So welcome everybody. I will go ahead and call the meeting to order for the city of Essex Junction liquor board meeting for Wednesday, November 9 2022 to order. Do we have any agenda additions or changes for tonight. Hearing none, no need to approve the agenda go right into business item for a discussion consideration the first class restaurant bar license for Namaste Garden. So, we received this application, the voters voted that we can do this. So that's exciting. It's a new restaurant, Namaste Garden. These applications come to the clerk's office we get the payment half goes to the state comes to us. And we haven't thought through a process of doing this on our own we certainly can but we followed the town policy which is to get a criminal background check through the police department. I don't know if there's I know we don't have that yet so, but I didn't want to hold this up and wait since it's a new restaurant so the recommendation if you're open to it is to approve it with those pending. Appreciate that Regina I think just especially given the fact that we're at a point in time in the year where we might not be meeting as often as we normally do we don't want to delay them in their capability. So I would certainly entertain the motion. We approve the first class restaurant bar license from Namaste Garden pending the outcome of the, the police for the criminal background check. And the receipt of the application fee. Yes. Great. Second. Second. Thank you Raj any further discussion. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying aye. Those opposed we say nay. Great so that passed unanimously. Thank you all. That would conclude the business of the liquor board meeting so I would entertain a motion to adjourn the liquor board meeting. Thank you thank you any further discussion hearing none all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed please say nay. Great liquor control board is done. We're going to do this one more time for different board before we get into the full city council meeting so bear with us everybody. The next item. Welcome everybody call the meeting to order for the city vestige junction local cannabis control commission. Call that meeting to order for Wednesday November 9 2022 any agenda additions or changes. Great counselors anything. I forgot to ask that earlier sorry. Let's jump into business item for a and discussion and consideration of the tier one indoor cultivation license. So, you've got an application in front of you and these folks are here. And so, essentially, they've got a tier one cannabis cultivation license from the state pending local approval. The LDC changes that the city council put in adopted on October 14 come into effect October 5 only allow cultivation in one zoning district the planned agricultural zoning district. And these folks are in residential zoning district. So, they've five further home occupation and as acting zoning administrator I've denied that they've got an appeal for that that will move forward through the development review board. But also as a part of this local cannabis control commission would issue a license for this operation but again staff's perspective is based on the LDCs that were amended. I, my position is that I don't think you have authority to approve the license.  Thank you Regina and we can't change the land development code as it stands. So really the only thing we can do tonight is either to approve or deny given the facts that we have in front of us. Absolutely I just wanted to help to make sure to frame it. But please feel free to come on up. I'd sit at the table here with the microphones that way everybody can hear you if you don't mind. Sure. Yeah, at least Martin. My name is Andrea Monza, who is really kind of the, the proprietor of passion fruit farms, and we understand the land development change codes, however, we did our own research and stuff I actually real job, you know, just stay home and grow weed he was to the federal law firm. So we're, you know, trying to end this stigma around marijuana cultivation. So I just like to say that first, it seems that the land development code however isn't in compliance with state statute which says that you must treat cannabis related businesses as any other business, meaning if we do meet the requirements for a home occupancy permit that you must give it to us and we cannot that deny it on the sole reasoning that it's cannabis related, which is what several of your emails and correspondences with Regina no fault of her own has made clear so I'm just wondering does that stand hold if your land development code is not in compliance with state statute. I think it was being developed it was being developed with consultation of our attorney as well who's told us all along the way that we've been doing things legally in the right legal way, and has had, especially with this one component that we were legally authorized to do this. So we have that of our of our attorney who tells us we can so it's we also so maybe that is something, you know, obviously it's an interpretation of the law. So our attorney said, you know, we're, they were happy to come with us tonight but they were like, you understand the argument and you can articulate it very clearly and if it's so then we're happy to act on the behalf so obviously we don't want it to get litigious it seems very simple and like easy that you would make that decision in our favor considering that Essex villages technically the one at all. So, given that we do have an opinion from our attorney that tells us how we should do this for us to then go against our own attorneys opinion personally is not something that it really wants to do. Can we get that written up from your attorney could we get a write up about his reasoning and his answer to our basically our statement that Essex villages in violation of state back to 24 and 27 and subsections of those as those who were more involved. Yeah, I mean we also have this from the Attorney for the Canvas control board. Yes. Okay, but do you have that in a written statement from them that we could actually I'm not sure if that's appropriate in this case though. I'm sure it exists somewhere and we can get back with our with our attorney about whether that's client attorney privilege whether that's something that's open record but that's what your attorney is filing and they should have no problem giving that over to is that something that we would have to have our attorney request from your attorney. I would likely suggest that just given that frankly with attorney to attorney can make things a little bit quicker and easier in some ways. None of us are attorney so you guys aren't able to be helpful toward that. I wouldn't say it's not able to be helpful it's following the guidance from our attorney and for us to then not follow the guidance from our attorney would open us up to other potential issues down the road. You don't think that following the state statute would be more beneficial to your position. Thank you. I don't and I don't want to get involved in the discussion of the attorneys and I think it would be great if the two attorney can communicate and help you. The only thing I would say is that the reason for our zoning to understand it if someone wants to have a dairy farm or an apple orchard or you know grow for any kind of commercial use of agriculture and I think this was one of the things that I was confused about that came down the road with all this. It's that we we obviously as a city where we have really confined quarters for most of it. We have a long time ago there they started regulating agricultural production and said it can only happen in one part of the city and it can't happen anywhere you want. There's it seemed to me that there was obviously going to be and I understand exactly what you're saying a conflict between what the state was saying that this should be there shouldn't be anything that inhibits the cannabis and so it does. I did see this conflict coming and so I'm not surprised but I wanted to just give you the background of why we have these these owning regulations. I just want to put this before you right because we've asked this and we've received the same answer as well. So somebody was throwing tomatoes and a tier one cultivation level, met all of the requirements for a home occupancy permit. We've heard from your office that you guys would ramp that, but not because it's cannabis related. So that was the reason that was given back to us. So we're going tomatoes you guys would allow it home occupancy permit, but if because it's cannabis related that that's the reason for the denial. So that's what we have in an email that's what's in violation. And if we meet all the requirements for home occupancy permit, then we should be approved for that, because you can't discriminate just because we're cannabis related. So in our conversations with the CCB and our attorney, this, we're not doing this is discriminating against cannabis, the highlighted sections of the code that you are the statute excuse me that you have that you brought with you and you're in the appeal. The question from the CCB and from our attorney is that we are treating us as we would any other business. There are several business types in the chart that we don't allow in other places is for the LDC, and this is one of them. And so it's, it's, you know, I hear what you're saying but we have the opinion of the, of the, but we meet all of the requirements for a home occupancy permit so that's when I'm not understanding. We're not changing anything there's no signs. There's not nobody's coming anything we have secure cameras we don't want people coming to our property. We're distributing off the property to other licensed state like state licensed individuals that we have contracts with that are followed and recorded by the state down to the ramp. We're not doing any sort of sales we're not in a restricted retail area which we have no interest in doing we don't want to open the shop we don't want to sell. We just want to grow and get it off of our property the same that to me, tomato growers would do for a farmer's market. We're not doing anything that is considered illegal by the state of Vermont, and we're not our license isn't pending we have it is active. The person came they said your license is active it's not pending anything. So you certainly could go back and, and say no we're not going to do that but I think that that would just be perpetuating the stigma against marijuana and if you really want to help people be innovative and have businesses in Essex and ancient in the county and in Vermont in general you should really be more supportive of that. Thank you. Okay, thank you. If anything else counselors. No. If not, I would entertain the motion as we have in front of us. I moved that the Essex Junction local cannabis control Commission deny the tier one indoor cultivation license for Adrian Lonza fashion fruit farms LLC. Thank you George thank you Dan any further discussion. I would like to see some written resolution of this fairly soon that's the weekend. For all parties concerned, because it is confusing and I do. I think we agree that there's a nucleus of confusion at the center of this I in my opinion, has been part of the conversation. And I think we go into to the applicants as well to give them some clear kind of guidance here and, you know, yeah. All right all those in favor please signify by saying aye. Aye. As opposed to you say nay. Great so that passed unanimously thank you all. And that moment I would entertain the motion to adjourn the local cannabis control Commission. Any further discussion. