OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Barrie City Council Emergency Meeting - July 20, 2026

City Council — Monday, July 20, 2026
BodyBarre, Vermont
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, July 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 12:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:34

Thank you.

0:35

Council, it is 1230 on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and I will call this emergency uh meeting of the Barrie City Council to order.

0:48

Council or manager, any adjustments to the agenda?

0:52

Okay.

0:52

Hearing none, a motion to approve the agenda would be in order.

0:55

So moved.

0:56

Thank you.

0:56

And moved and seconded.

0:58

Is there discussion?

0:59

Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented.

1:02

Please signify by saying aye.

1:04

Aye.

1:05

Opposed.

1:06

Motion carries.

1:06

I should have noted we do have a quorum in council chambers, and we have counselors Gustin and Deering joining us uh remotely.

1:15

So council, next item on the agenda is the appointment of an acting city manager.

1:22

That will be uh Brad Vail.

1:24

That will be effective at 4:30 p.m.

1:26

on July 17th, 2026.

1:29

So don't be late.

1:32

Uh a motion to approve would be in order.

1:34

So move.

1:35

Second.

1:36

It's thank you.

1:37

It's moved and seconded.

1:39

Um just a little bit beforehand.

1:41

Uh first of all, counsel, thank you for indulging me.

1:44

So to give you to give those uh who may watch this meeting or who are watching the meeting now, a little bit of background.

1:51

Um this uh the proposal to appoint uh Brad Vale as acting city manager was floated a couple months ago by the city manager after consulting with the department heads.

2:07

Um you know I I wasn't honestly I I wasn't entirely, it's not that I wasn't comfortable with it, counselor.

2:15

Let the uh record reflect that Councillor Spaulding joined us.

2:19

Um I wasn't entirely comfortable with it.

2:22

I had some due diligence that I wanted to do.

2:25

So uh working with Councillor Gustin, we we came up with a plan B.

2:29

We spoke to uh approximately a dozen individuals uh who we thought would be qualified if needed to step in as an interim city manager.

2:39

Um so we we settled on a candidate if that was the direction we wanted to take.

2:45

Uh and after the discussion came to the council, uh I realized or just before the council meeting, I realized that as much as I had faith in the department's head department heads, I had not had the ability to speak with them face to face.

3:01

And I wanted that opportunity.

3:03

So uh after the council meeting, again, thank you for indulging me today.

3:08

Uh 8:30 Wednesday morning, I met with the department heads.

3:11

We talked through the plan.

3:13

Councilor Gustin was there as well.

3:15

Uh we talked through the plan pretty thoroughly, and it became clear to me that they really wanted the opportunity to step up.

3:23

And you know, the way I manage when people want the opportunity to do more.

3:28

My biggest concern was simply I understand how busy the city manager is.

3:33

My biggest and only concern was was it reasonable on the part of the council and the part of the city to consider that the department heads could absorb those duties of the city manager and still keep the train running on time and on the tracks.

3:51

And so after speaking with them, first of all, thank you for that meeting to all of the department heads, uh, you know, and receiving that assurance and talking through some things in great detail uh and receiving the insurance that I needed that this plan would work.

4:07

Uh I decided that, or we decided as a council that we would move forward with the plan as presented.

4:14

Um you know, I I just have to say that part of my decision making process is always okay.

4:22

If I have to make a decision, I'm not quite comfortable with either one, which one is easier to walk back.

4:28

And it kind of be claimed, and I made it clear to the department heads that uh we would be paying attention, you know, as a council.

4:36

The the communication has been great under Nicholas.

4:38

I wanted that to continue.

4:40

Um so I made it clear number one that if they needed help, we're just a phone call away.

4:46

You know, we can implement a plan B.

4:49

And most importantly, I I made it clear to them just in the interest of fairness that we'd be watching.

4:54

And if we saw things coming off the rails, we could certainly implement a plan B, but we would not do that without speaking to them first.

5:03

So uh thank you, Nicholas, for presenting the plan.

5:07

Thank you, most importantly, to uh our department heads for being willing to take on the additional responsibilities.

