Dear Neighbors,
I am deeply honored and so grateful to you, the voters of Ward 6, for re-electing me to the City Council for the next two years. I am humbled by the overwhelming support I received this past Tuesday. Please know that the oath of office I take is a sacred bond that I share with each of you and one I take seriously. I learn a great deal from each of you and hope you will reach out to me with your concerns and ideas for moving our City forward.
I am heartened by the outpouring of support from so many who offered to help me with our re-election campaign. I can't thank each of you individually but I hope you know me well enough to know that your time and encouragement sustained me during these last few weeks.
Serving on the City Council is truly a family commitment. I could not do what I do without the amazing support of my family. I am grateful for the love and support of my husband Mark, our sons Andrew and Adam who went above and beyond to support their mom, to my parents who live in Ward 6, and my sisters and their families. A special shout out to our daughter Caroline, who truly ran our campaign and was by my side every step of the way.
Over the next month, I will be bringing you a number of additional ways to keep in touch with me. More on that in the next few weeks. In the meantime, as always, I am only a phone call, text message, or email away and am always open to meeting in person.
Thank you again for your confidence. I will work to the best of my ability for you over the next two years.
Now, on to my Council meeting preview.
This Monday, the City Council will convene its first of two meetings for the month of March. As always, our meetings are held in Contois Auditorium in City Hall.
We will begin our evening at 7pm with a report on the christening of the USNS Burlington. This ship is the tenth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport and will be operated by the Military Sealift Command. It was christened on February 24 by the ship's sponsor, Marcelle Leahy and launched on March 1, just a week ago. It is the first ship in naval service to be named after our City.
After this report, we will have our annual presentation from the Onion River Co-op – City Market. This presentation used to be a part of our land-lease agreement with the Co-op. Even though it no longer is a requirement, the Co-op continues to provide this update as part of its commitment to keeping our community informed of their progress.
We have four items on our deliberative agenda.
The first is a second reading of proposed ordinance changes that would repeal penalties for certain offenses. Over the years, the Council enacted provisions for aggressive panhandling, hitchhiking, soliciting contributions without police permission, indecent or profane language, and loitering. These penalties have been deemed unconstitutional and need to be removed from our ordinances.
The next item is a resolution relating to Chapter 21 of our City Charter which relates to Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions. One aspect of this Chapter relates to personal and necessary needs and the City's responsibility to provide more publicly accessible restrooms. The resolution calls for the Administration to publicize the location of such restrooms so there is a system of facilities available and the distance between them, particularly in the Downtown Core, is not far between.
Our next item is a report on efforts to address and provide effective discussion on homelessness. Our last item is a communication from the City Attorney on the legal analysis on the Downtown Mural.
You may access the Council agenda at http://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public Please note that all Council meetings are televised live on BT Channel 317 and streamed live to your computer or phone. Please go to youtube and type in "Burlington City Council meetings" and the live stream will come up.
As always, I welcome your questions and concerns. I hope you have a good weekend.
My best,
Karen
Dec 31, 2024, 7 to 8 PM
Burlington Democratic Party Nominating Caucus!Jan 5, 2025, 3 to 5:30 PM
Vermont Astronomical Society Jan. 2025 MeetingJan 6, 2025, 7:30 to 9 PM