FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2017
Contact:  Brian Lowe
                 802.735.3983
 

 **Please scroll down below the press release for a copy of the Vermont Mayors Coalition 2017 Legislative Policy Summary.

Vermont Mayors Coalition Announces 2017 Legislative Session Goals
Mayors Advocate for Measures Related to Opioids, Police Training, Clean Water, Municipal Taxation of Parking Garages, and Public Safety

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Mayors Coalition today announced its 2017 legislative session goals and its commitment to collaborate on and advocate for these areas of common interest to their cities and towns. At a news conference at the State House, the Coalition released its legislative policy summary for the 2017 legislative session, which includes:
 

• Supporting Effective Measures to Address Opioid Addiction
• Implementing a Common Sense Approach to Clean Water Funding
• Reforming the Police Training Curriculum in VT
• Public Safety Notification
• Parking Garage Tax Exemptions
• Eliminate Cap on TIF Districts 
   

The Vermont Mayors Coalition was created in 2013 by Vermont’s eight Mayors, and includes: 
 

• Bill Benton, Vergennes;
• Liz Gamache, St. Albans;
• John Hollar, Montpelier;
• Thom Lauzon, Barre;
• Seth Leonard, Winooski;
• Chris Louras, Rutland;
• Paul Monette, Newport; and
• Miro Weinberger, Burlington.
   

The Mayors offered the following statements about the issues of common interest they are collaborating on and advocating for during the 2017 legislative session:

Vergennes Mayor Bill Benton: "The Vermont Mayor's Coalition represents a diverse group of municipal leaders.  We strive to support legislative goals that are non-partisan, support our communities and contribute to the well-being of the entire State of Vermont."

St. Albans Mayor Liz Gamache: “The 2017 VMC platform reflects key elements that make strong communities: the physical and mental wellbeing of our citizens, care and concern for the environment, and healthy economic conditions. Legislative action to support the needs of Vermont's cities is essential to strengthening Vermont's future.”

Montpelier Mayor John Hollar: “Municipalities face enormous costs to comply with new stormwater protection requirements. As Mayors, we supported these water quality measures, but the State needs to provide substantial financial support to help meet these new standards.”

Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon: “While we’ve made some improvement in the area of public safety information sharing, I believe we can and need to do better. The unfortunate reality is that communities across Vermont are still playing a reactive role as we continue to struggle with opiate addiction and the related issues of domestic violence, gun violence, child neglect, mental illness and threats against agencies in a protective role. We need to redouble our efforts to ensure that valuable investigative and preventative public safety information is available and shared between health, protective and law enforcement agencies. This type of information is invaluable in preventing crime in Vermont’s towns and cities.”

Winooski Mayor Seth Leonard: “As Vermont’s economy comes into focus during the 2017 Legislative Session, the VMC is proposing or supporting several initiatives to ensure our State’s population and employment centers continue as vibrant engines of growth. We are looking to the Legislature for partnership in making the State’s goals of financial sustainability and growth a reality. If we can achieve these ends together, our communities will thrive and so will Vermont.”

Rutland Mayor Chris Louras: “The nation’s and Vermont’s demographic will continue to change over the coming years and decades, and our economic future depends on policing standards that recognize an increasingly diverse population. The State should review the CJTC curriculum and update as necessary to weave fair and impartial policing principles into all aspects of academy coursework.”

Newport Mayor Paul Monette: “Economic development is vital to all communities within our State, and many municipalities are experiencing austere budgets and other circumstances that are beyond our control. This results in a lack of resources to help with infrastructure improvements, and the TIF district is a valuable tool to help create a true public/private partnership. By allowing municipalities to reinvest a major portion of the increased value and associated municipal/educational taxes, we are helping promote economic development. Successful results of TIFs can be seen all around the State, and the Mayors Coalition urges the legislature to lift the cap on new TIFs.”

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger: “For years, the Mayors Coalition has supported ambitious efforts to protect our waterways from run-off so long as they are implemented in a way that is effective, efficient and fair. The 2017 Legislative session represents a time of critical decision making for the future of our waters, and the Mayors continue to urge decisive action to create a new system guided by these principles.”

Vermont Mayors Coalition

Legislative Policy Summary
2017 Legislative Session – January 12, 2017

The Vermont Mayors Coalition (VMC) is advocating for State action to support municipalities in the following four important issues:

Supporting Effective Efforts to Address Opioid Addiction

The VMC supports the principles laid out by the new Administration and calls on the State to help support efforts that are producing positive results addressing addiction challenges. In Rutland and Burlington, two similar, community-wide efforts known respectively as Project Vision and CommunityStat have defined the opioid crisis as a complex challenge best addressed by bringing together local public health, law enforcement, non-profit, private sector, and government leaders. While the two models are different in certain respects, both facilitate data aggregation, information sharing, and broad stakeholder engagement. Both also clearly identify leaders able to establish priorities and accountability and charge them with a responsibility for driving change.

These efforts are changing two communities’ response to a terrible challenge in meaningful and positive ways. Two forms of State support could help more Vermont communities enact similar changes. First, the Mayors call for the State to continue directing leading appointees to attend and participate in these meetings and to facilitate the creation of additional efforts in other Vermont towns and cities. Second, the Mayors call on the State to offer modest matching funds to incentivize community action.  These programs are lean and require little in the way of State investment – and that small investment can make a substantial difference.

