The Burlington, Vermont Board of Finance had a number of items on its agenda Monday evening including security services and ambulance services rates.
The Board of Finance is composed of four city councilors and the mayor. The city’s Chief Administrative Officer serves as a non-voting member of the board. It reviews whether to forward financial proposals to the full city council.
Among the items the board considered is approval of a one-year security services contract for City Hall, with an option to extend it for two years. Three bids were received and the Board of Finance discussed a recommendation that Chocolate Thunder Security be selected for the contract.
Burlington Human Resources Department Safety Manager Tim Williams explained that the city first contracted with the company during the pandemic.
“In that time, it had not gone out for RP so we worked together to put it out for RFP,” said Williams. “Got some wonderful responses back. And currently Chocolate Thunder has been working since July 1 out of contract for security services here at City Hall.”
North District Independent Mark Barlow asked Williams about the private security company’s use of body cameras.
“I am struck by the fact that one of the reasons cited for Chocolate Thunder’s selection was obviously we had experience with them,” noted Barlow. “But the mention of body cameras and how that played a role in their selection process.”
“From a legal liability standpoint, having a contractor’s services that is already coming in with security footage really helps us, especially just legal liability of making sure that we're documenting everything that's happening,” Williams told Barlow. “That's something that we have seen across the board for all types of security services, that that's now kind of becoming standard practice.”
The Board approved referring a contract not to exceed $120,000 for approval by the City Council.
It then reviewed and approved a request to amend a Great Streets and Main Street construction contract. City Engineer Laura Wheelock explained some unexpected repairs have been discovered.
“We've come across a water main on King Street that was exceptionally fragile. As we have opened up the sewer east of the fire station area on Main Street, we’ve also found its condition to be exceptionally poor,” said Wheelock. “And then also, we're looking to take an opportunity to do some additional paving south of Main Street, on Church Street and King Street, just to ensure that as we finish off those roads after digging a giant hole to install a new sewer, that they have new pavement curb to curb.”
The Burlington Fire Department last increased its ambulance fee in 2022. Chief Michael LaChance requested approval to increase billing rates for ambulance services.
“The big change for this increase is the charges for treatment without transport. Treat-No-Transport is a lot of times we go to a scene and we will bring somebody out of a diabetic, unresponsive state, or we will bring them out of their overdose state or other things that could happen. And they choose once, once they are oriented, they have the ability to choose to not be transported. We're going to be billing them,” said LaChance.
Following extended discussion on the billing proposal the board voted unanimously to recommend that the full city council authorize the increased ambulance service fee structure.
