City Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome to organization day. I am going to call this evening's meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. I am Katherine Shod, the city's chief administrative officer, and once a year I have the pleasure of um chairing this meeting uh before the election of the new city council president. Um and so we will get started. The first item on the agenda is the agenda. Do I have a motion to adopt the agenda? So move. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. And are there any comments? All those in favor, please say I.

I. I. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. And the second item is the oath of office for both newly elected and reelected city councilors. And for that, I will pass it over to Mayor Emma Mulvaney Stan. Thank you, CEO Shad. Will the counselors elected at the last town meeting day please join me in the center of the room. Make sure these are on. Great. On and off. Can people hear me on this one? Yes. Okay. Great. So, I just want to make a little semicircle.

I'm sorry, mayor. I do also want to note for the record that councelor Barlo is joining us online. We don't have the screen, but he is here. Great. Thank you, Katherine. Appreciate it. All right. Is everyone there? Can everyone see their loved ones, or do we have to step back a little bit so everyone can see your shiny, happy faces? Okay. Just want to make sure and we'll pause and take proper photos. This is a big moment. So, all right. So, if folks can raise their right hands, please. I'll do the oath. I'll go line by line and repeat after me. Are we ready? Okay, great. Under the pains and penalties of perjury, I and then your name. Under the pains and penalties of perjury, I

do solemnly swear and affirm that I will faithfully execute the duties Dolely swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of city councelor. and then insert your ward. The office of city. Beautiful. To the best of my judgment and ability according to law. To the best of my judgment and ability to law. Congratulations.

Thank you. Let's take a nice photo. I'm just moving those Congratulations, counselors. The next item on the agenda is the mayor's state of the city address. So, I will pass it back to the mayor. Thank you, CEO Shod. All right, we're in the 21st century. I'm using a teleprompter, so we'll see how this goes. Okay. All right. Good evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us here at City Hall Contos Auditorium, whether you're

here in person or joining us virtually. I just want to acknowledge we have a few folks in the room who have been leaders in the past here for the city uh and current leaders today. We have former mayor Peter Clevel here tonight who I made sit in the front front row. Mayor, mayor, thank you for your service. We have former city council president Karen Paul who is joining us tonight. We also have Dr. Leler who is now the CEO of UVM Health Network joining us tonight. Thank you for being here. And this is where I minor panic. Am I missing anybody? Okay, officially who? But all of you are, it's such a an honor to have you all here at city hall to hear the state of the city. I want to acknowledge also my family who here is here tonight. My parents who came all the way from Barry City and then my rockstar cheerleading team, Ruby, Elliot, and Megan for being here, serving as mayor. It takes a great It's a great ask in general, but it's an even greater ask of family because it enables me to do this work every single day. And I want to say to Ruby and Elliot in particular, thank you for being my inspiration for even running for mayor of this beautiful city we all live in. You two are really rock stars. And I have to say you remind me every day why I do this work. And you're also really good lobbyists because since becoming mayor, we have had fish, I think five or six fish join us, a dog, and two guinea pigs counting so far. So, my mom guilt has been assued and I appreciate your uh your flexibility with this very big job that I do and the big job that your mamba has too. And to Megan, it's truly a unique thing to have a partner who wants you to go running towards the impossible dream and running right alongside me. So, I really appreciate the endless caretaking and cheerleading you offer every single day. You are the glue that keeps this family together and I love you. Thank you for doing that.

Okay. So, let me take a moment to congratulate again our ward city councilors who were elected in this last election cycle. Gene Bergman, Merrick Broadick, uh Carter Nezer, Sarah Carpenter, Ben Traverse, Becca Bernet Mcnite, and Evan Litwin. I also like to extend a very warm welcome to our newest city councelor, Laura Sanchez Parkinson. I really want to acknowledge this is a historic night for Burlington because Laura is joining us as the first Latina to serve in the role of city counselor in the history of the city. And Ward 3, my home ward, we are so proud to have you represent us. And finally, I'm grateful to the district city councilors for continuing your service. We have Milo Grant, Ally Shakar, Mark Barlo, and Buddy Singh. Thank you for your service. So with election behind us, now our work begins to govern together. In this work, we will not only it is not only the work of elected officials. We are all stewards of a shared community. And when I think about what it truly means to show up for one another in that way, I'm reminded of a lesson I learned long before I stepped into public service. When I was growing up, my parents encouraged me to include all the kids on the street when we went out to play. This wasn't always easy. Lucas lived next door. He was four years older than the rest of us, the only boy in the group of kids, and he liked to relentlessly tease all of the girls. And for those who know me well, you can imagine this didn't sit well with me even when I was a kid. One day, when I was about 10, he challenged us to jump off the roof of a nearby carport. I

