Chittenden County, Vermont City of Burlington, 20 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: Burlington City Council - 6/20/2023

Description

Agenda 00:00:00
Presentation: Burlington Telecom 00:02:14
Public Forum 00:31:15
Lakewood Estates Tax Appeal 00:56:19
Climate Emergency Reports 00:58:29
Local Control Commission 01:02:07
Consent Agenda 01:06:12
Tobacco License: Henry St Deli 01:07:09
Tobacco License: RGS Nepali Market 01:07:54
2023 Board and Commission Appointments 01:08:52
Appointment: GMT Board Exp June 6 01:14:13
Appointment: GMT Board Alternate 01:22:04
City Council - Mayor Presiding 01:23:40
City Place Public Improvement Costs 01:31:56
Net Zero Energy Presentation 01:37:41
Burlington Electric Annual Report 02:02:15
Fire Leadership Pay Scale 02:25:40
2022 Annual Report BPD Data 02:36:29
Committee Reports 02:52:44
City Council General Affairs 02:56:27
City Council President Updates 02:59:03
Mayor - General Affairs 03:00:44

Total Run Time: 03:09:25

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A

So I think we can get started.

A

We have we have all counselors here, except for one who's running a little bit late, um we'll we'll we'll uh we'll get to you and we'll get to you in just a moment, but you're more than welcome to be seated if you'd like um uh good evening today is Tuesday June 20th 2023.. Thank you for joining us for the city council meeting we're here in Contours Auditorium, and they we have a number of people who are joining us online. The time is 5 50.

A

I'll note that we do have counselors Hightower, Grant and counselor Traverse that are joining us via zoom and the rest of us are here in person. Counselor uh Shannon is running a little bit late and will be joining us shortly.

A

um The first item on our agenda this evening is item 1.1, which is a motion to adopt the agenda. um Counselor King. If you would make the motion and then read out the recommended action. That would be great.

B

um Most motion to amend and adopt agenda as followed removed from the agenda item 8.10 resolution annual tax assessments on the property Grant list of the city for the fiscal year, beginning July, 1 2023 and ending June 30th 2024 removed from the consent agenda item 7.8 2022 annual report on epd data office of City Planning and replace it on the deliberative agenda as item 8.11 per counselor Grant. Thanks.

A

Counselor King is there a second to that motion seconded by councilor McGee any discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor of the motion, please say aye any opposed. Please say no that motion passes and that brings gives us an agenda. We have a few items on our agenda before we get to public forum, which will begin at a time certain of 6 45.

A

The next item is item 2.1, which is a presentation from uh on Burlington telecon regard on from Burlington Telecom regarding a Burlington, City update, and we have with us the president, general manager, Mike Lucy and Mike I'm, sorry Chris, Chris duttel, who is the vice president for strategic planning and corporate development? uh Thank you. So much for being here, we've allotted about 30 minutes for this presentation.

A

So if you could speak to your presentation for the first half and then that'll give us enough time for there to be questions from the council and thank you again for taking the time to be here.

C

Thank you for the councils. um I'm, assuming everybody has a copy, were they distributed or.

A

Yeah, did you want it? Did you want to share I? Don't? Are you okay with just going through that and we have a copy.

C

Of course sure yeah great, um so we wanted to start out with just the community support that we have been doing and continue to do since 2019., uh one of the biggest projects that we finalized last year was uh the phone system for the city, and, basically with that, you can see that we actually volunteered over 400 hours to help the city identify their phone lines through all the different buildings, because, as you can imagine over the years, a lot of different moves and new employees changing a building changing around.

C

So we actually did all that work as as being a partner with the city, and during that process we identified a bunch of lines that are actually obsolete, not needed. People have gone to mobile phones gone to remote work, which saves about thirty five thousand dollars annually, and that would keep going on. So we continue to partner with the city on that Mike.

A

Would you could you just do me a favor and just make sure I think you do do you have? Is there a green light on that? That's shining! Okay, if you could just maybe get a little closer okay thanks so much yep.

C

um In addition to that, we've upped our free Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the city. We had actually 14 we're up to 20 now we're updating our website so that people can see exactly where the additional sites are because they've been relatively recent and you can see, there's actually a savings there as well, because once again we don't charge the city for that. That's part of the you know the overall partnering that we're doing because the cost you know the customer uh relationship that we have with the city.

C

It's you know we try to treat it as a partnership. um We've initiated the Memorial Auditorium relocation once again we're putting in significant hours towards project management on that that work is underway. We're actually working on Main Street here this week uh to bring some conduit across the road. So that's ongoing, Innovation fun we'll get into this a little bit more later, but it's about 1.4 million. Since 2019 the stem Grant, 200, 000, BTV ignite.

C

We participate that I'm on the board, as with vtv Ignite, plus our 10 000k, to help you know it keep it moving. You know because there's various costs and stuff that have that organization work.

C

We maintain Lifeline, affordable connectivity, edunette programs. These are programs specifically designed to help the folks that are economically challenged. That may not have access to broadband or phone service. The edunette in particular, is a self-funded program. It's not subsidized by the state or the feds at all. So those are programs that we try to maintain. We think that they're important for the community and then we've honored net neutrality principles um on the next page annually. We spend between the stem grants and additional um sponsorships uh throughout our market.

C

We've spent about 100 Grand on top of the work that we just talked about, and you can see some of the organizations um new North and Fletcher. You know the new place, the libraries food banks uh launch VT demo night Dragonheart, you know, there's a bunch that we've listed just to give you an idea, a new cots, the Highlight events through the BCA.

C

So I don't know. If there's any particular questions about those, but you can see it's, it's a continued effort that we do year over year, operationally we've grown we're up to about head count of 35, which is a 20 increase. So that's good. Those employees are located here in Burlington, we've had 13 employee moves promotions. You know for career enhancements for those employees that have been here. We've shifted some folks around use their talents better.

C

Six recent hires have actually come from internal referrals, which is a good statement that the employees seem to be happy with. You know the work environment and the work that we're doing Capital Improvements since well through to you know, 2022 about 15 million, plus our linear fiber miles are up 54 since 2019, so, basically we're growing. We've increased our Market by 45, so we passed 20, 26, 000, plus businesses and homes.

C

Now, today that we could provide service to our subscribers were over 11 000 uh 10 000 in Burlington alone, which is great uh that's up about 38, since 2019. in our expansion markets, which was in contemplated, um you know as part of our growth program, we're also hitting our targets uh for our business model targets as we move out of Burlington, so the name brand is good.

C

um Consumer interest is high, so new products uh we finalized our phone switch, um which expands the capability and functionality of the phones, basically with remote work and people moving to mobile devices. Our phone system now can actually take your desk phone and treat it as if it's they can push it right to your mobile device. You can do it to your computer, your phone, so it's as if you're working in the office, but you don't have to be in the office. So that's a significant value. Add for a lot of organizations.

C

um We were also named by Vermont business mag as best phone service in Vermont, which is pretty neat for a small. You know relatively small company in the state. We also do a third party uh customer survey, which net promoter score I'm sure most of you are familiar with that uh we this one in 2022, we ended up with a you know, plus 51.