5:15

And thanks Brad Vail for um for leaving your cell phone on after midnight, because that's what you're gonna have.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
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Procedural██████████18%
Summary of Proceedings

Barrie City Council Emergency Meeting - July 20, 2026

Note: The transcript of the meeting dates it as July 16, 2026, but the provided metadata indicates July 20, 2026. The following summary is based on the transcript content.

Discussion Items

  • The council considered the appointment of Chief Brad Vail as acting city manager, effective July 17, 2026. The mayor explained that the proposal had been floated months earlier by the city manager. The mayor initially had reservations and, with Councilor Gustin, developed a contingency plan by vetting a dozen candidates. After a July 15 meeting with department heads, the mayor became convinced that department heads could absorb additional duties and that Chief Vail's role as police chief would be supported by Deputy Chief Eastman. Key operational details were discussed: incoming calls to the city manager would be triaged by the clerk's office (which already handles 75% of calls) and directed to the appropriate department head. Chief Vail, who lives outside the city, would use City Hall for meetings, continuing his practice of making rounds.
  • Councilor Spaulding expressed concern about adding responsibilities to Chief Vail's existing police chief duties but was reassured by the mayor's account of the meeting and Deputy Chief Eastman's willingness to step up.
  • The mayor noted that the search for a permanent city manager is on track for a mid-September offer, with Councilor Gustin expressing confidence in that timeline. If a candidate cannot start until January 1, 2027, the acting arrangement may be extended.

Key Outcomes

  • The council unanimously approved a motion to appoint Chief Brad Vail as acting city manager, effective 4:30 PM on July 17, 2026.
  • The council will monitor the arrangement and may implement a contingency plan if needed, with prior communication to department heads.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Council, it is 1230 on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, and I will call this emergency uh meeting of the Barrie City Council to order. Council or manager, any adjustments to the agenda? Okay. Hearing none, a motion to approve the agenda would be in order. So moved. Thank you. And moved and seconded. Is there discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion is presented. Please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed. Motion carries. I should have noted we do have a quorum in council chambers, and we have counselors Gustin and Deering joining us uh remotely. So council, next item on the agenda is the appointment of an acting city manager. That will be uh Brad Vail. That will be effective at 4:30 p.m. on July 17th, 2026. So don't be late. Uh a motion to approve would be in order. So move. Second. It's thank you. It's moved and seconded. Um just a little bit beforehand. Uh first of all, counsel, thank you for indulging me. So to give you to give those uh who may watch this meeting or who are watching the meeting now, a little bit of background. Um this uh the proposal to appoint uh Brad Vale as acting city manager was floated a couple months ago by the city manager after consulting with the department heads. Um you know I I wasn't honestly I I wasn't entirely, it's not that I wasn't comfortable with it, counselor. Let the uh record reflect that Councillor Spaulding joined us. Um I wasn't entirely comfortable with it. I had some due diligence that I wanted to do. So uh working with Councillor Gustin, we we came up with a plan B. We spoke to uh approximately a dozen individuals uh who we thought would be qualified if needed to step in as an interim city manager. Um so we we settled on a candidate if that was the direction we wanted to take. Uh and after the discussion came to the council, uh I realized or just before the council meeting, I realized that as much as I had faith in the department's head department heads, I had not had the ability to speak with them face to face. And I wanted that opportunity. So uh after the council meeting, again, thank you for indulging me today. Uh 8:30 Wednesday morning, I met with the department heads. We talked through the plan. Councilor Gustin was there as well. Uh we talked through the plan pretty thoroughly, and it became clear to me that they really wanted the opportunity to step up. And you know, the way I manage when people want the opportunity to do more. My biggest concern was simply I understand how busy the city manager is. My biggest and only concern was was it reasonable on the part of the council and the part of the city to consider that the department heads could absorb those duties of the city manager and still keep the train running on time and on the tracks. And so after speaking with them, first of all, thank you for that meeting to all of the department heads, uh, you know, and receiving that assurance and talking through some things in great detail uh and receiving the insurance that I needed that this plan would work. Uh I decided that, or we decided as a council that we would move forward with the plan as presented. Um you know, I I just have to say that part of my decision making process is always okay. If I have to make a decision, I'm not quite comfortable with either one, which one is easier to walk back.

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