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[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Good afternoon, and welcome in to the committee on government operations committee meeting of Friday, May 15. Believe it or not, we are halfway through the month of May. Yeah. Up for our consideration, of all, is H-nine zero two, which is an act related to approval of amendments to the charter of the city of Gary. We're gonna be joined in a minute here by a representative, Mike Putin. I did wanna just mention, we did take testimony both on the screen and written testimonies from the then mayor
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: City manager.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Or city manager, who now has decided to move on. And he's headed up to South Florida on the radio. To take over up there, and we wish him the best.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: I was coming on there?
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: No. But in case he listens to this later. So I think we understand there are two provisions and or sections in the bill well, three come to the effective date, and each was presented as I remember representative voting on as separate ballot items on the town meeting vote. One of them has to do with who can authorize the sale or lease of any real or personal estate belonging to the city, and the other one is to retain funds as long as they are not greater than 10% of the city's general fund, and it's at 5% now. That's the current rule. So if you wanted to just very quickly, because I know you have to get to the floor, let us know how this came about. And I think we have the vote totals, but I will mention those again as we move along. Welcome.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: I I appreciate that. I actually wasn't planning on doing I thought it was at two. So
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: but I'm And glad that was on the agenda too. Yeah.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: I'm I'm glad that I was able to stop But we're we're delighted. Perfect timing. Great. I'm excited, Rebecca. Michael Button, Mary City, representative. And, yeah, it's the chart changes that were approved by dairy. And it was a high, obviously, over 50%. I don't know if that person's front of me, but I didn't hear any concerns about it as I talked to people in the city. The the first one, which is modifying who can sign documents, that's really important for a municipality to have one or more options. Mhmm. Right? The council is the one that makes the decision, but someone needs a sign. Sometimes the mayor's not there. I mean, you know, and that's obviously becomes a problem. So we wanted to make sure that we kind of filled that hole. And then there's the additional language regarding the 10%, which so I can give you the history of that. I was on city council originally when when, like, ten years ago, there was no actually, I think there was no way for us to retain any assets. So all the money would just go back into the general fund to buy down the tax rate. And Tom, the mayor then
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yep.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: Was very smart to say, we need to have some sort of balance so that if there is a problem, you know, we can tap into that. That made a huge difference during the flood. Right? You know, a lot of communities had lots of problems, obviously, with expenses and bridging that gap with FEMA because we all know federal government takes forever. That helped us. And because of that, we wanted to up it to 10%. This way we just have more of a buffer. And I think that it's a really good thing for Barry. And I hope that you say yes and just vote it out today. Okay. I'll
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: just mention the you're one of the towns that have moved your town meeting from March to May. Correct. I remember. Yes. So the town meeting in the city of Barrie this year was May 13, or actually it's 05/13/2025. Should have been yeah.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: I mean, think. He was Oh, okay. Tuesday the twelfth? We have
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: it down as May 13, but It might
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: have been May 13 in this past.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah, it says the voters of the city approved the proposal of the amendment.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: So this was last year. It was approved last year, which was May 13. I apologize,
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: I'm not mistaken. That's all right. It looks like you had a pretty good turnout, 800 or so. The first provision was voted in the affirmative five twenty two and opposed by two ninety three. So that's a 64% favorable vote on giving more people the ability to sign on behalf of the city for contracts or whatever. And then the second one, interestingly, not as many people voted on, six eighteen in favor, one seventy four against us. It's actually fewer people voting, but a higher percent. 78% of the people felt that moving from five to 10% was a good idea, and that's what the bill does. Does anybody have questions for Mike? No? Okay, I'll entertain a motion to approve it. I'll approve the bill. Okay.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: And I'm happy, well, I would be very happy to report this bill. However, I am gone Wednesday through Friday next week, so if it comes up
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: It'll be yeah. It won't be on August till Tuesday. Yeah.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: So
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: I'll do it.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Thank you. I'm sorry to hear this news about Nicholas.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: Well, it's a
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: step up for him. Yeah.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Great for him, but top or better.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: They're gonna get someone. We'll fight tonight. Yeah. Go fight tonight.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Why don't we take the vote?
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: He has set the standard. So
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Why not?
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: I'm first. I'm on big. I'm on teams. You're at at plate. I'm at plate. Ready.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Senator Clarkson?
[Sen. Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Yes. Yes.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Senator Morley. Yes. Senator Bahovsky. Yes. Senator White.
[Sen. Rebecca "Becca" White (Member)]: Yes.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Senator Senator Wyatt. Yes. Five zero zero, Collamore. So I think this is a great idea, and I wish more towns were doing this. I wish we particularly impacted towns that have been impacted by Irene or the floods of twenty three, twenty four, or other floods. It just this is I just would I I wish that the LCT would take this as a suggestion for every town.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: I think the LCT They have.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Yeah. They just the picture. They just all have it Yeah. That's right. Because we have we talked with
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: yeah. Alright.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: I would just say that point that the Vermont Legislative Stities and Towns has suggestiveness, and they've also asked because this has to come through a charter change because we're a village rule state.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So we
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: to anyone.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah. Yeah.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: That would
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: be good. Think that would be
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: That was their, I believe, request to us in their original presentation was to allow all communities to do this without going through this process because, obviously, it takes time.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: We're just following these coming a rule a rule state, not a doing state.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Hey. You know what? It depends on how you feel about it, but I do I do appreciate that you guys did that. And I expect we'll actually see more communities coming to us, but you had to do things. So.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: You did. So it's So those of you who are here next year, do a bill according to enable in all towns. Okay. Just like it's better than letting every town to blue co option days. Well, you're not gonna agree with the senator's.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: You might get an argument from some of the cities and towns that are great beneficiaries of the I
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: I think the town that is. But it is to proving our ability to tax its state.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah. Probably. Okay, Michael. We're all set. If you wanna hang up Thank you very much. Your testimony clenched it.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: I figured that was the case.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: It was going
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: to go the other way before.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: And, Michael, on the other matter. Yes. Let's continue chatting, and I'll chat with Marcotte.
[Rep. Michael Boutin (Barre City)]: Yeah. I mean, it's I appreciate that.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Okay. I had not appreciated that they had done what we had asked them not to do.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Waste of it. Cool. I did not. And Marcotte should be calling.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: We are still alive, Senator. I realize. Okay.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: They can advocate for this too. Okay.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Thank you.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Let's chat first.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yep. Okay. The other item up for our consideration is H686, which is the expanding the lobbyist notification of paid advertisements. I did hear from one of one more witness that wants to come out on Tuesday, but I would like to go over this. My question for the committee is do you need another fifteen minute break? And then we'll come back and just quickly go over Senator Vyhovsky's suggested amendment to this. Remember? Yes.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. Yeah. But why the break? I guess I'm confused.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Oh, if you just assume plot on through, we can do that too.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. I wasn't Yeah. Know we're waiting for counsel. Oh, yeah.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Well, let's wait for counsel. Okay. Because I don't have your amendment. Just It's in your email.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: It's also on your Yeah.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: It may be on your housing.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: It doesn't say. Oh, oh, missus Ed? Oh, apologies. I thought it would say the host be at the top, but it doesn't. Says the whole committee. Apologies.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: If we vote it out, the whole committee will vote it out.
[Sen. John Morley III (Clerk)]: Because it's not right. Okay.
[Sen. Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Let's take a twenty minute break, and we'll be back at around ten of two. Hopefully, legal counsel will from be here. Tim definitely. Okay. We'll be back.