Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Craig Zumbrun has been off the job since sometime in October. He moved to Vermont from Pennsylvania to run the public housing agency beginning in April.
BHA board chair Mike Knauer told Seven Days that the board and Zumbrun “are working on a mutually agreeable separation agreement.” Knauer would not explain why Zumbrun is on leave.
Zumbrun did not immediately respond Tuesday to a message seeking comment.
Tags: Burlington Housing Authority , Craig Zumbrun , Allyson Laackman , Donald Laackman , Chris Barrett , Paul Dettman , Image , Web Only
Monday, December 12, 2016
The Central District councilor easily defeated Tony Redington by a 21-6 tally to win the Prog endorsement for the March election. But the opposition served as a not-so-subtle reminder that members of the party are divided on some major issues.
“I decided to basically stand up to let her know that we’re very disappointed in her positions [supporting] the F-35s ... and the leadership position she’s taken [in favor of] the Sinex mall,” Redington said.
Redington is a member of the Coalition for a Livable City, a group opposed to developer Don Sinex’s towering $250 million mall makeover proposal. The group unsuccessfully lobbied against a zoning change on the November 8 ballot that will allow for buildings up to 14 stories in a sliver of downtown.
Tags: Jane Knodell , Burlington Progressive Party , Charles Winkleman , Selene Colburn , Dave Hartnett , Tony Redington , Charles Simpson , Don Sinex , Burlington Town Center , Image , Web Only
Friday, December 9, 2016
The hospital partnered with Champlain Housing Trust to purchase a Burlington motel that will lodge patients who are homeless or need temporary housing. On Friday, CHT announced its agreement to use donated UVMMC dollars to buy the Bel-Aire Motel on Shelburne Street in Burlington’s South End. The purchase is expected to be finalized this month.
CHT plans to refurbish the motel to create eight apartments that can house 12 people. Permitting and renovations on the property will begin this winter, and the space could ready for tenants by April, CHT officials said.
Tags: University of Vermont Medical Center , Champlain Housing Trust , Chris Donnelly , Peter Shumlin , housing , image , Image , Web Only
Thursday, December 8, 2016
A citizens’ group is meanwhile promoting a competing vision for the downtown green space.
City officials say a full renovation is needed. The central fountain is choked with leaves, grass has thinned and walkways have deteriorated. “Grass seed isn’t the solution. Because we’ve tried that over the years ,” said Jesse Bridges, Burlington’s director of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront. “It needs a reboot.”
The city’s conceptual plan, designed by the Burlington-based Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, has been five years in the making. The design includes an informal performance area and an interactive fountain for children to play in. The plan includes widened pathways and open green space.
The central fountain would be removed and additional trees would be planted. The city is scheduled to break ground in 2018.
Tags: City Hall Park , Jesse Bridges , Miro Weinberger , BCA , Wagner Hodgson , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
At a press conference at the downtown mall on Wednesday, Sinex announced that PC Construction will build the $250 million project, which he hopes will break ground in the spring. He also introduced a dozen additional contractors, many of them based in and around Burlington, responsible for landscaping, parking, engineering and art projects.
In front of the mall's Christmas array and a Santa Claus, Sinex highlighted the local roots of those he had picked. "Buy local — that's what I've done," he said. It's just the first step in "transforming and strengthening the local economy," he said.
Tags: Burlington Town Center , Don Sinex , Miro Weinberger , PC Construction , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Under a new program that will start for the class entering in the fall of 2017, students could benefit from a fill-in-the-gap financial assistance program directed at Vermonters who qualify for federal Pell Grants.
Their UVM tuition would already be covered by financial aid, but that does not cover fees that amount to a sizable sum — about $2,750 annually.
Now that part of the bill will disappear.
The Catamount Commitment guarantees that all Vermonters receiving Pell grants pay no tuition and no comprehensive fee — expected to be $17,732 in the 2017-18 school year.
Tags: Burlington , University of Vermont , Pell grants , financial aid , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Currently, councilors earn $3,000 a year — a figure that has stayed the same for more than 12 years, according to independent Councilor Dave Hartnett, who sponsored the resolution. Given the time he spends on the job, “I don’t believe it would be even minimum wage,” he said.
“We do it for the love of the city … but I think we need to be realistic,” he told the council on Monday. “In the last 12 to 16 months, I feel like I’ve spent more time with city council than I have with my family. That’s valuable time.”
Tags: Dave Hartnett , city council , Selene Colburn , Image , Web Only
Julia Torti, a Vermont native who worked as a civil rights attorney in New York, is one of 34 new assistant U.S. attorneys that the U.S. Department of Justice is hiring across the country to enforce laws against discrimination.
The Vermont office said it secured one of the positions through a competitive application process.
“Aggressive protection of the civil rights of the residents of Vermont is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” U.S. Attorney Eric Miller said in a prepared statement. “The Department and this U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to a level playing field for all Vermont residents, promoting equal opportunity for Vermonters, and educating the public about their rights and responsibilities under federal civil rights laws.”
Tags: Eric Miller , Julia Torti , Curtiss Reed Jr. , civil rights , U.S. Attorney's Office , Jeff Sessions , Image , Web Only
Monday, November 28, 2016
One supports the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the Queen City, while the second will begin the process of earning Burlington the designation of a sanctuary city. Both motions, which drew a large crowd of civilian supporters, passed easily.
Before the meeting, a group of more than 200 people held a vigil on the Burlington City Hall steps. Attendees cradled candles against the wind and carried signs supporting Syrian refugees.
“I see in this resolution the opportunity to send a message to members of our community to see that the city remains the place we enjoy today, that it is not impacted by these broader national decisions,” said Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.
Tags: Burlington City Council , refugees , immigration , sanctuary city , Miro Weinberger , Image , Web Only
The airline will officially sever service out of BTV in March 2017, ending the run between Burlington and Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The penny-wise airline likes airports with little infrastructure and lower fees than what Burlington’s airport generally charges, according to Gene Richards, director of aviation.
“They were not happy,” Richards said. “They do not want to pay the fees that the other airlines pay because that is not their model. So I think that’s what it came down to.”
An airline spokeswoman confirmed that Allegiant's service to Burlington will end on March 4. "Increased airport costs and a route that lacked strong demand made it a situation which was no longer financially feasible for us," Hilarie Grey wrote in an email.
News of the departure comes as the airport negotiates five-year agreements with the other airlines that fly in and out of Burlington. American Airlines has already signed an agreement, and Delta, United and JetBlue have agreed to terms and are expected to sign by year’s end, according to Richards.
Tags: Burlington International Airport , BTV , Allegiant Air , Orlando , Image , Web Only