[0:01] I would like to open the session.
[0:03] Could you please stand and join me
[0:04] in the oath to the flag?
[0:07] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[0:09] United States of America and to the
[0:11] republic for which it stands, one nation
[0:14] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:16] justice for all.
[0:21] Good evening everyone. I
[0:24] welcome you to the meeting of the Board of
[0:26] Aldermen on Monday, September 21,
[0:28] 2026. The first item on the
[0:31] agenda, as always, is additions,
[0:33] deletions, or other modifications to the
[0:35] agenda. I have an addition that I would
[0:40] like to request. This is at
[0:43] Mr. Bohl's request. It is a
[0:47] resolution and it has to do with
[0:49] land use regulations that
[0:51] we will discuss later in the
[0:53] meeting, in the reports and letters from
[0:56] department heads and
[0:58] officials. So, if I could
[1:00] propose a motion to add that.
[1:01] I propose.
[1:02] Seconded.
[1:02] Very good. Any debate? Since there are no
[1:05] objections, those in favor of
[1:07] the motion say: Yes.
[1:08] Those against; The motion
[1:09] is approved. Does anyone have anything
[1:11] else they'd like to add? It seems that
[1:14] everything is ready. So we'll keep going
[1:16] . Thank you. The next step is
[1:18] the approval of the minutes from the
[1:20] previous meeting.
[1:20] I propose.
[1:21] Second. The
[1:22] motion is to approve the minutes. Does anyone
[1:25] have any changes to make to the
[1:26] minutes? Since there are no objections, those
[1:29] in favor of the motion say: Yes
[1:31] .
[1:32] Those who are against it; The motion
[1:33] is approved. Okay, let's move on to the
[1:36] audience comments. Is there anyone here
[1:39] tonight who would like to discuss
[1:42] a topic that is not on the
[1:45] agenda? I have an item on my agenda
[1:49] . So why don't
[1:52] we do that first and then open it up
[1:54] to everyone else? Well, the first one
[1:57] is a municipal exercise in RRMC which will take
[2:00] place on November 5th and
[2:03] we have several people who want to
[2:06] talk about that topic and I believe one of them is
[2:09] Maggie O'Brien.
[2:10] Yes, it's me.
[2:11] Okay, welcome. If we could get
[2:16] straight to the point, that would be great.
[2:18] Welcome. Welcome.
[2:20] Yes, thank you to the board for inviting us
[2:22] tonight. Maggie O'Brien,
[2:25] emergency management planner for the
[2:26] Rutland Regional Planning Commission.
[2:27] I am here tonight to promote
[2:30] to the entire city this exercise that we
[2:32] will be doing at the hospital on
[2:34] November 5th. The importance of this
[2:37] exercise is that it is the last in a
[2:39] series of six exercises that will be
[2:41] carried out throughout the region with the
[2:43] intention of taking advantage of the help of
[2:45] neighbors. Thinking about a regional support network
[2:50] so that, you know, we might have
[2:52] difficulty sharing
[2:55] resources and services when a
[2:57] disaster strikes. It is true that things don't always
[3:00] turn out as well as we would
[3:01] like them to. Thinking back to
[3:04] the 2023 floods and knowing that
[3:05] something like that is likely to
[3:07] happen again, we have been conducting a
[3:08] pilot test across the region. Well
[3:11] , this is an effort in which
[3:13] we seek to generate collaboration for
[3:15] these networks. We have a
[3:18] mutual fire assistance agreement. We have
[3:19] a mutual aid agreement with the
[3:21] Department of Public Works throughout
[3:22] the region. Therefore, expanding
[3:24] mutual aid for
[3:25] emergency management is the next
[3:27] logical step. Therefore, establishing these
[3:28] relationships in advance
[3:30] greatly supports preparedness,
[3:31] response, and recovery. This is
[3:33] something we have done again with all
[3:36] the other cities in the region so far
[3:38] . We have managed to get 21 of the 22
[3:41] cities to participate in our
[3:43] last five discussions, which
[3:45] began in June 2025. And now
[3:47] we anticipate the active participation
[3:49] of the hospital, the regional ambulance service,
[3:52] and the remaining cities in the
[3:53] subregion. This group
[3:57] consists of West Rutland, Rutland Town,
[3:59] Proctor, Rutland City and Mendon. Well,
[4:02] as the central city of
[4:04] Rutland County, as the county seat, you
[4:06] are a very important partner, which is why
[4:07] we want to emphasize the
[4:09] participation of
[4:10] city officials from all areas in
[4:12] this exercise. The recent
[4:15] train derailment on
[4:18] September 12 turned out very well because
[4:20] many things worked in the
[4:23] city's favor. It happened in a sparsely
[4:26] populated area. We had the Hazmat team at the
[4:29] fire academy. The material
[4:31] was contained. What would have happened
[4:33] if none of that had happened?
[4:34] What would have happened if we had
[4:35] met in the worst-case scenario? If there had been
[4:37] more than 8000 people
[4:39] nearby, of course. Do we know who
[4:42] would intervene, not to give
[4:44] immediate orders on the ground, but to
[4:46] manage resources on the sidelines, in the
[4:48] background? That's something we have
[4:50] on paper, but it's not something that's
[4:53] usually put into practice. Well,
[4:56] beyond a large-scale event like
[4:57] COVID. And since Rutland City is once
[5:00] again the largest municipality in
[5:02] our region, we want you to
[5:04] really benefit from having the
[5:06] strongest network available and, perhaps,
[5:08] lend a hand to some of our
[5:09] smaller municipalities that are
[5:11] struggling with issues like
[5:13] capacity and communications. So
[5:16] , what I'm asking of the board tonight
[5:19] is that we hope to finalize the last
[5:21] attendance confirmations for this
[5:24] event. I would like to quickly thank
[5:27] the following people who have already
[5:28] introduced themselves. Bill Lovett, Seth Bride from the
[5:30] fire department, and from the
[5:32] police we have Commander Prouty,
[5:34] Jonathan Bixby and Charles Whitehead. For
[5:37] Public Works, we have Bob Proto
[5:39] Vansky and Daniel McIntyre. From
[5:41] health officials Mike Brookman and
[5:44] Rhonda Hart, from
[5:45] building inspector Mark Sedderski, and from
[5:47] attorney Kevin Gusta-Gustafson. Well,
[5:51] thank you to these people for taking the
[5:53] time and recognizing the importance of
[5:54] this exercise as part of a
[5:56] broader strategy to build
[5:57] a stronger network across the region
[5:59] . Tonight, I hope to speak with
[6:02] the treasurer, who will be in charge of
[6:04] all finances for the
[6:05] behind-the-scenes coordination of resources
[6:07] . I hope I can speak with one
[6:09] of the city's engineers, like
[6:11] Ted Gillian or Soupy. And with Tom Garofano
[6:14] , it would be great to have him. The mayor,
[6:17] of course, we have already spoken to him
[6:19] before, and one or two people from the Board
[6:21] of Councillors. It could be
[6:23] President O'Laire, it could be someone
[6:24] who is part of the
[6:25] Public Safety Committee. But
[6:28] local representation is really
[6:29] important so they can see what
[6:31] brainstorming is like, what potential
[6:33] collaboration opportunities might
[6:35] arise, and how we can take it
[6:37] beyond this November 5th exercise
[6:39] . Again, the deadline
[6:42] is mid-October. We need you to
[6:44] send us the
[6:46] attendance confirmations because the hospital requires
[6:48] a list for security reasons.
[6:50] So that's my request for the
[6:52] board tonight, and we're also
[6:53] here to answer any
[6:55] questions about the exercise in general
[6:56] if you have any, but we have a
[6:58] one-page handout for more
[6:59] information.
[7:01] Well, Maggie, thank you very much. I think we
[7:04] already have three volunteers from the Board
[7:07] of Councillors. I, Sharon Davis, from
[7:10] public safety, and Michael Talbot have
[7:13] agreed to do it. And I'm sure
[7:15] anyone else can come.
[7:17] The more, the merrier. We'll figure it out
[7:19] later.
[7:20] But at least there would be three of us, so well
[7:23] , I guess I have one thing left to do
[7:26] . Is the 5th a working day?
[7:29] It's a Thursday. It's at midday, from 9:00 to
[7:32] . m. at 1:00 p.m. m. And we recognize that
[7:35] you have jobs that go
[7:36] beyond being on the board of directors and
[7:38] any other commitments you may have
[7:40] , which is why we are giving you this
[7:42] amount of time in advance to
[7:44] coordinate your schedules. We recognize that it
[7:46] is a sacrifice, but it is a
[7:48] worthwhile sacrifice and we will provide them with
[7:50] snacks and lunch as a
[7:51] thank you.
[7:52] Well, if they have refreshments there,
[7:54] then
[7:56] another thing to keep in mind is that
[7:58] we'll have PEG TV, who have already agreed to
[8:00] cover and will be reporting on the lessons
[8:02] learned from this exercise, and we'll also have
[8:04] the Rutland Herald
[8:06] covering it. So, there's a lot of
[8:07] representation there.
[8:09] We really want to spread the word to the
[8:10] community about what we're doing
[8:11] and how it can be helpful to move
[8:12] forward. So, there are even more
[8:14] incentives to have
[8:15] city officials there. Alright.
[8:16] Very good. Brilliant. Thank you so much.
