Monday, April 9, 2018
Private investigator Daniel Troidl worked 33.25 hours on the inquiry and charged the district $85 an hour, according to a bill that Seven Days obtained Monday through a public records request. City taxpayers must pay the tab. But so far, Troidl's report is not being made public.
Troidl investigated former board member Mark Porter's claim that board member Jeff Wick made racially biased statements during a private conversation. Wick denies that.
On Monday, superintendent of schools Yaw Obeng put off a decision on whether to release the report in response to a Seven Days public records request. Normally, a response is required within three days.
Tags: Burlington , education , racism , Jeff Wick , Yaw Obeng , Daniel Troidl , Mark Porter , Image , Web Only
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Obeng said in a statement that he never filed a formal complaint but asked the board to investigate former chair Mark Porter's claims of racism involving board member Jeff Wick, who has repeatedly refuted Porter's allegations.
"I inquired as to if and how [the board] intended to respond to these statements and reminded them of their responsibility to ensure that they administered their board role within fair practices and principles," Obeng wrote.
The board responded by "trying to be fair to all parties" with an impartial investigation, he added.
Obeng said little else about the investigation itself. Seven Days has filed a public records request for the document, the tab for the investigation and any complaint written by Obeng.
Tags: Burlington , schools , racism , Yaw Obeng , Jeff Wick , Mark Porter , Stephanie Seguino , Burlington School Board , Image , Web Only
But it's meant to help officers minimize violent interactions with those they arrest, Police Chief Brandon del Pozo emphasized. The truck is not armored. "It's a repository for all our nonlethal weapons," he said. He compared it to "a toolbox."
The truck will carry a winch on its front bumper and "every kind of power tool," according to del Pozo.
It'll also have tools that only a cop would use, such as Y-bars that allow officers to pin a violent suspect against a wall from afar. It'll also be tricked out with water cannons, reconnaissance robots, ropes, restraints, armor, helmets, cameras and "throw phones," which cops can give during standoffs to suspects with whom they hope to negotiate.
Tags: Burlington Police Department , Brandon del Pozo , Shawn Burke , Image , Web Only
Monday, April 2, 2018
In his State of the City address Monday, Weinberger vowed to help non-English speakers more easily access city services, make housing more affordable and review the role of the city's Neighborhood Planning Assemblies. The efforts will "make our community more equitable, sustainable and welcoming," he said.
The announcements appeared to be a response to Weinberger's election opponents, independent candidates Carina Driscoll and Infinite Culcleasure. On the campaign trail, both criticized Weinberger's lack of transparency and argued that he worked to benefit the business community rather than the neediest Burlingtonians.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Carina Driscoll , Infinite Culcleasure , Brian Pine , Sara Moore , Kurt Wright , State of the City , Burlington , Phil Scott , Image , Web Only
Friday, March 30, 2018
Franco, who is representing project opponents, contends that the city violated the settlement agreement the two parties reached last July. By not allowing his clients to weigh in on the changes, Franco argues, Sinex denied them their constitutional rights to due process.
He and his clients are asking that Sinex pay for "emotional distress damages" and attorney fees. Franco declined to comment on the decision to reopen the case.
Tags: John Franco , Don Sinex , CityPlace Burlington , Burlington Town Center , Image , Web Only
Thursday, March 29, 2018
About 70 people attended the presentation at the Dealer.com building in Burlington, where a seven-person panel made up of law enforcement, medical and government officials weighed the costs and benefits of such sites.
Last year, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George, one of the panel members, created a commission to study the idea of bringing a site, where heroin users could go to inject drugs under supervision, to Burlington.
But in January, the Vermont Senate Judiciary committee decided not to take up a bill that would have enabled them this year.
Tags: Brandon del Pozo , Burlington , Grace Keller , heroin , Mark Levine , opiates , Opioid Crisis , overdose , safe injection site , Sarah George , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Mayor Miro Weinberger can sign or veto the resolution, according to Katie Vane, a spokesperson for the mayor. A veto would then require two-thirds of the council to vote to override the decision.
Weinberger needs to "take action or provide a response" by the council meeting on April 16, according to Vane, and he plans to make a decision by then.
On Tuesday, the mayor indicated that he'll be deliberate.
“I will use that time as needed to continue the further work on this issue that I promised, and to make this decision with care," Weinberger said in a statement.
Tags: Vermont Air National Guard , Miro Weinberger , F-35 , Burlington City Council , Image , Web Only
Monday, March 26, 2018
Consulting company KPMG found that the Department of Public Works had 17 errors on the books. Some customers had been overcharged while others had been undercharged, according to DPW director Chapin Spencer, who presented the findings at Monday's Board of Finance meeting.
The city hired KPMG for a review of its water billing system after discovering last November that it had overcharged the University of Vermont more than $2 million for its water use. The city has established a plan to repay UVM the cash.
KPMG examined the 98 compound meters that the city oversees, said Spencer. The meters measure the flow of large quantities of water for businesses or large institutions — not private homes. UVM has 25 such meters.
All told, the city overbilled four customers a total of $210,000, KPMG found. Some customers had errors in more than one account.
The city also did not collect about $644,000 worth of water bills, ranging from $8,619 to $256,456. In one instance, the undercharge of $256,456, the department added an extra zero and miscalculated by a factor of 10, said Megan Moir, assistant DPW director for water resources.
Tags: Chapin Spencer , Megan Moir , Department of Public Works , University of Vermont , Zero Gravity Craft Brewery , Image , Web Only
The proposed measure comes after 55 percent of Burlingtonians voted on Town Meeting Day to ask the council to "request the cancellation" of the planes and find a less noisy, less risky option.
"The voters asked us to take action, so we're going to take action," said Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District), who sponsored the resolution.
Tags: Max Tracy , Miro Weinberger , Joan Shannon , Save Our Skies , Burlington City Council , Heather Wilson , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Weinberger, a Democrat, earned 48 percent of the vote on Election Day. Independent Carina Driscoll won 35 percent and Infinite Culcleasure, who also ran as an independent, tallied 16 percent.
Driscoll, who eschewed corporate campaign contributions, raised $58,400 and spent $52,800. Culcleasure pulled in more than $11,700 and spent $7,700.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Carina Driscoll , Infinite Culcleasure , Mayor , campaign finance , Image , Web Only