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed please say nay. Great. Thank you everybody. And now welcome everybody to the city of Essex Junction City Council meeting for Wednesday November 9 2022 third time to charm. Call the meeting to order and do we have any agenda additions or changes. All right, I do not though I do just to guess if CCRPC Charlie Baker is able to come earlier if we are at a place where we could move him up earlier that'd be great he's just had another meeting and so. Yeah we were expecting him at about 730, but given how that may change if we don't mind having some flexibility. That'd be great. So no changes no need to approve the agenda so now we can go into the public to be heard. So now as a portion of tonight's meeting where if there are members of the public who wish to bring something to the board's attention that is not on the agenda. Now was the time to do so. For those of you who are using zoom please go ahead raise your hand so that that way I can make sure to call on you as well. For those in the room if you could just raise your hand so I can see how many people would be interested at speaking in public to be heard for those items not on the agenda, if it is on the agenda we will make time for that. Okay so one in the room I see one on zoom. So we'll go ahead and start with those in the room. Any if you'd like to go ahead, please come on up.  I'm not normally nervous when I'm in a room with you guys but I want to make sure that what I'm saying is effectively communicated by me and heard by you. And some of you know I had made a post to Facebook and there was some intense discussion about whether or not I should have posted that to Facebook and so forth. Some community presidents, not on boards, not staff were saying I should have done so in email but I was remunerating out loud and I want to do that now and I want to remunerate. And I guess I'm the questions I'm going to ask for more. Well they're a little bit rhetorical and mostly I want to know, like, I stood in the street with science for you guys I'm here for you know I trust you I'm happy that you're here in Amber, Amber also. And my questions and remunerations and I'll get to my point soon I'm sorry, are more like, I guess I want to make sure you're thinking them to. Because if you are, then, then, sorry, 57 off blush. If you are, then I feel good. And so some of what I'm going to say I know you're thinking of but I want to just laid all out there so that my community knows that I'm thinking about it and that we can travel together well. Okay, really say anything yet. So the other day on Facebook in our city group slash village group community resident, the idea that they were concerned that there had been a fee collected for an event. And the manner in which it was put forth understandably created some friction in the discussion. For me, it made me consider thoughts I was already having, and it made me look at the bigger picture. So, for example, four weeks previous to this event, we had been giving out money in vouchers to our residents. Out and about slash junction jam. We gave freely and happily and joyously. Right well spent idea that the tax dollars that we have can be utilized to do two things one put money into actually three things right for money into a resident's hands. We have that money because it's a voucher. And that voucher can for those who don't know, out and about NASA and junction jam is it was a third event. For if we count the original outside one opening outside that the vouchers are tax dollars that we that the council and then trustee is at the time, decided would go into business to kind of make sure people are shopping locally and inject money where the pandemic has caused a problem. It went so well we kept doing it great huge fan as you know. But when this resident was concerned about the fee that got charged and I don't want to be offensive just after that's here, but I'm going to say what it is so that we all know. It was an overwhelming event at a GRP, and it was a $5 you could if I get it wrong please someone correct me $5 you could pay ahead of time. $10 day of for I think a group of five or seven. I don't know. And so the query by the resident was, why am I paying for this, and some responses were, you know, it costs a lot to put together such an event the event is amazing. This is incredible. It's getting bigger every year people are leaving the silly hill event which I guess doesn't happen anymore to come see this it's great. The event is amazing the community loves it. That's great. And so when the query about the charge was put forth, the city resident was unaware through nobody's fault that there would be a fee. And when the city resident arrived there with their child. They could view the the preliminary component, but not do the trick or treat. Find us the rules whatever she was surprised, she was surprised, and then left because at that moment did not have the ability to do so. For me, watching our community. Shut that down was shocking because we're here for equity. We're constantly talking about equity. That's our work. That's what we're doing. And to me, in this situation, that's not equitable. It doesn't live in the space of equity that we discuss. Now, how do we resolve such a thing. Right, it's not easy to put forth the activities. It's expensive to put forth what do we do. Are we looking at the bigger picture for weeks previously. We gave residents $15 a piece to put into businesses. It's it's baffling, not baffling like, but wait a minute, we have to look at this. That's what I'm trying to say that my, my questions are, why aren't we looking at the bigger picture of events and how the year is going. Why aren't we determining how to more equitably distribute funds and create space because for me. I'd rather all climb back into it again and start helping sponsorships to run the junction jam. And let's make sure that the Halloween event is free. Well, what do we need to do to make it free. How do we live in equity because Halloween and trick or treating should not cost money. But this event needs money. It's a great event. Right. How do we do that. So I'm right. And then. Again, no offense to staff that happens to be in the room and I probably should have been saying it anyway because they're watching other stuff. The, the cost. I'm not sure how it gets determined and I don't personally want to know. I just want to know that you know. And I want to know that you're wanting to find out. I don't need to know why or how, but those were my questions and I blurted them out on Facebook because the level of aggression towards the original pressure was really frustrating me. The original post on Facebook about. About why the, why the event cost money. There were a lot of people really kind of arguing that this is a great event. Why are you. It's only if you bring, if you bring your neighbors kids, it's only such and such a dollars per person. But when we look at equity, we don't look at it like that. And then I want to know, are you asking the right questions? Are you thinking to yourself, why does it cost this much? How do we get to this fee? Are you asking yourself, why was cash preferred? Can we not do something less messy than this dark out. Cash is changing hands. It's just messy. It just doesn't have to happen that way in my opinion. It doesn't have to be your opinion too. But when I go in and pay my $7 fee for my dog license, if it's still $7, I don't remember, I get a handwritten receipt. Right. That's how a cash transaction should occur. There's, I mean, maybe, maybe it did happen like that, but I can't imagine it. What, what are our transactions? How do we ingest money? And is it clean and appropriate to 2022? And do you know how the decisions get made about the pricing? I'm not asking you to tell me I'm over it. I mean, sorry, I don't mean I'm over it. I mean, I just want to know that you're thinking about this. And then, sorry, I've been talking so long. Are we only sir? Like, I want to make sure that we're that we're serving equity for real and not just talking about and creating committees for it. I want to make sure we're actually doing it. And then this is an actual question that I hope we can get. And I'm sorry, I'm almost done. I'm sorry, I really did talk too much. Like, is it possible to have a kind of flow chart for those of us who are residents to understand how our government works. I remember when I was in elementary school, which was a very long time ago, like in the 70s, early 70s, that there was like some kind of flow chart for how government worked. Right. So our schools could use it like if we put together a good one is great, because it really is to me, it should be in history books that we became a separate city. It's amazing what you all did. It's amazing. Can we create a flow chart or something that explains what each department is, what the titles and roles are doesn't matter who's in them. That's that doesn't matter but how it functions. How does our government function down to everything. For example, which departments in just money. You know, and why not not why like why but like why. And, and how does it work and who's in charge of that does the, you know, does the. I don't know just as full title finance office. Nice to meet you finance director like how does that work. So my curiosity and I hope it's yours and I hope other people wonder this too, is how does it work from city council through our new manager welcome again if I didn't say that, you know through everything what is the functionality of each department. What are the names of each department how many do we have. Do they in just in just money if so how what are the checks and balances we have in place. Does invoicing get involved if so how does invoicing work. Where's the checks and balances for that how does that work, simply because I want to know, and I don't want to actually not be asking this because I want to know that you want to know too. So for me when I elected you just because good you're doing it. I'm thrilled you're there. Can you do, you know, can you. So I just want to know that you're having the same ruminations and that you want to know the same answers, and that we come together to have those answers and that it's really transparent. I'm just saying that all the details names of each department roles within which departments and just money how it occurs who determines what amounts are like for example fees for businesses. Let's say village, let's say previous to Regina who's very kindly writing the salt I really appreciate you doing that. If a business comes and there's a fee for them to be here, whatever that is, who decides that is it decided by the head of the department, like which role decides that. So I want to be rude any but yeah, you can be great. I'm almost finished great. And then how can we learn more about those things as they occur. And then how does the city budget work in regards to those departments, which, which piece of a budget go there and how much of ingested money covers costs versus what the budgetary money covers and who decides that and then here's my here's my big other question. So once friends, let's take our village or voices for example, was it 10, I think it was 10,000 that went to our village or voices am I right. 