FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                 (802) 734-0617

Statement Regarding Chief del Pozo’s Twitter Account and Related Actions

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today responded to news stories regarding Chief of Police Brandon del Pozo’s fake Twitter account with the following statement:

"On the evening of Sunday, July 28, Chief del Pozo self-reported to me that he had posted tweets from an anonymous Twitter account and that he had not been forthright with a reporter about those tweets.

I was very troubled by both the tweets and his response to a member of the media, and as a result I took a number of immediate steps upon arriving at work the next morning. I immediately placed the Chief on administrative leave, directed him to turn in his badge, gun, and city phone, and instructed him to cease using social media. I also directed City Attorney Eileen Blackwood and Human Resources Director Deanna Paluba to open an investigation into the Chief’s actions.

The investigation quickly confirmed that while the Chief had not committed any illegal acts or explicitly violated any City policy, he clearly had conducted himself in a manner that was unacceptable, inappropriate, and not consistent with what I expect from the Chief of Police.

Early in the course of the investigation, the City Attorney and HR Director learned that the Chief had an underlying mental health condition that had impacted his actions. This opinion was made by Chief del Pozo’s doctor, and evaluated and confirmed by the City’s medical examiner.

At that point I followed the strong recommendations of the City Attorney and HR Director to treat this matter as we would any employee medical situation. Therefore the City granted the Chief a Family and Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) and we attempted to protect his medical information, as even the Chief of Police is entitled to some level of privacy.

I was always clear that my ability to protect the Chief’s privacy, by virtue of his office and his actions, was limited by my responsibility to answer forthrightly questions from the public. I was asked about the Chief’s tweets for the first time yesterday by Seven Days, and at that time I shared this full account.

After six weeks of FMLA the Chief was cleared to return to work by both his doctor and the City’s medical examiner.

Upon his return to work, I formally reprimanded the Chief and warned him that any repeat of the problematic conduct would result in his immediate termination. Chief del Pozo’s conduct was certainly troubling to me, and I considered more serious discipline. However, I decided to give him the chance to resume his duties based on the following factors: 1) The Chief self-reported his mistakes; 2) The problematic tweets were posted for less than an hour and the Chief immediately recognized that what he did was wrong; 3) Two medical professionals asserted that these actions were linked to a mental health condition and employers of public safety personnel have a duty to treat mental health issues with compassion and awareness of the stigma still associated with mental health issues; 4) The Chief took action to address his medical condition; and 5) The Chief’s overall service to date had been otherwise excellent.

Moreover, when dealing with personnel issues as mayor, I generally believe that people deserve second chances if possible, particularly when they have come forward to admit error.

I have spent much of today seeking and receiving feedback about this matter from colleagues, stakeholders, and the public. I will have more to say on Monday after reviewing and reflecting on all that has been shared with me."

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 25, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                 (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Appoints Chief Steven Locke as Acting Chief Administrative Officer

Chief Locke is expected to serve through January 2020

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger announced today the appointment of Chief Steven Locke as the acting Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Chief Locke has served as the Burlington Fire Chief since February 2016 and prior to that appointment, served as the Interim Town Manager of Hartford, Vt. Mayor Weinberger has asked Chief Locke to serve in this role through January 2020 while the City searches for a permanent CAO. Chief Locke will continue to serve as Fire Chief during this period.

“I am grateful for Chief Locke’s willingness to take on this role,” said Mayor Weinberger. “His effective management of the Fire Department and prior experience serving as the interim Town Manager in Hartford position Chief Locke to excel in this transitional role while we continue the search for a permanent CAO.”

“I am honored to be asked to serve in this acting capacity,” said Chief Locke. “I look forward to working with the Clerk/Treasurer’s Office team and supporting this transition.”

For additional information, please see:

• Background about Chief Locke from the 2015 announcement of his appointment as Fire Chief
• Resume of Chief Locke [PDF]

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Responds to Death of Jake Burton Carpenter

Burlington, VT – In response to the passing of Jake Burton Carpenter, snowboard pioneer and founder of Burton Snowboards, Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement:

“Today, the City mourns the loss of one of its great entrepreneurs and creative spirits. Both the sport and the company that Jake built have contributed greatly to the success and character of modern Burlington. I had the privilege of meeting and working with Jake during my time as Mayor, and I always appreciated the warmth, curiosity, and optimism that he brought to every room he entered. My thoughts are with Donna, her children and extended family, and the entire Burton team.”

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2019
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
                (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Calls for Next Chapter in Fight Against Opioid Epidemic

Burlington, VT – On Thursday evening, Mayor Miro Weinberger received the 2019 Circle of Stars award at the Turning Point Center’s 10th annual Circle of Stars benefit dinner. In accepting the award, Mayor Weinberger called for a next chapter in the fight against the opioid epidemic – one focused on retaining people in medication-assisted treatment and supporting “sustained recovery.”

