Public Works Commission

Public Works Commission Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 6:30 PM, To Attend in Person - 645 Pine St. Main Conference Room OR REMOTELY via ZOOM 6:30 pm, Main Conference Room, 645 Pine St OR Remotely via ZOOM: Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83495330508 Or Telephone: Dial US: 301-715-8592 Webinar ID: 834 9533 0508 Channel 17 also often livestreams this on their YouTube channel and airs it over the air at a later date. Note that comments on YouTube are not monitored. 1. Call to Order 2. Agenda 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda 3. Public Forum - 10 min 3.1. Verbal Comments, 3 minutes per person 4. FY '26 Officer Elections - 5 min 5. Consent Agenda 5.1. Approval of Draft Minutes 6-17-25 5.2. Buell & Russell St ADA Parking 6. Walk/Bike Safety Action Plan - 45 min 6.1. Information, Phillip Peterson 7. Marketplace Garage - One Hour Free & Metrics - 15 min 7.1. Information, Jackie Esperti & Chapin Spencer 8. Director's Report - 10 min 8.1. Information, C. Spencer 9. Commissioner Items 10. Adjournment 10.1. Motion to adjourn Page 1 of 14 Page 2 of 14  DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 645 PINE STREET BURLINGTON, VERMONT 05401 COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 17, 2025 DRAFT MINUTES See video for full meeting – link below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3h2iHjrCZc Commissioners Present: Commissioner Barr, Chair Damiani, Vice Chair Fox, Commissioner Davis, Commissioner Munteanu, Commissioner O’Neil-Vivanco (Zoom), Commissioner Munteanu (Late arrival) ITEM 1 – CALL TO ORDER Commission Chair Damiani called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ITEM 2 – AGENDA Commissioner Munteanu moved to adopt the agenda with one edit. Strike #6 the Green Acres Drive pedestrian pilot and anticipate it on the July agenda instead. Commissioner Barr seconded. Unanimous approval ITEM 3 – PUBLIC FORUM Kelly Devine ITEM 4 – CONSENT AGENDA 4.1 Approval of Draft Minutes 5-21-25 ITEM 5 – DAILY PLANET METER SPACE REDUCTION ITEM 6 – GREEN ACRES DRIVE PEDESTIRAN PIULOT ITEM 7 – CAPITAL PROJECT STATUS AND PRIORITIZATION Information ITEM 8 – ANNUAL REPORT - DRAFT Commissioner Barr made a motion to send the report Commissioner Munteanu seconds Page 3 of 14  Unanimous approval ITEM 9 – PARKING PROMOTION Commissioner Barr would like to make a motion to approve staff’s recommendation with the edit of only doing the Main Street and South Winooski Avenue for the surface lot, the requested dates all the way through. And if we get reports back at the next meeting that it’s working really well then maybe we can retain the second phase of it. My motion is that we approve staff’s recommendation for only the two hours of free parking in the Main Street and South Winooski Avenue surface parking lot every day Monday through Saturday, Sundays still remaining free, through to Black Friday and with data, that we receive data and updates on how it’s being used. Commissioner O’Neil-Vivanco seconds Commissioner Damiani stated from his perspective it’s less on meeting the data in a month and more of what the strategy is. I would like for the Commission to review what are the questions being asked of folks because I don’t know if we would have enough on just usage. I would like to see at the next meeting a strategy that outlines how we’re going to ask people their feelings with the data at some point in the future. I want to make sure we’re capturing the right information to make decisions in the future. Commissioner Barr will accept that Commissioner Munteanu would like to make another amendment to accept the staff’s recommendation and full amending Appendix 6, section 19 to give both the free two hours of parking Monday through Saturday at the Main Street and South Winooski lot as well as sub section 9 one hour of free parking at the Marketplace Garage on Mondays through Fridays also sunsetting on November 26th. So essentially the essence of the amendment is to accept staff’s recommendation in full. The Marketplace would be as written in the packet Monday through Friday. Commissioner Damiani asked if there was a second on Commissioner Munteanu’s proposal. Commissioner Munteanu’s motion does not carry. There is the original motion and friendly amendment that was accepted on the table. Director Spencer stated that as best as I understood is to approve the staff’s recommendation for two hours parking free at the Main and South Winooski surface lot through Thanksgiving and include data reports to the commission including a discussion on strategy on how to get user perceptions on the effectiveness of this promotion. Unanimous approval. ITEM 10 – GMT SERVICE CHANGES Information ITEM 11 – DIECTOR’S REPORT Information ITEM 12 - COMMISSIONER