Clean Water Funding

In 2015, the State of Vermont passed the landmark Vermont Clean Water Act (H.64), designed to protect Vermont’s lakes and streams from excess nutrients like phosphorus. Over the years, the VMC has advocated to make the act effective, fair, and efficient, and supported the passage of the legislation. Much regulatory and legislative action and implementation is still needed to succeed in this generational challenge of keeping our waterways clean.

In 2017, in light of the Clean Water Funding report released by Treasurer Beth Pearce, the VMC remains focused on moving this effort forward:

The Mayors support the Governor’s and Treasurer’s proposed allocation of $50 million of existing resources to the Clean Water Fund for two years to address this critical challenge over the next two years.  This reallocation should follow the same effective, fair, and efficient principles the VMC has previously advocated for. Municipal projects should receive priority funding from the Clean Water Fund during this period, recognizing that needed municipal resources are largely unfunded at this point.  The VMC urges Legislators to begin working now on a long-term funding solution.

It is vital to set a long-term target State funding percentage for each TMDL investment area. Without fixing a target annual funding level the State is committed to reaching, it will be difficult to settle on an appropriate funding strategy. While the Treasurer Pearce report would provide sufficient State funding to allow for the first two years to be enacted, the State would need to play a meaningful role in future years.

The VMC reiterates their 2016 call that the State should assume 80 percent of the future costs beyond the Treasurer’s two-year interim period, with municipalities increasing their contribution to 20 percent. Until 2015, the State was committed to paying for all wastewater facility discharges. Not only does the State have far greater options for raising revenues than municipalities, and thus a greater ability to fund this necessary work, the implementation of our collective TMDL-reduction efforts will be more effective and efficient if the State is responsible for a fair share of the system’s financial burden. A clear target will also be a major factor in determining which of the different revenue sources under consideration are the most equitable and sufficient to cover the costs of the water quality improvement programs that will be required to meet state and federal requirements over the next 20 years.

The Mayors continue to support statewide tiered per parcel fee that reflects the parcel’s usage and impact as the fairest and most sustainable funding mechanism to support clean water. To be sustainable, the revenue sources should be tied, as clearly as possible, to stable revenue sources that are fair, progressive in nature, and have a nexus with clean water. A Statewide tiered per parcel fee, or charge by a new statewide stormwater utility that accounts for factors such as size and the degree to which activities on the land contribute to problematic runoff, is the best option.

The Mayors call on the Legislature to create a working group now to create an implementation plan for a tiered parcel fee in 2019. There is no time to waste. The working group should include representatives from the legislature, Treasurer Pearce’s office, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Health, municipalities and agricultural interests impacted by the fees, as well as other stakeholders as necessary.

As Treasurer Pearce’s report notes, any new parcel or stormwater utility fee should recognize the contributions of property owners within municipalities with existing stormwater utilities raising local revenues to pay for TMDL mitigation efforts. The Mayors do not oppose a modest additional cost to municipalities that border Lake Champlain, as while 94 percent of the State is impacted by the various TMDLs under discussion, the lakeshore communities do derive additional benefits from tourism; benefits that are dependent on clean water.

The VMC is strongly opposed to the State increasing the sales and use or rooms, meals, and alcoholic beverage taxes, as those are already primary sources of municipal revenue.  There should also be some consideration of tapping into sources that reach out-of-state visitors, whose transportation patterns and use of the lake may play heavily into the clean water analysis.

Reforming the Police Training Curriculum in Vermont

The Mayors call on the new Administration to review the training curriculum, certifying exams, and structure of the Criminal Justice Training Council. Vermont has good reason to be proud of its police agencies and the initial training those officers receive at the Police Academy in Pittsford, VT. A change in Administrations offers a good opportunity to review existing training protocols at the Academy to make sure training received and exams administered reflect the demands that will be placed on these aspiring young officers in the cities and towns they serve.

Further, the Academy trains officers to serve a wide range of communities across the State. The Mayors believe those communities should have a voice on the Council that runs the Academy, and urge the Legislature and Administration to consider revising the existing appointment structure of the Council to give Vermont’s cities and towns a voice in the training their officers receive. The Mayors also believe the Criminal Justice Training Council should provide a clear overseeing authority within State Government, whether through the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Public Safety.

Tax Exemption of Municipal Parking Utilities

During the 2015 and 2016 Legislative Sessions the VMC pushed for the Legislature and Administration to take a serious look at statutes related to the taxation of municipally owned parking facilities. Last year we provided testimony to the Senate Finance Committee evidencing that 32 V.S.A. § 5401(10) must be updated to reflect a taxation exemption for municipal parking infrastructure. We did so with the support of the Vermont Department of Taxes, Vermont Economic Progress Council, and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. Despite a broad coalition of support and an absence of impact to State revenue, another session went by without action. We are renewing our pledge to pursue this issue to ensure Vermont growth centers can continue to be drivers of our State’s economy.

