Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 06/01/2015 CITY COUNCIL 1 JUNE 2015 The South Burlington City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, 1 June 2015, at 6:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, City Hall, 575 Dorset Street. MEMBERS PRESENT: P. Nowak, Chair; H. Riehle, C. Shaw, M. Emery, T. Chittenden ALSO PRESENT: K. Dorn, City Manager; T. Hubbard, Deputy City Manager; P. Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning; B. Gagnon, B. Nowak, M. Simoneau, B. Bull, S. Dooley, P. Clemins, K. Loomis, G Soule, H. Damm, S. Quest, M. A. Cross, P. Tashiro, G. Donovan 1. Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items: Mr. Dorn asked to add an item to the agenda to authorize the City Manager to publish and post a Notice of Conveyance of municipal real estate. This item was added as Agenda item 1B. 1B. Consider Authorization for the City Manager to Publish and Post a Notice of Conveyance of Municipal Real Estate: Mr. Chittenden read the motion as follows: to authorize the City Manager to post and publish a Notice of Conveyance of Municipal Real Estate pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Section 1061 for the conveyance of a 5’ x 345’ strip of land that was formerly a portion of the southerly side of Market Street at its intersection with Hinesburg Road to Black Bay Ventures VIII and to authorize the City Manager to execute a Quitclaim Deed conveying the real estate if no petition objecting to the conveyance is submitted in response to the Notice of Sale of Municipal Real Estate. Ms. Riehle then moved to approve the motion as read. Mr. Chittenden seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 2. Comments & Questions from the public not related to the agenda: There were no issues raised. 3. Announcements and City Manager’s Report: Ms. Nowak noted the passing of the City Manager’s mother. A moment of silence followed. Mr. Dorn: The Steering Committee will meet on Wednesday evening, 6 p.m., at the Middle School Library. They will hear the report of the City and School Task Force which has been meeting since October. There will not be much time for discussion as a School Board meeting follows the Steering Committee, so there may be a proposal to have the Steering Committee meet again in a few weeks for further discussion. Work continues toward finalizing contracts with the 3 bargaining units. There are still some points to work out. Evaluation of department heads is underway. Council members reported on meetings and events they had attended. 4. Consent Agenda: a. Sign Disbursement b. Approve Minutes for 18 May City Council meeting Mr. Shaw moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 5. Update on Chamberlin Neighborhood Planning Project: Mr. Conner reported that the Committee has met twice and will meet monthly throughout the project. More than 75 residents attended the neighborhood meeting. Consultants will be meeting with the committee on the 25th to bring in their findings. A second community meeting will be held later in the summer at which initial concepts and ideas will be shared. There will be a final community meeting near the beginning of the new year. Ms. Emery said she was asked if roads were ever closed and could be “swapped” for land owned by the Airport. Mr. Conner said it would be the same process as what is occurring on Market Street. 6. Interview Applicants for Committees: The Council interviewed the following applicants: Margaret Ann Cross................. Library Board Bernard Gagnon...................... Planning Commission Mike Simoneau........................ Recreation/Leisure Arts Committee Patty Tashera........................... Energy Committee George Donovan..................... Recreation/Leisure Arts Committee 7. Energy Committee Report: Mr. Epstein presented Councilors with “Energy Prize” lapel pins. The Committee has submitted baseline data for 2013, 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. Rankings will be published in a month or so. More programs are being done with Vermont Gas and Efficiency Vermont. There is a solar promotion going on. Some people are making a donation to the school for every solar system undertaken by a resident. Library workshops are being done on a variety of energy-related topics. The Committee also plans to take a table at the Farmer’s markets beginning on the 7th of June. They will also be a part of the 150th city anniversary celebration. The landfill