Dear Neighbors,

This Monday, the Council will have its second of two scheduled meetings for the month of September.

As the meeting will be virtual, you can watch the meeting via zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82062357336 or by phone 312-626-6799, webinar ID 820 6235 7336 You can also watch live on BT Channel 317 or on our youtube channel: https://bit.ly/2ZRXLod

If you wish to speak during public forum, please sign up via: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum and be sure to be on either zoom or phone during the public forum. It's helpful if you sign on to zoom using the same name as your sign-up indicates so we can identify you or, by the same token, be sure to give us the phone number you intend to use.

Our first order of business will be an expected executive session to discuss Burlington Police Department personnel matters from 6 to 7pm. Following this executive session, we will begin our deliberative agenda.

Of special note, we will be approving three outdoor entertainment permits. While I often skim over these permits, I think these deserve special note. These permits are for outdoor film events at Water Works Park, located near the Moran Plant at the waterfront. On Saturday, September 26 at 7:15, there will be a free screening of the documentary "John Lewis: Good Trouble" brought to the community by the Vermont International Film Festival with support from BCA. On Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30, there will be a screening of "The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble". On Friday, September 25, BCA will present "The Princess and the Frog" beginning at 7:15.

Following approval of these three outdoor entertainment permits, the remainder of our deliberative agenda includes:

• A resolution on placing a ballot question regarding Ranked Choice Voting. As you may recall, in July, the Council voted on placing a ballot question on the November 2020 ballot regarding Ranked Choice Voting (or IRV, Instant Runoff Voting) for the election of Mayor, City Council and School Board. While the resolution passed 7-5, the Mayor vetoed the resolution and that veto was sustained. Now, we have a resolution asking the Council to place a question on the Town Meeting Day ballot in 2021 that would adopt Ranked Choice, or Instant Runoff Voting for the election of the City Council only, beginning in March 2022 and to allow for the adoption of IRV for the election of mayor and school commissioners upon an affirmative vote in a subsequent election. The return of IRV (or RCV) to Burlington would be identical to the IRV we had for the Mayoral elections in 2006 and 2009.

• We will have a communication from the City Attorney regarding a "cure" to the Open Meeting Law violation which we voted on this past Monday. The Council has not received the materials for that communication so I can't comment further on that at this time. They should be posted to board docs soon at: http://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public

• Our last item is a resolution regarding the restoration of the Rainforest Mural on Leahy Way. As you may recall, the City Council authorized the use of up to $25,000 from the contingency fund for the purposes of the removal, transport, and storage of the Everyone Loves A Parade (ELAP) mural applying the balance of the authorized funds to repair of the wall and restoration of the Rainforest mural by the artist Gina Carrera. The removal of the mural and full restoration of the wall and Rainforest mural will cost $30,000. This resolution allows for the use of an additional $5,000 from the contingency fund.

I hope you have a good weekend. As always, I welcome your questions and concerns, so please be in touch.

My best,
Karen

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