 | COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD June 25, 2024 @ 6:30 p.m. 781 Blakely Road 3rd Floor Conference Room __________________ |
1. Call Meeting to Order | Roll Call | Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call: Pam Loranger, Chair; Tom Mulcahy, Vice Chair; Jacki Murphy, Clerk; Charlie Papillo; Maureen P. Dakin
Staff Present: Aaron Frank, Town Manager; Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager; Norm Baldwin, Incoming Public Works Director; Bryan Osborne, Retiring Public Works Director; Cathyann LaRose, Planning & Zoning Director; Lara Alemy, Finance Director; Alicia Tebeau-Sherry; Communications Coordinator
Others Present: Rich Paquette, Doug Bishop, Andy Julow
Pledge of Allegiance
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Public Hearing | 6:35 p.m.
a. FY25-FY30 Capital Budget Program | Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to open a public hearing to consider the draft Town of Colchester Capital Budget Program for fiscal years 2025 through 2030.
The MOTION carried.
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall noted the edits made to the proposed FY25-FY30 Capital Budget Program after receiving feedback from the Selectboard at the last meeting.
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger closed the public hearing.
3. Citizens to be Heard*
There were no citizens to be heard.
4. ACTION | Consent Agenda
a. Minutes of 6.11.2024 Selectboard Meeting
b. Tree Warden Appointment
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to adopt the Consent Agenda as it may have been modified by the Board and to take the actions indicated for each item:
Approve the Selectboard Minutes of the meeting of June 11, 2024
Appoint the Town's incoming Public Works Director, Norm Baldwin, as the Colchester Tree Warden for a one-year term, effective July 1, 2024 and ending March 31, 2025
The MOTION carried.
5. Special Business Items
a. ACTION: Resolution in Honor of Bryan Osborne
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to approve a resolution in honor of Bryan K. Osborne and his 33 years of service to the Town of Colchester:
WHEREAS, Bryan Osborne graduated from Vermont Technical College in 1981 with an Associates in Science Degree in Civil Engineering and began his professional career with Munson Earth Moving Corporation as a Field Engineer until 1984 where he oversaw construction crews, estimated projects and completed surveys; and
WHEREAS, after successfully applying his education and developing a deep appreciation for the actual work of civil construction, Bryan was hired in 1985 by the City of Burlington as an Excavation Inspector where he issued and controlled all City permits associated with construction activities within the City right-of-way, protecting the City’s investment in its infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, from 1985 to 1989, Bryan assumed the role of Street Division Head for the City and was responsible for planning, scheduling, directing and managing the operations of the Burlington Public Works Street Division as well as the Water Distribution crew of the Water Division of the Burlington Department of Public Works; and
WHEREAS, Bryan brought all this operational and technical knowledge to Colchester when he was hired on July 22, 1991 as Colchester’s first Public Works Director where he was tasked with combining the Highway Department, Wastewater, Buildings & Grounds, Town Garage and Town Engineer into a single department and began managing and developing the existing programs’ policies and re-evaluating and addressing the current and long-term budget deficiencies before transitioning over the next two years to assume supervision, coordination, and direction of this diverse but interlaced workgroup focused on infrastructure as a single Town Department; and
WHEREAS, during his 33 years of service to Colchester, Bryan has developed the Town’s first comprehensive snow and ice removal program, street sweeping program, capital paving program, capital equipment program, safety program, citizen outreach program related to capital maintenance, biocide treatment and infiltration programs within the wastewater operation, and an alternative transportation master plan; and
WHEREAS, Bryan has accomplished and contributed to a multitude of special projects to better the community’s infrastructure, including developing the Capital Equipment, Transportation and Park Plans; incorporating all Town capital plans into the five-year capital budget program; acquiring $30 million in state and federal aid for infrastructure, $1.3 million in LED lighting savings, sidewalk grants for Water Tower Hill, and $7 million in grant funding for the Malletts Bay Sewer Project; implementing the sewer systems for the Village, Growth Center and Malletts Bay; overseeing the new Town Office Building Construction, Town Garage, and Airport Park Maintenance Facility; completing the West Lakeshore Drive bike path and Village Recreational path; creating a Stormwater Utility; and installing solar powered pedestrian crossing signals around Town; and
WHEREAS, Bryan has been a great leader in the Public Works Department, reorganizing his staff to create room for the Town Engineer to serve as the Town’s project manager of the Recreation Center and building a strong team to continue the invaluable work of the Department after his departure; and
WHEREAS, Bryan has acted as a sounding board for the Town’s administration on important policy and resources issues, and has used his long-term relationship with state and regional officials to advance significant funding in support of some of the Selectboard’s most important goals; and
WHEREAS, Bryan’s initiative, creativity, vision and collaboration across departments, board and commissions, and the community will continue to inspire the completion of important projects and benefit the Town for years to come; and now therefore;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in recognition of his dedication and service to the Town of Colchester, Selectboard members hereby express their sincere and heartfelt appreciation to Bryan K. Osborne.
ADOPTED THIS 25TH DAY OF JUNE, 2024 BY THE COLCHESTER SELECTBOARD.
The MOTION carried.
b. ACTION: Proposed Amendments to Supplement 47 and Warn Public Hearing | Cathyann LaRose, Planning & Zoning Director
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Charlie Papillo to warn a public hearing on July 23, 2024 for the proposed amendments to the Colchester Development Regulations, known as Supplement 47, and as reviewed and considered the evening of June 25, 2024.