C

in that market. It's a negative five for internet providers so and the primary things that were called out by folks is customer service value and network, basically reliability. So you know: we've grown we've kept up with what we're trying to do we're, keeping the customer in the Forefront of what we're trying to do. So um you know business-wise. We're continue to be successful.

C

um Innovation fun hand it off to Chris. Here. Thank.

D

You you're okay, so Burlington Telecom committed to spend 250 000 a year for 10 years or two and a half million dollars total to support local startups and growth companies that are investable with a social or diverse aspect, and so far uh total Investments Inception to date have been 1.137 million dollars uh so for throughout 2022. As this is an annual report, um we added three more companies with uh two additional follow-on: Investments totaling four hundred thousand dollars- uh and those are infusense- is an iot Network and platform for analyzing sensor.

D

Data lost Lantern is a small batch. uh Whiskey, blender and promoter Mama provides a lactation spaces for breastfeeding. Moms Benchmark Space Systems build small satellite propulsion systems, and that was one of the follow-ons investments from our original investment. And then glavel is a foam glass aggregate producer, which is also a follow-on investment.

D

We've exceeded our 250 000 annual commitment in 2022, mainly because of the breadth of opportunity locally and the funds uh philosophy to hold dollars in reserve for follow-on Investments and then with the reach outs to entrepreneurial and startup support organizations, we're raising awareness and we're raising awareness over Network and pipeline of potential Investments for the fund.

D

um Next, we uh We've achieved our highest investment uh year to date of investing 400 000 of our 250 000 commitment in 2022, uh and we continue to evaluate opportunities in pipeline to bring to the Innovation fund committee for the next round of Investments.

D

uh These five Investments were part of larger 2022 funding rounds, um including all investors, with total raises of 14 million dollars for the five companies and then total employment directly uh supported by these five companies in 2022. For that cohort is uh 223 jobs and Counting.

D

The 2022 cohort represents investable businesses with diverse aspects, including three diverse Founders, and the committee is working with companies to continuously improve diversity, equity and inclusion in their Workforce leadership and on their boards.

D

Industries represented in the 2022 cohort were space materials, iot, retail spirits and moms, and then in order to expand the reach of the fund to diverse Founders and communities, we've reached out to non-profits and support organizations that assist startups and growth, companies, with mentoring and loans and funding sources, and also introductions to investors like the birth and Telecom Innovation fund.

D

So and then, when a potential investment comes to us, but they're not quite ready for an investment or they're, not quite investable, we work with them to connect them with our Network to get them help, support and mentoring that they need for their next steps. We don't want to just say no so and we're still working on creating this network so that we can recommend resources for potential Investments. That may not quite be ready and then the ability to Telecom Innovation fund committee is made up of myself.

D

The chair from shears Communications Sam, roach Gerber from vsat Festival Lazar from zerf partners, Janice St, Ange from flexible Capital fund, Lee Boyer from Fresh Tracks, Capital, Dan, Harvey from UVM and Louisa Shipley from rural works and then I just I. Can't. Thank this local committee, enough they've been great from the very beginning. They've really leaned in and they've really helped get the fund to where it is today.

C

And then for the stem technical Grant um once again, this is part of the APA, where we've committed 500 000 over 10-year period and we've spent 200 000 as I mentioned earlier. uh The application for 2023 is open. Now it closes in July. We hope to award by August of this year, so we're a little ahead of the cycle, which is good, um and then you can see on this page here for the 2022 grants uh BTC. This is the first multi-year grant that we awarded.

C

um They had a program that really needed two years to get off the ground to reach into younger school age kids, so they can get a two-year program through so we awarded them. You know a two-year which is kind of new for us. We're pretty excited about that to see how that goes, the Center for Women at Enterprise, Vermont resource and launch of ET, where the awardees for last year, so um yeah programs are going on.

C

We've got six total since 2019 and it's all been great and it's a very it's a it's everything from educating entrepreneurs to Hands-On training uh leading to certificates, either in construction uh weatherization, where the likelihood of success of finding a good career or a job to get into a career has been increased by those by that program. We're actually pretty excited about that program um and there is more information. If anybody on the board is interested in the council to go to the bpv ignite site at the top. There is an outcome report.

C

If you want to read some of the outcomes like, for instance, resource uh they anticipated I think around two dozen entrants last year they actually had 60 and 90 percent of them actually found work at 17 to 19 dollars per hour, initially right out of the box, where these are folks that probably didn't have much of a chance of getting. You know above that 15 an hour starting for wage, so that actually was pretty successful.

C

So those other summaries will give you some of those stats as well, because we try to track that to make sure it's producing. So uh with that, that's pretty much, you know what we have.

A

Great. Thank you thanks. So much for that presentation, um we'll open the floor now to comments or questions from the council at this time or well, we'll go to the mayor first mayor Weinberger. Thank.

E

You president, Paul um and I, want to thank Mike and Chris for joining tonight um for counselors. That weren't around in 2020 tonight might not be obvious sort of why? Why we're doing this, um and, from my perspective, I, really appreciate the two of them coming in giving this oral presentation and that we, while BT, is now you know completely legally separate from the city.

E

We do have this agreement that we negotiated that has a very significant ongoing Provisions that some of which are permanent, some of which last as you've heard tonight, just uh 10 years and I. Think it's important that we have the ethic of continuing to stay in close touch with with BT and.

E

Tracking their their progress and their evolution, it's really encouraging to hear how well the I think one of the more unusual elements of the agreement we have is the commitment to make local Investments and it's uh it's exciting, to hear how much that commitment, you've already fulfilled, build and that you actually exceeded the requirements and then in the recent year, and um it's certainly positive to hear about your continued service expansions as well um and making good on those those elements of the unfinished work that uh was in place when the when the transfer happened.

E

So um I thought it was. A positive report wanted to make sure that the full Council had a chance to hear it directly and ask questions about it and really understand um uh the importance of this relationship going forward.

A

Thank you very much mayor Weinberger. If there are any counselors who have counselor Carpenter.

F

Thanks um I used to work for a lot of years in affordable housing and some of the projects had earlier contracts with Comcast and have not been able to switch over to you and I'm just curious um around the discussion of getting Burlington Telecom and the multi-family low-income housing projects. And then the other thing I want to ask you about is what you offer for Lifeline Services.

C

Yeah we um we work with several organizations trying to get in there. As you pointed.

G

C

Are existing contracts that prohibit access, but we're in constant communication with those developers and as they become available, we actually do bid or seek to actually provide the services to those buildings we're in many of them already today. So um that's just an ongoing thing. You just got to wait for the contracts to be cleared.

F

Okay, that's great because it's not always to the advantage of the tenant, and hopefully we can. You can be aggressive and get.

C

In when you can get- and the problem is some of those contracts- they have ndas in them. So we can't really pick them apart to see if there's a way that we can actually get in there to provide at least internet service and not cable. But you know what I mean so it's kind of tricky, but we do stay in constant contact with those folks.

