Town Council Meeting Report

At the March 11, 2024 Town Council meeting, the council voted on the agenda items listed below.    All members of the council were present.


1.  Approval of Draft Minutes for February 12, 2024; 7-0 vote.


2.  item # 57-2024 Consider Approving Funds for an Intercom System at Thomas Memorial Library; 7-0 vote.


3.  Item #58-2024 Request from Councilor Anderson to Consider Amending the Town Fee Schedule for ADU's; 7-0 vote.
Councilor Anderson requested that this item be added to the agenda pursuant to recommendations from the Housing Diversity Study Committee's Final Report, with the goal of providing incentive for property owners to consider ADU's.  Anderson recommended amending the Town Fee schedule to reduce the building permit fee for ADUs from $12.00/$1,000 construction value to $6.00/$1,000.

4.  Item #59-2024 Table consideration of Legal Fee Reimbursement to the Lumbery as requested by Councilor Thompson; 4-3 vote.
Councilor Timothy Thompson asked for this item to be placed on the agenda after the council received an email on February 17, 2024 from Michael Friedland of the Lumbery. Friedland has requested that the Town reimburse him $9,500 in total legal fees, plus $1,500 for time spent on the matter. Thompson said he felt that Friedland's request was a reasonable request given a comment from Councilor Caitlin Jordan Harriman at a September 11, 2023 meeting in which she suggested that the Town may want to consider a reimbursement of legal fees. Councilor Penny Jordan cautioned against setting this precedent. Thompson suggested further reviewing the September meeting, but to consider reimbursement in June using unexpended funds from this year's budget. Thompson made a motion to table the item until the June 10, 2024 council meeting; Anderson seconded. Councilors Jordan, Harriman, and Jeremy Gabrielson voted against the motion.

5.  Item #60-2024 Request to form an Ad Hoc Privacy Committee from Chair Reiniger to Establish an Ad Hoc Privacy Committee and amended motion of setting $20,000 as committee budget; 5-2 vote.
Introduced by Chair Reiniger on January 8, 2024, the council referred to workshop consideration of creating an ad hoc Privacy/Surveillance Technology Committee in accordance with council goals.  The workshop was held on February 5, 2024 and a draft charge was put forth on February 28. Councilor Thompson made to a motion to create the ad hoc committee; Councilor Gillis seconded. Councilor Jordan said that while she supports the idea of the committee, "I think we need expertise who will offer solutions and how to address this in the future." Additionally, both Jordan and Councilor Harriman suggested that a budget for the committee should be set. Harriman made an amendment to the motion to include a budget of $20,000. The amendment was approved with a vote of 5-2, with councilors Jordan and Gabrielson voting against. The amended motion to include $20,000 drawing from the FY 2025 budget, passed with a vote of 5-2, with councilors Jordan and Harriman voting against.

6.  Item #61-2024 Consider Scheduling a Public Hearing for Proposed Submission Amendments; 7-0 vote.
The council voted unanimously to send the Proposed Process Submission Amendments to a Public Hearing on Monday, April 8, 2024

7.  Item #62-2024 Referral of the FY 2025 Municipal Budget to the Finance Committee; 
The council voted unanimously to refer the proposed Town Manager's municipal budget for FY 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 20, 2025) to the Finance Committee.  The first Finance Committee Budget Workshop is scheduled for Monday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m. (Accounts 100, 200, 400, 500, 710).  A second workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m. (Accounts 300, 600-635, 640-670 and Special Funds).  All budget workshops will be held in the council chambers and will be streamed live on CETV and available on CETV On Demand.  To follow the budget process, visit the FY 2025 Budget web page.


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