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Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Thursday’s City Council Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                  802.734.0617

 

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Thursday’s City Council Meeting

 

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement today regarding the votes the City Council will take at its Thursday, September 28, 2016 special meeting:

“Monday night’s 9-1 City Council vote and unanimous Board of Finance recommendation to place the tax increment financing (TIF) bonding authority on the ballot for voters to consider in November represents the completion of another important milestone for the redevelopment of the BTC Mall into a new, vibrant City neighborhood. The strong vote is a reflection of the rare opportunity that the City has to reclaim important public streets and greatly improve the public infrastructure of key blocks in our downtown without increasing property taxes for Burlingtonians.

“At tomorrow night’s special City Council meeting, I will be asking the Council to vote in support of a Resolution with two components. 

  1. First, to adopt the proposed Downtown Mixed Use Core (DMUC) zoning overlay. The overlay has been analyzed at numerous public meetings over the course of many months and was most recently supported by a Council vote on September 12, 2016 for a public hearing at the special City Council meeting tomorrow. This zoning overlay would replace zoning that has been in that area of downtown for many years, creating zoning that is more consistent with many of the goals called for in planBTV – Downtown & Waterfront, including the reconnection of Pine Street and St. Paul Street through the existing mall.
     
  2. Second, to place this item on the November 8, 2016 ballot for adoption of the ordinance by the voters.

"Zoning changes are complex decisions that do not typically go to the voters, though our system does have a threshold for a petition drive to bring a zoning change to a binding City-wide vote. It is clear that a small group will attempt to reach that threshold.

“Acting now to place this item on the November ballot, as opposed to waiting for the outcome of a petition drive, has a number of advantages. First, placing language on the November ballot now avoids the cost to taxpayers of calling a special election – which would be necessary since a petition would not be complete in time to add the item to the November ballot.  Second, it puts the item on a ballot when the greatest number of voters can participate as turnout in November is expected to be much higher than a special election sometime during the winter holidays. And third, this approach will allow the City to stay as close as possible to the timeline it agreed to when the pre-development agreement was approved 10-1 by the City Council on May 2, 2016.

“For these reasons, I am asking the Council to place this item on the November ballot.”

 

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Press Release Date: 
09/28/2016
City Department: 
Mayor's Office