“I want to explicitly make the case to all of you in the room tonight that this is no time to let up and move on to other demands,” said Mayor Weinberger in his remarks. “We have much more work to do together to fully free Chittenden County from the grip of the opioid crisis. It is time for us to start a new chapter of our collective work together – a chapter that is focused on supporting “sustained recovery.”

In recent years, Vermont and Chittenden County have worked to make it easier for Vermonters suffering from opioid use disorder to begin receiving treatment with anti-addiction medicines, Mayor Weinberger explained in his remarks. “We have done this because it is very clear that this medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is the evidence-based, gold standard of care,” he said. This approach has worked, and become a national model. Yet, at the same time, the numbers suggest a troubling trend: “Many patients are staying in treatment for only a matter of weeks, or months, not the years that many need to be… despite [what the science shows], the system we have built is not focused on long-term retention.

“I am convinced that to beat this epidemic, to bring these tragic, avoidable deaths to an end, we must do better at treatment retention,” said Mayor Weinberger.

“We need all programs that work with opioid use disorder patients to systematically audit their practices for barriers to treatment and retention. We must all ask ourselves the questions: In what ways are we and our programs relentless about keeping people in treatment? In what ways can we be more so?”

The other specific reforms that the Mayor called for included:

• Measuring and monitoring retention and sustained recovery throughout the node-hub-spoke system;
• Expanding the sober house system and ensuring that the system accepts individuals on MAT, and prioritizes their retention;
• Remembering, in every discussion about prevention, that treatment is the best form of prevention, and that evidence shows that when people stop using illicit opioids, they also stop being vectors for a disease that spreads in social settings and through addiction-motivated drug sales;
• Continuing to innovate in search of strategies and technologies that support sustained recovery. For example, Vermont should become part of the effort to explore the promise of depot injections – sub-dermal injections of buprenorphine that are absorbed by the body over 30 days or more – that dramatically reduce the effort required by patients to stay on MAT; and
• Ensuring that funding goes to the right programs, as millions of dollars of new funding begins to flow from the federal government, and millions more will come to Vermont in the years ahead as the pharmaceutical industry is held to account for its role driving this crisis. When it arrives, this money must go to service providers who are doing the costly, labor-intensive work of supporting sustained, medication-assisted treatment.

Mayor Weinberger ended his remarks with a story about one of his proudest moments in office, and then, a final call to action: “We are on the cusp of breaking the back of this epidemic,” he said. “Together, let’s finish the job.”

Please see the Mayor’s complete remarks below.

Thank you Grace for that introduction, and moreover for the incredible work you do every day at Howard Center Safe Recovery. I will talk about that work and your program more later, but want to express here at the outset my great respect and appreciation for the commitment and wisdom you bring to this work.

Thank you to T.J. for emceeing tonight, and for the early push that helped show me how the Office of the Mayor could be part of the response to the opioid epidemic.

For the past four years, that work has been done in partnership with Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo, and Jackie Corbally, who is our Drug, Mental Health, Homelessness Policy & Operations Manager – a position we specifically created and funded in 2016 to respond to the opioid crisis. Brandon and Jackie are here tonight, both have been remarkably committed to this work, and they deserve recognition for the City’s efforts tonight as much as I do.

Finally, I want to thank my parents, Ethel and Michael for traveling up through the snow today to be here, and my wonderful partner in life, Stacy. It would not be possible for me to do the work that we are talking about tonight without Stacy’s partnership and support.

I am honored to receive this award. I remember well when I was on the board of the Turning Point Center back in 2010 when we started this dinner. Back then – even though TPC was serving thousands of Chittenden County residents struggling with addictions – at our board meetings we grappled with projections showing us running out of money in just a few months. We launched the dinner a little bit out of desperation as a way to try to inject some funds into this important organization. To be the honoree at the 10th annual dinner, which now sells out and tonight has raised a record total $65,000 – double the previous high – is amazing. Thank you in particular to Mike Kanarick, who served as my representative on the planning committee for this dinner and did incredible work to fundraise for this organization that I believe so deeply in. What’s more, the Turning Point Center is now an organization that has established recovery coaching as an essential service, this past summer bought its own downtown building, and is serving more people better than ever. On many levels, all of this has been heartwarming to see Congratulations Gary, the board, and all of TPC’s members and volunteers on a decade of tremendous success!

I am also thankful to be able to share some thoughts with you now, at a critical time in the battle against the opioid epidemic. We are gathered at a hopeful moment. It appears that, after years of hard work in the face of a growing public health crisis, we have turned a corner in Chittenden County. In 2018, we saw a 50 percent reduction in opioid-related accidental overdose deaths. Now, in 2019, we appear to have cemented this progress and are on track for a second year of reduced deaths at approximately the same level. Statewide, the preliminary data suggest that we are on track for 2019 to be a year of lower deaths as well.

