Dear Ward 6 neighbors,

I hope you all are enjoying a good weekend. Monday's Council agenda will include:

We will begin our meeting with two expected an executive sessions. The first will be regarding a Memorandum of Understanding with UVM and the second is on the Main Street Great Streets improvements.

Following a presentation from the Public Works Commission, our deliberative agenda includes two important items for our Downtown:

• The first item is exciting news for our Gateway Block. The resolution we will be approving signals the City Council's support for the further exploration and due diligence centered around redeveloping the 'Gateway Block' in a public-private partnership (Eric Farrell and Joe Larkin are the local developers) and supports the Mayor entering into a Letter of Intent, to explore the feasibility of executing a development agreement between the parties to provide the framework for comprehensive redevelopment. Additionally it supports that this process continue to engage the community and encourage public input on the redevelopment and use of the City's 'Gateway Block. The Letter of Intent reflects our expression of interest in forming a Public/Private Partnership and says the parties agree to work diligently to execute a formal and binding Development Agreement on or before March 29, 2024.

• The second item is a presentation on the work of the Department of Business and Workforce Development. Additionally, there is a memo allocating $50,000 from the city to assist with greater support for our local businesses during the holiday season. In response to emails I have received from downtown merchants, I made this request of the Administration and am happy to say they were able to locate the funds. Additionally these funds were matched by a local foundation. Every possible effort is being made to see that our local businesses have a safe and successful holiday season. I hope you will join me in shopping downtown and supporting our local economy.

You can access the meeting via zoom, in person and via livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA.

PUBLIC FORUM WILL BEGIN AT 7:30. 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 are having a wonderful weekend.

My best,
Karen

Event Info

Sep 21, 2024, 8:30 AM to 1 PM

Sep 21, 2024, 8:30 AM to 1 PM

Sep 24, 2024, 5 to 7 PM