MINUTES WORK SESSION December 17, 2019  CARBONDALE BOARD OF TRUSTEES  Mayor Dan Richardson called the Work Session to order on December 17, 2019, at  6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall meeting room.  ROLL CALL:  The following members were present for roll call:  Mayor Trustees  Dan Richardson Lani Kitching Erica Sparhawk Luis Yllanes Ben Bohmfalk Marty Silverstein Heather Henry  Arrived After Roll Call Staff Present: Town Manager Police Chief  Jay Harrington Gene Schilling  DISCUSSION ON CHANGING THE AMOUNT OF PERMISSIBLE ANIMALS At a previous meeting town resident Matt Kennedy asked the Board to consider  changing the amount of rabbits a resident may own.  Mayor Richardson asked Matt to summarize his intentions. Matt said that he is trying to have an urban farm that offers an example of sustainability and an example of backyard farming. He thinks that our society should look at food differently - we should be producing our own healthy, organic food in our backyards. The Municipal Code hasn't addressed the amount of rabbits a citizen may own since the 1960's. Three rabbits is not enough to be a sustainable food source. When he started his rabbit business he did not know about the limitation. He has been farming rabbits for three years and it wasn't until. July that he received his first complaint. He thinks three rabbits is an appropriate number for someone who is keeping rabbits as pets buti it is not enough for someone The Board agreed that they will not be considering changing the number of permitted  who is using them as a food source.  fowl.    Trustee Meeting Minutes December 17, 2019  Page 2  Mayor Richardson opened the meeting to public comment.  Russ Criswell, Sopris Avenue, stated that the Board will need to consider the following: the acanagesdsacvanages of changing the number, safety, animal waste, dead animals in neighbor's yards, enforcement issues, odor, noise, and what kind of fees and licensing are you going to require. The Code says that every day a citation is not rectified is considered another violation. Since July Matt theoretically should have received over 150 tickets. He would be liable for a fine every day and up to a yeari in prison for every day's violation that's ridiculous. Russ said the advantage of the ordinance is that you are limited to three rabbits. The disadvantages are ground water pollution and standing water. Sustainability is an interesting situation. Global warming advocates lecture about moving away from eating meat. You also have to consider the cost of transportation; Matt has to take his animals to Colorado Springs to be slaughtered. Russ noted that there is an error in Municipal Code in Sections 7.6.20 and Genevive Villimizar, Carbondale, stated that she is speaking on behalf of Matt. She is impressed with his rabbit farm. His situation is unique; as a single parent he is diversifying his income to figure out how to survive in this valley. He is teaching his daughter how to be sustainable. People stop by and teach their kids about rabbits. Chris Randall stated he is speaking on behalf of Matt. Matt is a great steward of the land. He too is a single parent who has to take on extra jobs to support his family. Being able to sustain yourself through your stewardship of the land and grow an outstanding product is important. The waste product goes into composting. Evèrything is a circle of life on his land. The ground water on his property may contain animal A resident asked if farms are allowed in downtown Carbondale and if Matt's place is Pam Zentmyer, Carbondale, stated she lives a street away. The highlight of her week is taking her food scraps over to Matt's and watching the rabbits eat it. There is no truck needed to pick up her compost so fuel is saved in that capacity. It's great for the kids to see the cycle of life. The rabbits are a food source that grows fast and there is a  7.6.30 and it needs to be corrected.  feces but it's better than fertilizer. considered a farm or residence.  market fori it. It's low impact for the reward that can be gained.  Discussion ensued.  Trustee Sparhawk told the Board that the Energy and Climate Action Plan has a section on local food productions. Ittalks about assessing opportunities for people to have the ability to grow/raise food in their yards. We want to increase access to local food.    Trustee Meeting Minutes December 17, 2019  Page 3  Trustee Silverstein asked Matt how many rabbits does he own. Matt answered 50. Trustee Silverstein asked Matt how many rabbits would you like to have. Matt said he Mayor Richardson stated that he agrees with the comments made. There are benefits but there are impacts and limitations. If there were 20 people asking to change the Code he would be more willing to consider changing the policy but this is one particular case. He has heard from multiple sources that there are neighborhood impacts. Mayor Richardson hasn't heard anything that leads him to believe that the number should be changed. The impacts are significant. We have plenty of places outside of town that Trustee Henry stated there is a line between what you can grow/raise on your property versus what is a commercial operation. The line was drawn with the number of chickens that could support a family versus crossing the line to a commercial operation. She believes it's appropriate to grow/raise food for personal use in town. She asked what is the right number to supports the Climate Action Plan or personal usage, but Trustee Kitching stated that it's not the number of animals that is in question it's how they are processed. If they are slaughtered here than it is a different matter. Trustee Yllanes stated that perhaps Matt could arrive at his preferred number if it'sa communal operation. He appreciates sustainability and urban farming. Ifyou take the rabbits elsewhere to be slaughtered it is outside the realm of commercial slaughtering. He supports changing the number of rabbits to be the same as the number of chickens Trustee Silverstein believes Matt's operation is an agricultural use. He is raising animals for slaughter to provide income. The Code says the use of land in his area is residential. Matt has a commercial venture. Trustee Silverstein agrees that 6-10 Russ Criswell stated that he has a sustainable garden and gives away some of his produce. He believes in what Matt is doing, it's just not the appropriate place. Trustee Henry stated that there is a commercial line. Selling eggs is different than selling meat. That's why the rabbits have to be slaughtered elsewhere and he has to bring them back to be sold which becomes a commercial operation. A citizen said that Matt indicated he had other land. Could he raise his rabbits there? Trustee Henry stated that if we consider changing the number of rabbits we need to  believes a sustainable number is 24-30.  