There is no doubt that these gains have been driven through proactive, coordinated efforts between many of the organizations here in the room – state agencies, local officials, hospitals, treatment providers, prosecutors, police officers, and housing providers, among others. Thanks to this collaborative work, we have been able to dramatically reduce overprescribing of opioid analgesics, deploy naloxone ubiquitously, eliminate the waiting list for medication-assisted treatment at the County level, rapidly grow the number of primary care physicians treating opioid addiction using medication, and reduce stigma by stopping arrests and prosecution for non-prescribed buprenorphine, and more.

This is not what the picture looks like elsewhere in the country. As has been noted by the New York Times and many others, what we are doing is working. And yet, with this progress, I sense pressure and temptation to move our focus elsewhere, perhaps toward prevention efforts, or perhaps even to other issues entirely.

I want to explicitly make the case to all of you in the room tonight that this is no time to let up and move on to other demands. We have much more work to do together to fully free Chittenden County from the grip of the opioid crisis. It is time for us to start a new chapter of our collective work together – a chapter that is focused on supporting “sustained recovery.”

Let me explain what I mean by this.

For years, much of our collective work has focused on doing everything we can to get Vermonters suffering from opioid use disorder, or OUD, to begin receiving treatment with the anti-addiction medicines buprenorphine or methadone. We have done this because it is very clear that this medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is the evidence-based, gold standard of care. An individual’s risk of dying from opioid overdose drops to almost zero when that individual is receiving MAT.

Inspired by the life-saving potential of these medicines, over the last seven years, Vermont has built a statewide clinical infrastructure of hubs – large clinics focused solely on treating OUD patients – and spokes – generally primary care settings – where people can receive treatment. This “hub and spoke” model is being widely emulated by other states.

Here in Chittenden County, around the table at CommunityStat – the monthly data-driven, rapid-action meeting of 50-75 stakeholders that I have hosted and chaired every month for the last three years – we concluded that the hub and spoke system alone was not enough, and that we were missing key opportunities to get more of our friends, colleagues, and neighbors into treatment. For the last two years much of our focus has been on supplementing this state architecture by standing up new, low-barrier “nodes” into treatment in other settings where, because of the nature of the disease, people suffering from OUD are often found. Today, because of the work of many partners, the University of Vermont Medical Center emergency room, the needle exchange at Howard Center Safe Recovery, the Burlington Police Department, and every prison in the state are now effectively functioning as new nodes into treatment.

I want to pause here to highlight the role that the Turning Point Center is playing in making some of these nodes successful. A key element of the Emergency Room node at UVMMC is that the Turning Point Center has embedded trained recovery coaches in this program, who are on-site or on-call 24 hours a day. The work that the Turning Point Center has done over the last decade to professionalize and expand peer counseling is fundamentally changing the experience of all substance addiction recovery.

This focus on inducement has worked. Thanks to this effort, there are now more than 2,100 people in treatment in Chittenden County, and 262 have been inducted over the last year through the ER and Safe Recovery nodes alone. There is every reason to believe that this focus on MAT induction is what drove down accidental opioid overdose deaths more here than perhaps anywhere else in the country in 2018.

However, at the CommunityStat table each month we continue to hear stories of unthinkable tragedy. The loss of a heavy construction machinery operator who left behind two young kids. The young mom who had been in recovery for over a year, relapsed one night, and died of an accidental overdose. The death of an insurance agent who loved the Red Sox and his children and was not known to law enforcement before his death.

When we look together at the numbers we see a troubling trend. Even as we have been getting better about inducing more and more people into treatment, the growth of the number of people in treatment is slowing dramatically – even though all available evidence suggests that even now, only perhaps one-third of the Chittenden County residents who need MAT are getting it.

This is troubling. The slowed growth rate is almost certainly a function of the reality that many, perhaps most, patients are staying in treatment for only a matter of weeks, or months, not the years that many need to be.

This is a serious problem. As we have learned at CommunityStat, not only are patients who stop treatment too soon at high-risk of accidental overdose, they face many other elevated risks. The chance of an OUD patient dying of any cause is 75 percent lower when they are receiving medication-assisted treatment.

Yet, despite this science, the system we have built is not focused on long-term retention. Few programs seem to be measuring and monitoring long-term retention, and despite the millions of dollars flowing to Vermont to study our challenges, little research is focused on why patients are dropping out of treatment prematurely.

