Dear Ward 6 neighbors,

I hope you are having a good weekend. While we are now well into January, I hope it is not too late to wish you all a very happy new year. I hope the year ahead will be one filled with good health, joy and happiness for you and your loved ones.

Our first City Council meeting of 2024 is this Tuesday evening, January 16, beginning at 5:30pm.

Prior to our deliberative agenda, we will have a presentation from the Burlington School District on the School Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. The City Council does not vote on the School budget and if there is a request for a School tax increase, the School District is able to bring that question forward on the Town Meeting Day ballot on their own. There is a PowerPoint presentation from the School District on our agenda. I hope you will take a look and please let me know if you have questions you would like to see the Council ask of the School leadership.

We also have three expected executive sessions on Tuesday evening. The first is regarding amendments to the Land Use Memorandum of Understanding with UVMMC. The hospital has some exciting plans for their campus and this will require discussions on our MOU with them. The other two expected executive sessions are on the CityPlace development and the Cambrian Rise project. There are some items that need to be changed in these agreements for these projects to move forward as often happens with developments, particularly larger scale projects.

Following these items, we have a deliberative agenda that includes:

THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENTS FOR THE TOWN MEETING DAY BALLOT – There are two proposed Charter amendments. The first is to allow Burlington Electric allowable annual borrowing to be increased to $10 million from $5 million and the second is regarding police oversight. Changes can still be made based on public feedback and Council input and it is expected that some changes will be proposed.

APRA FUNDING DEDICATED TO HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS – The Council will be voting to spend $2,025,000 of the City's remaining ARPA funds to continue to address housing and homelessness throughout the City.

A PRESENTATION ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BURLINGTON-WINOOSKI BRIDGE – This is an exciting project, a long time in the making and the full presentation is on our posted agenda.

I encourage you to review these and other agenda items at: https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com.

You can access the meeting by zoom, by the CCTV link which is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLljLFn4BZd2PwCge7lNoKug676jIf_iUA. Or in Contois Auditorium in City Hall. 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.

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

My best,
Karen

May 20, 2024, 6 to 7:30 PM

May 25, 5 PM to 12:30 AM, May 26, 2024

May 26, 2024, 8:45 AM to 4 PM