F

And on Lifeline Services we.

C

Do offer Lifeline that's a federally subsidized program right.

F

What what telephone internet, what.

C

It was originally telephone, and now it's opened up to internet and they're, actually, phasing out at the federal level the support behind telephone. It's going to be all internet supported.

F

C

That's yeah: it ends up crossing the consumer like 25 cents a month, yeah.

F

Just um my background was with the elderly and some of the folks I'm familiar with really still want a landline and I understand landlines run through the internet, but they're eligible for lifeline, and your competitor only offers them internet and that's not very helpful when you really want in need a landline, so I hope that's an option that can be continued, particularly in the senior housing.

C

Yeah we're finding a lot of the seniors because of hearing challenges. They don't care for their mobile phones. They may be a little bit more familiar with their landline phone as well, so we're sensitive to that and that's something that would I mean we're always going to offer phone service. So and we look out you know we will be looking out for that type of community for sure.

F

A

Thank you thanks very much councilor Carpenter I'm, looking on the looking on our screen and we'll do my best to make sure that, if anyone who's participating.

H

A

Zoom wants to speak, I'll be watching the raise hand, function, um councilor, Bergman.

I

um Thank you, there's a really impressive uh report and a lot of good things that are happening. I'm wondering whether we particularly those of us who were not here um at the time of the original agreement could get an understanding um in writing. So obviously not tonight of the things that in the agreement that are permanent things that Sunset after 10 years and then a sense of um where you may be for those things that are sunsetting in 10 years. Thinking about you know continuing the commitment to Burlington it's it's for me.

I

It's really important that we have got a a vital and really invested um local entity and I think you're bigger than than the local entities.

I

So as close as you can get to there, it would be good because the reason and I was here when we, uh when we first broached the subjects of a local um uh internet um entity, was um the need to deal with the monopolies that I now it's Comcast used to be Adelphia, have had and uh that it's critically important that we have a service that really serves the people, so I'll be I'd, be very helpful to get that information.

C

I know there was a fact sheet of the agreement that was produced at the time of the sale and that's something I think we'd produce yeah.

E

That's what I was thinking too Mike. We I think there's some good summaries from that time that we can recirculate with the council, particularly with the new Council, and maybe, if there's specific questions about I mean some of what your question was about was about how BT is thinking about certain aspects. So maybe, if you have follow-up questions based on that summary, we could facilitate that. So.

C

So the two important ones, I think, um are the the investment fund that Chris explained and then the stem Grant. Those are the two that have like a 10-year kind of sunset on them and right now we're open to if they're successful, and we feel that there's a gain from them. They would likely continue in some form beyond the 10 years. There's no no interest in stopping those, but we have to see. Are we actually generating a meaningful? You know result from that, for instance.

C

Obviously, the two objectives are a little bit different, but I can't see any reason why we wouldn't keep those on the table as an option.

A

Well, thanks very much: uh is there any uh counselor Zhang.

J

Thank you for the Pres presentation. Thank you, president. um The same Grant. It seemed that the amount has now decreased. It used to be more than fifty thousand dollars, and now it seems It's only 35. is that correct did I get that right. What is the the stem skill Grant stem.

C

Yeah the stem is uh 50 000 a year uh for 10 years um this year in 2022, because we did a double year with BTC. 15 000 stayed with that. So it's down to 35 this year. Okay,.

J

C

If we end up with a quality batch of applicants and and we have the chance of possibly losing them, we do have some flexibility in increasing that, like they did with the investment fund as well.

J

And you know, based on the agreement between the city, you had to allocate 250 000 a year in the community, but it seems you guys are around 400 000 now, like more more than that, I just want to say, I'm appreciative of of of of your work. So in some cases sometime in the new North End people complain about the quality um of their internet people asking questions to each other online and we're just wondering. Is it only specific to that part of city or what the issue in that.

C

Well, it can be it's actually our Network across the whole network. Even our expansion is all the same. There is no lower quality of service areas just because of the way it works. It's different than copper, it's different than you know our competitors service, the way they deliver their service. So that's the first thing. Usually, what ends up happening with with um with quality of service is their router.

C

If they purchase their own router, it doesn't get updates, it could be out of uh you know, version they're, trying to process more data than either their computer can handle or their router can handle. So our team will actually roll trucks and actually work with folks to have them understand what they have in their system and or what they're using to try to get their service. Generally speaking, it's not the delivery and I hate. This sound like that, because we're not perfect, we do have problems and we'll go out and fix the card.

C

If that happens, to be the case, but generally speaking, it's in the home and the devices that they're using in their home to try to get the service.

A

Thank you so much counselor Zhang, um seeing no other counselors in the queue we'll close out this agenda item. Thank you so much for being here, particularly for for taking the time to be here in person. We greatly appreciate it. um I I will say that as someone who represents people who live in an area where they can't access Burlington Telecom- and we have had this conversation many many times- it would be one. It would be wonderful if somehow there could be a um you know, a reserve fund that was accumulated over time.

A

That would somehow be able to serve those I. Don't know what is that magic number.

C

um Down to 108, okay, 120., that's not 180.!.

A

It was 120 now it's 108., um I, know of I know a fair number of those 108 as you know, and uh who are either, unfortunately on Rockledge or it's just very, very difficult, but um for those people who don't have it, it becomes a precious commodity to want and I hope that at some point that might be it's such a small number and I realize that, but they I still hear from people who would love to have Burlington Telecom.

C

We do coordinate with um the city on like water and sewer. If they've got a project, that's going on that we can work with them with bed. That's how we actually solved the 12 that we've solved so far is working with those departments. So they have projects that come up on the anim, we'll take a look at them say: can we get in there and work with you on them and try to resolve it, but the challenge of the area in particular you're talking about too I, mean the trees that are up there.

C

You know the congestion, that's up there, the rock that's up there, I mean it's it, it's exceedingly expensive to to do that.

A

C

Can take it into consideration Reserve, but I mean it. It would be quite a while probably too.

A

Yes, yeah I, underst, understood well I'm actually excited to know that it's not 120, it's 108.. So every little bit of progress, that's ten percent! That's ten percent! That's not so bad! um Thank you again for being here. um Thank you. We have um our next item on. Our agenda is 3.1, which is a communication.

A

um Jared Pellerin, uh Catherine, shad and Brian Monahan I am not I. See Catherine is available online I, don't know um uh Kim do you? Are the others here or available to join us via Zoom.

K

Jared is here he will come up or meet us wherever, yes, he's.

A

K

A

Right um and Brian I'm.

K

Not sure I will find out.

A

Okay, all right, so this is regarding the Lakewood Estates tax appeal um and before we go and start making motions to go into executive session. It's always our practice with expected executive sessions to go to either the City attorney acting City attorney or the administration. If there's any information that you are able to give to the public prior to the executive session,.

K

um I believe this one's pretty self-explanatory I mean it's just regarding the the appeal for the Lakewood Estates and potential resolution.

A

Great thank you um uh City attorney. Before we go to motions regarding executive session. There are two counselors who I believe wish to be recognized: um councilor Carpenter.