The providers who work with patients, however, know all too well the reasons that people battling addictions drop out. Many patients face transportation barriers getting to their clinical appointments, or simply find the rigors of frequent (in many cases, daily) doctor’s trips incompatible with job and parenting responsibilities. Some patients listen to misguided advice from peers and loved ones that they are not really clean until they are off of any kind of medication. And too many patients are kicked out of treatment or sober homes because of overly rigid program policies that are incompatible with the reality that successful recovery from opioid addiction very often includes episodes of relapse and recommitment.

I am convinced that to beat this epidemic, to bring these tragic, avoidable deaths to an end, we must do better at treatment retention. We must take the powerful infrastructure of nodes, hubs, and spokes that we have built to induce treatment, and widen the aperture of its focus to include retaining patients in treatment to foster sustained, long-term recovery.

And I am convinced that success with this expanded focus is possible. For indisputable proof, we need only look at the remarkable success that Howard Center’s Safe Recovery Program, under Grace’s leadership, has had over the last year since becoming a node.

For many years, individuals who use the needle exchange have been asked whether they want to go into treatment every time they come in. About a year ago, Howard Center Safe Recovery began offering immediate, on-site access to medication.

Here I want to pause for a moment to recognize the doctor who, when almost no other doctor was willing to act, made this possible by putting her medical license on the line to get this innovative program off the ground. Dr. Kimberly Blake is here with us tonight. Dr. Blake’s story is one of the things that keeps me going in this work. Dr. Blake lost her beautiful son Sean to an accidental overdose in 2017 after he was taken off MAT too quickly. Instead of succumbing to the unfounded stigma that has silenced so many that have lost loved ones, Dr. Blake and her husband Tim immediately began to speak about Sean’s addiction at CommunityStat and in public. And then she committed her career to trying to save other families from the pain she has endured by joining the Howard Center Safe Recovery team. Dr. Blake – we are so thankful for your strength and your service.

Since the pilot began, 144 individuals have begun buprenorphine treatment through this new node. The population that comes to Safe Recovery to exchange needles is, in many ways, the most complicated to treat. By definition these individuals have addictions that have progressed to the most extreme delivery method, intravenous injection, and the great majority of these patients had previously been kicked out of or resisted treatment in clinical settings.

At Howard Center Safe Recovery, however, something very different happens for these patients. As of today, 138 of these individuals – 96 percent – are still in treatment, either at Safe Recovery or through being transferred to another hub or spoke.

Ninety-six percent. How is this possible? Howard Center Safe Recovery deploys many tactics to make this happen, but fundamentally the success comes down to two principles: Safe Recovery is relentless – truly relentless – about sticking with the people they serve, and Safe Recovery believes, as Grace puts it, that “Everyone has the potential to do very well – you just need to meet them where they are.”

We owe it to the people suffering from OUD and their loved ones to be relentless. We must never let ourselves forget that their suffering is function of the failures of our institutions to anticipate and stop this manmade public health epidemic.

But it is not just that – we should recommit ourselves to this work because this is a battle we can win, and in doing so heal some of the worst wounds in our society. Medication-assisted treatment works, allowing even individuals who appear to have the most destructive addictions to return to being parents, neighbors, partners, and responsible members of their communities.

We know that stunning success is possible. France, for instance, brought their heroin epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s to an end, reducing overdose deaths by 79 percent over four years, when they went all-in on medication-assisted treatment. To that end, here is what I think an expanded focus on sustained recovery looks like:

We need all programs that work with OUD patients to systematically audit their systems and practices for barriers to treatment and retention. We must all ask ourselves the questions that Howard Center Safe Recovery asks: In what ways are we and our programs relentless about keeping people in treatment? In what ways can we be more so?

We need to start measuring and monitoring retention and sustained recovery throughout the node-hub-spoke system.

We need to expand the sober house system and ensure that the system accepts individuals on MAT, and prioritizes their retention.

In every discussion about prevention, we must remember that treatment is the best form of prevention. The evidence supports this – when people stop using illicit opioids they stop being vectors for a disease that spreads in social settings and through addiction-motivated drug sales.

We must continue to innovate in search of strategies, and technologies that support sustained recovery. For example, Vermont should become part of the effort to explore the promise of depot injections – sub-dermal injections of buprenorphine that are absorbed by the body over 30 days or more – that dramatically reduce the effort required by OUD patients to stay on MAT.

And we must ensure that funding goes to the right programs. Millions of dollars of new funding has begun to flow from the federal government, and – with our great Attorney General on the case – millions more will come to Vermont in the years ahead as the pharmaceutical industry is held to account for their role driving this crisis. When it arrives, this money must go to service providers who are doing the costly, labor-intensive work of supporting sustained, medication-assisted treatment.

