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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 06/01/1981CITY COUNCIL JUNE 1, 1981 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, June 1, 1981 at 8:00 p.m. in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. Members Present Paul Farrar, Chairman; Michael Flaherty, Martin Paulsen, John Towne, William Burgess Others Present William Szymanski, City Manager; Margaret Picard, City Clerk; Sonny Audette, Highway Department; Pat Burgmeier, The Other Paper; Frank Mazur and Ronald Spaulding, CCTA representatives; William Schuele Agenda additions There were no objections to the addition of the following items to the agenda: 1. Discuss additional Interstate interchanges at Hinesburg Road and at Dorset St/Kennedy Drive. 2. Discuss continuous garage sales in conjunction with the discussion of the peddlers ordinance. 3. Review the role of South Burlington police in enforcement of the blue laws. 4. Review Personnel Rules and Regulations proposed language regarding vacation time for terminated employees. Minutes of May 14, 18, and 22, 1981 Mr. Paulsen moved to approve the minutes of May 14, 18, and 22, 1981. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and all voted for it. Disbursement orders Disbursement orders were signed. Meet with Chittenden County Transportation Authority representatives Mr. Mazur said he would go over the budget and then answer the questions he had been asked at the last meeting. He said Mr. Spaulding was the CCTA director of maintenance and operation. Mr. Mazur went through the information which had been shown at the CCTA budget hearing. He said the CCTA would not be coming back to the city for more subsidy this year. The CCTA has 25 busses and 14 of those are on line haul. Mr. Mazur said that on some runs the busses did not sit still at all, while on some runs they waited 20-30 minutes some times of the day. Mr. Mazur showed a figure of $300,000 in section 18 funding for FY 1982. There is also proposed to be a new position - director of planning and marketing. He/she will work with the communities to see where the market is. Mr. Mazur said there was no debt service in next year's budget because the federal funds were being used for that. He noted that a fare increase was being contemplated, but he did not know how large it would be. He added that about 40% of the total revenue was derived from fares, and the average in the country is about 33%. The compound growth rate has been 22% from 1977 to 1982. Mr. Mazur explained that the pulse system required that two busses be dedicated to each main run, rather than having through busses. When the system went into effect, it increased reliability and passenger acceptance was positive, however, it also increased costs. Costs increased $160,000 and revenue increased $65,000. Whether the improved service is worth the cost is a debatable point, he said. Mr. Farrar asked how much it cost to run the bus vs. how much it cost to have it standing. Mr. Mazur said 65% of the cost was the driver's wage and 20% was fuel. He noted that on the South End run, the bus waited 10-15 minutes out of each 1/2 hour at some times of the day, but during peak hours, it did not wait at all, because of traffic. Mr. Mazur felt that if the CCTA had had all this data on the pulse system, it would not have gone into it so heavily. Mr. Farrar suggested scheduling the bus so it came by at longer intervals during peak hours than during the rest of the day, but Mr. Spaulding was afraid that if the schedule were varied too much, people would be confused and ridership would decline. Mr. Schuele felt that complaints made to CCTA were ignored and Mr. Mazur said people should call him with complaints. Mr. Mazur showed the expenses/revenues history. Wages have gone up 7% per year. He said a small surplus for 1981 was anticipated. Mr. Mazur noted that if federal funding dried up, the difference would have to be made up in subsidies and fares. Mr. Burgess asked why fares did not double when CCTA costs doubled. Mr. Mazur said they wanted as many passengers as possible and that they tried to minimize the deficit. He said they had to be careful how far they raised fares because people would stop using the system. He noted that a fare increase was proposed for next year and he said they had had 3 fare increases in 3 years. Mr. Farrar asked for a projection on the subsidy situation in the future. Mr. Mazur said federal officials want to cut back on small systems and are talking about 1982-83. The federal subsidies are supposed to disappear in a two year period. Three fears from now it is possible the city will be paying an $150-175,000 subsidy. Mr. Mazur now showed the Council answers to the questions they had asked. He showed the 1979 origin and destination study. On the Airport route, 43% loaded in the South Burlington area and on the South End route, 25% loaded in the city limits. The majority of riders started from their homes. Mr. Paulsen asked for copies of all this material. Information on who is taking the bus shows that most are students and are employed. The 18-30 age group is the largest market and 5-17 is a large group also. 42% of the riders take the bus because they have no drivers license. Mr. Spaulding said the total system miles per week in the formula under which the city is billed is 12,463, or which 2,221 is in the city, for a share of 17.82%. When the formula is revised, the change has to be in effect for 1 year before the formula is changed. The Council asked why the subsidy went up 30% based on the mileage change for a two-way run on Kennedy Drive. They were told that the routes had not been recalculated since 1976 except to add Shelburne, so the 30% increase is the result of all the changes made since 1976, not just the Kennedy Drive change. Mr. Flaherty suggested that the mileage in each community be reviewed every year so no one was overcharged or received a "free ride". Mr. Szymanski asked for the mileages on the routes in the city and was told he would receive that. Mr. Mazur said system ridership figures for May show 110,000 riders of which South Burlington has 24,212, so they have 22% of the passengers and 17.8% of the mileage. Mr. Spaulding said South Burlington as a community was about average for the system. Evening ridership in the city is about the same density as the rest of the day. Mr. Spaulding said the evening runs were the last 4 of the day. Mr. Burgess said he would still like to find a way, even if it were a reasonable guess, to know what percentage of South Burlington residents were served by the bus. Mr. Mazur said that could be done with the information he had given the Council. Mr. Mazur noted that he had sent a letter months ago asking for direction on what the Council wanted from its transit system and he said