HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - City Council - 11/02/2023 - Steering CommitteeAGENDA STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING (Joint School Board and City Council Meeting) South Burlington City Hall 180 Market Street
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT
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Steering Committee 6:30 P.M. Thursday, November 2, 2023
1.Welcome and Introductions (6:30 – 6:40 PM)
2.Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items (6:40 – 6:45 PM)
3.Comments and questions from the public not related to the agenda (6:45 – 6:55 PM)
4.*** Approve minutes from the July 10, 2023 Steering Committee Meeting (6:55 – 7:00PM)
5.School Board Directors and City Councilors to introduce themselves and share what brought them toservice in South Burlington (7:00 – 7:45PM)
6.*** Discuss shared values around community and school safety (7:45 – 8:15PM)
7.Discuss future community conversations the two elected bodies want to have in the future (8:15 –8:45PM)
8.Other Business (8:45– 8:55 PM)
9.Adjourn (8:55 PM)
Respectfully Submitted:
Jessie Baker City Manager
STEERING COMMITTEE 10 JULY 2023
The South Burlington Steering Committee held a meeting on Monday, 10 July 2023, in the
Auditorium, South Burlington City Hall, 180 Market Street, and via Gotomeeting remote
technology.
MEMBERS PRESENT: City Council: H. Riehle, City Council Chair; M. Emery, T. Barritt, T. Barnes,
A. Chalnick; J. Baker, City Manager; School Board: A. McHenry, School Board Chair; C.
Tillinghast, K. Bailey; B. Companion V. Nichols, Superintendent of Schools
ALSO PRESENT: Chief S. Locke, Deputy City Manager; Chief S. Burke, Police Department; T.
Jarvis, School District Director of Finance; T. DiPietro, Director of Public Works; M. Machar, City
Director of Finance; M. Lyons, City Assessor; E. Quallen, Public Works Department; L.
McDonald, Principal Marcotte School; R. Doyle
1. Welcome & Introductions:
Members of the City Council and School Board introduced themselves.
2. Agenda Review: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items:
No changes were made to the Agenda.
3. Comments & Questions from the public not related to the Agenda:
There were no comments or questions from the public.
4. Approve Minutes from the 6 March 2023 Steering Committee meeting:
The spelling of Ms. Bailey’s name was corrected.
Mr. McHenry moved to approve the Minutes of 6 March 2023 as corrected. Mr. Barritt
seconded. Motion passed with all present voting in favor.
5. Receive an update from City staff on engineering analysis for traffic and
pedestrian travel around schools:
Ms. Baker noted receipt of the June letter from the School Board. She stressed that the city is
equally committed to safety of streets, especially for pedestrians and bikers. She also stressed
that there are statutory rules which have to be adhered to.
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 2
Mr. DiPietro then reviewed steps being taken to address the concerns in the June letter:
With regard to traffic in and around Market Street and Marcotte School, Mr. DiPietro said the
City has retained VHB as consultants in conjunction with the Chittenden Country Regional
Planning Commission (CCRPC). They did an analysis while school was still in session, including
traffic volumes, turning movements, etc. That information is now being analyzed, and a final
recommendation is expected at the end of July or beginning of August. An evaluation will then
be done regarding timing and budgeting. It is anticipated that some things can be done quickly.
A traffic signal would take longer and would require budgeting.
Ms. Bailey asked whether the study takes future growth into consideration. Mr. DiPietro said
the whole area is considered in the traffic model including new development which is plugged
in to see whether the warrants for a traffic light are being met. Ms. Baker added that this is the
critical modeling for the downtown area for the future. The city had anticipated one new
building every 10 years; in actuality, there had been one new building every three months.
Mr. Companion asked whether the consultant looked at what happens when students are being
dropped off. Mr. DiPietro said they have. One of the consultants actually has a child in the
school. Mr. Companion said he counted 120 cars and questioned what that number will look
like in September with the new buildings. He stressed that they are less than 8 weeks from the
opening of school and asked how long they will have to wait before something is done. Ms.
Baker said that will depend on the recommendation. If things can be done “in house,” that will
happen quickly.
Mr. Barritt asked whether the study looked at Mary Street and the opening of all of Garden
Street. Mr. DiPietro said it did.
Supt. Nichols asked whether there has been any progress on the development of a School Zone.
Mr. DiPietro said there were no school zones until October, and the one that was created then
was based on traffic on White Street near Chamberlin School. The city has ordered the
hardware needed to make that a School Zone and is still waiting for that shipment.