8,000 10,000 how much money went to our village or voices, it was decided at a meeting. I think it was 10. There about. Okay. I think that's a good question for that. How much got spent. Is it a line item thing that we can does it. And who I knows maybe it's true does it come in the book that I get every year is that accounted for literally before my eyes. And then, if I understand correctly at the end of each fiscal year on spot and on spent money goes back into a general fund right. Is it literally accounted for as it goes back into the general fund and how do we as residents learn what those numbers are and how that got accounted for. And I would have that question for all of the budget and how and what happens at years and fiscal years and years and. All right, thank you very much for let me talk so much. Thank you, Andy. Thank you. And just real quick, a lot of what you're talking about is great feedback of ways that we can help to broader educate our community as to what the role is of the board of staff. How we we as a policy board help to see the policies that our staff then carry out the discretion than that staff have the role of the annual external audit that we have every year in terms of checks and balance. And the other part is really quickly talk about with equity, we have not as a board had a conversation I believe since we've separated truly focused on equity so we certainly have a lot of room to go with that. But many of the things that you've you've asked about our things that we do talk about on a regular basis, also during the budget meeting that we have a day long budget meeting presentations from our staff when they come to us the annual audit when that comes. So we certainly have these conversations, but definitely a lot of good feedback of ways that we can better educate the community. Great. Thank you so much for your time and thanks for all you do. Thank you. Thanks, Amber, too. All right, so there was nobody else in the room on zoom I see that just was asked he has a question. Go ahead if you can unmute yourself for yours. Oh, I don't have a question I wanted to comment myself on my very own time is this supposed to be for follow ups to any. If you want to address any questions or comments to me that's greatly appreciated. Okay, so this is just the public comment and now I get my chance to do public comment right. Yes. Okay, so I'm the person I'm the person who started the whole scrum on Facebook, and I am also a single parent solo income teacher in the public school system in Burlington, and I'm also super entitled because I grew up in the same direction I spent 13 years of my childhood here I helped fight for and then establish the teen center called couches and my mom's band to get them in there I'm overjoyed that it still exists. I've been a taxpayer and homeowner here for nine years. And I'm feel I feel like super entitled to be able to speak out in spaces like Facebook, and ways that other people aren't and I very much feel like it's to be a person that speaks out. Oh, also is involved in the Essex governance group, when this child was one year old, she would sit on the floor Essex high school doodling as I met with people from the town in the junction. And it was in response to like multiple from porch form posts of people saying how crazy the voting was in Essex, and why can't we just sort things out for good. And then establish those meetings and then finally first we all got together and there were like 10 people in the room and it was amazing because that many people cared to get together and sure it ended up in a divorce but this is sometimes when things get better right so I feel very I was also invested in like helping this place that we are like figure out what we what we want to be and I, I was frustrated because when I showed up that evening I thought it was the big pumpkin lighting.  And there might have been freesider or something. But when we went down it was just a giant line two lines because you had the line of people going one direction and the other line looping around to get into the park and it was a paid event. And I was meeting my mom and my daughter there and we didn't have enough cash on us between us to go in and it's a candy trail which she went to the candy trail when it was held also for free at the Champlain Valley fairgrounds which she was a we won and too young to do trick or treating but it was so lovely and so fun. And we got to see high school kids and fire people work in the fire department and stuff. So it was like, really wonderful and really fun. And we've always been involved in parks and rec like she went there for day care from ages three to five and does after school care there. You know, there are huge supporters of parks and recreation, and you would think we'd be on an email list but there is not, I guess an email list is everything's opposing on Facebook and I'm a working parent solo parent, full time parent all the time for this child. And I don't see everything on Facebook because it's beheld into algorithms. So if the post that they made about the fact that it was going to be $10 came at 2pm when it spiked in my feed and I wasn't looking online. I'm not even knowing it. I even dug back on their Facebook posts, and the title that they were sharing didn't say the amount at the door it was the comments that they wrote that said the amount of the door, or like one of the tiles they might have made five different tiles, but I've worked in social media and worked online I feel like both in the outreach that they did to alert people that you could pre register and that was going to be a paid event. And also the fact that the pumpkin lighting went from being a free fun easy event to something that I had to plan for round up some other people for because it's just two of us and it's a $10 entry fee, like it, it wouldn't have been a thing probably would have gone to anyone. And that was my big complaint, but I think that I don't know. I think it's a strong man argument for people's feelings to be all hurt over this because I'm not insulting anybody who put it on or saying it wasn't a wonderful event I'm saying do we want to be a community that charges $10 for residents for community event. And that's the end of the story. I would like to think we can find a way to maybe make it super clear when events to charge only or look at ways of making intergenerational all community events, and then maybe family events or events to cash in on outsiders because it sounds like from what people shared privately with the reason they charged is because so many outsiders came. So if we're trying to cash in on outsiders coming to Essex, Yahtzee, that's great. Like how about make it be one of those kid events that people are scrambling for that's for little kids just like the Halloween trail, but maybe don't do it on public property that people normally have access to and like sort of ruin the other event that was held for free for years it's just going to see the pumpkin lighting. That's it. I also think that we should have a kayaking access to the Winooski River somewhere in Essex because of all the town south of Jonesville we don't have any we're like the only one that doesn't have any so that was a secondary point. But I would happily do a presentation on that in the future. Thank you for listening. Thank you Jess. No other hands up. So that will end public to be heard and we'll jump into business item five a which is a presentation from GBIC. And I see that we have Sam Anderson here from GBIC. Hello Sam. Hello. Thank you so much for inviting me to speak to you this evening. I truly appreciate it. GBIC has always appreciated the support of the now city of Essex Junction and the town. In my letter requesting that you consider a contribution for FY 24, I put in the amount that both entities have generously given us in the recent past to be candid. We never dove into who gave what as far as amounts. Our support for Essex Junction and the town does not waiver. We still put in consistent work. We have been working with businesses in the community. And since March of 2020, the state asked us to also step up, working with businesses that have not traditionally been in our wheelhouse, such as commercial retail food and helping get them the information about the various grants and loan programs that ARPA and the state have put out. It's been a bucket of work. However, it's been joyous in getting to know all sorts of businesses. Because we usually deal with dollar importing and value added businesses, such as your large employer, local foundries, and we're there working with them on a variety of issues, monthly. And we're thrilled to do so. I am not going to presume to give you a specific request. You know, traditionally, the two municipalities graciously contributed $7500. It will be your first year separated in a long time. I hope you still feel strongly about supporting the work that we do. I lead it to your good judgment. Best case scenario I would hope each municipality would divide that amount and continue to support us. But it's up to you. I don't want to be presumptuous. The most important thing to GBIC is your contribution demonstrates support to the work and activity that we conduct every year. And that's the most important part of your contribution. We're well aware of everything that all pressures that every municipal budget is facing. I do enjoy attending the municipal managers meetings, which are hosted by the Regional Planning Commission, our partner. And I always work to bring valuable information to that monthly to our municipal partners. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them. We have a request letter. We also included our performance dashboard. But I hope you've had an opportunity to look at which tells you throughout Chittenden County, how many businesses we've worked with, how we've assisted them. Not everyone who lives in the village, sorry, City of S6 Junction works within S6 Junction. I'm confident you have residents that work in other businesses throughout the county. If you have any questions, I'm happy to try and answer them. Thank you, Sam. I think what, unless I'm mistaken to be quite direct, I don't think GBIC has come to one of our board's meetings in the past, given that our contribution has always been through the town of S6. So from my perspective, this is a first time conversation and really appreciate having this, this again unless I'm mistaken and have missed something which is always possible. Gee, I'm horrified. But to my knowledge, you received a letter by a year at the time unified management. It was addressed to both both municipalities. Right. And my recollection of this is the first time though to have a conversation with GBIC besides receiving a letter. Something that just might be helpful is what does the GBIC do and how would this, this contribution help GBIC and thus then be able to help our community. It was great to hear how GBIC was is recently being asked to go beyond industrial which is fantastic, given that while we have global foundries we have many other types of commercial businesses here in our community that we care very deeply about and want to be just as successful if not more so than and then global foundries. Right. And I'd be happy to GBIC, which stands for the Greater Burlington and Australia Corporation is one of the 12 nonprofit regional development corpse called RDCs that exists throughout Vermont. We each have a region. In our case, it is Chittenden County. We were formed by a volunteer board in 1954. One thing we did shortly after formation, which GBIC is very proud of, we built the first building that IBM came and leased from us when they came to Essex Junction. GBIC built that and leased to IBM, and we've been a partner with them and now global ever since. We also develop at the request of the state. Projects. For example, we have something called the regional priority list. And your new town city manager is very familiar with this Regina, who sat on the committee, when she was with the RPC. We identify the top 10 regional priority projects, which is requested by the northern orders. The NBRC regional commission by being on that list. You can qualify for extra points when you apply for an NBRC grant. We've been on that list twice a year. And I'm very pleased to say, we currently have two projects for as the city of Essex Junction on that regional priority list. You can touch with your staff for updates twice annually on those projects. They're then ranked by a committee which is formed of staff from GBIC and the regional planning commission. And then we just completed that review. 10 days ago. And then we submit this document to the state. And it can help the projects in the top 10 needless to say because we're, we work with Chittenden County. The list is longer than that. We have up to 16 projects, but it's the first 10 that can qualify for an NBRC grant. However, if you're on the list, no matter where you rank, the legislature is now saying it's important to be on the list to qualify for other grant. We're also in a livable loan programs. So we work on that document. We're also in the middle of working on a said comprehensive economic development strategy. You may remember about 18 years ago, we did one. And now we're doing a new sense with three other counties. We are the west central region. And it's Chittenden County, Addison County, Washington County, Rutland County, and two towns in Orange County. Our second draft has just been released on that document. It does planning. And this is taken. We've been working on this for what Regina year and a half. I believe it was early 2021. That we started on this. We work on this document for the purpose of presenting it to the federal EDA economic development authority. By doing so, it will permit us to qualify as an economic development district, Edd. Can you tell the world of economic development loves acronyms. By doing so, it will make us put us in a position to qualify for more federal funds for infrastructure projects and designated high priority economic development projects. And I hope I haven't lost you on this. It's a world I adore, but it can be a little dry. And I explain it. It's been very helpful. Thank you, Sam counters have other questions. I do not. Great. I appreciate the, the, the dashboard of projects that she had. Okay. And I would always love to come back now make this a yearly moment in time. Great. We appreciate that Sam. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for your consideration. All right. Next on our agenda. We have a conversation with our fire chief Chris Cabrario. Hello Chief Cabrario. Nice to see you. Good to see you. So, yeah. Just going to bring up my presentation. I'm good. So put together a few slides just to recap kind of where we are here in the department where we are going this year. I know a topic that's always on everybody's mind is staffing. So we continue to have some, some very good success next door. So we, we've finally come to realize that, you know, in years past, you were always looking for those members that would, that would, you know, reside in Essex Junction owned property and would be here for, you know, 10 years and we'd have them on the department for a long time and that's just not the case anymore. You know, we realize that, that most of the volunteers that come through the door to join our organization, a lot of them do not own property and tend to be apartment dwellers. And that's all good. So, needless to say, we've, we're, we're seeing more of a turnover, you know, seeing that three or four people every year that that move on in life move out. But lucky for us, we've got those three or four others coming in the door. So we're working to maintain staffing. Our target, if you would, is is right around that 25 to 35 individuals to support the operation. And right now we're approaching 35 so we're, we're, we're maintaining. So that's all good. Moving along call volume. Again, it's amazing year over year, it just never seems to change we fall right within that 500 550 call volume. That's, we're on track to do that this year as well. It's pretty much a 3035 6065% split. So we're doing that EMS that first response in assisting with Essex rescue. And for what happens is Essex rescue was committed to another call and another call for for EMS comes in for the village for the city of Essex junction. We get our first response gets dispatched. So we have about a DMT's that that are on the department and they will respond directly to that location and provide aid until that next responding ambulance arrives. So that's that's the split, pretty much a, like I said, a 70 30% split for fire to EMS. And one big project we've been working on this year and we were successful with obtaining an AMT license. So that just that allows our EMTs to operate for those that are trained at a higher level of, or to provide a higher level of care for individuals. Most of your ambulances in the area respond, you know, operate at that level. We now as a first response service will operate at that same level. So, you know, we can we can provide that same amount of care for that individual and basically expedites that transfer from what we've done to what that ambulance crew is is is going to take over and do as well. Just on the AMT thing in general, what we heard not that long ago from Essex rescue about just some of their struggles, both in terms of their ability to have staffing, their model and having the, the personnel to help respond to calls. Is this something where is, is this complimentary to Essex rescue, is this something where are there calls that the extension fire department could then respond to that Essex rescue may not then need to to maybe divert the need for them going to calls, or is this no we would. So we would never take a call. I mean we are service basically supports that ambulance. Again, if we're dispatched. It's only because Essex rescue is on another call. So we're going to provide that assistance until the next responding ambulance comes in. So, again, Essex dispatch would take the call. If Essex rescue is on a call they have a whole matrix will go okay next responding ambulance to St. Mike's St. Mike's is busy. We go to Colchester Colchester is busy we got a will list and it's all. It has that all laid out. So we would, yeah we we don't have the ability to transport. We don't have any of that so again we're just there to provide that service and a EMT license just allows us to do more things we will be able to, you'll start an IV will be able to if a if an individual needs fluids they'll be able to administer that if we have an unresponsive patient we need to establish an airway, they'll be able to do that. At this point in time there's no goal to replace what Essex rescue is doing or to take the calls over that Essex rescue has been doing but rather if they can't to help ensure that there's something that at least can happen until Essex rescue or another entity could arrive. Correct. Okay, we have, we do not have the resources to staff an ambulance we don't have the read we don't have the room to park an ambulance. We don't have a facility to to have people on call. So, again, we're just there to assist and provide care until that that next ambulance arrives. So if I hear questions from the community about so does this mean Essex junk and fire department is going to become a rescue organization. The quick answer is no. Absolutely. Absolutely. Not a problem at all. But again, the nice thing is is you've got people you've got people that are trained to that, you know, they do have some paramedics on board, but to have an amt of amt available. It's not uncommon to have them say, hey, well, can we take that resource with us to the hospital. Okay, so if they're, you know, they have a two person staff, you know, based on the care that's needed they need a third person. Not uncommon to see one of our EMTs go with them. So, that's just a good thing for us. I guess actually one of the related question if we're providing some type of emergency medical services that then something that we would then bill for bill insurance for me for. No, that's, again, that would all be Essex rescue, Essex rescue or the responding amules would bill for that service but again, we provide that as a service we don't we don't there's no income and we don't get compensated for anything that that we provide. Thank you. And yeah, last but not least, just talking about some equipment upgrades. I know we had some funding in the budget for thermal imaging cameras we do have those on order. Unfortunately, we still have not received them to date, but they're supposed to be here before the end of the year. So they did have some manufacturing issues that they had to overcome. So we have a large thermal imaging camera if you would on each one of the apparatus we have lost to this past year. So we've only got one large one, but we did purchase some smaller ones. We have those available and in the apparatus as well. So we are certainly our timing we are in need of thermal imaging cameras but again, they've committed to having them to us before year end. And then the other the other thing that we've been working on is converting a lot of our small equipment from gas powered to battery powered. So just easier to operate easier to use faster quicker. So the association that raises money on the side. We actually went to them and they purchased some new positive pressure fans for us. So with that we're we're eliminating and getting rid of our gas powered fans, which are just cumbersome to use they're heavy they're larger. You've got a gas engine now we have to have a metal exhaust pipe that we have to run to exhaust away from the opening that we're, you know, trying to pump clean air into. So now it's literally just a matter of bringing a fan to a door and pressing a button, and it operates. So no cords, no power, no gasoline, no choke, no pole. So, so it just makes it just makes our job easier and that's that's one of the focuses to do again get in do our job and get people back to the station so we can get home. So, yeah, I asked my questions. I don't have any I think I'm looking forward to getting more into your budget and your operations in about about three weeks from now. But I appreciate the update very much. No problem. Thank you. I think you'll like the numbers that we present. I appreciate what we will we get for that that value if you will appreciate the time of view of your members in general know your membership broadly so really do appreciate that and please do, as always pass the appreciation on to the full membership of EJ FD. Absolutely will do. All right trivial but everybody loves seeing them on Halloween. Yes.   