Burlington, Vt. – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced he will not be seeking a fifth term as Mayor of Burlington. He made the announcement from the Lorraine B. Good Room in Burlington City Arts Studios on Church Street, where he first announced his intent to run for Mayor twelve years ago, surrounded by family, Department Heads, City staff, community leaders, and supporters.

Mayor Weinberger began his remarks by saying, “In this room 12-years ago I announced my intent to run for Mayor of Burlington. I said we would fix the city’s finances, hold city officials accountable, and get stuck and stalled projects moving again. I promised the people of Burlington a Fresh Start, hard work, and a steady hand during the crises of our time.”

He went on to conclude that: “After twelve years – the longest unbroken stretch of any mayor – with the pandemic behind us, the economy largely recovered, and investment and progress on track to continue, I have decided that now is the right time for me to conclude my service as Mayor.”

The Mayor thanked current and past members of the City team, City workers, Union Leaders, local business and non-profit leaders, and local builders for their support and partnership over the years, and “most importantly”, he thanked the people of Burlington for their trust and confidence. In his remarks, he reflected on the many accomplishments and successes of the Administration over his twelve years in office:  

• The City has locked in more than $44 million in direct taxpayer and ratepayer interest savings since 2012 by securing a 6-notch improvement in Burlington’s credit rating from the brink of a “junk bond” status to an Aa3 rating and by restoring the rainy-day fund from -$15M to over $8.6M. Mayor Weinberger has dramatically increased city services and advanced an equitable economic recovery, including with the creation of the Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and Business and Workforce Development Departments – all while keeping all local taxes well below the rate of increase of state property taxes.
• Since 2011, more than 2,000 new homes have been built or are in construction, and the City is on track to meet Mayor Weinberger’s goal of increasing the City’s housing production rate 400% by 2026. Between 2019 and 2022 the Mayor led the creation of 90+ low-barrier emergency shelter beds and the Community Resource Center which now serves over 2,000 people a year. He directed millions in new investments in homelessness programs, including to strengthen Coordinated Entry which now connects an average of 25 formerly unhoused households to permanent housing every month. Since 2012, 27% of all new housing units built were permanently affordable, and revenue to the Housing Trust Fund has increased more than 400%.
• Five years after Burlington became the first 100% Renewable Energy City, Mayor Weinberger announced the most ambitious climate goal in the country – to achieve Net Zero by 2030. Today, Burlington has 385 solar arrays generating well over 9,000 PV, the most per capita of any city east of the Mississippi. This year, the City will implement a voter-approved and State-first Carbon Pollution Impact Fee, and in 2021 voters approved a first-in-the-nation $20M revenue bond to fund electrification incentives and grid improvements. In the City’s Net Zero efforts, Mayor Weinberger has made equity and accessibility a top priority through the green stimulus incentive package, an innovative on-bill financing program, requiring rental weatherization, and more.
• Mayor Weinberger has led the completion of the Downtown Transit Center, the major renovation of City Hall Park, the Moran FRAME, and the broader revival of the northern waterfront. In 2022, the City celebrated the return of train service to New York City, and after a 34-year hiatus, construction at the Champlain Parkways is underway. He directed over $100 million of historic public investments through his 10-year Capital Plan, doubling the prior rate of road paving, tripling prior annual sidewalk investments, and initiating water relining for the first time. Mayor Weinberger guided historic investments of federal dollars at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, including a $19M Terminal Integration Project and worked to help secure $165M in voter-approved bonding and $19M in State funds for the construction of the Burlington High School and Technical Center.
• Under Mayor Weinberger’s successful Rebuilding Plan, the Police Department is coming back from a devastating blow by the City Council with a confirmed Police Chief, 69 officers, and innovative new public safety resources including CSLs, CSOs, Urban Park Rangers, and the soon-to-launch BTV Cares program. Burlington is leading the State’s opioid response with innovation and local investment with all of its local opioid settlement dollars committed. Mayor Weinberger led Burlington in an aggressive virus control and equitable vaccination effort resulting in national leadership in low Covid-19 infection and fatality rates for an American city.
• Mayor Weinberger secured voter approved zoning changes and bonding authority for $35.9M in Downtown TIF and $21.8M in Waterfront TIF investments and leveraged an additional $31.5M in federal funds to expand the Great Streets initiative which, when complete, will rebuild 15-18 downtown blocks. He led comprehensive reforms to zoning and permitting which attracted millions more in private development downtown, including more than $200M estimated for the CityPlace project and $36M for the completed Champlain College housing project on St. Paul St.
• Mayor Weinberger successfully negotiated 12 collective bargaining contracts with the City’s four unions without going to arbitration a single time. In 2017, he intervened to end the first Burlington teachers strike in over 25 years after just four days. In its first year, the new Department of Business and Workforce Development launched a revolving loan fund and micro-businesses incubator program, strengthened direct support for families and child care providers, dispersed $1 million in ARPA grants to area non-profits to support an equitable recovery from the pandemic, launched BTV Market which features dozens of local, women-owned, and BIPOC-owned businesses, and secured a $1.5 million grant for workforce and job training to improve equity in local trades.
• From the start, Mayor Weinberger has understood the importance of great public spaces and the City’s role in building community. In 2022, he announced Juneteenth as an official City holiday for the first time, and since 2021, the REIB Department has hosted a major annual Juneteenth celebration. Since 2018, the City has hosted Highlight on New Year’s Eve, and dozens of concerts, splash dance, and speakers in the revitalized City Hall Park every summer. The Moran FRAME is already serving as a new canvas and stage for local creatives, and Mayor Weinberger committed $2 million of local ARPA funds to new and improved public gathering spaces across Burlington, including a second phase 2 of Moran FRAME, in Roosevelt Park, and to support the expansion of the BCA studios on Pine Street which now serves 1,900 adults and 1,700 youth every year. This year, the City will celebrate the completion of Vermont’s first universally accessible playground at Oakledge Park.

