Dear Neighbors,
The City Council will convene on Monday, June 27. You are welcome to attend the Council meeting in person at Contois Auditorium OR remotely on ZOOM at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82699082970
or by phone 1 929 205 6099 Webinar ID: 826 9908 2970
You can also view the meeting on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA
You can sign up for public forum with this link: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum or in person by completing a sign up form inside Contois.
The public agenda will begin at 6:30pm. We will receive a presentation from the School District regarding plans for Burlington High School. The City Council will be working with the Mayor and School District on a financial plan that will include bonding on the November 2022 ballot. This is an important generational project that is critical to our community, but we also need to ensure we are striking the right balance with Burlington taxpayers.
We will then hear about a number of items on our deliberative agenda, including:
• Voting to ratify and authorize a new contract between the City and staff represented by IBEW. The IBEW Local 300 represents the unionized workers at the Burlington Electric Department.
• Making City commission and board appointments. I am grateful to the many community members who applied to serve on these committees. We have a great slate of candidates to consider and, for any who were not appointed, I hope you will re-apply in the future and I welcome our connecting about that opportunity.
• Voting on the Mayor's recommended budget, which sets the funding for City services and our community's priorities for the coming year. The Council has been meeting with the Mayor's Office since early May to discuss the budget and how to best meet the needs of Burlington residents, while also remaining mindful of concerns about the rising costs of living. The budget details are available here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CT/Budgets/Fiscal-Year-2023-Budget
• Our last item on our deliberative agenda is 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.
Ben Traverse
btraverse@burlingtonvt.gov
(802) 357-2055
Nov 30, 2024, 10 AM to 5 PM
Get Ready for the BTV Winter Market!Nov 30, 2024, 2 to 6 PM
Music for Self-CareDec 3, 2024, 6:30 to 7:30 PM