Town Council - Regular Meeting

Okay, it is 7 o'clock. We will go ahead and open the Burlington Town Council meeting. Today's date is January 13, 2026. Uh, all three board members, Daniel, a new board member, Terry Goldz, welcome and myself are present. Karen is here. Um, no attorney. Okay. So, we will go ahead and open the meeting. The first is to open sill bids for the community crossing grants and read the bids. two. Yeah, there's two. So, who's that person from?

This one. Yeah. ENV paving. So, the first one is from ENV Pave. Looks like everything's in here. Is that it right there? 154.

Yeah, that's the total. Yeah. All right. This what it is. The tabulation sheet here. There's a lot of text on this. And it says right here, total tax return. And which one is that one? This one. This is the same one. EM's not EMV. So, right. Okay.

So, it's EMV is 154,353.00. Central paving. Central paving is 124,485.20 485. Yep. We have the same four.

Yeah. Those are the only two new builds that we have, right? Those are the only two that will receive. Okay. So, is there any reason why the higher one would be better? They're both the same. They're both about the same, right? I took them around through what we wanted and they know what what we want. So, some of the larals

and we've used those this before. How deep are we grading the roads? He's gone about an inch and a half. Inch and a half. That's why I couldn't I couldn't remember if we He's quoted. I told all the millings. They're okay with that. Probably get rid of them as long as it's not too far away. Okay. We need to make a motion on one or do we have to take the most responsive and responsible. I thought that's what it was. So, as long as everything that you can tell looks to be in there,

those are for the exact same work. There was a spec sheet that was sent out. Uh, engineer Pen Smith sent um you know, if they were interested, sent the spec sheet and had all the information in there and then they based their bids on that. And then there was a pre-bid meeting that both ENV and Central Paving came to and Ken Smith was here and they could ask any questions to Ken at that time and then uh Steve went and showed them where it was going to be.

You're confident in the lower one? Yeah, I said it looks like everything's in there. So, I'll make a motion we accept the lowest bid, which central made a motion to accept central paving. Did they put a start date in there? I know said something to him about that when they thought they could start.

No, not available. Yeah,

they might do that after they We told them where when the festival was before July didn't want nothing going on that's nothing but I don't think it matters because it says the more we make to the loan respon responsible so it has to be the you responsible So we have a motion and a second that's to expose central paving. All those in favor say I.

I. I. I posted. Motion carries to go with

and I end with Yeah. Uh next agenda is approval of minutes. the one we're here for the night December 9th meeting or

Yeah. So, you'll have to make a motion because I don't know if Right. Okay. I'll make a motion to accept uh December 9th and December 30th. Second board meeting seconded. All those in favor say I. I. I.

Opposed. Motion carries. Next is payment claims because we always and then she will highlight These houses are stuff I make a motion that we accept those bills. Second motion second. All those in favor of playing the bill say I. I opposed motion carries.

Next is the town marshall activity report which is really slow but he didn't work a lot in December so and the laptops were down right that's what I'm saying so it was a bad month but or a really good month no crime at all I'll make a motion we accept it please second all those in favor say I motion carries Mr. St. Don't have too much. I'm going to go up tomorrow and get some more salt. Good luck. Yeah, that looks too bad until later tomorrow.

No, no, this salt's getting harder to find. Yeah, well, it's not really It's got salt in it, but it's vodka and rum. It's good stuff. I mean, it works really well. What? It has rum and vodka in it. Yes, you should run and drive. It's got some salt in it, but it sticks to the road when you sit down. And where do you get that at? It's just up there for Fort Wayne. Wow. We just pulled some out of Chicago. Did you? Yep. Yesterday. I know. It's getting hard to get. Yep. We can't get it anymore down anywhere.

We called them. I think Karen called Monday or Tuesday. They said they got 20s. Good. Good for 20 below. I put it on that cold before and it works. Well, you're still doing a wonderful job. Appreciate you getting it out there. No. The other night was kind of an unexpected one. Yeah, I know. It was just enough to be a pain. Yeah, it was. Cuz I knew if I wouldn't have got it off, it would have froze on there. It started free before I got all done. Anything else?

