They request a 12% cost of living increase plus 1.5% longevity, a work week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a one hour lunch break, and they will accept the dental and life insurance plan increases. Mr. Ward said Essex worked 8-4:30 with an hour for lunch, Colchester worked 9-5 with an hour for lunch, Shelburne worked from 8:30 to 4 with an hour for lunch, Burlington worked 8 to 4:30 with a lunch hour, Winooski worked 8-5 with an hour break, and the high school administration in South Burlington worked 8 to 4:30 with an hour for lunch. Mr. Flaherty said the Council felt that the hour lunch break was going to reduce the work week to 37 1/2 hours from 40 hours. Mr. Ward said that in general terms the only ones it would affect would be 5 employees, who have little opportunity to work overtime. He said the other employees who did put in hours after City Hall was closed received compensatory time, which did not cost the city anything, and he added that many people did not take all the comp time due them. Mr. Paulsen asked to see figures on that. Mr. Flaherty felt that dropping 2 1/2 hours of work per week was a 6-7% reduction. The Council feels this is a type of compensation and Mr. Flaherty asked that the employees take that into consideration in their salary increase request. He noted that the average increase per year was 9 1/2% and stated that the Council was willing to discuss the hour lunch if there was some give on the other side. Mr. Burgess asked for figures on comparable salaries in Burlington, Colchester, Shelburne, etc. and also a list of their benefits. Mr. Flaherty asked the association to get back to the Council May 11. Discuss the CCTA and the letter from the representative Mr. Burgess noted that the day the route change in the city was discussed with CCTA representative Frank Mazur and CCTA general manager Ralph Cramer, the Council was told that there would be no additional cost for the change. In fact, there was additional cost, and he asked what had happened. Mr. Mazur replied that the statement that there would be no additional cost was wrong. The increase is the extra mileage on Kennedy Drive. Mr. Mazur said ridership was about 1.45 million and about 20% of that is from South Burlington. He said he was getting counts on ridership on weekends and in the evenings now. Mr. Burgess asked about fare boxes. Mr. Mazur said that federal funding had been cut drastically between the time of the vote on new busses and fare boxes and the time those were purchased. The CCTA wanted 10 busses, and the cutback would have allowed them to purchase only 8, so the fare box expense was eliminated and they bought 9 busses. He felt the CCTA might get funding in the future for the boxes. Now the drivers are taking counts. Mr. Paulsen wanted hard figures on ridership. Mr. Mazur said the Regional Planning Commission had some figures and he would make the request known to them. Mr. Burgess wanted to know how many people in the city were served by the bus system and whether riders were city residents or shoppers. Mr. Mazur was asked about long range estimates of federal funding. He anticipated drastic cutbacks in 1982-3. Mr. Flaherty asked if it was fair to say that if federal funding disappeared and ridership stayed in balance, the city could expect a 60-70% increase in the subsidy in the next 2 years and he was told it was. The CCTA budget hearing is set for May 21. Regarding the CCTA letter of April 6, it was felt that the Council should hold a special meeting with the CCTA within days of the vote May 19. Mr. Mazur said survey data had been presented to the Council in May of 1980 and that he would bring it in again. He was also requested to bring in the old and new routes. He said he would make a presentation to the Council after the CCTA budget hearing. Mr. Szymanski was directed to write a letter to Mr. Mazur informing him that a reply to his letter of April 6 would be forthcoming by June 1. Review Planning and Zoning agendas It was mentioned that #1 on the Zoning Board agenda was a request involving the house opposite Deane Street on Hinesburg Road. There is a very sharp corner there and it was noted that, unless there were a new entrance proposed, access to the house would be very dangerous. Mr. Szymanski was asked to communicate the Council's concerns to the Zoning Board on this item. Meet as Liquor Control Board to consider liquor licenses Mr. Burgess moved to adjourn as the City Council and meet as the Liquor Control Board to consider liquor licenses. Mr. Towne seconded the motion and all voted aye. Mr. Szymanski said the Friendly's application had come in and there was a request from P & C, which is taking over the old First National store on Williston Road. Brothers Two was contacted and they have agreed to sell only wine, not beer. Mr. Burgess said he had understood the request to be only to sell wine as part of fruit baskets and to display it. He did not think wine was going to be sold. Mr. Szymanski said that was how he and Mr. Ward had understood it. Mr. Szymanski said Serendipity in the mall had also requested to sell wine only. Mr. Burgess wanted Zoning Administrator Ward to ask them their intent. Mr. Burgess moved to approve the liquor licenses of Friendly's and P & C Food Stores. Mr. Paulsen seconded the motion and it passed 4-0. Mr. Burgess moved to disapprove the liquor license of Brothers Two, Mr. Towne seconded, and the motion carried with Mr. Flaherty voting no. The Council decided to hold action on the Serendipity license. Ms. Picard, City Clerk, suggested that the Council consider charging for liquor licenses. Mr. Burgess asked that what Burlington does be investigated. Meet in executive session to discuss the post of Assistant City Manager Mr. Towne moved to adjourn as the Liquor Control Board and go into executive session as the City Council to discuss the Assistant City Manager position, and to adjourn without taking any action. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and it carried 4-0. At 9:40 p.m. the Council came out of executive session and adjourned. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.