OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Barre City Council Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, November 19, 2025
BodyBarre, Vermont
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, November 19, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:04:43

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Council, today is Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 at 6 p.m.

0:05

And I will call this regular city council meeting to order.

0:09

Council or manager, are there any adjustments to the agenda?

0:12

Yes, sir.

0:13

Thank you, Mr.

0:13

Mayor.

0:14

I have one adjustment, which I emailed the council about.

0:18

I won't speak too much about it, but if you would add an agenda, uh consent agenda item 4F to authorize free parking for the holidays, and Tracy Lewis from the partnership is here to talk about that at visitors and communications.

0:29

And then just this is I feel a little embarrassed about this one, but item 8D should be discussed the FY27 budget survey.

0:35

We are in FY26, so I was can't believe we're that far, but that's uh just a technical error uh on the agenda.

0:44

So noted.

0:46

Council, anything for you?

0:49

Okay, then a motion to approve the agenda as amended would be in order.

0:53

So moved.

0:54

Thank you.

0:55

Moved and seconded.

0:56

Is there any discussion?

0:57

Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented, please signify by saying aye.

1:01

Aye.

1:02

And those opposed.

1:04

Thank you very much.

1:05

Under visitors and communications, anyone wishing to address the council regarding an item that is not on the agenda.

1:12

Tracy, I'll do you during the consent agenda.

1:14

Is that okay?

1:15

Okay.

1:16

Fantastic.

1:17

So hearing and seeing no one council, we'll move on to the consent agenda.

1:23

We'll be approving the minutes uh for the meeting of 11525.

1:28

We will be approving uh one license on behalf of the clerk's office.

1:32

That is the queer craft fair on 1206 25.

1:35

That does have the requisite approvals, and it was in your packet.

1:39

Uh we'll be approving resolution 2025-24.

1:43

That is a master equipment lease purchase agreement.

1:46

This is required pursuant uh to the fire department self-contained breathing apparatus equipment that was previously approved by the council.

1:54

Yep, correct.

1:55

Um we will be approving a five thousand dollar donation from the Bruce A Trust to Capstone Emergency Heating Program.

2:02

And I wanted to note also, Council, and thank you very much.

2:05

You had approved a $5,000 allocation for emergency SNAP gap funding.

2:13

Uh thankfully that was not needed.

2:16

Uh the way things worked out.

2:17

So I just wanted to make that notation.

2:19

I was speaking with Carol about that uh earlier.

2:22

That money, so that money is available, that $5,000 will be available in the Brewster Trust if it is so needed.

2:28

Okay with that, Carol?

2:29

Okay.

2:30

Um and council, you will be authorizing the manager to execute two contracts.

2:35

One is with uh DEW, $356,505 for construction management services relative to the public works garage.

2:45

This contract was a result of a competitive bid process.

2:49

Four contracts were received and were reviewed by our architect and our management team.

2:54

The recommendation to award to DEW was unanimous.

2:57

Uh and uh under the other, there are actually two contracts for consideration.

3:02

One is with Freeman French and Freeman, 250,695 dollars for construction documents, and one with ReARCH, 112,000 112,680 for design build services.

3:17

Uh city will be executing only one contract.

3:21

Uh the preference presented by the manager is a design build contract, B less expensive contract, but we're waiting for USDA confirmation that the design build um preference is grant eligible.

3:34

So both of those contracts that you did receive uh the briefing on were subject to a competitive bid process.

3:42

The design build contracts were reviewed and scored by Tom Baker and buildings and facilities, committee members, Charlie Atwood and Jeff Bergeron.

3:50

The rearch design build proposal was unanimously recommended.

3:54

But again, we're waiting for confirmation from USDA.

3:57

And then lastly, under item F.

