There has been a special meeting of the City Council called for Wednesday, March 19, at 8 am at Contois Auditorium for the purpose of discussing a resolution with the City Council's position on the CCTA strike and contract negotiation. The agenda and resolution will be posted on the City's website; agenda will include an opportunity for public comment. It is an unusual time for a city council meeting, but there is a desire to respond in a timely fashion, and scheduling options are limited on short notice. I believe the Council should not take sides in the labor dispute, but should call for the parties to make use of all available mechanisms within the framework of the collective bargaining process to reach a settlement and restore the bus service upon which so many of our community members rely.

The March 24 meeting will start at 7 pm and will take up the proposed bridge re-financing of Burlington Telecom that is contemplated within the Settlement Agreement with Citibank. Much of this discussion will be in execustive session, but it is expected that the Council will act in open session at the end of the meeting. I will be seeking an arrangement that maximizes our ability to select the right partner, or buyer, for BT, at the close of the bridge financing period.

Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns at 862-2469, or email me at jknodell@burlingtonvt.gov.