[8:19] So, is there anyone else behind
[8:20] you who wants to talk about this? They are
[8:22] certainly more than welcome. They don't have to
[8:25] , but they can
[8:27] . Are they okay? I do
[8:29] n't have much to add. I think
[8:31] Maggie did a fantastic job. I
[8:32] just want to say that I am an
[8:34] emergency preparedness specialist with the
[8:36] Department of Health and I also
[8:37] coordinate the Rutland Addison Medical Reserve Corps
[8:39] . And I also want to
[8:42] introduce my friend here. He is Bill
[8:45] Jones. He is the VEM regional representative
[8:48] for Rutland and
[8:50] Bennington counties. This has been an effort by
[8:54] several groups. It's not just the
[8:56] three of us. All other cities have
[8:58] participated in the planning of
[8:59] this, just as we have. And we
[9:02] just want to say that this is a
[9:04] really important regional project that we
[9:06] 're working on, and
[9:08] we appreciate that you're taking it very seriously
[9:10] and that you've already given us names so
[9:12] everyone can go. And we just want to know
[9:15] that we thank them for that. And that's all I
[9:17] have.
[9:19] OK. Very good. Does anyone have
[9:22] any questions, or for our
[9:24] guests? I suppose everything is
[9:26] ready now.
[9:27] OK. Excellent. And if you would like to
[9:28] send your confirmation of attendance, please
[9:30] contact me at maggie@rutlandrpc.org. You
[9:32] can also contact Bill
[9:33] Lovett and he can connect you with the
[9:35] form and fact sheet with
[9:36] more information. Again, in
[9:38] mid-October, but the sooner they
[9:39] send it, the more time we'll have to
[9:40] plan the logistics because this is going to
[9:42] be big. We expect between 50 and 60
[9:44] people. So. Alright
[9:46] . Alright. Brilliant. Very good.
[9:48] Well, thank you very much.
[9:49] Thank you.
[9:50] Very good. Very good. OK.
[9:52] Thank you. Who's not going to play?
[9:54] Very good. And I know there are a couple
[9:56] more people who would like to
[9:57] stand up and speak. So
[9:59] why don't we go this way? Yes, if
[10:01] they want to move forward. She's
[10:05] here for what's right. I think it's
[10:07] on the agenda. It's right? Yes, this
[10:09] is...Yes, and then we will address
[10:11] you. So, sir, do you want to
[10:13] talk? And if I could
[10:15] kindly ask for your name and address so
[10:17] that it can be recorded.
[10:17] Russell Flitman, 173 Grove Street,
[10:19] Rutland City.
[10:20] Okay, Russell, you have the floor.
[10:22] I'm here representing the
[10:24] Library Board and
[10:26] staff, just to make sure
[10:28] people know that we have a documentary
[10:30] screening at the Paramount
[10:32] Theater for free on Wednesday
[10:34] at 7:00 p.m. m. called The Librarians
[10:36] . It documents the history of how
[10:40] librarians have resisted
[10:42] attempts to ban books,
[10:44] especially in Texas, Louisiana, and
[10:46] Florida. Afterwards there will be a
[10:49] round table discussion with one of the
[10:51] film's producers, as well as
[10:54] a young adult novelist and the
[10:57] librarian from Mill
[10:59] River School. In addition, apart from that, just so you
[11:05] know, we've created a
[11:08] book club, the Freedom to Read Book Club,
[11:10] which will be launching its first book in
[11:12] October. Details about this can be found
[11:14] on the library's website
[11:15] . So I hope to see you there on
[11:17] Wednesday at 7:00. It should be a
[11:19] very interesting movie.
[11:20] Wednesday at 7:00 at the
[11:22] Paramount Theatre.
[11:22] Yes, be there.
[11:24] Very good. Thank you so much for coming to
[11:25] learn about snow. Well, I think
[11:28] we have a couple of gentlemen here
[11:29] who would like to stand up and speak.
[11:35] Hello everyone. Good evening,
[11:37] welcome.
[11:38] Good night. Tom Giffin, 61 East
[11:40] Washington. Tony Romeo, 97 South Street
[11:43] .
[11:43] Very good.
[11:44] I'd like to say I'm here to
[11:45] talk about the extremely
[11:47] inappropriate part of
[11:48] the Cemetery Commission not being paid,
[11:49] but that's another story. Well, the
[11:53] Finnish
[11:55] World War II memorial will be unveiled tomorrow in
[11:57] its prominent place in the park.
[12:00] We started the project in July 2025
[12:02] and it's exciting to have it finished and
[12:04] delivered to a park just over a
[12:07] year later. Incidentally, we didn't have to
[12:10] send it to the committee. Did I mention it
[12:12] ? They gave our Italian artist the thumbs up
[12:15] .
[12:16] Andreatti material.
[12:18] Barry's company, where I listen, that's why it
[12:20] 's here.
[12:21] Tony means Italian. He
[12:24] could be Italian. Our
[12:26] contractors were very excited to
[12:28] do this to pay tribute to
[12:30] our greatest generation. The
[12:33] World War II committee
[12:35] has met on the second Wednesday of
[12:36] each month since July. The
[12:39] committee members are Tom Giffin, Mickey Young,
[12:42] Tony Romeo, Ronald Fredette Jr., John
[12:44] Pisanelli, and Thomas Round. And, of
[12:47] course, our valuable contact in
[12:48] the city, Larry Coupal. Thanks to
[12:52] Tyler Dolan and his team for all the
[12:54] help in preparing the site in the
[12:56] park. If they saw that they had made the
[12:58] cement, their team was excited
[13:00] to do it. I saw them with their heads
[13:03] sticking out of the top of the
[13:04] hole and they were...you know, or they were
[13:06] sleeping, I don't know. But they were very
[13:08] excited to do it. And thanks to
[13:10] Carrara for donating the cement at no cost
[13:12] to the city. It was very well
[13:13] received. We cannot list all
[13:16] the organizations and individuals who
[13:17] donated to the memorial fund
[13:19] tonight because it would certainly lengthen the
[13:20] meeting, and I don't think they want to do
[13:22] that. But thank you. We couldn't have done
[13:25] anything without the support of the
[13:26] Rutland community. We continue... We continue... I am
[13:29] truly amazed at how the
[13:32] Rutland community supports so many
[13:34] community efforts. I mean,
[13:36] this is something that came out of nowhere and it
[13:38] was heartwarming to see all the
[13:40] groups, organizations, and
[13:42] phone calls. It's a credit to Rutland. We have
[13:47] n't finished
[13:49] fundraising yet. We're still installing the flagpole and
[13:50] doing some groundwork. So we're still
[13:52] ... We're still
[13:53] raising some more money. And
[13:54] we're planning an
[13:56] opening ceremony on Veterans Day
[13:58] at 11:00. But the monument will be
[14:01] here first. So I want to thank
[14:03] everyone for their support. It has been a
[14:05] wonderful experience. Do you have anything
[14:08] else to add, Tony?
[14:09] Yes, all I want to say is that,
[14:11] originally, our goal was
[14:14] $50,000. And on the front of the
[14:16] monument were going to be the names of
[14:18] the deceased veterans from the city
[14:20] of Rutland, from the town of Rutland.
[14:22] Well, we modified it a little because we
[14:24] were receiving a lot of messages
[14:26] from people all over Rutland County.
[14:28] And then, on the back of
[14:30] this monument, all the
[14:32] veterans from Rutland County who lost their lives in
[14:34] World War II will be listed
[14:36] .
[14:37] From Rutland. Well,
[14:38] I think there are like 100, 57,
[14:41] something like that. That's quite a lot.
[14:42] Yes, 158 names between the
[14:44] front and back.
[14:45] And again, the big piece of granite, that's what we're here for
[14:47] tonight. I thought we should
[14:49] tell the board and the
[14:50] mayor that there's a large piece of
[14:51] granite that's going to be passing through the city, just in case something
[14:53] happens. But the plaques
[14:57] are made of bronze. We made them
[14:59] specifically for another company.
[15:02] They were delighted to do it. It's going to be
[15:04] quite impressive. And that's all
[15:07] for that particular item. I have
[15:09] one more point. The Rowland Historical Society
[15:12] , of which my wife is
[15:14] president, requests that the
[15:16] exterior wood trim be included on the
[15:18] city's list for painting.
[15:21] They've needed painting for several
[15:23] years, and since the building is a
[15:25] historical structure and there are guidelines
[15:27] that must be followed, the city has to
[15:29] take responsibility. If the moldings are not
[15:32] trimmed promptly, they will
[15:33] eventually rot and represent
[15:34] an even greater expense for the entire
[15:35] city. But that was my praise for the
[15:38] historical society, but my greatest
[15:40] praise for the city for all the
[15:42] effort they have made for the monument
[15:44] is that it goes beyond that and we
[15:46] truly appreciate it.
[15:47] Yes. Very good, Tom. Thank you so much for
[15:49] coming and
[15:50] thank you for all your hard work.
[15:52] And all your hard work and we look forward to your
[15:55] dedication and...
[15:57] again, there are people who have
[15:58] supported it. I mean, and we were so
[16:01] ... I mean, even at the Elks
[16:02] Club we were throwing spaghetti
[16:04] and, you know, it was really fun too
[16:05] . Yes.
[16:07] People would come up to the fairgrounds and
[16:09] give me 50, 20 dollars.
[16:11] Clear. I mean
[16:13] , it's incredible that people
[16:15] really backed him and supported him, and
[16:17] some of those people had no
[16:19] connection to
[16:21] World War II veterans at all. Yes.
[16:24] But I thought that generation
[16:25] needed to be honored.
[16:26] Yes.
[16:27] Amen.
[16:28] I agree. Okay.