F

Yes, I I will recuse myself. I live in that neighborhood.

A

Thank you, councilor Carpenter and then we'll go to counselor, Barlow and.

L

I also will recuse myself and my parents live there and have a trust that I'm entangled with so.

A

Great, so your recusals are your recruit. Your recusals are duly noted um with that I will go to counselor King. Who will give us the first measure motion to go into executive session.

B

I move that the council find that premature general public knowledge of legal advice and information concerning the details of pending litigation, to which the city is a party or has a stated interest, would clearly place the city at a substantial disadvantage.

A

uh Thank you for that motion. Counselor King! Is there a second to that motion seconded by councilor Bergman? Is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none will go to a vote all those in favor of the motion. Please say: I I any opposed. Please say no and we will note the two recusals. So the vote is uh 10. Yes, uh no, no against and two recusals um with that. We will go on to based on that motion. Counselor King will go to the second motion based.

B

Upon that, finding move that the council going to Executive session to receive confidential attorney-client Communications one VSA, 313 a1f and a pending civil litigation matter, one VSA 313 a1e. Thank.

A

You counselor King seconded by councilor Bergman. Is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none all those in favor of the motion? Please say aye aye any any opposed. Please say no, um so that motion passes uh 10 to zero, noting the two recusals. So we are now in executive session. I was mistaken. Actually I did not realize that they are waiting downstairs for us so because we have people that are joining us via Zoom. We have to do the executive session downstairs, so we hope to return to open session uh by 6 45.

A

That's the time certain for public forum. If we are able to do this before that, then we will go to the items that do not require a public forum, so we will return to public session shortly or within the within an hour thanks our.

M

Council president Paul- yes, yes, I I just want to make sure that someone is sending a link for the executive session. Yes,.

A

We will not forget about you.

N

A

um And that will be I. Imagine um Catherine. Are you going to be sending that I believe it.

K

Will come from the meeting.

A

And then we'll get going with uh public forum.

A

No thanks, I haven't I, haven't eaten um okay, so we are now out of executive session. Thanks again for your patience, um and uh we will begin uh item number four, which is the public forum.

A

um There are four, there are four people that are joining us online to speak during public forum and we have a couple of people that are here in person as well.

A

um So uh just a couple of notes on public forum for those who are unfamiliar with the process. The system in front on the table in front of us has three green: has three lights. A green light will shine when you begin speaking the second yellow light when you have 30 seconds left and then the last Light is red that will shine when your time is up. We ask that you complete your comments when the light and sound indicate that your time is up so that we're giving equal time to everyone.

A

We have a hybrid system for public forum. If you wish to speak in person, there are forms to my right in the back corner of the room. You can bring them to the clerk to the right and front of the room and they will come to me if you wish to speak via Zoom.

A

You can go to burlingtonvt.gov forward, slash city council forward, slash public forum and a formal come up when you, when that form comes up I, just complete the form and your answers will come into a spreadsheet that I'm looking at right here and that way. I can call on you in the order in which you submitted the form. It's our practice that Burlington residents have first priority in speaking, we'll go to Burlington residence in conchoice.

A

Who've submitted a form in person then to Burlington residence online, then to back to non-burling in Residence in person, and we will complete this process with non-burlington residents that are joining us online during public forum. The only request that we have is that you please use respectful language and just to remind you and all of those that are joining us online, that there are a number of families. We know.

A

We know that there are families who join us to watch City Council meetings as their connection to Civic engagement and to please keep in mind that there are children watching watching our council meeting. Please, if you would direct your comments to me as the chair and not to anyone else at this table, and please don't personalize your comments. It's a lot easier for us to listen. If you just speak respectfully with that we'll go to the there are three residents that are joining us, Burlington residents that are joining us in contos.

A

The first is Ashley Adams to be followed by Catherine Bach.

A

Thanks very much for joining us and you probably know about the green light that goes on in front for the microphone. Yes, you just push that and then just speak closer. You have to be really really close, but close enough, so that we can hear you.

A

And the the green light should go on. Yes, there's.

N

A little green light, great yeah.

O

That way, we can hear you.

A

Okay, thanks again hi.

O

Good evening my name is Ashley Burlington resident and I had the pleasure.

A

You're gonna need to speak a little bit closer just so we can hear you I.

O

Have the I have pleasure of attending the McNeil Symposium last week to committee for putting that Symposium on I know it was no small task and I really appreciate it. So I I'm here tonight to just share a few points from the scientific presentation made by doctors, Bill, mumon, Juliet, Rooney, Varga and I'd also first like to just briefly share a few of their credentials: abbreviated, because I only have two minutes: Dr Rooney Vargas, an internationally recognized expert in climate change and sustainability.

O

She is a professor of environmental science and director of the climate change initiative, as well as the rist institute for sustainability and energy at UMass, Lowell Dr, Bill mumab is Emeritus, professor of international environmental policy and founding director of the center for international environment and resource policy. At Tufts. He was the lead author of five intergovernmental panel on climate change, ipcc reports. One of these reports resulted in the ipcc receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for its climate work in 2007 alongside Al Gore.

O

We learned that from these esteemed individuals, our national and international goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to increase carbon dioxide removals by forests.

O

The goal is not to achieve more renewable energy renewability does not matter reducing fossil fuel use to the exclusion of all other sources of carbon emissions is a misguided goal that is not based on scientific evidence.

O

Carbon emissions from the energy source is what matters, and the fact is that burning wood is more carbon intensive than coal CO2 is CO2 is CO2. It all goes up into the atmosphere when you burn it.

O

There is only one carbon cycle: the CO2 from burning trees that biomass incinerators, like McNeil from forest fires from fossil fuels, all go into the atmosphere is time already.

O

I'll be here next time, then thank you for.

A

Hearing me, and if you have something in writing that you would like to submit, we we're happy to post that online as well. Thank.

O

A

Okay, we'll do so I appreciate it. Certainly, um so our next speaker is Catherine Bach to be followed by Steve Goodkind good evening.

P

Hello, this is it's on right: uh Catherine, Bach, I, live on North, Prospect Street and when I moved to Vermont nine years ago, I was delighted to be moving near. A city are living in a city that had 100 renewable energy. So you can imagine my disappointment when I realized that it was actually not hundred percent carbon emissions free but more in accounting. Sort of thing, um I want to talk about. I also want to thank you for the the McNeil Symposium last week.

P

It was excellent and I think people learned a lot, but what we're calling the district Energy System, which is actually a steam pipeline, will be leading to more fuel consumption and to get the fuel when we're using wood means cutting more trees, and we know that we need Force to reduce carbon dioxide.

P

So the other thing is that we're not doing the logging industry or anybody a favor by using up these debris that they're apparently burning at McNeil, because in a natural Forest you leave the debris from a tree falling down on the ground and it acts as habitat and it decomposes slowly and doesn't in that carbon.

P

So I'm often asked so what, if we don't have McNeil? What should we do and, of course, I can't come with an answer to that. But I know that putting more money into making this District pipeline to heat, um the um Hospital will end up using more trees and we want to save the trees, and we should put our money and our energy into looking for solutions that are actually carbon free.