Mayor Weinberger is the longest continuously serving Mayor in the City’s history, having been first elected in March 2012. Many leaders shared messages of support and gratitude for the Mayor’s service to Burlington and to Vermont:

“For 12 years, Miro Weinberger has led Burlington with steady and visionary leadership. He has returned the City to fiscal health, cutting costs for Burlington taxpayers and delivering those savings back to the community with thoughtful investments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked side by side with our medical community to advocate for the public health funding and economic support Vermonters needed in a time of great stress and uncertainty. And his groundbreaking work on climate and renewable energy has inspired leaders across the nation to rethink what’s possible in their climate action agendas,” said Senator Welch. “Throughout his time as Mayor, I was proud to partner with Miro on projects to deliver important investments to Burlington, including new infrastructure, affordable housing, green transit, and support for small business. I’m thankful for Miro’s dedication to the city of Burlington, the state of Vermont, and wish him well in his continuing commitment to serving Vermonters.”

“I want to thank Mayor Weinberger for his 12 years of dedicated service to the City of Burlington, the longest of any Mayor in Burlington history. Miro came in to office at a time of financial peril for Burlington and carefully shepherded Burlington back to a place of responsible financial management, saving taxpayers considerable sums,” said Congresswoman Balint. “He continued improvement on the waterfront, completely rebuilt the beloved Burlington bike path, increased housing in the city, made historic investments in childcare, and encouraged sustainable development such as the expansion of City Market into the South End, among many other accomplishments. Miro has faced challenges as the leader of our biggest city and he has risen to meet them, always prioritizing the health, prosperity, and safety of all Burlingtonians. He is a true public servant. I have tremendous respect for him and wish him and his family the best going forward.”

Senator Patrick Leahy sent the following note of support before the Mayor’s announcement: “Burlington, and Vermont, have been so helped by your service. Marcelle and I were married here in Burlington 61 years ago. We’ve seen this City during difficult times, and during the good times. Your leadership has been essential during COVID, housing crises, improving education, and dozens of other significant issues. In addressing these problems, you have set an example for the rest of the state, and you have certainly made Burlington better.”

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Burlington, Vt. -- Today, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced over $44 million in savings for Burlington’s taxpayers, driven by favorable lending terms as a result of the City’s restored Aa3 credit rating. These locked-in savings were shared in Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Katherine Schad’s Fiscal Health Report, an annual report that the administration has published since it was requested by the City Council in 2013 following the issuance of a $9 million Fiscal Stability Bond that year. The report updates prior savings projections and outlines $24,108,885 in current dollars of savings on debt service. The report outlines an additional $20,566,079 savings on future debt service for the $130 million bond issued for the construction of a new Burlington High School and Technical Center. Together, the total current dollar savings to tax payers and ratepayers is $44,674,964.

"In 2012, we were teetering on a financial cliff, our rainy-day fund was millions of dollars in the red, and Burlington was pockmarked with stalled projects and aging public infrastructure,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “After more than a decade of strong and careful management we have locked in millions of taxpayer savings while restoring our cash reserves and making historic levels of public investment into our roads, sidewalks, stormwater system, parks, and City buildings. The City of Burlington is on solid ground and taxpayers will feel the benefits of this dramatic turnaround for years to come.”

In August, Moody’s Investment Service provided its most recent credit opinion, affirming the City’s Aa3 credit rating and citing several credit strengths, including that “Burlington's budget management and policy credibility and effectiveness is strong and is reflected in its healthy financial position and trend of stable operations and reserves.”  Further, Moody’s stated that “The city's financial position is likely to remain stable over the next few years because of conservative budgeting and prudent revenue increase.”

"Once again Moody’s has affirmed a stable financial position for the City of Burlington at a double-A rating and we are pleased to report significant taxpayer savings as a result,” said CAO Katherine Schad. “Throughout the pandemic and economic recovery, my office has continued this Administration’s commitment to strict financial management and perpetual improvement of our internal systems. As a result, we are in a strong position to continue high levels of capital investment and we are ready for whatever storms may come in the future.”

Background

• Between 2010 and 2012, the City’s credit rating was downgraded six steps in three separate actions by Moody’s, from a high of Aa3 to a low of Baa3 (one step from junk bond status), citing the Burlington Telecom liability and advances to other enterprise funds; increasing reliance on short-term borrowing; and multiple years of operating deficits.
• In FY12 the Management Letter from the City’s auditor stated the City was “at risk” due to being “overly reliant on borrowing from financial institutions to provide overall City short-term cash requirements.”
• In FY13, in response, the Mayor and City Council received voter approval to issue $9 million in Fiscal Stability Bonds in 2013. The bond proceeds resulted in an immediate improvement of the City’s cash situation and eliminated costly short-term borrowing.
• Since FY13, the City has seen four credit rating upgrades for a total of a six-notch improvement with the most recent upgrade to Aa3 being achieved in July 2019. Moody’s August 2023 credit opinion updated the rating agency’s analysis supporting this rating.
• The improved score leads to lower interest rates and more preferable borrowing terms, saving tax payers money.
• In its most recent round of significant borrowing earlier in September, the City secured a 3.84% interest rate for $130 million in school construction bonding, resulting in net present value savings of $20,566,079 on future debt service payments versus what the cost would have been if the City’s credit rating was still Baa3.

Restoring the Unassigned Fund Balance

Critical to restoring Burlington’s positive credit score has been the dramatic improvement to the Unassigned Fund Balance (UAFB), also known as the rainy-day fund, which provides cash reserves used to maintain essential public services during crisis.