[16:30] Well, thank you for inviting us. Okay.
[16:31] Thank you for bringing that good news.
[16:39] Okay, is there anyone else outside the
[16:40] railway industry who wants to talk about a
[16:42] topic that's not on the agenda? It looks like
[16:44] we have another interested party. Welcome
[16:46] .
[16:46] Thank you.
[16:47] for coming.
[16:48] Thank you. My name is Becky Baggus and I
[16:50] live at 50 Killington
[16:52] Avenue.
[16:53] Okay, Becky.
[16:54] Okay, I'd like to address the issue
[16:57] of speeding on Killington
[17:01] Avenue. The speed limit between
[17:05] East Street and Stratton Road is 30
[17:08] miles per hour.
[17:09] Yes.
[17:11] From the stop sign, where the
[17:13] fourth house on the right is from the
[17:14] stop sign to our house, I can't
[17:16] say how fast
[17:18] people are driving. That's much more than 30 miles per
[17:22] hour. I would like to know which
[17:24] department to contact and let them know about
[17:26] this.
[17:28] Well, it would be the
[17:29] Rutland City Police Department,
[17:31] because they are in charge of
[17:32] enforcing our speed laws.
[17:34] Yes.
[17:35] And they would be the ones to contact.
[17:39] Of course, Michael Talbot
[17:40] could probably
[17:42] help them a bit too, and
[17:43] I would like to make a motion to
[17:45] refer to public works some sort
[17:47] of exploration of
[17:48] speed bumps or other infrastructure that
[17:50] might facilitate or discourage
[17:52] speeding.
[17:55] So, do you support the proposal?
[17:55] Debate.
[17:56] I support the debate. Okay. We're going to have a
[17:59] little discussion in here about what we're going
[18:00] to do. They can stay there
[18:02] if anyone has any questions. Yes, go ahead
[18:04] .
[18:05] I think it's a control measure
[18:07] because I think the curves, I don't know
[18:08] if you drive on Killington
[18:10] Avenue, but I reduce my speed
[18:12] because the road narrows so much that
[18:13] with the curves I think that's a
[18:18] kind of automatic deterrent.
[18:20] I'm sure there are people who are moving
[18:22] quickly, but I think I would prefer that
[18:26] we try to enforce the law
[18:28] before we start implementing other
[18:30] infrastructure needs.
[18:33] The boss is here.
[18:34] Yes, I didn't want to put him in a difficult position,
[18:37] but yes. His
[18:38] hand is raised.
[18:39] So, the
[18:40] police chief is here. So, go ahead
[18:42] . However, in
[18:44] practice, I think it's more of a
[18:45] road safety committee,
[18:47] probably not the traditional board where we would
[18:49] talk about
[18:51] speed bumps, speed limits,
[18:53] traffic calming devices,
[18:55] law enforcement, things like that. Well,
[18:58] I mean, we could meet with
[19:00] you after this meeting if you'd
[19:02] like, in aisle
[19:03] 50,
[19:04] next to the lady, but yes,
[19:06] we will. Okay. Okay.
[19:10] And that makes perfect sense. So I would like to
[19:12] amend my motion to
[19:13] refer this to the road safety committee
[19:15] .
[19:15] Second.
[19:16] OK. Well, the
[19:18] road safety committee meets once a month
[19:20] at the police station. It
[19:23] consists of the DPW commissioner, the
[19:26] police chief, the mayor, and that's
[19:30] where they decide these kinds of things.
[19:33] Is it
[19:33] open to the public? Of course
[19:34] . Yes, it is.
[19:36] This year we will meet on Friday at
[19:37] 10:00, so we will include it on
[19:39] the agenda.
[19:39] Friday at 10:00 a.m. m. So,
[19:41] I'm sure I could mention it
[19:44] at that meeting.
[19:45] So any suggestions you have will be
[19:47] raised at that meeting.
[19:48] Correct.
[19:49] Okay. Then I'll keep them to
[19:50] myself.
[19:54] Very good. Well, the
[19:56] motion has been presented. Do you want Larry to intervene?
[19:58] Forward. Oh, Councillor Coopley.
[20:00] If I may, I believe the
[20:02] police department has put up
[20:05] one of those flashing
[20:07] speed limit signs; it's over there at the end of
[20:10] Killington Avenue.
[20:11] It's in Butterfield. Yes.
[20:13] And, well, just as a reminder.
[20:15] Good.
[20:16] There is a notice that
[20:18] speeding is prohibited on
[20:20] Killington Avenue.
[20:22] Yes ok. Good. Well, the motion is to
[20:25] send it to road safety and it has been
[20:26] seconded. All those who are in favor
[20:28] of the motion, please indicate so by saying
[20:29] "Yes". Yes. Those who are against it,
[20:31] it's approved. And I'll just add that, well
[20:34] , I drive quite a bit in the city and it
[20:38] seems that speeding is the way to
[20:40] go.
[20:42] Killington Avenue is a
[20:43] racetrack. There is no doubt about it
[20:45] . I have friends who live there.
[20:47] Oliver Cooley lives right next door. Well
[20:50] , you're absolutely right, and I'm glad you let
[20:52] us know. Thank you.
[20:55] OK. Is there anyone else not
[20:58] on the agenda and not
[20:59] related to the railway issue?
[21:01] It seems that everything is ready. So let's
[21:03] continue. Communications
[21:05] from the mayor. And Mayor, welcome.
[21:15] And I want to mention the speed control car
[21:16] that Councillor
[21:17] Kuple mentioned. It also collects data on
[21:19] speed so that it can be analyzed and
[21:21] we can determine not only the
[21:22] speeds, but also the times
[21:23] of day, etc., when people are
[21:25] speeding. How about that?
[21:28] Yes, all of that will be taken into account when
[21:30] enforcing the law, etc. And I
[21:32] only say that because the boss has
[21:34] taught me very well.
[21:36] Listen.
[21:37] But anyway, a couple of
[21:39] quick things tonight. First, for the
[21:41] general committee, I would like to
[21:42] ask if you could refer the
[21:45] capital improvement plan to the
[21:47] general committee so that we can meet and
[21:49] review our thoughts with
[21:52] Councillor Talbot's committee. So, approved
[21:53] .
[21:54] Second.
[21:55] Okay,
[21:57] the motion to submit the
[21:59] capital improvement plan has been presented and supported.
[22:01] Yes. Is there
[22:02] any debate? Since there are none, those
[22:04] who are in favor should say yes. Those who
[22:06] oppose it, the motion is approved.
[22:07] Thank you. And then, the other thing, I just
[22:10] wanted to take a moment and the
[22:12] fire chief is here and it's a good
[22:14] time. The police chief is
[22:16] here. What Maggie O'Brien mentioned
[22:19] earlier about the
[22:20] train derailment that happened a couple of
[22:22] weeks ago, last Saturday. I just want to
[22:25] mention a couple of things about that that
[22:28] were pretty amazing. First of all
[22:30] , it is a historic event and I hope it will remain
[22:33] historic because it was
[22:35] quite serious. Not only were a couple of
[22:38] cars derailed, but one of
[22:40] them was completely overturned,
[22:42] as many of you already know, and that one
[22:44] had up to 30,000 gallons of propane
[22:46] on its side. So I had a
[22:49] potentially very dangerous scenario, you
[22:51] know, that we've seen on
[22:52] TV news and
[22:54] elsewhere, how it can be. It wasn't
[22:57] seen that way here, and that's why I wanted to
[22:59] express this both to this board
[23:00] and to all the people present. If
[23:03] we were in a small town with no
[23:05] resources, who knows what that would have
[23:07] looked like as a result. But when
[23:09] Maggie said, "Hey, nothing happened. Everything
[23:11] was fine." Well, in the end he's right
[23:13] . But it turns out I'm there to
[23:16] witness the incredible amount of
[23:18] work so many people did, the
[23:21] resources this city brought together to
[23:23] deal with a potentially
[23:25] significant, dangerous, and disastrous event. They
[23:28] were incredible. So I'm
[23:30] really proud, and I know you as
[23:33] councillors will be too
[23:35] , because it all started, of
[23:37] course, with the
[23:38] Rutland Fire Department, who, by the way,
[23:40] were quite warm on a day and many
[23:42] times were dressed in uniforms
[23:44] to provide protection for the people
[23:46] who were working to try and
[23:48] fix this again. There is one company
[23:51] that was brought in
[23:52] overnight, Corman, from Albany. They were
[23:54] consummate professionals. They knew
[23:56] exactly how to get this train running again
[23:58] and do it
[23:59] safely and without incident. But in the
[24:02] meantime, all those involved took
[24:04] action. They have a
[24:06] command commander and an incident commander.
[24:08] That's the man over there. I saw him
[24:11] in action and he did wonderfully. He
[24:13] remained calm. Everyone listened, he
[24:16] had presence and made very good
[24:19] decisions. There were many people
[24:21] involved, but everyone was informing him at
[24:23] that time about the decisions. He
[24:25] made the final decisions that day.
[24:27] And what happened was that we, and the
[24:29] timing probably couldn't have been
[24:31] worse from the point of view of,
[24:33] well, what do we have here for the
[24:35] audience? A monster truck show
[24:38] with 3,000 people was about
[24:40] to converge and fill the
[24:42] stands just 500 yards to the west. The
[24:45] relief valve on these trains, which
[24:47] usually points straight up, was
[24:49] pointing directly towards the grandstand
[24:50] . That's designed to relieve, and they
[24:53] call it burping, uh, if there's a
[24:55] displacement and so on that could
[24:57] continue. It could create that need
[24:59] for the gas, the propane gas
[25:02] , to be released, which by the way was not sent. Uh, gas
[25:05] that's going to be released, and that was
[25:07] directed, you know, at the stands.