No, I think that's it. We did have one little glitch on our computer down there with the lift fac just adjustments. It's all under warranty. So, barriers in doing good. Yep. I put new bristles on the broom today for years. That was the most three years I had those other.

Okay, moving on. We have two guests. First one, we're going to go with Al Jackson.

Okay, appreciate it. Two or three things. one, I'm here to officially request use of a an office space u when this building a few years back was pointed out that one of them could be used possibly as a trustees and I've had my office in home for ever and I'm just thinking as a transition time comes that it'd be best if somebody had a place that they call a home base simply primarily for office hours when you're in your home that's 24 uh type of thing. Um and it just would like to try it. I I I guess is what I'm I'm saying is to see what the the comfort zone is and how feasible works and so forth. I mean, I still won't do work at home, but because of the days where everything's reporting wise is in the on the internet, you can do it any place. But as far as being township clients, um, it' be a place to be versus anybody else that comes on to be a trustee at a at a given point. That's my primary reason of being here. So, do you have any feelings about that one way or the other? I to address them if you have.

Are you not running for trustee again? Um, don't know that for sure. You're not because you said something about transition. Well, yeah, I've been saying that for the last two terms. I'm probably 85% sure that I'm going to run, but I'm not haven't pulled that trigger not to run yet. How long you've been trusting now? Over 20 years. Which which office are you talking about? This room right here? Yeah.

Does anybody use that room? I make a motion we allow him to come in here. We have worked well together with the township and the town forever. I would like to continue that whether it's with you or with anybody else. We need to open that up and I would like to make a motion that we allow him to come in and try to make it work. a second. I don't know whether you expecting some type of rent or anything off that. No, all that does allow us to use it elsewhere. So,

it would be like marginal anyway. Nobody nobody's using it then, right? It's not like it's going to use extra electricity right now. No. We have a motion. We have a second. All those in favor say I. I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. I'll find my own sign. I have one that says Alan Jackson, principal. There you go. Left over from 25 years.

So, u the um just to report a couple things, of course. Uh Karen and I generally attend park board meetings um over the course of the year and she kind of represents or she represents the town board and I representing the the township. Um one of the things that's happened with the township over the course of those 20 years is accumulation of funds. Um and one of the things that uh we have dollars available, we used some of last year different places along the line is to keep the park enhanced. Um but moving to full rate, we have a couple projects that we're looking at that have reported or shared with the the park board. One is continue enhancement of the playground area. Uh primarily looking at um that step between toddlers and the older kids. Um is I've been working with three companies hoping to have something to report. I have working with Bailey Eldridge. is on the park board and also there's a patron that I've been keeping communication just trying to I can think it's the best thing since sliced bread but you know what I think and what young moms think is two different things so trying to communicate what can best be served to fill maybe fill that gap and we all have a budget and this is just township money Um, but we'll probably have a budget of

$50 $60,000 in that range to to do that. The second thing, this is something I that we're working on that I've worked on. One thing, by the way, when I say working on a few years back, the park board kind of did a brainstorming session and tried to come up with a list of potential projects. And so the playground was one of them and another one which is this one address I like to share with you. Um there's a actually an auxiliary building uh like I say roof to the to the Lily building. Um get this squared away. this way. Just got that just the existing Lily building here this way. And what we're looking at is adding a a fairly large storage unit that's connected to the Lily building. You walk in there um you'll see a cluster of chairs and tables and racks in a shoved into a corner and when the whole building is being used that those things are even if the tables and chairs are used still have the racks. So we're looking at and then at fall festival and so forth you're not using the whatever are not used just pushed outside. So anyway, you're looking at connecting, I call it a breezeway, some kind of a connection to the Lily building um 6T

opening here into a 26 or 30x 24 building just for moving keeping the chairs and tables. actually looking at having a drop shelving from the ceiling down for storage above tub tub type thing whether for the community club or even items from the Christmas walk having to move it back and forth from the the sewage plant uh type of thing. Anyway, uh looking at that and I I've got I don't have a full quote on that yet, but I'm thinking another 50,000 probably. It's a crazy crazy number. My first house I bought for $16,500. That was a while ago back then.