So again this year was, was a good year. So, I know we supported. We supported the operation over here at the Maple Street Park, and they were able to get on the Halloween night so everybody was happy about that. Yeah. The police are playing ghostbusters. Yep, songs. It's a good time. Thank you. Right. Next we have discussion and consideration of miscellaneous municipal ordinance issues. Yeah, so, um, I'm going to turn my memo here. All right, so the trustees back in September 2021 adopted a new public news ordinance. And as we were trying to get that up online we realized there's a number of sections of your existing municipal ordinance ordinance that now is redundant. So really the intention here of this effort isn't necessarily to do anything different than what was adopted in September 2021 but we just have to rescind essentially a bunch of other pieces that are now no longer needed. So this year from Lieutenant Kissinger today though that they've, so I'm not sure if you folks are aware of this but they're trying to get the same set of ordinances adopted over at the town and the city so the police can follow one. So in those discussions, they've heard from the town attorney that it might be pretty difficult to enforce the aggressive hand handling component of that so as we look at this we may just want to look at that one section, and we can have a body and take a look at that for you guys. So, um, we have to do this through a public hearing process. So the the recommendation in front of you right now is to warn a public hearing for your December 14 meeting. So we can get that in there correctly. We also have to incorporate in your minutes, the complete strike through change that's being proposed. I think at the moment that can be done on the night of the minutes from the 14th. If that can't happen, we might need to extend this process, but that's the hope. And then, yeah. There are some other ordinance topics that have come up as of late. Smell from cannabis operations, ducks, unregistered vehicles on roads and a number of other things that definitely will take more time to research and figure out. My recommendation to you tonight is that we don't have the capacity to get into those issues right now. So, that's my suggestion is that we kind of move forward get this ordinance cleaned up so the police and the public are clear what the public uses ordinance is. And then focus on these other issues when we can get some time to do that. And so just to compartmentalize sort of our conversation. Regina would you say it's appropriate where if we first let's focus on the, the rescissions and amendments to get that process laid out and then after that, after that motion we can then have the separate conversation around the other, the other topics. Yes. Great. Okay. And where does the And while that's happening, we'll deal with the aligning the city in town on what we have adopted and they're still working on it. Yes, for the new. And that's going to happen parallel or. Yeah, it'll happen when it happens. That's a good question. I'm not sure exactly where the town is in their process and getting the document that you folks adopted in 2021 where they are and getting that across the, the finish line. So I can look into that too because I it's a good question about whether there's going to be anything else that ends up being different between the town version and the city. There were a few things, just from, you know, spending great time watching the meetings. Yep. Yeah. There were a few things like the public nudity, right, public urination such this truck but I guess it's a matter of how much to make sure that you're on. Also a great conversation. There's some of that stuff always going to be possible. Yeah, considering the differences, which I don't know. Yeah, well, I can certainly figure out where they are in their process and make sure that you've got the information for December 14th and you can. The changes I can bring you on the night of the 14th if we warn the public hearing tonight, so. As long as we can get this part done right. Yeah, we don't really need to. We've already done the other. Yes, yes, yes, we're good right so. We can have the police department when the town figures out their portion, they can always come back to us with what those changes were we can then reopen that and have those conversations for a period of time. Yep. We'll get there. So yeah, I'm perfectly fine personally just moving forward with, I guess, cleaning up our, our ordinances and cleaning that up so that way we can then have a better organized, less duplicative document. So we'll just that first portion I would entertain the motion. I will move that the city council warned public hearing on December 14 at 6.30pm for the following changes to the sx junction municipal ordinances, I will read them now. We send chapter six regulation soliciting chapter seven noise ordinance chapter 10 regulations of public indecency and chapter 13 regulations of public nuisance in their entirety. And then amend chapter nine enforcement by deleting reference to 610 and 13 and amend chapter 16 ordinance prohibiting graffiti, a facement of property and placing substances in public fountains by rescinding sections 1601 and 1602. Thank you George me to second second. Thank you Raj. Any further discussion. All those in favor please signify by saying aye. Aye. I suppose please say nay. Great so I passed unanimously, and then I will move that staff prioritize the research for other ordinance issues including smell ducks and unregistered vehicles in there. Okay. So, so now we're into the second part of the conversation. Sorry to interrupt you. Okay. It's fine. So that is if we want to. This is now if you want to have staff prioritize doing the research for these other topics. If we do. We have Regina acting as the interim zoning administrator we don't have a community development director. And so if we allow for this, then that means other things need to come off the table. Oh, okay. Can I back up one step. Right. Did you, which one of those did you read. I read the top one. Right. Okay. No, I believe that was the correct one. I misunderstood Andrew. I thought, I mean, I gave a lot of latitude to the word prioritize. We don't really know how long that is, but I'm sorry and I will rescind the part of it. I don't know not really. It's a question from staff of do we want staff to prioritize these initiatives right now over other things. I'm going to ask a specific question relative to this. I know there was a gentleman in here at our last meeting and he has what he obviously wanted the, the, the chicken ordinance amended is that relative is that what this is about. I know that we have both residents in the room as well as online who want to speak to the duck portion. Okay, well, I mean, yeah, okay, I can, I'll, I'll take back what I was reading and I'll sit and listen and learn. Okay. But even before we specifically get into to ducks just again that is the portion of in Regina please correct me if I'm wrong, whether or not we want to have staff to take the time to research these efforts. And if so, then we would need to figure out what is coming off the table so that that way, that can do that work. Correct. Okay. I guess I'd want to have an opportunity and I don't think it's now because we have that chance to think about it to really think about the totality of what's coming. You know I still feel like we have, you know with Regina arriving, we had a huge list of things to do with I'm still trying to wrap my head around and then to this week go through, you would send an email five or six months anyway. I would really like to have an opportunity to get together as a board and see where we are generally before we ask staff to go any further than we absolutely have to on things that I feel are extra right now, and by extra I don't mean they're unimportant I don't mean that they aren't someone's priority, but everyone is very limited and we have things we have to get done for the city. Yeah. I still think are very open questions. And as far as the ordinance specifically are concerned I know that were we to go out and spend a few minutes. We probably have other people coming with other priorities and I think we should have a bigger picture of what those are. We have a couple of instances that have been backburnered and people are being very patient as we make this transition, and they've been asked to be patient for a year or two. So, I think, I think having a larger conversation around prioritization. And along that line and the Regina and I have talked a little bit about having just a general strategic planning opportunity for our board and for staff, potentially have involvement from committees and beyond, truly help ensure that we sort of have that North Star as to what is it we're trying to do. We were building a city that's great and wonderful and what's next and how are we going to get there, aligning that with our budget process aligning that with overall strategic to report back on to the community of our progress so far. So we're we're having some of those conversations. And certainly, we'll bring that back to the full board once you can kind of get to a point where we can breathe again, maybe.  