[25:09] We made a very quick decision with,
[25:12] uh, Robert Congdon from the fairgrounds,
[25:14] who was very helpful. Um, I mean
[25:17] , he just postponed that
[25:19] pretty significant event with 3,000
[25:21] people about to enter the
[25:23] fairgrounds, and the monster truck company itself
[25:25] canceling flights and saying,
[25:27] "We'll stay there tomorrow. We'll do
[25:29] this tomorrow." It turned out that the man
[25:31] was a 15-year veteran
[25:33] firefighter, so he knew exactly what he
[25:35] was talking about. Uh, but
[25:37] our fire protection,
[25:39] uh, our police department,
[25:41] backed up by the
[25:42] city fire department, also by the
[25:44] state police, Vermont Hazmat,
[25:46] were pretty amazing. And the
[25:48] Vermont Rail employees, those guys
[25:51] who were there working really hard.
[25:54] There were very heavy things that were
[25:56] literally scattered about, and
[25:58] repairs had to be made to the tracks in order to
[26:00] lift one wagon and make
[26:01] room for the other to be lifted
[26:03] safely. They were incredible.
[26:07] They worked and worked and worked and
[26:09] everyone was doing their job and there
[26:11] were, you know, 50 people, if not more
[26:13] , all doing their job. And as a
[26:17] result, the wagon ended up
[26:20] back on the tracks early in the afternoon,
[26:22] straightened out, with no leaks. Of course,
[26:26] they were monitoring the whole time
[26:28] to detect any kind of leak
[26:30] because if there was one, you had to
[26:31] evacuate within a 1-mile radius. Well,
[26:34] that day there was a small activity
[26:35] downtown called the Whoopie
[26:36] Pie Festival. And the last thing we wanted to have to
[26:38] do was say, you know, you need to
[26:40] evacuate. Well, the measures that were
[26:44] taken were extraordinary and the
[26:46] team of experts who were on
[26:49] site with such confidence and security
[26:51] throughout the day was so
[26:53] impressive that I felt honored to
[26:56] be among them, trying not to
[26:58] get in the way and to communicate to the public what
[27:00] was happening. But I felt very
[27:04] proud and I want to thank
[27:05] everyone. Everyone on that team, including
[27:08] the regional ambulance crew from Rumford, the
[27:10] list goes on and on, but they all pitched in
[27:12] and it turned out to be one of those
[27:14] happy stories in the end instead of
[27:16] the evening news.
[27:18] Mhm. Okay, fine. Good. Well, it had a
[27:21] happy ending, so that's good.
[27:24] I appreciate you
[27:25] mentioning it again.
[27:26] Thank you. And thank you, Bill.
[27:28] Very good. Well, we'll move on.
[27:33] Applications for special event permits
[27:35] and this is an opportunity
[27:37] to talk about coin distribution
[27:39] . So, if you want to get on board, this is the
[27:43] American Cancer Society's Race for Life.
[27:46] A coin distribution will take place on
[27:47] Saturday, September 26th, from 10:00 AM to
[27:49] 2:00 PM.
[27:50] Yes sir.
[27:51] And if I could kindly ask for your
[27:53] name so that it may be recorded,
[27:54] please.
[27:54] Yes, my name is Daniel Jankowski and I
[27:57] live at 3935 US 7 in Pittsburgh.
[27:59] Thank you.
[28:00] Good evening, members of the Board of
[28:02] Councillors. Again, my name is
[28:04] Daniel Jankowski, and I am here before
[28:06] you today in honor of my daughter, Zamara,
[28:08] who tragically lost her battle
[28:10] with neuroblastoma cancer in
[28:12] 2024. At only 2 years old,
[28:14] pediatric cancer profoundly affects
[28:16] our communities, and yet
[28:18] Vermont has never officially set aside
[28:20] time to honor and recognize
[28:24] Childhood Cancer Awareness Year. We are working
[28:27] tirelessly to change that. On
[28:29] September 26, right here in Rutland,
[28:32] we will be hosting our first-ever
[28:34] Pediatric Cancer Coin Giveaway in
[28:36] partnership with our local first responders,
[28:38] with plans to expand to Pittsburgh and
[28:41] surrounding communities in the
[28:43] future. We respectfully request the
[28:45] full support of the board of directors to
[28:48] help make this an annual event
[28:50] honoring Samara's legacy and
[28:51] ensuring that no family in
[28:53] our community faces this battle
[28:55] alone. Thank you. Samara's mother.
[28:58] Thank you. Okay.
[28:59] thanks. And our condolences
[29:02] .
[29:02] If you have any further questions,
[29:04] please feel free to ask.
[29:05] Yes, we'll see if we have any questions
[29:06] . Those who are in favor of the motion,
[29:09] say so by saying "I". Those who are
[29:11] against it, the motion is approved.
[29:13] Motion to approve the
[29:15] permit for
[29:17] the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life special event
[29:18] on
[29:19] Saturday, September 26, 2026, from
[29:21] 10:00 a.m. m. at 2:00 p.m. m.
[29:23] Supported.
[29:24] Okay, the motion is to approve the
[29:26] request and it has been supported. Does anyone
[29:29] have any comments or questions?
[29:32] I think everything is ready and we're going to
[29:34] vote, but we wish you all the best and
[29:36] hope you make a lot of money that
[29:38] day. And I hope they raise awareness,
[29:40] as they told me they wanted to do.
[29:42] children so bad, so I'm grateful.
[29:44] Of course. Those who are in favor of
[29:46] the motion, say so by saying "yes".
[29:48] Those who are against it, the motion is approved
[29:49] . OK. We'll move on to the
[29:53] reports and letters from
[29:54] department heads and officials, and it looks like
[29:58] your planning director Beau is first. We reviewed the
[30:01] public hearing on
[30:03] land development and adoption regulations, and
[30:05] then added the resolution.
[30:06] So, it's your turn.
[30:11] We had a public hearing
[30:13] tonight to talk about
[30:14] land development regulations,
[30:16] so thank you for letting me appear
[30:18] before you again. They're probably
[30:21] tired of hearing me talk.
[30:23] So, I won't go into too much
[30:26] detail this time unless there are
[30:29] questions, but what I can do is
[30:32] talk about the three areas of change,
[30:35] and if that can be turned into a
[30:37] motion to pass, that would be great.
[30:42] So, the first change is the name
[30:45] of the single-family residential district
[30:48] as just residential district. I talked
[30:52] a little earlier about why
[30:54] that's happening. Well, that would be the
[30:56] first part. The second part
[30:59] involves adding some of the
[31:02] design standards to the
[31:04] industrial district. Again, all those things
[31:07] are in front of you, what
[31:08] could they be? And the third change
[31:12] consists of adding a reference to
[31:14] the principles of
[31:16] smart growth both in the
[31:18] plan review and in the regulations. So
[31:22] those are the three points that have
[31:24] changed since the draft you see in
[31:26] front of you, which has also gone
[31:28] through the planning committee.
[31:30] Okay, anyone...? I'll let them
[31:34] tell him.
[31:34] Oh, I was going to make a motion to
[31:35] suspend the rules.
[31:36] Second.
[31:37] The motion is to suspend the rules to
[31:38] discuss the issue tonight. It has been
[31:39] seconded. Those who support the
[31:41] motion, say: "Yes".
[31:42] Those who oppose it, the motion is
[31:44] approved. Those in favor of the
[31:45] motion should say that
[31:45] the territorial development regulations should be adopted
[31:47] in the form presented,
[31:49] subject to review by the lawyer.
[31:52] Second. Okay.
[31:54] Pending legal review. Clear.
[31:55] Pending legal review. You've
[31:57] seen them, right? So yes.
[31:59] The motion has been made and
[32:00] seconded. Does anyone have any
[32:02] questions they'd like to ask
[32:04] Mr. Bow while he's there?
[32:06] Well, I just have...
[32:07] Yes, Councilor Davis.
[32:09] With the...
[32:11] and it has six or seven bolt points
[32:13] here. What about...and maybe this does
[32:17] n't belong here? What about the
[32:20] older ones...and only some of the types
[32:24] of escape that go to the neighborhoods?
[32:28] So, in the
[32:30] general regulations of the zoning part
[32:32] of this ordinance, we have
[32:34] performance standards for all districts.
[32:37] Good.
[32:37] And that should cover that. Industrial and
[32:40] all.
[32:41] And then, if you'll allow me...
[32:42] Yes, go ahead. I will do that
[32:44] . With some areas in the
[32:47] flood zone, things that
[32:49] are stored there can no longer be
[32:51] stored.
[32:52] Correct. And that part is actually
[32:55] part two of this ordinance, which is the
[32:58] flood risk area section.
[32:59] These are flood risk areas and
[33:01] river corridors, which refers to
[33:03] storage and
[33:05] previous surface structures in that area.
[33:06] Fine, thanks.
[33:08] Okay, anyone else? Again, the
[33:12] motion is to be approved and has been
[33:14] seconded. With no further debate,
[33:16] all those in favor of the
[33:17] motion indicate this by saying: Yes.
[33:19] And those against? The motion
[33:22] is approved.
[33:23] Thank you. You are welcome.
[33:24] Thank you. Do
[33:26] we need anything else? The resolution.
[33:29] Yes. Okay,
[33:30] thank you for inviting me for the third time.
