 Good evening like to convene this regular meeting of the City Council as 615. Would you please join with me in resetting the Pledge of Allegiance? First item on the agenda is the agenda Councilor Nodell President right I move to amend and adopt our agenda as follows first to note written material for agenda item 5.02 a presentation by John Tashiro general manager of city market regarding annual impact presentation Note nine additional written documents for agenda item 5.03 Which is the resolution for author is Authorization to execute closing documents for sale of broings and telecom to Champlain broadband LLC per city attorney Blackwood removed from the agenda item 5.04 communication Eileen Blackwood city attorney regarding Approval of settlement of fire grievance per CAO Anderson Moved by councillor Nodell seconded by councillor busher any discussion Hearing none all those in favor of the agenda as amended. Please say aye Any opposed we have our agenda item number two is communication from Eileen Blackwood city attorney and Ralphino Rourke From primer and Piper regarding BT sale expected executive session city attorney Blackwood Yes, we are going to Cover a couple of matters in this executive session. You're going to obtain so the finding that we would like is that to go into executive session to receive legal advice and also to Review a document that is still in negotiation. So it is a contract matter Premature disclosure of which would put the city at a disadvantage. Thank you recognize councillor Mason Thank you president right I'd like to make a motion for a finding as articulated by city attorney Blackwood Councillor Mason has moved the findings seconded by councillor Roof All those in favor of the findings, please say aye opposed Passes unanimously councillor Mason on the Thank you president right based on the finding. I'd like to make a motion to go into executive session noting I was gonna call him CAO Brian Lowe Eileen Blackwood Beth Anderson Jordan and then outside council present as well Moved by councillor Mason seconded by councillor Roof all those in favor of going into the motion to go into executive session, please say aye Any opposed passes unanimously and we will Clear the room and move into executive session would we are going to Reconvene the regular meeting the city council now coming out of executive session. We're back and We will resume the city council meeting could councillors, please take their seats item number three and The public has just come in if anyone wants to we're going to be going to the public forum So if anybody wants to speak in public forum, please fill out the form over here in the corner table and bring it over to the clerk's office here So We are back on item number three, which is the public forum Does anybody want to speak in public forum? Go in once going twice All right, we are closing the public forum and Item number four is the consent agenda councillor Nodell President right I moved that we adopt the consent agenda as amended and take the actions as indicated Councillor Nodell has moved the consent agenda seconded by councillor Roof All those in favor of passage of the consent agenda and taking the actions indicated. Please say aye Any opposed? we have Passed the consent agenda We move on to item 5.01 And that is a communication from mayor wine wine burger regarding appointment of assistant city attorney mayor wine burger Almost there with your present right. Just have a little tech bless you here at the board docks. I apologize Okay President right I'm happy to bring to you tonight the appointment of Joy Hove stat to be the newest member of the city attorney team as an assistant city attorney Joy comes to us by way of Vermont law school and Then clerkship With judge Michael Moses in Billings, Montana She is currently finishing that Clerkship and that is probably reason. She can't be here with us in person tonight, but she has gone through an extensive vetting process and Is the recommendation of the city attorney's office and myself after having met with her I think she'll be a great addition to the to the city attorney team and hope she'll get a strong support tonight Thank You mr. Mayor Do motion from councillor Mason? Thank You president right well They can make a motion to confirm the appointment of Joe joy. Hope is that as the city assistant city attorney Seconded by councillor Paul. Okay All right, the motion has been made is there any discussion councillor Hartnett I Was just wondering on the application that we you were sent out to us that It did mention some of the employer that she didn't want contacted I know we can't talk about that. It's a personnel matter, but I was wondering if the city had Saw that and Wondered if it was discussed at all or what what explanation might be given that you could give us in regards to that We did not ask for an explanation of that. It was significant given the Length of her work life. It was quite it was a while ago. It was pre-law school and we didn't see it as Significant there are and there are lots of reasons often involving Claims of harassment and things like that for people's not wanting us to talk so that we generally don't ask that unless it's a very recent issue Thank you Thank You councillor Hartnett any further discussion on this appointment Hearing none all those in favor of this appointment of the assistant city attorney police a I Any opposed I pass this unanimously And we have a confirmed that appointment of the assistant city attorney 5.02 is a presentation from the general manager of city market John Tashero Good evening. Thanks for being here always look forward to seeing you Especially since we always get a little bag You can you can begin while we do all they if you want to start you can begin while the bags are passed out Well, good evening City councillors and mayor. I don't necessarily want to make this such a party atmosphere, but as tradition goes It's always a pleasure to be from you. My name is John to share I'm the general manager at City Marketing River co-op and as what has become really an annual tradition I'm really here to share with you our performance of the co-op Over our last fiscal year, which would be fiscal year 2018 and so to Your left is our presentation. I'd like to go through the presentation certainly Wanted to take questions along the way as well So why are we presenting here today? As I mentioned, I think this has become an annual tradition. It really started when we had a land lease agreement with the city and as part of that requirement That the general manager reporting to City Council about our performance and certainly in terms of our commitment to the community From the co-op standpoint, we are really and continue to be committed to meet the city's needs in its entirety That includes low to moderate income disabled and elderly residents Certainly the supporting of our local products and our local nonprofits and also carrying a wide variety of products that provide options for really the entire community at large from conventional products to local and organic For our performance in 2018 We actually exceeded our sales forecast Which was very positive to see considering we had just expanded into the south end and I Supposedly wanted to really make mention of city councillors in the south end City councillor Shannon and city councillor Mason who were extremely supportive of our efforts there to certainly connect with the community And to all of the other city councillors as As part of that effort we really went to all the MPA meetings At least six toward five to keep the community updated in terms of our progress So it's with great pleasure that I share with you that having exceeded from a sales standpoint Was great news for us as you can imagine for a co-op that has just gone through expansion. It's very much a Very nervous time And it's very rare Especially being the largest expansion project that a co-op has ever taken on in the entire country To actually have not only met but exceeded our sales forecast And for your reference for a financial year 19 We are anticipating an unscheduled to meet our sales target of about 52 million In terms of our sales to members another key indicator for us It's a great representation of whether or not we are truly delivering and serving our members. So having sales contribution of members at 68% also a very positive indicator Certainly local products the way we define local is those products that are Produced or predominantly manufactured here in Vermont That's not necessarily the definition for local by all co-ops, but because we are so centrally located We are able to provide that definition and once again with 40% of our sales making up A made up of local products is something that you know, we're very proud of and certainly at this point We have over 13,000 members In the community Predominantly in Burlington, but certainly In greater Burlington across Chittin County, and we hope to continue to grow those numbers in terms of our employees We also had quite a significant rise With expansion we increased our employee count by about a hundred So up to about 330 employees across both the downtown and the south end locations of which the majority is full-time that model is Is very rare in the food retail industry Many traditional food retailers actually have that model flipped where they try to keep labor low We very much take a very different approach in co-ops in general. We really believe in continuity with our staff And as part of that we have members and customers who specifically come in on certain days Because there are certain staff people who are working there Who are better acquainted and familiar with those member and those customer needs? And as you can see 62% of our staff live in Burlington. So when we had things like the winter storm Two storms ago when there was anywhere from 18 to 24 inches of snow Most food retailers you can imagine we're closed for us The idea was how do we stay open at normal working hours? And so we were open at 7 a.m. In both stores in the downtown. We closed at 11 that day 11 p.m. And then in the south end at 9 p.m. And we had about 60 calls from members asking us We were open for us it's beyond just making sure that we run a good business, but really how we serve the community and Our staff I can't say enough about our staff. They work so hard. So committed. It is really amazing to see Certainly in terms of our employees we look at compensation in a very holistic way I know there's a lot of talk around the $15 minimum wage We recognize that we need to continue to improve in that area But we also want to look at the other benefits we provide and