Yeah, I'll just, if I may Andrew, just to clarify that the thinking of that strategic process is definitely intended to give it some really good time so we're thinking this would be starting in the spring late winter spring to help prepare us for the FY 25 budget not necessarily for the FY 24 budget as that's upon us right now. You ever take a week or two. So in terms of that prioritization process or that whether the council should have staff prioritize some of these issues. I do know that there are community members who wanted to speak on these topics. I believe that there are a few here in the room and know that there's one online. Last time we prioritize those in the room so this time will prioritize those online. Okay, so if you wanted to speak to this issue as members of the public, and you are on zoom if you don't mind just raising your hand, just to make sure using zoom to raise your hand or on the camera thank you Jason. So that way I can see how many people that we have, and then in the room to raise your hand as well okay great I appreciate that so there's a couple of hands up. Jason if you want to go first. That'd be greatly appreciated. I see Sharon with her hand as well so Sharon you can go after my only ask is if we can keep each person to under five minutes. That would be greatly appreciated. So Jason if you want to go ahead and unmute yourself floors yours. Yep, so just to clarify. I did not request to change the chicken ordinance ordinances I didn't want to change any ordinances at all. I requested a, an exception so that I can keep my ducks in accordance with the agricultural program, but I haven't received any complaints regarding cannabis. The city's only craft cannabis cultivation that is a commercial operation. So, if there has been any complaints I would, I'd be interested to hear it now. But as, as of yet, the only thing I've heard of in terms of a complaint of smell is the ducks. So, like as I said before I'm asking for an exemption in this one instance, not to change the actual documentation. So, I understand that the council has a lot of priorities at this point, however, when I spoke with the council earlier. If you guys don't make this a priority then I'm going to have to slaughter all my ducks and start over. So, I would prefer not to do that. The ducks are an integral part of the permaculture for the cannabis, you know, cultivation I have. And I use it to create the fertilizer I need for the cultivation. Thank you. And just for full disclosure for everybody when Jason was referencing speaking to a counselor he and I spoke earlier, just as a part of ensuring that Jason knew this was coming up. And then just some follow up questions from there. Well, I think, you know, in terms of resources, in terms of getting an objective opinion, you know, if it would take one member or however many members of the council to go visit Sharon's property and see, you know, if there is an actual smell, that you guys would inappropriate, and we can move from there. Thank you for that, Jason. Yeah, I appreciate that thank you. Anything else.  So that's my request. Thank you. So just for everybody else as it's your turn please make sure that you address any questions or comments to me and we'll go from there if I can't answer them I'll try to find somebody who can in the room or else it'll just have to wait until another time to be answered. So Sharon, you're next. Hi there. Thanks for taking my comments. So, I have had a couple of conversations with Jason about different things that have gone on most recently about a month ago about the ducks, as well as the cannabis smells. I am not the only one who has made complaints, or feels that there is an issue. We can't use our backyard, our deck, or our front patio in the summer, because in the summer heat, the smells are so bad. It's certainly from cannabis, but also there's some other stench overriding it, because we've been dealing with the cannabis smell for a couple years now so we kind of have gotten familiar with that, unfortunately. We're not the only people, everyone on the street notices when people walk by on the street.  People ask about the smells people ask about the sounds about the duck sounds. There's a lot of noise from the ducks as well. There is also a clear ordinance about four chickens. It's pretty clear. So, you know, Jason has said he is raising them for a number of reasons one including that they're going to be used for food. Okay, I respect that I respect all those things but we are in a neighborhood where it is. Our lawns are next to each other, and our properties run right alongside of each other. We've lived here for 20 years, and it is very, very difficult for us to even have any peace of mind in the summer in Vermont, when you want to be outside. So, yeah, we have a problem with it. And it is so we, you know, we are hoping that the board, if you do take this up that you actually do do some, you know, canvassing of other neighbors and other people in the neighborhood because it is obvious we are some of the closest people, however, so we are affected the most, but it's really unpalatable to be here in the summer it's not bad now because it's winter and it's cold. So I will stop there because they probably gone by five minutes. Not yet but I hear you Sharon if that's all that you have.  And that's not what we signed up for when we bought this property either so. Sure, go ahead rush. Sharon you said something about a couple of years for this activity and cannabis is there been cannabis growing there for a couple of years or is it just been this past few months. Nope, it's been a couple of years, as many as three for cannabis, probably two for ducks. Possibly more for cannabis. I know Jason has told us in the past, I think we often get told what he wants us to believe but we've been told originally that it was because he has a broken back and it's for pain. It helps his pain and it's a medical thing that's fine. We're respectful of that it's just that it doesn't feel like it's there's reciprocity in that. You know, I'll, I think, I think a little bit of it makes a little bit of a spell, and it's rather tolerable, you know people smoking it it's it's happening all around town anyways but we've dealt with huge swaths of air coming over for short periods of time in the past as well with people smoking marijuana.  So anyhow, that is really the bottom line. I'm not seeing any other hands up on zoom. So as we come back into the room. I believe gentlemen in the front here I'm sorry I didn't, I don't know your name. Steven, Steven. Thank you Steven. If you don't mind just come on up to the microphone here. Thank you. So Steven really bad news. Yeah I think Sharon hit most of the points that I intended to say as well. I think it's important to note that. So to the question of, you know how long that kind of this has been growing it has been several years I don't know exactly and this this past season. I don't know, you know I didn't count them, but there were 20 to 30 large plants Jason did a fantastic job of cultivating, you know he had gigantic plants, and we could tell from the smell.  When there's run off our lawns are sloped and of course there's no water block. So when there's run off the entire side of our house. The side yard is covered in water that has come down from both yards. So we don't know what's in it, but we still have to walk through it if we want to walk around that side of the house. The, I think it's also important to note that, you know this isn't 123 or four ducks, you know as as the chicken rules would say we're talking about, I think it's 14 or 15 ducks right now. And, you know he started with seven chicks, a couple years ago, and it's pretty much gone up from there. So it's not. It may be reasonable to have some exception for, you know, following the chicken rules, but with ducks, but probably not for three or four times to allowed quantity. Regarding noise. I think I had sent an email about some of this but you know we, we typically what's our bedroom is on the opposite side of our house from from Jason's property. We typically run a an air conditioner or a noise maker of some sort to overcome the noises of route 15. And we can still hear the ducks in the middle of the night. Sometimes they get riled by something. And suddenly there's just loud noise. You know, we don't know what it is but it's noticeable. So, I think that hit everything. Great. Appreciate that Steven, thank you. Thanks.  I think just from, from what I'm hearing personally. Once we have a community development director hired, some of these seem like great projects as they're coming on board things like smell would be great to have some type of resolution on. But at this point in time personally, I don't see the precedent for, for prioritizing all of this now, especially given the staffing vacancy and being in the point in time of budget season as we're trying to finalize the year's budget to put out the vote. So personally, I'm in favor of having the ordinances that we have and as we have increased staffing capacity picking some of this up in a that subsequent time period. Now, is there anybody feel differently. No, I think I agree with you. The, I remember when we established this ordinance, relating to foul chickens. That's why have you, and many of these issues that have been presented tonight were things we discussed back then. Yeah, you know, and no, it's, you know, it's tough with the staffing we have right now to address these things I understand that but definitely something that we need to address and she said earlier, you know, coming on winter pretty soon here and you know, maybe some of the smells won't be so bad but definitely something to look at. Great. Amber George anything else. I'm good with the rest of it. So with that if we're not asking staff to do anything differently and there's no need for emotion. There's no need for a vote. So, with that, I just thank you for those of you who came out and spoke. And we'll move forward with the status quo as to what we have. As things change, I'm sure we'll reach back out to start some of these conversations about how best to help mitigate smell, so on and so forth, and we'll take it from there. And I appreciate all of your patience. So, thank you all. I see that we have Charlie Baker in the room. So we'll rearrange the agenda a little bit to just jump on in with Charlie and having a presentation from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Thank you very much. Thank you. Make the adjustment. Yeah, and good to see you in person again for the first time in three years I think. I think Elaine Haney I think maybe trying to dial in as well. I don't know if she's there but so I think you got our annual report in your packet. I just wanted to kind of briefly review that and this is, as you remember kind of a customer service call I just wanted to see how we're doing in terms of providing services to you like, you know, giving you a new city manager. Little, little things like that. No worries, no issues. You're not going to charge us extra. Yeah, there's there's there's I'm sure there's. So, but back to the report. The first page gives you background about the RPC, including membership on our board a little bit about our finances and how we leverage local dues to bring in state and federal dues into the region. Your representatives on our board and committees. Thank you. They've been very active. Thanks to Dan who's very regular attendee at our board meetings and active participant. Appreciate that. The second page. And just a little bit under the third have things that we specifically did with the, the village last year. Now city, including Regina working on your zoning ordinance by law amendments was probably the biggest project we had last fiscal year. And apparently she worked too well on that. So that won't happen. And I'd ask for feedback, but I can see the results. So, I don't know if there's any other feedback on other projects or you know some of the data collection or other things that you want to give me but happy to take that at this point. Sorry. I really frankly just appreciate CCRPC as in the in general, the things that you've, you all have done for a six junction whether as a village or a city it's hands down greatly appreciated. The work that you have done and has been going on for years. Congratulations as well with Darren. It was tougher last night or yeah the other night. In Essex agreed. It does. We greatly appreciate it CCRPC is absolutely instrumental in helping us as a municipality to do the things that we need to do for our community. So we greatly appreciate you and your role within the community and some of the more broad things as well like the building homes together campaign. I'm sorry if you're going to jump into that. Yeah, well it's going to move