The VMC is stressing urgency on this issue, as our state does not need artificial barriers to economic growth. Asking municipalities to continue to create vibrant commercial and residential centers of growth for Vermont’s economy without flexibility to also control parking is not realistic. Parking is a public utility that municipalities are providing for public benefit. Municipalities need flexibility to ensure parking structures and lots serve the highest and best public use and represent desired land use goals of the community, region, and state. An inability to have municipalities involved in financing garages compromises decades of thoughtful planning around development and land use. Economic development is directly impacted, as is the implementation of smart growth plans. We risk towns foregoing opportunities for critical jobs and housing development that would boost the Vermont economy. The State has an opportunity to correct this issue without forgoing revenue before it is applied to all applicable situations.

The VMC wants to make the impact and risk of not addressing this issue very clear. The value a parking utility is being taxed twice – once in functional value and second as a structure. Property owners and municipalities are being taxed for the same structure and use. The implementation of this statute is not only hurting the municipality but is also impacting the property owners who seek to create jobs and housing opportunities in Vermont.

Municipalities will be compelled to ignore optimal land use and environmental risks, constructing surface parking if this statutory provision stays in place. Garages and lots that support public uses in downtowns will be left without adequate repairs or will become operationally untenable. Using Winooski as a case study:
 

• Expenses for a garage include salaries, utilities, maintenance, and debt service.
• Expenses for Winooski garage increased from $637,618.42 to $782,471.75 ($144,853 increase) as a direct result of the application of this tax.
• $140,000 of that increase was from implementation of taxation we are seeking to address.
• Result: Removed staffing, cuts in maintenance, reduced capital repair budgets. In the long-term we are unable to make future parking development financially feasible. This has harmed current businesses and is curbing future growth.
   

This is not limited to impacting one community. If applied uniformly and fairly, other villages, towns, and cities will have similar budget impacts.

Public Safety Notification

Currently, it is a crime for a prohibited person to attempt to purchase a firearm, yet there is no formal process or requirement to notify local, county, or state law enforcement when this attempted purchase takes place. Local, county, and state law enforcement notification can be invaluable to law enforcement agencies as we continue to struggle with the issues of addiction and the often related issues of domestic violence, child neglect, mental illness, and threats to agencies and employees in a protective role.

The VMC is calling for notification when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm. Given the vast knowledge that local police officers have regarding their respective communities (such as pending arrests, investigations, and points of contact), this information could prove invaluable as a preventative tool.  Such was the case in Waterbury in the fall of 2016. Acting on information provided by Sheriff Sam Hill, who had been forwarded information regarding a threat allegedly made against a DCF employee and an alleged attempt to purchase a firearm by State’s Attorney Scott Williams, Barre City law enforcement took the lead on the investigation, and working with Waterbury law enforcement and ATF, were able to determine that a purchase of a firearm had, in fact, been made. The accused (who is prohibited from possessing a firearm) was arrested without incident and held without bail. The accused has since been released to a drug treatment program.

Eliminate Cap on TIF Districts

Many Vermont cities have created and successfully used tax increment financing (TIF) districts to spur economic development. The benefits to these cities—including Burlington, Barre and St. Albans—have been significant and measurable.

Current law does not allow for the creation of any new TIF districts, despite their proven success in creating new economic activity in our downtowns. The communities of Montpelier, Rutland, Newport, Springfield and Bennington have formed a separate coalition to advocate for the elimination of this cap. The Vermont Mayors Coalition endorses this effort and calls on the legislature to allow any community to apply to create a TIF district.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 25, 2017
Contact:  Katie Vane
                  802.734.0617
 

Mayor Weinberger Commends BPD Release of Use of Force Data through Its Transparency Portal

Burlington, VT – On January 24, 2017, the Burlington Police Department added comprehensive use of force data and analysis to its Transparency Portal, offering the public six years’ worth of police data for review. Members of the public can access the portal at https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/Police/Data. An accompanying slide show presented to the Police Commission on January 24, 2017 will be added to the Portal by the end of this week.

Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement commending the BPD release of use of force data through its Transparency Portal:

“The City of Burlington is firmly committed to the principle of building public trust and legitimacy for its policing through transparency and accountability. To this end, the Burlington Police Department has posted to its Transparency Portal the most comprehensive use of force data and analysis report in the department’s history.

“I am encouraged that the report documents declining use of force events even as police calls and arrests are rising, suggesting that our efforts to evolve our use of force policies over the past year are having a positive impact.  The data suggests, however, that people of color are more likely to be encountered in the types of calls where officers believe it is prudent to point their firearms, such as search warrants and burglaries. This finding requires the type of deep and thorough investigation called for by any such disparate impact of policing by race.  The Burlington Police are committed to this work. In light of this, I am generally encouraged that the department’s long-standing efforts to work against racial bias appear to be reflected in its other use of force metrics. I am thankful for the work of our skilled, committed officers who keep this community safe and are implementing critical reforms even as the community faces new pressures and threats to public safety.

“We welcome the public’s independent review and analysis of the newly released data and look forward to continuing to engage the Police Commission and the community about our public safety efforts."

