2026-05-27 - City Council
Summary
Built from the official minutes. Called to order 6:31 p.m.; adjourned 9:48 p.m. Approval of these minutes is not verified. The attendance line lists Mayor Gwinn and Councilors Brown, Alfano, Sheridan and Doyle only, but Councilors Kohn and Gil are recorded moving and seconding motions and the votes are 5-0 with Doyle recused, so they appear to have attended.
- Mayor Marc Gwinn presided; City Clerk John Odum was secretary. Agenda approved by unanimous consent.
- Consent agenda carried unanimously (Alfano moved, Kohn seconded): minutes, payroll and warrants, liquor and tobacco licenses, tree well guards and gates purchase, Elm Street water service replacement.
- Pride Month resolution carried unanimously (Alfano moved, Brown seconded). Resolution honoring the North Branch Nature Center moved by Brown, seconded by Alfano (the minutes give no vote count).
- River's Edge Master Plan: three motions by Alfano (up to $81,040 from the resilience reserve, an MOU with the Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier, and the FY26 Municipal Planning Grant contract), each seconded by Brown and carried 5-0 with Councilor Ben Doyle recused.
- Resilience expenses: $66,000 from the Commission on Resilience and Recovery reserve for four projects, carried 5-0, Doyle recused.
- Community Fund FY27 grants accepted 5-0-1 (Kohn moved, Gil seconded, Sheridan abstained).
- Clerk's land records digitizing: $28,500 from the preservation and restoration fund, unanimous.
- No action on a FEAST/Meals on Wheels update, a homelessness update, city manager performance metrics, or the summer meeting schedule.
- Recess 8:48-9:00 p.m.
River's Edge Master Plan and resilience spending
See Rivers Edge Master Plan and Resilience Reserve Fund Expenditure. Jon Copans and Mike Miller presented both. In general business, Sarah Jarvis spoke on the council's support for efforts with resiliency and recovery partners, and Peter Kelman raised possible council conflicts of interest regarding the resiliency efforts.
Homelessness
See Homelessness Response. Kim Myers and Amy Pitton gave the FEAST/Meals on Wheels update. The homelessness update was given with Kelly Kury and Zack Hughes; Dawn Little and Peter Kelman took part; no action. Mr. Kelman voiced frustration that he would not be able to speak on the homelessness item. Stephen Whitaker raised the constitutional right to assemble on public property regarding the unhoused, and later the barricades around the charging station area and the lack of council involvement in deploying them, and the status of facilities for the homeless.
Community Fund and clerk's project
See Community Fund Grant Awards (presented by Shaina Kasper) and Land Records Digitization.
Country Club Road and East State Street
See Country Club Road Project and East State Street Right-of-way. Mr. Whitaker spoke on the White and Burke contract in the context of his litigation, open records requests, conflicts of interest on the subcommittee overseeing contracting, the site's brownfield status, use of executive sessions, and later on soil disturbance (a greenhouse) and its brownfield implications. Chris Owen addressed the disputed East State Street right-of-way. The City Manager reported a judge ruled against an injunction on the Country Club Road process sought on Mr. Whitaker's accusation, and gave an East State Street project update.
Public comment and city manager
See Public Comment Procedure: Mr. Kelman spoke on the public comment policy and pushed back on claims the Planning Department is overtaxed; Mr. Whitaker critiqued the Planning Department. Zack Hughes expressed appreciation for how meetings are run. Councilor Gil led a discussion of city manager performance metrics, no action (City Manager Performance Management Plan).
Reports
- Councilor Doyle praised the city manager's performance. Sheridan reported on the VFW Memorial Day meeting and a sidewalk issue. Gil gave pool cleaning dates. Kohn mentioned her coming cemetery tour.
- City Clerk Odum noted the coming candidate filing deadline and his recent trip to Ukraine.
- City Manager: FEMA rebuild update; a June 8 joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Housing Committee on updated regional land use maps (Regional Plan and Planned Growth Areas); union contract process; police chief recruitment (Police Chief Search).
- Mayor: Pride Flag raising on Friday, flowers downtown with Montpelier Alive, Senior Center community meals.