Not anytime soon.

But anyway, that's uh um we're trying to work on that and we'll try to keep you folks. So, I don't I guess I'd be remiss by not ask by not asking, but if if there's available funds at all for the town and help city do that, um be great. If not, that's okay, too. I mean, we're uh we're okay, I think, for for that. But I'll just try to keep you posted on what those numbers are really going to look like instead of a guess. Okay. I would one other thing then that you're affiliated with may or may not know it and that is building a better Burlington community is a nonprofit that we formed almost 10 years ago. In order for uh for the health clinic to be um here in town they had to be affiliated with a nonprofit. We formed that nonprofit and the members of that are members from the representatives from the town, the township, the park board in the community club. Um and um it that relationship that working relationship with the health clinic and building a better Burlington community has really really been has been a coup actually for the town of Burlington for just because of the health um units that we have here. But the other thing is the rent that comes in was into this building a better Burlington community which then can turn around and enhance uh the buildings there. Steve Michael is your representative. You've appointed him at some point in time, but he keeps

the the books on that and has done a good job of that. We keep a $9,000 separate in a separate account for emergencies that come up. Uh and for example, we had a water heater go out in in the clinic. Um sometime back when Monday was there was able to take care of it over the weekend and get it done. Rest of it again is accumulating. Uh just recently helped replacing the window in the Lily building. they get mysteriously broken. Um, but we were able to use those dollars to to to do that

from the outside or the inside. This one was on the inside. And the inside is because of the baseball stuff.

No, I don't. This was done I I don't know whether was done during the fall. I didn't notice until, you know, a few weeks ago, but baseball hasn't been in there. So there's been times where there has been and it was one time the group the guy knew how to do the stuff and he just repaired it until that was cool. Uh the unfortunate thing is uh on those buildings there two window one slides the other stationary and we're fortunate if it won't be broken if it's a one that slides cuz you can take him out and go get it repaired. Not so much on the in. And then one other part of that um it's kind of an interesting thing that happened was that uh we received a a grant of $2500 a check in the mail $2500 that we looked at and settled on. I sat on for a long period of time took you know is this a real or is this a scam? uh took it to the bank and asked them to run it or if they could see if it was legit and it was. sent the lady that was out from the east coast and sent uh the the people a thank you note get a phone call that was that money was intended to go to Burlington, Vermont. And so we wrote a check and sent it back to put a smiley face on it. But then the craziness of it is the lady called and says now this organization is connected with the health clinic says

just keep the money and so we have the money that's kind of designated for u health needs. So we let the clinic know that. Um and just an interesting side side note how how that happened. Is there any problem with the uh the nonprofit that you brought up about the Is that everything okay with that? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Yeah. So, uh Steve keeps all the um annual reports submitted. Uh we haven't had any any issue on that. 28 you reminded me with the president who that's me of of having uh annual meetings and keeping we've kind of been floating along. So my intent was actually in January to had a a meeting but I had a conflict. Um, so we'll going to try to attach a date to the park board meeting next month just to for reporting purposes, but it seems to be going along fine. Our just off the top of my head, I know our balance of funds now is around someplace in the 20 $25,000. So, it's a kind it's a comforting thought cuz we have a go-to place that we have just like at water heater. We didn't have to say, "Well, whose job is that?" type of thing. So, while we do have to say whose job it is, but where the funds come, we have to

Well, we we really appreciate that clinic being there. We take our kids there. So, it is uh it's been well received. Uh my fear my fear is they'll move out someday because they'll get too big. That's a selfish reason. I guess it didn't say that. But uh uh it has been a great match for us as a community park, a community club. Um certainly the buildings there been great. I agree. Welcome aboard. Karen can get you a key.

Okay. She told me the keys broken off in that window. Okay. Is that right? The the front door is No, not the front door, the one the office. Oh, the office. Okay. Long way from the heart. Any other questions for before we move on? Okay, we will move to Madison Kaufman who is the executive director of the Carol County Chamber of Commerce.