• In FY12 the City had a more than $15 million deficit in the UAFB, primarily driven by the uncollectible Burlington Telecom receivable, and carried more than $23 million in cash deficits across numerous general and enterprise funds.
• The first step to stabilize the situation was the $9 million in Fiscal Stability Bonds, and in FY13 the City saw its first positive UAFB since 2009.
• The Administration and leadership team worked hard over many years to focus on fiscal management, including by implementing a new UAFB policy in FY15, which commits the City to a UAFB of 5 – 15% of the General Fund budget’s operational costs.
• As a result, the UAFB was converted to a surplus of $9.7 million by the end of FY18 and has remained well within the target range despite the COVID crisis.

More Information:

The CAO’s fiscal health report is available online here.

The August Moody’s credit opinion is available online here.

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BED’s E-Bucket Truck for Line Crew Replaces Fossil Fuel Truck In Important Step toward Net Zero Energy

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Electric Department (BED), joined today by partners from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Burlington City Councilor Hannah King (Ward 8), unveiled the state’s first all-electric bucket truck. The new truck, with its unique white and green colors and “all electric – powered by 100% renewable energy” tag line rather than the traditional orange color, constitutes another important step along the path to Burlington becoming a Net Zero Energy city. It will reduce BED’s annual diesel fuel usage by an estimated 1,650 gallons and reduce engine idling by an estimated 1,500 hours.

“Burlington is aggressively moving forward to electrify everything and reduce our carbon emissions as quickly as possible,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “When it comes to investing public dollars into new City assets that could serve our community for many years, we always look for new, innovative electric technologies that are aligned with our Net Zero Energy goal. I appreciate the integral funding support we received from the State of Vermont that has allowed our dedicated lineworkers, who work day and night in all kinds of weather, to be the first team to put an electric bucket truck to the test. I hope that seeing this new truck out at work will inspire Burlingtonians and visitors alike to explore new ways to power their homes, business, and lives with our 100% renewable electricity.”

“The team at Burlington Electric Department worked hard to bring this new electric bucket truck to Burlington, and this may well be the first E-bucket truck that will charge up using 100 percent renewably-sourced electricity,” stated Darren Springer, General Manager, Burlington Electric Department. “We are excited for Burlingtonians to see this new truck out in the community, helping to keep the lights on while demonstrating the most cutting-edge technology on the market. We recognize that operating this first-in-Vermont electric bucket truck is a significant responsibility, as our experiences will serve as a test case for distribution utilities and other companies with similar truck needs to study and learn from. BED will share data and its experiences with the State and other interested parties, and we hope this is the first of many larger vehicle electrification projects in the City and State of Vermont.”

About the new, all-electric bucket truck

In its analysis of the new electric bucket truck, BED ensured that its capabilities would meet or exceed the actual operating parameters and reliability of the 20-year-old fossil fuel truck it is replacing.

• The new truck was manufactured by Terex Utilities, a company that introduced the first ever all-electric bucket truck in June 2022.
• There are two battery systems: one for operating the truck that will be charged with a Level 3 DC fast charger that will fully charge the truck in approximately six hours; and another for operating the aerial boom and hydraulics systems that will be charged with a Level 2 charger capable of fully charging in approximately five hours.
• The truck will reduce annually an estimated 18.6 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nearly 230 pounds of NOx.
• It has a 110- to 115-mile driving range and the ability to idle for seven hours per workday, while providing sufficient power to operate the aerial boom and bucket (55 feet high from ground to base of bucket and 60 feet working height) on a single charge.
• Other features include: safety features including truck-stabilizing hydraulics when the boom is extended, horns, and continuous radio contact.
• The truck and two chargers were funded largely by the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust (EMT), from which the State of Vermont awarded BED a grant in the amount of $560,000.
• BED will pay the remaining balance of the $718,248, and calculates a payback of nine years, given the magnitude of the annual maintenance and fuel savings.

In applying for the EMT grant, BED referenced its two-pronged approach to help advance vehicle electrification, including: offering a range of incentives to encourage Burlingtonians to purchase electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and home and workplace chargers; and committing to electrifying BED’s own fleet and supporting its sister City departments to do the same; when and where vehicle purchases are made and when replacement technology is available. DEC manages the EMT funds with a primary goal of reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the state. Based in part on input from the public, other state agencies and the legislature, DEC determined that EMT funds would be allocated to assess the feasibility of all-electric technologies and begin to catalyze market transformation in Vermont, from diesel-powered to electric-powered equipment. A requirement of the grant is that the old bucket truck must be retired to ensure air quality and public health benefits are achieved.

DEC Commissioner John Beling, who attended the announcement with members of DEC’s Air Quality and Climate Division, stated: “With ground transportation pollution being such a significant contributor to the degradation of our environment, our DEC team is doing all it can to work with partners around the State to reduce emissions of NOx, greenhouse gases, and other harmful air pollutants. We hope our collective success in securing Vermont’s very first all-electric bucket truck serves as a catalyst for utilities and other businesses all over Vermont to replace their fleet trucks with electric trucks whenever possible. On behalf of Governor Phil Scott and ANR Secretary Julie Moore, I am pleased to participate in this very meaningful announcement.”

City Councilor Hannah King, who serves on the Council’s Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee (TEUC), stated: “I appreciate the focus that the Mayor and BED have placed on taking all possible steps to electrify our City fleet across all departments by replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles. This new, all-electric bucket truck provides a great opportunity for the City and BED to lead by example, an example I hope will inspire other organizations, businesses, and individual residents to take climate action however they can.”

BED Lineworker Ciaran Canavan, who will be driving the new, electric bucket truck, stated: “When we lineworkers are out in the community, we focus first on keeping ourselves and our community safe while providing reliable electric service. Then, we take our work a step further by educating Burlingtonians whenever we can on the importance of reaching our Net Zero Energy goal. Now, with our new electric bucket truck, we have a visual teaching tool that will help us educate everyone about what it means to take steps along the road to Net Zero Energy.”