Burlington Police Department Chief Brandon del Pozo added:

“In describing his vision for a fairly-policed city when I first arrived in Burlington, Mayor Miro Weinberger called for a police department that would be a leader in transparency and accountability, even in difficult times and on difficult issues. The release of use of force numbers and our analysis are another step in meeting his goal of a police department where the curtain is pulled back for everyday citizens to better understand how they are policed and why. We will continue to use transparency to strive for and demonstrate our commitments to fairness and effectiveness in policing Burlington.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2017
Contact:  Katie Vane
                 802.734.0617
 

Mayor’s Statement on City of Burlington Fiscal Year 2016 Audit
Confirms All 12 Material Weaknesses Identified in 2012 Have Been Addressed; Unassigned Fund Balance Has Exceeded Target

Burlington, VT – At the City Council meeting on Monday, January 23, 2017, Council will be asked to accept and approve the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) audit and management letter. These documents represent significant financial progress for the City in two respects:
 

• First, the deficiencies identified by the City’s auditor in 2012 have been almost entirely addressed, with a decrease from 27 findings to two, and from 12 material weaknesses to zero.
   
• Second, the FY16 audit also confirms that, as of the end of FY16, the City has approximately $6.5 million in its General Fund unassigned fund balance. This exceeds the target of 10 percent of the City’s FY16 total operating expenditures (or approximately $5.8 million) by $700,000.
   

City Council approved the Fund Balance Policy establishing an unassigned fund balance target in 2015 with the intent to achieve a minimum positive unassigned fund balance from the previous year’s General Fund operating expenditures. The unassigned fund balance allows the City to mitigate negative revenue implications of federal or state budget actions, mitigate economic downturns, fund disaster or emergency costs, provide funds for cash flow timing discrepancies, and fund non-recurring expenses identified as necessary by City Council.

Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement regarding the FY16 audit:

“Tonight’s audit and management letter are another significant milestone on the City’s road to financial recovery. These documents confirm that the City has addressed nearly all of the findings from the 2012 audit and met our ambitious, recently developed Fund Balance goals. This progress could not have been possible without the sustained focus of the City Council, the hard work of the CAO’s Office, and the strong commitment of the people of Burlington to restoring our good financial name.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2017
Contact:  Katie Vane
                  802.734.0617
 

Mayor Weinberger Appoints Mary Danko as New Director to Continue the Reinvigoration of Fletcher Free Library

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Mary Danko as the new director of the Fletcher Free Library in the City of Burlington. Mary brings over 14 years of library experience, including three years as director of the Weathersfield Proctor Library and four years as director of the Hartland Public Library in Vermont. Mary currently runs the Abbott Library in Sunapee, New Hampshire, where she has served as Library Director for over four years. The Abbott Library was named Library of the Year by the New Hampshire Library Trustee Association in the fall of 2015.  Mayor Weinberger has asked the City Council to confirm the appointment at its January 23, 2017 meeting.

“The Fletcher Free Library is experiencing an exciting period of capital investment, programmatic expansion, and growing public use and enjoyment,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger.  “Mary Danko is the right person to continue the reinvigoration and strategic reinvention of our beloved library.”

Mary grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio, the granddaughter of immigrants from Czechoslovakia and Ireland. Her parents never attained a college degree, but they fostered in Mary a love of reading and a lifelong intellectual curiosity, as well as introduced her to regular visits to the local library. Throughout her career, Mary has demonstrated passion, creativity, and a collaborative management style. She has a long history of prioritizing community engagement, and has strived to develop library programming that adds value to the lives of community members, as well as programming that is dynamic and responsive to current events.  She has also proven herself to be a skilled administrator of budgets, personnel, and major projects.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Burlington in such vital role,” said Mary. “I’ve always loved the City of Burlington and have been impressed by its commitment to innovation and forward thinking approaches to serving the community. I’m excited to continue that same commitment at the Fletcher Free Library. The Fletcher Free Library has a history of being an institution of community engagement and life-long learning. I’m enthusiastic to be a part the team that provides vital and meaningful services and support to the people of Burlington.”

"The Fletcher Free Library has been on an exciting path in recent years to redefine its role in the community, while continuing to deliver the core library services that Burlington relies on,” said East District Councilor Selene Colburne, who served on the eight-person search committee for a new Library Director. “Mary Danko has demonstrated her creativity, passion, and collaborative approaches in libraries throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, and her leadership will be a huge asset as the Fletcher Free develops new partnerships and programs that reflect the needs of twenty-first century library users."

Recent Library progress and accomplishment

The Fletcher Free Library is an extraordinarily active library, well-used by the public. The Library had 244,673 visits (approximately 700 visits a day), circulated 331,820 materials (over 900 checkouts a day), averaged 12,737 active patrons a month, and registered 2,590 new patrons during Fiscal Year 2016.

• Patrons of the Fletcher Free Library are enjoying significant capital improvements made to the library in Fiscal Year 2014 through 2016, approximately $600,000 of capital investment over the past several years. Improvements include HVAC and lighting upgrades, urgent repairs to skylights and the glass wall in the Main Reading Room, repairs to the roof, and the installation of new laptop tables for public use and new carpeting in the Main Reading Room. Patrons and staff also benefited in 2016 from the addition of a security guard at the library.
   
• Youth and teen programming continued to increase in 2016, with the hiring of the Library’s first-ever Teen Services Librarian in January of 2016, and the expansion of two part-time positions in the Children’s Library to full time in FY16. Over 2016, the Teen Librarian piloted core and passive teen programming, including Teen Write, Teen Make, and Teen Challenge, and the Library also created a new, 13-member Teen Advisory Committee to advise, plan, and implement future teen programs.
   