solar array is being moved along. The hope is to construct this year or next. Mr. Dorn noted negotiations are now underway for this as the school district is also involved. Mr. Epstein said the Committee is publishing more ads in The Other Paper to encourage people to get involved in the energy prize effort. There have been neighborhood energy parties where residents share tips on what can be done to conserve energy at home. Ms. Tashiro has started an energy auditing business, and people can buy some of the equipment she recommends. The High School is participating in the Energy challenge, and the schools have curriculum work beginning in Grade 1. Graphic design was done at the High School for solar lawn signs. The Committee is looking for funds to get the signs made. Ms. Nowak said she might have an idea for that. The Committee will be reporting energy data every quarter. At the end of 2016, the top 10 finalists will be chosen. Mr. Chittenden cited the possibility of solar arrays at car dealerships that would cover cars. 8. Proposal from Common Roots related to agriculture operations on the Underwood Property: Ms. Loomis said the proposal is to till and plant a cover crop on several acres and to grow an experimental product on a ¼ of an acre. Common Roots would work with a farmer and an educator and would bring students to the site. Mr. Soule said that for a fall crop they would need to plant by 1 August. Cover cropping can be done in September. Ms. Loomis said they would like to begin work as soon as the water is out of the site. She felt this could be used as a field trip site in the summer. They already have an agreement with “School’s Out.” Ms. Nowak asked if there would be any financial commitment expected from the city. Ms. Loomis said there would not, but it would be wonderful if the city wanted to “chip in.” They have had some generous support but can always use more. Ms. Nowak asked what area of the property they would be using. Ms. Loomis said they would be close to Spear Street, just down from the hill. Mr. Soule added that this is prime ag soil. He noted that if anything were to take place there on a greater scale than what is now proposed, there would have to be an infrastructure investment. Ms. Loomis said there is no on-site water, so they will be choosing a crop accordingly. Ultimately, there would be a need for a water source. Ms. Loomis said if the Council is interested, an MOU could be developed and brought to the Council for approval. Mr. Soule said they would stake the area before the MOU is done. Members were receptive to the plan. 9. Update and Discussion on East Terrace/Spear Street neighborhood forum: Mr. Shaw said he was pleased with the turnout, and there was a lot of good discussion. He noted that there was a request to create an overlay to stop the conversion of homes to rental units. Mr. Chittenden advised that he spoke to UVM prole regarding fines for noise offenses. He will meet with the Burlington Code Officer to see how the City of Burlington handles noise issues. There is also consideration being given to providing “welcome bag” information to tenants on being a good neighbor. Mr. Shaw noted that Police Chief Whipple spoke to the possibility of raising parking fines from $5.00. He also said you can’t “enforce your way out of this problem.” Education is important. UVM was quick to step up with support in that area. Mr. Shaw said the city might want to consider the rental registry idea which could save time and trouble when there are incidents. Mr. Chittenden said it could also serve as a public safety component. Ms. Nowak said there are things that need to be done soon and other things on which the Council will need legal input (e.g., overlay district, covenants). She felt there is a need for a chart of the street indicating the houses that are affected. This would be a first step toward an overlay district. Ms. Nowak then read a communication from one of the landlords of rental units which he will require his tenants to sign and return to him. It outlines the behavior that is expected on the part of tenants. There will also be a mandatory session with at least one tenant from each property at a “meet and greet” in September. Tenants will be given “expectations” at that time. Ms. Nowak felt there need to be fines put in place with enforcement. She also expressed concern with safety of renters when electrical work is done by unqualified persons. She felt the Council