it would be helpful to have that information. Request to allow discharge of firearms to eliminate rodents on the property of Dr. Koplewitz Mr. Szymanski said the city had received a request to destroy woodchucks and racoons. Dr. Koplewitz has contacted several people about the problem and no one has been interested in destroying them. He has received advice from several sources also. Mr. Farrar read the letter sent to the Council on the topic. Mr. Burgess felt that if the rodents were destroyed, it should be with the advice and counsel of the police chief or someone designated by him. Mr. Flaherty moved to allow Dr. Koplewitz to eliminate rodents by shooting, under the direction of Chief Carter and for a period of time starting now and ending at the end of June. Whoever shoots the rodents must be approved by the police chief. Mr. Paulsen seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. Sign agreement with the Vermont State Highway Department relinquishing land back to the city that was acquired for interstate construction. Mr. Szymanski explained that when the Interstate went through, the state had to acquire from the city land in the proximity of construction. The areas in question are near Williston Road, Patchen Road, Spear Street and Farrell Street. Through an oversight the land was never deeded back and the state has just found that out. Mr. Schuele wanted to be sure the green belt along the Interstate was maintained but Mr. Farrar said he assumed that that was still highway right of way. Mr. Flaherty moved to sign the agreement from the State Highway Department re: land that was acquired for Interstate construction. Mr. Paulsen seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Review list of tax penalty waivers Mr. Paulsen moved to receive the list from the City Manager and Mr. Burgess seconded the motion. All voted aye. Set the 1981-82 tax rate Mr. Flaherty moved to set the 1981-82 tax rate as referenced in the May 26, 1981 memo from City Manager Szymanski entitled "1981-82 City and School Tax Rate". Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and it passed 5-0. Discuss "Ordinance to Regulate Peddling & Soliciting" Mr. Szymanski said Zoning Administrator Ward had sent a memo noting that the above ordinance did not cover the temporary sale of goods from a vehicle parked on private property and he recommended that the Council address that issue in the present ordinance and that the Planning Commission deal with the issue in its revision of the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Flaherty said he would like the City Attorney's office to add a section on that, and he moved that the Council request the City Attorney's office to proceed and add to the present draft document language covering the points made in the memo to William Szymanski dated June 1, 1981. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and requested that in addition to that specific activity, we concern ourselves with permanent garage sales. The motion carried 5-0. Mr. Burgess then moved that the Planning Commission be told of the Council's concerns in this area and that they be asked if they can, with reasonable speed, come up with appropriate changes to the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Flaherty seconded the motion and it carried without dissent. Review Planning and Zoning agendas There were no comments. Sign Water Department Renewal Note Mr. Szymanski said the Department had a note with the Merchants Bank for $55,000 for the East Woods project. In addition to that, the city has renewal notes at the Chittenden Bank for $93,750 and $69,800 for the Bartlett Bay and phase 5 sewer construction. These are at 7.75% interest. Mr. Flaherty moved to sign the Water Department renewal note and the other notes as stated by City Manager Szymanski. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion and all were in favor. Old business Mr. Paulsen asked about Interstate interchanges at Hinesburg Road and at Dorset Street/Kennedy Drive. Mr. Burgess said the city had requested them twice and the state would not accept the requests. Mr. Burgess moved to instruct the City Manager to formally apply to the State Highway Department again for construction of interchanges at Hinesburg Road and the Interstate and for an additional turning lane at Dorset Street and Kennedy Drive and that the City Manager attach the previous correspondence from this City Council as supporting documentation for the request. Mr. Paulsen seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The Council wants to update its previous requests. Mr. Paulsen said he had contacted the engineer with regard to the force main for Mitel. His figures were correct because a safety factor of 5 is required by the 10 state standard design criteria. Mr. Paulsen, however, did not feel this force main would ever need that high a safety factor. He noted that he was leaning toward a 4״ line and he said he would like the engineer to look again at the sizing of the main. Mr. Farrar suggested that the city wait and see what happened during Act 250 hearings on this development. Mr. Flaherty noted that 3 South Burlington policemen had closed stores at University Mall and he wondered if the city had been required to do that. He was not sure the city should be involved in a test of the constitutionality of the blue laws. Mr. Szymanski will look into it. The Council looked at the proposed language regarding accumulated vacation time for terminated employees to be added to the Personnel Rules and Regulations. Mr. Farrar did not feel the language matched the vacation policy and he asked that the item be put on the next agenda, so the members could have time to review it. Meet as Liquor Control Board to consider liquor license renewals Mr. Flaherty moved to adjourn as the City Council and meet as the Liquor Control Board and Mr. Burgess seconded the motion, which passed 5-0. Mr. Szymanski said there was a request for a renewal of the license of U-Save Beverage Center and a request for a new license from the Colonial Mini-Mart on Shelburne Road. Mr. Farrar noted that the renewal of U-Save was late and he wondered if liquor had been sold without a license. It was noted that the name of the business might have been changed and that that might be the reason for the request. Mr. Szymanski said the fire and police chiefs had checked these applications. Mr. Burgess noted that there was a difference between a convenience store, for which U-Save was granted approval, and a beverage center. He asked that Mr. Szymanski ask what kind of business U-Save was authorized to run. Mr. Burgess moved to approve the applications of U-Save Beverage Center and Colonial Mini-Mart. Mr. Paulsen seconded the motion and it carried without dissent. The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.