climbed up, I looked down, and the ground felt miles and miles away. My stomach twisted, but I didn't want to show an ounce of fear, so I jumped. and then felt instant relief. I had survived. Then Lucas's younger sister jumped. She landed and immediately crumbled to the ground. She started to turn pale. Her breathing became labored and the panic in her eyes spread quickly to the rest of us. I ran across the street to get my mom and when she arrived, she took the girl's hand and asked us to sit in a circle on the ground. We were all joining her and we began to shift nervously in our grassy spots. I held my breath, waiting for the teasing to start as soon as my mom left. But Lucas sat there with his head down, avoiding eye contact, his body tense as he tried to make himself as small as humanly possible. There was no lecture. My mom didn't yell. Instead, she asked us what we could do next time to keep each other safer. The boy's shoulder slowly started to relax. And it took me years to understand what that moment was really about. 15 years later, I found myself sitting in the back of Lucas's funeral. His mother stood at the front of the room trying to speak through the tears as she prepared to bury her 29year-old child. She made eye contact with my dad who sat next to me in the back of the room and shared something incredibly important. How was working as a working single mother, how my parents played a big role in helping to raise her son and daughter. And in that moment, I realized something I had not understood as a child. What I thought was awkward over parenting was actually a deep act of care for the people who lived alongside of us. It was my first real lesson in what it means to build community. And that lesson has stayed with me, shaping how I understand what it means to care for one another and what it means to be

a leader. I carried this with me two years ago when I walked into this very auditorium on a much warmer April evening with my own two children. The room was full of diverse faces from our community. Fifth graders from Champlain Elementary who had spent months studying the local election that winter. Dedicated city employees, friends and families of eight newly elected city councilors, five of whom were elected for the very first time. We took turns standing in the middle of the room raising our hands to take an oath to serve this city. I hope you remember that room. This room was vibrating with excitement for a fresh start. The room felt bright. We were in community. But the truth is governing in this moment has been hard. And that moment two years ago can feel really far away. We are all facing complex local challenges in the midst of a deeply divided nation. Debates at this table have sharpened. Patience has worn thin and empathy often seems to be in very short supply. And there have been many missed opportunities to seek understanding instead of division. And when we feel embattled, it becomes harder and harder to come to the table in good faith. I have too I left this meet these meetings for city council too often feeling deeply discouraged about how we have engaged with each other and I know I'm not alone in that. At a time when we must work together to move this city forward, what's often missing is a willingness to work together through our differences. And yet I know we are capable of something better. We've all seen it. Nearly every city councelor and many members of my administration picked up a paintbrush to paint the VSET mural. And many of you came back the very next day to repair it after it was vandalized. We've seen bipartisan alignment to strengthen

housing standards at UVM. And just two weeks ago, every counselor showed care and concern as we began to examine the harm caused by the March 11th ICE incident in South Burlington. And beyond the public view, there are the quiet moments, the emails, the text messages, the check-ins that do happen across political differences. These are small reminders that we can still see one another as our fellow as fellow community members truly trying our best. Today, we have a choice. We can lead the city through a moment of rising fear together. We can turn away from the division of the past, the two years, and make a fresh start tonight. If this is possible anywhere, it is here in Burlington. But to do this will take intention from all 13 of us around this table. So tonight, let's reset the tone. Let's use this new session of city council that begins tonight as a new beginning. Let's commit to governing together. I'm going to ask you, will you join me in setting aside our differences and working towards cooperation and unity to serve this community that we all so deeply love? Because moments like this, the hard moments are when co-governing matters the most. And the truth is, even in the midst of these challenges, something important has been happening here in Burlington. There is momentum. And not just from those of us up here at this table, but also from the people in this room and in this wider community, from the residents, from the schools, organizations, and businesses that continue to believe in this city. Our library staff and volunteers who keep this that sacred public space welcoming, who fundra to take care of that historic building and to build towards a vibrant

future that will continue to serve that building to continue to serve us as the heart of our downtown. Thank you to director Barry Denko and friends of Fletcher Free for their leadership, their creativity, and even a mini golf moment. I got a hole in one once uh a couple weeks ago. This is really truly a remarkable gem in our city. to our local business owners who employ local people who consciously invest here by staying right here in Burlington even when things have been challenging and contribute to our local economy in ways that only local businesses can. To our faith leaders that support many of us in times of deep uncertainty through relationship building and helping us not lose each other through times of conflict. Several of these faith leaders have been trusted adviserss to me in the last year and I truly thank their counsel and their wisdom and their dedication to the city. Our extreme weather shelter staff who create warmth and safety and refuge for those who are unsheltered neighbors of in our city on the coldest winter nights. And to our mutual aid groups showing up again and again to serve warm meals and steady and offer steady support to our most vulnerable unhoused neighbors. And more recently, our mutual aid has even taken to another level because we're standing, people in this community are standing in unwavering solidarity with our immigrant neighbors during this deeply disturbing moment of federal immigration enforcement. And what this reminds me is that this is what a community looks like when it is in action. And honestly, I could go on for hours highlighting how wonderful our Burlington community is. But let's please thank all of these community members and all of the un uh unsaid

stories that extend beyond these couple of examples because this is truly Burlington at its best. And it's in that spirit of showing up for each other that has driven the progress we've made in this past year. And it will fuel us as we for as we put forward momentum forward in the year ahead. Because when a community shows up for each other the way that we do here in Burlington, the work really begins to take hold. And we are starting to see the results, not just in what we've been done as a city, but in how we've chosen to do it. In Burlington, we're beginning a building a model of pragmatic, progressive governing that is creating real momentum here in our city. That work is truly taking shape and forming how we approach our problems and solve them in a way that benefits residents of this great city today and into the future. We're trying new approaches that will strengthen our resilience because the old ways are just not enough in this moment. And we're building for a vibrant future because this is a moment of generational work for Burlington. Work that will shape the future of this community for decades to come. This is how we're creating momentum here in Burlington. Burlington is being tested like cities across the country by a convergence of unprecedented challenges. A trifecta of homelessness, unmet mental health needs, and substance use challenges, a housing shortage, and an affordability crisis, and the lasting impacts of the pandemic, especially on our young people. The question is not whether we face these challenges, but how we choose to tackle them. For my administration, that response has been grounded in a core idea, progressive pragmatism that builds our resilience.

