Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 09/12/1988CITY COUNCIL 12 SEPTEMBER 1988 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, 12 September 1988, at 7:00 p.m, in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street Members Present Paul Farrar, Chairman; John Dinklage, Molly Lambert Also Present William Szymanski, City Manager; Mary McKearin, Wendy Schroeder, Business Managers; James Condos, Zoning Board; Margaret Picard, City Clerk/Treasurer; Betty Merrill, Gloria Yandow, Laura Reinders, David Austin, William Cimonetti, Richard Underwood, Albert Audette, Ann Ratkus, Mike Donoghue, Darla Champine, Ann Slattery, Marie Perusse. Interview applicants for City Council vacancy: a) William Cimonetti: Mr. Cimonetti said he is retired from GE and now does independent consulting work. He served on the City Council from 1973-1974. He now has more time to give to civic work than in the past. Mrs. Lambert asked if Mr. Cimonetti had any specific goals for the city. He said he is more a planner and would like to share his experience and skills in planning. b) David Austin: Mr. Austin was born in So. Burlington and was educated at Middlebury. He has worked for the US Senate in Washington where he attended law school. He now practices law and has been back in So. Burlington for 3 years. He has a lot of concern for the city because he hopes to be here a long time and to raise his children here. He indicated that his family has a history of civic involvement which he hopes to continue. He is also concerned with planning and with developing what is left in a reasonable way. c) James Condos (interviewed at the end of the meeting): Mr. Condos indicated he has become more and more involved in the city in the last few years. He currently serves on the Zoning Board and previously served on the City Center Committee. He hopes to begin to find funds to develop parklands and to focus on alternative funding sources. He is also concerned with the Central School access problem. Correspondence Mr. Farrar read a memo from City Manager William Szymanski indicating his intention to retire at approximately the end of 1988. Mr. Farrar noted that he read this announcement with regret and asked that the next agenda include an item on how to fill the position. Start Review of the amendments to the City Personnel Rules and Regulations Ms. McKearin indicated the committee has met since February. The City Attorney has reviewed the proposed changes and has not yet prepared any specific comments. Major changes to the Rules & Regulations include: distinguishing between 2 kinds of parttime employees, those who work fewer than 20 hours per week (hourly parttime) and those who work 20 hours or more on a regular basis (parttime); establishment of the Personnel Rules Advisory Committee as an on-going committee; a provision that if a person is promoted to a position which it is later determined he/she is not able to fill, but this person was a good employee in previous positions, the city will try to find another positon for him/her; regular parttime personnel will be slotted into a pay plan; overtime will be distinguished between non- exempt and exempt employees; inclusion of guidelines for comp time; clarification of education benefits; extension of leave benefits to regular parttime employees; access to leave time as it is earned; a maximum of 10 vacation weeks that may be carried over from one accrual year to the next; discretion on the part of department heads where bereavement leave is involved; more definition of maternity leave and the establishment of an administrative leave of absence. There is a new article on employee evaluation, a process designed to increase communication between supervisors and employees. Anyone doing evaluations will have training in this procedure. There is also a new article on termination. Mr. Dinklage asked that at the end of Sect. 5.1, #3, the following words be added "...or the effective labor market for that position." Ms. Lambert noted that in the evaluation section it will be necessary to add "personnel officer" to the job description of the Business Manager if this procedure is to be followed. Ms. Yandow asked about people with more than 10 weeks vacation accrued. Ms. McKearin said they had thought to exempt those who now have more than 10 weeks from this regulation. Mr. Farrar suggested a procedure to bringing all employees into the accepted range. Mr. Farrar thanked the committee on behalf of the Council. Ms. McKearin then outlined remaining issues to be dealt with. These include: implementation of the evaluation system, a review of the pension system, revision of the city's classification plan, benefits for parttime employees, reconciliation of leave time records and comp time records and setting up systems for the future. Alternate funding for park/scenic land Mr. Szymanski said he had forwarded information to the City Planner and the Recreation Director. Mr. O'Neill didn't hold out much hope but he and Mr. Weith will look into it further. Traffic Model Mr. Dinklage said he had talked with Mr. Weith and asked him to contact Craig Leiner at Regional Planning to see what needs to be done. Regional Planning has hired a consultant to set up the calibration. They also have to gather land use data for which 4 internes have been hired. The Shelburne Rd. Committee feels it is very important to use the model, and Mr. Dinklage encouraged the city to do what it can to accelerate completion of the model. Mr. Farrar noted that Mr. Leiner had said they would not have origin/destination data until the end of this month and then it would be a month to calibrate it. Mr. Dinklage suggested use of planning funds to help accelerate the process. Set date for Joint Meeting with Planning Commission and Natural Resources Committee Members agreed to a joint meeting on Wednesday, 5 October. Dorset Street Construction Update Mr. Szymanski reported there are weekly meetings with consultants on utilities and the state. The question arose whether the city wants to have a separate project for utilities with a separate contract. The City Attorney and Mike Munson prefer one contract. Webster-Martin feels 2 would be preferable. The two State people are divided on the question. After a brief discussion, members agreed on one contract. Other Business Ms. Lambert noted a communication has been received from Joe Weith indicating that money is available from the Agency of Development and Community Affairs that could be used to address affordable housing and/or set up a T-model traffic model in S. Burlington. Ms. Lambert also noted receipt of correspondence from Ed Granai regarding the Convention Bureau. The City will receive a challenge to match a $5,000 grant from Burlington. She noted that So. Burlington profits more from convention business than any other community. Police Grievance Mr. Dinklage moved to approve the Police Grievance as written. Ms. Lambert seconded. Motion passed unanimously. As there was no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.