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Mayor Commits to Additional Funding to Support VCJR Center for Justice-Involved People 

Burlington, Vt. – On August 15, 2023, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR) celebrated the completion of their first year operating Vermont’s first specialized re-entry and recovery center for justice-involved people living with substance use disorders.  The center is located at 109 Bank Street at the corner of Bank and Pine Streets in downtown Burlington. 

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger has been the lead champion in establishing the center, which is financially supported by the City of Burlington, University of Vermont Medical Center, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation and others. 

"The magnitude of the overdose crisis in Vermont is heartbreaking, and one of the few bright spots in our current response is the success of the new re-entry and recovery center at VCJR,” said Mayor Weinberger. “We have to make this our number one public health priority – this moment demands new innovations in treatment and near heroic efforts at harm reduction. By focusing on this high-risk population and introducing new strategies like contingency management, VCJR is helping our community meet the moment.”  

The Mayor announced that, in the absence of any financial support from the State of Vermont, the City will be chipping in another $75,000 this year from Burlington’s allocation of opioid settlement funds in addition to the $173,051 of CDBG funds and $62,500 from the non-profit ARPA grant program the City has already committed to VCJR since late 2022. 

“Prepared or not, people are coming home to their communities every day,” said Tom Dalton, Executive Director of VCJR. “Incarcerated people listed improving re-entry support as their number one need, and the need is huge. Addressing unmet needs within this high-impact group of people is resulting in profound benefits for justice-involved people as well as for their children and communities.” 

“VCJR are the ones you can call on whether it be you’re getting out of jail, headed to court, just relapsed or doing your best to prevent a relapse,” said Tyler Sears, a client at VCJR. “They even reach out to you when you’re in jail or pick you up on your first day out to welcome you back and make sure you have everything you need.” 

The Mayor recently released a report saying that between January and July of 2023, the Burlington Police Department (BPD) responded to a record 265 overdoses, already surpassing the prior year’s total. Overdose responses increased by 75% between 2021 and 2022, and could increase as much as 100% between 2022 and 2023. City analysts project the total number of incidents to approach 500 by the end of the year.  

Justice-involved people are among the most vulnerable to fatal overdoses. Risk of overdose death increases dramatically during the weeks following release from incarceration. According to researchers at the University of Vermont, only 22% of prison staff say Vermont is doing a good job preparing people for release from incarceration.   

VCR has served 168 unduplicated, high-risk justice-involved people with substance use disorders so far at the center in downtown Burlington. Upon intake, VCJR program participants reported: 

• 49% were recently released from incarceration 

• 96% reported extremely low income (based on HUD income guidelines) 

• 59% were unhoused 

• 82% tested positive for opioids, 89% tested positive for stimulants and 77% tested positive for both opioids and stimulants (like cocaine and methamphetamine) 

• 82% reported current injection drug use 

• 29% had serious wounds or infections (often related to use of drugs containing xylazine) 

• 52% reported they have experienced serious mental health symptoms related to methamphetamine use 

• 83% have experience domestic or sexual violence 

• 82% reported a history of overdose (60% reported an overdose in the last 6 months)(4% reported an overdose within 24 hours prior to intake) 

“People face enormous risks and challenges especially as they return home and VCJR is a place where they can come and get the help they need,” said Jess Kirby, VCJR Director of Client Services. 

VCJR’s center has been helping justice-involved people succeed by providing a range of re-entry and recovery services including overdose prevention, case management, parenting support and help meeting basic needs like housing and transportation. 

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Burlington Police Department Overdose Responses to Date Surpass 2022, Projected to Approach 500 by End-of-Year  

Burlington, Vt. – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger released a new report by Burlington’s BTVstat Data team showing the region’s rising challenges around Opioid Use Disorder has reached unprecedented heights. Between January and July of 2023, the Burlington Police Department (BPD) responded to a record 265 overdoses, already surpassing the prior year’s total. Overdose responses increased by 75% between 2021 and 2022, and could increase as much as 100% between 2022 and 2023. City analysts project the total number of incidents to approach 500 by the end of the year. 

"Responding to the overdose crisis must once again become Vermont’s number one public health priority. Our officers and firefighters now respond to overdoses every single day. When confronting these numbers and the heartbreak behind them, it is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed by the magnitude of this issue,” said Mayor Weinberger. “Before the pandemic we were making real progress and saving lives. Because fentanyl and meth are now the dominant drugs in the community, the tactics of that period are no longer nearly as effective, but the principles that guided that period still represent our best path forward. This moment demands treatment innovation and a redoubling of harm reduction and interdiction efforts at all levels of government.” 

The new report, available on the City’s BTVstat Data Hub, shows the rate of both overdose responses and overdose fatalities accelerating sharply. BPD’s monthly overdose responses now average 39, up from 6 per month from 2015-2017. Chittenden County now averages 5.9 overdose fatalities per month, up from 4.6 last year. Statewide, overdose fatalities average 20 per month for the first 3 months of this year, up from approximately 16 per month – the monthly average for January – March over the prior three years. The Vermont Department of Health reports that the rate of opioid overdose death per 100,000 people in Chittenden County is slightly lower than the state average 12.4, while rates in other counties have reached as high as 23.9 in Windham County and 33.8 in Essex County.  

“Use of illicit substances is more dangerous today than ever before. A rapidly changing drug market increases the likelihood of overdose incidents – acute health crises that not only threaten the lives of people who use drugs, but also impact the health and well-being of local emergency responders,” said Scott Pavek, City of Burlington Substance Use Policy Analyst. “Adulteration of illicit drug supplies with increasingly potent opioids and novel psychoactive substances have eroded the efficacy of treatment programs and harm reduction services tailored to address the misuse of heroin or common prescription opioids. We must modernize our statewide system of care for substance use disorder to match the reality of drug use in Vermont communities.” 