My mom started that one. This is why you should bring your mom to a speech you give because she starts the applause. Thank you very much. And we put that idea into practice. Over the past two years, we've taken a clear approach to build a more comprehensive and responsive community safety system because we know that law enforcement alone does not create safety. Our approach addresses both immediate needs and root causes and we can reduce harm, improve accountability, and prevent crises before they happen. Today, when someone calls for help, Burlington responds with the right kind of response. something that wasn't always possible a year ago. Under Chief Shawn Burke, we've strengthened how our Burlington Police Department team works together. Sworn officers along CSOS and CSLs and dispatch now have the clarity they need between roles and responsibilities. Plus, our partnerships are stronger than ever before with our community. The Burlington Community Justice Center with its response for victim services, social service agencies, and our judicial system. We're all making the most out of limited resources and staffing to make Burlington safer and it is truly working. Our downtown foot patrols are now at their highest level since 2020. An inc and our incident counts are up because residents are finally calling for help again because we have been rebuilding the trust that the city needs from us in order to respond. That's a clapable moment if you ask me. Yeah. our fire department under former Chief Leance and now current Chief Michael Lechance. Sorry, Michael Curtain. You both have Michael as your name, which is really convenient and confusing at the same time. That our fire department has responded to more than 11,000 calls in 2025 alone, meeting emergency needs at

record levels while also expanding into community-based care. And we're building beyond traditional responses. In July, we launched the situation table, bringing nearly 30 organizations together every single week to intervene early before crisis escalate. The situation table recently worked with an older man who' been living in difficult conditions and falling through the cracks of the social service uh world, unable to get the help that he truly needed. Our team came together to take on his case, coordinating services more regularly and intentionally at every weekly table meeting. The team brought his family together with him and built new support around him. Things finally began to change. Today, he has housing closer to his family and is receiving receiving the care he needs both medically and emotionally. He still has a long road ahead, but for the first time in a very long time, he is not walking alone. We've we've also quadrupled our contribution to the Howard Center Street Outreach Team. This is a 20-yearong partnership that is crucial to our city. They offer critical crisis response and proactive engagement to support those most in crisis in our city. This also relieves the pressures on how our first on on our first responders. It means we send the right type of professional help when they are there's a call for need. This is what it looks like when systems work well. When we meet people where they are when we meet people where they are and help them move forward, this makes our entire community safer in the process. But we recognize that Burlington cannot do this work alone. And that's why we have strengthened our partnerships with the state of Vermont, working closely alongside State Attorney Sarah George

and partnering with Governor Phil Scott to launch the community accountability docket. Our community accountability docket has been a gamecher, resolving nearly 80% 80% of the backlog of criminal cases that strained our court system for years while delivering swift meaningful accountability. While the accountability docket is now closed because it was a pilot, I am grateful that states attorney George will continue key elements of this work in the year ahead. And I also appreciate the governor for engaging Burlington as a true partner in advancing a safer community. And we are seeing even more momentum in making Burlington safer. Violent crime has declined to levels we have not seen since 2021. Homicides have dropped significantly and nearly all of the outstanding gun violence cases from 2022 have now been resolved. The change in Burlington is real and the people can feel it. Just just last week I was out shopping local because that's so incredibly important. Please do that. uh in downtown to get my state of the city outfit and I stopped in for to a local womenowned business down on Main Street that had opened just two years ago. The owner, Robin, stayed open a little bit later to help me find the right look and she shared her appreciation for the city while we chatted. She specifically thanked first the peace and justice center though, the cleanup crew that has been working diligently cleaning up syringe litter across the city, but specifically in the courtyard outside of her business. Um, and also she praised the public works team for reopening Main Street with a re-imagined streetscape right outside her door. She's reported

it gets even better because she reported her numbers are up and people are coming downtown again. This is the exact momentum we need to keep encouraging and by doing so by coming downtown and bringing everyone you know back into the downtown heart of Burlington. The distinct way in which we respond to our challenges is also about addressing whether the systems underneath us are strong enough to hold. And that's why we're strengthening our foundation for the long term, creating a steady shift towards the city we want Burlington to be. I convened a climate advisory group beginning uh bringing together experts and community members to strengthen how we plan, measure and deliver on climate action and to ensure that we are building real resistance because we know the impacts of climate change aren't just in the future. They are already sadly here. Some of those climate adviserss are in the audience here today including Jen Green who is a brave co-chair of this advisor group. Thank you for your work and thank you to all the adviserss here today. Guided by the advisories group's recommendations which will be shared more in detail on April 13th to the council. Tonight I am announcing three key actions that will that my team will prioritize in the coming months. First is improving how we monitor and respond to theobacteria risk at our beaches in Lake Champlain and water systems through early detection and better public safety tools. Another is earmarking and wait for this is my children if they're listening. Uh earmarking capital city resources to invest in a new splash pad or water cooling location in the city to help residents when the lake is not swimmable. And finally, we are we will establish clear reporting and oversight systems so the public can see our climate goals,

