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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 03/14/1988CITY COUNCIL 14 MARCH 1988 The South Burlington City Council held a meeting on Monday, 14 March 1988, at 7:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. Members Present Michael Flaherty, Acting Chairman; Molly Lambert, George Mona Also Present William Szymanski, City Manager; Mary McKearin, Business Manager; Vi Luginbuhl, David Kaufman, City Representatives; Margaret Picard, City Clerk/Treasurer; James Goddette, Fire Chief; John Race, Police Chief; Albert Audette, Street Dept; Ruth Poger, The Other Paper; Josh Fitzhugh; Stephen Stitzel, City Attorney Executive Session Mr. Mona moved that the Council meet in Executive Session to discuss with the City Attorney pending litigation regarding the Dorset Street necessity appeals and utilities. Mrs. Lambert seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Regular Session Consider a bond issue for placing the Dorset Street utilities underground Mrs. Lambert moved to have the City Attorney prepare a bond issue for the City's share of the non-reimbursible costs of putting the Dorset Street utilities underground. Mr. Mona seconded. Mr. Stitzel summed up the current situation. There is a question of litigation because of challenges to necessity. There is also a question as to whether the City will appeal any of the provisions of Act 250. One Act 250 condition is that utilities be underground and that the City and State share the cost. The City has tried to get a cost estimate, and at a recent meeting, the utilities presented a combined conceptual cost estimate, but as there is no design prepared yet, that estimate could go up. The estimate now is for about $1,500,000 in unreimbursible costs. Act 250 has said the City should pay for lateral connections to businesses and residences. Green Mountain Power's rough estimate for this is $78,000. There is no estimate yet for the phone company. Figures do not yet include Mountain Cable costs, though there may the a possibility of including their cable with the phone company cable, so there may not be a great cost. Mr. Stitzel said the estimate now for total non- reimbursed costs is about $1,750,000. Mr. Kaufman said that about 6 weeks ago, the City Reps had a meeting at the Transportation Secretary's office. Following this, they met with Green Mountain Power and asked how much GMP could absorb and what the cost to the City would be. They also met with the Phone Company. The utilities agreed to meet and come up with a combined plan. At a third meeting, plans and preliminary figures were shown. Following this, there was some discussion that there was a chance of litigation between the City and phone company to recover some costs of undergrounding. Mr. Kaufman said the utilities will not get into a cooperative situation with the City to help market a bond issue if there is the threat of litigation on the part of the City. He added that the Agency of Transportation feels that any delay will cause a significant slide in construction. Mr. Kaufman said either the project is done on schedule or there is no telling when it will happen. Mr. Mona said a dollar amount is needed for a bond issue, and that figure is still elusive. He asked how long before the utilities have a dollar amount. Mr. Kaufman said he felt a figure was possible in about a week. Mr. Stitzel said that in order to warn a bond issue they have until a week from next Monday to come up with a number, Mrs. Lambert asked if there might not be some other unreimbursed costs so that there should be a slightly higher figure. She also asked what happens if the bond issue is not approved. Mr. Fitzhugh, attorney for Green Mountain Power, stressed that GMP is not willing to help the City market a bond issue if the City is going to sue them. In the vote which followed, the motion passed unanimously. Sign Williston Road (at Gaynes) Condemnation Certificate of Completion Mr. Szymanski said the Certificate states the road is finished and open. Mr. Mona moved that the Council sign the Williston Road Condemnation Certificate of Completion. Mrs. Lambert seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Review draft of viewing protection zoning regulations Mr. Stitzel said that as Interim Zoning, this can be adopted by the City Council without referral to the Planning Commission. Mrs. Lambert moved that the City Council hold a public hearing on the viewing protection zoning regulations on 4 April 1988 and that appropriate notice be published. Mr. Mona seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Review final draft of 1988-89 City Budget Mr. Szymanski said he had added the "wish list" items agreed upon last week which results in an overall tax rate of .671, exactly 5¢ over last year's rate. This is about an 8% increase. The bonded debt rate is up 2.4¢, almost half the total increase. Mrs. Lambert moved that the Council approve the 11 March 1988 final budget version for presentation to the Steering Committee with an overall operating budget of $4,857,048. Mr. Mona seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Members then discussed the 10 year capital budget. Mr. Szymanski noted that Swift Estates Sewers have been added to item 5 and it is hoped to start construction in 1989-90. Highway construction items have been increased, and Dorset St. park land acquisiton will require additional bond issues. Mr. Mona noted that after this year the debt payments will be about 40% higher. He said he couldn't argue with the need for the items, but said this is a significant increase. Members then considered additions to future city operating budgets. Mr. Szymanski noted these figures had been increased to reflect the inflation rate. It was stressed that these items are not "cast in concrete." Mr. Mona moved that the Council accept the 10 year capital budget dated 14 March, 1988 as presented this evening. Mrs. Lambert seconded. Motion passed unanimously. As there was no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.