A

Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Steve Goodkind.

Q

Good evening, Steve evening, can speakers yield to other speakers? Is that allowed like I'm sorry? What can a speaker yield to somebody else if they wanted to by the way, could I have yielded my two minutes to someone else, or is that.

A

Not you don't need to yield your minute two minutes well,.

Q

If you have some someone didn't finish, could I have yielded some of my time to them just wondering: okay, Academy, there's the official word?

Q

Okay! Well, let me get going. Thank you. I push this green button to start.

A

Q

Sure, yeah, okay, no no.

A

Where do I push it? Is it not? The green one is on the microphone right there in front of you and I. Think here it's already on.

A

No, you need to put it the the lead. The green light needs to be lit.

Q

And then start yeah? Okay, that's right! A week ago, in this space, a unique event took place. It was dubbed as a symposium, consisting of panelists with expertise on the impacts of burning wood to generate electricity, as we do at the McNeil facility.

Q

I'm, not sure if anything like this has ever taken place in Burlington before the idea was that the public and City officials could hear experts on all sides of the issue and begin to form their own opinions on the use of wood at McNeil.

Q

Unfortunately, the reality was that BD was not about to go head-to-head with Scientists who could debunk their party line. That burning wood is essential to burning to Burlington's fight against global warming. They offered no scientists to advance a theory that wood burning does not contribute to global warming and, or that is less polluting than fossil fuels. Their panelists consisted of lobbyists and Foresters, none of whom had expertise to engage with the scientists who took a different point of view.

Q

It was like geologists and mine owners debating climate scientists on coal burning, there's no expertise, it's nothing related when it was their turn. These panelists talked in general terms about the good Forest management practices they used to fuel McNiel. Very little pushback was given to the science-based information about CO2 production from the McNeil plant and its implications for clients. Climate change, I think this was by Design.

Q

Let the opponents let the opposing panelists have their say and then change the subject. No way they were going to risk having their experts face climate scientists. Nevertheless, a lot of scientific, scientific based information was presented by the panelists bill. I always say his name wrong, but it's mumau and Juliet Juliet Rudy, Barger I, don't get their names right, both distinguished scientists in the field of climate science.

Q

If you haven't watched the video of the Symposium, you should- and you should do so before- making any decisions on replacing natural gas from the Wood Fired McNeil plant to heat the hospital, and you should also be asking a lot more questions. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much. Our next speaker, um in contrast, is uh Todd LaCroix.

R

Is there a world where you guys wake up and realize how much you're harming your children, because I'm hoping I'm living in that world? But it doesn't look like it from all the evidence of the last 20 years, all I see.

R

Is you guys justifying destroying the planet for your vanities, your Egos and getting mad at your children for complaining about the circumstances they're being left with?

R

In fact, I would even go so far as to declare that the American oligarchy seem to be enjoying making the youth suffer while the middle class ignores the very Danger that is also coming to suffocate them.

R

Yet I see this thing going around. It's called in the German language shortened, Freud people enjoying watching others suffer and I think there's many people in this room that are very guilty of this shouldn't. Freud.

R

Now here we are- and let me remind you- you've already lost the war against China and, let me remind you, I've lived amongst you both and I know you both very well and I know why you've already lost because you're all too busy killing your neighbors killing your children and killing the best of you. You like me for speaking the truth and how close you need to look at your souls at how close you are to the very fascism that you say.

R

You're fighting you've already lost this war because you're too busy killing your own children to win any war against any real threat.

A

Thank you very much.

A

We will go on to those Burlington residents who are joining us via Zoom. The first is Romeo Von, Herman and Romeo I found you and enabled your microphone. You should be able to speak.

S

Thank you, madam president. I hope you can hear me fantastic Madam president uh Mr Mayor counselor City administrative team, fellow burlingtonians, uh on this most suspicious of afternoons. Permit me to share my thinking, like many that came before me at being West Point soldiering through life.

S

That's not to say that children through life do not allow much expansion for my soul and contribution to humanity, in fact, to the contrary, while landing at Burlington International Airport on a very cold winter night, looking down at the plains window on our beloved City I had no reason to doubt that I'll be doing something special.

S

Indeed, Madam president life has a way of making the foreseeable that which may or may not happen, and the unforeseeable that which life becomes.

S

On that note, through my regular interactions with Community stakeholders, I'll learn something very important and special that folks of position of trust, sometimes risk very little yet enjoy a position over others who offer up themselves to their judgment.

S

The truth we must face is that in the grand scheme of things community members who offer up themselves not only have meaningful thing to say but act to our city, but there are times that we truly risk something special, and that is the discovery of of the defense of new.

S

The reality is that the world is often to unkind new Talent ideas and Creations in the past and present I've made no secret about the importance of Public Service in so far as to say that not everyone can become a great public servant, but great public servant and compassionate folks can come from anywhere in the world. I'll be returning to the next Council in person hungry for more. Thank you for your time. Madam president.

A

Thanks very much Romeo, our next speaker is uh Zach. Porter and Zach. I have found you and enabled your microphone. You should be able to speak, just need to unmute your mute yourself on your end.

G

Thank you good evening, City counselors. Can you hear me? Okay? Yes, we great thank you. My name is Zach Porter and I'm the executive director of standing trees, which is an organization that works across New England, but is based in Vermont on Forest policy issues, including biomass, and we represent members in Burlington residents of the city.

G

I was also at the hearing last week, the Symposium, and want to thank the two committee and the city council for taking a deep dive into biomass and I hope that you will continue that deep dive in the days and weeks ahead as I think several of your speakers already have stated. Clearly. The only arguments that were made in support of McNeil last week were economic and I. Think it's time to you know come to grips with the fact that biomass has no ecological basis.

G

It has no climate basis, it's purely serving the interests of Vermont's, Timber, industry and I. Don't think! That's the intention of Burlington's city council to subsidize Vermont's Timber industry, with its Net Zero plan and many years ago about you know in the late 90s early 2000s. Biomass had a bit of a Heyday um even going back before then when McNeil was constructed, but the times have changed and what we heard from doctors, Muma and Rooney Varga was that they would not wager that biomass had a future. Massachusetts has canceled out its subsidies, for biomass.

G

Australia has done the same, I'm sure Vermont is heading there too, and I hope that we will start planning now and we look forward to working with you to shape a future of clean energy, truly low carbon energy that doesn't involve biomass for the time to start planning, for that is now and so I I hope, you'll review the facts.

G

um You know the district proposal would only increase emissions, not reduce them. So it's time to start working on that proposal, and- and we appreciate your uh careful consideration of the facts and and look forward to Future conversations. Thank you.

A

Thank you so much. Our next speaker is Pike Porter and Pike. I found you and enabled your microphone. All you need to do is unmute yourself on the other side, on your side,.