ITEMS Information Page 4 of 14 ITEM 13 – ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING DATE JULY 16, 2025 Commissioner made a motion to adjourn Commissioner Munteanu seconded Unanimous approval – adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Page 5 of 14  City of Burlington Department of Public Works Technical Services Engineering Division 645 Pine Street, Suite A Burlington, VT 05402 P 802-863-9094 / F 802-863-0466 / TTY 802-863-0450 www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPW Memo Date: July 16th, 2025 To: Public Works Commission From: Christina Cangiolosi, Associate Public Works Engineer Sarah Bailey, Engineering Intern CC: Phillip Peterson P.E., Senior Transportation Planner Subject: 125 Buell Street & Russell Street Accessibility (ADA) Parking Changes DPW Staff recommend the DPW Commission approve the following amendment, see Attachment-1: Appendix C, 7A-77; Accessible spaces designated. No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following location, except automobiles displaying special handicapped license plates issued pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 1325, or any amendment or renumbering thereof: • On the west side of Russell Street in front of number 33 from March 2 to December 31, as marked by signage installed by the director of public works or designee. • On the east side of Russell Street in front of number 32 from January 1 to March 1, as marked by signage installed by the director or public works or designee. • On the south side of Buell Street, in the first legal parking space east of the driveway to 125 Buell Street. Purpose & Need: This request seeks to enhance accessibility by addressing two ADA parking needs: 1. Russell Street: The existing ADA space in front of 18 Russell Street is no longer being utilized. A resident at 33 Russell Street has requested relocation of the space to better Page 6 of 14  meet their mobility needs. The proposed move ensures the space continues to serve its intended purpose effectively 2. 125 Buell Street: There are currently no ADA-designated spaces on Buell Street. In response to a resident request, DPW staff assessed the area and confirmed the need for an accessible parking space. The addition aligns with the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and will improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities in the surrounding neighborhood. Project Checklist: N/A Yes No Reference Aligns with MUTCD x Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) standards and/or established City Policy? Aligns with City plans? x Followed Public x These Traffic Regulation changes are defined as an Engagement Plan? INVOLVE project in the Public Engagement Plan (PEP). Summary and Conclusion: DPW staff conducted outreach and site visits in response to two resident requests concerning ADA parking on Buell Street and Russell Street. For 125 Buell Street, staff confirmed the need for a new ADA-designated space due to the complete lack of accessible parking in the area. This addition will significantly improve access for individuals with disabilities and aligns with the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), see Attachment-2. On Russell Street, staff evaluated a request to relocate an existing ADA space from 18 Russell Street to 33 Russell Street, see Attachment-2. The current space in front of 18 Russell Street is underutilized, as the original resident no longer requires ADA accommodations. Meanwhile, a resident at 33 Russell Street would benefit directly from having accessible parking closer to their home. Relocating the space ensures it fulfills its intended purpose—enhancing mobility and accessibility for those who need it most. Based on community input and on-site evaluations, DPW staff recommends approval of: • Installation of an ADA space at 125 Buell Street. • Relocation of the ADA space from 18 Russell Street to 33 Russell Street. Page 7 of 14 Public Engagement: • 125 Buell Street: Flyers distributed on July 3, 2025, ahead of the 07/16/25 DPW Commission Meeting. One voicemail was received expressing support for the change. • Russell Street: Flyers distributed to residents on Russell and Charles Streets in advance of the 05/21/25 DPW Commission Meeting. Five residents responded. Feedback included support for ADA accommodation and acknowledgment that the existing space was underutilized. Discussions confirmed the benefit of relocating the space to better serve residents during winter and year-round. Attachments: 1. Traffic Regulation Amendment. 