The City has identified another troubling trend as an increasing number of overdose victims are refusing medical transfer following treatment in the field. While police and fire personnel can administer Narcan, a life-saving opioid antagonist now available over-the-counter, they cannot prescribe or administer Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine or methadone. The City is exploring new policies to better facilitate access to MOUD following an overdose, and to expand access to MOUD that is effective for fentanyl users broadly. Other initiatives to respond to the opioid crisis include:  

• Since 2016 the Mayor has facilitated Community Stat, a monthly meeting of approximately 50-70 individuals including elected leaders, medical providers, members of law enforcement, people with lived experience and family members of people living with SUD, who review recent overdose data and work together to develop policy and systems change.  

• Increased financial support to the Howard Center to expand the Street Outreach Team.  

• Mayor Weinberger serves on the state Opioid Settlement Committee which made over $7 million in funding recommendations to the State legislature. These recommendations were in large part funded by bill H.222, passed this year.  

• Lead funding for Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR), an organization headquartered in downtown Burlington that supports justice involved people by providing harm reduction services, contingency management, and assistance initiating MOUD-based treatments during community re-entry following incarceration. 

• Advocating to the Legislature to remove legal barriers to the creation of Overdose Prevention Sites.  

• Advocating for state and federal reforms to increase access to methadone, including satellite locations for methadone. H.222 funds a second methadone clinic for Chittenden County. 

• New personnel at the BPD including Community Service Liaisons who support case management and outreach, and the soon-to-be hired Assistant Director of Crisis, Advocacy, Intervention Programs to better manage and coordinate these efforts. 

• Creation of Elmwood Emergency Shelter Community which pairs low-barrier shelter with access to robust support services, including contingency management provided by VCJR, peer support recovery meetings facilitated by the Turning Point, routine medical services by Community Health Centers, and medically assisted treatment provided by Safe Recovery. 

Community Stat 

Mayor Weinberger’s monthly forum brings together service providers, policymakers and community members impacted by the overdose crisis to discuss programs and policies related to substance use, harm reduction, treatment, prevention and recovery. This meeting centers discussions on four principles: accurate and timely data and information; effective tactics and strategies; rapid deployment of resources; relentless follow-up and assessment. Community Stat discussions frequently engender cross-sector collaboration to address gaps in Vermont’s system of care for substance use disorder. Information shared at Community Stat – from nationally renowned subject matter experts and local direct service providers – empowers treatment professionals to modify programs to best address increasingly dangerous and unpredictable illicit drug supplies. 

Past successes to strengthen the region’s response to the overdose crisis facilitated by Community Stat include:  

• Implementation of “no barrier” programs expanding access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). 

• Dramatic reductions in prescribing rates by UVMMC prescribers. 

• The addition of rapid MOUD induction services in the UVMMC emergency room and at Safe Recovery. 

• Comprehensive screening and MOUD prescribing in Vermont’s correctional facilities. 

• Elimination of waitlists for medication access at Hub and Spoke locations serving Chittenden County residents. 

• Reduced prior authorization requirements for MOUD among Vermont’s largest health insurance providers, allowing patients and prescribers more flexibility to develop effective treatment plans. 

Emergency Response Data for City of Burlington 

The report also includes year-end data through 2022 on overall responses by the Burlington Police Department (BPD) and Burlington Fire Department (BFD). In 2022, non-discretionary police responses increased by 13% over 2021, following a 17% decline between 2015 and 2021. Overall police incidents, including those initiated by officers, totaled 25,189 in 2022. The City is seeing early benefits from new investments and expansions in public safety staff positions including Community Service Officers and Community Support Liaisons. Since early 2022, responders other than sworn officers have accounted for one in every five BPD responses.  

BFD responses also experienced a sharp yearly increase, with a 17% increase from 8,288 in 2021 to 9,730 in 2022 following much more moderate yearly increases in the prior decade. More than half of all BFD responses are medical. 

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Proposal to legalize dense multi-family housing in the South End for the first time, create a vibrant new mixed-use neighborhood   

Burlington, Vt. – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger and area stakeholders discussed the impacts of the proposed zoning amendment to create the South End Innovation District (SEID), which will legalize housing in Burlington’s South End. The proposal would enhance the already bustling manufacturing and arts district by enabling dense, mixed-use development of a large swath of the city that is currently dominated by undeveloped or underutilized parcels. Sharing their support for the SEID, were: Owner and Developer of Hula Lakeside Russ Scully, South End resident and member of Vermonters for People Oriented Places (VPOP) Jake Tiano, Deputy Director of Burlington Business Association Colin Hilliard, Chief Executive Officer of Champlain Housing Trust Michael Monte, and Champlain College President Alex Hernandez. The Burlington City Council is slated to take action on the SEID at their regular meeting this evening.  

“The South End Innovation District overlay will be one of the most substantial pro-housing steps the City has ever taken. It is through major reforms like this that we will eventually end the homelessness crisis,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “I am struck by the diverse and engaged coalition of support behind this zoning amendment which includes businesses, residents, artists, and developers who all understand that we need more housing and we need it now.”  

The proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Development Ordinance creates an overlay that applies to a portion of the South End Enterprise Light Manufacturing Zone (E-LM), to facilitate dense, mixed-use development including multifamily housing for the first time in the core of the South End. The SEID advances a key planBTV: South End policy, adopted in 2019, to create a mixed-use innovation district centered around Lakeside Avenue, and a key component of the Mayor’s 2021 10-point Housing Action Plan which directed the city to explore the inclusion of housing in this area.  

The SEID is intended to guide development on largely undeveloped and underutilized land, including 13-acres of existing surface parking lots, in a way that will make it possible to build a variety of new housing types, while supporting public and ecological health by improving walking, biking and green stormwater infrastructure and guiding the redevelopment of formerly industrial and brownfield properties.   

