Tuesday, January 7, 2020
"We're thrilled to be here," Thomas McHenry, dean and president of the South Royalton-based school, said during the ribbon cutting for the new office at 162 St. Paul Street.
The celebration was framed as a milestone that could lead to a bigger VLS presence in Burlington in the future.
Tags: Vermont Law School , immigration , clinic , satellite office , Web Only , Image
Four years later, Trump still hasn’t paid the city’s $8,500 bill for the additional police officers, firefighters and rescue personnel that were required to work that night.
Meanwhile, Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign is in full swing. He’s raised more than $200 million since 2017, including a $46 million haul during the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the campaign and finance disclosure filings.
Even before he was elected, city officials wanted Trump to pay up — but had little reason to think he would. In June 2016, the city decided against suing the Trump campaign over the bill, saying in a press release that it would not be “cost effective for the City to pursue collections remedies through the courts.”
Tags: Burlington , Mayor Miro Weinberger , Donald Trump , Bernie Sanders , Michelle Obama , Barack Obama , Web Only , Image
Monday, January 6, 2020
The vote came after councilors questioned Morrison for more than an hour about use of force, social media use, implicit bias and how to rebuild community trust after months of department upheaval.
"It has to be all hands on deck to recognize right now that rebuilding and sustaining public trust is our No. 1 priority, and it always has been," Morrison said, adding, "This is a tough time, but it's not the worst time the BPD has ever gone through."
Morrison's appointment follows the resignation of former chief Brandon del Pozo, who stepped down last month after he admitted to creating an anonymous Twitter account to taunt a critic.
Burlington Deputy Chief Jan Wright was initially named acting chief but was removed from the post after admitting to making her own anonymous social media profile. Wright remains on paid administrative leave as the city continues an investigation into her "Lori Spicer" social media accounts.
Tags: Burlington City Council , Jennifer Morrison , Brandon del Pozo , police chief , police , Burlington Police Department , Jan Wright , Lori Spicer , Brookfield , CityPlace , Web Only , Image
Friday, December 27, 2019
Provost was the interim director of the Burlington Technical Center when he resigned January 2, 2018, citing medical reasons.
The nature of the allegations against Provost and details of the investigation were not explained in the resignation agreement, which Seven Days obtained Friday after a lengthy public records legal battle that went all the way to the Vermont Supreme Court.
Tags: Burlington , Adam Provost , resignation agreement , Yaw Obeng , Clare Wool , Web Only , Image
Friday, December 20, 2019
In an afternoon press conference, Weinberger also said that Deputy Chief Jan Wright has been placed on paid administrative leave as the city's investigation into her social media use continues.
"We're trying to get it done as quickly as possible," Weinberger said. "We're close, but it's not complete."
The news is the latest on the social media scandal that has enveloped the department in recent days. On Monday, Chief Brandon del Pozo resigned after admitting to creating an anonymous Twitter account to troll Burlington resident Charles Winkleman in July. Weinberger named Wright acting chief but replaced her hours later after she admitted to creating an anonymous Facebook profile under the name "Lori Spicer" to engage department critics.
He then named Deputy Chief Jon Murad as acting chief. Murad will continue to serve in the role until January 6, when the city council will be asked to confirm Morrison's post, Weinberger said.
Morrison was the Burlington department's first female deputy chief and retired from the agency after 23 years of service in 2013, and she became chief of the Colchester Police Department. Morrison retired from that post in 2018 and does not intend to apply for the permanent chief position, she said.
Weinberger also announced that the city has retained "workplace expert" Anita Tinney of the Philadelphia area-based Employee and Labor Relations Academy to review the police department's overall social media practices. Her work will begin January 3, the mayor said.
The city council's Human Resources Committee will convene in January to review a draft social media policy, which is in effect until the document is formally approved, Weinberger said.
"I'm fully confident in the department’s ability to make it through this rough patch," he said, "and I hope the people of the department and the public sees the announcements today as important steps towards completing that transition."
