October 7th - City Council meeting preview
Hi neighbors -
Monday's City Council meeting starts at 6:00 PM. Public Forum is at 6:30 PM. You can sign up to speak in person at City Hall or join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/96332063699. Or Telephone: +1 305 224 1968 US (Webinar ID: 963 3206 3699) 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/7130/files/agenda/12069 . Monday's meeting begins with an expected executive session regarding BED commercial negotiations. We have not been given details as of this posting.
7.1 Resolution: Assuring Our Police Department Has A Modern Facility That Assures The Health And Wellbeing Of Employees, Meets The Expectations Of The Public And Provides Dignity, Security And Privacy For Perpetrators And Victims
A few weeks ago, I laid out my openness to supporting this idea, but had a number of concerns. My concerns still stand / have not been yet addressed and negotiations are paused pending feedback from the sponsors of the resolution. I remain hopeful that collaboration is in the cards for this item - it is likely to be pulled for a later meeting.
In the meantime, conversations among city staff continue as to how we attain and maintain public safety facilities that are modern, adequately updated, and publicly owned - without placing an undue burden on taxpayers.
7.2 Library Outreach Specialist Services provided by Howard Center, Inc.
The Fletcher Free Library is requesting permission to enter into a contract with Howard Center, Inc. to provide Library Outreach Specialist Services. The specialist will work 37.5 hours per week, focusing on offering support to vulnerable library patrons, including those facing mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, and unmet social service needs. The goal is to create a safer and more supportive environment in the library for all patrons by providing crisis intervention, referrals, and preventive measures to reduce the need for emergency services.
The cost of this work will be jointly covered by the city and the Friends of the Fletcher Free Library - this expense has already been budgeted for.
7.3 Proposed Ordinance Amending Burlington Code of Ordinances Chapter 21, Article VI (Livable Wages) to streamline administration to facilitate monitoring and enforcement
Technical amendments have been proposed to the Livable Wage Ordinance (Chapter 21, Article VI of the Burlington Code of Ordinances). The primary goal is to streamline the administration of the ordinance, particularly concerning compliance monitoring, which would now be handled by existing City staff instead of external monitors.
State Auditor Doug Hoffer, who was one of the initial drafters of our ordinance and has worked with the State on changes to the framework upon which our ordinance is based, has suggested that the proposal be referred to the Ordinance Committee so that we can ensure no unintended changes are made that would negatively impact our livable wage ordinance. This item has now been removed for a future meeting to ensure Auditor Hoffer's and others' concerns are addressed.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns or ideas.
With Appreciation,
Councilor Neubieser
cneubieser@burlingtonvt.gov
PS> My partner and I are due to have our daughter any day now! Over the next two months I will often attend council meetings remotely and may be slower than normal in responding to emails. Please do still reach out! Apologies in advance for any inconvenience this might cause, but I do am doing my best to take full advantage of my parental leave and focus in on the family front.