Ms. Bailey felt there was a missed opportunity to have added the other City schools into the
request for School Zones. She felt someone should have checked to see if this was more of a
District need than just for the one school.
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 3
Mr. McHenry said it appears to be a 2-year process to getting the hardware. Mr. DiPietro said
that is not unusual. Speed concerns have to be backed up by an engineering/speed study.
Ms. Tillinghast asked if there is any way to slow development which is happening so much faster
than anticipated. Ms. Baker said City Center has a different situation from other development
because it is all happening in one area.
Ms. Tillinghast asked what was in place regarding school safety. Ms. Baker said the condition
regarding City Center was the payment of impact fees, and developers have been paying that
fee which is for safety installations.
Ms. Emery noted the original request from the School District was for a red light at Chamberlin
School to replace the blinking yellow light. The City had no idea this would involve a School
Zone. It was thanks to the study that was done that a School Safety Zone was created.
Supt. Nichols asked what other supports can be put in place to keep up with the expedited
development timeline to support the safe opening of school.
Ms. Baker noted that the city is benefiting enormously from the expedited building. The debt
will be paid much quicker, including money to the education fund.
Ms. Bailey said she has nothing bad to say about development, but in response to the fast
tracking of development, they would like to see fast tracking of safety around the schools. That
is where the urgency lies.
Mr. Chalnick asked if the City has discretion to lower speed limits on a temporary basis. Mr.
DiPietro said the speed limit is now 25 mph. He added that there was a restriction of certain
parking near the school. Other actions are awaiting the engineering study.
Ms. Riehle noted that if a traffic light is recommended, that will take time. There could be a 4-
way stop until the light goes in.
Mr. McHenry said this is a situation of reacting to hazardous condition rather than anticipating
them. There was a year when the risk was pretty high, and they ended up with a lag now that
the situation is dangerous.
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 4
Ms. Riehle noted that the walkway situation was remediated with the cooperation of the
developer. The question is whether remediation is needed for a situation that you don’t know
will happen. Mr. McHenry said in another year, there will be 3 more buildings, and there will be
a study done 4 years before. Ms. Baker said that is why the City is doing comprehensive traffic
modeling for the entire City Center.
Mr. Companion said he didn’t think the construction is contributing to the traffic problem. He
added that sometimes you don’t get it right just out of the box. He wanted to see a solution
that will work 5 years out.
Ms. McDonald said this has been a big learning curve. She said that Snyder Homes worked with
her immediately to address issues. Children on bikes have to cross the road 6 times because of
the woodchip path. That is why the School District got involved. Because of parking on both
sides of the street, traffic has had to be stopped so that buses out.
Mr. DiPietro said one of the pieces of information they are looking for is involves the turning
radius. Ms. McDonald noted there have been issues with Allard Square because traffic has
been going through their parking lot to get out. She did note that things went more smoothly
at the end of the school year, and she hoped some of those things can be in place to start the
new year.
With regard to the request for more School Zones, Ms. Riehle noted that this may be difficult
around the Middle and High Schools because there are so many lanes involved. She stressed
that things are moving toward School Zones, but the city can only act when there is data.
Ms. Bailey asked if there can be a crossing guard, and what are the options before school starts.
Ms. Baker said infrastructure changes will have to come from data. The baseline is what the
City established at the end of last year. The Council was open to the request for a crossing
guard and would support that. The Police Department is willing to train anyone to do that. It
would be easier if that were a school employee. Supt. Nichols said the School District tried to
hire one but got no reply from the community. They also tried to pay an employee, but that
didn’t work either. That is why she did it. Ms. Baker said she didn’t think the City would have
any better luck hiring someone.
Ms. Tillinghast asked if there could be a Police Officer until someone is hired. Chief Burke said
he couldn’t commit to having someone at a specific place at any time during the day as they
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 5
need to respond to 911 calls. Ms. Riehle asked about the possibility of volunteers. Mr. Doyle
noted that Essex pays $25 in the morning and $25 in the afternoon. He also noted that the
casualty rate for crossing guards is 3 times that for police officers.
Mr. Companion asked if the District can get notification before school starts as to what the plan
is. Ms. Baker said the City will share recommendations as soon as they are available.
6. Discuss the shared planning for the future of 575 Dorset Street:
Ms. Baker noted that she and Supt. Nichols met last week. There is a 6-week plan between
now and 16 August to consolidate the materials the City has at 575 Dorset Street. They also
began a discussion regarding School District ownership of the building. This will include having
the property surveyed, discussing what kind of transfer it would be, and how to get separate
systems.