I will close with a short story. I often get asked what my proudest moment in this job has been. It happened a few months ago when I was out for breakfast downtown. The waiter that morning was new to me, a young man, in his twenties, tall, hearty, warm, and attentive. When he poured the coffee I sensed that he wanted to say something, but he held back until the end of meal. Then, he came back to the table, and told me that he was from the west coast, and had come to Burlington for the first time as part of a long cross-country road trip. He never planned to stay, but when he got here he was able to get help for his long-standing opioid addiction, and he had now been in treatment for many months. He had thought about moving back west to be with his mom, but when he looked into it, he realized that her region has none of the supports that we have built here in Vermont. He had been following the work of CommunityStat and decided that there was no place better in America for him to be. “Thank you,” he said, “thank you for keeping me safe.”

Everyone here tonight, everyone who has contributed time, effort, or financial resources to this tremendous battle should be proud of what we have built. We are on the cusp of breaking the back of this epidemic – together, let’s finish the job.

Thank you.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2019
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
                (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Appoints Kara Alnasrawi as Executive Director of the Church Street Marketplace

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Kara Alnasrawi as Executive Director of the Church Street Marketplace (CSM). Kara brings extensive experience to the position as a downtown small business owner and actively engaged downtown stakeholder. If confirmed by the City Council, Kara will be the fourth director in the Marketplace’s nearly 40-year history.

“Kara’s broad experience and long record of commitment to Burlington’s downtown position her as the right person to lead the Church Street Marketplace into its next chapter,” said Mayor Weinberger. “I am looking forward to working with Kara to make the Marketplace even more vibrant and a destination for local residents and visitors alike.”

Kara will bring many strengths to the CSM Executive Director role, including:

• Service on several boards and committees focused on downtown vitality and inclusiveness;
• Experience as the owner of the retail store Leibling in downtown Burlington since 2012; and
• Background in finance and budget management.

Local Roots and Downtown Experience

Kara was born and raised in the greater Burlington area and attended the University of Vermont, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in both political science and German. Following graduation, she moved to New York City, obtained a master’s degree in political economics from the New School for Social Research, and worked in the financial sector in both New York and Germany.

After returning to the Burlington area to raise her family, Kara taught macroeconomics and political theory at Burlington College. In 2012, Kara started a downtown retail business on College Street and immediately became involved in local boards and committees, including serving as chair for the Downtown Action Group and serving on the advisory board of the winter warming shelter.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make the Marketplace even more vibrant and inviting,” said Kara Alnasrawi. “I look forward to public service and to helping steward the Church Street Marketplace during an exciting time for downtown Burlington.”

Kara and her family live in Shelburne, Vermont, and by City charter, there is no residency requirement for this position.

Building on Past Success at the Marketplace

Kara will lead a department with many recent successes, including:

• Attracting strong local and national retailers to Church Street, with full and close to full tenancy for the past several years, and making the Marketplace a premier shopping and dining destination in the region;
• Working strategically with partners to manage downtown parking through effective pricing and marketing;
• Working with Howard Center’s Street Outreach Team and the Burlington Police Department to ensure that the Church Street Marketplace is safe and welcoming to all; and
• Partnering with local non-profits to hold free events on the Marketplace, including Festival of Fools, Holiday Lighting Ceremony, and Discover Jazz Festival.

Search Process for the New CSM Executive Director

Before beginning the search process, Mayor Weinberger met with community stakeholders to help determine what was needed in the next CSM Executive Director. For this search, the City was specifically looking for someone who could build on the success of the Church Street Marketplace and support downtown businesses as the retail landscape changes in the 21st century.

The search began in September 2019. The process included:

• Posting the position locally, state-wide, and nationally, as well as targeting diverse communities and conducting supplemental recruitment efforts through the Mayor’s Office.
• Assembling a search committee to review resumes that met the minimum requirements and conduct initial interviews of both Vermont and out-of-state candidates. The search committee members were:
  • Jordan Redell, Mayor’s Chief of Staff
  • Adam Roof, Ward 8 City Councilor
  • Deanna Paluba, City’s Director of Human Resources
  • Vanessa Santos Eugenio, City’s HR Talent, Recruitment, and Training Specialist
  • Doreen Kraft, Executive Director of Burlington City Arts
  • Jed Davis, Church Street Marketplace Commissioner, owner of Farmhouse Group
  • Linda Magoon, Church Street Marketplace Commissioner, resident representative
  • Buddy Singh, Church Street Marketplace Commissioner, resident representative
• Referring three finalist candidates, recommended by the search committee, to the Mayor for second-round interviews.

At the conclusion of the search, Kara’s passion for downtown vitality and economic development, broad experience, and focus on relationship building demonstrated that she was an excellent fit for this position. The Administration plans to bring this appointment forward at the City Council meeting on November 18, and if confirmed, Kara will begin in the position the next day, on November 19.