Yeah, good evening everyone. Um, I have some handouts for you all. Um, as you said, I'm Madison Kaufman, the executive director. Um, I took the executive director position uh February 1st of last year. So, I'm coming up on my year, but I've been with the chamber for a little over three years. So, I started August of 22 um as the membership and engagement specialist. So, been there for a little bit of time now. Um, we have been uh we greatly appreciate you all um being members for many years. Um, and I just kind of wanted to come introduce myself. Um, but also kind of talk about some of the things that we've been doing. Um, make sure you all are in the loop a little bit as well. Um, and hopefully, uh, this year we can, um, partner a little bit more and expand our partnership together. Um, and so I have given you a couple handouts, gave you my business card that has my information. Um, I did have to cross out, we moved in June right after I got my new business cards. Um, so you have that, but we also have a 2025 year and review. So, it kind of talks about how many members we have, how many new members we got in 2025. Um, we do ribbon cutings. I believe it's been a year, but we did a ribbon cutting here um for the new uh building once it was all finished. Um, we have lots of events throughout the years. Um we have um state legislative event coming up shortly. Um state of the schools. We do some trainings and workshops that are beneficial for nonprofit organizations and businesses in the community as well. Um and then each year in April, we usually host the state of the city, county, and towns lunchon. So I would um like to invite one of you all to be a

speaker uh slashrepresentative of Burlington. if you are available. Um, I have that date. It's going to be Friday, April 17th. Um, and I believe it's going to be 11:30 a.m. to 100 p.m. and we'll be at the Wash and Erie Canal Center. Um, I believe it in the past if a representative hasn't been able to attend, we tried to get a report as well and so we can read that. Um, so not necessary to be there, but we would like to invite you. Um if anyone is interested um we're really just trying to grow um each year. Last year was kind of an interesting year with me taking the reigns um as well. So really looking forward to how we can improve and be um provide more resources for Carol County as a whole. Um and then the next handout is kind of um what hits on what we do. Um so it says why join the chamber. So, networking, referrals, credibility, communication, growth, visibility, and then on the back of that sheet list our levels um and the benefits included in those levels. Um and then I had also included um the invoice for this year um as well. But and then the other thing that you have is the Carol County community guide. We uh we create that each year um around the summertime, typically around July. Um we worked with the uh Comet this year on creating that. And so it's something that's produced. It's information about Carol County. Um we also list um government information. So I try and reach out to each town and community to get that all updated. Um and then we list the chamber members in the P uh in the back. So that is our uh printed directory, but we also have an online directory. So really just try and

be um of service for our community and wanted to give you all some information and see if you had any questions um regarding our um organization and our partnership with you all. Do you know John Ro? Yes. Did he just come onto the Yes. He just became one of our board members. Yes. He's a super good guy. Yeah. We're super excited to have him. Yeah. I believe I have five new board members this year. So, that's going to be very exciting. We have our first board meeting later this month. So, we try and get representatives from different um categories and around the county as much as we can.

Well, thank you for this. Appreciate that. Thank you for everything you do. Oh, thank you. Appreciate it. I know you don't get told thank you a lot. I appreciate it. But yeah, if there's any questions or um later on I give you my business card, it has my cell phone, my email, um all that information, don't hesitate to reach out. But we do greatly appreciate all your guys' partnership and all you do for our community as well. Thank you.

Okay, we have no old business. We will move on to new business which is a vote on the council officers. Do you still want to be president Kevin? I don't care. Okay. I might nominate or Kevin for president. Second. All in favor say I. I. Opposed. I

did you just vote oppose. That's why I asked two people. It's still two to one. No. I'll say you still want to be vice president. Yeah, it's all right. You're not going to be I was really hoping I would be vice president.

Second second. All those in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries.

Did you say I didn't? Sorry. Okay, moving on. Uh, December 2025 payroll allowance docket. Looks good to me. Make a motion that we accept payroll second. We have motion to accept the payroll docket and second. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. Jerry, you

sure? You want to get up front and talk? Okay. Do we have any other business? Anybody need anything done, mentions, talked about? Make a motion we close this meeting. Second. All those in favor say I. I. I. I. Listen.