Supt. Nichols said that from a school perspective, there are enrollment crises at 2 schools, and
they are trying to get non-teaching people into 575. There are also waiting lists for students for
alternate programming. She asked what potential there could be for alternate programming if
the School District owned the building. She would be happy to enter into that conversation and
discuss how to move forward. In a walkthrough of the building, there was discussion of how
the city could consolidate its use of the building so the School District can have additional office
space and free up teaching space in the schools.
Ms. Baker noted that storing the equipment that is in the building would be an additional
expense to the City. The City would also have to figure out how to move it and where.
7. Discuss the shared goal of partnering on capital planning:
Ms. Baker said the City understands that there are capital needs on the school side, and the City
wants to be the School District’s champion. There need to be discussion re: taxpayer capacity.
Supt. Nichols said people move to South Burlington because there are the best schools in the
State. Facilities are one of the main issues, especially at the elementary level. A committee is
looking into whether to transition 5th graders into the Middle School building. There are also
plans to renovate that building which would involve building a new high school and using the
old high school to house the middle school while it is being renovated. This would take a
significant political effort.
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 6
Supt. Nichols said the School District’s top priorities are safety, education and finances in that
order. She also said they have to be sure the City and School District are not double bonding.
She felt the schools must come before a Recreation Center for the City. There is a possibility
that the some school facilities could be used city-wide for recreation outside of school hours.
Ms. Bailey also noted the potential to collaborate with the City on the Climate Action Plan. She
said the School Board would welcome City people joining some of their committees. Ms. Baker
noted a part of the City’s plan speaks to collaboration with the schools. Ms. Bailey said South
Burlington’s High School is a top priority for the State. She cited the energy efficiencies that
could be attained with new schools. She also noted that Massachusetts is not allowing
renovations because of energy concerns.
Mr. Chalnick said there needs to be a process by which City and School District are on the same
page regarding a new school. He said he would like to tour the High School building. He added
that it feels odd to have the 5th grade driving the High School. Supt. Nichols said they are not
there yet either. There was significant community engagement in the past, and those
conversations are being re-opened. Mr. Companion said it is not a building decision but where
the best place is for 5th grade students. They are looking at configurations throughout the state.
Mr. Barritt said he is thankful that the School District is taking the bold move to look at the fifth
grade and at redistricting. He was prepared to work with the School District.
Mr. Barnes said he agreed the schools are a key driver for the community and felt it is
imperative to enhance the ability to provide the best schools in the state. He was also proud of
the work that has been done regarding the modular units.
Supt. Nichols explained the timeframe for the ZEMs and the use of impact fees to help fund
them. She noted the greatest increase in schools last year was at the Middle school, and they
will quickly need a Middle School solution (they are now serving lunch earlier, juggling how Phys
Ed happens, etc.). The High School is the most deteriorated physical plant. She cited to need
for better communication and community support.
Ms. Emery said she had full confidence that students will have a full educational experience
with the ZEMs. She also noted that residents in Burlington are being “outpriced” because of
things such as building a new high school. The ZEMS are also addressing how much people are
paying for taxes.
STEERING COMMITTEE
10 JULY 2023
PAGE 7
8. Other Business:
Mr. Chalnick asked whether there could be a K-6, 7-9, 10-12 pattern in the schools and build one
new elementary school. Supt. Nichols said nothing is off the table. She noted there was an
issue in the community with the elementary schools being “community based.” Ms. Bailey said
there is also an issue of whether to continue to fix what now exists (deferred maintenance) or
whether it is cheaper to build new.
Ms. Riehle noted that she taught in a 5-8 school which she thought was excellent. She stressed
that the City is ready to work with the School District as it has always been…including working
on a joint dinner.
As there was no further business the come before the Committee, Mr. Barritt moved to adjourn.
Mr. McHenry seconded. The motion passed with all present voting in favor. The meeting was
adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
_________________________________
Clerk
_________________________________
School Board Clerk
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802‐846‐4107 | www.southburlingtonvt.gov
October 27, 2023
To the South Burlington Community,
The safety of our residents is our highest priority. Over the past nine months, the Council has specifically
discussed safety around School District properties on six separate occasions. There are several technical
memorandums provided as part of those discussions and those can all be accessed at
www.southburlingtonvt.gov/government/city_council/ by clicking on “Agendas & Minutes.” As there is a lot
to read, we want to take this opportunity to aggregate this information into one place.
