Neighbors,

The City Council will meet for the third time this April on Monday the 25th.

You are welcome to attend the Council meeting in person at Contois Auditorium OR Remotely via ZOOM at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87633721438, or by phone 1 929 205 6099 (meeting ID: 876 3372 1438).

You can sign up for public forum in person or via this link: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum.

Our meeting will begin at 6pm with a work session on citywide redistricting. This session follows the work completed by an ad hoc committee on redistricting. Thanks are owed to our Ward 5 committee representative Greg Shepler and alternate Kolby LaMarche for their contributions to that process. At a Council meeting next month, I anticipate we will see different map options for redistricting, which may include proposals for changing the number of wards and size of the Council. The Council will eventually vote on a redistricting plan for voters to consider next Town Meeting Day.

Following public forum, the Council will consider its consent and deliberative agendas. Some of the Council's most impactful work is often on the consent agenda and does not receive the same level of attention as topics on our deliberative agenda. Here are some highlights from the consent agenda that I'd like to point out:

-> Authorizing the Parks Department to begin construction of a new playground at Calahan Park. Yay!

-> Authorizing the Fire Department to purchase three new trucks using recently passed capital bond monies.

-> Approving a number of local restaurant requests for more outdoor seating this summer, including Red Panda, Single Pebble, American Flatbread, and The Gryphon.

-> Approving a number of entertainment permits, including one for the return of the ArtsRiot Truck Stop and another for the Dedalus Wine Bar, which should offer a lot of good fun along Pine Street in the coming months.

On the deliberative agenda, the Council will consider the following items:

1. Champlain Parkway - the Council will vote on a contract award for Phase I of Parkway construction, to begin as early as this summer. Phase I of the project stretches from Home Avenue to Kilburn Street and will include much-needed work on Briggs Street, among other improvements. Work on other parts of the project, including the I-189 connector and the Railyard Enterprise Project, is some time away and will require later Council votes.

2. Sidewalks - the Council will vote on approving DPW's 2022 Sidewalk Reconstruction Program Project.

3. Emergency Dispatchers - the Council will vote on approving a Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the City and the Union representing emergency dispatchers to implement new recruitment and retention incentives for the vital Emergency Communications Unit.

I encourage you to use the following link to all agenda items and supporting documents: http://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public

As always, I welcome your questions, concerns, and comments. I am grateful for your feedback.

Yours in service,
Ben Traverse
btraverse@burlingtonvt.gov
(802) 357-2055

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