our progress, and our results by department. Being a resilient city is one that can adapt not just to today's challenges, but to what's ahead. And just as importantly, our approach must be equitable. On town meeting day in March, voters approved an important charter change to permanently establish the the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in our city charter. This means this work is no longer temporary or optional. It is embedded on how we govern. Under the leadership of Dr. Kelly Perkins, we are strengthening this work across city departments, ensuring that equity is a practice that shapes all decisions, policies, and outcomes across of our our city. because every resident, especially those who've been historically marginalized, deserve the opportunity to be safe, supported, and to thrive. Leading up to town meeting day, thank you. Leading up to town meeting days vote the REI on the REIB charter change. We heard a clear message from across this community from residents, from nonprofits, city councilors, state leaders, and also employers like Rhino Foods who employ many immigrants within our community. The message was plain and simple and powerful. Embedding the REI office in our charter acts upon the values of this city when the federal government is actively dismantling equity work and attacking the true vibrancy of this diverse nation. We in Burlington clearly stand as a city committed to equity as it benefits and enriches every single one of us.

Building a more equitable, resilient city is never a single moment. It's a steady, sustained work over time. We are not just responding to challenges. We are strengthening the foundation of this city for the future. And that foundation, stronger, more connected, more resilient, is what allows us to do to not just endure challenge, but to lead it. And that is exactly what comes next. We are not only a resilient city. We're choosing to do things differently because cities across the country are facing the same challenges, but all too often they fall back on the same playbook. Here in Burlington, we're taking a different approach, one that blends progressive values with a pragmatic focus on what actually works. One that is willing to innovate and to try new ideas. Nowhere is that clearer than how we're approaching housing. Because housing is not just a market issue, it's a community issue. And our people first strategy reflects a simple belief. Housing policy must be shaped by the people who actually live here, by community needs, by by lived experience, and by shared values. And that's why we rehab reorganized city government to deliver on that vision, bringing teams together, innovating and moving faster on the solutions our community needs. This past year, we brought together two core departments, our community economic development office or CEDO and our office of city planning so that we can innovate faster and move more effectively on housing. By combining and colllocating these departments, we have created a team that is singularly focused on moving development projects forward and delivering results for our residents. And I want to thank Cara Alerswari for her leadership within CEDO, bringing people together, driving this work forward, and helping turn vision into real progress for Burlington.

With this merger, we are now ready for the state's challenge to Burlington, which take a deep breath, is creating 7,000 units by 2050. To achieve this lofty, lofty goal, my administration is not relying on any single solution to get there. We are implementing three core strategies. First, modernizing our core legacy tools like our inclusionary zoning ordinance and the housing trust fund. We're doing this to create more affordable housing by increasing requirements where appropriate, unlocking new funding for smaller developers and individuals. This piece is what I call the democratization of our housing policy. Second, we're activating the neighborhood code that was put in place by Mayor Weinberger. We will make it easier to build the kinds of homes our neighborhoods need, including duplexes, triplexes, and accessory units. And three, by reclaiming the public sector's role as a housing leader, we will explore how we might use public private partnerships to thoughtfully develop housing on certain city- owned lands to meet the community's needs. Today, an example of this includes the south end coordinated redevelopment project or cord, which is our newest public private partnership and will deliver more than 200 homes in the first phase alone with more plans coming online soon. It will also include the city developing our own parcel in the same area for a publiclyowned housing building. This will be a whole new neighborhood that is right now a massively ugly parking lot. So, a community is going to be built from literally a parking lot. Finally, over the past year, an inter departmental team has met weekly to come up with immediate innovative ideas that we can bring online online to address our housing challenges. This is part of Burlington being selected as part of an international city leadership initiative. And tonight I'm announcing two innovation pieces from our housing

strategy. One is the priority parcel initiative which will identify a collection of underutilized parcels properties throughout our city to be analyzed for potential development and zoning changes to unlock more housing potential. And second, to create a housing shepherd, a role, a position within the city to help guide infill housing projects for individuals to go from idea to actual completion. This is exactly the kind of innovation that we need. It's not only the beginning, it's more to come. And this is uh and I just really want to thank the entire city team. So this is what innovation starts to look like. A government that works as one team, uses every tool available, and stays focused on the results. My administration is turning ambitious housing goals into real, meaningful action, and it's already changing as we show up with our partners. Take our relationship with UVM, one that has been difficult in the past and too often fell short of meeting our shared housing needs. But today, the new UVM president, Dr. Marlene Trump and I are consciously turning the page, building a strong partnership between UVM and the city of Burlington. Dr. Trump and I know the success and well-being of our city and UVM are truly intertwined. She brings successful experience in city university housing innovation with her work to stand up the Lusk redevelopment project in Boise, Idaho alongside that mayor. This project is a public private housing development designed to meet that community's housing needs for families exiting homelessness and to house graduate students alongside them. That project breaks ground this fall. And I am excited to work with Dr. Trump to use this as an inspiration on what we can do here in Burlington.