School Zones – Traffic
When considering traffic related School Zones, the City Council has the obligation to follow State Statute
which requires engineering studies, local policy action, and funding for infrastructure. The establishment of a
School Zone at any of the Schools in our City costs approximately $40,000 for analysis, signage, and
infrastructure and can take several months to complete the assessment, engineering, ordering and installation
of school zone infrastructure. It will not change speed limits because the speed limit on all roads accessing
Orchard, Rick Marcotte Central, and Gertrude Chamberlin Schools has been and currently remains 25 mph,
which is the minimum per State Statute. Possible improvements would come in the form of clearing visual
obstructions, street markings, and signage, based on technical recommendations provided by traffic
engineers.
Gertrude Chamberlin School: On October 3, 2022, after a request from the Principal and an analysis by
Chittenden Country Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC), a School Zone around Gertrude Chamberlin
School was established by resolution of the Council. Funding was initially included in the FY24 budget, but
on April 3, 2023 the Council authorized the use of $23,000 in Fund Balance to fund the installation of the
blinking speed radar signs requested. These were ordered and installed with the start of the 2023‐2024
school year.
Orchard School: In early March 2023, City staff secured resources from CCRPC to conduct a School Zone
and Safety Analysis. CCRPC quickly accommodated this request through their Technical Assistance program
and completed the data collection before the school year ended in June. The technical memorandum was
presented to the Council on August 21, 2023 (and can be seen linked at the website above.) This study
recommended maintaining “SCHOOL” pavement markings on Baldwin Avenue, installing school pedestrian
warning signs, trimming the vegetation and tree branches to the east of the school driveway approach for
improved sight distance for motorists, and monitoring vehicular, bike, and pedestrian traffic at the school
driveway and Baldwin Avenue intersection. This has all been implemented.
Rick Marcotte Central School (RMCS): In March 2023, City staff secured engineering resources from CCRPC
who then completed data collection before the end of the school year. The information was analyzed
during the summer of 2023 and an engineering analysis was provided to the Council on August 21, 2023. A
School Zone was established by resolution that same night. Additionally at this meeting, the Council
established the four‐way stop at Market Street at the entrance to RMCS. That night the Council voted to
allocate $30,000 to fund the signage needed to implement the School Zone on Market Street. The four‐
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4107 | www.southburlingtonvt.gov
way stop was installed before the first day of school with School Zone signage ordered and the
foundations in place to receive them when they arrive.
Middle and High School Campus on Dorset Street: For the past several years, the City has worked on
design and engineering to improve the traffic signals along Dorset Street, repave the Street, and
accumulate the funding needed to complete these projects. The Dorset Street Signal Replacement project
will improve pedestrian crossing movements at the Kennedy Drive / I‐189 intersection and at the South
Burlington High School entrance on Dorset Street. More specifically and as previously reported, the
following actions have been undertaken by the City related to infrastructure improvements near the South
Burlington Middle School and High School campus:
o Replaced traffic signals and pedestrian crossing infrastructure at the Dorset / Kennedy intersection.
The new mast poles, arms, and signals went up the week of October 9th. Our contractor is working
to wire everything and get the new equipment operational by early November.
o Replaced traffic signals and pedestrian crossing infrastructure on Dorset Street at the High School
entrance. Similar improvements are being made over the entire length of Dorset Street from
Williston Road to Kennedy Drive.
o On August 21, 2023 the Council approved $30,000 for and the Department of Public Works (DPW)
has retained an engineer to:
Evaluate the installation of a school zone on Dorset Street (this is similar to the evaluations
completed on White and Market Street that preceded establishment of school zones in
these locations).
Evaluate the existing mid‐block crossings on Dorset Street (between 575 Dorset and the
high school) and recommend improvements. This will include consideration of a variety of
traffic calming measures.
Evaluate street lighting on Dorset Street in the vicinity of the school.
o It is anticipated that this engineering work will be done over the winter of 2024 with any
recommendations to be integrated into the construction plans when the last phase of Dorset Street
(Aspen Drive to Kennedy Drive) is repaved in the summer of 2024. The cost of these related
recommendations will need a future funding allocation when the prices are finalized.
With all of these infrastructure improvements underway and in place, our residents’ behavior must reflect our
shared community standards. Drivers, walkers, and bikers have a personal responsibility to use the pedestrian
lights, to respect rules of the road, and to keep each other safe. As the second largest City in the State, we
believe we all can do this better.