[33:34] And the land use review board did
[33:37] n't like the resolution
[33:39] we adopted last time because it had
[33:42] the word "contract" in it. So this
[33:44] resolution removes that word,
[33:46] which is fine because we did
[33:48] n't contract those services anyway. And that's
[33:51] the only change from what I
[33:53] believe we presented in May or June.
[33:56] Okay, all those men, Talbot. I will
[33:57] make a motion to suspend the
[33:59] rules and take up the matter again tonight.
[34:00] Second.
[34:01] Very well, everyone who is in favor
[34:03] of the motion indicates this by saying: Yes.
[34:05] Those who are against, the motion is
[34:06] approved. And Councillor Talbot.
[34:08] I will make a motion to adopt the
[34:09] revised municipal resolution that was
[34:11] presented to us.
[34:13] Second.
[34:14] Okay, the motion has been presented and
[34:16] seconded. Do you foresee a signing
[34:19] there? Oh
[34:21] yes, in the end.
[34:22] Okay, we need to authorize the
[34:23] president to sign.
[34:23] I authorize the president to sign, very
[34:25] good. OK. Is there any debate
[34:28] about that? Since there are none, those who
[34:31] are in favor should say "yes".
[34:32] Those who are against it, the motion
[34:34] is approved.
[34:35] Thank you. And as I mentioned at the
[34:37] public hearing, there will be a memorandum
[34:39] of understanding on
[34:40] historic preservation that I hope you will see at the
[34:42] first meeting in October. Thank you.
[34:46] Okay, fine. Thank you so much. And
[34:52] next is Protovanski, and it seems we
[34:53] have a replacement. Application for
[35:02] GMP poles and wires for Park Street
[35:03] . Good evening, Ted. Thank you. You are welcome.
[35:07] Bob will speak tonight, if that's alright with you
[35:08] . Yes.
[35:10] As you can see, Green Mountain Power
[35:13] requested to install two new utility poles
[35:16] very close to the Vermont Achievement
[35:18] Center. One on the north side of Park
[35:21] Street and one on the south side of Park
[35:23] Street. Likewise, along with other
[35:26] similar requests, we have
[35:28] standard conditions for
[35:29] pole and cable projects that
[35:31] require full board approval.
[35:35] Okay. Yes, Councillor Clifford.
[35:38] I propose suspending the rules for
[35:39] dealing with the matter.
[35:40] Second.
[35:41] Very good. All those who are in favor
[35:42] of the motion, please indicate so by saying
[35:43] yes.
[35:43] Those who are
[35:44] against it, it's approved. Councillor
[35:46] Clifford.
[35:46] I propose the approval of
[35:48] Poland's bank transfer request
[35:49] for the Park Street boundaries along
[35:51] with the seven standard conditions.
[35:52] Second.
[35:53] Very well, the motion has been presented
[35:54] and seconded. Does anyone have any
[35:56] questions for Ted about this application?
[36:00] Since none are seen, all those who are
[36:01] in favor of the motion should indicate this
[36:03] by saying yes.
[36:04] And what about those who oppose it? The motion is
[36:06] approved.
[36:06] Thank you. You are welcome.
[36:08] Thank you. And next is treasurer
[36:12] Markowski. We have a discussion about
[36:17] reviewing
[36:19] the city and RRA financial reports for the
[36:21] period ending August 31,
[36:23] 2026.
[36:24] Okay. Good
[36:24] night.
[36:25] Thank you. Tonight I have the reports
[36:28] from August 31st and some
[36:30] updates from our department
[36:32] . Well, it's been two months and we're not
[36:35] going to go into too much detail about
[36:37] departmental finances, but
[36:42] I'll have the end-of-quarter report ready so that
[36:44] when we get into
[36:46] the budget it will be more important to
[36:49] follow how we see it in the first
[36:51] quarter. So I wanted to... I had
[36:54] described some things in my report
[36:56] that I wanted to share with you
[36:58] because of short-term loans... I
[37:00] just wanted to update the board
[37:02] on that. We had...we had
[37:05] some really serious
[37:07] cash flow problems at the moment with the
[37:09] projects and the pressure on
[37:11] cash flow. So we had
[37:15] borrowed from the reserve fund. So I
[37:19] made a transfer from the
[37:21] capital reserve fund to the general fund
[37:23] to cover payroll,
[37:25] accounts payable, and during the
[37:27] tax collection period, which is
[37:29] due on the 31st. I was able to transfer that
[37:31] money back to the capital reserve fund
[37:33] , so that's been resolved, and I
[37:36] wanted to report it. That said,
[37:40] we may have to do it
[37:42] again before the next fundraising
[37:44] , so I'll keep the board and the
[37:46] public informed if we do that. They are
[37:49] unusual for me. Generally,
[37:51] we have had adequate cash flow.
[37:54] It's the projects, the CSO project,
[37:56] those bigger projects that are
[37:59] really impacting us, so I
[38:01] think I'll probably be going back to
[38:06] the board to
[38:08] request another transfer by
[38:11] November 1st, I think. We have to
[38:14] collect the water and
[38:15] sewer service fees, but we also have
[38:17] some bond payments due, big
[38:19] bond payments on November 1st, so
[38:20] just a heads-up about that. If you look at the
[38:26] cash reports, you'll see that the
[38:29] cash balances were high, but that was
[38:31] after collection and before
[38:32] transferring the
[38:34] first quarter's education tax to the school. So
[38:37] we made that transfer to the school
[38:39] today. Well, I think the
[38:45] first quarter's collection went well, but even
[38:47] so, in terms of cash, we're still a
[38:49] bit short. So we still have
[38:53] that loan for which we made a
[38:55] grant anticipation note
[38:57] related to that project. I had
[39:00] written in my memo that we had
[39:02] borrowed 1.5 million, but in
[39:05] reality it was 1.375. Well, I exaggerated a
[39:08] little. But I work closely
[39:12] with the Department of
[39:14] Public Works and the
[39:16] city engineer, and right now we're waiting for
[39:19] reimbursement of almost 2.3 million for
[39:21] this project. So I think
[39:24] we could get those funds at
[39:25] any time. Your application
[39:28] is now available. And I know the
[39:30] engineer has been in touch to
[39:32] find out when we will receive those funds.
[39:34] So, I just want to catch up.
[39:38] In the cash withdrawn report,
[39:40] when you look at the cash withdrawn,
[39:42] you will see that both the water fund and the
[39:44] sewer fund have
[39:46] significant balances owed to the city.
[39:49] Both are affected by some
[39:51] projects for which we have not yet received a
[39:53] refund. The water fund
[39:56] has the service line project
[39:58] , which we have...we are
[40:00] waiting for more information from the
[40:02] bond bank, in order to be able to request those
[40:05] funds. So we have a large balance
[40:08] there and again, at the bottom of the
[40:10] sewer system, it's the CSO project, the
[40:13] Meadow Streets projects that
[40:15] are causing that cash flow, those
[40:18] deficits there. I wanted to give you an
[40:22] update on the water
[40:24] and sewer service interruptions from May to August. This
[40:26] effort was coordinated with the
[40:28] Department of Public Works and the
[40:29] Treasurer's Office. During the
[40:33] process, we did four rounds of
[40:36] cutting, 25 beads per round, that is,
[40:39] 100 beads. The process resulted in
[40:43] 57 accounts being paid. 41
[40:46] accounts that are now in a
[40:49] payment agreement and could be paid off
[40:51] now. And from the group, only two accounts were
[40:54] closed and remain closed right now
[40:57] . So I wanted to share those
[41:01] figures. And we've been working with
[41:05] the city attorney and two
[41:07] local attorneys on tax sales for
[41:09] delinquent properties. So you'll
[41:12] probably see ads for those tax sales in the Herald very
[41:14] soon, maybe next week
[41:16] .
[41:19] We will have tax sales in
[41:21] November and two dates in November and
[41:25] one in December. I think that's about 12
[41:29] properties in total. Well,
[41:33] Linda, in my office, we work very
[41:34] closely with taxpayers to see
[41:36] if we can come up with an acceptable payment arrangement,
[41:38] and, well, we try... That's
[41:40] really the first thing we try to
[41:41] do before we get to that
[41:43] tax sale around those dates. But
[41:46] , well, right now I'm working
[41:50] with RR. HH. in the
[41:53] job description for assistant treasurer, so
[41:56] we will publish it very soon. I think it
[42:01] was in the newspaper and Ellen had
[42:03] mentioned that there was a retirement in
[42:05] my office, so the
[42:07] assistant treasurer is planning to retire in January.
[42:10] There will be a little overlap, but
[42:12] I really need that training from
[42:14] someone who works with the
[42:16] deputy treasurer, so I'm working on
[42:18] that. And I'm also working on
[42:24] coordinating a
[42:26] pensions meeting for October 8th. And I'll
[42:30] get that agenda out, and it will be with the
[42:32] actuary.
[42:33] That's the dinner night that
[42:35] many of us will be able to attend.
[42:38] Oh.
[42:38] The Japanese delegation is coming.
[42:40] Oh. I'm going to reschedule. I'm working
[42:44] with the actuary. And I foresee some
[42:47] changes, so it won't just be
[42:49] information. Programming is very difficult
[42:51] , so I'm glad I said
[42:53] something. I had worked with the school and
[42:55] the actuary, but it wasn't on any
[42:57] schedule, so I apologize for
[42:59] that. I'll dedicate a little more time to
[43:01] trying to find a date, but
[43:03] I hope everyone can be really
[43:05] flexible with the timeline because it's
[43:06] a difficult meeting to schedule.