Innovation is not just about new ideas. is it's about bringing new ways of working together to deliver better outcomes. But this work isn't just about what we build today. It's about what we set in motion for the future. Because if resilience is how we beat the moment and innovation is how we change it, then the next question is how do we shape Burlington for the next generation? And at the end of the day, all of this work, it comes down to something pretty fundamental. What kind of city are we building for the next generation? Because Burlington is in a generational moment. A moment where decisions we make now will shape the city for decades to come. You can see this in all of the investments around us. After decades and decades and decades and decades of planning, DPW's team is pray preparing to open the Champlain Parkway. I did that on as effect. Did that feel right, Chapen? Yeah. Okay, great. Great. Um, we don't even have enough filing cabinets to put on the world's tallest filing cabinet because it would fall over or what? the FAA would have to put a blinking light on top of it, but I mean decades. This big project is finally going to reconnect neighborhoods and reshape how the people move throughout our city. That's worth an applause. The Great Street Main Streets project will be completed this summer, creating a safer, more vibrant downtown for residents, businesses, businesses, and visitors alike. I want to personally invite you all to a celebration of this other epic project coming to completion on July 17, 17th, and 18th. We'll have more details soon, but I hope you join me. This is a big moment to really celebrate the heart of our downtown and a new reimagining of what our grand entrance into Burlington now looks like. It keeps getting better, y'all. In the fall, a new Burlington High School will open its doors. Seriously,

this is truly a generational investment in our students and our educators and our future. There will be an opportunity to celebrate together come later this summer. And I hope you'll join me for that particular milestone. Something that people who don't even have children have been talking about how important it is to invest in this important building. And in 2025, voters approved critical water infrastructure bonds. And we broke ground to start this work at our main wastewater treatment plant last summer. It will help us mitigate I knew she was going to do that. It will help us mitigate our impact on the lake uh by removing all of the phosphorus when it's done in the city's outflow. uh which is truly remarkable when you consider what contributes to the the to the uh not the lack of health, it it contributes to the pollution in our lake. And this is also going to support our ability to grow new housing in our city. These are all just a few examples of commitments to a Burlington that is stronger, more connected, and ready for what comes next. But building for the future also requires fiscal discipline and pragmat pragmatism today because affordability is one of the defining challenges of our time. Over the last past two years, my administration has taken a different approach to the city's finances. Making tough decisions to ensure Burlington remains on stable financial footing. And as part of my commitment to co-governance, we've strengthened our budgeting process, starting earlier, increasing transparency with city councilors and the public, and creating opportunities for city staff to engage throughout. For three consecutive years, we've had to close multi-million dollar structural budget gaps to deliver a balanced budget that has not over relied on tax increases for residents. I cannot overstate enough how difficult

that work has been. The pressure has been enormous and not just for me but for our department heads and our city staff who have carried a very heavy responsibility to help us reach a more sustainable place. We focused on streamlining government operations while working to grow our revenue base and making careful choices to ensure long-term stability even when those choices were incredibly hard. Probably the most difficult moment I have had still as mayor came last year when we had to implement reductions in force as part of this work. It was a necessary step for the city's long-term health, but it also meant that valued city employees and colleagues lost their jobs. In a city like Burlington, that impact is deeply felt, and I still carry that with me today. We have truly taken the lessons from last year into the work of building this next year's budget. And when it's moments like this, when decisions are difficult and the stakes are incredibly high, the public trust matters most. This is why I'm incredibly grateful to voters for approving the 5-cent tax increase on this last town meeting day with over 70% of the vote. This was a strategic ask to help us deliver a balanced fiscal year 27 budget while minimizing further impacts to critical city services. And all of this financial work is truly paying off. The majority of residents saw lower municipal tax bills last year, fiscal year 26, which upholds my commitment to maintaining affordability for both our renters and our home owners. And this year, Burlington received a credit rating upgrade upgrade from Moody's. A clear signal that our financial stewardship is strengthening the city's future and protecting taxpayers by keeping our debt cost low down.

Because when we manage our finances responsibly today, we create more room for affordability tomorrow. Burlington Strong Financial Footing has taken incredibly hard work and I really want to thank CEO Katherine Shod 14 million times over because it was due to her hard work and leading our department heads um as also working alongside our city union leadership and all city employees and city councilors which is a big gnarly group of people to work with uh for delivering a very responsible budget year after year. So, thank you so much, Katherine, for being such a strong partner. In addition to our work on the city's budget, we are working to make our tax system fairer. I convened a bipartisan tax fairness working group last year, bringing together community members and stakeholders to take a hard look at how our system can better serve the people who live here. And now, we're building on that work in partnership with the city council. I hope we can advance a tax fairness proposal to voters on the November ballot. I'm hopeful because meeting the affordability needs of our residents requires coalition governing, working together across perspectives to deliver solutions that are fair, practical, and provide immediate relief as soon as possible to our residents. It's about a balancing ability to pay to ensure we can maintain the economic diversity and equity in our city. None of this is easy and none of it happens overnight. But taken together, it reflects something bigger than anyone project or any one policy. A city that is planning not just for next year, but for the next generation. And if we get this right, if we stay focused and disciplined and guided by our values, then Burlington will we the Burlington