4:00

Tracy, how are you?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Flood Resiliency███████████11%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████10%
Public Engagement████████8%
Legislative Priorities██2%
Cannabis Regulation█1%
Landlord Tenant Relations█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Barre City Council Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025

The Barre City Council convened on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, to address a range of administrative, budgetary, and public safety matters. Key agenda items included the approval of a consent calendar, a warning regarding voter eligibility verification, updates on city operations, the introduction of a new nuisance property ordinance, and the planning of a fiscal year 2027 budget survey.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the November 5, 2025 meeting were approved.
  • A license for the Queer Craft Fair was granted.
  • Resolution 2025-24 establishing a master equipment lease purchase agreement for the Fire Department was approved.
  • A $5,000 donation from the Bruce A Trust to the Capstone Emergency Heating Program was authorized.
  • The $5,000 allocation previously set aside for emergency SNAP gap funding was noted as unused and reallocated to the Brewster Trust for future emergency needs.
  • A contract with DEW was approved for $356,505 for construction management services regarding the Public Works garage.
  • Contracts for construction documents (Freeman French) and design-build services (ReARCH) were discussed; the manager expressed a preference for the ReARCH design-build contract contingent on USDA grant eligibility confirmation.
  • Authorization was granted for the Barre Partnership to implement free downtown parking (1206 25-2025) from Friday, November 28th through Wednesday, December 31st, utilizing red ribbons and allowing voluntary contributions, which will be donated to a community-identified organization.
  • A warning from the City Clerk clarified that pre-paid postcards regarding voter eligibility were not scams.
  • Licenses for a second-class liquor license and a tobacco license for Quality Market were approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tracy Lewis (Executive Director of the Barre Partnership) proposed free parking during the holidays with red ribbons. Councillor Deering expressed full support for the ribbon idea, noting it avoided the mess of previous sticker methods, while adding that allowing voluntary contributions would add a "different level of love." Councilor Gustin supported the plan but raised a concern about the effectiveness of ribbons in blowing snow; Tracy clarified that the initiative applies only to core downtown meters, not adjacent lots, and that employees cannot park all-day.
  • A resident raised concerns that city codes might be impersonated by scammers demanding direct payment. Code Enforcement Officer Nick Copping confirmed that the City never accepts payment for inspections; all official fees are paid through the Clerk's office.
  • Councillor Gustin requested a clarification on tenant involvement in the nuisance ordinance process, expressing a position that tenants should not be unfairly evicted or penalized due to a landlord's oversight.
  • Councillor Spaulding argued that the nuisance ordinance should not disproportionately target large property owners like the Barre Housing Authority compared to individual landlords.
  • Councillor Gustin suggested that the ordinance trigger for citations should be defined "per address" or "per unit" for larger multi-unit buildings to prevent penalizing entire properties for the actions of single problematic tenants.
  • Councillor Deering expressed a position that the ordinance must not deter residents from calling emergency services for medical or safety reasons regarding drug-related incidents.
  • Councillor Gustin suggested adding questions to the upcoming budget survey regarding willingness to pay higher taxes for specific projects and asking residents what the City is doing well versus where it is failing.
  • Councillor Deering suggested hosting a "Worst Songs Ever" concert at the Opera House and encouraged attendance at a Senator listening session.

Discussion Items

Nuisance Property Ordinance (First Reading)

  • City Manager Nicholas introduced a draft ordinance modeled after St. Albans, applied to both rental and owner-occupied properties. The definition of a nuisance includes three or more criminal citations within a 90-day period on the property or within a 200-foot radius.
  • Councillor Gustin questioned the exclusion of non-criminal calls (e.g., medical emergencies) and suggested clarifying that the ordinance targets criminal activity, not emergency response.
  • Councillor Spaulding discussed the application to large multi-unit buildings, questioning if the threshold should be per unit rather than per property to avoid penalizing landlords for isolated incidents in buildings with 90+ units.
  • Councillor Deering questioned the lack of latitude for Code Enforcement in the proposed remediation plan (e.g., lighting and cameras) and whether the City has subpoena authority for hearings.
  • Councillor Gustin suggested that the ordinance explicitly include tenants in the initial conversation phase to protect their rights and ensure they are not unfairly targeted.

Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Survey

  • The Manager proposed a new budget survey to gauge resident priorities. Councillor Ruthier suggested adding a raffle incentive for participation, such as a "golden shovel" at the upcoming DPW garage ribbon-cutting, to increase response rates. Councillor Gustin suggested asking residents if they would pay more in taxes for specific services and including questions on flood mitigation and a walkable downtown.
  • Council members discussed the potential to target specific demographics, such as seniors and high school students, with tailored questions.
  • The Manager committed to presenting a polished survey draft at the December 9th meeting, with issuance scheduled for December 10th to allow for feedback before the January budget meetings.