on to the third and subsequent pages. You have one big project in the capital program and press connector so glad to see that moving through the process it's it's been a while. But yeah, all good things. And yeah, and then the last few pages have some regional things like including that building homes together campaign or we are going to have legislative breakfast in person December 8th. So heads up. You probably be getting an invite. Yeah, probably tomorrow or Friday for that. And yeah, we're working on equity issues and a lot of other issues at the end there if there's any questions or feedback on any of that happy to happy to take that too. I think one of the things that might be beneficial for our board is in terms of the conversation around equities. We have not spent any time on since separation. We do have a committee for with as expressed who's doing some work now, but we as our own board have not had a conversation as it relates to equity how we are furthering our community towards that that goal of being a more inclusive and equitable community. I think that it might be beneficial to have a conversation at some point about how we might be able to leverage what has already been done by the CCRPC to help us in this in that vantage point. Yeah, I think that's very much on our minds also is how we can support those conversations across the municipalities. A little bit. At least one early concept is a little similar conversations as we did with the housing issue where somebody used to host housing convenings. And you have the different housing committees in the towns, just share experiences and learn from each other so I think we may be heading that way with the equity work also there's enough going on in different municipalities to learn from. I have a question about, you know, what, what happens at the city council level and what kind of training or anything else you might have here. We'll give that some thought to. You know, on that note, it would be interesting and I don't know if this is, I guess in my head I was thinking this might be more of the LCT thing but I don't see why it couldn't be CCRPC. Yeah, it works. We have all of these different efforts going on in very small geographic areas taking up a lot of time. And I think now that the time is a bad thing it's not that it's not poorly spent, but it's redundant in some ways. And, you know, I think our board would benefit from spending quite a bit of time regularly on this. And I know other boards would too I'm just, you know, in thinking about it, what's the best way to do that. You know, is it having breakfast around tables or efforts monthly or quarterly and different numbers go is it having larger retreats for two or three boards show up and do work together with some staff. You know, is that a Saturday morning spent with facilitation or multiple boards from multiple communities can get together. I think those conversations need to happen because counting on every single community to recreate this, often with the same consultants and the same facilitators is burdensome overly expensive redundant and time consuming for the people perhaps like CCRPC for that. So, I'd love to have that conversation about how we can bring. How we can bring that to a greater scale. And more efficiently but you know I think frankly, if the more of those different boards that we're bringing together the better the conversations are going to be, and the better the learning is and the ideas will flow better. It's not just the five of us, they're normally together. By also learning from your period right. New ski is going to have a vastly different approach and thought process. So, you know, that's kind of something that I was going to bring up our strategy session when you know when it comes up but I would love to to see if CCRPC could partner with that. And also because you have this this much larger view of what's going on in the in the county in the state, you know. Yeah, no I think that's good thoughts and and I, you know, talk regularly to Ted Brady to and we talked about this issue about you know how to, you know, partner at times or just share information of course they're probably a little bit further ahead of us they have some some tools that they've put out there online and they have their ideal cohort. I think that's the right one. There's an epic cohort to but maybe I think maybe they're doing epic I apologize. There's a couple different cohorts going on in equity work. There might be that statewide you might want to plug into and I think we're kind of following that a little bit, but I do think there's some opportunities here and even for the community I think, you know, if the same community members are getting asked the same kinds of questions from different perspectives you know maybe we can make it more efficient for, you know, those people that haven't typically been represented. Folks to come in and talk over and over and over about their experience and actually start becoming a little victimizing. Yes, right. You know anything we can do to to brainstorm a better process. Yeah, that's that is good and we're very much in the early stages you know we've been working for a number of months but just forming an equity advisory committee now that's actually I think this month we're going to formally appoint members. We're still in the very early stages also but thank you for letting me know that and that's good thoughts. Any other feedback or questions. Good. All right. I think we're all I thought you were about to say something. No, no, no, no, no, no. I was trying to think of some deep philosophical question to trick you up on. Good. It's I hear my mother calling me so. Charlie, thank you as always. Thank you. And yeah, keep up the great work and I know you're keeping her busy so that's good. Good. Thank you so much. Thank you, Charlie. Thanks. All right. So, our next business items so business 5D 5E and 5F are all conversations that we would be having in executive session. And as such, I would request that we move past those and go into the consent items so that then when we come back we just have the executive session items to go through. So for good with that. Moving to the consent. I'll move that we accept the consent agenda. Second. Any further discussion. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed say nay. Great. So fascinating. I'm going into the reading file and board member comments. The only thing I just wanted to mention is I greatly appreciate the work of those of you who spent time at the polls yesterday. Whether that be volunteering for a few hours, those of you who volunteered for half the day the full day, some of our heroes, like Diane Clemens, as well as our city clerk. I would also like to thank the mayor of MacNamara Hill who spends somewhere around 16 to 18 hours I believe at the polls and so greatly appreciates them their efforts and helping to ensure that we have democracy to its finest and allow us to continue in this democratic process that we chair so deeply. So I greatly appreciate the work from from all of you were able to do that. So thank you all. Other comments. I just appreciate the Monday thing the pavement analysis map. I really do. I mean that's my, but I was great I appreciate that being put in there. I would like to maybe I'm hoping that will reappear, you know, on our budget day just so we have that to look at and think about that was a very good thing. Yeah. Yeah. Ricky is very appreciative to see that percentage increase and how good we are in comparison to a few years back and he attributed that you folks giving more funds towards the paving. So, much appreciate. I was going to say is how it's going. It's going pretty good. Yeah, Terry's back for vacation today. Good. It's all good. It's getting learning more every day, so feel a little unorganized still haven't gotten out and spent time and met as many people as I was like, staff included, but getting there. Appreciate it Virginia thank you. If we have no other board member comments. Yeah, these motions are going to take a little bit. Yeah. Why don't you do them. Not there yet. I will admit that is one of the things about this is it is not always easy to navigate from document to document. No might just be me. So, I assume, let's just go through all of them. Is everybody okay if we just go through all of these motions at once and just have one, one long vote. Great. Now that I said that I got to get back to the. I got one. I got one here too. I think I got him right here. So, I'll move to find that premature general knowledge regarding contracts associated with the tree farm recreation facility would clearly place the city at a disadvantage because the council risks disclosing its negotiation strategy if it discusses a contract I further move that we go into executive session to discuss contracts under the provisions of title one section 313 a one of the Vermont statutes and to negotiate or secure real estate purchase or lease under op under options, which are again or lease options under title one section 313 a two of Vermont statutes and include Regina Mahoney Bradluck and Harlan Smith. I would further move that the city council make the specific finding that general public knowledge of contracts place a city at a substantial disadvantage. I yet again would move that the city council enter into executive session to discuss contracts pursuant to one VSA section 313 a one a to include the city council city manager and water quality superintendent. I would further move. At the city council make the specific finding that general pre that general public knowledge of contracts replace the city at a substantial disadvantage. And then with the city council enter into executive session to discuss contracts pursuant to one VSA section 313 a one a to include the city council and city manager. And last, but not least. Now I don't have the one on personnel. All right, let me see if I can just associate that one for a moment. If you go to five F on the bookmarks on the side should be a good line. Oh, that one's for personnel. Oh, okay, so I did make that motion. That was within five F. Okay, yeah. Sorry, there isn't a memo for the. Personnel right. Yeah. So I motion you can, can you make it on the fly. I would move that the city council enter into executive session to discuss personnel issues pursuant to one VSA section 313 and to include the city council and city manager. Second, all of them. Thank you Raj. I love that role. Thank you. Any discussion on all of that. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying hi. Hi. Those opposed please say nay. Great to pass unanimously thank you all. I will give the room a little while. When we go into executive session that's just for the board to have these conversations in private. When we come out, we are expecting a couple of decisions at the end. Correct Regina. A couple motions at the end. So when that happens, we'll just open the doors back up. But at this point in time, thank you all for coming out tonight really appreciate it. If you want to hang around for when we come back into public session. If you don't mind hanging outside of the wooden doors. So exit this door here on my left, your right, that other door to your right. We'll have those shut and we'll open them back up when we're ready to come back to public session. So thank you all. Thank you everybody we are back to the city council meeting for November 9, 2022 back into regular session. I would first move to silly silly that the city council authorize the municipal manager to sign the agreement for the sale of wastewater treatment capacity between the city of sx junction in the town of Williston, and it is further recommended that the revenue generated from the sale of this capacity go to the sanitation capital fund. Second that. Thank you, George. Any further discussion. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying aye. Great to pass unanimously. And lastly, I would move it to city council approve of the tree farm recreation facility lease in spirits and management agreement between the town of sx city of sx junction in tree farm management group in spirit and authorize the city manager to execute these agreements in their final form. Second. Any further discussion on the motion. Hearing none all in favor please signify by saying aye. I suppose a name. Great so pass unanimously again thank you all, and we are at the end of the agenda, entertain a motion to adjourn. So, oops. So Raj had the motion Dan second and try to put all those in favor please signify by saying hi. That's unanimously thank you all have a good night.


