Council Preview - Nov. 18 2024
Hi Neighbors –
Monday's City Council meeting starts at 6:00 PM. Public Forum is at 6:05 PM. You can sign up to speak in person at City Hall or join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/95691577858. Or Telephone: +1 309 205 3325 US (Webinar ID: 956 9157 7858) and sign up to speak here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/citycouncil/publicforum. View the full agenda and related materials here: https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com/event/7155/files/agenda/12450
The meeting will include work sessions to discuss updates on infrastructure projects, such as the Burlington-Winooski Bridge and the Great Streets Main Street project. These sessions will provide insight into ongoing improvements and address potential impacts on the community.
The Winooski Bridge has been especially top of mind for Ward 1 residents at the NPA, so please don't hesitate to reach out to me with questions and opinions. I have posed a number of questions to DPW in advance of this meeting, which will likely be addressed on the floor on Monday.
The deliberative agenda will include updates on the airport's Noise Compatibility Program. This presentation will provide information on mitigation strategies and the city's efforts to address the impact of aircraft noise on surrounding neighborhoods, with a particular focus on issues related to the F-35 operations. We need our federal delegation's help in finding a new mission for these planes.
The council will review a proposed charter change regarding redistricting - this is an effort to simplify and bring into the 21st the logistics surrounding redistricting, it isn't an effort to change the current boundaries. Voters would still need to approve any new maps in future.
Amendments regulating the conversion of rental housing to condominiums or cooperatives will also be discussed. I have some concerns and agree with parts of this, but in short this decreases barriers to converting rental units to condominiums, in part by decreasing fees that would otherwise fund our Housing Trust Fund.
At a time when folks can't find housing, rents are out of control, property taxes have gone up, and interest rates for new homeowners are through the roof, I will not support any housing proposal that would decrease funding to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, by any amount - full stop.
The council will also consider revisions to Burlington's trespass ordinance. These updates aim to clarify enforcement procedures and address community concerns about equitable implementation of trespass policies. I am mostly supportive but do have some and hopefully, addressable, issues I'd like to raise.
Next we have a request from the Board of Finance (of the City Council) to authorize Director Alnasrawi, on behalf of the Church St Marketplace, to enter into a new contract with the Burlington Police Officers Association (BPOA) to provide security services totaling $60,000.
I have a few concerns around this:
1. To be clear (to my reading) BPOA would act as a private contractor, who will recruit existing officers on our police force to fill shifts under a private contract, rather than in their role as officers with the city. I know officers are stretched thin, but if officers want to work more hours, we have already budgeted for overtime, and the chief has discretion in providing those overtime hours.
2. There are cheaper alternatives like pursuing a contract with the sheriff's department or, again, simply paying officers overtime. We pursued a contract with the sheriff's department for the parking garage downtown, and that effort proved much more effective than the private contractor we hired previously.
3. In my view, if this moves forward it will further erode trust and bring negative press and negative online traffic about our department - thus decreasing officer morale in the long run. We need to be finding ways to do the opposite. We can work to build trust and confidence in our department, and celebrate the work our officers do, but this proposal does the opposite. I am concerned that the department is being led in the wrong direction in this regard, rather than the right direction.
4. Finally, this is fundamentally privatizing our police services - something that I am not comfortable with, and to a level that I don't think most residents in Burlington support. It seems to me a dangerous and unsettling precedent.
Lastly, the council will discuss a resolution re-proposing the 2014 charter change to ban firearms in establishments with liquor licenses, among other gun safety measures. To be clear, we don't need new-voter approval for the legislature to bring this forward, but some in our state delegation have suggested it would be helpful in Montpelier for our community to reiterate our support. If voters approve it will need the legislature's and Governor's support.
As always please don't hesitate to reach out with ideas, feedback questions etc. Your engagement helps me immensely, so keep it coming!
- Councilor Neubieser