The total rezoned area is 81 acres and currently has no residential homes in it. The City, Ride Your Bike, and Champlain College are working under an MOU that could result in approximately 700 hundred new homes in the south half of the new district if the zoning is approved. The rezoning could ultimately enable approximately 1,200 hundred new homes in the entire district. 

“The South End Innovation District creates a live-work-play-learn community that will boost innovation, entrepreneurship and affordable housing,” says Champlain College president Alex Hernandez. “Champlain College is excited to be an academic partner in this effort and help more people build a better future in our city.” 

“CHT is ready to participate in this exciting and new initiative to create housing in Burlington’s south end,” said Michael Monte, Chief Executive Officer of the Champlain Housing Trust. “The need for housing, especially affordable housing, is greater than ever. Turning parking lots into housing is the right thing to do.” 

Colin Hilliard, Deputy Director, Burlington Business Association (BBA) said: “The Burlington Business Association enthusiastically supports the proposed changes to create a South End Innovation District (SEID). We’ve heard from countless local businesses about the challenge of hiring staff simply because they can’t find housing. And too many employees must commute from outside Chittenden County when they'd like to bike or walk to work. For these reasons, over 17 South End businesses employing over 750 people have signed on in support of this proposal. The BBA and its members hope to see further advances in housing just like this one, with more members in our community saying Yes to more neighbors and Yes in My Backyard.”  

Background: 

• The concept of a new multi-use district, including housing, in the South End has long been discussed, and was formally introduced in the 2014 planBTV: South End process. 

• The planBTV: South End process explored housing options within and outside of the ELM zone. While the plan, at the time of adoption in 2019, ultimately did not recommend housing in this new district, it directed continued discussions about housing needs in the South End and necessary changes to zoning policies to meet those needs. 

• In December 2021 Mayor Weinberger announced a 10-point Action Plan to Fulfill Housing as Human Right in Burlington, which identified two priority goals to double housing production and end homelessness over five years, supported by ten new initiatives. The plan’s initiative to “open new housing opportunities through the creation of a mixed-use Enterprise Innovation District in a portion of the South End” provided the forum for this much-needed discussion to continue. 

• The SEID was formally introduced to the Planning Commission in August 2022, and was approved by the Commission and referred to the City Council in January 2023. The full council referred the amendment to the Ordinance Committee in February 2023, and the Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval last month.  

• The Burlington City Council will consider the SEID for action following a public hearing at its regular meeting tonight, July 24.  

More Information:  

The SEID amendment will facilitate the development of a mixed-use urban district that supports the South End’s arts and innovation economy, while also providing access to housing. It establishes specific standards for new development within the district, including: 

• Land Use standards that allow for multi-unit housing and non-residential uses, including arts and making, office and innovation, and light manufacturing as well as other commercial uses that support a mixed-use neighborhood such as child care, small groceries, cafes, and laundry services.  

• Residential developments within the overlay will be required to comply with the city’s Inclusionary Housing standards, including that a minimum of 15% of housing units meet affordability limits, creating an opportunity for hundreds of new permanently affordable homes.  

• Standards for building height which range from four up to eight stories, while limiting overall building size and requiring upper story variation to create a high-quality and livable urban form that facilitates residential and economic growth. 

• Standards that require new blocks to be created on very large sites and that govern lot coverage and ground floor uses to guide the development of a walkable, dense, and human-scaled urban district. 

• Standards that require buildings be close to streets and occupy the majority of a block’s frontage, while providing a greater degree of flexibility and open space than downtown zoning districts. 

• Parking standards that limit surface parking and guide the development of parking in a way that mitigates negative impacts. 

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Neighbors,   

As the stormwaters recede, the City team has been hard at work assessing and repairing damages and supporting community members and other Vermont towns impacted by the floods.  

The major impacts of this emergency on Burlington and our local recovery efforts are focused on two serious events, a sewer line break under the Winooski River which brings wastewater from the east-side of the New North End to the City’s North Plant, and substantial flooding at the Intervale – which has devastated several small farms in our community with a near total loss at the height of their productive growing season.  

This update includes more information about the City’s ongoing response, and information about how to travel and recreate safely in the days and weeks ahead. 

Wastewater Break  

On July 12, DPW Water Resources staff discovered a break underneath the Winooski River at North Plant. We immediately mobilized to prevent as much untreated flow as possible from entering the Winooski. The DPW team is working rapidly to 1. reduce discharge into the river 2. re-route the wastewater temporarily 3. repair the line as soon conditions allow. 

For the last several years the City has prioritized needed improvements and repairs to public infrastructure, and as a result Burlington’s stormwater systems operated well during this serious weather event. This pipe undergoes dye testing twice a year and periodic inspections by a diver and the last inspection was actually just last month, with no significant findings. We believe this break was due to heavy scouring caused by the extreme stormwater conditions in the Winooski River, leading to erosion around the pipe that led to failure, or possibly large debris that could have hit the pipe. It is currently unsafe to send a diver to inspect the pipe now, but as soon as conditions allow, they will be assessing the damage and the DPW team can then plan for permanent repairs.  

In the meantime, our first phase of leak mitigation is underway and it involves using sewage pumping/hauling trucks (4000 gallons each) 24/7 to intercept and haul as much sewage as possible to prevent it from entering the river.  

Our second and more robust phase of leak mitigation involves constructing a temporary bypass piping system over a significant distance to be able to handle all of the flow that usually goes through this river crossing and safely convey it to North Plant for treatment. To get more information and updates, sign up for VT-Alert and visit burlingtonvt.gov/water/winooskibreakjuly12 for an ongoing incident response page and more details.  

Water Conservation Request for some homes in the New North End 

In an effort to support the emergency mitigation efforts we are asking customers in the Priority area of the North Plant Sewer System to reduce the amount of water/waste that is reaching the sewer system via their drains (sinks, showers, clothes and dishwashers) and toilets until further notice (likely at least 2 weeks), especially during peak usage hours (6 – 8 am, and 6 – 8 pm). 