that we all pass on will be more resilient than the one we inherited. We've got a lot on our plate in Burlington. And it would be easy to feel discouraged. But tonight, I do feel something else. I feel hope. I feel pride. I feel determination. And I feel momentum. Because I know in Burlington we do not sit moments out like this. We show up because participation is an act of care and solidarity. Everyone in our city should have a seat at the table and a voice in our future. We debate, believe me, I know we debate because we need to hold power accountable. But we can also learn together, test ideas, and make sure our policies reflect the lives of residents, especially those our systems continue to fail. We take responsibility because words alone are not enough. It is our civic duty to actively shape the city we want to live in. And we fight for equity and justice because Burlington must work for everyone. And I really do mean every single person. Our longtime residents, our newest neighbors, homeowners and renters, people with resources, those who are struggling to make ends meet, those with stable housing, and those living without shelter. We can do this together because the truth is there is no moving forward alone. The work of building an equitable and just city asks us to wrestle with hard problems, to hear perspectives that challenge us, to share power with those who are too often left out, and to stay at the table even when the conversation becomes uncomfortable.

That's what it means to pair our progressive ideals with a pragmatic approach grounded in our values of action and doing the hard, often unglamorous work of turning them into real results. Because that's how progress happens. When we take care of each other, especially the kids next door like Lucas and his sister, and when we act as one community bound by the shared responsibilities and shared values. So tonight, let's celebrate what hap what makes Burlington so very special and let's get energized for the future we're building here together. The future we all want for our lovely, beautiful city. Thank you. Thank Thank you, mayor. The next item on the agenda is public comment. And as always, we have a few rules for public comment. First, we hear from Burlington residents in city hall. Then we go to Burlington residents online. And then we repeat the process for those that are not residents. first if there's anyone here in person and then online. In order to participate online, you must have signed up at least an hour in

advance on the city's website. As is clearly stated on tonight's agenda. Public comment will be limited to city council agenda items for this meeting. specifically the election of the city council president and the election of board of finance members. If you uh while you're providing your comments um please limit them to two minutes. That is what every speaker will receive and direct any comments towards me as the chair. All comments should be free from individual attacks, hate, harassment, obscenities or any other derogatory language. If I interrupt a speaker, it will be because there's been a violation of those rules and I reserve the right to end public forum at that time. It does not appear that there is anyone in city hall um that is a resident. And um it also does not appear uh it appears we only have one person for uh public forum tonight. Um and that is Miss Ceda who is not a Burlington resident but participating online and I will be um allowing you to talk now.

Can I be heard? You can.

Okay, great. I was going to show up, but I got a no trespassing order from this mayor. So, I'm going to have to do this verbally because I'm not just any black girl in Vermont. I'm the black girl in Vermont. So, we're going to talk about racial equity now being a charter to do that to a black woman like me. And I hope the next city council president knows that I will be coming for her like Alexander Dumas. And I'm glad that the Liberian is there like the catamonte Christo. I'll be talking about Jay-Z. I'll be talking about Parkwood. I'll be talking about Elona Mar. I'll be talking about all of the things that she has done. And I will be coming with a vengeance. And I will also be coming to every finance because I know money is involved. So let once again I hope you are happy because the Lord is with me. No matter what you guys have done against me, I continue to prosper because the Lord is with me. Like Jesus, I resurrect. I resurrect. I'm hotter. And let me tell you this. No matter what happens to me, I am the sexiest, smartest black girl in this state. And you bow before my God. Period. So now we will really fight. I'm You think I'm crazy? I'm so crazy. I'm going to ask the president of the United States to help me. I'm gonna demand that he sends JD Vance here to to investigate the fraud. That's how crazy I am. And by the way, I I'm so crazy I got into Harvard after two months of a false imprisonment. So clearly I'm crazy enough and Harvard loves me. Mr. Kennedy loves me. So yes, I hope the next city council president is ready because I'm going to be stepping on next like my son. Jesus. He's not really my son, but anyways, I'm coming for you. I'm coming with this passion because who else knows resistance like a black woman? Who else knows resilience like a black woman? Who else knows that? So yes, it's popping. I'm really that cute. My booty is that big. I really am that smart. And we really are going to fight. Make sure you get your copy from the Liberian. I am Alexander Dumas. I will get my revenge.

Do I still got time? Cuz I got time. Do I still got time? You I can't wait to talk about Elon M. I can't wait to talk about 30 more seconds. If you would like to address the issue of city council president or board of finance, president must be ready. you better come fully ready. You better come with a god or something because my god is not playing any games with me. So that's what that's my only advice I have for the next city council. I don't care who you are, male or female, my God tells me we do not fear. We do not fear. That's my advice. The next one.

Okay. Thank you. Your time is up. And seeing no one else for public forum, I'm going to go ahead and close public forum at 6:55. And we will move on to the election of the city council president. Nominations are now open. Is there a nomination? Yes. Councelor Singh. Uh I'd like to nominate uh Ben Travers. Ward five. Excellent. Are there any other nominations? Yes.