2. Site Map. Page 8 of 14 Attachment 1: Traffic Regulation Amendment. CITY OF BURLINGTON Sponsor(s): Public Works Commission In the Year Two Thousand Twenty-five Action: Approval Date: ______7/16/2025______________ A Regulation in Relation to Attestation of Adoption: Rules and Regulations of the Traffic __________________________________ Commission— Phillip Peterson, PE 7A; Accessible spaces designated. Senior Transportation Engineer & Planner Technical Services Published: ________________________ Effective: ________________________ It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington _____________________________________ as follows: ___________ That Appendix C, Rules and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 7A Accessible spaces designated., of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: 7A Accessible spaces designated. No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations, except automobiles displaying special handicapped license plates and placards for individuals with disabilities issued pursuant to 1823 V.S.A. § 1325304a, or any amendment or renumbering thereof: (1) - (40) As written. (41) On the west side of Russell Street in front of number 21 from March 2 to December 31. On the west side of Russell Street in front of number 33 from March 2 to December 31, as marked by signage installed by the director of public works or designee. (42)-(76) As written. (77) Reserved. On the south side of Buell, in the first legal parking space east of the driveway to 125 Buell St. (78)-(170) As written. (171) On the east side of Russell Street in front of number 20 from January 1 to March 1. On the east side of Russell Street in front of number 32 from January 1 to March 1, as marked by signage installed by the director or public works or designee. (172) - (173) As written. ** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added. /ER: BCO Appx.C, Section 7A 07/16/25 Page 9 of 14 Attachment 2: Site Map. Page 10 of 14  City of Burlington Department of Public Works Division of Parking and Traffic 645 Pine Street, Suite A Burlington, VT 05402 802.863.9094 P 802.863.0466 F 802.863.0450 TTY www.burlingtonvt.gov C h apin Spe n c e r DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS Jac kie Espe r t i DIVISION DIRECTOR Date: June 16, 2025 To: DPW Commission From: Jackie Esperti, Division Director for Parking and Traffic C.C. Chapin Spencer, Director Phillip Peterson P.E., Senior Transportation Planner Subject: 2025 Summer & Fall Parking Promotion One month ago we brought to the DPW Commission a memo requesting two parking promotions: 1) Two Hours free in Main Street Lot 2) One hour free in Marketplace Garage Monday-Friday The Commission approved the first promotion – two hours free in the Main Street Lot. After that meeting, the City Council allocated funding in the City’s FY’26 budget to support the 1 hour free promotion in Marketplace Garage. As a reminder, DPW proposed the two summer/fall downtown parking promotion for two main reasons: 1) To support downtown’s vitality during this transitional time of infrastructure reinvestment and social needs. The City Council passed a broad resolution on 5-19-25 seeking ways to strengthen downtown and it requested DPW provide parking revenue data so parking promotions could be more broadly evaluated. Staff provided the data to the Council at their 6-2-25 meeting (https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com/event/8175/files/attachment/9324). 2) To ease the transition to updated ParkMobile transaction fees. The City’s contract with ParkMobile expired in February 2025. We have continued to offer the pay-by-phone method for parking under previously-negotiated contract terms while we negotiate a new contract with ParkMobile. Our new ParkMobile contract, beginning July 1, will have an increased transaction An Equal Opportunity Employer This material is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please call 802.863.9094 (voice) or 802.863.0450 (TTY). Page 11 of 14  fee. The rate will vary starting at $0.35 per transaction or 15% up to $2.50, whichever is higher. The majority of customers, those paying for short-durations or at cheaper meters, will see the transaction fee increase only $0.05. Those staying for long durations will see higher transaction fees. The big financial benefit of this new contract is that ParkMobile will take over cover ing the processing fees. The City had been paying 15-18% of the meter revenue to credit card processing companies, and removing this financial burden will enable the Traffic Fund and the Parking Facilities Fund to return more quickly to financial health. The Marketplace Garage’s average daily occupancy is currently hovering around 50% - which is significantly lower that pre-COVID levels. We would like to offer a promotion in this garage to increase utilization while also supporting our downtown businesses. The foregone revenue for one hour of free parking through Thanksgiving will be approximately $45,000. Thanks to the City Council