Barre City Council Meeting - March 18, 2026

The Barre City Council met on March 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The agenda included a recognition resolution, consent calendar items, a flood resiliency plan update, the FY27 budget review with a presentation from Green Mountain Transit (GMT), a change to the postmark procedure, and a PILOT agreement for 173 South Main Street. The meeting also featured volunteer appointments and discussion of paving and stormwater capacity.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Adjustments: Council moved item 4C to under F (due business) for further discussion; no objections. Agenda approved unanimously.
• Recognition Resolution: Approved Resolution 2026-3 recognizing Catherine DuGrana for 43 years of service as a dispatcher, declaring March 19, 2026 as Catherine DuGrana Appreciation Day. Passed by acclamation.
• Consent Agenda Approval: Council approved the minutes of previous meetings, various licenses, the form NP1 for federal grants, authorization for the mayor or manager to execute a purchase option for Prospect Heights, approval of distribution list for Prospect Heights housing developer RFPs, and authorization to execute a contract with the UFREN group (to be ratified later). All passed unanimously.
• Warrants Approval: Council approved city warrants for 3/18/26 and ratified warrants for weeks 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, and 3/12. Passed unanimously with a recorded vote (4 warrants).
• Liquor Control Board: Approved three applications (M'T and M Lise Floor); the Vary Smoke Shop application was held because the applicant did not appear. Motion passed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public addressed the council on items not on the agenda.

Discussion Items

• Code of Ethics Clarification: During consent agenda discussion, Mayor clarified the code of ethics regarding direct financial interest, using his own sale of a building to the city as an example where he recused himself. Councilors discussed the form and its implications.
• Clerk's Report: The city clerk reported on: relocation of the polling site to Alumni Hall (Washington Room, 2nd floor) due to auditorium upgrades (approved by Department of Elections); dog license deadline of March 31 with reminder to bring rabies certificates; discussion of enforcement for unregistered dogs.
• Manager's Report: The city manager provided updates: tournament season at the auditorium ended with sellouts; the building will close from now through November for upgrades. Two CDBG-DR round-two applications were submitted (North End project split into buyouts/elevations and acquisitions/redevelopment); awards expected mid-April. First-round grant conditions met; extensions granted for site control issues on Harrington Avenue. An RFP for project management of the grants will be issued by month-end. One buyout completed on River Street; three more in queue, including 572 Willie Street (significant for flood resiliency). The fire department's new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) system is now in service.
• Volunteer Appointments:
  • Aurora Flynn was appointed to the Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDI) Committee. Unanimous.
  • Philip Back was appointed to the Development Review Board (DRB). Unanimous. Both explained their backgrounds and commitment.
• Flood Resiliency Plan Update: SLR Consulting gave a progress update on hydraulics, hydrology, and stormwater studies. Key points:
  • Green LiDAR data (collected 2025 via helicopter) penetrates water and provides high-resolution mapping of riverbeds, channels, and overbank areas. Example images shown for Harrington Avenue and Stevens Branch.
  • A 2D hydraulic model (HEC-RAS) is being built with 50-foot base cells, refined near channels and structures. Bridges and culverts are incorporated.
  • Hydrology model (by Leah Cromer) calculates runoff for different storm events (e.g., 100-year storm). Preliminary results show peak flows of ~18,000 CFS at downstream Stevens Branch. Model will be validated with historical flood data.
  • Drainage analysis focused on the Berlin Street storm sewer system; survey data being collected; existing conditions model will identify undersized pipes and backflow issues.
  • Councilors asked about modeling different storm intensities, debris impacts, and the ability to test mitigation alternatives (e.g., bridge removal). SLR confirmed the model can answer these questions.
• FY27 Budget Review: The city manager presented the proposed general fund budget of ~$15.8 million, a 6.66% increase in the amount to be raised by taxes. Three open questions discussed:
  • Green Mountain Transit (GMT) Funding: The budget initially reduced GMT allocation from $38,401 to $12,500. GMT representatives (Monica White and Christian Meyer) presented their services, ridership data (over 188,000 fixed-route riders in FY25, with nearly 100,000 on Barre routes), and the upcoming transition to Tri-Valley Transit (TBT) on July 1. They requested restoration of level funding, arguing Barre receives over $1 million in services for $38,000. The mayor and several councilors expressed support for full funding, noting the essential service and GMT's improvements.
  • Rental Registry Fee: Proposed increase from $60 to $100 per unit to raise $82,000. Concerns raised about impact on renters and potential non-compliance. The mayor suggested a more moderate increase to $70 (raising ~$60,000) and a tiered system to incentivize affordable rents, but acknowledged administrative challenges.
  • Fund Balance Use: Estimated cumulative fund balance ~$2.1 million. Staff recommended retaining 10% (about $1.4 million) as undesignated fund balance (per pending charter change), using the remaining ~$676,000 to reduce the tax rate and fund capital improvements. The mayor advocated for allocating some to paving, a community development/homeless liaison position (funded initially, but with hope of state reimbursement), and GMT restoration.
  • Other mayoral proposals: Increase paving fund by $200,000 (to $1 million annual target), consider front-loading paving to $1.5 million with borrowing from COSI fund; add a new DPW position to build capacity for stormwater work; restore GMT to $38,401; create a junior planner/community development contract position (estimated $90,000).
  • The council discussed the paving plan at length, including a potential $1.5 million paving program (with COSI loan) and the need to balance Pothole complaints with limited crew capacity. The mayor noted state roads (Route 14, 302) are beyond city control but continue advocacy.
• Postmark Procedure Change: The city clerk proposed that payments must be received by the due date rather than postmarked, effective July 1, 2026. A six-month grace period (through January 15, 2027) would allow each taxpayer one “get out of jail free” card per payment type (tax and water/sewer). The policy would be advertised via bill inserts, water bills, postcards, and social media. Councilors supported the change, noting the post office no longer provides reliable postmarks. The motion was not voted on; it will be placed on the next agenda for formal action.
• PILOT Agreement for 173 South Main Street: Angie Downer (representing the property owner) proposed a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement: $35,000 annually, with a 2% annual increase, in perpetuity. The mayor objected to the 2% cap, arguing it would not keep pace with property tax increases (historical ~3.75%). He proposed either tying the increase to the city’s tax rate or a 10-year term. After discussion, the council voted to approve the PILOT at $35,000 per year with a 10-year term and renegotiation at the end. Motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Resolutions and Appointments: Recognition resolution, consent calendar, warrants, and both volunteer appointments passed unanimously.
• Budget Direction: The council gave clear direction to restore GMT funding to $38,401, increase the rental registry fee to $70, retain the homelessness liaison position (with expectation of state funding), add a community development contract position, and increase the paving fund by $200,000 (with potential front-loading to $1.5 million). Formal budget adoption will occur at future meetings.
• Postmark Procedure: To be placed on the next agenda for a vote; implementation planned for July 2026 with a six-month grace period.
• PILOT Agreement: Approved on a 10-year term (not in perpetuity) at $35,000/year, with renegotiation after 10 years.
• Next Steps: Council will meet multiple times over the coming weeks to finalize the FY27 budget. The city manager will prepare formal motions for the postmark change and other budget decisions.