Dear Neighbors,
This coming Monday, the City Council will convene its first of three meetings for the month of June. This is a busy month for the Council as we approve reappointments of department heads, appoint community members to city board and commissions, and perhaps our most important task all year, we approve the mayor's recommended budget and tax rate for the coming fiscal year.
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/86840825537
or by phone 1 929 205 6099 Webinar ID: 868 4082 5537
You can also join us via Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA
You can sign up for public forum via this link: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum or in person by completing a sign up form inside Contois.
After approximately ten public meetings and work sessions where either the Council or the Ad Hoc Committee on Redistricting have discussed this topic, as well as the online survey on the city website, we will hold an additional forum Monday evening at 6pm. Anyone who wishes to speak with us about redistricting is welcome to attend.
After this forum, the Council will have a discussion on redistricting and it is hoped we can begin to narrow down the three ward (7, 8 or 12 wards) configurations to two or possibly one that can garner a majority of Councilor support. We will be reviewing more maps in response to Monday evening at our June 27 meeting with a final vote at our July meeting.
Following public forum and any climate emergency reports, we have 11 items on our deliberative agenda:
• As per our Charter, we will be approving the Mayor's annual appointments of department heads,
• We have two outdoor entertainment permits: one celebrating Juneteenth next Sunday, June 19 and another for Discover Jazz this weekend and all next week.
• We will receive a communication from the Chittenden Solid Waste District on their annual budget which we, as a member city, have to vote to approve.
• We will receive a communication on from Burlington Electric on their FY23 rate increase. The increase will be 3.95%. With this rate change, the average monthly residential bill will increase by approximately $3. For ten years between 2010 and 2020, BED was able to operate without increasing electric rates. The past few years and recent inflation are prompting this increase.
• We have an ordinance on Ranked Choice Voting. The Charter Change on RCV passed in the Legislature and while unsigned by the Governor, is now part of our Charter. This ordinance is regarding implementation of RCV.
• Each year we must approve the Common Area Fee that merchants and businesses must pay who reside on the Church Street Marketplace. The fee is unchanged from last year.
• Our last items are ordinances regarding Short-term Rentals. Under newly proposed regulations, hosts will be able to register one short-term rental. Most short-term rentals will have to be within the same building or lot as the host's primary residence. The new regulations will also dedicate new lodging tax revenues to the City's Housing Trust Fund, which will support affordable housing development. We have been talking about this issue for over two years; I am hopeful that the proposal before the Council will strike the right balance between the benefits of short-term rentals and the need to preserve and expand upon long-term housing options and can receive the Council's approval.
I would encourage you to check out our agenda on board docs at http://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public.
As always, I welcome your questions, concerns, and comments, so please be in touch. Your voice matters and I am grateful for your input.
It's June and summer is now officially upon us. I wish you a wonderful weekend.
My best,
Karen
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