Yes. I'd like to nominate Carter Newbieser and have a few seconds to explain. Um, I'm nominate Carter because I believe we need a change to seize the opportunity that the mayor has just posed for us. I've been disappointed in the point of order rulings from the president's chair, and you've seen my growing frustration with them. I've been disappointed at the way resolutions have dropped at the functional last minute without the time to question or improve, let alone collaborate, leaving us to fight it out on the council floor. I was disappointed in the push to use the power of the council president to keep the resolution on voting to oppose Israeli apartheid, colonialism and occupation off our agenda. And it is time for a change to set that new tone and the new way forward with a new approach to the submission of resolutions on clarity on the power of the president over keeping items off the agenda. A new way is possible. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, councelor Singh, would you like the floor back?

Sure. Thank you very much. Um, CEO Shad, um, you know, I' I've had the opportunity over the last year to to get to know everybody at this table and I appreciate that and I appreciate the work that we do here. I've also had the distinct um pleasure of knowing councelor Travers for over 11 years and seen him not only uh steward this council in in an appropriate direction but also lead in so many other ways um that I get to see in everyday life. And I think that's really important here um at the council table. um he shows up on so many occasions um to you know to our community to our neighborhood. I also want to say you know councelor Travers did agendaize uh those items on um our city council agenda and we did take action on them. So I believe he's been flexible in his leadership. I believe he takes um both caucuses opinions into his decision- making and he's been a very steady hand and I don't think I'd be on this council uh if it weren't for his leadership. So I I think he's guided us well and I I know he can do that going forward.

Thank you. Are there any other nominations? All right. Uh, with two candidates, um, we will call the role. And we do have councelor Barlo attending remotely. Um, so let's start with, uh, Councelor Newbieser's nomination. Yes. Thank you, Councelor Newbieser. Um I will give both uh before we do that um I will give both candidates uh time for comments and we will go in um alphabetical order. So starting with you councelor Newer and thank you for that reminder.

Um thank you CEO Shad. Um so nice to have you sit on this side of the table. Um my name is Carter Nubizer. represent Ward One and I'm uh uh really honored to be reelected to this role and have the the trust of my ward. So, I wanted to thank folks for letting me continue for another two years. And I wanted to um uh say thank you to my colleague uh Councelor Bergman for nominating me. I'm accepting this nomination for city council president in order to improve how this body functions uh and hopefully deliver better results on issues like raising millions of dollars in new revenue for permanently affordable housing, pursuing tax fairness reform to ensure those at the very top pay more and to allow us to provide critical uh public services through public spending. address the existential threat of climate change by transforming how we power our lives, creating a community that is and feels safe, and standing up to our federal government. Today in Burlington, it is not affordable for the vast, vast majority of folks who live here. Rents have increased for a one-bedroom by nearly 40% since 2018. The average sale price of a home is now over half a million dollars in this city. Too many renters are continuing to live in unsafe conditions. The costs of necessities like food, health care, transportation, and more are too expensive and getting more expensive every week. So what is government doing to help? We know how our federal government is choosing to engage. Their focus is in on demonizing our new American neighbors uh and trampling over our constitutional rights as Americans. The governor and leaders from both parties, while we have found

opportunities to partner with the state, I fear are too focused on gutting public education and not focused enough on raising taxes on those who can afford it and making public investments in permanently affordable housing. We will not solve our housing challenges both in the city or at the state level uh unless we raise record amounts of public funding and put that funding into housing trust funds all across the state of Vermont. Here at the city level, we have an incredibly important role to play and we have to be as bold as possible in making Burlington affordable for working and middle class residents. But we are going to struggle to achieve those goals and play that role if this body is dysfunctional. We need a council president who champions affordability. One who champions organized labor, a council president that focuses on bringing our community together regardless of people's background or political party of choice. We need the leader of this body to act objectively, not subjectively, and enforce rules uh based on party caucus or personal views on a particular resolution. At its best, the role of council president is one of fairness, clarity, collaboration, and one built on mutual respect between colleagues developed over time. We need to develop a shared understanding of how we do the work together on this body. We need a few simple but important rule changes on this council to help us do that. And we need a council president focused on making those rule changes a

reality because leadership starts with the leader of this body. For example, and and two of my favorites, we should require a 7-day notice period to all counselors prior to a resolution being posted on our council's agenda. That seems simple enough to me. We all need the opportunity and the public needs the opportunity to engage with important issues prior to taking a vote on those important issues. We We need that time. This is a volunteer role. We're stipen I think it's $5,000. We're all working full-time. Many of us many of us have kids um from both caucuses. We need adequate time to properly vet things that we are being asked to vote on. Additionally, we should clarify explicitly in our rules as a council that the council president does not have the authority to unilaterally prevent resolutions from appearing on the agenda of this body. Nowhere in our council rules is this power granted to the council president. And we should not allow one person, no matter their political party or their political views, to gatekeep dyeleed members of a 12person legislative body. Every member is elected by residents and needs to be allowed to represent the views of their constituents accordingly, whatever those views may be. These are some simple, I think, initial steps we could take tomorrow if we have the will to do so. I look forward to doing that work and figuring out how we work together better as a body so that we can deliver for residents. I'll end by saying it's clear to me that in order to make the changes necessary in this city, it is critical, critical, critical that residents, you all watching tonight

and sitting in attendance and those who may not be here, get involved in the political process, attend these meetings, show up to boards and commissions. We need your help to be clear with our elected leaders and bureaucrats and I love all of us that folks in this city want the state and city and federal governments to focus on the needs of working families. That is our mission moving forward and I look forwarding uh I look forward rather to continuing that work. With that, I'll end my comments. And uh again, I just want to thank Ward One residents for electing to me me to this role. Um it is incredibly incredibly humbling. It's been one of the best experiences in my adult life so far um to be able to serve in this role and uh serve my constituents. So, thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Newbieser. Uh Councelor Traverse, do you have a statement that you would like to read to us?

