Dear Ward 6 neighbors,

THIS COMING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, MAY WELL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT COUNCIL MEETING WE HAVE ALL YEAR. We have an impactful agenda on the public safety and public health crisis given the unprecedented increase in drug activity in our City. I hope you will be able to join us, either in person or via zoom. (Zoom details to follow.)

Our deliberative agenda will include:

• A presentation from Lieutenant Mike Beliveau and Deputy Chief Brian Labarge of our Burlington Police Department regarding the work of the Drug Crimes Unit. Our police department dedicates several professionals to the detection of drug activity and enforcement of State and Federal Drug laws.

• Following this presentation, as chair of the Public Safety Committee in addition to my role as Council President, I will be introducing a resolution, "DECLARING THE UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN SUBSTANCE USE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND TOGETHER WITH DRUG ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY TO BE OUR TOP PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PRIORITY." We are living in a pivotal moment for our City and this resolution has several concrete action steps that the City Council, together with the Administration, will take to address this emergency in our community. I am so proud of the work of the Committee and after eight hours of committee time, I believe we have a resolution that will speak to the profound gravity of this crisis and most importantly, will move us forward in finding solutions. I strongly support this resolution and will be urging its unanimous passage.

• One of the resolved clauses in the drug crisis resolution clearly states that despite the many efforts that are being taken, we need to be bold and pilot new responses. The Burlington Fire Department has one such bold and new response. Fire Chief Mike Lachance and Lieutenant Kyle Blake, president of the Burlington Firefighters Association will present this innovative program developed by our fire fighters.

• Our last agenda item will be the approval of a State grant to open a low-barrier overnight shelter for individuals with substance use disorder, mental health and behavioral challenges, and people experiencing barriers to obtaining and maintaining traditional shelter stay during the winter months.

While the meeting will begin at 5pm, our first item is an expected executive session to update the City Council on Memorial Auditorium as well as a discussion regarding negotiation of an agreement with VTANG pertaining to capital investments. The executive session is expected to last until approximately 6:30pm.

You can access the meeting by zoom listed above, in person, or by the CCTV link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA.

PUBLIC FORUM WILL BEGIN AT 7:15. 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.

I encourage you to review these and other agenda items at: https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com Once there, you can read the agenda and also subscribe to be notified when there are changes to city meetings. Please go to "subscriptions" and sign up to receive up-to-date information on meetings important to you.

As always, I welcome your questions, concerns, and comments, so please be in touch. Your voice matters and I am grateful for your input.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

My best,
Karen

Event Info

Sep 21, 2024, 9 to 11 AM

Sep 23, 2024, 5:30 to 6:30 PM

Sep 26, 7:30 PM to 3 PM, Sep 29, 2024