T

Good evening, I also would like to thank the tuke for uh holding that Symposium last week. um I hope you all have an opportunity to watch it if you have not yet done so. um I'd like to recap a few important facts. uh The client scientists applauded the work that Burlington has done thus far um with weatherization and many of the other projects. They also recognize that McNeil was the correct response to the oil by boycott in the 70s. However, they recognize now that it is not the solution that we need burning.

T

Biomass is not the solution that we need. Mcneil is no longer the correct response to the current crisis.

T

um Rooney Varga made the point that burning carbon fuels is not climate neutral, even though it theoretically could be carbon neutral. Even if the Carmen emitted by the 400 000 tons of wood that is burned annually at McNeil, um they could be recaptured. The heat generated by that wood has already done its damage sustainably. Harvest wood that gets combusted still contributes to The Climate crisis. We need to understand that we need to stop burning everything.

T

The district energy plan will increase the emissions at McNeil 20 000 tons per year. It will not lower emissions. Emissions must be counted at the stack. It's fault is faulty accounting to offset them with Forest growth around the region. Massachusetts, New, York and New Hampshire are all removing biomass plant generators, New York State as early as recently as May they're. Also, all these states are recognizing that it's no longer carbon neutral and no longer giving renewable energy credits for them.

T

um There are alternatives to burning wood such as cellulose insulation and shipboard products, and we can look to that in uh rather than burning and releasing the co2s again. If you haven't watched the Symposium, please watch it. Thank you.

A

Our next speaker is Pierre Duvall and Peter.

A

Actually, um before we go to Peter we'll go to Sharon butcher, Sharon uh I have found you and enabled your microphone. You should be able to speak.

U

Oh, thank you, president Paul um I'm speaking about the budget. I was surprised that it wasn't on the agenda tonight um and that I know you have a special meeting or another meeting next Monday um to address it. But I was concerned that there would just be one meeting to discuss what I think is one of the most important actions that this Council does take, which is how we spend taxpayer dollars um so I I was disappointed that there would be limited discussion about it.

U

I know that the administration will say it's been a lengthy process. It's been with the board of finance and the council could attend, but since I've attended all of those meetings, I haven't um been aware that that many counselors were able to take advantage of those sessions, and so I am concerned about that.

U

um So that's enough said, um as a resident I'm concerned about the affordability of um of the City of Burlington and I hope that all of you look at that as a factor because, as we create more housing, we seem to are shrinking our commercial and Retail and, as that happens, more of that tax burden is on residential, which is not only homeowners, but renters. Last thing is I think it was wonderful that the two had that session last Tuesday.

U

It helped begin the process of Education, it's so hard for everyone to do that on their own. They gathered information for everyone to hear and Ponder, and this is the right time to think about it as we decide whether or not to go forward with our district Heating and it's very sad's time, but it was right a few years ago. It's not right now. So thank you.

A

Hi Sharon and our last speaker, who is joining us online, is Peter. Duvall and Peter. um I have found you and enabled your microphone. You should be able to speak now.

H

Thank you. My name is Peter Duval and I live in Underhill. Thank you for the opportunity to comment tonight on Burlington electric Department's plan for a steam transmission line between McNeil Generating Station in the hospital. It's it's not a district system. It's just a transmission line with Dermot mcguigan in 1992, I wrote, Burlington, District energy corporation's pre-feasibility report.

H

1992 was a long time ago, but I remember what bed did then and I see what bed is doing now and it is quite disappointing. President Paul was a regular at mornings with Nero. It won't surprise you that I am also disappointed that the mayor has missed the opportunity to do something that is a measure of good managers, terminating bad projects. As soon as possible long ago, BD should have been directed to abandon the steam transmission line.

H

The project would be a permanent step backward for the city's energy and climate goals, but don't take my word for it. Ask tough questions of bed here are a few utility planning is an exercise in evaluating many contingencies and alternative scenarios. It is about assessing risk. Should a utility prudently anticipate future environmental regulation.

H

The sales pitch for the steam transmission line rests entirely on the assumption that burning wood would be considered zero emission and climate safe for decades. What, if that assumption, is wrong? What is bed's plan for the moment when renewable energy certificates disappear? What happens when McNeil begins paying a carbon tax that is similar to the 150 ton? Carbon pollution impact fee I have more, but thank you very much for the time.

A

Thank you very much uh with that. We don't have any others uh either online or joining us in con Toys who wish to speak during public forum. Thank you to all who offered their comments.

A

um We will close the public forum at 7, 28 and move on to the next item on our agenda, which is item number five regarding the liquid Estates tax appeal. This was the subject of our executive session earlier this evening. Given the discussion during the executive session, the council is in a position to move forward with a motion on the on the tax appeal, but before we get to that motion, I believe there are two counselors who wish to be recognized. I'll go to the first, which is counselor Carpenter closest to me concert Carpenter. Thank.

F

You I will be recusing myself on this vote as I live in the neighborhood.

A

Great, thank you so much and then we'll go to counselor Barlow I.

V

Will also be recusing myself on this vote. Okay,.

A

So both of your recusals are noted. I'll look to counselor Shannon for a motion on this item.

W

Thank you, president Paul I moved to approve and authorize the mayor in conjunction with the city attorney's office, sorry to enter into a stipulated settlement agreement in a pending litigation matter: captioned Lakewood, Estates, Beach, Club, Inc versus City of Burlington. Thank.

A

You counselor Shannon seconded by councilor Bergman. uh Are there? Is there any discussion on the motion before us.

A

I'm, just looking just looking on Zoom here, um seeing seeing none, we will go to a vote all those in favor of the motion to enter into the stipulated settlement agreement. As outlined in the motion. Please say: aye aye any opposed. Please say.

G

A

That motion passes unanimously, noting the two recusals, so the actual vote is 10 in favor. None opposed and noting the recusal of counselor Carpenter and counselor Barlow.

A

And with that, we will go to our next item, which is item number six climate emergency reports. Is there any counselor or the administration who wishes to offer a climate emergency report Council.

I

A

We'll we'll go to you first thank.

I

You um I just wanted to highlight for the council the action that South Burlington took regarding requiring new buildings to keep 40 percent of their roof solar ready and to actually have any commercial building or residential building with four or more stories to be required to use that roof space to generate some of the buildings energy through solar when I looked through um and very briefly after reading this, the new stories just recently um I quickly did not find I might be wrong, but I I did not find an equivalent here, so we often lead it's not bad to be.

I

Second, we were second in terms of the uh um the all Resident legal voting. So although we tried before um and so I wouldn't mind us being uh second with regard to this I think it is well worth us um uh getting um Administration uh departments involved in um in looking at that and um seeing if we can uh do this, we need to generate as much electricity and thermal energy as we possibly can without any emissions.

I

If we are going to pull this thing off- and we we have this on here- because it is a climate emergency- so I hope that we can do this fairly quickly um like we are pushing for the uh the couple of ordinances uh that we have on the carbon fee and um anything that's associated with that. So thank you.

A

Thank you very much councilor Berkman, uh any others or will go to go to Mayor Weinberger.

E

I just want to note, we have just last week released the Net Zero Energy report and had a press conference on it and later in the agenda tonight, you're gonna hear um I'm up Dave from uh and general manager, Darren Springer who's here, and so that will be our car. Our climate emergency report for the night in a very substant one.