• For the first time, the Fletcher Free Library will be hosting a major new Smithsonian exhibit, having been selected through a nationwide competitive process as one of 19 U.S. public libraries to host this traveling exhibition. The Smithsonian “Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?” marks a new type of opportunity for our community, and signals Fletcher Free’s reinvigoration as a cultural hub in Burlington. The exhibition seeks to shed light on what we know about human origins and how we know it. It will be hosted at the Library from February 18, 2017 – March 17, 2017.
   
• Programs in 2016 included two long-distance music events held with the help of partners Burlington Telecom and Big Heavy World using LOLA (“low latency”) technology to allow musicians in Burlington and Chattanooga, Tennessee to play a concert together.
   
• Finally, the Fletcher Free staff completed its new Strategic Plan for 2016-2020. Under the guidance of a national library consultant, the Library convened nine community forums, held focus groups and workshops, and administered a survey. Results of this community engagement process were foundational to the development of the strategic plan.
   

Record of collaboration, innovation, and strong results

Mary is well-prepared to assume the leadership of this vital institution. Her management style has fostered strong teamwork within her library staff, supporting new ideas and initiatives to grow and adapt the library to a changing world in the communities where she has worked. She has fostered new partnerships with schools and other outside groups, finding opportunities for collaboration that increase the library’s positive impact for people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. For example, the Abbott Library has partnered with the local schools to put on technology programs, superintendent forums, student art exhibits and meet the teacher nights. Over the summer, the library began a new initiative to act as a testing center for students’ summer reading books. Under her leadership, the Abbott Library has also offered various other programs, such as a community forum on substance abuse and a series on meditation and mindfulness.

Mary has also shown a consistent commitment to fiscal responsibility, managing Budget and Strategic planning in cooperation with the Library Board of Trustees, overseeing the library’s finances and operating budget, and writing grant proposals. She has also shown leadership around successful fundraising efforts. While at the Abbott Library, she collaborated with the Abbott Library Foundation to complete the new Abbott Library Project Fundraising campaign for $1.3 million to build the new, eponymous library in Sunapee, NH.

Since 2015, Mary has acted as Vice President and now President of the New England Library Association, where she has been leading an effort to help make the Association’s leadership more diverse. She is in the planning stages for a Diversity Summit in the summer of 2017 that will bring librarians and change leaders together for a day of engagement. In 2016, as Vice President, she served as conference chair for the conference “Imagining Tomorrow,” where librarians from the six New England states attended programs over three days. Prior to her service on the New England Library Association, she served as Green Mountain Library Consortium Board Member & President from 2010-2012. The Green Mountain Library Consortium was the first organization in Vermont to offer a platform and content to public libraries for downloadable audio books and eBooks while also starting and expanding an Open Source ILS (Integrated Library System) project, and VOKAL (Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries).

Mary has an academic grounding in the profession, having secured a Master of Science in Library & Information Science at Syracuse University.

Search process and next steps

The national search for the new Fletcher Free Director was lead by an eight-person committee that reviewed over 40 applications and recommended finalists to the Mayor. If confirmed by the Council on January 23, Mary will begin her appointment on February 6, 2017.

Please click on the documents links below for more information, including:

• Memorandum from Mayor Miro Weinberger to City Councilors requesting approval of the appointment of Mary Danko as the Fletcher Free Library Director
   
• Resume of Mary Danko

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 29, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                  802.734.0617
 

Mayor Weinberger Statement Regarding Unanimous Approval of Zoning Amendment Related to the Cambrian Rise

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement today in response to the City Council’s unanimous approval of a zoning amendment related to the Cambrian Rise project:

“City Council’s unanimous passage on Monday night of a zoning change to make possible the proposed Cambrian Rise project represents the achievement of a major milestone for this important project, and for the City’s long-term recreation, open space, and housing goals for that property. The new zoning effectively balances the desire for preserving green space in the heart of our City, enhancing waterfront access for residents, and creating new homes for all income levels and ages. The zoning will allow the realization of long-held City principles (below), first articulated by former Mayor Clavelle’s administration in 2001 and updated in 2014.”

• Housing that will serve a range of income types and provide opportunity for both home ownership and rental opportunities
• A significant portion of the land retained as open space for the public to enjoy
• Public access to the beach area and the bike path through property similar to the current access
• The entire waterfront area west of bike path maintained as public space
• Substantial community gardens
• Protection for the bluffs directly east of the bike path from any construction and development
• Sensitivity during development to the protection of significant natural features, especially the path and tree-scape on the bluffs, including the rare pine-oak-heath sandplain forest at the Northwest corner of the property
• Encouragement of neighborhood commercial/small business use that serves the local neighborhood
• Revitalization of Burlington’s Old North End, specifically by adding commerce along North Avenue; and
• Support for alternative modes of transportation to minimize traffic impacts

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                   802.734.0617
 

Mayor Weinberger Statement Regarding Coalition for a Livable City Complaint
 

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement today in response to the Coalition for a Livable City complaint:

“We received the Coalition for a Livable City complaint this afternoon and have begun to evaluate it. From what we have been able to review, the complaint seeks to invalidate a decision to fund public infrastructure that was supported by nearly 60 percent of Burlington voters following a long public process. The complaint appears to be based on a basic misunderstanding of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) law. I fully expect the City will dispute this complaint.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 10, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                  802.734.0617