Crossing Guards
The South Burlington School District has funded crossing guards in our community for decades. These are
excellent adult resources who can make our youngest neighbors feel safe. Our City Council has taken up the
discussion of crossing guards twice in the last six months. In April 2023, the Council allocated $7,925 to fund a
crossing guard at Rick Marcotte Central School through the remainder of the 2022‐2023 school year. The
School District did not draw down these funds. On October 2, 2023, the City Council took up an additional
request for funding to support crossing guards. Again, at this meeting the Council voted to allocate $10,212 to
fund a crossing guard at RMCS related to the ongoing construction activities that will be occurring in the area
during 2023‐2024 school year.
While the Council has actively voted to provide temporary assistance during a period of heavy construction in
City Center, staff believe that crossing guards are a staff resource that belongs on the School‐side of our
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4107 | www.southburlingtonvt.gov
community’s financial books. Throughout the State, where crossing guards are used, these positions are
funded with educational property tax dollars. In Burlington, they are funded with Traffic and Parking Fund
dollars (a fund that we do not have in South Burlington.) There is a high level of coordination needed by the
individual school administrators and crossing guards. These important roles would best be served by a
reporting structure through School personnel. Members of the City’s DPW and the South Burlington Police
Department (SBPD) stand ready to provide technical assistance and training to School side employees once
they are hired.
School Zones – Criminality
The State of Vermont has a sentencing enhancement for those charged with selling or dispensing drugs on
school grounds, but it is not applicable to criminal possession of drugs. The SBPD has not identified any of our
school campuses as being central to drug trafficking.
We have seen commentary from residents about hazardous conditions (needles, razors, “homeless people,”
and people “smoking crack.”) To date, the SBPD has received one report of an incident where school staff
found a hypodermic needle on the playground. After talking with the reporting individual, the SBPD learned
of a reported razor blade incident and heard about the wooded area east of RMCS being a location used by
homeless individuals and drug users. Upon investigation we found evidence of old encampments and picked
up 6 or 8 needles in the area. The School District is the owner of this property. The SBPD has implemented
directed patrols of this area as resources allow. To date, the SBPD has never encountered a person in this area
and we have not received other complaints.
Second Largest City in the State – Our Development
South Burlington is uniquely positioned in Chittenden County and Vermont. We have easy access to
transportation, the beauty of Vermont, and excellent jobs and services. For this reason, many of us and our
neighbors are choosing to live and work here. Our City Council has actively worked for decades to balance this
growth with our goals of preserving our natural resources and addressing the impacts of Climate Change.
Additionally, for decades our City has envisioned a downtown for our community. We are proud of the
investments the taxpayers have made in the infrastructure and are excited to see City Center being realized in
the community’s vision. And, we welcome our new neighbors in developments such as O’Brien Hillside, Spear
Meadows, and along Williston and Shelburne Roads.
Over the past decade the City Council and School Board have had many conversations about the South
Burlington School District’s plans for the educational infrastructure to support the needs of our growing
community. The City Council unanimously supported the implementation of impact fees that will help cover
the costs of the Zero Energy Modulars. We eagerly await future plans from the School Board to construct new
or renovate existing educational spaces for our children. We hope there is a robust School conversation about
this soon.
Our Neighbors
Finally, we are deeply concerned about the characterization of homeless or unhoused people in our
community. We believe that the narrative of being unhoused equating to criminal behavior is inappropriate.
We understand that there is an eroding sense of public safety given events locally, nationally, and
internationally. Many of us are struggling and our neighbors are on edge.
180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 | 802-846-4107 | www.southburlingtonvt.gov
We are all active participants in public safety and our ability to have a connected and strong community. This
requires situational awareness and the ability to analyze our perceptions of others free of biases. We
encourage all to think about how we recognize the humanity of all our residents, advocate for everyone’s
needs, and give in ways that are meaningful to each of us. If you or someone you know needs help, we
encourage you to reach out to Vermont 211 for resources. If in a crisis, text “VT” to 741741. A trained crisis
counselor will respond. And, of course, if you see active criminal activity in our community, please call the
SBPD at 911.
If any of us can be of help, feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Meaghan Emery Jessie Baker
Acting City Council Chair City Manager
memery@southburlingtonvt.gov jbaker@southburlingtonvt.gov
Shawn Burke Tom DiPietro
Police Chief Public Works Director
sburke@SouthBurlingtonPolice.org tdipietro@southburlingtonvt.gov