[43:09] Okay, but I'll give you the information. I think
[43:14] we'll see some recommendations
[43:16] on pension amortization schedules
[43:18] and some things that are
[43:20] different from what we've had. It's
[43:22] really important. I will try
[43:25] to have it as soon as possible. Thank you for
[43:28] that. I'm sorry if I ruined dinner. And that's all I have
[43:32] for tonight
[43:34] . Any questions about the report? Does
[43:37] anyone have any questions for Mary
[43:38] ? I think everything is ready.
[43:41] Okay, thanks.
[43:42] Okay, thank you very much. Very well, we will now move on
[43:45] to the reports from the
[43:47] standing committees. We have several.
[43:49] First up is Councillor Adams' Charter and Ordinances meeting on
[43:52] September 9th.
[43:56] I'll try to make them shorter, I
[43:57] promise. The
[44:01] Charter and Ordinances Committee met on
[44:03] September 9th of this year here
[44:05] in Alderman Chambers. The meeting
[44:07] opened at 5:30 p.m. m. The first point
[44:10] to be discussed was the current
[44:11] mayoral succession plan. This topic was
[44:12] first addressed at our
[44:14] Charter and Ordinance meeting on
[44:15] April 15th of this year.
[44:16] Historically, the position has been
[44:18] held by the president of the Board of
[44:19] Councillors, but it was included on the
[44:20] written ballot
[44:22] because the outgoing mayor
[44:23] resigned in the 90 days prior to the
[44:24] election. It was suggested that the
[44:26] written election was detrimental
[44:28] to taxpayers and that
[44:29] future elections should not be held
[44:31] without candidates submitting
[44:33] petitions, so as to allow
[44:35] sufficient time for them to appear on
[44:37] the ballot. The write-in nomination campaign
[44:39] produced many candidates,
[44:41] but several received very few votes.
[44:43] Councillor Talbot reiterated his
[44:44] argument in favor of holding the
[44:45] mayoral election by written ballot, noting that
[44:47] voter turnout was similar to
[44:49] past elections. The current mayor
[44:51] noted that the campaign lasted only 3
[44:52] days less than it would have in
[44:54] a typical election year.
[44:55] President Adams indicated that,
[44:56] regardless of the turnout
[44:58] , the length of the campaign, and the
[44:59] clarity between the candidates and
[45:00] city officials, he heard from
[45:02] several residents that the election
[45:03] conducted in this manner was very
[45:04] confusing and believes it may have limited
[45:06] the public's opportunity to
[45:07] properly investigate all the
[45:08] candidates. City attorney
[45:10] Gustafson will investigate some
[45:12] policies and language used in
[45:13] other Vermont cities and towns
[45:15] to make suggestions to this committee.
[45:17] The second item on the agenda was
[45:18] a debate on moving the
[45:19] DPW commissioner,
[45:21] recreation superintendent,
[45:22] building inspector, city clerk,
[45:23] and planning director to
[45:24] contract positions. This was a
[45:27] combination of two items that had been
[45:28] previously referred to the committee
[45:30] , including the statute to make
[45:31] the city clerk an
[45:33] elected position, referred on November 20,
[45:34] 2023, and a discussion about moving the
[45:36] DPW commissioner,
[45:37] recreation superintendent, and
[45:39] planning director to contracted positions,
[45:40] referred on November 17, 2025.
[45:42] The latter item was
[45:43] previously discussed in committee on
[45:44] April 15, 2026, along with changing the
[45:46] city attorney position to a
[45:47] contracted one, referred on March 6,
[45:48] 2026. Chairman Adams provided
[45:50] a synopsis of that discussion, highlighting
[45:51] the key points for and against
[45:53] a change. Councilman Talbott said
[45:55] his impression of the Vermont League of Cities and
[45:57] Towns is that there is a
[45:58] trend away from
[45:59] mayoral appointments.
[46:00] President Larry refuted this,
[46:01] explaining that he served on the board of
[46:03] directors of the League of Cities and
[46:04] Towns of Vermont and indicated that there is not
[46:06] much uniformity among
[46:07] Vermont's municipalities.
[46:09] Several points from the previous meeting were revisited,
[46:10] including concerns that
[46:12] unionized employees are hesitant to
[46:13] accept management positions due to
[46:14] the lack of stability offered by the
[46:16] current mayoral appointment process
[46:17] . People are hesitant to
[46:18] sacrifice their union protections
[46:20] and accept that they could lose their own
[46:22] jobs in two years if another mayor is elected
[46:23] . Councilman Talbott suggested
[46:25] discussing the right of return if
[46:27] unionized employees accept
[46:28] management positions, perhaps through a
[46:30] memorandum and union agreement.
[46:31] Concern was expressed about this,
[46:32] noting that employees would not be able to
[46:33] return to their former positions
[46:35] if those positions had already been filled. The
[46:36] municipal secretary pointed out that her
[46:37] position is responsible for objectively processing
[46:40] election results and that there could be a
[46:41] conflict of interest if it became known
[46:43] that an incoming candidate planned to
[46:44] appoint someone else. There was
[46:46] significant interest in discussing the
[46:47] conversion of the city attorney position
[46:48] to a contracted one, but this was
[46:50] generally limited because the
[46:51] issue was not on the agenda.
[46:52] President Adams will schedule another
[46:54] meeting as soon as possible to
[46:55] further discuss both of the items noted
[46:56] on this afternoon's agenda,
[46:58] as well as to specifically discuss
[46:59] the position of city attorney. The
[47:00] meeting adjourned at 6:26 p.m. m.
[47:03] OK. Well, thank you very much. Does
[47:05] anyone have any questions for
[47:06] Councilman Adams about his report? It seems
[47:10] that everything is ready. Thank you so much
[47:12] . Next up is the General Committee,
[47:15] Councillor Talbot.
[47:16] Thank you. You are welcome.
[47:17] The General Committee met on 15
[47:20] September 2026 at 5:30 p.m. m. The
[47:23] committee members present were
[47:25] myself, Councillor Clifford, Franzoni,
[47:27] Adams, and Esposito. Others present
[47:28] included President Alair, Councilwoman
[47:30] Davis and Tadio, City Attorney
[47:32] Gustafson, Assistant Director Whitehead, and the
[47:34] Director of Public Relations. HH. Coyle, Barbara
[47:36] Poling, Norma Cohen and Gordon of the Herald
[47:39] . The General Committee met to
[47:41] consider the implementation of
[47:42] the city's declaration of inclusion
[47:44] . The city attorney outlined
[47:46] options that included utilizing the
[47:47] existing
[47:49] equal employment opportunity officer position,
[47:51] amending the charter to
[47:52] expand that role, convening a
[47:54] mayoral advisory group, or establishing a
[47:55] standing committee. The debate
[47:57] focused on assigning responsibility
[47:59] for ongoing implementation. The
[48:01] members considered appointing the head
[48:02] of human resources to the
[48:03] existing charter office and
[48:05] involving
[48:06] community members in identifying
[48:07] needs and recommending
[48:08] improvements. Participants emphasized
[48:10] that inclusion goes beyond
[48:12] hiring and encompasses access to
[48:13] public services, including
[48:15] assistance for residents with
[48:16] limited English proficiency. Audience members
[48:19] Norman Cohen and Barbara Pulling
[48:21] described practical,
[48:22] community-based approaches to
[48:24] implementation. Their suggestions
[48:25] included displaying the statement on
[48:27] city buildings, restoring it
[48:29] to the city website, including it
[48:31] in the annual report, and encouraging
[48:32] community and
[48:34] library programming. The members also
[48:36] discussed the city's previous efforts
[48:37] and the importance of maintaining
[48:39] continuity in the face of leadership changes.
[48:41] Councillor Clifford introduced a
[48:43] motion to recommend that the Mayor
[48:44] appoint the head of human resources
[48:46] to the position of equal
[48:47] employment opportunities officer. The motion
[48:49] was approved by a
[48:50] five-to-zero oral vote, and I make the motion. I
[48:52] second.
[48:53] Okay, the motion was presented and
[48:54] seconded. Any debate about that? Since
[48:59] none are seen, all those in
[49:01] favor of the motion indicate this by saying
[49:03] I.
[49:04] Those who oppose it? The motion is
[49:05] approved.
[49:06] Very well, the city attorney
[49:07] recommended reviewing the text of the
[49:09] charter to give the position a
[49:10] broader mandate for inclusion. Following
[49:12] the debate,
[49:13] a motion to refer the
[49:14] proposed revision of the charter
[49:16] to the committee on ordinances and
[49:17] statutes was approved by oral vote by five votes to zero. Do
[49:19] we need it? Can you make the
[49:21] motion?
[49:22] Yes.
[49:22] Supported.
[49:24] Okay, the
[49:26] motion to refer this matter to the
[49:28] organic charter and the ordinance has been presented and supported.
[49:30] Any debate? Since there is no one, all those
[49:32] who are in favor of the motion
[49:33] will indicate this by saying "Yes".
[49:34] I. Those who oppose it? The motion is
[49:37] approved.
[49:37] OK. The city attorney
[49:38] offered to prepare a draft of the
[49:40] text. No amendment to
[49:41] the charter was approved at the meeting. The
[49:42] participants agreed that the
[49:44] statement should be returned to the
[49:45] municipal website and displayed in
[49:47] public service centers, such as
[49:48] police, fire, and recreational facilities.
[49:50] The president indicated that no
[49:51] separate motion was necessary
[49:53] and that a follow-up would be arranged.