certainly around health care and such So once again, this is just a quick snapshot of all the benefits that we provide and we will continue to Make efforts to improve on this In terms of the support for the community Once again as I spoke earlier a key part of our mission is really how do we provide access and availability of healthy products? To those that really need it most and so this chart to me is is a very critical in terms of how we serve the community who Are funded in some way around programs such as three squares Vermont or WIC and so as you can see those numbers Since and the last three years have continued to grow after we had an initial dip and if you wonder Why that it might have happened that was really driven primarily by a lot of grants and funding starting to dry up across the country and back in 2016 we noticed that declining trend we actually conducted focus groups With our customers and members who are on three squares of montane and WIC or eWIC now To understand how we could better serve them one of the things that we have offered now is that in addition to the 10% That they receive on all their purchases at the co-op excluding beer and wine We've actually added an additional five percent for any purchases for Produce and for our bulk items once again because we recognize that there are a lot of Local and organic and health the products that can be offered in those two departments, and we've certainly seen some growth in those areas Food for all members once again those members that struggle Economically to have access to healthy food. You can see the member sales in general Growing once again, you can see the impact of some of the focus group results that we have seen But we are by far not done with continuing to increase the contribution of our food for all members They make up about 10% of our membership of 13,000 so approximately a little under 1300 and we'd like to really see that portion continue to grow in terms of member work Hopefully if you are members you are aware that if you volunteer more than four hours a month You receive a seven percent discount on all your purchases at the co-op excluding beer and wine If you volunteer more than eight hours a month You receive a twelve percent discount on all your purchases at the co-op excluding beer and wine And you can stack the volunteer hours, so if you want to do all forty eight hours Or or all 96 hours in one month you can and you can continue to top it off in that discount percentage Would remain for the full 12 months. We believe on hearing is extremely important Not only because it helps Certainly our nonprofits as you can see listed there to the right 95% of volunteer work is taking place at those 24 plus 9 nonprofits We do all the orientations within each of our locations and we work with the nonprofits to find out what types of roles That those member volunteers can Conduct and for us as you see between 2017-18 we've seen a significant growth primarily from because of the increase in members With the opening of our South End store The other benefit is for our members. They can see really what is happening in the community There is so much as all of you As public servants know happening in the community This is once again another opportunity for our members to see the wonderful work that our nonprofits do And it was just this morning that the mayor and Secretary Tebbitt Attended and said some inspiring words for an event we had called the seedling grand program It's essentially an opportunity for various nonprofits to seek funds to help address food insecurity to help strengthen local food system we were able to give funds a total of thirty thousand dollars to seven organizations For work that they will be doing to address those two issues and once again that in combination With the work that we do with these nonprofits here Remains really core to our mission as a co-op the other side of Something that really through your generosity and members and customer generosity is our rally for change program Those nickels dimes quarters Where our cashiers ask when you come and purchase products at the co-op whether or not you'd be willing to round up they add up to quite a significant amount of money As you may know arrive change program has three Non-profit partners that we select every month of which one is a constant partner the chitin and emergency food shelf They are a 50% partner for the month and that is consistent throughout the year The other two partners are 40% partners bless you a 10% partner Those two nonprofits rotate every month and so you can see in one 12 month period We give through your generosity as a vehicle in FY 18 $200,000 to support the work of the emergency food shelf a Tremendous amount of money for an organization that does a tremendous amount of work The other remaining 200,000 is divided amongst those nonprofits that are selected each month So once again our way to say you know, thank you really for our members our customers To all of you have been so generous in rallying up and allowing us to be that vehicle to support the community Another exciting opportunity and I look forward to it every year is our annual cuts tree sale Hopefully you might have bought a tree from the co-op This last December It's become an annual tradition in partnership with cuts For the last 21 years We sell about 660 trees And it takes about seven days to sell out. We've only done it in the downtown. We are thinking about it possibly in the south end in future But once again a wonderful partnership we have the cuts for the great work they do That allows us to give all the profits To cuts which added up to a little over ten thousand dollars this winter So once again just to make you aware of that work in this year. We also work closely with the intervail center For every tree that was bought the intervail center planted a tree Once again, it's part of our efforts around our environmental practices to make sure That we can also leave this planet better than we left it I mentioned earlier about the seeding grant And once again, we just had that ceremony this morning and we hope to continue this One of the things to note is in past when we had a patronage refund because we were profitable Which you may know that at this point the co-op is not profitable and for the next three years We still anticipate because of the significant debt we took on with the south end store That we won't be profitable, but this is something that we had planned We didn't want to stop this program. We felt it was too important. So we tied it into one of our right for change partners slots throughout the year and That's the way that we are funding it and next year We actually intend to raise that funding to forty thousand dollars and we just announced that at the ceremony today So those grant applications are open For submission as of earlier this morning In terms of the local economy once again our focus on local remains we offer over 2,800 Vermont products local products They made up once again 40% of our sales and we believe in this multiplier effect You may know that the co-op continues to also Support producers and our farmers and our vendors. We have at times acted like a bank where we have given Or five-year loans at zero percent interest only to be paid back in cash or as product in kind and You might be wondering well obviously if those products are being brought into the co-op certainly co-op benefits And that is indeed the case. We want to increase capacity with some of our vendors our farmers And they come to us because they may not necessarily feel comfortable going to a bank per se Although we do quite a bit of diligence in looking at business plans But we also say that if they are able to sell to other Retailers we are also comfortable with that. I'd like to say that comically will receive some benefit from that too But overall the local economy will be strengthened and it will come back to us in some form or fashion That's where we hope as we continue to really support that local economy It's once again core to our mission Certainly taxes and fees As you can see it's risen quite a bit in 2018 now that we have two locations And certainly we hope that in future as we grow will continue to support the community Sort of second the last slide we've received a lot of recognition I must say that you know we probably this is our weakness. We don't like to talk about Some of the recognitions we've received But I thought it'd be good to just note for City council and for the mayor's reference We've received a number of governor's awards Certainly the most recent one the excellence award in worksite wellness and how we support and cultivate our work culture For our building we received certainly a design sustainability award We received a couple of best places the work award the last two years Multiple seven daisies the one that I think we can be also very proud about is Best place to eat alone. I think that speaks a lot in terms of people's comfort levels at the co-op and Other things such as retail the year We also received from the EPA New England an environmental merit award for the cleanup work that we did on Our south end site It's something that you know, we tend to think would be common sense But I can say hand on heart that that site is the cleanest it will ever be with the 1.5 million dollars we put into it working closely with The Department of Environmental Conservation and the state and certainly the city of Burlington To make sure that the site was clean not just to build a grocery store before the community at large considering its close proximity to the lake last but not least certainly the south end Expansion has and can use to go well. We are still settling so we appreciate the 60 plus Customer comment cards. We still receive weekly which I was review with a small team and get back to every single one of them We wanted to continue to make some upgrades to the south end And so that's something that you will see us continue to strive to improve I'm also in the midst of developing a vision for 2025 You can imagine that this expansion Was something that the co-op have been planning for quite a while But certainly and from my standpoint the next question is really where do we go from here? We are an ambitious group of people who want to find ways to better serve this community So as much as this project Did take a lot of effort from everyone I speak not just From the co-op standpoint but from the city and our members that there's still much more to do So as we take a bit of a breather It's my role to really see where then do we go from here, so I'm in the midst of Developing a vision which I will be