 | MINUTES COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD May 26, 2020 @ 6:30 PM Colchester Town Offices 781 Blakely Road Outer Bay Conference Room, 3rd Floor __________________ |
1. Call Meeting to Order | Roll Call
Chair Jeff Bartley called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
Selectboard: Jeff Bartley, Chair; Tom Mulcahy, Vice-Chair; Jacki Murphy, Clerk; Pam Loranger; and Julie Hulburd
Staff: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Geoffrey Urbanik, Deputy Town Manager; and Bryan Osbourne, Director of Public Works; Lara Alemy, Finance Director; Lisa Riddle Zoning Administrator; Fire Chief Steve Bourgeois
Others in Attendance: Avalon Ashley, Colchester Sun
2. Citizens to be Heard
None came forward.
3. Public Hearing: Interim Zoning related to outdoor seating at restaurants
Aaron Frank explained that about a week ago, Lisa Riddle, Zoning administrator received a call from Jamie Rozzi wondering what they could do to open up outdoor dining once they are able to according to the governor’s orders. He and Lisa Riddle spoke to the Town attorney about this and decided we could use emergency zoning create temporary outdoor seating for up to two years to all Colchester restaurants as identified in the zoning code, which include:
8.111 With Outdoor Seating
McGuillicuddys
Rozzis
Pickled Perch
Lighthouse
Spanked Puppy
Burger Bar
8.112 Without Outdoor Seating
Zachary’s
Guilty Plate
New York Pizza Oven
3 Brothers Pizza
Athens Diner
Hoagie Hut
City Sports Grille
Yummy
Athens Diner
B. U. Pub
Cap n Cork
8.122 Short Order – with Outdoor Seating
Village Scoop
The biggest benefit of this temporary emergency zoning is that an applicant does not have to go before the DRB which can take a few months, due to legal requirements to notify neighbors, create a public document outlining compliance and lack thereof with those requirements, post and hold a public hearing of the Development Review Board, hold a deliberative session of the Development Review Board, issue findings of the development Review Board, all of which can take up to three months. This proposal is for the same rules to remain in place, but for staff to have the authority to temporally grant outdoor seating under temporary emergency zoning. The governor’s orders would have to be followed in all cases.
Lisa – thanks to Aaron for jumping on this issue so quickly. Restaurants still have to comply with the regs. but now have a quicker review and approval process.
Julie Hulburd asked if this has an end date? Lisa Riddle said May 31, 2022. Julie Hulburd wanted to be sure we communicated this to the restaurants.
MOTION made by Julie Hulburd and Seconded by Pam Loranger to close the public hearing.
MOTION carried 5-0.
4. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of Selectboard Meeting on May 12, 2020
MOTION made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger to adopt the Consent Agenda as it may have been modified by the Board and to take the actions indicated for each item:
a. Approve the Selectboard Minutes of May 12, 2020
MOTION carried 5-0.
5. Special Business Items
a. Action: Adoption of Interim Zoning measure – Lisa Riddle
MOTION made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to adopt Interim Zoning regulations required to enable the Zoning Officer to approve site plan amendments allowing for new or additional outdoor seating at restaurants described in Table A-1, Sections 8.111. 8.112. 8.122., following a public hearing held on May 26, 2020, including the language proposed in a memo to the Selectboard from Lisa Riddle, Zoning Administrator, dated May 18, 2020.
MOTION carried 5-0.
Jeff Bartley thanked Lisa Riddle and Aaron Frank for their hard work on this issue.
b. Fire Service Update – Steve Bourgeois
Chief Bourgeois announced the selection of command staff for the Colchester Fire Department effective July 1st: David Weissenstein, Assistant Chief of Administration; Seth Lasker Assistant, Assistant Chief of Operations; Bruce Palmer, Battalion Chief; Gary Francis Jr., Battalion Chief; Erik Haversang, Battalion Chief. A brief bio was read for each.
Chief Bourgeois then offered a quick update on organization of the new department. Before Covid 19, and since, development of the new department has gone quicker than expected, smoothly, with the first career captain hired, and two fulltime firefighters start June 1st, responding to calls then instead of July 1st. Colchester Fire District 2 allows them to use their vehicles and equipment until July 1. Chief Bourgeois also showed pictures of the new Colchester Fire Department decals on the ladder truck, speaks about the volunteer recruitment drive, and other items.
Aaron Frank noted importantly we have created a command structure where five of the six top leaders (except for Chief Bourgeois) are volunteers. This recolonizes the importance of the past, present and future of volunteerism in the Town’s firefighting service. The volunteer command staff were affiliated: two from Colchester Center Fire, two from Malletts Bay Fire, and one who was not affiliated with either.
c. Finance Report – Lara Alemy
Lara presented the report that was included in the packet.
6. Adjourn to Board of Sewer Commissioners for FY21 Wastewater Budget [DRAFT MINUTES]
MOTION made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd
MOTION carried 5-0.
Following the Board of Sewer Commissioners meeting, the Selectboard meeting was reconvened.
7. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
Aaron Frank reported that the Causeway continued to be officially closed. We are not enforcing the closure right now with construction paused. Once construction restarts it needs to be closed.
The contractor, JP Sicard, will be restarting no later than next week. Restart was difficult because we changed the design from 8-10’ to as wide as possible given the causeway shape. They lost a lot of time because of a wet winter and Covid, and now we want a different sized rock to allow a wider causeway. They now have to procure rock to allow the causeway to be wider. Should be done no later than Labor Day.
Town Offices have been closed to public access. We are still under the Governor’s orders to work remotely wherever possible, just like the private sector. Except for public safety, fifty percent of the staff were furloughed.
Town Hall was designed to be accessible and open which is something the staff and residents enjoy. The large public service windows and open office design do not work well when considering controlling spread of disease. We have ordered some clear partitions but they are waiting delivery. When they are in we will be open to the public, probably with limited hours due to the reduced staffing.
We continue to provide office based services on the phone, by email and via the web. Beginning Wednesday 5/27, we will be taking appointments for the next business day for services that cannot be conducted online.
The Colchester staff is required by the Governors orders to wear face coverings when we may be in the presence of others. This applies to the public safety staff as well as volunteers. We have put in place a requirement for the public to do so when visiting buildings in which town employees or town volunteers work.
The storage barn at village green was removed, it was deemed structurally unsound and unsafe and it was something that has been in the works for over two decades.
We are short staffed in the Planning & Zoning department, with two furloughs and one person on leave. We had planned on only one Development Review Board meeting every OTHER month. We were pleasantly surprised to have a lot of applications, so there are two awaiting a meeting on June 10th. We have four more that were not going to be considered until July. We have asked Karen Adams to come in and review the permits for compliance so we can have a DRB meeting as soon as the staff review is done. Colchester wants to do everything it can to keep the economy moving.
8. Action | Approval of Licenses
a. Carters License for Casella Waste Systems
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve a Carters License for Casella Waste Systems.
MOTION carried 5-0.
b. Amusement License for Sandra Gauthier
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve a Amusement License for Sandra Gauthier dba Jasper Mine Hall.
MOTION carried 5-0.
9. Informational Items
a. Week Ending May 22, 2020
10. Future Agenda Items (Subject to Change)
· June 9, 2020
o Hearings on the Board of Abatement
o FY 2021Abstract Grand List | Pre-Appeals – Robert Vickery
o Review Proposed Tax Warrant | Tax Rate for FY21 – Geoff Urbanik
o Draft Authorization to Transfer and Assign Funds – Aaron Frank
o Chittenden Solid Waste District Annual Budget – Sarah Reeves
· June 23, 2020
o Set Tax Rate for FY 2020 – Geoff Urbanik
· Year End Transfer Request FY 2019 – Aaron Frank
11. Announcements
Department of Public Works Stormwater Award: We received a Merit award for the DPW’s work on the Colchester Stormwater Infrastructure Assessment & Capital Budget Report. This award was presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies for the Studies, Planning and Consulting Engineering Services Category. The project included a survey of stormwater infrastructure using advanced zoom camera and geographical information systems technology to inspect and catalog 1,300 stormwater system structures and 114,600 linear feet of stormwater line.
Cotco gas pumps are now open weekdays 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m Saturday the station is open 7-10 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. On Sunday, the station is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
$1.59 for regular, the lowest in the state according to GasBuddy.com.
Congratulations Colchester High School Seniors: Colchester School District has created a Senior Celebration Area on Blakely Road by Malletts Bay School. Please walk the bike path check out the senior posters surrounded by the “We love our Seniors” signs in the trees, and leave a memento or note in the Senior Celebration Area.
Pam Loranger thanked the DPW for their Stormwater award, and mentioned Green up Day on May 30th
Bryan Osborne reported that the town had VTrans permission to install two crosswalks in Main Street in Colchester Village.
Jacki Murphy noted that construction started on the Laker Lane intersection, and Bryan Osborne said they plan on completion the last week of June. Just turning lanes, no signals.
Avalon Ashley reported that this was her last meeting with us, leaving the Colchester sun, thanks for being awesome board.
12. ACTION | Warrants
a. Action: Warrants #20-33
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to approve Warrant #20-33 in the amount of $408,675.23.
MOTION carried 5-0.
13. Executive Session
a. Personnel, Contracts, Litigation
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts, personnel and litigation would clearly place this Selectboard at a substantial disadvantage because the Selectboard risks disclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses the contracts, personnel and litigation in public.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Pam Loranger that the Selectboard enter executive session to discuss contracts, personnel and litigation under the provisions of Title 1, Section 313 (a)(1)(a) and (b) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions; and personnel under the provisions of 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)(3), Executive Sessions.
Motion carried 5-0.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to exit the executive session at 8:18 pm.
Motion carried 5-0.
14. Adjournment
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Julie Hulburd to adjourn
the meeting.
The MOTION carried 5-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:18 pm.