[49:54] The committee also discussed the
[49:58] previously awarded $10,000 grant for equitable and inclusive communities for
[50:00] implicit bias training and the
[50:01] possibility of preparing a request
[50:03] for proposals. The president postponed the
[50:04] debate because the matter had not been brought to
[50:06] his attention. No action was taken
[50:07] regarding the grant or the training,
[50:09] and the meeting adjourned at 6:16.
[50:11] Very good. Thank you so much. Yes, Councilor
[50:14] Adams. I
[50:15] just want to point out that the item
[50:16] referred to the Organic Charter and
[50:17] Ordinance will be added to the agenda
[50:18] of the
[50:19] Organic Charter and Ordinance meeting next
[50:21] Monday the 28th.
[50:21] Great. OK.
[50:23] And if I can accompany them, I'll have a
[50:25] memo and something like the text
[50:27] for that meeting. Okay.
[50:30] fine. OK. Very good.
[50:32] Thank you so much. Next up,
[50:35] Councillor Clifford, public works.
[50:37] Thank you, Mr. President. The
[50:40] public works committee met at
[50:42] 5:30 p.m. m. Wednesday,
[50:44] September 16, 2020. The six members
[50:46] present were myself, Councillor Gillam
[50:48] , Councillor Peter Franzoni, and
[50:50] Councillor Michael Talbot. Other members
[50:54] of the board of aldermen present
[50:56] were President Alair, Councilman
[50:58] Copley, Councilwoman Tadio, Councilman
[51:01] Davis, and Councilman Esposito. Others
[51:03] present included Robert Porfirio,
[51:05] commissioner of public works, Ted
[51:07] Gillen, assistant
[51:08] city engineer, Mary Markowski,
[51:10] city treasurer, Courtney Trillo De Chillo of the
[51:11] Rutland Herald, and Commander J.J.
[51:13] Bixby of the police department.
[51:16] Councillor Clifford asked if there were
[51:18] any additions, deletions, or
[51:20] modifications to the agenda. There weren't
[51:22] any. I asked if there were
[51:24] any public comments on the
[51:25] agenda; there were none. The purpose of
[51:28] the meeting was to discuss the
[51:29] update of
[51:30] water disinfection by-products. Engineer
[51:33] Gilling provided some
[51:35] background on the subject. In 2010 and
[51:38] 2011, the city experienced an increase in
[51:41] levels of
[51:43] disinfection byproducts, particularly
[51:45] haloacetic acids. And then the
[51:49] numbers plummeted. The by-products
[51:52] are formed after the disinfection project is completed
[51:55] . There is a reaction between
[51:58] chlorine and organic matter in
[52:00] water. The theory is that the
[52:03] current elevated levels are due to
[52:05] organic compounds in the basin's water
[52:07] that have grown again in the year
[52:10] following Tropical Storm Irene.
[52:13] Public meetings have been held in
[52:15] recent years and the city...
[52:16] I found this on the web. It seems that the
[52:19] current one...
[52:20] Excuse me. Oh
[52:20] really.
[52:23] That's very rude.
[52:24] Public meetings have been held in
[52:26] recent years and the city has received
[52:28] free assistance from the EPA to
[52:29] consider some options.
[52:31] Weston &
[52:33] Sampson Engineers was recently hired to help
[52:35] design the
[52:36] disinfection modifications to the
[52:38] treatment plant. Specifically, in the
[52:40] conversion of disinfection with
[52:42] monochloramine, which is what the
[52:44] Cheyenne Valley Water District uses in
[52:46] Cheyenne County, in addition to the
[52:48] many surface water treatment systems
[52:50] across the country. It is an
[52:53] effective and cost-efficient approach
[52:54] used to reduce the presence of
[52:56] haloacetic acids. The problem
[53:00] the city is currently facing
[53:02] is that there are some
[53:04] scientific studies being published, which
[53:06] the city has become
[53:07] aware of, that have generated some
[53:09] concern about some
[53:11] unregulated byproducts that are formed during the
[53:13] disinfection process with
[53:15] monochloramine. The city conducts
[53:18] tests on disinfection byproducts
[53:20] through
[53:22] quarterly sampling, as required by regulations. The
[53:25] samples are collected from four
[53:26] different locations within the
[53:27] distribution system and
[53:29] sent to a laboratory. If the
[53:31] four-quarter moving average
[53:33] exceeds a certain threshold, the state
[53:36] will issue a violation and ask
[53:38] the city what steps it will take to
[53:40] reduce the numbers.
[53:43] Scientific studies have been published on these
[53:45] unregulated byproducts, and the
[53:47] concern now is what will happen in
[53:49] a few years. There is some uncertainty
[53:53] about how the EPA will react. Within
[53:56] five or ten years, these
[53:58] unregulated compounds could become
[54:00] regulated. The most important question is what would
[54:02] happen if these
[54:04] unregulated compounds were found to be as bad as, or
[54:06] worse than, the
[54:08] disinfection byproducts the
[54:10] city is currently dealing with. This was a major
[54:13] red flag and
[54:15] concerns were raised with
[54:17] Vermont state regulators over the past few
[54:19] months. Engineer Gillan has gone to
[54:22] Montpelier a couple of times in
[54:23] recent months to deal with the problem
[54:25] with state regulators. The
[54:28] state has given the city a date
[54:31] ... I'm sorry. The state has given the
[54:34] city a date to do it, but it
[54:36] 's not advisable to spend money now and then
[54:38] later in the future. The city is not
[54:42] currently in violation, but it is
[54:44] close, and that is because there are four
[54:46] quarterly samples, and if you average it out,
[54:48] we are at a high level because there is one
[54:51] quarter that is always high.
[54:53] Engineer Gillan has recommended that the
[54:56] city proceed to take two
[54:59] separate, simultaneous paths forward.
[55:02] One way is to analyze and elevate, I'm
[55:05] sorry, and evaluate whether
[55:08] unregulated byproducts from within the city
[55:12] brought water out of the city. At the same
[55:14] time,
[55:16] alternative methods that
[55:17] can reduce the presence of
[55:19] haloacetic acids are being evaluated in more detail. Councilman Talbot
[55:22] introduced a motion to request
[55:24] that the Board of Aldermen authorize the
[55:27] Mayor to sign Amendment Number
[55:29] One to the Engineering Services Agreement
[55:31] with Weston and Sampson for the
[55:33] amount of $91,770, substantially in
[55:37] the form submitted after
[55:39] review by the City Attorney.
[55:41] Councillor Franzoni seconded the motion.
[55:43] was passed unanimously, and
[55:45] I hereby make the motion. I
[55:46] second.
[55:46] Okay, the motion was presented and
[55:48] seconded. Any questions, any
[55:51] discussion about that motion? They
[55:54] are still here if you have any questions.
[55:57] It seems that everything is ready. Those who
[55:59] are in favor of the motion, say
[56:01] : yes, yes, yes.
[56:02] And what about those who oppose it? The motion is
[56:04] approved. There
[56:05] were no further matters to discuss in the
[56:07] committee and the meeting adjourned at
[56:10] 5:57 p.m. m. Thank you, Mr. President. You are
[56:12] welcome. Thank you so much.
[56:13] And finally, we have a report from the
[56:16] Plenary Committee, as promised. I'm going to
[56:20] make this report brief, but I want to
[56:25] cover all the main topics. The
[56:28] Plenary Committee met at 5:30 on
[56:30] Thursday, September 17th here in the
[56:32] room. The subject, of course, was
[56:35] 43 Evergreen Avenue.
[56:37] Several members of
[56:39] the Board of Aldermen were present, the mayor, the
[56:42] police chief,
[56:44] Prisons Commissioner Murad, a representative from
[56:46] Pathways, the subcontractor. There were
[56:48] several residents from the
[56:51] Evergreen Avenue neighborhood and also several
[56:53] members of our
[56:55] Rockland County legislative delegation. The
[56:58] meeting began at 5:30.
[57:01] First, the mayor spoke about
[57:03] the calls he has received from
[57:06] residents regarding the high volume of
[57:08] calls to the police at 43 Evergreen.
[57:11] Chief Broady spoke about the volume
[57:13] of calls and the need to collaborate
[57:15] more closely with the prisons department
[57:17] . The neighbors spoke vehemently
[57:21] about the negative consequences of the
[57:23] activity at 43 Evergreen and the
[57:25] need to close it down.
[57:29] Commissioner Murad then spoke and said that he is
[57:31] very aware of the problems and will
[57:33] address them by communicating
[57:35] with his staff, local
[57:37] probation and parole personnel, and
[57:39] anyone else involved.
[57:43] But, and this is the big problem, he would not
[57:45] commit to shutting down the program as it
[57:48] currently exists at 43 Evergreen
[57:50] . West
[57:54] Rutland Representative Tom Burnett stated that
[57:56] part of the problem is the lack of
[57:58] strength in some of the statutes to
[58:01] address chronic recidivism and
[58:03] incarcerate the most
[58:05] problematic individuals instead of sending them to
[58:07] residential neighborhoods. And I think that's
[58:10] something he'll take
[58:12] into account when he returns to
[58:14] Montpelier if he's re-elected. The
[58:17] Pathways representative briefly described their
[58:19] role and stated that there is currently no
[58:21] nighttime supervision at 43
[58:23] Evergreen. The meeting ended. I made sure
[58:28] the commissioner knew
[58:30] that most of us here in
[58:33] Rutland and most of the people
[58:36] who were at the meeting that night
[58:38] wanted the 43
[58:41] Evergreen facility to close. The meeting
[58:44] adjourned at 6:35 and this is my
[58:47] report. Does anyone have any
[58:49] questions? I
[58:51] only have one, it's not really a
[58:53] question, but an opportunity for
[58:55] the city attorney to review our
[58:58] current zoning because the question I
[59:00] asked was how they were located,
[59:02] how they were housed at 43 Evergreen and
[59:07] have a court order to be
[59:10] there. And I think that could be a
[59:14] violation of our ordinance, because
[59:17] we dealt with that problem many, years ago and corrected some of the
[59:22] language because neighborhoods were
[59:25] feeling the weight of some of these
[59:28] unsupervised homes. Then, at
[59:31] some point, perhaps the
[59:34] city attorney could review that ordinance
[59:36] to see if
[59:38] a violation is occurring there as well. Very
[59:42] good.
