Back from its light summer schedule, the Burlington City Council faces a long agenda for Monday, Sept. 10, packed with decisions that will affect local voters, landlords and renters.
Votes will be taken on at least four items for the November ballot, as well as four ordinances, but only after an early work session on Burlington Telecom, a probable executive session on collective bargaining, and a 7:45 p.m. public forum likely to include passionate testimony concerning cannabis legalization and other hot topics.
The Board of Finance will meet at 5 p.m. in Room 12, downstairs from Contois Auditorium. That meeting will be followed by a City Council work session at 6, and then at 7:30 a Local Control Commission meeting upstairs to approve special events and consumption permits. Once the council convenes, comments from the public will be first on the agenda.
The Finance Board recommends approval of four ballot items for voter consideration, including Mayor Miro Weinberger’s $9 million fiscal stability bond, a half cent tax for bike path improvements and maintenance, general obligation public improvement bonds, and authorization of tax incremental financing (TIF) for waterfront improvements. Republican Paul Decelles will defend another potential funding mechanism recommended by the Bike Path Task Force – a 1 percent rooms and meals tax increase to pay for future structural improvements.
After hearing from the public on marijuana reform, the council will decide on an advisory ballot question asking whether Burlington voters recommend legalization of marijuana and hemp.
Later, the council will take up work on four ordinances. A final council vote is expected on whether to remove a zoning exemption in high density residential areas that allows renting to more than four unrelated adults. A proposed housing code enforcement change would meanwhile increase penalties and fines for failure by occupants and owners to keep units and their surroundings clean and sanitary. Other proposed ordinances up for a vote cover electronic message displays and animals in city parks.
Reports will be presented by the Design Advisory Board and Development Review Board. This follows a policy providing for the chairs of all boards and commissions to provide annual reports, “so there is time for Councilor questions and comments,” according to Councilor Karen Paul in Front Porch Forum. “We spread out these oral reports over the year so we can focus on each report and allow time for questions.”
The legislators will also hear from Community and Economic Development Office Director Peter Owens on the status of the Moran plant.
The council’s business also includes approval of many items on a separate “consent agenda” that will not be discussed. The list for this session includes more than a dozen proposed resolutions covering contracts with the city, open space protection, acceptance of a Justice Assistance Grant for crime prevention, new signs for businesses, ground water monitoring wells, and use of public right-of-way for customer tables.
The consent agenda also features acceptance of various communications that have been received. This week the list includes resignation letters from Ward 1 Councilor Ed Adrian and Ward 7 School Commissioner Haik Bedrosian.
Resolutions and material on agenda items can be downloaded from
the city’s website at http://burlingtonvt.gov/CityCouncil/Agendas/