should start taking incremental steps so that renters know the city is in a “no fooling” position. Regarding a rental registry, Ms. Nowak said there would have to be a public hearing on the issue as it would be a city-wide imposition, not just for this area. Mr. Shaw said he would favor that and noted that rented homes are now commercial properties, and appropriate certificates need to be in place. Mr. Dorn said this would be a significant undertaking and take a “big chunk” of budgeting. Ms. Riehle suggested that a registry fee could help offset the costs. She favored pursuing the idea. Ms. Riehle also felt the city needs to enforce the existing noise ordinances. She suggested that parking issues might be addressed by issuing parking passes for those who legally live there. She would like to learn more about an overlay district. Ms. Dooley noted that Mr. Connor had said he believes the “4 unrelated people” regulation is illegal. She appreciated the actions he has taken but didn’t feel it was “full cooperation.” Ms. Nowak said there is a question of what is considered a “family unit.” She has been asked why a 5 bedroom house can’t have 5 renters. Mr. Clemins encouraged the Council to continue to have community meetings and to keep residents updated. Mr. Dorn noted the possibility of a neighborhood association and a website where neighbors can share information. Ms. Nowak noted the Burlington rental registry costs $75 a year. Inspections are done every 5 years, but an inspection can be done any time if there is an issue. There must also be a responsible agent if an owner does not live in Chittenden County. Ms. Damm said she liked the idea of limiting the number of cars. She said the main goal should be to have a mixed neighborhood with children and retired people. Rentals take away from that. She felt it was important to enforce the “4 unrelated people” provision which could make it less economically viable for some landlords. 10. Consider convening as the South Burlington Liquor Control Board to consider: a. Night Flight, Inc. (Homewood Suites) Outside Consumption Permit Ms. Riehle moved that the Council convene as Liquor Control Board. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Shaw moved to approve the Outside Consumption Permit for Night Flight, Inc., as presented. Ms. Emery seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Ms. Emery moved to reconvene as City Council. Mr. Chittenden seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 11. Discussion re: Annual Evaluation of City Manager: Ms. Riehle said there is an evaluation tool that was used several years ago. She suggested each Council member complete the survey as well as senior management (Department Heads). She and Mr. Shaw will collate the data, and there can then be a City Council conversation. Mr. Dorn would also do a self- evaluation. The Council could then meet in executive session to set the parameters for compensation. Members favored a yearly evaluation even though the new contract would be open-ended. Ms. Riehle suggested having information available prior to the next Council meeting. 12. Other Business: a. Items held from Consent Agenda: No items were held from the Consent Agenda. Members agreed to delete agenda Item #13 (possible executive session). As there was no further business to come before the Council, Ms. Emery moved to adjourn. Ms. Riehle seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.       May  12,  2015   Kevin  Dorn,  City  Manager                   City  Hall   575  Dorset  St.   South  Burlington  VT    05403   Dear  City  Council:   I  am  writing  to  express  the  interest  of  Common  Roots,  Inc.  in  cultivating  four  acres  of  the  Underwood   Property  during  the  2015  growing  season.     Our  Mission:  Common  Roots  connects  farmers,  educators,  youth,  families,  and  the  wider  community  in   building  a  sustainable  future  through  place-­‐based  education  and  service  programs.  By  collectively  growing   food  for  our  schools,  families,  and  food  shelves,  we  celebrate  the  soil  and  soul  of  community.  Our   stewardship  provides  food  security,  affirms  our  local  environment,  and  nurtures  our  common  roots.   Now  in  our  sixth  year  as  a  501(c)(3)  nonprofit,  Common  Roots  is  pleased  to  share  with  you  a  little  about  our   programs  to  date  and  our  vision  for  the  prime  agricultural  land  on  the  Underwood  Property.   