resolution approved on 6.25.25, the Parking Facilities fund has received an allotment of $45,000 to fund this promotion. The resolution reads: At least every other month, staff will provide the Commission an update on the year over year (YoY) occupancy and revenue of the Marketplace garage through the end of November when this promotion sunsets. Occupancy will be determined by manual counts of the garage performed by Parking Service Agents. Revenue will be calculated by ParkMobile and Cale Kiosk revenue streams. Additionally, staff can work with Business and Workforce Development to gather information on the comparison of YoY sales tax revenue and gross receipts revenue. This information won’t be available until after the promotion is over, but we will report back on whether this promotion did have an impact on local businesses. We will use this information to decide on any future parking promotions. Staff is also following up with Park Mobile to understand whether we can do quick one question in-App surveys to understand the relative influence of the free parking on Marketplace Garage parkers. Action No formal action is needed on this item as now that the City Council has allocated funds to backfill the costs for the 1-hour free promotion in Marketplace Garage, there is no rate change needed. It will just shift who pays for the first hour of parking from the user to the City. As this said, we’ve put this item on the Commission’s deliberative agenda to continue discussions on metrics for evaluating the impact of these promotions. Page 12 of 14  CITY OF BURLINGTON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 645 Pine Street, Suite A Burlington, VT 05401 802.863.9094 VOICE 802.863.0466 FAX 802.863.0450 TTY www.burlingtonvt.gov/dpw To: DPW Commissioners Fr: Chapin Spencer, Director (cspencer@burlingtonvt.gov) Re: DPW Director’s Report Date: July 16, 2025 CONGRATS NEW & REAPPOINTED COMMISSIONERS! The City Council appointed South End resident Julie Hays to fill the seat of Justine Sears who resigned from her seat earlier in the year. Julie will be joining us at the July Commission meeting. The City Council reappointed Commissioners O’Neill-Vivanco and Fox. Welcome back Peggy and Eliana! FY’25 COMMISSION OFFICERS: At the July 2025 Commission meeting, the first order of business will be the election of new officers – Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. Should you have interest in any of these positions or just want to know more about this opportunities, feel free to reach out to me or Chair Chris Damiani (cdamiani@burlingtonvt.gov). GROUNDBREAKING FOR WASTEWATER UPGRADES: On July 10, the VT Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore and Lake Champlain Committee Executive Director Jenny Patterson joined Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak and DPW staff to have a ceremonial groundbreaking for the generational upgrades to the City’s wastewater plants and collection system. We are underway with Stage 0, the first upgrades focused on the headworks of the City’s three wastewater plants funded by the last of the 2018 Clean Water Resiliency Plan bond. We highlighted the ongoing design work that is underway for Stage 1 that will include even larger upgrades funded by the 2025 Town Meeting Day Lake Bond that voters approved. The press conference was well attended by the media and we hope that the project receives good positive coverage. More info: mmoir@burlingtonvt.gov. Page 13 of 14 ADDITIONAL GREAT STREETS MAIN STREET MITIGATION  On June 23, the City Council approved a $600,000 change order for the Main Street project to have the project area open to vehicular traffic on nights and weekends. This is an additional mitigation strategy on top of the Commission approved 2 hour free parking in the Main & Winooski lot that was approved at the DPW Commission’s June meeting. The funds for this additional mitigation are coming from the interest earnings off the bond since the City invested the bond funds prior to using them to pay expenses on this large capital project. The Pine St to Church St section of Main Street has been open on nights and weekends since June 27, and the final Church to Winooski section of Main Street will be open nights and weekends no later than August 15, though hopefully earlier if construction advances well in the next couple of weeks. More info: lwheelock@burlingtonvt.gov.  On June 25, as part of the Council’s FY’26 budget approval, they allocated $45,000 in the budget to provide 1 hour free parking in the Marketplace Garage up to Thanksgiving. Additional information on this item is in this month’s Commission packet. More info: jesperti@burlingtonvt.gov. See you all next Wednesday! Reach out anytime on these or other issues (cspencer@burlingtonvt.gov). Page 14 of 14