bringing To different stakeholders and the city is certainly a stakeholder as well to share with you about really where I believe 2025 we can be and I can tell you now that it will be Certainly including food, but also areas that potentially would be beyond that The other thing is to also make you aware that we have a union at the co-op. It's a well-established union and We have a mature relationship We have union negotiations coming up as our contract or two-year contract expires at the end of June So I just wanted to make you aware of that once again I've been involved in two union negotiations We always are able to come to a very good conclusion for all parties. I oversee the entire Process on behalf of all of the staff, but I just didn't want to make you aware of that so with that I know that was a very quick and swift overview of our work and We're certainly be open for any questions. All right. Thank you. Mr. Toshira for that great presentation and Also for the little bags that we all got we appreciate that any questions council Hartnett Thank you Just in that summary you I can remember a year ago. We were asking our last couple years What is it going to do the downtown store and you guys going to be successful and I think you answered all those questions with that presentation But what you need to do better is what I know you kind of made a light reference to it You need to tell the community what you do. It's amazing story and and it's not it's not told I think people would be shocked And the room is empty tonight, and I know we have channel 17 here, but in general You knew you do need to find a better way to get the message out of what you've done for this community And there's a long history here right going way back and we still hear it sometimes You know about you know letting them have that storefront in the whole nine yards, right? And I mean this is probably the biggest success story in Burlington over the last, you know 25 years 30 years right and it's untold the things that you guys do Just amazing. So I wish you could find more ways to kind of You know share your story, and I think people would really appreciate the efforts that you guys do in this community So if that if you had one thing to work on for next year When you come to us you you can tell us that you've gotten the word out there that Everybody knows how great you are, and I know that's kind of hard to do if you need any help Let me know I'm usually pretty good at that But no I think it's important. I and it's amazing. It's just an unbelievable story For the whole state actually role model. Thanks. Thank you counselor Hartnett counselor Paul then Tracy and pine Thanks, John. Thanks so much for being here. You are right. We do all look forward to this night Not only for the for the goodies, but also to hear What's always an exciting story and would certainly second on everything that counselor Hartnett said as well the the question that I have is You know as you know the voters on last Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a an advisory question on the reduction of single-use plastic and I know you I'm sure you remember about three years ago You and I met when we were as a council trying to come up with a way to to reduce If not eliminate plastic bags Specifically and that you know what we're what we were voting on on Tuesday was much more encompassing and I we all notice the The straw that you have in the bag Which is great but you know you you were not overly enthusiastic about the idea of Reducing Plastic bags at City Market, and I wondered if your feelings on that have changed and if so how and You know also if you would commit to working with us on crafting a Reduction policy Thanks. Well, thank you for that question. So first and foremost I I guess I just want to be clear before I came to the co-op I was heading up an environmental nonprofit co 1% for the planet So it's anything about environmental issues. I'm extremely acutely aware of them I guess the to your point about plastic bag use and single-back use it is something that we are looking into So case in point if you look at our produce bags, we had shifted to compostable plastic bags and You know the challenge with that is To really find a compostable bag That really works in the way that our members and our customers also can be satisfied with and we had some challenges as much as We were closely with suppliers. We actually had to Move on from a certain supplier to a different supplier and now we have a compostable bag that is really acceptable To the point where people have been trying to use it as a regular plastic bag and finding out that their Produce is composting Quicker and so that's been an interesting challenge because we've had many many members and customers come back and say Please just give us back plastic bags, and we're trying to find that balancing act But I will say that you know one of the areas that we certainly need to improve on is around our packaging We have been making some efforts and certainly with being the first food retailer in Vermont To have a transcritical co2 refrigeration system Which in a very simplistic way is to say that a refrigeration system that is powered by co2 verges a Traditional refrigeration system that uses hfc hydrofluorocarbons, which is about a thousand times more potent than co2 and the reason why that's important is because food retailers Typically use up 50 percent their electricity through their refrigeration units Which and refrigeration over time Become less efficient. They essentially leak They leak gas and if they're using hfc they leak that hfc gas which is so much more potent than co2 So we made the investment as the first in Vermont in the South End store To invest in a transcritical co2 system which costs about 40 percent more the piping structure is also much more complex And the payback is a very long payback, but We and there was no doubt in our minds to invest in it because ultimately we want to set a precedent To one be better for the planet Because if it leaks it leaks co2, so it's a thousand times less potent, but also for other retailers to follow And there are other things that we've been doing 40 percent for waste is compostable 40 percent is recyclable and 20 percent Is now landfill we having proved those numbers over the years And we will continue to do so and the next area of focus is around looking at our bags And so right now I've commissioned our team to look at certainly The use of our bags and our packaging overall But also look at our practice across the store because what we And you may recall Council Paul at the time it wasn't as if we were less enthusiastic It was we really were pushing pushing the recycling of film plastic, which is what products delivered to the store wrapped in it is One of the most impactful areas on the environment that food retailers experience So we wanted to really put our efforts there and unfortunately It's it's an area that doesn't seem to get as much traction or as excitement because it's very much behind the scenes But it actually is the most impactful and so that's where you know, I wanted to really put our focus but I also understand that you know time is short to Really make the impact on the planet And so we are currently Looking into Everything from how do we reduce our packaging and certainly in the form of plastic bags? And we have Earth Day coming up April 22nd and certainly we have Earth Week the bags that we've given you obviously will be here We gave out about 15 to 20,000 bags for free last year So people can reuse for their Shopping and we hope to continue to do that in the future too Great. Thank you. Thank you. Council Paul. Councilor Tracy then Councilor Pine Councilor Shannon Thank you very much for your presentation very much appreciated as well as the bag of nice stuff. I Just wanted to ask about the vision 2025 piece Does that mean that you're going to be looking to not that you wouldn't be looking towards expansion until 2025? And then or is that really just trying to set a vision for having things in place by 2025? I'm thinking of it specific and I'm thinking of it specifically about what that might mean for the old North end because Concurrent to the development of the South End store you had held the lease North Manuski and had since given that up and sort of as that process I'm told that I heard from some folks Who were concerned about the impacts that they would have on local Grocers in the old North end but then from other folks who were excited and then ultimately disappointed That you chose to not go that route So I'm just wanting to know what a little bit more about that that visioning process and particularly what it means could mean for the old North end So the vision 2025 effort is around just wanting to provide a bit of a roadmap in terms of where I believe the co-op can be in 2025 so it isn't by any means to say that we would not look at expanding our services whether that be in a bricks and mortar From a location standpoint or any other initiative I think in past as the co-op is grown. We've really sort of grown organically And certainly the South End store project had been in the works for a very long time But I think we're at a point where we want to be a bit clear in terms of really where we heading to and we are certainly grounded in our mission But we I feel that it would be really important for us as especially as our membership is grown It's only as our business becomes a little more complex to really say this is where we believe we can be in 2025 and as part of that as we take those steps This is how they fit into that that journey Rather than to say we're going to be opening up another location And I know that there are other retailers out there that make announcements about opening up locations I just think there should be a bigger picture long-term view and then from that Whatever things that we do people can see and members can see in the community can see how they tie into That plan speak to the old north end It's certainly an area that we know our roots our history are from the old north end We certainly want to continue to serve the old north end So I would just say stay tuned in terms of how we do that. We don't have anything specifically in mind at this point But ultimately we do want to serve the browning community and the greater brewing Thank you. Thank you councillor Tracy councillor pine then councillor Shannon. Thanks, John. That was a great presentation and The work that the co-op does around Supporting local farmers local ag and producers of all types is is remarkable the family wage jobs. I think is critical and Deep and continued enduring