City of Burlington and Burlington Police Department Announce New Efforts to Free the City from the Grip of the Opioid Epidemic
BPD hires new Opioid Policy Coordinator, gathers stakeholders for first CommunityStat meeting

Burlington, VT – Today Mayor Miro Weinberger, Burlington Police Department (BPD) Chief Brandon del Pozo, new BPD Opioid Policy Coordinator Jackie Corbally, CommunityStat Co-Chair Jane Helmstetter, Vermont Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen, Howard Center Chief Client Services Officer Catherine Simonson, Chittenden County Opioid Alliance Project Director Cathy Aikman, and United Way of Northern Vermont Executive Director Martha Maksym announced a new, innovative, public health effort to bring an end to the opioid epidemic that has profoundly impacted residents of Burlington. That effort, called “CommunityStat,” will be coordinated by Corbally, who brings 30 years of experience engaging in a vast array of both practical and policy-oriented public health initiatives, and directed by Chief del Pozo and the Mayor.  CommunityStat is one of four Action Teams working under the umbrella of the newly formed Chittenden County Opioid Alliance.

CommunityStat will attempt to reverse the opioid challenge by approaching it as a public health challenge that requires collaboration and coordination of efforts among all the community stakeholders engaged in responding to it. Stakeholders include the Vermont Department of Health, University of Vermont Medical Center, Community Health Centers of Burlington, the State’s Attorney’s Office, State Attorney General, the Community Justice Center, Howard Center, United Way, Turning Point Center, Steps to End Domestic Violence, Champlain Housing Trust, Burlington Housing Authority, King Street Center, Outright Vermont, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, and many more.

Many of these stakeholders participated in the City’s first CommunityStat meeting on November 10. The BPD held an initial stakeholder meeting in September of 2016 to explain the goal of and solicit input on CommunityStat, an adaptation of a tool for transparency and mutual accountability that has been shown to bring about meaningful progress in response to problems confronting municipalities such as crime, homelessness, domestic violence, and in this case, substance abuse.

CommunityStat will adhere to the four traditional core principles of its model:

1. Accurate and timely data and information
2. Effective tactics and strategies
3. Rapid deployment of resources
4. Relentless follow-up and assessment

CommunityStat will provide coordination of effort among the police, public health and safety professionals, and social service providers to more effectively reduce the impact of opioid addiction in Burlington.

“On Chief del Pozo’s first day a little more than a year ago, I directed him to assess the Police Department and the City’s efforts to address the opioid challenge,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Since that time we have dramatically increased foot patrols, deployed Noloaxone to all officers, and advocated strongly for treatment without delay in Chittenden County. Today, with the launching of CommunityStat, we have opened a major new front in our critical effort to address our most urgent public health challenge.”

“If you follow the four principles of CommunityStat in good faith, you can’t help but see better outcomes,” said Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. “I’m excited by the widespread commitment so many of Burlington’s community partners have made to working together in a transparent and accountable way to help improve the lives of the people in the greatest state of need. I’m looking forward to the Police Department leading by example in our willingness to innovate and collaborate with our partners in response to this public health crisis.”

“I am thrilled to work with the City and with our vast array of community partners as we develop an innovative approach to address the opioid epidemic,” said Jackie Corbally, Burlington Police Department Opioid Policy Coordinator. “I look forward maintaining our transparency and accountability as we coordinate our efforts to reduce the burden of an epidemic that affects all residents of Burlington.”

“It has taken us a long time to get here, and I’m very heartened by the good questions that people came up with at our first CommunityStat meeting, and the difficult conversations that we were able to have around the table instead of out in the parking lot,” said Jane Helmstetter, CommunityStat Co-Chair and Vermont Agency of Human Services Field Director, Burlington District. “I’m excited to be here representing the Agency of Human Services in the Burlington District, and to be co-chair of this effort.”

“I am pleased to see the City and so many agencies taking a leadership role to address a serious public health challenge in our community,” said Dr. Harry Chen, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health. “I am hopeful that this new, cooperative approach will yield positive results, and look forward to future CommunityStat meetings.”

“We are excited and proud to be a partner in addressing this critical issue,” said Eileen Whalen, MHA, RN, President and COO of the University of Vermont Medical Center. “By working together and coordinating our resources, all of the agencies addressing opioid abuse and dependency can make a larger impact.”

“Howard Center has a long history in this community as a treatment provider for those impacted by opioid addiction,” said Catherine Simonson, Howard Center Chief Client Services Officer. “We welcome the commitment of the City and other key community leaders to collectively focus our efforts toward a common agenda to address this serious public health crisis in our community.  Howard Center will be actively involved in the CommunityStat efforts as part of the Chittenden County Opioid Alliance.  We owe our citizens this collective effort.”

“The Chittenden County Opioid Alliance is based on a collective impact approach where a variety of organizations that share a common agenda and goals join together to have a greater effect than they might have on their own,” said Cathy Aikman, Project Director for the Chittenden County Opioid Alliance. “CommunityStat is an important part of the Alliance, and we are looking forward to all of our collaborators working together to create a common data system to monitor key opioid measures across all partner organizations. This collective work to establish shared program measures is essential to evaluate and employ successful strategies to impact the opioid crisis in Chittenden County.”

