Monday, November 20, 2017
Theirs was one of three final proposals for Burlington Telecom submitted to the city in advance of the city council's final decision on November 27.
The publicly traded Tucows put forward a $32.5 million proposal, up $2 million from its previous offer. And the co-op Keep BT Local raised its bid from $12 million to $18 million — though the co-op has yet to raise the $6 million difference.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Tucows , Keep BT Local , ZRF Partners , Schurz Communications , Faisal Nisar , Todd Schurz , Image , Web Only
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Sophomore Carter Neubieser, 20, declared his candidacy on the steps of UVM's Bailey/Howe library, a backward baseball cap snugged over his shaggy blond hair.
"Our generation has been handed quite the mess," he said, citing high tuition, low wages, climate change and a growing drug epidemic. About 15 students turned out for the announcement, as did Isaac Grimm, the political engagement director of Rights and Democracy, and, briefly, city Councilor Max Tracy (P-Ward 2).
Neubieser, of New Britain, Conn., said that if elected, he would work for increased affordable housing, including co-op housing for students on campus, and improved walking and biking routes across the city.
Tags: Adam Roof , Carter Neubieser , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Justice Department threatened to cut federal funding for the state of Vermont and the city of Burlington in letters that warned each may be violating federal immigration law.
The government agency sent the letters Wednesday to 29 different jurisdictions "that may have laws, policies, or practices that violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, a federal statute that promotes information sharing related to immigration enforcement."
“Jurisdictions that adopt so-called ‘sanctuary policies’ also adopt the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “I urge all jurisdictions found to be potentially out of compliance in this preliminary review to reconsider their policies that undermine the safety of their residents."
The letters give each jurisdiction until December 8 to prove they're in compliance.
Tags: Patrick Leahy , Jeff Sessions , Miro Weinberger , Tom Anderson , immigration , sanctuary city , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 13, 2017
A four-member committee, composed of Jane Knodell (P-Central District), Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4), Chip Mason (D-Ward 5) and Adam Roof (I-Ward 8), is tasked with deciding by the end of the week how the council will narrow four finalists to one buyer at a meeting scheduled for November 27. Under the resolution, Tucows, Keep BT Local, Schurz Communications and ZRF Partners must submit revised bids for the council to consider by November 20.
The council adopted the measure by an 11-1 vote.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Tucows , Keep BT Local , Schurz Communications , ZRF Partners , Jane Knodell , Kurt Wright , Adam Roof , Chip Mason , Joan Shannon , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 10, 2017
The two finalists seeking to buy Burlington Telecom were unable to reach a deal by their 5 p.m. Friday deadline, meaning two eliminated bidders will be re-admitted to the process.
The Toronto-based Tucows — which runs a mobile and internet division called Ting — and the co-op Keep BT Local have been negotiating since Tuesday, trying to reach a compromise agreement that would allow them to jointly run BT. But at about 4 p.m. Friday, KBTL board member David Lansky sent an email to Mayor Miro Weinberger and the city council announcing that it was not to be.
"We had a series of good meetings with Elliot Noss and Monica Webb about how Ting and KBTL might be able to work together to purchase and operate BT," Lansky wrote, referring to Tucows' CEO Noss and Webb, its head of market development and government affairs. "Throughout these meetings we experienced the Ting representatives as generous with their time, thoughtful, sincere, respectful, and open to discussion and consideration of a broad collection of options. We were unable to reach agreement on a way to work together that is acceptable to both parties."
Tags: David Lansky , Keep BT Local , Tucows , Jane Knodell , Miro Weinberger , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District) criticized Knodell for phone calls to ZRF Partners over the past weeks, which, she said, "wreak havoc on the process."
"Councilors should not be negotiating with anybody," she said. The council had hired the head of Dorman and Fawcett, Terry Dorman, as negotiator for a reason, Shannon said.
