Burlington finally has a social media policy for city employees, months after bad online behavior ended the careers of two Queen City police chiefs.

Such a policy has been discussed for years, but it wasn't until Monday night that the Burlington City Council came together and unanimously adopted regulations for its employees' internet interactions.

The four-page policy seeks to strike a balance between allowing free speech and protecting the city's image. While workers are permitted "incidental and occasional" social media use at work, they should "use common sense" when posting online, the policy says. Employees must also publish a disclaimer on their personal profiles stating that their posts don't represent the views of the city.

City Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7), who helped vet the draft while serving on the council's Human Resources Committee, opened the discussion by referencing the recent social media scandal that led former chief Brandon del Pozo and deputy chief Jan Wright to resign in quick succession.
"This is a well-written policy that many people have been waiting for," Dieng said. "This is a great opportunity ... for protecting the city employees and also making sure that the community has the trust of the people that do great work for them."

The City of Burlington is pausing its search for a new police chief for a year as it waits out the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced during a press conference Friday.

Interim Chief Jennifer Morrison has agreed to stay on as Burlington's top cop until the search process reconvenes. She will, however, take an unpaid leave starting June 12 until late September or early October while she cares for her husband, who will undergo a stem cell transplant in Boston this summer.

Deputy Chief Jon Murad will serve as acting chief during that period, the mayor said.

"It really is not currently possible to conduct a robust search process that involves out-of-state candidates visiting Burlington and meeting with many stakeholders in the community," Weinberger said. "It's not clear when those conditions are going to change."

The city began a search in January to hire a replacement for former chief Brandon del Pozo, who resigned last December after admitting that he'd created an anonymous Twitter account to harass a police critic. Former deputy chief Jan Wright served in del Pozo's stead until she, too, revealed similar online behavior.

Morrison, who previously served the Burlington Police Department for 23 years, was brought on in December to steady the ship while the city investigated Wright's wrongdoings. Morrison suspended Wright for eight days after that internal probe revealed the deputy chief had made a handful of problematic posts, but Wright resigned shortly after local media turned up dozens more.
The city convened a search committee that was poised to review candidates' applications in early March when the coronavirus hit, Weinberger said.

"It's my strong sense that many candidates who would have been strong candidates for this position are now being called on to serve their own communities during this time of crisis," he said.

The city's search will resume in April 2021.

Weinberger said members of the city council and police commission welcomed the decision, only raising a concern that the city's work on police accountability continue in the absence of a permanent chief. This effort includes enacting recommendations from the city's Special Committee to Review Community Policing Practices to update the department's use-of-force policy, to improve officers' anti-bias training, and to bolster the police commission's oversight powers.

"We're going to keep working on that during this period," Weinberger said. "We're not just gonna tread water for the next year; we're gonna make progress."

Morrison reiterated on Friday that she doesn't intend to seek the permanent chief spot after her tenure ends.

An overwhelming majority of the Burlington City Council supported a resolution Monday that asks Gov. Phil Scott and Vermont's congressional delegation to "do everything in their power to" suspend F-35 training flights during the coronavirus pandemic.

The resolution — which was sponsored by all six Progs and Sarah Carpenter, a Democrat — asks the powers-that-be to reassign Vermont Air National Guard members from F-35 flights to coronavirus response efforts "to reduce additional anxiety for our residents during this global emergency."

It passed 11 to 1, with Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7) casting the lone no vote. The council met via videconference.

"It's been clear that the community is incredibly stressed by these planes at this time," said Councilor Perri Freeman (P-Central District), the resolution's lead sponsor. "It's not meant to be impolite or create problems; I think it's really just honestly addressing a pretty straightforward concern that many, many people [have]."

In just 10 days, the University of Vermont's Patrick Gymnasium has been transformed from an athletic facility to a medical surge center intended to treat coronavirus patients.

The site, which can serve up to 100 patients, could be operational within a week.

"We'd be totally fine to not have to use this place, and that's actually our goal," said Daniel Hudson, a nursing director at UVM Medical Center who works at the facility. "But if we do need to use it, we believe we're ready to do it. We believe the patients will be safe."

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