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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 03/18/1991CITY COUNCIL 18 MARCH 1991 The South Burlington City Council held a meeting on Monday, 18 March 1991, at 7:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset St. Members Present: Paul Farrar, Chairman; Michael Flaherty, John Dinklage, James Condos, William Cimonetti Also Present: Charles Hafter, City Manager; Sid Poger, The Other Paper; Steve Stitzel, City Attorney; Don Whitten, Water Pollution Control; Sonny Audette, Street Dept; Nancy McGann, Assistant City Manager; Howard Mansfield, Stan Wilbur, Don Duell, Jeff McDonald, Jack Myers 1. Comments & Questions from the Audience, not related to agenda items: No issues were raised. 2. Recommendation of City/School Audit Contract: Ms. McGann said that following the receipt of bids, she and Leo Brown checked references, conducted interviews, etc. This past year's total for auditing services was $16,000 ($8000 each for city and schools). Mr. Dinklage asked if there was any reason this year's auditor bid so high for the next contract. Ms. McGann said a change in personnel dragged this year's audit out and they felt twice as much time had been required. Ms. McGann then introduced Howard Mansfield, partner of A.M. Peisch, the recommended auditor for next year. Mr. Farrar asked if Mr. Mansfield felt there would be any problem following the Charter requirements. Mr. Mansfield said there wouldn't be and that they had been told of the Charter requirements when they bid. Mr. Dinklage then moved to appoint A.M. Peisch as City Auditor. Mr. Flaherty seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 3. Review of Draft Sign Ordinance for Dorset Street Project Area, and Schedule Public Hearing: Mr. Hafter noted he had received the draft at 4:30 today and suggested a special meeting before or after the Steering Committee meeting on Thursday for the first reading. Members agreed. Mr. Flaherty moved to continue the item until Thursday, 21 March following the Steering Committee meeting. Mr. Dinklage seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Hafter said he will ask the City Attorney to be present. Mr. Cimonetti suggested the Code Officer as well. 4. Report from Don Whitten, Water Pollution Control Department and presentation of Bartlett Bay Water Treatment Facility Planning Study - Webster Martin: Mr. Whitten reviewed the history of the south end sewering system. He noted there have been 70,000 to 80,000 gallons in new connections in the past few years. After the March 3 and 4th storm, there was a very high flow which is still diminishing as of today. He believed there is a serious problem with diminished capacity and possibly illegal sump pumps and foundation pumps into the sewer lines. Mr. Dinklage asked if there is anything that can be done about this. Mr. Whitten said the problem doesn't exist in the north end of the city. He estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 gallons per day was due to infiltration in Bartlett Bay's plant. Mr. Cimonetti asked if Bartlett Bay is ever at capacity. Mr. Whitten said they are sometimes over capacity which puts them in violation. Mr. Farrar asked if all reserve capacity is allocated. Mr. Whitten said it is. Messrs. McDonald, Wilbur and Myers of Webster-Martin then presented their findings. Mr. McDonald outlined the scope of their research which included possible increase in capacity, joining with other communities, questions of where to serve the Southeast Quadrant, etc. He noted that Bartlett Bay was originally built at 600,000 gpd capacity. It was later upgraded to 800,000 gpd. He showed a chart of current flows and projections of future flows. The projection was 300,000 gpd from future Southeast Quadrant needs. Members of the Council wanted to know what the projections were based on. Mr. McDonald said they were from figures given to him by the City Planner. Mr. Farrar noted that at a meeting last week regarding relassification of the Winooski River, it was stated that Airport Park plant would be allowed to increase only to 5 million gpd. He felt the city should ask for a modification of these planned regulations. Mr. Cimonetti asked what would the cost factor be for a new development on Spear St. if both plants were at capacity. Mr. Wilbur said it would probably be less expensive to go to Airport Parkway, but he felt the city may eventually end up doubling the size of both plants. Mr. Cimonetti felt the payback would be quicker at the Bartlett Bay plant and noted the possibility of shared capacity with Shelburne. Mr. Dinklage moved to ask the City Manager to ask the state to double the class C zone because of potential need to expand the Airport Parkway treatment plant to take care of future requirement of South Burlington and Colchester. Mr. Cimonetti seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 5. Approval of Master License Agreement with State of Vermont and Vermont Railway, Inc. Mr. Hafter said the agreement lets the city use sewer pipes that are under the railroad. He noted there has never been an overall agreement like this. Mr. Stitzel explained the history of the agreement and noted it is now in existence statewise. There would be a one-time charge for any new lines under the railroad. The present ones will incur no fees. Indemnification would exist only to the extent of insurance coverage. He said he had no problem with the agreement. Mr. Dinklage moved that on the recommendation of the City Attorney, the Chair man be authorized to sign the Master License Agreement. Mr. Flaherty seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 6. Review of Charter calculations, 10-year capital and operating additions budgets: Mr. Hafter advised that the tax rate is .765. Changes to the 10-year capital budget include: moving the Southern Connector to the last year, addition of $830,000 to the cost of the Williston Rd. project for underground utilities and moving the project to 1995-6, adding a new bond issue for next year for road repair, moving Kennedy Drive construction back half a year, moving recreation land acquisition back half a year, addition of Lime Kiln bridge rebuild in 1996-7. Mr. Farrar noted there are no funds for any sewage treatment expansion. He said the City Manager's thinking is that part of this will come from developer fees and part from sewage fees, but this is not the way it has been previously been done. He felt the old way of doing it, based on the Grand List should be continued. Mr. Cimonetti agreed. Mr. Dinklage said he was not immediately comfortable with the idea of South Burlington taxpayers paying for an expanded plant to serve Shelburne. Mr. Cimonetti moved that for wastewater treatment capacity the city continue to fund by general obligation bond with half of the cost coming from impact fees and half from the property tax. Mr. Flaherty seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Cimonetti suggested a separate line item for northbound I-89 ramp at Exit 13 and a separate item for a Hinesburg Rd. Interchange. Members agreed to this. Mr. Hafter said that in the operating budget a Highway Dept. person has been added 10 years from now, and the person scheduled for 1993 has been moved to 1994. The park maintenance employee that was planned has been replaced with part-time people. One and a half persons have been cut for City Hall to one person. Members accepted these changes. 7. Report on Solid Waste District Activities: Mr. Condos said that all other members felt the recent agreement was reasonable, but he disagreed. Mr. Cimonetti felt it was a great waste of taxpayers funds and that the siting was a charade. Too much money was spent on a consultant who was made a general manager and too much has been spent for legal fees. There is a Charter that voters didn't approve and no one seems to know how to change it. He said he would like to propose the city withdraw from the District but he didn't know how to get out. Mr. Hafter said he felt the city had to make sure the siting agreement gets as full an airing as possible. Mr. Cimonetti felt alternatives have to be looked at. He felt the city should frame a letter to the appropriate legislators and should express a concern that the lobbyist is not expressing the point of view of the district. There should also be concern with the Senate's action. Mr. Dinklage moved to request that the representative to the Solid Waste District instruct the staff to return the Charter to the condition which the District agreed to have it, specifically to strike the so-called Secretary of State's amendments which were added to the Senate's deliberations. Mr. Cimonetti seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 8. Review Planning Commission Agenda: No issues were raised. 9. Sign Disbursement Orders Disbursement orders were signed. 10. Executive Session: Mr. Dinklage moved the Council adjourn and reconvene in Executive Session to discuss contract negotiations regarding Dorset Street utilities and to resume regular session either to authorize signing of the contract or to adjourn. Mr. Flaherty seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 11. Regular Session: The Council returned to regular session. Mike Flaherty moved authorizing the City Manager to sign utility agreements with Green Mountain Power and Adelphia Cable for Dorset Street utility relocation and to sign a stipulation for agreement to end the appeal of the Act 250 permit requirements. Bill Cimonetti seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Jim Condos moved adjournment, Mike Flaherty seconded. The meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM. 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