Dear Neighbors,
This coming Monday, the City Council will hold its first of two meetings in the month of December. We will begin our meeting with an expected Executive Session on the Champlain Parkway from 6 to 7pm. This will be followed by a presentation on Town Meeting Day TV on CCTV this coming March.
Following the appointment to fill seats on two commissions, we have 6 items on our deliberative agenda.
• A presentation regarding the Burlington International Airport Noise Compatibility Program.
• We will hold a public hearing on the City's request to amend our Waterfront TIF Reconciliation Plan. This relates to the CityPlace Burlington.
We have four resolutions on our agenda on Monday evening:
• The first is a resolution regarding the purchase of fleet vehicles for this fiscal year. I am pleased to note that several of the vehicles will be hybrid models. Some of the vehicles the City requires are specialized and not available in hybrid or electric models. Still, it is a step forward in our City's commitment to address our climate emergency. We need to do more and will be doing more in the next fiscal years to come.
• We will be voting to place on the March 3, 2020 Town Meeting Day ballot two questions to the voters: one regarding increasing the Housing Trust Fund, at the discretion of the City Council but a "rate not to exceed one cent" per $100 of assessed property value. The second is regarding adding a resident from Winooski to the Airport Commission. The City of Winooski has been asking for representation for some time given its proximity to the Airport and the Airport's impacts on its community.
• The last item is a proposed charter change that I hope you will consider reaching out to me about. The last resolution is to refer to the Charter Change Committee a question re-introducing ranked choice voting (also referred to as "Instant Runoff Voting" or IRV to Burlington elections for Mayor, City Council and School Board. I would be very interested in feedback from Ward 6 residents on this issue.
You are always welcome to come to a Council meeting and speak on any topic you wish during public forum which begins at 7:30pm at every Council meeting. 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 can be streamed to your computer or phone.
I hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I feel thankful to live among you and hope you will be in touch with your comments, questions and concerns.
My best,
Karen
Dec 17, 2024, 5:30 to 6:30 PM
10th Annual Orchard Food Drive PlusDec 19, 2024, 10 AM to 12 PM
Snow Queen at Off Center for Dramatic ArtsDec 21, 2024, 6 to 8 PM