Planning and Zoning Director Cathyann LaRose summarized the proposed amendments to the Colchester Development Regulations, known as Supplement 47, including clarifying the language in the regulations related to non-conforming uses and the assignment of uses as residential versus non-residential for purposes of height maximums.
Selectboard members asked about hotels and height limits in lakeside districts LS1 and LS2. Cathyann explained that this amendment clarifies the language related to residential versus non-residential purposes and height in these districts, and that the Planning Commission will continue to discuss height limits along the lakeside in the near future.
Selectboard members expressed their concern on the ability under current regulations for hotel, motel, and inn development in the Bay and urged the Planning and Zoning staff, the Planning Commission, and Manager’s Office staff to work together and make addressing height limits in the Bay a priority project.
The MOTION carried.
c. Information: US Route 2 and Clay Point Intersection Update |Bryan Osborne, Public Works Director
Public Works Director Bryan Osborne summarized communications and short- to long-term improvement efforts between the Town and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) over the past two years regarding safety concerns along the U.S. Route 2 and Clay Point Road intersection and highlighted that the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) approved a scoping study to be included in their FY25 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
d. ACTION: Approval of FY25-FY30 Capital Budget Program | Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve the Town of Colchester FY25-FY30 Capital Budget Program, as presented, per a memo from Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager, dated June 12, 2024.
The MOTION carried.
e. Information: FY 24 Financials through May | Lara Alemy, Finance Director
Finance Director Lara Alemy shared the FY 24 financials, noting the status of expenditures, revenues, and the Local Option Tax (LOT) as of May 31st.
f. ACTION: Approve FY 25 Municipal Services Tax Warrant | Renae Marshall, Deputy Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve the Fiscal Year 2025 Tax Warrant setting a municipal services tax rate of $0.6389 per one hundred dollars of assessed property value.
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall recounted that the FY 25 tax rate is $0.6389 per one hundred dollars of property value, or a 4.7% increase over last year’s tax rate, and shared how Colchester’s tax rate compares to that of other communities, where Colchester has the second lowest municipal services tax per resident among inner Chittenden County communities.
The MOTION carried.
g. ACTION: Authorization to Transfer and Assign Funds | Aaron Frank, Town Manager
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to authorize:
1. An assignment of $326,000 in General Fund fund balance as FY 26 general fund revenues, which will reduce the amount of money that will need to be raised by property taxes when budgeted and approved as revenue for the FY 26 budget;
2. A transfer of $500,000 from the General Fund to the Fire Department Capital Plan; and
3. A transfer of $150,000 from the General Fund to the Capital Equipment and Facilities Plan, understanding, that if after the financial statements are complete and the transfers would result in a deficit for FY 24 (expenses exceeding revenues) then some or all of the transfer will not be made.
4. A transfer of $30,000 from the General Fund to the Information Technology Reserve Fund, understanding, that if after the financial statements are complete and the transfers would result in a deficit for FY 24 (expenses exceeding revenues) then some or all of the transfer will not be made.
5. A transfer of $40,000 from the General Fund to the Capital Transportation Plan, understanding, that if after the financial statements are complete and the transfers would result in a deficit for FY 24 (expenses exceeding revenues) then some or all of the transfer will not be made.
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained this transfer of FY 24 funds is possible because it is likely the Town will finish the current fiscal year with revenues exceeding expenditures, and that if the transfers are made, they will reduce the need to increase taxes in FY 26, provide additional funding for fire department air packs and radios, the construction of a salt shed, the partial funding of planning and zoning permitting software, and for the removal of a portion of Ash trees on Town land and right of way.
Selectboard member Charlie Papillo asked about how overspending on Police uniforms will be addressed in the future. Town Manager Aaron Frank explained that this area of spending generally self-balances when considering the Police Department as a whole but if it is consistently higher, additional funding would be budgeted in the future. .
The MOTION carried.
h. ACTION: Annual Audit Preparations | Julie Graeter, Town Clerk & Treasurer
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to authorize the Selectboard Chair to sign the Financial Management Questionnaire as received to fulfill the Vermont State Statutory requirements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
Town Manager Aaron Frank explained this Financial Management Questionnaire is completed by the Town Clerk and reviewed by the Selectboard annually in preparation for our annual audit to be conducted by an external Certified Public Accounting firm.
The MOTION carried.
6. Additional Business | Manager’s Recommendations
There were no further recommendations.
7. Informational Items
There were no questions or comments on the informational items.
8. Announcements
Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger announced Communication Coordinator Alicia Tebeau-Sherry’s departure from her role and thanked her for her service to the Town.
9. ACTION | Warrants
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to approve Warrant #24-36 in the amount of $1,291,567.58.
Deputy Town Manager Renae Marshall shared that there was one question on Warrant #24-36, line 15, vendor Bergeron Protective Clothing with a cost of $11,189.10, and explained that the cost was for replacement of 18 sets of firefighter boots that had reached their mandatory replacement age of ten years.
The MOTION carried.
10. Executive Session
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to find that premature general public knowledge of contracts, pending or probable civil litigation, and personnel issues would clearly place this Selectboard at a substantial disadvantage because the Selectboard risks disclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses these topics in public.
The MOTION carried.
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Maureen P. Dakin to enter executive session to discuss contracts, pending or probable civil litigation, and personnel issues under the provisions of Title 1, Section 313 (a)(1)(a)&(e) and (a)(3) of the Vermont Statutes, Executive Sessions.
The MOTION carried.
11. Adjournment**
MOTION was made by Jacki Murphy and SECONDED by Tom Mulcahy to adjourn the meeting.
The MOTION carried.
The meeting adjourned at 8:43 p.m.