Flood Resiliency and City Operations

  • Councillor Gustin provided an update on emergency access to the Public Safety Building. Crews cleared trees, installed a culvert, and shaped the road; a gate is pending installation. The Manager noted that FEMA did not fund the project, so City crews performed the work.
  • The Manager reported that FEMA demolitions of landslide properties are underway, with the first round expected to conclude by early next week. Three more closings are pending.
  • Updates included repairs to the underground piping at the Barre Recreation (BOR) facility and a warning that the winter parking ban is in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m..
  • The Mayor announced a new Legislative Priority focus on regional flood mitigation, court system accountability, and landlord-tenant laws.
  • Upcoming events included a downtown merchant breakfast on November 25th and a legislative session at the state level.

Key Outcomes

  • Agenda Adjustments: Item 4F (Free Parking) was added to the consent agenda; Item 8D was corrected from FY26 to FY27 budget survey.
  • Contracts: DEW contract for Public Works garage approved at $356,505; REARCH and Freeman French contracts noted pending USDA grant confirmation for the design-build option.
  • Voter Verification: Council acknowledged the voter eligibility postcard campaign, confirming it is a real, biennial process (odd years) and not a scam.
  • Nuisance Ordinance: The draft Nuisance Property Ordinance was moved to a second reading by vote (Motion: Aye, Opposed: None).
  • Volunteer Appointments: Joanne Reynolds and Ernie Drown were appointed to the newly created Neighborly Barre Committee; Tracy Lewis was also appointed. Terms were voted on: Joanne (until 2027), Ernie (until 2026).
  • Public Safety: Code Enforcement confirmed that no payments are accepted directly by officers; all fines must be processed through the Clerk's office.
  • Budget Timeline: Budget survey distribution targeted for December 10th, with results to inform January budget deliberations.
  • Meeting Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned after entering and concluding an executive session regarding real estate.

Meeting Transcript

Council, today is Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 at 6 p.m. And I will call this regular city council meeting to order. Council or manager, are there any adjustments to the agenda? Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have one adjustment, which I emailed the council about. I won't speak too much about it, but if you would add an agenda, uh consent agenda item 4F to authorize free parking for the holidays, and Tracy Lewis from the partnership is here to talk about that at visitors and communications. And then just this is I feel a little embarrassed about this one, but item 8D should be discussed the FY27 budget survey. We are in FY26, so I was can't believe we're that far, but that's uh just a technical error uh on the agenda. So noted. Council, anything for you? Okay, then a motion to approve the agenda as amended would be in order. So moved. Thank you. Moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented, please signify by saying aye. Aye. And those opposed. Thank you very much. Under visitors and communications, anyone wishing to address the council regarding an item that is not on the agenda. Tracy, I'll do you during the consent agenda. Is that okay? Okay. Fantastic. So hearing and seeing no one council, we'll move on to the consent agenda. We'll be approving the minutes uh for the meeting of 11525. We will be approving uh one license on behalf of the clerk's office. That is the queer craft fair on 1206 25. That does have the requisite approvals, and it was in your packet. Uh we'll be approving resolution 2025-24. That is a master equipment lease purchase agreement. This is required pursuant uh to the fire department self-contained breathing apparatus equipment that was previously approved by the council. Yep, correct. Um we will be approving a five thousand dollar donation from the Bruce A Trust to Capstone Emergency Heating Program. And I wanted to note also, Council, and thank you very much. You had approved a $5,000 allocation for emergency SNAP gap funding. Uh thankfully that was not needed. Uh the way things worked out. So I just wanted to make that notation. I was speaking with Carol about that uh earlier. That money, so that money is available, that $5,000 will be available in the Brewster Trust if it is so needed. Okay with that, Carol? Okay. Um and council, you will be authorizing the manager to execute two contracts. One is with uh DEW, $356,505 for construction management services relative to the public works garage. This contract was a result of a competitive bid process. Four contracts were received and were reviewed by our architect and our management team. The recommendation to award to DEW was unanimous.

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