Sure. Um well I don't have a statement excuse me to read to you CEO shot because uh I did not have remarks prepared for this evening. Um, you know, we hear some about wanting to find out about initiatives and items with far enough time in advance in order for us to prepare. And, uh, the nomination of my colleague, Councelor Newer, this evening was the first I learned that there would be, uh, anyone else nominated for this role, which is fine, and I certainly respect that. But, uh, reasoning for my not having uh, written comments to read into the record this evening. Um I will say that you know to the extent we are looking for a a new start that some of the uh veiled personal attacks I heard there from my colleague from my perspective is is not uh our stepping off on the right foot. Um nonetheless I am committed as I always have been over the past two years to lead this council in collaboration together and with the mayor's office for the betterment of our city. I'm deeply grateful to the voters of w 5 for reelecting me for another term. Council Singh, I'm deeply grateful for you for your nomination. Of course, I am committed to affordability. I am committed to additional housing in this city and addressing that crisis. I'm committed to our continuing to address our public safety challenges. And I believe that my record on this council has demonstrated just that in recent years. That said, the role of the council president, at least in sitting at this table, is not to espouse their beliefs with respect to any particular issue. It's to lead this body in as neutral a way they can, to follow the rules to the greatest extent they can, and to be as objective an arbiter as they can be of the issues, notwithstanding the fact that all of us come here with a party designation being elected by a political electorate. I do think that over the last two years um that I have worked hard to elevate the voices of all of my colleagues here at

this table regardless of uh their their political designation. Um I have worked hard to meet regularly with the mayor and her administration to uh collaborate and bring us together on issues. You know there are a number of difficult personalities uh involved in really any governing body. Um but we have nonetheless worked to to manage that and my commitment here if uh supported by a majority of this body uh again will be to continue to work through that to continue to lead this body to uh heed the mayor's charge for us to uh renew uh in this year to um find goals and and initiatives that are in the best interest of this city. Uh so that would be my commitment if I'm honored to be reelected this evening and again I thank councelor Singh and my colleagues for their support.

Thank you councelor Travers. Um and with that I believe that we are ready to take the vote. Um could the clerk please call the role? Um, and first we will take up the nomination of councelor Newbieser. Councelor Barlo. Uh, no. No. Councelor Bergman. Yes. Councelor Brick. Yes. Councelor Carpenter. No. Councelor Grant. Yes.

Councelor Litwin. No. Councelor Mcnite. No. Councelor Newbieser. Yes. Councelor Sanchez Parkinson. Yes. Councelor Shter. No. Councelor Singh. No. Councelor Traverse. No. Five eyes, seven. That motion fails. Uh let's take uh the role for uh councelor Travers.

Councelor Barlo, yes. Councelor Bergman, no. Councelor Brick, no. Councelor Carpenter, yes. Councelor Grant, no. Councelor Litwin, yes. Councelor Mcnite, yes. Councelor Newbies, no. Councelor Sanchez Parkinson, no. Councelor Shaker, yes. Councelor Singh, yes. Councelor Travers, yes. Seven eyes, five nazs.

And the motion passes. Congratulations, President Travers. All right. Well, we have one order of business uh before us this evening, and that is now the election of our board of finance. Is there a motion to elect members to the board of finance? Councilor Shakar.

So moved. So moved. What would you like me to nominate? Um, I will be nominating councilors Barlo, Newbieser, and Carpenter to the board of finance.

There is a nomination of a slate here of Carter's uh councilors Barlo, Carpenter, and Newbies. Is there any other nomination to the board of finance? I'll ask again if there's any other nomination to the board of finance. Right. Uh we will try then a voice vote on the nomination of this slate. Again, councilors Barlo, Carpenter, and Newer to the board of finance. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? No.

Uh with councelor Barlo online, uh we'll ask that the clerk call the role. Uh the open meeting law requires that if there's a divided vote and a counselor online that we do need the uh role on a vote that is divided. Councelor Barlo, yes. Councelor Bergman, yes. Councelor Brick, yes. Councelor Carpenter, yes. Councelor Grant, yes. Councelor Litwin, no. Councelor Mcnite, yes. Councelor Newbieser, yes. Councelor Sanchez Parkinson's.

Yes. Councelor Shakar, yes. Councelor Singh, yes. City Council President Travers, yes. 11 eyes, one nay. With 11 yeses and one no. The nominations pass. Congratulations to councilors Barlo, Carpenter, and Newbies. Uh with no other business before the council, a motion to adjurnn would be in order. So moved.

Uh moved by councelor Bergman, seconded by councelor Singh. Our first uh bipartisan motion of this council year. Uh all in favor of that motion, please say I. I. I. Any opposed?

That is unanimous. So thank you and thank you mayor. Hey, blue. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.