For additional information, please see the following:

• Photo of Kara Alnasrawi, Mayor Weinberger, and outgoing CSM Executive Director Ron Redmond on November 12, 2019
• Resume of Kara Alnasrawi

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           
November 5, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                 (802) 734-0617

Chief Administrative Officer Beth Anderson to Begin CEO Position at Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc.

Burlington, VT – Today, Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) announced the appointment of Beth Anderson as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. During her four-and-a-half years with the City of Burlington, Beth served as the City’s first Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and as the first woman Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

As CIO, Beth implemented the City’s BTVStat initiative, working with all City departments to collect data to identify challenges, track progress, and control costs, and to promote accountability, learning, and collaboration. As CAO, Beth led two successful budget processes, which resulted in City budgets that continued historic investment in City assets while limiting taxpayer burdens. Her work to build back the City’s Unassigned Fund Balance, secure clean audits, and set new debt and pension policies played a major role in restoring the City’s Aa3 credit rating.

“I am very grateful for Beth’s dedicated and effective service to the City,” said Mayor Weinberger. “She has been a huge part of some of the City’s most significant recent successes, restoring our financial standing and broadly improving municipal operations through data analysis and the hard work of continuous improvement. We will miss Beth in City Hall and wish her the best in her exciting new role.”

Beth will continue serving as CAO through the month of November.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           
November 5, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                 (802) 734-0617

City of Burlington and Honfleur, France Recognize 10-Year Sister City Relationship with Ceremonial Charter Signing

Burlington, VT – Today, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Honfleur, France Mayor Michel Lamarre signed a “Sister City Charter” to celebrate and formalize a decade of the two cities’ relationships. The Mayors signed the ceremonial charter in an event held simultaneously in Burlington City Hall’s Contois Auditorium and Honfleur City Hall, and the two City Halls were also connected by videoconference for the ceremony.

“Over the last 10 years, Burlington’s relationship with Honfleur has provided our cities with meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences, and allowed us to build cross-cultural trust and friendship,” said Mayor Weinberger. “I am pleased to be able to celebrate 10 years of this relationship today, and grateful to all of those in both Burlington and Honfleur who have worked to deepen it.”

Representatives from Burlington traveled to Honfleur to be there in person for the signing. The delegation included Lise Veronneau, chair of Burlington’s Honfleur Sister City Committee, Marc and Dana vanderHeyden, Margaret Pond, and Fran Stoddard. In Burlington, Richard Gleich, secretary of the Honfleur Sister City Committee, served as translator.

Representatives from Burlington first visited Honfleur in 2009, during the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s visit to Lake Champlain. On Champlain’s trips to this region, he most frequently departed France from Honfleur harbor.

Honfleur Sister City History

Burlington’s relationship with Honfleur began in 2009 during the 400th anniversary celebration of Samuel de Champlain’s visit to the lake named for him. The City of Burlington has continue to expand this relationship in the years since, including through the official formation of the Honfleur Sister City relationship on March 21, 2012 and the signing of a “Friendship Agreement” in July 2013. Over the past decade, delegations from Burlington have traveled to Honfleur many times, and Burlington has welcomed many delegations from Honfleur. These visits and exchanges have included Mayor Weinberger, Honfleur Mayor Lamarre, students from Burlington High School and Champlain College, Boy Scouts, Vermont artists and residents, and many others. These exchanges aim to promote and foster understanding of the two cities’ respective cultures.

For more information, please see the attached:

• Ceremonial Burlington-Honfleur Sister City Charter [PDF]
• Photo of the ceremony in Contois Auditorium on November 5

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2019
Contact:  Olivia LaVecchia
                 (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Responds to Updated Proposal for CityPlace Burlington

Burlington, VT – Tonight, Brookfield Properties, the managing partner of CityPlace Burlington, presented an updated proposal for the project to the City Council. In response, Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement:

“The developers of the CityPlace project took an important step forward tonight. Brookfield has met the demands in my September 27 letter, and appears to have resolved internal disagreements that have delayed the project. The revised plans that Brookfield presented would achieve all of the major goals that the City has held for this site from the beginning, including restoring lost public streets, creating hundreds of much needed new homes and downtown jobs, and generating substantial new public revenues. While I welcome this overdue progress, Brookfield still has substantial work to complete before the end of this year to preserve the project, and get this effort to fix a long-troubled part of the downtown back on track."

