Hello Neighbors,

This is part 2 of the City Council meeting report.

Next, Darren Springer, Burlington Electric Department's General Manager, provided an annual update on Burlington's Net Zero Energy (NZE) Road Map. Despite the progress made, we are not on track to meet the plan's goals. Greenhouse gas emissions in the ground transportation & the thermal/building sectors are down 18.2% in 2023 relative to the 2018 baseline but almost half of that decrease can be attributed to unusually warm winters. Our natural gas consumption is nearly 1 billion BTU above our goal and our CO2 emissions are exceeding the goal by 50,000 metric tons in the thermal & ground transportation sectors. We expressed this concern.

During the update, we voiced how important the workers who do the weatherization needed to meet our thermal/building goals are. We are behind these goals and GM Springer said that the labor market is the primary impediment to weatherizing buildings at the rate needed to accomplish the NZE goals. Our councilors advocated for more frequent updates on our climate progress, acknowledging that we are grateful to have a forward-thinking community and hopeful that we can close the gaps to adequately address the climate crisis. We will continue working with climate advocates and city employees to ensure we close these gaps and lead on climate. To hear more from former Progressive City Councilor Hightower & Newly-elected Councilor Neubieser go to https://youtu.be/U8bPcGtFOgQ?si=utYt3UwR6r9TYzou.

The last major item was the Vermont Transportation Agency's (VTRANS) and DPW staff recommendation to approve the funding and maintenance agreement to replace the Winooski Bridge. It is widely agreed that the bridge has major defects and is not safe for pedestrians and bikers. The council voted unanimously to approve the agreement, in part based on staff representations that the design is still being finalized and can be improved to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety. The estimated project costs range between $60 & $80 million with the City's share being only 5% based on a Federal RAISE Grant of $24.8 million was secured in 2023. Construction is slated to commence in late 2027 & conclude in late 2029.

We hope this is helpful in understanding our work. Feel free to contact us to discuss the council's work in more detail. It is an honor to represent you. Thank you.

Gene, Melo, Joe, Carter, and Marek

Event Info

Oct 4, 2024, 6 PM

Oct 5, 2024, 9:30 to 11:30 AM

Oct 5, 2024, 6:30 to 7:30 PM