Common  Roots  Program  Highlights   • Farm  to  School:  Common  Roots  funds  and  trains  an  educator  and  intern  who  deliver  Farm  to  School   lessons  in  each  South  Burlington  School  District  K-­‐5  classroom  September  through  May,  serving   approximately  900  students  per  month.   • Farm  to  Go:  Young  chefs  (grades  6-­‐8)  work  with  our  chef  trainer  to  prepare  and  bring  home  complete   meals  to  enjoy  with  their  families  each  week  during  a  six-­‐week  program  that  repeats  throughout  the   school  year.  Farm  to  Go  engages  students  in  the  joys  of  preparing  nourishing  meals  (more  than  1,550   meals  to  date),  while  learning  about  ingredient  sources  and  foods  from  around  the  world.     • Community  Food  Shares  (CFS):  Our  CFS  program  provides  participating  families  with  weekly  organic   produce  shares,  June  through  October.  We  launched  a  year-­‐round  pilot  in  November  2014.   • South  Burlington  Farmers  Market:  The  Market  brings  together  growers,  artisans,  and  community   members  united  by  a  commitment  to  shop  local  and  engage  in  their  community.  In  three  years,  SB   Farmers  Market  has  kept  over  $212,900  in  the  local  economy!   • Power  of  Produce  Club:  Membership  in  this  nationally  recognized  program  doubled  to  200+  children,   ages  5-­‐12,  in  its  second  year  at  the  Farmers  Market.  Each  Sunday,  educators  offer  a  food-­‐based   activity  and  taste  test.  POP  Club  members  receive  a  $3  token  to  purchase  produce  from  vendors  — participating  in  their  food  system  through  responsible  buying  power.   • Growing  Gardens:  Our  50  raised  beds  at  the  Farm  at  South  Village  provide  an  outdoor  classroom  for   students  to  engage  in  hands-­‐on  learning  opportunities.  Common  Roots  trains  a  farm  educator  and   interns  to  engage  students  in  exploring  food  systems  in  connection  with  school  curriculum.   In  addition  to  these  core  programs,  Common  Roots  recently  fundraised  $40,000  to  help  the  South   Burlington  Nutritional  Services  Department  update  kitchen  equipment  in  all  school  cafeterias,  increasing  the   capacity  to  store  and  prepare  fresh  produce.  Common  Roots  continued  its  support  of  a  changing  food   system  with  a  $20,000  gift  to  the  Nutritional  Services  Department,  funding  a  local  chef  trainer  to  work  with   staff  to  improve  kitchen  skills  and  develop  a  growing  variety  of  nourishing  menu  offerings.     Last  summer  Common  Roots  led  a  collaborative  effort  to  raise  $45,000  to  purchase  a  mini-­‐bus  for  year-­‐ round  and  district-­‐wide  use  by  three  programs:  School’s  Out,  Big  Picture,  and  Common  Roots.  This  bus  will   make  it  possible  to  transport  students  into  the  community  for  experiential  learning  opportunities.       We  are  delighted  to  call  the  Homestead  at  Wheeler  Nature  Park  “home”  as  we  build  partnerships  with  the   SB  Recreation  and  Parks  Department  and  community  to  offer  a  range  of  classes  and  workshops,  as  well  as  a   summer  camp  for  girls,  focusing  on  leadership  development  and  the  land  at  Wheeler  Nature  Park.   Underwood  Proposal   As  we  look  to  further  our  work  in  support  of  a  vibrant  South  Burlington  food  system,  the  offer  to  submit  a   proposal  regarding  the  use  of  land  at  Underwood  provides  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  build  on  our  current   programming  and  move  toward  sustainability  as  an  organization.     If  approved  by  the  City  Council,  Common  Roots  proposes  the  following  for  the  2015  growing  season:     • Turn  over  4  acres  of  prime  agricultural  land     • Plant  a  cover  crop  on  3.75  acres     • Plant  .25  acre  with  carrots,  beets,  and  kale   Planting  Plan:  Our  plan  slows  successional  growth  on  the  suggested  four  acres,  preparing  for  production  in   the  coming  years,  while  providing  an  opportunity  to  learn  about  the  site:  soil,  growing  conditions,  water   patterns,  etc.  Choosing  carrots,  beets,  and  kale  as  our  initial  crops  allows  us  to  learn  about  Underwood  as  a   future  agricultural  site  while  operating  within  the  site’s  current  limitations:  no  water  availability  and  a  lack   of  direct  access  off  Spear  St.  for  machinery.     