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2019
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
                (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Proposes Revenue-Neutral Vermont Carbon Pollution Fee and Rebate That Would Cut Emissions by 37 Percent, Create New Jobs, and Boost Vermont’s Economy

Joined by coalition of business and environmental leaders, Mayor Weinberger releases new analysis showing environmental and economic benefits of a revenue-neutral Vermont carbon pollution fee; Burlington will begin using an internal carbon price to evaluate major City purchasing decisions

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger, joined by a coalition of environmental and business leaders, proposed a statewide carbon pollution fee that would cut emissions by 37 percent by 2040 when combined with existing clean energy policies, create new jobs, and boost state economic growth. The Mayor’s proposal is based on a newly-completed component of the City’s Net Zero Energy Roadmap, first released publicly last month, and demonstrates that putting a price on carbon would have broad economic and environmental benefits for Vermonters. Further, Mayor Weinberger also announced that Burlington will continue to lead by example by becoming one of the first cities in the nation to apply an internal carbon price when evaluating future decisions about investment in the City’s fleet and building heating systems.

“As Burlington continues to pursue ambitious climate goals, it has become clear to me that without a price on carbon pollution we are fighting the climate emergency with one hand tied behind our back,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “That’s why, as part of our Net Zero Energy Roadmap, we also analyzed the economic and environmental benefits of a statewide, revenue-neutral Vermont carbon pollution fee. The results provide strong evidence that we can take critical action to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis and benefit Vermont’s economy at the same time. Today, I renew my call for a pro-economic growth, revenue-neutral carbon pollution fee that provides rebates to every Vermont household and business, and brings us closer to the future that we need.”

Mayor Weinberger shared these announcements at the Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) Conference today near Burlington, where he was joined by a broad coalition of partner organizations that support putting a price on carbon pollution. Those partners included environmental leaders from the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), and Vermont Conservation Voters, as well as Vermont business community leaders from Burton, Seventh Generation, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR).

How a Revenue-Neutral Fee Would Work

Under the revenue-neutral fee and rebate model that Mayor Weinberger proposed, virtually all of the revenue collected by the fee would be rebated back out to Vermont households and businesses. In this model, the State would apply a carbon fee to the purchase of all fossil fuels, and then rebate those revenues back to Vermont households and businesses, with a per capita rebate for every household and a rebate for businesses in proportion to how many jobs they support.

The analysis released today shows that the average Vermont household is projected to receive cumulative rebates that are slightly higher than those households’ annual carbon pollution fee payments. The model projects that all households that take steps to weatherize their homes, convert to electric vehicles (EVs) or cold climate heat pumps, and take similar action will see even greater financial gains from the rebate program, on average even after taking into account the cost of these investments.

While this study did not model household income impacts, comparable studies, like the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office carbon pricing study, have found that rebate programs can be progressive, with higher-income households consuming and paying greater fees than other households, and with the rebate helping to offset cost impacts for low-income households.

British Columbia is one example of a jurisdiction that has had a price on carbon since 2008, which has been rising since. There, the province has demonstrated a reduction in emissions between 2007 and 2016 of 3.7 percent, while GDP grew 19 percent over the same period and tourism continued to rise.

Major Findings of New Report

The analysis released today shows that implementing a revenue-neutral carbon price that starts at $30 per ton on heating and transportation fuels would, in combination with existing energy and climate policies, have the following effects:

• Reduce Vermont’s current carbon dioxide emissions for heating and transportation by 25 percent in 2030 and by 37 percent in 2040;
• Help increase the use of renewable electricity and decrease fossil fuel use;
• Make a major dent in Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions, and combined with other regulations and policies, help achieve key state climate and energy goals;
• Add an average of $21 million annually to Vermont’s GDP and create and sustain hundreds of new jobs; and
• Shift purchases away from out-of-state and international fossil fuel companies and toward local renewable producers, contributing to the boost to the Vermont economy.

Mayor Weinberger first announced his support for a revenue-neutral Vermont carbon pollution fee in December 2018 at VECAN’s annual Community Energy and Climate Action Conference. Last month, Mayor Weinberger and the Burlington Electric Department released a “Roadmap” that outlines pathways for Burlington to follow to achieve its goal of becoming a Net Zero Energy city across the electric, thermal, and ground transportation sectors by 2030, and concludes that the Net Zero Energy goal would be more cost-effective with a proper price on carbon.

Burlington Will Lead by Example with Internal Carbon Price

The Mayor’s announcement included a new step that Burlington will take to become one of the first municipalities in the nation to use an internal carbon price to evaluate certain of the City’s major purchasing decisions, much like local businesses, including Seventh Generation and Ben & Jerry’s, already do.

Going forward, Burlington will use a carbon price of $100 per ton when evaluating all fleet purchases and leases, as well as all heating system replacements during major building renovations. This carbon price is similar to what the State of Vermont Public Utility Commission uses to evaluate energy efficiency programs in Vermont.