"United Way of Northern Vermont is proud to stand with so many different partners from across the county working together as a collective to tackle this serious challenge faced by our community," said Martha Maksym, Executive Director of United Way. "One of our top priorities as an organization has been to find ways to align the different strategies to respond to the opioid challenge that cross agencies, sectors, and professional fields. CommunityStat is a bold and innovative piece of the collective response we need."

Vermont’s growing opioid crisis

In his landmark 2014 State of the Union address, Governor Peter Shumlin called attention to the state’s growing opioid crisis and highlighted the need for Vermont to change its approach from conducting a war on drugs through the criminal process, to working with police, courts, prosecutors and defenders, and the treatment community to treat addiction as an issue of public health. By the time of the Governor’s address, Vermont had seen a 771% increase in treatment for all opiates since 2000, over five times as many federal indictments against heroin dealers as had been obtained in 2010, and nearly double the deaths from heroin and opioids in Vermont in 2013 as in 2012.

Since the time of Governor Shumlin’s address, Vermont has become a recognized leader in its response to opioids. In Burlington, police officers now carry and use naloxone to save lives. Chief del Pozo has increased foot and bike patrols in the neighborhoods most affected by opioid abuse and stepped up coordination between law enforcement and other agencies with the knowledge that addicts in many cases require treatment instead of incarceration.

In spite of these efforts, Burlington, like many of the state’s cities and towns, is still seeking to determine the full scope of its local opioid challenge so that it can strengthen and focus the collaborative efforts between stakeholders addressing different aspects of the epidemic. Current data suggests Burlington is still in the grip of the opioid crisis, but more data is needed. The new efforts announced today will allow the City, BPD, and stakeholders for the first time to coordinate and comprehensively measure their progress, making that data and its findings available and accountable to the public. This combination of innovation, data-driven policy and strategy, collaboration, and accountability to citizens will provide a clarified and transparent process by which Burlington can continue the life-saving work of resolving the opioid epidemic.

CommunityStat stakeholders are as follows:

Boys and Girls Club

Burlington Housing Authority

Burlington Police Department

Champlain Housing Trust

Chittenden County Opioid Alliance

City of Burlington

The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)

Community Health Centers of Burlington

Howard Center

King Street Center

Lund

Matrix Health Systems

New England HIDTA

Outright Vermont

Partnership for Change

Pathways Vermont

Sara Holbrook Community Center

Spectrum Youth & Family Services

Steps to End Domestic Violence

The Turning Point Center of Chittenden County

United Way

University of Vermont, Vermont Center on Behavior and Health

University of Vermont Medical Center

Vermont Agency of Human Services

Vermont Attorney General

Vermont Department for Children and Families

Vermont Department of Corrections

Vermont Department of Health

Vermont Department of Justice

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 25, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                    802.734.0617
 

Parks Foundation Announces Successful Completion of $1 Million Campaign in Support of the Waterfront Bike Path
 

Burlington, VT – Today Mayor Miro Weinberger, Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department (DPRW), the Burlington Parks Foundation, and other City officials celebrated the Parks Foundation reaching its goal of raising $1 million in support of the rehabilitation of the Waterfront Bike Path. The Parks Foundation set the goal in 2014, and today announced at one of the Bike Path’s new pause places that it has raised $1,026,622 in cash and pledges from over 250 residents and businesses, and presented a symbolic check to Mayor Weinberger.

$350,000 of the $1 million contribution has been invested in the Bike Path rehabilitation within the Urban Reserve, including the creation of three new pause places, the first three installations of University of Vermont Medical Center-donated fitness equipment (see more below), the creation of accessible connectivity to the recently acquired Texaco Beach, and the planting of over 120 trees. This work is part of the second phase (1b) of the Bike Path rehabilitation, which broke ground in the summer of 2016 and will conclude construction in December of 2016. This second phase will realign and revitalize the one-mile section of the Path from the Andy “A-Dog” Williams Skate Park to North Beach. The total budget for this phase of the Bike Path rehabilitation is $2.4 million, funded by the Parks Foundation contribution, Waterfront Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Improvement Program Support, Penny for Parks, and Bike Path Maintenance and Improvement Fund.

The new fitness equipment at the three new pause places is made possible by the generous donation from the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) to the Parks Foundation. These first installations will make up the beginning of the UVM Medical Center Fitness Trail, which is planned to continue in other parks and pause places throughout the rehabilitation of the Path. The remaining $650,000 of the total $1 million Parks Foundation contribution will be used to add this fitness equipment, and to create additional pause places and connections along the Waterfront Bike Path, transforming it into a multi-purpose Burlington Greenway.

“By the end of this construction season we will have dramatically improved two of the most frequently traveled miles of our treasured Bike Path with the help of federal dollars, TIF, and the generous contribution of philanthropic dollars to the Parks Foundation,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Six miles remain. Burlington voters have the opportunity to finish the job by voting YES on #1 on November 8.”

“Building on the work of previous generations and volunteers, we continue our efforts to dramatically improve our parks system,” said Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Director Jesse Bridges. “With the help of the Parks Foundation we realize not just an improvement to the pavement conditions of the Bike Path, but an elevation of the ecology, recreational amenities and sense of place.  Transforming the path into a true linear park, the Burlington Greenway is a gift to the community thanks to the generosity of so many.”