[59:43] Thank you so much. Okay, we'll move
[59:46] on. There are no select committees.
[59:48] We have a report from a representative,
[59:49] Councillor Franzoni, of
[59:50] the City of Rutland Public Schools.
[59:55] Proposal of November 3 to create
[59:56] a school capital reserve fund.
[1:00:00] The floor is yours. Thank you, Mr.
[1:00:02] President. They just produced this
[1:00:06] information leaflet and asked me to
[1:00:07] read it verbatim. Forward.
[1:00:09] Proposal on the November 3 ballot
[1:00:10] to create a
[1:00:11] reserve fund for the school district.
[1:00:13] City voters are being asked to
[1:00:15] approve the creation of a
[1:00:16] capital reserve fund for the
[1:00:17] school district. The funds would only be
[1:00:19] used for improvements, replacements, and
[1:00:20] repairs of buildings and equipment. No
[1:00:23] additional funding would be needed
[1:00:25] . The school board would have full
[1:00:27] authority to approve funding
[1:00:29] for the reserve. Many other
[1:00:31] Vermont school systems have a
[1:00:32] reserve fund of this type.
[1:00:35] An
[1:00:36] open information meeting for voters will be held on Monday, November 2.
[1:00:38] In the meantime, you can obtain
[1:00:40] additional information by accessing the
[1:00:41] district's website or
[1:00:43] contacting the
[1:00:44] school district administration.
[1:00:47] Rutland City Public Schools
[1:00:48] has a long-standing commitment to
[1:00:50] providing excellent educational programs
[1:00:51] with a cost structure that is
[1:00:53] responsible, reasonable, and sustainable.
[1:00:55] Please vote on November 3rd.
[1:00:56] Thank you. OK.
[1:00:58] Very good. Thank you. Does anyone have
[1:01:01] any questions about that? It seems that
[1:01:03] everything is ready. So we'll keep going
[1:01:05] . Nothing for
[1:01:07] petitioners' requests, letters, and
[1:01:09] miscellaneous communications. Nothing for
[1:01:10] control commissioners or
[1:01:12] cannabis commissioners. We have an entry here
[1:01:15] in pending business from Councillor
[1:01:17] Clifford, and it concerns the resolution
[1:01:19] that encourages civil speech and
[1:01:21] respectful conduct among
[1:01:23] elected officials. Councillor Clifford
[1:01:25] .
[1:01:26] Thank you, Mr. President. As
[1:01:28] the board knows, at the last meeting
[1:01:29] I requested that this resolution be
[1:01:34] redistributed among the
[1:01:36] newly elected councilors and also among the
[1:01:39] appointed ones, to give them the opportunity
[1:01:41] to sign it. I believe the
[1:01:44] municipal secretary has the blank motion
[1:01:46] ready for everyone to sign. So
[1:01:47] , if you'll allow me, I'd like to
[1:01:49] make a motion for it to be circulated.
[1:01:51] Okay, why not make a motion
[1:01:53] to suspend the rules? Thank you,
[1:01:54] councilman.
[1:01:55] The rules.
[1:01:56] Second. OK. All those who
[1:01:58] are in favor of the motion, please
[1:01:58] indicate so by saying "Yes". Yes. Those who
[1:02:01] are against it, the motion is approved
[1:02:01] . And I propose that
[1:02:07] the resolution promoting
[1:02:08] civilized dialogue and respectful conduct
[1:02:09] among elected officials be circulated for signatures. Second
[1:02:10] .
[1:02:10] OK. The motion has been presented
[1:02:12] and seconded. Any debate? Since there is
[1:02:14] no one, all those who are in
[1:02:15] favor of the motion should indicate this
[1:02:16] by saying "Yes".
[1:02:17] Yes.
[1:02:18] Those who oppose it, the motion passes.
[1:02:21] Okay, and we'll send it. Anyone else
[1:02:26] who hasn't finished? Yes, Councillor
[1:02:28] Talbot.
[1:02:29] Between 2023 and 2024, work was done on an
[1:02:32] ordinance for roads and entrances; In
[1:02:36] 2024 the board approved the ban
[1:02:39] on parking in the green belt and the
[1:02:42] associated fines. The board also
[1:02:46] approved the then-mayor
[1:02:47] suspending
[1:02:49] greenbelt fines until a decision was made on the
[1:02:50] winter parking ban.
[1:02:53] And it's simply been there. So,
[1:02:55] I'm wondering if we could consult with the
[1:02:57] city attorney to explore what
[1:03:00] else needs to be addressed, both from a
[1:03:02] legal and practical logistical standpoint,
[1:03:04] to get the city to
[1:03:07] enforce, lift the
[1:03:07] suspension, and begin enforcing
[1:03:09] those laws. I receive many complaints from
[1:03:11] voters about parking in
[1:03:13] the greenbelt and the damage it causes
[1:03:15] .
[1:03:15] Yes, in fact, I was going to make a motion.
[1:03:18] Councilman Adams. I'm sorry
[1:03:19] . I thought he had nodded.
[1:03:21] Alright
[1:03:22] .
[1:03:24] Excuse me. In fact, I was also going to
[1:03:26] make a motion tonight to
[1:03:28] refer
[1:03:30] the practice of parking in
[1:03:32] green spaces in general to the Statutes and Ordinances Committee. So
[1:03:34] why don't we refer it to the
[1:03:37] city attorney and then sort it out? I mean
[1:03:39] , you could refer it to the
[1:03:40] Ordinance Committee. Put it on the
[1:03:43] agenda. That will give me, you know,
[1:03:45] the
[1:03:46] push to do it.
[1:03:47] Yes, I would. I have the impulse to
[1:03:50] do it based on
[1:03:52] tonight's suggestions, but if it's on the
[1:03:53] agenda, that only allows it to be
[1:03:55] heard sooner rather than later.
[1:03:57] Okay. Well,
[1:03:59] I'll refer you to the Committee on
[1:04:02] Statutes and Ordinances' review of
[1:04:04] parking in green spaces and the
[1:04:06] city's ordinance on
[1:04:08] green spaces.
[1:04:10] Okay. Well, there's a motion made and
[1:04:12] then there's a second one. Second. It was a
[1:04:13] second. Okay. Boss.
[1:04:16] Yes, Mr. President. I just want to make sure
[1:04:18] the board of directors knows the
[1:04:19] difference between a front yard and
[1:04:20] a greenbelt.
[1:04:22] Yes, there is.
[1:04:22] Okay, that's just so you know.
[1:04:25] And I think you've seen the problem in
[1:04:27] this report. So I want to make that
[1:04:29] clear.
[1:04:30] Councilman Talbot.
[1:04:31] First, you have to vote on my motion to
[1:04:32] forward it to the city attorney.
[1:04:33] Well, I think the president is
[1:04:35] probably confused right now
[1:04:36] . So why don't we
[1:04:39] report it? Yes, why don't we do
[1:04:41] that? We will refer...we will make a motion
[1:04:43] to have the city attorney review
[1:04:46] what you just mentioned.
[1:04:48] Ordinance and fines.
[1:04:49] Very good. It has been seconded. All those
[1:04:51] who are in favor of the motion, please
[1:04:52] indicate so by saying "Yes".
[1:04:53] Yes.
[1:04:53] Those who oppose it, the motion passes. And
[1:04:55] now they can refer it to the
[1:04:56] organic charter and the ordinance. I will
[1:04:58] refer to both the letter and the
[1:04:59] ordinance. A review of the
[1:05:04] green space violation and fines ordinance, as well as a
[1:05:06] review of any
[1:05:08] potential or non-existent ordinances relating to
[1:05:10] parking on private property
[1:05:12] that is green space.
[1:05:14] Second.
[1:05:15] Okay,
[1:05:17] the motion has been presented and seconded. Any debate
[1:05:19] about that? Since none are seen, all those
[1:05:20] who are in favor of the motion should
[1:05:22] indicate this by saying "I".
[1:05:23] Everyone who opposes it? The motion is
[1:05:24] approved. I'll just
[1:05:25] say that it goes back to the fact
[1:05:27] that the housing ordinance speaks of
[1:05:30] one and a half spaces per unit and it is not being
[1:05:32] applied.
[1:05:34] You know, Councillor Bolster, was there anything you
[1:05:36] wanted? Okay. Is there anything else that
[1:05:38] needs to be presented to the board
[1:05:39] tonight? I will
[1:05:40] make a motion to adjourn the
[1:05:41] session.
[1:05:41] The motion is to adjourn the session.
[1:05:43] Second.
[1:05:43] Seconded. Those who are in favor, say
[1:05:45] yes. Those who oppose it?
[1:05:47] The session is adjourned.