Monday, February 20, 2017
Two newcomers, Jeff Wick and Ryan McLaren, are stepping up without opposition to fill seats in the South and Central districts, respectively.
Incumbents Miriam Stoll and Brian Cina previously held those seats and are not running for reelection.
In the only race for a slot on the 12-member board, incumbent Mark Barlow faces a challenge from Helen Hossley in the North District, which encompasses the area commonly known as Burlington's New North End. Her goal is to strengthen city schools.
"Burlington's such a wonderful city and I think we deserve the absolute best schools that we can afford," Hossley said in an interview with Seven Days. "And I don't think the board has done a particularly good job at that."
Tags: Burlington school board , Mark Barlow , Helen Hossley , Jeff Wick , Ryan McLaren , Kathy Olwell , Image , Web Only
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Mayor Miro Weinberger presented 11 "opioid principles" at Burlington City Arts to describe and guide the city's approach to the ongoing crisis. The principles include basic statements that establish the danger of prescription opioids, label addiction as a public health crisis, and assert the importance of "data collection, data sharing, analysis and transparency."
To effect change, the city plans to increase collaboration with the University of Vermont Medical Center, other local police departments, the Vermont Department of Health, and the Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office.
"We are orienting ourselves as a city for a long-term struggle with this problem," Weinberger said.
Tags: Mayor Miro Weinberger , Brandon del Pozo , Jackie Corbally , Sarah George , Burlington Police Department , Image , Web Only
Monday, February 13, 2017
The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity would operate the “sober house” facility for at least 13 people at the Stone House on North Avenue. The building has been empty since February 2016, when the city took ownership as Burlington College struggled to stay afloat.
The college shut down for good months later and “the building was abandoned and subject to vandalism, break-ins and trespassing during the early summer of 2016,” according to a memo on the proposal that’s been submitted to the Burlington Board of Finance and City Council.
The city would give CVOEO use of the space for free under a proposed two-year lease. The Board of Finance was scheduled to discuss the proposal Monday evening at a meeting that has since been canceled and rescheduled for February 27. The plan would also require approval from the city council and zoning permits from the Development Review Board.
Tags: Jan Demers , Jesse Bridges , Marcy Esbjerg , CVOEO , housing , Burlington College , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
The Greater Burlington YMCA said it could no longer sustain annual losses generated by the Winooski facility, located in the O’Brien Community Center. It will close on June 30 when its lease expires.
“This is not a decision that we reached easily,” Greater Burlington YMCA president and CEO Kyle Dodson said. “Several youth and community activities introduced at the Winooski Y did not gain the intended traction. While the Winooski Y has functioned as a fitness center, the facility was never able to attract the number of members necessary to make that operation self-sustaining. Year in and year out, the Winooski Y has lost tens of
thousands of dollars.”
Winooski Y members will be allowed to use the Burlington facility.
Tags: Greater Burlington YMCA , Winooski , Burlington , Kyle Dodson , Image , Web Only
Monday, February 6, 2017
The compromise measure prohibits lighting up along Burlington's beaches and in neighborhood parks, but allows for designated smoking areas in larger parks, including Oakledge, Waterfront, Battery, North Beach and Leddy. The ban also encompasses City Hall Park, which had previously proved a flashpoint among councilors.
The final product required compromise from all sides, noted Councilor Dave Hartnett, an independent who sponsored the resolution. "I don't think anyone was thrilled about giving in on this one," he said.
It marked the final touch on what Republican councilor Kurt Wright dubbed "a long and winding road."
Tags: Smoking ban , Karen Paul , Dave Hartnett , Jesse Bridges , Burlington Parks and Recreation , Image , Web Only
Friday, February 3, 2017
At a board of trustees meeting on Friday, UVM representatives unveiled the proposed multipurpose center, which would be five times larger than the existing facilities. The plan includes a complete reconstruction of Patrick Gymnasium, as well as additions and renovations to the Gutterson Fieldhouse hockey arena. The completed 86,000-square-foot complex would include a fitness center, social space for students, academic classrooms, and practice and game facilities.
The plan comes after the university for at least a year entertained siting proposals from local municipalities. UVM considered using the Memorial Auditorium lot for an arena in downtown Burlington and also investigated the space where University Mall currently stands in South Burlington.
Tags: University of Vermont , arena , Memorial Auditorium , Jeff Schulman , Miro Weinberger , Tom Gustafson , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
About 25 people gathered in the Fletcher Free Library, offering the Burlington Telecom Advisory Board words of advice on who the buyer should be and how the city should go about the selling the entity. The half a dozen people who spoke before the board depicted the local fiber-optic network as a valuable public good.
“A publicly owned company is a precious commodity and asset,” said Lauren-Glenn Davitian, executive director of CCTV Center for Media & Democracy, Burlington’s public government-access cable station. Losing community control would be “short-sighted,” she added, arguing that the city should maintain a “decision-making stake” in the utility.
Tags: Burlington Telecom , Steve Goodkind , David Provost , Keep BT Local , Miro Weinberger , Jane Knodell , Bob Kiss , Image , Web Only
Rights and Democracy and the Burlington branch of the International Socialist Organization organized the rally after Trump signed an executive order closing the country to refugees and people from seven countries. Protesters filled a large swath of City Hall Park before they marched up Church Street.
Tags: Burlington , Donald Trump , protest , Image , Web Only
Monday, January 30, 2017
The candidates filed their petitions before the 5 p.m. deadline Monday. The election is on March 7.
Two candidates have stepped up to run against South District Democrat Joan Shannon: Progressive Charles Simpson, a retired professor, and independent Abdullah Sall.
Tags: Jane Knodell , Genese Grill , Dave Hartnett , Charles Simpson , Charles Winkleman , Abdullah Sall , Joan Shannon , Selene Colburn , Richard Deane , Town Meeting Day 2017 , Image , Web Only
Virginia-based czb LLC, the urban planning consulting firm tasked with creating the 35-page report, will present its findings at 6 p.m. in City Hall during a meeting of the city council’s Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization committee.
The takeaways of the document, which was released January 16: Development has not kept pace with city growth, pushing housing into the suburbs while city residences remain unaffordable. Some 58 percent of Burlington residents pay more than 30 percent of their income — the target threshold — on housing. Meanwhile, a third pay more than 50 percent. Costs end up disproportionately burdening developers and the affordable housing sector.
But the policy itself has worked well to create economically integrated housing, according to the report prepared by czb. “There is much to be proud of,” the group concludes in its assessment.
Tags: Inclusionary zoning , Adam Roof , Selene Colburn , Michael Monte , Tom Ayres , affordable housing , czb , Image , Web Only