The criticism came as the two finalist bidders, Tucows and the co-op Keep BT Local, met Wednesday to try to hammer out a compromise proposal to buy Burlington Telecom. Monday, the council deadlocked in a 6-6 vote, and asked the two bidders to partner up. The two entities have until the end of the day Friday to put forward a joint proposal.
Tags: Jane Knodell , Dave Hartnett , Joan Shannon , Kurt Wright , Miro Weinberger , Burlington Telecom , Keep BT Local , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
After hours of discussion and gridlock on Monday, the Burlington City Council ultimately decided to ask the co-op Keep BT Local and the Canadian-based Tucows to come up with a joint venture proposal by Friday.
The council voted 11-1 to accept a resolution introduced by councilor Ali Dieng (D/P-Ward 7). The agreement instructs the two bidders to come up with a proposal that would benefit the city of Burlington and BT subscribers, as well as create a governing structure for the combined group.
Tags: Miro Weinberger , Burlington Telecom , Keep BT Local , Jane Knodell , Karen Paul , Dave Hartnett , Max Tracy , Tucows , Ting , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 6, 2017
Under an agreement reached Friday, up to eight climbers at a time are allowed to scale Lone Rock Point, the sheer limestone cliff that rises up out of Lake Champlain in the north end of the city.
Climbing group CRAG-VT and the Rock Point Center, which helps manage the sprawling 130-acre lakeshore property where the cliff is located, had been negotiating the deal for months. The Episcopal Church in Vermont owns the land, which is dotted with trails and home to church headquarters.
The dramatic overlook a mile from downtown Burlington has attracted climbers for years. Sometimes they had permission, and sometimes they didn't. Then two years ago, the diocese prohibited climbing, partly out of concern that rare plants were being damaged.
The deal sets up rules that encourage climbers to be stewards of the land, backers say. CRAG-VT also has designated specific routes up the cliff — which rises roughly 55 feet up from Lake Champlain — designed to minimize the ecological impact.*
“Limestone is a unique and scarce resource for climbers in Vermont and we
are so pleased that Lone Rock Point will be available to climbers,” said Seth
Maciejowski, president of CRAG-VT, in a press release. “Lone Rock Point provides Burlington climbers the opportunity to truly ‘climb local’ and cut down on their carbon footprint.”
*Correction, November 7, 2017: A previous version of this story misstated the height of the cliff.
Tags: Rock Point , CRAG-VT , rock climbing , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 3, 2017
The former state legislator and Burlington city councilor would be the first candidate to publicly announce, aside from Mayor Miro Weinberger, a Democrat who confirmed on Friday that he'll seek a third term in office. Queen City voters will elect a mayor at Town Meeting Day in March 2018.
Driscoll, a 43-year-old South End resident, said she hasn't decided for certain whether she would throw her hat in the ring. But she said she has been meeting with Burlington organizations and individuals to test the waters.
Several people have approached her about running for mayor, both recently and in the past. "This is the first time I’ve seriously considered it," Driscoll said.
She said she has not set a deadline for a decision and she has not yet decided whether she would run as a Progressive or an independent.
Tags: Senator , Carina Driscoll , Miro Weinberger , Bernie Sanders , Town Meeting Day , Image , Web Only
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Paul, a staff accountant with the accounting firm McSoley McCoy & Co., announced the decision in an email to other councilors and Mayor Miro Weinberger. She resigned three days after she recused herself, citing a professional conflict, from Monday's vote about BT's future. Her recusal forced the council to reschedule a vote on a winning BT bidder — either the co-op Keep BT Local or Canadian company Tucows — until next Monday, November 6.
"This morning, effective tomorrow, I have resigned my position with my employer which was the source of that professional conflict," Paul wrote in the email sent around 4 p.m. Thursday. "I intend to vote on the sale of BT assets on Monday evening."
Tags: Jane Knodell , Karen Paul , MIro Weinberger , Burlington Telecom , Image , Web Only