Friday, May 14, 2021
“We need structural and cultural transformation of law enforcement in this country and in Burlington, and to forge a new consensus on the future of public safety here,” Mayor Miro Weinberger said in a Friday press release. “Our new Police Chief will play an essential leadership role in that work.”
Weinberger pledged to involve residents in the hiring process. This month, the mayor will host a series of "stakeholder meetings" to help determine the chief's priorities in the first year on the job. He'll also visit each Neighborhood Planning Assembly meeting; consult with leaders in education, social services and business; and meet with organizations led by Black, Indigenous and other people of color, according to the press release.
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Vermonters who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks or socially distance in many settings, Gov. Phil Scott said on Friday, rules that adhere to new federal guidance.
The governor also relaxed gathering limits and lifted all domestic travel restrictions. The switch comes more than two weeks before the anticipated date of June 1 for the changes. The moves are effective as soon as Scott signs an executive order, which he planned to do later Friday.
The announcements are significant steps toward normalcy as the proportion of adults who have received at least one vaccine dose crosses 70 percent. Nearly 52 percent have completed their vaccine regimen. Children ages 12 to 15 are also now eligible to get vaccinated.
"It's time to reward all the hard work you've done over the last 14 months," Scott said.
Tags: Vermont Department of Health , U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , masking , mask mandate , coronavirus , covid-19 , Web Only , Image
Thursday, May 13, 2021
President Laurie Patton and other college officials jointly announced Thursday that students, staff, and faculty who live, work, and learn on the campus must all get vaccinated. The intent, the administrators said, is to help the college safely return to more normal, in-person classes.
"Scientific research tells us that vaccination of the vast majority of our community will provide the best possible protection against COVID-19," Patton wrote in a statement to the college community. "We expect that once most individuals are vaccinated, we will be able to relax restrictions, move away from testing and capacity limits, and resume more activities and events."
Like other Vermont colleges that plan to take similar steps, Middlebury may grant individual exemptions for religious or medical reasons.
Saint Michael's College, Norwich University and Champlain College, which have all previously said they will expect students to be vaccinated, also said they will offer exemptions.
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Wednesday, May 12, 2021
The Vermont State Housing Authority plans to start publicizing the grant program on May 17, but renters can apply now on VSHA’s website. About 1,590 renters have already applied for about $8.2 million after learning about the program, said VSHA executive director Richard Williams. The money is sent directly to property owners.
The $100 million comes from a bill that the U.S. Congress passed December 27. States then spent several months studying the U.S. Treasury’s rules, which are markedly different from those for the $25 million rental assistance program that Vermont operated last year.
The money can be used for up to 18 months of back rent, future rent, or for moving to a better living situation, said Williams — including a security deposit and some relocation assistance.
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The proclamation declares that “Vermont seeks to achieve equality and equity and to create a culture in which racial, ethnic and other cultural disparities are openly acknowledged and addressed and where no one person is more likely to experience society’s benefits or burdens than any other person.”
Similar declarations have been approved in nine Vermont municipalities including Brandon, Franklin, Middlebury, Moretown, Pittsfield, Pittsford, Waterbury, Woodstock Village and Rutland City, the governor’s office said.
The effort to get proclamations on the books started with Bob Harnish, who owned the Cortina Inn in Mendon for 30 years, and his friend Al Wakefield, a global executive search consultant who has lived in Vermont since the early 1980s. The two are promoting a declaration that condemns racism and welcomes all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age or disability.
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Tuesday, May 11, 2021
In preparation, the state is setting up clinics at more than 40 schools around the state, and families will also be able to register for a vaccine at Kinney Drugs or CVS, officials said on Tuesday at one of the Scott administration’s regular COVID-19 press briefings.
Vermont has an estimated 27,000 children in that age group, state officials said.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. The committee is expected to recommend use of the vaccine, said state Health Commissioner Mark Levine. The CDC will then send instructions and guidance for its administration to the states.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots have not yet been approved for people under age 18.
“Vermont has been preparing for this,” Levine said. “We’ll be ready to offer the vaccine to this age group almost immediately.”
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The company and state officials on Tuesday withdrew the application for a permit that the Department of Environmental Conservation had approved in March, and which environmental groups appealed in court.
“We’ve concluded, in consultation with the transit company, that in light of the rising tide of public opposition, the cost of the project due to the appeal of the lake encroachment permit, and the pending review by the City of Burlington, that it is best not to move forward,” said Laura Trieschmann, the state’s historic preservation officer.
The state Department of Historic Preservation was a co-applicant for the permit because the sunken Adirondack would have become property of the state, as well as part of the network of historic shipwrecks called the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserves.
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The bill, H.360, would funnel a portion of the $1 billion in federal relief aid Vermont is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act toward the goal of improving broadband access in underserved rural areas. The money would be sent directly to local communications districts and small private providers, while a new three-member board — similar to the now-defunct Vermont Telecommunications Authority — would manage the funding and provide financial, technical and administrative support.
Supporters of the bill say it would help Vermont make substantial progress on the long-promised goal of making high-speed internet available to all. An estimated 60,000 homes still lack broadband access.
"The pandemic has highlighted the absolute necessity of high-speed internet access," Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint (D-Windham) said in a press release. "We have seen too many students struggle with remote learning and too many seniors that can't access tele-health. We can't fix that instantly, but this bill demonstrates our firm commitment to expand access to high-speed internet for all."
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Monday, May 10, 2021
The council voted Monday night to ask its Charter Change Committee to study an "appropriate level of compensation" for councilors, who are currently paid a $5,000 annual stipend. If a councilor works 12 hours per week — a low estimate, some councilors say — the pay rate amounts to about $8 an hour, or $3.75 less than the state's minimum wage.
"Stepping up into a public-facing, high-exposure, time-consuming position is already not for everyone. But then, not really compensating those that do make it hardly a job for anyone," said Councilor Jane Stromberg (P-Ward 8), who co-sponsored the resolution with councilors Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7) and Jack Hanson (P-East District).
In addition to twice-monthly meetings — which frequently stretch on for three or more hours — councilors also serve on subcommittees, attend Neighborhood Planning Assembly meetings and respond to constituent concerns. The resolution asks the charter committee to consider extending cost of living increases and benefits, such as health insurance, to the elected officials.
Several councilors said that people with lower incomes or who have children often can't run for council because of the high workload and low pay.
"No matter how you slice it, it's an enormous amount of work, and I'm bringing this up because I want systems of government to be reformed," Stromberg said.
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Hightower, who starts on May 20, will replace Rachel Siegel, a former Burlington city councilor who has led the nonprofit since 2013. The center announced Hightower's hiring in a press release Monday morning.
“It's just a position that fits me really well,” Hightower told Seven Days. “I’m really excited to support and help the Peace & Justice Center … figure out what it wants to be and help it grow.”
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