Meat Boy is back. Today I'm going to show you guys a healthy cheeseburger recipe. Not exactly carnivore, but pretty close. The only ingredient that's not carnivore is the burger buns. And that's going to be the main topic of debate. Other than that, we're just using really high-quality animal products in the place of the things that you would normally put in a cheeseburger. So this is going to be a really simple recipe focusing on nutrient density. Like we're not doing any sort of crazy mayonnaise, caramelized onion, stuff like that. The base of the burger is going to be Wagyu ground beef, 100% grass-fed, really nutritious. Of course raw cheese, which is where the bulk of the nutrition in this burger is probably coming from as all raw dairy products have pretty much all the fat-soluble vitamins, a lot of B vitamins, plenty of minerals, really a complete food. And then we have some grass-fed butter that we're going to brush on the burger buns. Of course, salt and pepper, classic burger seasonings. And this is where things get up in the air. So in a perfect world, Frankie Boy would be showing you how to make like organic, iron-corn-wheat burger buns. But you know most of us don't have two weeks to ferment a sourdough starter and then five, six, seven hours to prepare the actual buns. You know, I went to Whole Foods, I saw this organic brand. I'm gonna be honest, it's not the best. It has organic wheat flour, filtered water, organic cane sugar, which is not too bad. But they did add some canola oil, some sunflower oil in small amounts. You know, some kind of chemicals like ascorbic acid, dough softener, some extracts, yeast, processing stuff. So again, this is not the best option here. You know, if you're really sensitive, use some mushrooms, use some lettuce wraps, don't use a burger bun, make something yourself. The point of this is if you're not as strict on your diet, if you want to give this to your kids, if you want to feed this to your family, you know, some organic burger buns or you know, some organic sourdough bread from a local market. Although like, yeah, the sourdough bread isn't like a burger bun. You know, there's definitely some good options out there that you don't have to make yourself that are perfectly reasonable to have a couple of times a week. And again, it depends on your state of health. You know, is this going to destroy someone's gut that's in a poor state of health? Possibly. But you know, for my family, for my sister, they're going to be perfectly fine with this.  Before I get everything ready, I'm going to turn my grill on so it's nice and hot for when we have the burgers assembled. So I just started my gas grill. I actually took out these grease plates and I put a wire rack right over the burner so I can just lay wood on top of them, have a gas started wood fire that's really quick. So we'll have a nice flame to cook these burgers in just a few minutes. This is super simple. You know, we're just going to form the burger patties, season them, grate the cheese, and then head out to the grill. So this is some wagyu beef we currently have on Frankie's syringe meat. People really like the flavor. They're the texture and taste is definitely different from regular ground beef. Really, really fresh stuff. You can smell like the nuttiness in the beef. If you guys want to get some of this, I think we still have about 100 left on Frankie's syringe meat. Probably get us through the weekend. So in past ground beef recipes, you guys might have seen me add like butter, fish sauce, a bunch of different seasonings to the mix. With the burger, I really like letting the quality of the meat shine through with just salt and maybe sometimes pepper. So all I'm doing here is I'm forming the burger patty from the unseasoned beef and we're going to put some salt and pepper on each side. Just form the patty and then I'll press down the middle so it cooks evenly.  So if you like rare burgers, then you can definitely go a little thicker. If you're doing it like a pan sear and you want a really nice crust, maybe you could do a smash burger style. The main thing I'm pointing out today, guys, is that when you make a cheeseburger with a really high quality meat, really high quality cheese and butter, it becomes something actually healthy. So we got the burger patties, heavy black pepper and salt on each side. The black pepper flavor is really what makes it reminiscent of like, you know, a fast food cheeseburger. So definitely don't scoop out on the on the pepper or the salt. This might seem like a lot of salt, but a decent amount of it's going to fall off on the grill. And we want these kind of like offset the fire not on the fire. So maybe like, you know, just off to the right of the flame. So I have this steel pan on a high heat over here. We're going to use that to toast these buns with a little bit of the butter. While that pan heats up, let's grate this cheese. So I like doing this on a plate or a paper towel. Just the cheese grater. And this is the Emmentaler from Frankie's Syringe Meat. You know, you can do Emmentaler Gruyere. Those are two really good melting cheeses. You know, surprisingly, it's something like craft American cheddar.  So now I'm going to take two of our burger buns. Just, you know, some of that nice yellow, grass-fed butter on each side. Just a really thin, even layer. We'll leave these on medium heat for a second. Let's go out and check our burgers. So not too bad.  Nice. Not bad. Not bad. That's pretty good. You know, we got some browning on this. Maybe we'll try to get a little more on that part. A little more on that part. Let's see if we could flip these burgers again. So we'll do maybe two more minutes on that side and then two minutes on the other side. Just to get the nice crosshatch pattern on these burgers. The even caramelized crust. We got two buns finished. And we'll do two more because I'm making four burgers. Burgers are smelling really good. We're going to do one last flip. I think they might be overcooked though, so I want to check the temperature. That one's 109. 120. Yeah, that's a little high. Oh, my head is burning. Ow. All right, so we're going to have to take this one off the heat. I think the rest of these are okay to go. So I'm killing the gas. We'll come back out in a minute with the buns to put these on top. So we have our toasted bun bottoms. Beautifully caramelized wood-fired burgers. That are a little too big for our buns, but that's fine. So these are probably a little bit overcooked. I would say they're medium, which is more than I usually take them. I'm sure you guys can imagine the game plan. We're going to take some cheese. And what I actually do with this cheese is I kind of form it into a puck so that it doesn't fall everywhere on top of the burger. So I'm basically making like a mini patty with the cheese that I'm going to put on top. All that burger juice is dripping on the bun. It might make the bottom bun a little soggy, but I guess if you really wanted to, you could rest your burgers on a rack for a few minutes so that the juices don't make the bottom bun that soggy. I would guess this is about, you know, three quarters of a pound of cheese for four burgers. And you could go a little less. So there we have our four burgers with cheese on top. Hey, you know, we're not perfect. You know, the burgers are uneven sizing. The cheese is uneven, but we're going to put this in the oven on high broil and this emmental should melt. It might not melt that much, but we'll see. The last step here is I'm going to put just a little more butter on the top buns. It's going to be delicious. It's going to be insanely good. It really is a beef based burger. Butter, cheese, beef. Amazing what one animal can provide. And it's all delicious and healthy. Oh, well, the emmentalers do it. You know, sometimes you don't know what some of these raw cheeses, they just don't melt that well, but you know, this emmentaler melts it perfectly. Oh, that's hot.  I'm going to let these burgers cool off for like five, 10 minutes, maybe. Very simple. Let's take our burger. Let's take our top patty. I mean, it's not the prettiest burger bun. It's okay because I'm pretty. There's our our cross section. It doesn't look bad. Definitely overcooked. This is like insanely delicious. You have the caramelized cheese, the caramelized burger buns, the meat. It's just insane. It is really overcooked though. If this was less overcooked, it would be more enjoyable. That being said, the overcooked meat is definitely like more reminiscent of a fast food burger. For those of you guys saying, Frank, you're not carnivore. Guys, if you notice, I'm spinning things off camera because if I swallow this burger bun, my pancreas might explode. If you guys have never had a burger with high-quality meat, cheese, and butter, this is one of the best things I've ever had, like, period. The only thing I would do differently is make the burger a little smaller, you know, because obviously this is a lot of meat for the amount of cheese and bun. I know you guys probably want my sister to taste this because you haven't seen her in a while, but she did eat like two pounds of pasta for dinner, but we'll make an exception today. Oh, big burger. What's that other one in half cup? Hello. I'm gonna now taste a delicious burger. Ooh, greasy burger. Really good burger. I love how juicy it is. Another cheese. What kind of burger is this? It's made with wagyu beef, raw cheese, and some butter. So despite eating three pounds of pasta earlier, she's still gonna eat the burger. But thank you guys for joining me today. Let me know what you think of the recipe and any other recipes you guys would like to see in the upcoming few weeks. You guys can go to frankiesfreeagemeat.com. It's down in the description. If you guys would like to buy the cheese, the beef, we have both the wagyu ground beef and local New York grass-fed ground beef. So thank you guys for joining me today and enjoy the rest of your night. Bye!