This is extremely important for users who are in the area that flows to the river crossing (see map here). This includes but is not limited to: 

1. Limit toilet flushing, when possible. 

2. Running dishwashers and washers only with full loads. 

3. Taking short showers and limiting bath tub use. 

4. Turn off faucet when brushing teeth or washing hands. 

5. Disconnecting sump pumps from discharging to the sewer system and running the discharge pipe onto your lawn (this is a best practice always) 

Email water-resources@burlingtonvt.gov with questions (expect a reply within 1 business day). For urgent questions, please call 802-863-4501. 

The Intervale  

Substantial floodwaters from the Winooski River inundated the Intervale and its small-scale farms between late Monday night and Wednesday afternoon. Virtually every farm was flooded. Thanks to the work of many volunteers to answered the call on Monday afternoon, thousands of pounds of produce was saved and stored before the flood, however, most tenants will experience a total loss of crops left in the ground. This a heartbreaking hit to our community, the farms and farmers at the Intervale are critical to our local food systems and this vibrant, beautiful part of the City will need substantial work to rebuild.  

The Intervale Board and Staff are still evaluating the damage and overall impact. Burlington’s Department of Business and Workforce Development (BWD) has begun outreach to the affected farms and is able to provide technical assistance, including to access relief funds and navigate insurance claims, translation services, and in some cases low or no interest loans and grants to certain farm businesses who qualify. Any farms or businesses affected by the extreme weather should contact BWD for help.  

Mutal Aid 

At my direction many City departments have extended offers of mutual aid to communities across Vermont. Burlington Electric has sent trucks and lineworkers to assist GMP and Washington Electric, and the Department of Public Works has lent staff and equipment to Johnson to support a wastewater repair, to Waterbury to pump our flooded homes and businesses, and to Barre to sweep silt-laden streets. We expect several other departments including BCA, Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront, and the Airport to all join mutual efforts in the coming weeks.  

Notably, six specially trained members of the Burlington Fire Department have been deployed throughout the week to the state’s Urban Rescue Taske Force. Over many days and with little rest, thirteen of these rescue teams from across Vermont joined by several from other states performed over 100 rescues and over 60 evacuations.  

Stay Safe  

We continue to operate under a State of Emergency, and more heavy rain is expected Sunday. Again, I urge you to heed all road closures and all directions from state and local officials, including to stay away from the river banks, brooks, and streams where flash floods can happen quickly. If you are traveling to and from the City, pay careful attention for road closures and obstructions and do not attempt to walk or drive across moving floodwaters for any reason. You can find a list of road closures here.

City programming is able to continue uninterrupted. For Burlingtonians and anyone who can safely travel to the City, we have many regularly scheduled events and opportunities coming up to enjoy the downtown and waterfront. Visit burlingtoncityarts.org and loveburlington.org to see upcoming events and programs. 

We have faced crises before, as a City and together as Vermonters, and we will rise to today’s challenges as we have every time before – with caring and generosity for our neighbors, and with hard work and determination to emerge stronger than before. 

Stay safe,   

Miro  Weinberger 

Mayor of Burlington 

Neighbors,  

Our community has fared relatively well during last night’s catastrophic weather event. I am grateful and relieved that our neighbors, public infrastructure, and local businesses in Burlington have largely been spared, and like you, I’m heartbroken by the devastating images of communities across Vermont still facing dangerously high floodwaters and likely, months and years of recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

Conditions in Burlington are stable and the City team continues to monitor for emerging issues, including impacts on our stormwater and wastewater systems, utilities, and conditions at the Winooski One Hydro Plant. As of now, no major impacts or damages to public infrastructure have been reported. However, the water level of the Winooski River remains high and this is a serious, sustained weather event. We continue to operate under a State of Emergency. 

It is incumbent on each of us to do what we can to avoid risk and ensure safety for the people around us, including for our first responders and road crews. I urge you to heed all road closures and all directions from state and local officials, including to stay away from the river banks, brooks, and streams where flash floods can happen quickly. If you are traveling to and from the City, pay careful attention for road closures and obstructions and do not attempt to walk or drive across moving floodwaters for any reason.  

I have been in touch with numerous state officials and municipal leaders and at my direction numerous City departments have extended offers of mutual aid to state agencies and other municipalities. Several members of the Burlington Fire Department have been deployed with the Urban Rescue Task Force since Sunday night and some Burlington Police Officers remain on call to assist with rescue if needed. The Burlington Electric Department has sent two trucks and three lineworkers to assist GMP.  

Below is a list of resources for ongoing emergency communications, and we will continue to share information about how to help Vermonters in need as that information becomes available.  

Burlington is doing what it can to support the emergency response now – and we will continue forward in solidarity and with generosity toward our neighbors in every way that we can in the long recovery ahead. That is the Burlington spirit. 

Stay safe,  

Miro  Weinberger

Mayor of Burlington

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Report emerging but non-life-threatening issues to the City of Burlington through See-Click-Fix, such as power outages. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. If you are in need of shelter or other basic services call 2-1-1. 

Emergency information is available here:  

NWS Burlington Weather: https://www.weather.gov/btv/  

NWS River Observations: https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=btv  

Sign up for VTalert: www.vtalert.gov  

511 for road closures: https://newengland511.org/&nbsp 

Vermont Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management: https://vem.vermont.gov/news/preps_7.9.23  

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement regarding the current State of Emergency:  

“Today’s major flooding events have so far spared our community. Our thoughts are with our fellow Vermonters already experiencing catastrophic damage from this storm, and as long as conditions remain stable in Burlington, we will be sending mutual aid crews soon to support statewide recovery efforts. Already, members of the Burlington Fire Department have been deployed to the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.  