"The Parks Foundation is proud to represent the hundreds of individual donors and businesses who gave to support the rehabilitation of the Bike Path,” said Parks Foundation Founding Chair John Bossange.  “This gift to the City ensures that Burlingtonians and visitors will enjoy the new amenities along the eight mile path, including the new pause places in the Urban Reserve, for decades to come."

"We see our collaboration with the city of Burlington to renovate the Burlington Bike Path and create a new fitness trail with exercise stations as a great example of a public-private partnership that is helping to move Burlington forward,” said UVM Medical Center Senior Community Relations Strategist Maria McClellan, who spoke on behalf of UVMMC at Tuesday’s event. “Our core mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve, and we are pleased that Mayor Weinberger is committed to making these types of investments to the infrastructure of our city that will promote healthy lifestyles and help people stay fit."

Parks Foundation Background
The Parks Foundation of Burlington is an independent non-profit established to support the Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront in its mission to maintain the City’s diverse recreational assets and provide excellent services to sustain the high quality of life that makes the Burlington community a special place to live, work, and visit. Since its launch in the spring of 2013, the Foundation has raised $2.9 million in total pledges and gifts, which have gone towards renovations at Roosevelt Park, Andy A-Dog Williams Skatepark, a new gym floor at the Miller Center, and more.

Today’s announcement demonstrated the commitment of the City, Foundation, UVMMC, and generous donors to a Bike Path that benefits local businesses by providing a scenic recreation corridor, contributes to the health and wellness of its users, and offers an important transportation network for those who walk or ride to and from Burlington. With its Bike Path fundraising campaign now concluded, the Foundation will continue to accept donations for the Bike Path, but will be turning to a strategic planning effort in order to determine the next signature project for which it will raise funding.

The City is currently proposing funding the remaining work to rehabilitate the total eight-mile Bike Path using a portion of its comprehensive, 10-year capital plan and its related $27.5 million bond, which will be before voters on November 8.  This bond will pay for much-needed infrastructure improvements to Burlington’s streets, sidewalks, public parks, Bike Path, the replacement of aging Fire Department fire engines, and more. Investing in the proper stewardship of City resources will save taxpayers money in the long-term, and will ensure that Burlingtonians continue to enjoy our beautiful city – including a world-class eight mile Bike Path - for decades to come.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2016
Contacts:  Katie Vane, 802.734.0617
                   Phet Keomanyvanh, 802.865.7172

Mayor Miro Weinberger Announces “Celebrate Burlington” Award Recipients
Herb Bloomenthal, Peter Clavelle, Community Arts, Ken Schatz Award winners and 10 years of Parallel Justice honored

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger, along with other City officials and community partners, today recognized award winners in the Burlington community at the “Celebrate Burlington” event held at 6:30 pm in the City Hall lobby.  The reception carried on the City of Burlington’s annual tradition of recognizing community members who help us build stronger, safer communities, advance our sustainability goals, and promote the arts in our civic life.

“Tonight we honor our award winners and acknowledge the citizens who make Burlington a great place to live, work, and play,” said Mayor Weinberger.  “I join the community in congratulating our honorees, whose engagement serves as an inspiration to other Burlingtonians to continue the vital work of improving our wonderful community.  This year I am also pleased to recognize the tenth anniversary of Parallel Justice and the commitment of all those involved in its work on behalf of victims of crime in Burlington.”

Following the “Celebrate Burlington” reception, honorees, their guests, and the public proceeded to the regular City Council meeting, where the Mayor read the Celebrate Burlington and Parallel Justice proclamations, and City Council President Jane Knodell handed out the awards.  As is the tradition, the Herb Bloomenthal Award for Community Activism, Peter Clavelle Sustainability Award, Burlington Community Arts Award, and Ken Schatz Award for Community Justice were presented together. This was followed by the special addition and recognition of 10 years of Parallel Justice in Burlington.

This year’s award recipients are:

• Herb Bloomenthal Award:  Peggy O’Neil, bike/walk and parent activist
• Peter Clavelle Award:  Gail Shampnois, Director of Student and Community Relations, UVM
• Burlington Community Arts Award: Maggie Standley, artist and educator
• Ken Schatz Award: Marija Valencak, Citizens’ Advisory Committee member, Community Justice Center

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 18, 2016
Contact:  Katie Vane
                 802.734.0617
 

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Upcoming Burlington School District Mediation Opportunity
 

Burlington, VT – Mayor Weinberger released the following statement today regarding the Burlington School District’s scheduled mediation meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2016:

“We are fortunate to have such outstanding teachers and committed volunteer School Board members serving our children and all the people of Burlington.  As a result of their hard work and collaboration, Burlington schools have overcome challenges in recent years, are innovating and thriving in many ways, and have earned the deep support of the community.  It would be a considerable setback for our schools, our children, and our community should the parties fail to reach a resolution of the contract dispute between the Burlington Education Association and the School District.

“While my office is not directly involved in these negotiations, I have spoken with the leadership of both parties and kept open those lines of communication. I am sympathetic to the pressures both face, and continue to monitor the situation closely. I welcome that the appointed federal mediator has called both parties back to the bargaining table on October 19 as an opportunity to avoid a disruption of the school year. I urge the representatives of both the teachers union and the board to leverage tomorrow’s opportunity with a spirit of good will, creativity, and collaboration in an effort to spare our children, families, and community the damage of further conflict.”

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