Barre City Council Meeting Summary – August 26, 2026

The Barre City Council met on August 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. and covered agenda adjustments, a grievance executive session, public comments, routine approvals, two CDBG-DR public hearings, a high-water-mark sign, a tree warden appointment, September schedule changes, and the city manager search. No written agenda or minutes were provided; the transcript's opening line says 'Tuesday, August twenty-fifth,' but the provided official meeting timestamp is August 26, 2026.

Agenda and Consent Calendar

• The council approved an agenda adjustment to strike item 8E and combine small flood-resiliency updates with the CDBG-DR application review under item 8A.
• The consent calendar was approved, including the August 4, 2026 regular meeting minutes and two licenses/permits: Equinox Morse Dance Tour's exhibition on Saturday, September 19, 4:00–5:30 p.m. in City Hall, and Central Vermont Youth Hockey's Throttle Up for Hockey poker run fundraiser on Saturday, October 3, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• The council approved city warrants of August 26, 2026, and ratified payroll weeks of August 12 and August 19, 2026, with one abstention.

Executive Session – Grievance

• The council entered executive session for a grievance hearing with the union representative, city employee, acting city manager, and council.
• After exiting executive session, the council voted to uphold the grievance and to provide a written explanation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kathy Jameson and Pastor Dwight McCormick of First Presbyterian Church of Barre said they welcome the Seminary Street housing project and are not NIMBYs, but they remain concerned about parking and stormwater runoff because the church spent more than $475,000 recovering from a flood. They said the church was not informed that Seminary Street would be torn up, the sidewalk in front of the church is gone, and a newly installed fire hydrant raises questions about final road and access design, including funeral access. The mayor apologized for poor communication, and the city agreed to arrange a meeting within 10 days with church representatives and blueprints; officials noted on-street parking, a new handicapped space, no Sunday enforcement, and an existing process for bagging meters for funerals.
• Ellen Sivret, a Barre resident, introduced herself as a supporter of Adam McCullough for tree warden and said she sent correspondence to the council.
• John Raper, a Barre town resident and professional photographer/videographer/drone pilot, proposed a documentary on Hope Cemetery. The mayor said he would connect Raper with the cemetery committee, which is mapping every grave, and advised him to notify dispatch when flying a drone. Raper said his drone is 249 grams, he does not need a license because he is not selling footage, and he would avoid disrupting services.

City Clerk and Acting Manager Reports

• The city clerk said interim tax bills were mailed; first-quarter payments are due September 15 by 4:30 p.m., and postmarks no longer count as timely. On September 15, the Barre Unified Union School District budget revote will also occur; 425 absentee ballots had been issued and 28 returned.
• The acting city manager reported that the municipal pool's last day was August 15, with average attendance of 114 on weekdays and 91 on weekend days. SD Ireland began prep and paving on the Camp Hill Street area, with road closure notices sent. The fire department is processing six or seven deputy chief applicants and continuing IAFF negotiations. School resource officer Jason Fleury will retire on September 17; community service officers are winding down.
• The police chief clarified that new Main Street cameras are VRCata cameras, not Flock license-plate-reader cameras. A councilor raised concerns about e-bike riders, estimating that about 75% are not wearing helmets or obeying rules, and asked staff to study possible ordinance changes.
• In response to a resident's complaint about a dog off leash in the cemetery, the chief said dogs are not banned from cemeteries but are subject to nuisance and leash ordinances, and residents can call dispatch.

South Main Street Paving

• The council approved increasing SD Ireland's South Main Street shim paving authorization from a $214,000 estimate to a $250,000 not-to-exceed amount after SD Ireland reviewed road conditions. DPW Director Brian Baker participated online; the vote carried.

CDBG-DR Public Hearings

• The council held two public hearings for round three Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery applications. The team included Janet, Josh Jerome of Barre Area Development, state hazard mitigation officer Pat Moulton, and consultant Jim Levinsky. Round three has $4.2 million remaining at the Agency of Commerce and Community Development; the city is applying for the full $4.2 million for each application.
• Resolution 2026-11 (North End buyouts and housing): The application includes acquiring flood-prone properties for green space and flood storage and redeveloping Wabi Park with housing. The proposal pivoted from 22 one-bedroom rental units to 18 two-bedroom townhouse-style units with 36 bedrooms, potentially a homeownership model, with the goal that households earning about $53,000 per year could afford a two-bedroom townhome. The application is due Monday, August 31. The council approved the resolution unanimously.
• Resolution 2026-12 (143 North Main Street housing development): Developer EW Construction proposes 30 units—15 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom—at 143 North Main Street. The building would be elevated, with parking and podium uses on the first floor. The total project cost is roughly $13 million; the city purchased the property for $400,000 and currently receives no property tax from it. The developer would request the city transfer the property for $1; demolition and cleanup costs would be in the developer's budget. Brownfield assessments are being assisted through the Regional Planning Commission. The council approved the resolution.

High Watermark Project

• Jim Duschler of the Barre Rivers Collective asked the council to approve a high-water-mark sign, a Vermont DEC/Army Corps/National Weather Service project. The sign is fully funded; the city would handle installation hardware and physical installation. A councilor asked for a location near the Desros buyout green space and for historical flood levels, including pre-1927 floods. The motion carried.

Tree Warden Appointment

• The council discussed the process for appointing a tree warden. Two letters supporting the appointment were received; the letters refer to 'Alan McCullough,' while the applicant introduced himself as 'Adam McCullough.' Adam McCullough, state urban forester and former Montpelier city arborist, volunteered for the role. Amanda, former chair of the Barre City Tree Committee, described past tree losses on Main Street, including trees dying at a rate of about three per year, and noted the Barre City Tree Nursery has 45 trees ready for downtown planting.
• The council voted to relieve Tom Baker of the tree warden duties and appoint Adam McCullough as tree warden, with ratification planned for the next meeting.

September Meeting Schedule and Manager Search

• The council agreed to move the September 15 meeting to September 22 because September 15 is the school budget revote. The city clerk will update the posted schedule and likely warn the September 22 meeting as a special meeting.
• Councilor Gustin updated the council on the city manager search: 17 applications were received, seven first-round interviews were conducted, and the committee will finalize interview notes and finalist recommendations on Thursday. Council will discuss finalists and possible public components in executive session on September 1. The committee has recommended 3–5 finalists; confidentiality concerns may affect whether public sessions are held.

Upcoming Business and Roundtable

• A councilor requested an auditorium renovation update from Tom Baker at the next meeting.
• Councilors noted that school starts tomorrow, with a reminder to watch for children and buses. A councilor reported the fence is down at 75 North Main, where eight housing units are waiting for a $39.99 fire-alarm part before occupancy. A councilor also highlighted new mosaic art at Ward 5 and Down Street's partnership.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda adjusted and consent calendar approved.
• Grievance upheld with written explanation to follow.
• Warrants approved with one abstention.
• South Main Street paving not-to-exceed $250,000 approved.
• CDBG-DR resolutions 2026-11 and 2026-12 approved.
• High-water-mark sign project approved.
• Adam McCullough appointed tree warden, pending ratification.
• September 15 meeting moved to September 22.
• Manager search next step: September 1 executive session and finalist discussion.
• The council entered executive session for legal and real estate matters, took no action, and adjourned.