Dear Neighbors,
This coming Monday, the City Council will convene its first of two meetings for the month of August.
The Council will begin its evening with a work session on Burlington Telecom. This past Monday, we had a work session for the full Council to meet and interview those entities that the Burlington Telecom Advisory Board (BTAB) felt should be advanced. This coming Monday we will discuss our impressions of the presentations we heard, the interviews which allowed for plenty of time for Councilor questions and our overall impressions of the entities we met.
Each of the entities (some are businesses, some are groups or committees) bring qualifications that are unique to themselves and offer their own perspective on what they feel they can bring to Burlington and BT. We are most fortunate to have received several very good proposals. The BTAB and then the Council spent a great deal of time on the criteria we felt was important in this next chapter for BT. I can’t say much more than what I am offering here because the City (and by extension, the City Council) are under non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with each of the entities. While at least one of the entities has chosen to give the public information on their offer for BT, our NDA with them still applies. The proposals we have received are each complex in their own way and will require us to weigh many difference variables. The way I see it, my job as a City Councilor is to do the very best I can for the City, BT, and our community and its future, based on the criteria and my own background, always mindful of the solemn responsibility I have to the oath of office I took.
After this work session, we will begin our Council meeting with an annual report from the Airport Commission. The rest of our evening will be devoted to three ordinances and one resolution. The purpose of the ordinances is 1) an amendment to eliminate the current prohibition of cafes and microbreweries in the Enterprise-Light Manufacturing zone to eliminate inconsistencies between our Comprehensive Ordinances and state law, 2) some minor housekeeping items in our Comprehensive Ordinance and 3) an amendment to permit lighted signage in the Enterprise zoning district consistent with the City’s mixed use and institutional zones.
Our last item is a resolution regarding a request that the Public Works Commission develop a written process plan for implementing the Walk Bike Master Plan.
As with all Council meetings, please keep in mind that you are always welcome to come and speak to the Council on any subject you wish during our Public Forum which begins at 7:30pm. Clickable agenda items can be found on the City's website:
https://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public All Council meetings are televised live on BT Channel 317 and streamed live to your computer or phone.
As always, I welcome your questions and concerns. Please be in touch over the weekend and on Monday.
My best,
Karen
Dec 27, 2024, 6 to 8 PM
🦌🦌 Reindeer Live at EchoDec 28, 2024, 11 AM to 2:30 PM
Snow Queen at Off Center for Dramatic ArtsDec 29, 2024, 6 to 8 PM