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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 02/22/2007CITY COUNCIL 22 FEBRUARY 2007 The South Burlington City Council held a budget workshop on Thursday, 22 February 2007, at 7:00 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset St. Members Present: C. Smith, Acting Chair; S. Magowan, D. O'Rourke Also Present: C. Hafter, City Manager; D. Gravelin, Assistant City Manager; D. Kinville, City Clerk; J. B. Hinds, Director of Planning & Zoning; B. Hoar, Public Works Director; G. Dow, Director of Water Pollution Control; T. DiPietro, Stormwater Superintendent; J. Nadeau, Water Department 1. Budget Workshop to Review 2007-08 FY Budget: a. Public Works Department: Mr. Hafter praised the efforts of the Public Works Department during last week's snow storm. He noted that there were 667 hours of overtime put in by the Department's employees. Mr. Hoar commented that he always knew his people were good, but even he was impressed by this effort. Mr. Hoar said his budget does not have a lot of big changes. There is an increase for road marking and adjustments for gas and diesel fuel. In future years, there will have to be increases for curb work. There will be some equipment replacement, including a dump truck and sidewalk plow, and some computer equipment to run the department more efficiently. Mr. Hoar then directed attention to roads, which will be done in a 5-year plan. Dorset St. (between Kennedy Drive and Williston Road) will be a major project. Mr. Hoar felt this is the last year they can go without doing that work. The cost will be about $500,000, some of which will be covered by state funds and right-of-way permit fees. The work would be contracted out. This coming year will see the completion of the Shelburne Road sidewalk connection and, if possible, the work on San Remo Drive. Mr. Hafter noted there are 3 places on one side of Shelburne Rd. with no sidewalk. These will be filled in so the sidewalk is continuous. b. Stormwater: Mr. DiPietro said there isn't much change in this budget. There are planning to do some work in house that was previously done by contractors. Mr. Hoar noted that some of the Stormwater people also help during the snowstorm. Mr. DiPietro said they plan to purchase a GIS plotter and a robot camera to evaluate the Condition of piping. Some improvement projects planned for the year include the big one on Farrell Street, Village at Dorset Park, Dorset Park, and Winding Brook. There will also be discussions with UVM about big stormwater issues at the Hort Farm. On Farrell Street, they will put in a pond to collect runoff. This project will include rain gardens. They will also replace a culvert for the Corrections Facility. Mr. Hoar noted that this work will require closing the road for about 3 weeks. c. Planning & Zoning Department: Ms. Hinds commented that having Tom DiPietro and Horace is like having 3 additional staff people. They have a great working relationship. The Department continues to need more in advertising and postage to notify "everyone about everything." There will be some unusual costs regarding the Comprehensive Plan update. The work should be done by the end of the year. One computer will be replaced. Mr. Magowan asked about the appropriation for legal fee. Mr. Hafter said he hoped they were past some of the "cost drivers." Ms. Hinds said there is still the issue of the Golf Course Master Plan. d. Water Department: Mr. Nadeau said they are expecting a decrease in water sales, but are not asking for a rate increase. The 2 very wet summers have given them an opportunity to study how sales are acting. There will be an increase in hydrant fees and connections fees. There are no significant increases in the budget. CWD will have a rate increase from 1.30 to 1.32 per 1000. The meter-reading system is paid off, but the system isn't working, and the manufacturer is out of business. Mr. Nadeau said he met with a vendor who has bought the patents, and they think they have found the problems. Apparently, many other communities are in the same situation. Mr. Nadeau said he still thinks this is ultimately the way to go. Mr. Nadeau then outlined some of the projects they are working on including the culvert work on Farrell Street. This will involve water interruption. They can put in a "back door" feeder on Joy Drive. The money for this will come from capital reserve. There may be only 2 customers without water instead of several hundred, and the Water Dept. will get them water one way or another. e. Water Pollution Control Department: Mr. Dow showed pictures of the pump station upgrading work. He noted that by doing the work themselves, they save the city a lot of money. There will be 5% rate increase in fees. Some big pieces of equipment need to be replaced, and there is also a big increase for biosolids removal. They have lost the Canadian option, and a looking for both short and long-term option. Two pump stations will be updated (Indian Creek and Timberlane), and there will be some manhole rehab. There is a vehicle that will need replacement soon as it is 10 years old and has been causing issues. There is also a blower that has been breaking down. f. City Clerk: Ms. Kinville advised that the "same day voter registration" is an issue for City Clerks, and it appears the Legislature doesn't want to listen to them. The BCA is doing a petition against this option. The Office will be looking to fill a half-time position. Ms. Kinville said she would prefer hiring two half-timers instead of having someone become full-time. She is looking for a South Burlington resident to fill the half-time slot. There will be 2 additional elections next year, so there are more expenses connected to that. There is a need for an electric typewriter and a computer to replace the one that is going to the Accounts Payable Department. Ms. Kinville noted that City Council minutes are being digitized. Maps have already been digitized and are beautiful. They are also working toward computerizing land records. g. Bonded Debt: Mr. Gravelin commented that bonded debt is very low. h. Other Entities: Mr. Hafter said the CCTA budget is up, due almost entirely to SSTA. There are no new services. The County Court assessment is up a bit, based on the Grand List. i. Revenues: Mr. Hafter briefly reviewed revenues including the Open Space 1 cent assessment and the $200,000 from the General Fund. As there was no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Clerk Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.