Student  Engagement:  Common  Roots  has  partnered  with  the  School’s  Out  summer  camp  program  to   provide  weekly  field  trips  to  our  Growing  Gardens  site,  enriching  the  School’s  Out  experience  with  hands-­‐on   time  in  the  gardens.  Underwood  could  serve  as  an  additional  field  trip  destination  with  our  farm  educator,   providing  a  wider  diversity  of  learning  experiences.  These  gardens  might  also  serve  as  an  offsite  location  for   our  camp  program.  Common  Roots  plans  to  explore  the  potential  of  middle-­‐  and  high-­‐school  educational   opportunities  this  fall  with  teachers  who  currently  integrate  food  and  sustainability  into  existing  curriculum.     Farmer:  Common  Roots  has  an  8-­‐year  relationship  with  Greg  Sol,  an  experienced  farmer  who  has  prepared   the  cost  analysis  and  plan  outlined.  He  also  has  the  tractor  necessary  to  prepare  and  maintain  the  field.  If  he   is  not  the  farmer  doing  the  actual  work,  Common  Roots  has  the  initial  agreement  that  we  could  rent  his   tractor  and  pay  for  his  time  on  the  land.   Market:  The  carrots,  beets  and  kale  harvested  from  the  .25-­‐acre  plot  will  be  contributed  to  our  CFS   program.  Additionally,  we  have  had  an  initial  conversation  with  Rhonda  Ketner,  SB  Nutritional  Services   Director,  about  the  potential  of  selling  food  to  the  Nutritional  Services  Department.  These  proceeds  would   help  offset  the  initial  costs  of  the  first  season.         Thank  you  for  your  consideration  of  our  interest  in  utilizing  four  acres  at  the  Underwood  Property  for  the   2015  growing  season.  Please  feel  free  to  contact  me  by  phone  or  email  with  any  questions.  Common  Roots   looks  forward  to  further  discussion  with  you  about  this  opportunity!   Sincerely,         Kindle  Loomis   Program  Director   Common  Roots,  Inc.   PO  Box  9335   South  Burlington  VT    05407   802.652.0188  |  kindle@commonroots.org     Common  Roots  is  a  501(c)(3)  nonprofit  organization.  All  donations  to  Common  Roots  are  tax-­‐deductible.   Common  Roots  |  Wheeler  Homestead  |  1100  Dorset  Street,  South  Burlington  VT    05403   East Terrace / Spear StreetOwners Meeting May 28th, 2015 Contacts•South Burlington Zoning Administrator: •Ray Belair(802) 846-4106 - rbelair@sburl.com•BEST UVM Contact Person: •Gail Shampnois – UVM Director of Student & Community Relations •(802) 656-1103•Gail.Shampnois@uvm.edu•Joe Speidel –Joe.Speidel@uvm.edu•UVM Local Government and Community Relations Director. •South Burlington Community Justice Center Contacts•Lisa Bedingerlbedinger@sbpdvt.org•Kim Harry khharry@Comcast.net•Denyse Perry denyseperryvt@gmail.com IssueWhat residents can do:What landlords can do:What others can do (UVM, Champlain…)What city can do:Parking on Lawn & Street•Reach out to new Residents –bring them a cake•Encourage public transportationand remote parking solutions•Possibly on campus parking at Gutterson or Sheraton Commuter lot•UVM Police Jurisdiction Encouragement•Enforce Strict towing•New Parking Ordinance (>$5)•Allow parking on ONLY one side of the Street•Widen Street•Parking permitsTrash/Appearance•Communicate with Renters and Landlords•Diligence in addressing issues and Property Management•Neighborhood Grants•Police Presence during first two months of academic yearNoise•Listserv of Residents & Landlord•Add behavior expectations language to Lease documents•Welcome Bags to Rental Units (with clear behavior expectations outlined)•Severe / Steep Fines (model after Burlington)•New Noise Ordinance Guidelines•City Councilors can call LandlordsInappropriate behavior•Contact UVM Office of Student & Community Relations•Lease Language with clear expectations and consequences•Intervention Assistance•Intervene Early•UVM Police Involvement/Presence•New tools for SB PD.•Behavior Tracking - Data Driven Intervention Strategies.•Strong Presence during Beginning of Academic YearLand Use Regulations•Neighborhood covenants•Neighborhood Association•Contribute to discussionsthough meeting and committee involvement•Contribute or be involved in planning discussions•Zoning limit on number of rentals in an area and rental conversation restrictions•Overlay District & Housing Type Definition•Rental Registry & Code Enforcement