A

Great thank you, mayor Weinberger, uh seeing seeing no others uh we'll close out this item and before we go to our consent and deliberative agendas, we'll go to the local Control Commission meeting that we need to attend to so we'll recess the council meeting at 7 34 and we'll call to order the local con local Control Commission at that same hour.

A

The first item on our agenda is item 1.1, which is a motion to adopt the agenda. um Go to the chair of our license committee. If you have that agenda up okay, uh commissioner Shannon I.

W

Move to adopt the agenda.

A

Thank you, commissioner, Shannon I'm seconded by commissioner McGee any discussion on that motion. Seeing none all those in favor of the motion, please say: aye aye.

P

A

Opposed, please say: no: we have our agenda which moves us to the next items. We have five items on our deliberative agenda. The first is 2.1, which is uh second class liquor, license application, 20 2023 2024 for a little little Bodega LLC doing business as Henry Street Deli uh counselor Shannon. Our commissioner Shannon moved.

W

To approve the 2023-2024 second class store liquor, license application for a little Bodega 11 Henry Street, with all standard conditions.

A

Thank you, commissioner, Shannon seconded by commissioner McGee. Is there any discussion on that motion uh seeing none all those in favor of the motion to approve the second class liquor license application, please say aye aye any opposed. Please say no. That motion passes unanimously, which brings us to 2.2 and outside consumption. Permit application for Cafe dim sum, uh commissioner. Shannon.

W

Move to approve the 2023-2024 outside consumption, permit application for Cafe dim sum, 95, Saint, Paul, Street.

A

Thank you, commissioner, Shannon seconded by commissioner McGee any discussion on that motion. uh Seeing none all those in favor of the motion, please say aye aye any opposed. Please say no. That motion passes as well unanimously, which brings us to 2.3, which is a second class liquor, license application for uh RGS Nepali Market. Commissioner Shannon move.

W

To approve the 2023-2024 second class store liquor, license application for RGS Nepali Market 1563, North Avenue, with following conditions copy of the lease and with all standard conditions. Thank.

A

You, commissioner, Shannon seconded by commissioner McGee, is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none will go to a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say: aye.

K

A

Any opposed, please say no, that motion as well passes unanimously, which brings us to the fourth item, which is a first and third class. Restaurant bar liquor license application for Santiago's, commissioner Shannon.

W

Move to approve the 2023-2024 first and third class restaurant bar Liquor License applications for Santiago's three main street, with the following conditions: contingent upon Fire, Marshal approval, complete records checks, all city permits need to be closed out and with all standard conditions.

A

Thank you, commissioner, Shannon seconded by commissioner McGee. Is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none will go to a vote all those in favor, please say: aye.

N

A

Opposed, please say no uh that motion passes unanimously, which brings us to our last deliberative item on outside consumption. Permit application for Santiago's uh Mr Shannon.

W

Move to approve the 2023-2024 outside consumption, permit application for Santiago's three main street with the following conditions: contingent upon Fire, Marshal approval, complete record checks and all city permits need to be closed out.

A

Thank you, commissioner, Shannon seconded by commissioner McGee any discussion on that motion. Seeing none all those in favor of the motion, please say aye any opposed. Please say no. That motion passes unanimously.

A

Many thanks to the uh the license committee with no other business on this agenda and seeing no objection will adjourn the local Control Commission meeting at 7 38 and we will reconvene the council meeting at the same time. So we'll return to the council agenda and continue where we left off, which was item number seven. The consent agenda uh entertain a motion to move the consent agenda and take the actions indicated so.

X

A

You counselor McGee seconded by um counselor Shannon. Is there any discussion on the consent agenda and we will note that there is an item on the consent agenda that has been removed and will now be item 8.11 on our deliberative, um seeing none all those in favor of the consent agenda. Please say aye aye, any any opposed. Please say no. We have unanimously approved our consent agenda and that brings us to our uh deliberative agenda. So we have 11 items on our deliberative agenda. One of them has been removed, but we will get to that.

A

um The first are the first two items are two tobacco license applications. The first is 8.1, which is a tobacco license, application for a little Bottega LLC doing businesses, Henry, Street, Diner or I'm. Sorry, Henry, Street Deli, for this item. I'll go to counselor Shannon for a motion.

W

um I moved to approve the 2023-2024 tobacco license application for a little Bodega LLC DVA Henry Street Deli at 11, Henry Street.

A

Thank you, counselor Shannon uh seconded by um councilor McGee, uh any discussion on this motion. uh Seeing none all those in favor, please say: aye.

N

A

Opposed, please say no that motion passes unanimously, which brings us to the second tobacco license: application, which is item 8.2, a tobacco license application and tobacco substitute endorsement application for RGS Nepali, Market, counselor Shannon.

W

Move to approve the 2023-2024 tobacco license application and tobacco substitute endorsement application for RGS Nepali Market, 1563, North Ave.

A

Thank you so much counselor Shannon seconded by counselor McGee. Is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none all those in favor of the motion, please say aye any opposed. Please say no. That motion passes unanimously.

A

um The next three agenda items relate to the 2023 boards and commission appointments and the first is 8.3, which is the 2023 board, and commission appointments a slate for the council's consideration. We were very fortunate this year to have four counselors who offered their time to serve on this ad hoc committee.

A

They were counselors Grant, Bergman and Shannon, and counselor King, who share, who chaired the committee I think for the benefit of the of the public, the community, who is listening, that it would be helpful to have a description of the committee's work and then a motion on this, and for that I'll turn to the chair of the committee. Councilor King.

B

um He thinks president Paul so again. First, thank you to councilor Shannon, Bergman and Grant, and to Samantha Sheehan in the mayor's office for their work. I think we had moments of disagreements, but I think we came to a slate of really incredible folks, providing contacts into the process of this committee. We met three times once to establish a process and review applicants.

B

The second meeting being interviews where we interviewed a variety of folks from incumbents to new applicants and then a final meeting where we deliberated I think that we all were very impressed and grateful with so many folks that were willing to step up and serve and there's still a number of positions that are open that folks didn't apply for. So, if you didn't get appointed tonight, then I would encourage you look at the City website.

A

Thank you very much, counselor King and as well. Our thanks, the the committee, does have a representative from the administration, because the mayor does vote on a number of these appointments, we'll we'll get to that in a couple of minutes as well, and our thanks to Samantha Sheehan for representing the administration.

A

um We need a motion. So if you would be kind enough to make a motion on that counselor King I.

B

Would move to approve the boarding commission 2023 appointments late.

A

Thank you, counselor King. Is there a second to that motion? Thank you, counselor Bergman. um Is there any discussion on the motion.

A

Actually, before we get to a vote, um if we have the list- and you probably do have the list of everyone- I think it would be, it would be particularly meaningful to read the Slate um and if you need to a minute to get that up. Okay, so we'll just wait for a second here, the um those people who are going to be serving on boards and commissions. We do want to read off their names.