support for other really critical nonprofit community organizations is pretty amazing I'd like you to just to touch on the that seven one of those principles of the cooperative principles around cooperation among cooperatives because I think We have a pretty thriving co-op sector But I don't always get the sense that there's as much of the cooperation among cooperatives supporting, you know growth and expansion of democratic control and understanding of what that means to be a democratic organization By by by design not just by accident. So what are you doing and what could you do more to support? Some of the local co-ops whether it's housing or consumer co-ops or worker co-ops What a wonderful question So you can see that as we think about vision 2025 Really growing the local cooperative economy is going to be a key part of that and to your point Principle number six is cooperating among co-ops So some of the work that we have done Include everything from supporting other food co-ops within the state of Vermont, but also across the region the New England region in New York Whether it be supporting Brattleboro food co-op We had actually made a loan to them many years ago an additional loan. They were going through some hard times At a very low interest once again because it's co-ops. We want to support other co-ops another example here When we look at our cash machines in the downtown store in the South End store, we were approached from a number of other banks To see if we would consider especially for the South End a cash machine that would be in their name We ended up going with Vermont Federal Credit Union as all of you hopefully know credit unions are all co-ops There was no doubt in our mind Even if their fees weren't necessarily as competitive as the others that we wanted to support Also, when we look at the interrail farm cooperative farm That's also an issue that we have supported throughout the years and then also even we look across the region In the last two years we supported the opening of a co-op in East Aurora, New York once again because we want also support co-ops in the region And we put together a loan that would guarantee a bank loan for them among seven other co-ops Which took about seven minutes to raise a guarantee for about a quarter of a million So we do that work Really with the intention to really walk the talk There is still more work to do And as you talk about things such as housing and work co-ops that is an area that we are exploring as part of this vision because to your point I think the work we do around food continues to be core and important to us But we also recognize some of the community needs and certainly within the Burlington greater Burlington area And we feel that we can not necessarily in the same way approach it as we have with let's say building a South End store Partnering creating some strategic partnerships. We can bring some expertise We can certainly bring in the food into the mix and then seeing how we can be More impactful and collaborative in our approach rather than to just take on a project in full and That's part of really some of the vision work That I'm developing that we'd like to take forward because we recognize that you know We don't have the expertise in some other areas, but in partnership with others We could potentially bring some things of fruition in a way that maybe hasn't been envisioned before I just have one quick one is we have a lot of little corner stores and we still have some We're just losing one in in my neighborhood in the old North End on the corner of North Avenue and North Street the owners had a tough time recruiting and retaining staff and actually turning a profit and It's just an idea to see whether you you guys know how to run stores You know how to do that now these little ones are different But whether there's some technical assistance that you could provide to small operators to help them Be able to turn a profit so they can serve their community in their neighborhood I don't know if that's realistic, but it just seems like you all have the expertise Perhaps sharing it with folks who could use that would be I mean we would be very open to it I would I would encourage if the sort would like to reach out to me We've actually done that work in other places. You might remember about two years ago We actually helped a store out in Jericho Richmond area a country store. They had wanted to actually become a co-op They sought advice for us. We gave them advice I think there was some ambition that they had that I think You know in hindsight could have been sort of rethought through and we cautioned them because the food retail business as many know It's a very very Tight margin business. We're talking about one to two percent bottom-line profit After you take away all the costs of goods and labor and such and so when you don't have a certain of scale as much as We are certainly a larger player in the in the community We are certainly know Hanna Ferds or our Shaw's or a price chopper and such and so We have worked with local businesses local retailers. We have actually volunteered time In that case we actually had staff work in their store to help for a period of time to show an expertise and unfortunately We couldn't we couldn't help that in the end, but if there are local businesses that are wanting to seek some support We've also looked at you know partnering with entities like that because for us the local business includes local retailers So I would encourage them to reach out to me But you know your point is well taken Thank you councillor councillor Shannon Thank you Thank you very much John and I always tell Anybody who wants to embark on a major project? I always refer them to you, and I hope that hasn't taken too much of your time because You were masterful in how you approached Getting this out then store built it was a pretty dramatic change for neighbors you know we did allow that zoning and I think everyone appreciates the way that you worked with neighbors with great sincerity and Making real changes to the design of the store so that it would work for neighbors I will note that I get questions about Why on earth don't we pave? Briggs and it you know it looks like landmines have gone off all over that street And so I'm not going to ask you that question, but rather Because we know what the answer is But share with the public that that was a concession that was made to neighbors who were taking on With the zoning change taking on a lot more traffic than they ever had before and Briggs was not paved purposely to deter traffic from go using those neighborhood streets We wanted them to stay on the main arteries and the entrance was changed to accommodate that as well Which is a very significant concession for city market. It's not ideal, but it needed to be done Because the store was getting built before the connector and those things will change as the connector comes in people will see changes there and I think the neighbors continue to be grateful while some who are driving there from outside the direct neighborhood are a little baffled by the situation What what you had mentioned about plastics I think that is exactly right And it's what we have heard from Chittin in solid waste that our biggest plastics problem is the plastic film that I understand the the pallets are all wrapped in this tremendous amount of plastic film and While it's a bigger problem I think we do still want to deal with the consumer side as well But if you did I don't know if anybody is dealing with that plastic film better than we are here in Vermont, but It is a conversation that I'm interested in having if you have any ideas with your environmental background I don't think we should you know, we should not ignore that problem while we're while we're addressing the other So thank you for raising it. Thank you. Councilor Shannon Councilor Busher for the final well councilor jank councilor busher and then jang and then we're going to wrap this up Thank you You know you're such a success story, but one thing that I didn't really see I saw the donations and That you make to various agencies and how you help people that are in need But could you just speak briefly to the affordability of products? In the past there has been a page on you know your comparison with milk and cereal etc And I just wanted to know if you were someone who wasn't in a category that qualified for Assistance, but still were had limited access to funds Is is Are you competitive? Are you affordable? Thank you for that question. It's a question that we are often asked So it's one that I'm very well versed in and so there there is this perception That the co-op is expensive and I won't be sitting here telling you that it isn't In the sense that we offer a variety of products at different price points So we offer products that are certainly what we call basic and we actually have a line What we call an everyday low-price program called co-op basics and you can really notice them in the store We constantly did that because the tags actually stick out of the shelves and we have over 330 different what we call a scary you units of different every day low-price basic products That people would seek and so that is really at the basic level then we have our good products Then we have our what we call special occasion products or best products So we offer the three ranges Another thing we also do and Actually one of my colleagues Claire is here and she will know it well as we do price comparisons with many of the Retailers in the area and as part of our policy is something that I report to the board on is that we always aim to be within 10% From a price range standpoint on our basic items So we look at anywhere from 40 plus items So your milks your butters your breads your basic meats and such eggs To make sure that we are falling within that 10% and many of times We are hovering around maybe five to six percent on some products. We're actually even better interesting fact I Sure that many of you have had Cabot cheese when we were one store co-op We actually sold more Cabot cheese Than any single store location of any chain or local store anywhere in the world Now having lived in Asia having lived in Europe and also traveled to Latin America I can tell you that Cabot cheese and necessarily available in and those three continents or Africa, but We were the highest selling Cabot sales store as a single location anywhere in this country And it's baffling to the Cabot folks But then when you hear members and customers because our cashiers I'll talk to them and I'll mention this and like John We can see that why? Because the member just bought 70 