Morrison echoed the mayor's optimistic tone, saying that this scandal doesn't define the department.
“This is a world-class police agency," she said. "Do not lose sight of that."
Tags: Burlington Police Department , Burlington , city council , Jennifer Morrison , Twitter , social media , fake account , Jan Wright , Brandon del Pozo , Web Only , Image
Monday, December 16, 2019
In a stunning turn Monday, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced that the woman he had just named acting chief of the Burlington Police Department has been replaced — for operating a social media account under a fake name.
Deputy Chief Jan Wright informed the mayor that she had occasionally used a Facebook account under the name “Lori Spicer” and discussed the police department on the page.
The mayor's office announced Wright was out as acting chief just hours after she was named to replace chief Brandon del Pozo, who himself resigned Monday after admitting he briefly using an anonymous Twitter account to troll a critic.
Tags: Jan Wright , deputy chief , Burlington Police Department , Brandon del Pozo , chief , acting chief , social media , Lori Spicer , fake , anonymous , Web Only , Image
Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo has resigned, days after admitting he created an anonymous Twitter account to harass a local political activist, Mayor Miro Weinberger said on Monday.
The mayor, who had defended the city's top cop last week, announced the news at a press conference at the Burlington Police Department's headquarters on North Avenue.
"I will miss him greatly, and I believe Burlington will as well," Weinberger told members of the media.
Deputy Police Chief Jan Wright will serve as acting chief, the mayor said: "I will have more to share about the appointment of a permanent chief in the days to come."
Tags: Brandon del Pozo , chief , Burlington Police Department , cop , law enforcement , Twitter , lied , troll , Mayor Miro Weinberger , Burlington , tape , audio , resign , Web Only , Image
Friday, December 13, 2019
"It's 45 minutes of my life spent anonymously tweeting someone in a snarky way that does not befit the chief of police," del Pozo said at an impromptu press conference Friday, "and then, to be candid, denying it out of embarrassment to a reporter, which I think is the more serious problem."
Del Pozo went on to say he felt his "throat choking up" during the July 23 phone call with this reporter.
A review of the audio recording of the 36-minute interview showed that the chief lied nearly a dozen times about what he'd done.
Tags: Burlington , police , Brandon del Pozo , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Citing a scheduling conflict at the end of Monday's Charter Change Committee meeting, City Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District) moved to adjourn before the three-member panel could take up the measure. Councilor Franklin Paulino (D-North District) supported the motion, while Councilor Max Tracy (P-Ward 2), the committee chair, did not.
“It’s just frustrating that we weren’t even able to start the conversation,” Tracy said, adding, "I was willing to stay and continue the conversation. I was hoping we’d be able to get something out, but that did not happen."
The full council needs to consider all charter changes for the Town Meeting Day 2020 ballot by December 16. Without another committee meeting before then, the ranked-choice voting proposal will likely miss the deadline, Tracy said. He hopes to get the item on the November ballot instead.
On Monday, the committee met for more than 90 minutes and did vote to send three charter change items to the full council. The first would allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. Another would add a Winooski representative — and an additional Burlington resident — to the city’s Airport Commission. A third would allow local questions to be printed on a state general election ballot.
Tags: Burlington City Council , instant runoff voting , ranked choice voting , noncitizen voting , charter change , Web Only , Image
Thursday, December 5, 2019
It’s the first time the Vermont Dems have hired a field director to focus on Queen City council races, party spokesperson Christopher Di Mezzo said.
“Time and time again, the state party maybe hasn’t tried, maybe hasn’t fielded a staff member devoted specifically to this mission, and we’re changing that,” Di Mezzo said. “We hope the resources we’re investing in the community in Burlington will bring about Democratic leadership that will support a Democratic agenda in Vermont’s largest city.”
Tags: Burlington City Council , Election 2020 , Town Meeting Day , Vermont Democratic Party , Vermont Progressive Party , Web Only , Image