“While we call on the state to act by pricing carbon, it is important that cities and communities continue to lead by example as well,” said Mayor Weinberger. “That is why today in Burlington, we are borrowing a page from the playbook of successful local businesses by using a carbon price to evaluate our own procurement decisions. This will drive our City to more efficient choices for vehicles and heating systems, reduce emissions, and save taxpayers on operating expenses.”

In many cases, a conventional vehicle or heating system may have a slightly lower upfront cost. By properly pricing carbon pollution, the City will be able to better consider the full lifecycle cost of the investment. Frequently, the cleaner vehicle or renewable heating system will also be more efficient, and help the City save money on operating costs over time. For example, when the City chooses an electric vehicle (EV) over a conventional one, the City would save more than $4,000 over the life of the vehicle by charging with Burlington Electric Department’s 100 percent renewable electricity instead of buying gasoline.

Broad Support from Business and Environmental Leaders

“I applaud the leadership of Mayor Weinberger and the City of Burlington in recognizing the urgent need for bold solutions like carbon pricing to tackle climate change. It’s not a pretty picture: Our planet is on fire. We have to get serious,” said Johanna Miller, energy and climate program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council. “Community leadership, political leadership and strong policies are three key components to turning the tide. Thankfully, stepping up also means saving people money, putting more people to work in the clean energy sector and improving public health. Leaders in Burlington clearly recognize this, and I look forward to working with them and others to make long overdue progress on this pressing issue.”

“Burlington is yet again backing up their commitment to climate action with both rigorous analysis and concrete actions,” said Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate & Clean Energy Program Director at VPIRG. “We commend Mayor Weinberger and his team for commissioning this research on carbon pollution pricing. It confirms what VPIRG members have been saying for years: ambitious climate policy is good for Vermont’s economy and environment.”

 “Carbon pricing is essential in the fight against climate change," said Chris Miller, Head of Global Advocacy at Ben & Jerry’s. “A well-designed program, like the one proposed by Mayor Weinberger, cuts pollution, grows jobs, and reduces income inequality. It’s a win, win, win.”

“Seventh Generation was one of the first companies in Vermont to implement an internal price on carbon, and we are thrilled to see Burlington leading by example as well,” said Ashley Orgain, Global Director of Advocacy and Sustainability at Seventh Generation. “We have found carbon pricing to be an important tool for addressing the climate crisis. Individual companies and municipalities can’t tackle Vermont’s contribution to climate alone. We need a statewide program like the one Mayor Weinberger has proposed today. Protecting the health of Vermont’s economy and environment, as well as future generations, requires Governor Phil Scott and Vermont’s legislators to enact a statewide price on carbon pollution.”

“Burton was founded in 1977 in a barn in Londonderry, and Vermont has remained our home base since,” said Jenn Swain, Global Senior Sustainability Manager at Burton. “These roots and our shared values with the Green Mountain State are a proud part of our company culture and identity. However, Vermont has fallen behind on its existing climate commitments and CO² emissions in the state are on the rise. We cannot wait any longer to implement strong policy response to the climate crisis, which should include a meaningful and effective price on carbon.”

"Our business members know that climate action is the greatest economic opportunity in Vermont history, and that climate change represents the greatest single threat to the health of our industries, employees, communities and natural environments,” said Samantha Sheehan, Communications Manager of VBSR. “The cost of inaction is too great. We need bold leadership on issues of climate action and we are excited and inspired to see Burlington leading the way.”

For more information, please download the PDF summarizing the analysis:

• “Vermont Revenue-Neutral Carbon Fee Study,” Synapse Energy Economics

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2019
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
                (802) 734-0617

Mayor Miro Weinberger Denounces Trump Administration Decision to Slash America’s Refugee Program

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to slash America’s refugee program, and accept only 18,000 refugees during the next 12 months, down from 30,000 this past year and 110,000 during President Obama’s final year in office:

“Over the summer, I was one of more than 380 elected officials from across the country who signed a letter to President Trump urging him to restore our refugee program to its historic strength. Instead, this week, he has slashed the program once again, continuing his assault on the legal immigration system that built this country, made America a beacon of hope in the world, and dramatically strengthened Burlington over the last three decades. The timing of this decision is devastating, coming at a moment of massive international suffering and upheaval.

The New Americans who have made Burlington their home, including those who have come through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, have made our community stronger. As our friends and colleagues, former refugees in Burlington have added their ideas, skills, and experiences to our City, benefited our economy, and broadened our collective view of the world. Yet, now, this added strength to our community is in decline: While we welcomed 386 people to Chittenden County through the refugee resettlement program in 2016, that number plummeted to just 115 people in 2019 as a result of Trump Administration policy. This latest cut will certainly reduce this number even further.

I will continue to call for change at the federal level and seek ways to ensure that former refugees and all other New Americans here in Burlington know that they are welcome and that we are glad to have them as our neighbors.”

# # #