are more suitable for raising rabbits for a food source.  doesn't cross the line to support a commercial operation.  allowed (6-10).  rabbits is an appropriate number - 50 is excessive.  look at the Climate Action Plan.    Trustee Meeting Minutes December 17, 2019  Page 4  Mayor Richardson stated that everyone agrees about the sustainability concept but we don't want to cross the line and allow commercial operations in town. He asked if we Trustee Sparhawk said if we have people who want to learn from Matt or follow in his footsteps then we could change the Code but have limitations. Six rabbits wouldn't bea a Trustee Bohmfalk stated he agrees that three rabbits is more oriented to pets than food. He thinks 8-12 is an appropriate number. He doesn't want this to become a huge Jay pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan speaks to the appropriate number of Gene stated if the Board wants to change the number maybe they want to do it via a Trustee Sparhawk volunteered to investigate what the appropriate number of rabbits  should change the number of rabbits in order to sustain a family.  huge impact.  process.  animals for a small urban farm. Special Use Permit.  should be and she will report back to the Board.  POLICE CHIEF PROFILE  Jay explained the process for hiring the new police chief which is as follows: the goal is to put the profile out on December 30th. The profile was borrowed from a couple of similar police departments. A pamphlet with pictures will be created. The position will be advertised in CML, Colorado Association of Police Chiefs, International Police Chief Association, the local newspaper, and Town website. The closing will be February 10th. February 11-21 the applicants will be internally narrowed down to ten semi-finalists. Phone Interviews will then be conducted and the semi-finalists will be reduced to 3-5. On March 5-6 or March 12-13 on-site interviews will be conducted. The applicants will be asked to do a call assessment center. The interview panels will (probably) consist of law enforcement, DA's office, an advisory panel acting as the Trustees, one English speaking and one Spanish speaking panel. There will also be a community meet and greet. There will be a debriefing to narrow the field to 1-2. Jay may do a site visit to the community they are from. The Charter reads that the Manager makes the hire and the Trustees approve the hire. The goal is to make an offer in late March or early April. Jay would like the new chief to overlap with the Lieutenant. Once the lieutenant retires the new police chief will fill the Lieutenant's role through the summer. The new police chief will have the opportunity to hire the next lieutenant. Gene will be part of the process. Jay stated the position is attractive because the new Chief is not coming in to fix something, rather they will be coming in to grow the department. There is not an unrest  associated with this change, it's a transition.    Trustee Meeting Minutes December 17, 2019  Page 5  Trustee Bohmfaik introduced Alex Sanchez, Executive Director of the Valley Settlement Project. Trustee Bohmfalk stated that he and Alex have a shared goal of having more interaction with the Spanish speaking community. Trustee Bohmfalk stated in the profile and process we need to make sure the concerns of our community are represented. Alex said he paid close attention to the hiring process for the Glenwood Chief and he was on a panel. He recommended the Board make sure you engage residents and make sure ini the profile it mentions that we are intentional about community policing. Make sure the individual hired has experience working with the demographics we have in Carbondale. We have a high percentage of immigrants and Spanish speakers. The candidates should know the philosophy of the Town,  specifically around immigration.  The Board and Alex offered the following recommendations: Mention more demographics in the profile Engage the entire community in creating the profile Add an intergovernmental piece to the profile  Make sure the community panel has the flexibility to shape the questions  Accommodate the panels PLASTIC STRATEGY CONTRACT  Jay stated that he gave PR Studio and LBA. Associates the scope of work for the Carbondale Plastics Reduction Strategy. Itwill be an engaged community multi-year plan. We have $30,000 in the 2020 budget but if more money is needed there is money in the bag fund and the police chief recruitment budget. This will be a consultant driven Mayor Richardson asked if we will be accomplishing enough to justify the expense. It's ac comprehensive overall plan and it worth it. The environment is very important to this community and it's what the citizens want. Itwas agreed to do it right or don't do it at all. Trustee Bohmfalk stated he wants to see a data point - what is making the most plastic in town. InJ January the Board will see individual contracts for PR Studio and  project as staff is busy with other projects.  LBA Associates.  DONATION OF THOMPSON HOUSE PAINTING  Jay explained that Artist Nicolette Toussaint has offered to donate a painting of the Thompson House to the Town. Jay stated that the Board must approve the acceptance of the painting. Nicolette has requested that the Town host a reception fori the unveiling of the painting should the Trustees accept it. The Board agreed to accept the painting.  A contract will be drawn up and will be on the January 14 agenda.    Trustee Meeting Minutes December 17, 2019 ADJOURNMENT  Page 6  The December 17, 2019, work session adjourned at 8:20 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on December 24, 2019, at 9:00 a.m.  APPROVED, AND,AGQEPTED 77  Dan REA SEAL CLORADO  Mayor  Cathy Derby, Town Clerk CBA