bars of the rectangular mild cheddar cheese Just the other day and they're gonna be coming back for more. So now as a two-store co-op We saw that connect the Cabot folks who are celebrating their hundredth year anniversary This year and they are a co-op As we all know to see how we're doing as a two-store co-op But from our standpoint we do those price comparisons and many a times we have products and price points that are even better Then but we understand the impression that people might have because we do offer Those different tiers and we hope to continue expand on the co-op basic products. That's great As councillor Hartnett said about the message your message and I think that the affordability question still Obviously resonates for me And I think whatever we can do to try to make people understand that there are Things that people can afford to buy at the co-op would be really good. Thank you. Thank you councillor Busher Okay, final question from councillor Jang Yes, so I will start with a comment. Thank you for being here and thank you for your commitment to the community I feel like sometimes that whatever the city of Burlington can't do city market can do it can achieve it I can give you one of these two examples One of them is we currently talking about safe injection sites Basically, and I feel like that you have created that concept a long time ago because every bathroom at city market You'll see where people can put their needles, which is kind of a health type of thing. Let's consider it that way We also been talking about the mural project here. Everybody love a parade mirror But you guys with your new store you created a wonderful mirror that is highly inclusive and everyone can see themselves when they enter the city market and Just recently just today One of your staff that froze she works only 30 hours a week 30 and when I was saying hey, we have a full-time you interested. She's no like why because city market I am I love it there. They make me feel welcome. I'm part of the home and I'm flexible too. I think the pay also is wonderful is incredible but You definitely doing anchorty what you community to to the community We all here at city councils. We're not getting paid and When you get out of here, we have commissions. We have NPAs. We have all of those people not counselors But how do we make sure that those folks who volunteer to make the city as great as it can be can have access to your? 20 hours volunteering service At least per year. Is that possible? Can we put a pledge for you to make it happen next year? Maybe. Thank you Thank you, and thank you councillor Jang and with that. Thank you, Mr. Toshiro for that presentation and Thank you for the bags and and we always appreciate hearing you come before us and give us an update on the co-op Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you Okay, with that I am going to recess The city regular city council meeting at 826 and convene the liquor control commission First I'm on the agenda is the agenda Commissioner no, excuse me. Yes commissioner Dean. Thank you commissioner, right? I would make a motion that we adopt the agenda moved by Commissioner Dean and seconded by commissioner roof Any discussion all those in favor of adopting the agenda the police. Yeah, I Any opposed we have the agenda item number two is the consent agenda commissioner Dean Commissioner, right? I move that we adopt the consent agenda taking the actions as indicated Motion made by commissioner Dean and seconded by commissioner roof any discussion all those in favor of adopting the Adopting the consent agenda and taking the actions indicated police. Yeah, I any opposed That passes unanimously Move that we adjourn Jermit moved by commissioner Dean and seconded by commissioner roof all those in favor of adjourn the police. Yeah, I opposed We have adjourned and dealt with the liquor control commission and I will reconvene the regular city council meeting at 827 and we are on to item 5.03 which is Resolution authorization to execute closing documents for sale of Burlington telecom to Champlain broadband Mr. Mayor President right, did you I think at this point it might be appropriate to Suspend the city council meeting reconvene the board of finance meeting Councillor Busher You may address that you may member of the board of finance. I thought you were going to okay So may I speak directly to the mayor? You may speak through me to the mayor. Okay. Well, this is so weird So president right? Mr. Mayor I Based on the executive session that we had with the full council and Where we got to at the end of that executive session. I feel I do not feel the need to Have the board of finance make a recommendation to the full body. I think the full body should just act Based on the executive session that was had and thank you councillor busher and I agree with that unless city attorney Blackwood Would say something different I think I think that's fine The mayor just needs to remember that he then needs to call and adjourn the call together and adjourn the board of finance But it could wait till after the city council meeting given that okay I'm going to look to councillor Nodell for motion Yes, I would waive the reading and move adoption of this resolution relating to Authorization to execute closing documents for sale of Burlington telecom to Champlain broadband LLC and just a few remarks after a second seconded by Councillor pine councillor Nodell you have the floor back. Yes. So this resolution authorizes the mayor to to Execute some closing documents that implement the asset purchase agreement that the city council approved in December late December 2017 Subsequently went to the public utility commission and the PUC Issued a the certificates of public good to Champlain, which is a subsidiary of shores in February and the city is committed to Executing under there are our understanding the asset purchase agreement We committed to executing the closing as soon as practical Practicable after the PUC acted I Will hear more from the mayor and from the the attorneys But my own view is that it is of critical importance to the future of Burlington That we move forward with this transaction tonight. Thank you. Thank you councillor Nodell. Mr. Mayor. Did you want to address this? Thank You president right I think councillor Nodell teed it up Very well and and summarize the relevant history here. I do Think this is a moment to Welcome the PUC decision it is one that we had a sizable team working to achieve that outcome for considerable period of time and the and the PUC Ruling that came out a couple weeks ago was both a Very clear and strong decision in the city's favor As well as one that I think puts us in position to move forward and achieve Really the goals that the city has been working towards since 2010 when the Financial troubles that Burlington telecom was experiencing became clear, you know specifically those goals that This ruling put us in position to achieve our protection of taxpayers from Any further liability the one of the things that will happen? Once the council has made this authorization and we move forward with the closing is that the The city bank will receive their their final payment and the city will finally be released from the 33 and a half million dollar lawsuit that has continued to Be out there hovering in Obeyance essentially waiting for this event to take place that will finally be fully resolved We will have protected the fiber optic resources that the city built and has continued to build in recent years Something that was very much in doubt during the Most challenging periods of BT's history We will have succeeded in securing a significant amount of repayment of the 17 million dollars had been invested Directly there will be millions of dollars that will be repaid to the city and in addition we will consolidate and Ensure that the city's financial improvement before credit rating upgrades that have happened since the settlement agreement was secured Which have already resulted in more than ten million dollars of taxpayer savings Are also preserved and will continue and continue to grow in years ahead Finally, and I think importantly this PUC ruling which included the Approval of the full asset purchase agreement which had a variety of protections for the public in the city in there the one that I think is little on you know, maybe underappreciated and maybe the most significant long-term is That the city will retain a veto right on any future transfer of Burlington telecom in the future ensuring That if that if that transfer would have were to create a telecommunications monopoly what we had with Here in the city prior to The creation of Burlington telecom that competition has already been very good for Burlington residents and businesses and that will be protected and ensured Into the foreseeable future as a result of this regulatory approval of the agreement so while this is this is a A night many years in the making and We're pleased to be in position to have this decision before the council. Thank you, mr. Mayer Do we need any comments from the legal team? Oh, okay Comments or questions from the council councillor Tracy Having not voted for the asset purchase agreement and having been pretty strongly opposed to the deal I feel that you know, I will be voting against this because I feel that it's really just I you know I did not support it. I don't feel like I need to rehash why I didn't do that I think it's been pretty clear that I thought that the other bitter Keep growing to telecom local was the better bid I Understand that I lost that vote, but I feel deeply disappointed that this is Kind of where this has ended and that will be you know selling to this other company at this point, so I'm deeply disappointed in this and We'll be voting. No, thank you councillor Tracy councillor pine. Mr. President. I guess what I would ask to do the mayor didn't in his comments didn't Speak to one of the issues that the public continues to I Think misunderstand for whatever reason is that the decision to sell Burlington telecom was was made in 2014 and that they believe this council unanimously Voted to do that in 2014 So the sale of Burlington telecom to a private entity actually occurred at that point I just want to be clear that that was actually the sale of Burlington telecom and tonight We're finalizing the agreement to to consummate the sale to the next owner of Burlington telecom But in the interim we have not owned Burlington telecom. Is that right? I just Mr. Mayor so Yes, I think councillor pine is correct at that transaction 2014 was both unanimous and Significant and really set the table for this final