Dear Neighbors,
This Monday, the City Council will have its second of two scheduled meetings for the month of October.
As the meeting will be virtual, you can watch the meeting via zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83226161739 or by phone, 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 832 2616 1739 You can also watch live on BT Channel 317 or on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA
If you wish to speak during public forum beginning at 7:30, please sign up via: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum. Please be sure to identify yourself on the sign-up as your name will appear on zoom.
Our first order of business will be an expected executive session on CityPlace beginning at 6:30. The executive session will be to consider pending litigation and confidential attorney-client communications pursuant to 1 VSA 313(a)(1)(E) and (F). Individuals to be invited into the session in addition to the Council and Mayor will be the Mayor's office staff, City Attorney, Jeffrey Glassberg, the City's consultant on CityPlace, and Marc Heath (and potentially others from Downs Rachlin Martin legal team who is representing the City).
Following the public forum, we will be voting on several commission and board appointments and then our deliberative agenda which includes:
• In response to constituents who have reached out to me, I requested that there be a communication from Superintendent Tom Flanagan and School Board Chair (and Ward 6 commissioner), Clare Wool to update the Council on Burlington High School. As we are all aware, students are learning remotely after the shutter of the school due to PCB contamination. There are plans underway to resume in person learning and many of you have asked me for their timeline and plans. The School Board is independently elected, and they hire the superintendent. As the school properties and curriculum are under their direction, a communication from the superintendent and board chair is the best way to get this information. I encourage parents and students in particular to communicate to me with any questions they would like answered on this issue.
• We have one resolution on our agenda that would allow permits for safe operation of contained outdoor fires during COVID. The intention was to allow residents to safely socialize outside during this time as the cooler weather is fast approaching. At our last meeting on October 5, we voted 10-2 to refer the resolution to the Board of Health for their input. Since October 5, I have heard from many of you with concerns about this resolution. I was on the Board of Health meeting last week and last night but was not able to stay online long enough last night to hear their draft report. I will do my best to keep their recommendations in mind and many of your comments when we vote on this on Monday.
• Our last item is a communication from Brian Lowe, the City's Chief Innovation Officer regarding the retitling and reclassification of the City's Opioid Policy Manager to the Public Health Equity Manager. Our City's amazing opioid policy manager, Jackie Corbally, left the City in September and as we transition, the City is expanding the role to include more of a public health role working on social equity with a social work focus and possibly expanding this area to include more social workers to address these challenges.
I hope you have a good weekend. City Hall Park reopened today and there are events this weekend happening in the park if you are downtown. Here is the link to the events: https://www.burlingtoncityarts.org/Event/city-hall-park-opening-weekend
As always, I welcome your questions and concerns, so please be in touch.
My best,
Karen
Oct 26, 2024, 9 AM to 12:30 PM
Free Documentary Re BiomassOct 27, 2024, 7 to 8 PM
UU Event for AllOct 30, 2024, 7 to 8:15 PM