This is a serious, sustained weather event and flash flood warnings remain in effect. I urge Burlingtonians to stay off the roads and avoid all non-essential travel. If you are traveling, pay careful attention to road closures and never attempt to walk or drive across moving floodwaters. This is an emergency, and it is incumbent on each of us to do what we can to avoid risk and ensure safety for the people around us, including for our first responders and road crews.” 

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Emergency information is available here:  

NWS Burlington Weather: https://www.weather.gov/btv/  

NWS River Observations: https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=btv  

Sign up for VTalert: www.vtalert.gov  

511 for road closures: https://newengland511.org/&nbsp 

Vermont Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management: https://vem.vermont.gov/news/preps_7.9.23  

Report emerging but non-life-threatening issues to the City of Burlington through See-Click-Fix, such as power outages. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. If you are in need of shelter or other basic services call 2-1-1.  

Mayor’s budget advances key priorities amidst historic inflation and post-pandemic volatility in City revenues; Uses non-service-related spending cuts, federal investment, and one-time funds to lower taxpayer impact 

Burlington, Vt. – At its meeting tonight, the City Council approved the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget by a 10 – 2 vote. Councilors went on to approve the accompanying resolution to set the municipal property tax rate, which raises 42% of funds for the coming year’s public expenditures, by a vote of 9 – 3. Despite historic inflation and lingering pandemic impacts to City revenues, the Mayor’s budget advances key priorities for Burlingtonians, including in the areas of public safety, climate action, racial equity, affordable housing and homeless initiatives, and to combat the opioid crisis. The FY24 budget deploys roughly $750,000 in non-personnel and non-service-related spending cuts, federal relief dollars, and other one-time funds to mitigate taxpayer impacts, and funds multiple studies of City operations and revenues to prepare for future year budget challenges. 

“This budget reflects the clear priorities of our community while acknowledging the real concerns of taxpayers as we continue to face uncertain and challenging economic times as Burlingtonians and local businesses work to recover from the pandemic and absorb the debt burden of the new high school,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Despite severe and sustained inflationary pressures across all City operations, with this budget we will make new investments in the coming year to rebuild and expand our police department, maintain our historic levels of infrastructure investment, and retain all current City employees and public services including to support our ongoing work to advance racial equity and to achieve a Net Zero Energy future, while minimizing increases to taxes and fees.” 

A Challenging Budget Period  

Factors contributing to challenges in the FY24 budget, and likely future years, include:  

• Inflation-driven COLA increases across all unions for FY23 and FY24 add substantial costs to the operating budget. 

• Increases to most of the City’s non-personnel operating costs are driven by significant and sustained inflation rates (an average of 8.0% across all months in 2022, and 5.26% across the first 5 months of 2023). 

• We are in the third and final year of phasing out federal support for dramatically expanded city-wide equity initiatives, including the creation of the Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) Department, paying board and commission members, our language access program, and paying all City employees a livable wage. In FY22 the General Fund budget allocated $2.76M to launch these initiatives, the FY24 the budget commits only $800k of federal dollars to REIB and $170K to CEDO to support these initiatives. 

• Pandemic-impacted revenue shortfalls persist across numerous sources, such as boat slip rental at the waterfront and parking across the City. 

• Our largest revenue source, property taxes, can only increase by 1) growing the Grand List (which historically drives a <1% increase in tax revenue per year) or 2) voter-approved tax rate increases. 

• Rebuilding of police officer ranks (in alignment with the Rebuilding Plan, the budget assumes 7 additional officers in FY24), hiring three new firefighters, and fully staffing the CSL (6) and CSO (11) programs, also contribute to considerable public safety cost increase. 

Significant Public Investments in FY24 

Despite the major challenges detailed above, the FY24 budget avoids any service cuts, layoffs, or hiring freezes on existing positions and will continue to forge critical progress in our highest priority areas, including: 

• Robust investments in green stimulus incentives for BED ratepayers and work underway to ready the electric grid for future increased electricity demand will continue, funded in part by the voter-approved $20 million Net Zero Energy Revenue Bond passed in 2021. 

• Expanded resources, recruitment tools, and new hires for public safety, including $1.3 million of increased Police Department personnel costs, and $950,000 of increased Fire Department personnel costs. 

• Major public infrastructure investments supported by the 2022 voter-approved Capital Bond, federal and state awards, and more than $1 million in Street Capital funds for paving and large patching repairs. 

• New deployment of $183,000 in annual Opioid Settlement funds to support the City’s expanded efforts to advance harm reduction and expand access to medically-assisted treatment and contingency management.  

• A $1.7 million budget for the Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department, which includes the structural reorganization of 10 full-time employees to advance the Department’s key initiatives, including cultural events, programs to address racism as a public health emergency, the continuation of the Empowerment Fund, and the planned Neighborhood Equity Index. 

New Property Tax Rates and Preparing for Future Budget Years  

The FY24 budget is level funded and will require an increased tax rate of $.7523 from the FY23 tax rate of $.7082 -- or an increase of 6.2%, which is comparable to this year’s projected State Education tax rate increase. This includes an addition of $.05 to the dedicated Street Capital and Greenbelt tax to increase patching and paving, and an additional $.02 to the dedicated Parks tax which will generate an additional $1.1 million of revenue to pay for BPRW expenses the City is already incurring. 

The total year over year increase in the municipal property tax rate represents a $13.60 per month, or $163.20 per year, increase for homeowners with a home with median tax assessed value of $370,000. 

The budget also funds several studies that will analyze cost-saving efficiencies in City government and explore new potential revenue sources other than the property tax, including: 

• Fleet Management Study to establish sustainable funding for City vehicles. 

• Operational analysis of City operations to ensure functions aren’t duplicated across the City and to increase inter-department efficiencies. 

• Continued support for the Impact Fee Study (for which the City allocated $100,000 in FY23) so that a leading expert firm can advise the City and CCRPC on an update of our impact fee program. 

• Financial Sustainability Study for CEDO funded by HUD. 

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