transaction The you know to expand upon it just a bit further it was always conceived of as an interim transaction because the city had been had found it impossible in the years leading up to that to find a final resolution of Burlington telecom because of all the uncertainty around the Numerous steps that have taken us five years that needed to take place before the final Transaction could be completed and and and the concern that Many entities had with pursuing that so with that interim transaction allowed was essentially an Entity to come in and allow the city to secure settlement agreement get the legal crisis under control and then Work deliberately over multiple, you know over a three-year period of time to find the right long-term steward of these resources and And and really there was no going back in many ways once that decision was made as you know Maybe maybe this is the place to get into the weeds of that and that you know could be debated in some ways But it was it was a very consequential decision. I won the one Point I think it's worth making it and maybe has not been made enough is even at that point The city's ownership if you will of the Burlington telecom assets were already quite tenuous in a couple respects won the the structure of the From the very beginning of Burlington telecom was such that the city did not initially originally own All the assets of Burlington telecom. It was a lease It's a transaction where city bank Essentially owned the assets and leased them back to the city for operation and use and it was really kind of a lease to own Vehicle where ultimately after decades of payments the city would own the asset But until then the assets were owned by a private party right from the start and so And then of course the history is such that it was very challenging was impossible for Burlington telecom in the early years to To make those payments and made you know did not even come close to being able to fulfill the original terms And so yes this council back in 2014 was grappling with that reality And that is why the decision to make that approval was made and was made unanimously at the time and and again Yeah, thank you for the opportunity to expand on my original comments And I think You know as a kind of further frame of why the fact that we are able to achieve as many goals as we have given that circumstances one that I Think this council in the city can be proud of Thank you. I just say that the I know that process is really difficult I was fortunate because I said and that in those seats when you all decided in 2017 but and I I liked and very much supported the idea of Keep Burlington telecom local and I spoke over and over again in support of it and hoped to be able to find a Way to bring a better more viable financing plan In the end the clock just ran out. We just ran out of time and we had Viable business models on the table that the council had to decide on and I would be the last person to Judge anyone for their vote whether it was for sure is or for Ting or for KBTL. I think all those decisions were very difficult. I just want to acknowledge that I think we're at the critical point in the evolution of this Incredibly critical asset and we did create a world-class telecom system for this community and beyond that will reap benefits for For our kids our grandkids and many future generations. So I think we should be proud of that Thank you for clarifying with that important point councillor pine for the public to hear Councillor Jang is next to be followed by councillor Hartnett then Shannon Thank you, but my question is geared toward the city attorney a little bit And it's a very simple one Around the carried interest Right, so it doesn't sound like if you authorize a mayor here to move forward with the cell With the cell we not authorizing the mayor To include any Carried interest into the cell So that the six million maybe whatever we will be getting we still have the choice to control it Right. Is that accurate? That's correct. The carried interest we you have a year from The closing to make a decision Thank you, and I think you know based on my understanding was new here, too But in 2014 based on research and all that I talked to here with councillors It was very clear that BT should be sold, you know, we have to sell it now in between God Hartnett said it very well so many things happen in between and I think people like Max Tracy and I we fought Very hardly to keep it local. Just one example of one local co-op just was here in front of us So it sounds like we not there and we will not be there anymore with this specific asset But that said I feel like it is important for us to really give the mayor the power to move forward by giving him the The votes to move this forward and then maybe we have the chance to come together in keeping our assets here moving forward So tonight I will be voting in support of moving this forward. Thank you. Thank you councillor jane councillor Hartnett Then councillor Shannon. Thank you Councillor pion reminded me of everything that we have been through with this and we sit here and basically a Quarter of a full full room and it's kind of Ironic that it's a night that we're gonna cast I think an incredible boat here that I don't think any of us thought we'd ever get to Over the years. I can remember sitting here in a packed house up to the rafters when You know all the crap hit the fan and It was it was it was some amazing nights here at this council I've said this before but I want to say it one more time because this is gonna be my last opportunity to say it that We are fortunate that nearly 4,000 bro and Tonians believed and Burlington Telecom and never left them through all the crap through all the warnings that they were gonna close their doors and You know Comcast was stuffing their mailbox in with join us for three years for ninety nine dollars a month a year and it was it was just an incredible time here and When I look back on it to think that you know 4,000 burn and Tonians have allowed us to be here tonight Right to cast this boat because that's what it kind of boils down to right It was those people that stuck through us That put us in this position tonight To at least come out of this You know and somewhat good standing right that we're going to receive some of our taxpayer money back Not all of it but some of it But we were so close to closing our doors Right that the impact that our kids and our dear grand children That would have never happened councillor pine that you just brought up right if this if it wasn't for those 4,000 people that kind of stuck together and said no matter what we're sticking with Burlington telecom And two they closed their doors and if they closed their doors We're still going to try to turn our TVs on is what they said basically right? And it's pretty amazing that they have done that and so Before I cast my vote tonight. I want to give them one more. Thank you For allowing us to be in this position tonight to make this vote if it was not for you This would not be happening and there would be no bt. So thank you to those customers Thank you, councillor heart net And I would just add one thank you to the employees of Burlington telecom and the management of Burlington telecom for helping to turn Turn Burlington telecom around to a success story As well as as councillor heart net said all the citizens who stuck with it councillor shannon Thank you president right I will say I have been here In the very worst of times with Burlington telecom And struggled through really Profoundly difficult times Working through this process and I think councillor pines point is a really important one that not You know that we did not own Burlington telecom and amazingly We worked a deal where we were able to direct the sale of Burlington telecom and that was a great achievement Another great achievement that we had along the way was finding a local investor who was willing to take a huge risk To get this deal so that we could be where we are today I Like councillor tracy I did not vote for this particular bidder And I Was not happy at all with the outcome But tonight I have to look at Not whether or not my favorite thing Made it to the end round But what is in the best interest of the city with my vote tonight? Is it better for the city if I vote no will that get my favorite thing? No, it won't We have decided as a council With or without my vote to move forward in this direction And I do believe that it is in the best interest of the city To finally close this deal and put this chapter behind us And I I Really thank all of the people who got us to where we are here tonight. I thank the mayor the city attorney and our consulting attorney And I will be supporting this And I think that this is clearly in the best interest of the Citizens and the city of Burlington. Thank you. Thank you councillor shannon councillor mason. Thank you president right I view this vote Not not to build it up because I view it somewhat as a perfunctory vote, you know, we made the decision in december of 2018 to sell Just for the public's benefit. This is not re upping that decision This is just authorizing the mayor to execute the ancillary documents That now move forward because of the puc you know because of the puc approval You know a no vote I don't even think is realistic because voting no would expose us to damages We have no ability to get out of the deal at this point in time Um to also continue sort of the trip down memory lane because some of us have been here through You know all of those votes and I'm sure you know all of us At this table wish that the number that the city was walking away with was higher And I think there will be members of the public that will feel the same But I think we have to look at that in light of where I was sitting and a number of us at this table Not only was it shutting the doors, but we were facing a multi you know 10 of million dollar lawsuit from city bank With a risk or uncertain risk as to how that was going to turn out So I think we all need to be cognizant and looking at the final numbers that You know, we've turned down a potential huge liability that the city could have been on the hook to pay With no surviving entity to a surviving entity Walking away with some money The opportunity to potentially reinvest if that's the direction of the council In the opportunity years remaining proceeds, you know for for general fund or for other purposes as this council directs So while I think it is bittersweet Um, I sort of upon further reflection viewed this as a huge success for the council and the team that had You know been assembled to get us to this