Dear Neighbors,
I hope finds you and your family well and safe and enjoying these warm days and balmy evenings that are summer in Vermont.
This coming Monday, July 13 at 7pm, is our only meeting in July. Traditionally, we have one meeting in July and one in August.
The meeting will be entirely remote and virtual. There are several ways to tune in and watch and participate:
1. You can watch on YouTube or on Burlington Telecom Channel 317. The You Tube link is: https://bit.ly/321rFs1
2. You can join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81293767059
3. You can join by audio only: The number is 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 812 9376 7059
Following a work session on minimum parking requirements that will begin at 6:30pm, indoor and outdoor entertainment permits for Arts Riot, and a vote to advance the ordinance on minimum parking requirements to a second reading at our August meeting, we have six items remaining on our deliberative agenda. Several of these are important; please read on.
1. Darren Springer, the General Manager of BED will giving us an update on our Net Zero Energy 2030 roadmap. We are making significant progress on several fronts including EV use, e-bikes, e-mowers and heat pumps. Approximately 298 EV/PHEVs are registered in Burlington as of end of 2019. This is close to 2030 NZE goal of 337 EV/PHEVs for 2019.
2. We will be voting on a resolution regarding the painting of a Black Lives Matter street mural on Main Street. This has been done in many communities across the country, including Montpelier, standing in solidarity with and support for Burlington's Black community. The community is invited to join in the painting of this mural on Wednesday, July 15. More details to come!
3. We will be voting on a resolution that was originally on our June 1 agenda but, due to time restrictions, it was delayed. The resolution would refer a number of issues to change our City Charter, some of which to be voted on in November and others next Town Meeting Day. The issues in the resolution wants to refer to the Charter Change Committee for review are: protections for tenants in just cause evictions, prohibiting discharge of employees without just cause, creating a municipal income tax on residents making $125,000 or more a year, a luxury sales tax on property sales in excess of $500,000, setting a minimum wage for all Burlington workers and standards for a work week as well as including citizens in the City's budgeting process.
4. We have a resolution in support of fair and direct federal emergency aid to reopen and rebuild local American economies. This resolution sends a clear message of the City's need for the federal government to assist us and other municipalities with direct funding given significant and non-recoverable revenue shortfalls.
5. We will be voting on a resolution to place a question on a special City ballot on the November 3, 2020 election to allow Ranked Choice Voting (also known as Instant Runoff Voting, similar to what we used in the 2006 and 2009 Mayoral election) for the election of the City's Mayor, City Councilors and School Commissioners.
6. Our last item is a resolution to extend the first installment of property taxes from August 12 to September 14, 2020 for the taxpayers who applied for the waiver of interest and penalties in June.
Please provide a notification to the City via email that you want to participate during public forum by sending an email to publicforum@burlingtonvt.gov We hope you will join us virtually for this important meeting.
I hope you have a good weekend. As always, I welcome your questions and concerns, so please be in touch.
My best,
Karen
Dec 13, 2024, 8 to 11 PM
The Snow Queen and the Trolls PerformancesDec 14, 2024, 6 to 8 PM
10th Annual Orchard Food Drive PlusDec 16, 2024, 10 AM to 12 PM