Dear Neighbors,
I’ve got a few updates before I get to the Council meeting preview.
First, at the DPW Commission meeting this past Wednesday night, the Commission was supportive of staff moving ahead with the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at the rotary crosswalks across St. Paul and Willard. DPW staff have already presented Director Chapin Spencer with quotes for RRFB’s yesterday and he has signed off on the low bidder. DPW Engineer Martin Lee is advancing this project as quickly as he can amidst his other responsibilities. Our thanks to him, to Assistant Director Norm Baldwin for crafting the memo to advance this project and to Director Spencer for his efforts and leadership.
Second, construction on the Cliff Street sidewalk has resumed. The replacement of a long run of sidewalk on South Willard Street is just about complete. While not in Ward 6 but in the South End, there are a number of capital projects underway including a sidewalk on Flynn Avenue and upgrades on Pine and Lakeside (so the intersection will truly be an intersection. There is also a traffic calming process underway for the Maple and King neighborhoods. A new sidewalk with silva cells, new trees, and pervious pavers is going in on South Winooski next to FedEx. To keep residents up to speed on the larger construction projects, DPW will be posting construction updates https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPW/CONSTRUCTION-UPDATES every couple of weeks.
Thank you for everyone at DPW for delivering on an impressive list of capital projects.
Now to the Council meeting preview….
On Monday, the City Council will hold the second of two meetings for the month of September. The Council will begin its evening with a brief Local Control Commission meeting set to begin at 7pm. We will call to order our regular City Council meeting immediately thereafter.
We will begin our evening by hearing annual reports from the Fire Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. We will then be voting on the appointment to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. (At some point in the evening, we will also be voting on appointments to the Development Review Board and Board of Registration of Voters.) We will be voting on an indoor entertainment permit for Vermont Comedy Club.
We will hold a public hearing on the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. This is a report done by CEDO of goals and outcomes from the past year.
We will have a presentation from DPW Director Chapin Spencer on a timeline for the Downtown and Residential Parking studies. I have cut and pasted the link to this memo here in case you would like to read that update. https://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/files/A2FTWE635F43/$file/Parking%20Study[...]pdf
Our last item of business is a resolution on the approval of a public process for determining criteria for the sale of Burlington Telecom.
We do have a Board of Tax Abatement meeting as well as a Council meeting with the Mayor Presiding that will occur at some point during the evening.
Our last items on our agenda are Council committee reports, comments from Councilors and the Mayor.
As with all Council meetings, please keep in mind that you are always welcome to come and speak to the Council on any subject you wish during our Public Forum which begins at 7:30pm. Clickable agenda items can be found on the City's website:
https://www.boarddocs.com/vt/burlingtonvt/Board.nsf/Public All Council meetings are televised live on BT Channel 317 and streamed live to your computer or phone.
As always, I welcome your questions and concerns. Please email or give me a call over the weekend or on Monday.
I hope you all enjoy a terrific (and warm) weekend.
My best,
Karen
Jan 5, 2025
Vermont Astronomical Society Jan. 2025 MeetingJan 6, 2025, 7:30 to 9 PM
Homeowner UniversityJan 11 to 17, 2025