point Thank you Thank you councillor mason I think I think we're not ready to vote yet councillor busher I will be supporting um the motion, but I think Even though councillor mason reminded me that really the action was taken in december I still find this an incredibly difficult night I believed in bt I believed that it Was going to cost a lot of money And yet we Didn't know realistically what that upfront cost was. I believed it would have turned the corner But we couldn't finance the time until it turned the corner So there were no surprises in the fact that this was an entity that Was very desirable So the sales price didn't surprise me Um A lot of what happened didn't surprise me um I agree with councillor hartnett that the people of burlington um Were committed to having an alternative to Um xfinity or comcast or whatever the entity was called at that time um They wanted choice. They wanted affordability um and so um They got that and hopefully they'll continue to get that As we move forward I also like others around the table wanted Somebody else to be the purchaser But that's not how it worked out. Um, and so I have a heavy heart even though I About this transaction tonight but I That doesn't diminish the effort that was put By all around the table whether you are part of the The b-tab or whatever I'm well aware that everybody worked really hard and there are people in the room that That really are deserving of a lot of credit who aren't here The employees and all So To the citizens of burlington I hope that you will understand that this is The best we could do To ensure the continuation of bt And to ensure that there was um Some money that could be utilized by the city for Next steps and what those will be will be an evolution and a discussion um So with that I'm going to stop talking president right, but it's with sadness that I end this conversation I understand councillor busher. Thank you very much and councillor nodel Thank you president right. I just wanted to clarify that The um, just a point of clarification that the motion to adopt um Should include that it's the community commitment as amended in our executive Session tonight and agreed to by champlain Yes, thank you. Excellent point councillor nodel. Thank you city attorney blackwood Um, I'm just going to make a really brief remark and we're going to have a roll call vote. Um Just to say that after a long winding and sometimes torturous road it is Time to move move forward and I think it's time for the citizens and it's time for the employees of Burlington telecom who Have been uh who've been under the gun running this and they're looking for certainty on this so I am uh Eager to see us moving forward on this and I think it's a good day for Burlington with that with the clerk's office. Please call the roll councillor busher. Yes Councillor dean. Yes Councillor jing Yes Councillor nodel. Yes, councillor mason. Yes, councillor paul. Yes Councillor pine. Yes, councillor roof. Yes Councillor shannon. Yes Councillor tracy City council president right? Yes 11 eyes one night Passes by a vote of 11 to 1 Item 5.04 has been removed from the agenda We will move on to items 6 which is committee reports any committee chair who would like to report on committee activity The full council commission councillor roof really Public safety committee We might try to sneak one meeting in before Organization day. We do have a lingering issue that does need to be addressed That's been hard to do scheduling. It's around the cities and camper removal Policy that's been in in development for some time. We will require two meetings So I think there will be probably a meet if a meeting does occur before organizational day The one have to happen after much with the makeup of that of that group will look like but if I'm not involved with that I'll ensure a clean process But that is one lingering issue that does need to be Addressed but with the timing of this time of year. It didn't quite didn't quite happen So members of that committee might try to sneak one in but if we can't make it happen Then we'll look forward to next year Thank you councillor roof other committee chairs councillor tracy then councillor heartland So just wanted to report back on the our last Duke meeting. We had a very packed agenda where we talked about How we can better Get toters rolled out to folks across the city One of the key aspects of this conversation was as we head into budget season to think about really continuing to subsidize those toters And work hard to make sure that we're getting them out I think it's um, we learned a little bit more about the hard work that bill ward and his team are doing To get them out But I think that we need to continue to do that because I I know I and I think a lot of other councillors here from Consituents that we're getting a lot of windblown trash still around the city And this is a real benefit when it has been actually implemented so They continue to be on that and vigilant about getting those out and I think that You know, should I continue on this committee? That would be something that Would continue but we did address that because it did come to us talked a little bit about the intervail Intervail road in particular and enhancing that Moving forward a an alternative to that that would create enhanced bike and pedestrian connectivity down that road and make it a little bit safer As well as addressing some stormwater issues In addition to that we did also have a conversation around scooters And the e scooters at that committee Um, and we had a number of members of the public come and share their perspectives on it I think that there were a lot of important points raised around safety around access around Um, you know how this is actually going to play out in burlington Um, and it felt like we really wanted to see a little bit of caution as we moved forward with this that it wasn't a No, but it was definitely a lot of questions and concerns around a number of issues that I hope that we'll Continue to work through as we think about doing this in burlington So those were some of the issues that we discussed at the last meeting We did we do have another meeting scheduled for the 21st at 5 30 One of the aspects that we did want to finish up Given that councilor hartnan is leaving us and that he worked hard about on alongside councilor jing and right in the new north end about the across walks in the new north end And just talking putting that sort of in a broader context of pedestrian safety and how we How much some of those things cost and how we might be able to better Enhanced crosswalks For pedestrians in the city. So that'll be a key topic the next meeting. Thank you Thank you Councillor tracy councillor hartnett to be followed by councillor dean Uh, I just wanted to give an update with pack. We will be having a final meeting on the 26th I think tuesday at 5 30 a conference room 12 All departments will be reporting And really kind of giving us an update such as uh, how highlight was Moving forward and then some of the Projects that are coming up this spring and then obviously I think the big thing with pack over the last three months has really been Kind of the newfound life in maran, right? It's a big story and it's going to be an ongoing story and phase one is going to be completed and it looks like we've You know I've gotten over those hurdles and I I think that's big and I think that's going to be just exciting news for the pack so there's a lot happening with the pack and I wish those well who I've served on the pack for I think really the last four years it's an incredible committee and I look forward to Staying in touch with that committee and working with the counselors. There's a lot of good things going on. So But march 26 will be the my last pack meeting at 5 30 conference room 12 If you would like to come it'd be great. Thanks. Thank you councillor hartnett councillor dean president, right? Thank you I just wanted to let everyone know that the license and local control committee will be meeting tuesday afternoon march 19th at 4 45 Thank you councillor dean any other councillor committee chair Hearing none we'll move to item number seven. That's city councillors on general city affairs councillor busher So i'm sure everyone noticed the youth art out in the lobby And I did too And but there was one picture that was very sobering um It was a young artist And it's a picture of a girl And she's crying And it has a statement saying there's an announcement that there's a lockdown And then there's a caption With her saying I don't feel safe And it was a very sobering picture and I looked at that and I just felt so helpless in today's world. I'm trying to keep children safe Um, there's a lot of wonderful art out there and I'm not trying to make everyone depressed, but It just was so sobering and just brought home the reality of how children Go to school and how What's happening in our world is impacting them on a daily basis and this one child found The courage to express it in drawing, but I encourage you all to look at it Thank you councillor busher councillor hartnett kind of keeping with the school theme and I just appreciate how What a great job our school district does in keeping our kids safe really for the most part and we live in We're very fortunate to live here, right? And we have a great district and With food security and so many other things that our schools Really, there's a lot more to safety when you think about that and hunger is one of them And we've just done an incredible job in our schools. It's it's really uh It's one of the best assets we have in this in this city probably in the state of Vermont really is our public school That being said, I would like to thank Commissioner school commissioner mark borough for his years of service in the north district who will be leaving Uh, I think tomorrow night's his last meeting. He's been an incredible school commissioner Uh, it's been probably the most difficult time to be on the on the school board Over the last four or five years Although, you know the last couple years they've done great work and I think they've come a long ways It was it's been it's been a challenge and particularly when you have kids in school You know go to the district. It's I know it's been difficult for him Nobody has given more time and effort As a school commissioner and has fought hard for for the kids that go to our public school district and He truly is going to be missed. We have a great replacement, but it's you know for me You know campaigning with mark and it taught me so much about the broington district and and the value of passing a school budget I was I was really it was Amazing going door to door with him. I you know, I'll never forget that And and and since that time four years ago going door to door with him I have clearly had a different outlook on the public school district and he's really made a difference And you can't say that every single time when when a school commissioner serves, but you can say it for mark barlow He's an incredible Uh commissioner. We're gonna miss him. So thanks mark for your service. Thank you councillor hartnett councillor paul Thanks. Um, I just wanted well first of all wanted to wish everybody a happy daylight savings Day I hope everybody appreciated the fact that it's 6 30 tonight. It was broad daylight and I don't know about all of you But I sort of like that Yes, it was late. It was dark this morning, but I'm I'm big on light at the end of the day Um, it does remind me and certainly Today's weather reminded me that we're almost Coming into spring and uh, so I have a request Um Of either the administration or I'll speak through you president right when um The team from brookfield asset management was here We had requested a monthly update on what was happening with city place That was in december. I mean that was in january We did not get one in february So i'm asking for one in march and would hope that at our next council meeting We would have a full update on where we stand with Um With city place and the upcoming construction. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor paul. I know that an update is planned um Any other councillor councillor jane? Um, so I wanted to say this one is directly to the mayor Because the stickers you created for the votes That has a city's Flag I think that was a great innovation. Thank you for doing that and the report also Was really well put. I think it's incredible But now next let's say to the community who really showed up Leaving everything that you've been doing to show up and vote and I think that's what it takes And the turnout was not that great, but I think next time around we can do even even even better But the second thing that I wanted to talk about is about the e-bikes coming here and the e scooters I think Many people are concerned about that aspect Many many people from ward 8 to ward 1 to the new north end Many people express so much concern and I think none of them are against it, but they just wanted to see some level of safety first What we're gonna do if anything happened before we bring them into town I really do hope that the administration currently specifically the mayor is working on that aspect Let's have safety because we know we talked about the vision zero that was Boated by the council, but it's not implemented And yet we have e-bikes coming here and many people concerned Especially those who are older And who just walk all the time. Thank you Thank you councillor jane any other councillor All right, we'll conclude item number seven item number eight council president update not too much here Um, just next meeting on march 25th our last meeting together is going to be a busy meeting We'll be here later than we will be tonight So be prepared for that Thank you councillor paul for mentioning that update that is needed And I know that I'd met with councillor or mayor Weinberger Last week and he we had discussed that But thank you for reminding us about that I did want to just mention Since councillor tracy mentioned this that in particularly as a new north end councillor that the board of finance tonight Did pass the five crosswalks? And we actually passed it tonight on the consent agenda That the five crosswalks in the new north end will be being installed and the work will begin in april With that Turn it over to the mayor to bring us home Great. Thank you president right And Thank you For the comments from councillors. I will Speak to a couple of them in my remarks. Um, first of all Do you want to know andrew krabbs from bca was the one who kind of ran with a Suggestion that the i voted stickers be updated and Hopefully now that those have been shown all around town Maybe voter turnout will even go up in future future elections The um I know something councillors hear a lot about certainly I hear a lot about this time of year And hearing a lot about now particularly this winner is the the condition of the roads I will It was I enjoyed when dropping off my daughter at child care this morning having to maneuver around a dpw truck that was Um filling uh potholes there. We have crews out there Every day right now if you are I would say to the public And to councillors If you have questions Or want to alert our Our crews to particularly bad potholes know there are a lot of them There are a number of ways to do that you can do that on the dpw website You can call dpw you can use the c-click fix app Which is increasingly a way that People communicate with the city and and that we are As responsive as we can to and uh, I also would encourage people if you kind of Want to understand more about the process that goes into patching The roads on a short-term basis. There's actually a couple videos up on the on the dpw facebook page Which shows some information about that process And then looking ahead a little bit more long term One of the other things that took place on the board of finance agenda tonight And I believe on the concurrent on the on the concurrent consent agenda was the sidewalk budget for In the sidewalk repair plan for 2019 construction period was also passed endorsed unanimously at the board of finance and This will be the third year in a row that we will be Reinvesting in our sidewalks at historically high levels as well as in our streets and the dpw's Construction portal where you can go and see which sidewalks are planned to be worked on this summer In terms of long stretches of sidewalk It can be found on that portal and you can also see what has been done in recent years and what is planned for future years It's a very dynamic kind of interactive page if you've never checked it out Um Thank you councillor busher for pointing out the artwork uh that is in the hallway and the atrium outside contoys it will be We have this is really one of the fun times of the year to visit city hall and see the work of Our fourth graders in our schools Um, it's pretty remarkable bca has organized this event for many years now and it involves working with all the art teachers in our different elementary schools and all those teachers and most of the principals and dozens and dozens of fourth graders and their Their families will be with us here in this room tomorrow from 5 30 until about seven o'clock And it really it's it's really one of the great events one that I look forward to every year And the artwork will be on display for the next couple weeks for anyone who wants to come check it out Um, and I think you'll be impressed by it. It is always it's pretty remarkable that this is what our fourth graders create the um I want to look ahead to a couple other events That speak to I think issues of the day and then we're grappling with one is the opioid epidemic town hall meeting that will be taking place here in Contoys on March 19th a week from tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m It's this is really, you know, we've done these opioid events In the past it's been a couple years since we've done one one of them As a city and a lot has happened with the opioid epidemic and the local effort in the time since then We also at this event Are fortunate to have three, you know, truly Unusual national experts With us that we will have a chance to talk with and have panel discussion with and hear presentations from and ask questions Gil Kurlikowski who was america's drug czar from 2009 to 2014 before becoming the head of us customs and border patrol in the obama administration And who will be here fred ryan who's a former chief of police at arlington massachusetts And has gone on to become one of the country's leading Law enforcement experts and how what what local and small and mid-sized police departments can do in response to the opioid epidemic And dr. Josh Sharfstein who is a professor of public health and a vice dean of johns hawkins school of public health health And he is the author of the forthcoming book The opioid epidemic whatever American Needs to know and has been very helpful Directly to the city of berlington and helping to craft Many of the interventions that we have been Pursuing over the last couple years with all three of them will be here Giving presentations and then being part of a larger panel that will include um local leaders in the opioid epidemic as well and There's a facebook event on uh posted on this which is a great way to rsvp and let us know if we should expect you We'd love to see you here and then finally Kind of on point with discussions a couple counselors that may have raised about where we're Where we're headed with this e-scooter conversation and other elements of alternative transportation We are bringing back for the first time in a while then we're going to convene a mayor's book group discussion in april april 17th the book Is going to be street fight by jenette saddock con and the books are available now both in the mayor's office and at the free At the fletcher free library the books are free paid for by the uvm humanity center And you know the idea with this partnership with the humanity center has been for us to Kind of have a different kind of discussion about the issues of the day And I think this is very much Fits that the jenette saddock con for people don't know has really been one of the kind of leading voices in alternative transportation and Pursued that very aggressively in new york city during when she served as a transportation commission there It's a very interesting and in some ways provocative book and I think we'll make for a really good discussion about alternative transportation as As we engage e scooters and other issues going forward So with that president right, I think that's all I have Well, you're not done yet, mr. Mayor You need to reconvene the board of finance meeting in order to recess If I'd missed opening day or something for a moment there Um, but you're quite right president right so with that Uh, well you I think president right need to suspend the city council meeting or or or or or adjourn it or How would you like to we need to city attorney black? We need to suspend the city council meeting Just adjourned so we moved to adjourn council shana has moved to adjourn council roof seconds All those in favor plus yeah We have adjourned the city council meeting and mr. Mayor And now with uh without objection, we will both reconvene