B

Foreign, so we have I'm just going to give names not or do you want positions.

A

Too well, if we can just say that I imagine airport is first yeah, so an airport for a term expiring uh June, whatever.

B

2026 we have chip Mason Board of.

X

Border president Paul.

A

X

My apologies I just want to note that those are your appointments for the city council with mayor presiding and uh we're voting on the city council. Appointments right now, point.

A

Is well taken so we'll just we're just gonna we'll focus first on the city council and then we'll go. We will we will after after we have done items uh 8.4 and 8.5. We will then go to the mayor with mayor, presiding, so.

B

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission for a term that ends in 2025 Andy, Montreal, Church, Street, Marketplace, commission term, ending in 2026 Becky, Holt, Third, Street, Market, commission, another term ending in 2026 Eric Monson.

B

Then we have fence viewer, Paul, Schmidt, that's a term ending in 2024. Also the next two are fence viewers with terms ending in 2024, Shea taught in and then actually re-advertising that, and then that is everyone great.

A

Thank you so much so with that we have a slate of appointments for the um for the city count city, council. These are the ones that the mayor does not vote on. Are there any? um Is there any discussion on the motion before us?

A

Seeing none will go to a vote all those in favor of the motion to move the Slate of appointments for our City's boarding, commission boards and commissions, please say aye any opposed. Please say no! That motion passes unanimously and with it our congratulations to those who will be serving as well as our thanks to those who applied. We hope that you will consider applying in the future.

A

We often as Council King has mentioned, do have openings either presently, but also there are opens from many openings for many reasons that have happened during the uh during the Year and hope that you and other community members will consider applying for those uh those openings, but for tonight our congratulations and thanks once again for those who will be serving. We have two openings that the committee was unable to find consensus. The first is um the first is 8.4, which is an appointment to the Green Mountain, the Green Mountain board Yes. Actually, that is correct.

A

It is not correct on here, so we will say that again, 8.4, which is an appointment to the Green Mountain Transit board for a term expiring, June 30 2026., are there um Council, counselor Shannon well hold on just a second I, would open the floor to nominations. Counselor Shannon.

W

Thank you, president Paul I would nominate Andrea suazo I might not have said her name correctly, but that's how it said in my head. I don't know. If Andrea is, um there will be a point. I guess it's Andrea is here um and I just want to say, I think that uh Andrea has a vision for improving ridership, improving Communications of recognition of how important this is to achieving our our climate goals and I.

W

Think that, as a as a writer and a longtime resident here, I think that she will serve this board well with her experience and her vision and I thank her for throwing her hat in as well as for all the other applicants to all of the other boards. We appreciate your your volunteer spirit.

A

Thank you so much counselor Shannon. um Are there any other councilor Bergman.

I

I'd place the name of Will Anderson um for nomination to this board um like Andrea, he has the same types of vision and the same experience in terms of being a writer. What will has brought or would bring here is um his uh his work, experience related to economics and public administration and financial management. He is a financial analyst for the state, and that is going to be particularly important during the next year when the the fair system has to be re-um.

I

Revamped um by the Legislative requirements that were just passed in the transit, Transportation Bill and um then going forward all of the conversations that we've had here um and in the tuke related to sustainable funding of mass transit will of the two applicants, and this is not to disparage Andrea but to just to say um that of the two. He has the the expertise to really help the board and help management work through this particularly difficult um time for for mass transit. But it's an actually an incredible opportunity uh time.

I

So um I would hope that we could get uh will on here. I. Just also would note that both of them have applied for two positions, so one you know there, and there are two that are there. One is an alternate, and one is a regular I do think that will we be best served, we would be best served with Will as the uh is the permanent, um but uh will yeah we'll see how this goes and what happens after. Thank you.

A

Okay thanks so much uh councilor Bergman as we know, nominations do not require a second, so we have two nominations um and we do we. This is the this is the time when we do ask if there are if the candidates are here and if they wish to speak.

A

um Obviously, Andrew I know that you're here, I, don't see, will and I don't see. I don't see him online, although there are a couple of people that are um are joining us online by telephone if they're. If, if Will you are one of those phone numbers, um perhaps you can uh maybe text somebody here so that we know that that might be you if they're, if you wish to speak Andrea, did you wish to speak we'd be happy to. We welcome your input.

Y

Hi there can you hear me: yes, I can hear myself as well.

Y

um Hi I uh I live in Ward six um I've been a Green Mountain Transit rider for more than a decade um and I do appreciate the service that the agency provides. That helps us be a one-car household.

Y

um I. Think there's also a lot that Green Mountain Transit could be doing better to serve Riders In. What is the largest city in its service area? um Not just in frequency and reliability of service I took the bus here tonight.

Y

I'm, not sure that I'm gonna catch the bus home timing wise because it runs pretty infrequently at this time of night, um but I think the agency can also improve in just communication with its writers and Outreach to New Riders professionally I'm, a data journalist, which means I'm used to coming up to speed on really complex topics pretty quickly asking the right questions, vetting, complicated data sets and so I'm, confident that I would be able to kind of get up to speed with how the agency runs from the perspective from a perspective, Beyond just a writer fairly quickly.

Y

I am excited for this opportunity to learn a lot more about GMT um and from the perspective of its management and of its drivers and to serve as a voice for Burlington writers on the board, I appreciate your consideration and I'm happy to answer additional questions.

A

Thank you so much Andrea were there any any questions that any counselors had for Andrea. Thank you. So much for being here, we greatly appreciate it. um I do I, don't see that will is here and I. Don't see him online, so I'll assume that he's not. We will uh the way that we'll do this and what we usually do is the first person that is nominated. We will vote on and if they receive a majority then we will um they will they will they will have that they will have the seat so uh Andrea.

A

Your name was nominated first by counselor Shannon, all those in favor of uh Andrea and you'll. Forgive me your your last name. Is it Souza what swaza? Okay? Thank you so much all those in favor of uh the appointment of Andrea suazo to the as the member of the Green Mountain Transit board. uh Let's raise our hands! Please.

A

That is one two three four five, six seven eight that was, that is eight votes, so that is a majority um Andrea! Congratulations! uh We look. We look forward to having you as a member of the Green Mountain Transit board, um with that we will go to item 8.05, which is the appointment of the Green Mountain Transit board, alternate and I'll open the floor to nominations.

A

uh Councilor Bergman.

I

And so I will place, uh will Anderson's name in nomination again. Thank.

A

You very much councilor Bergman. uh Are there any other nominations for this appointment going once I'm looking at the acting City attorney, I know that I have to say that and I should have said it. The last time going once and going twice the floor is now closed for nominations. Are we okay on the last one?

A

Thank you um with that. We have one nomination, all those in favor of the nomination of Will Anderson to this position. Please say: aye.

X

Z

A

Have an additional voter with counselor Travers um uh any opposed. Please say no um that motion pass or that nomination is successful and congratulations to Will Anderson, who will be the alternate to the Green Mountain Transit board. um I did notice uh councilor Hightower that you had your hand raised, did I miss that opportunity. Did you wish to speak or I.

K

Would just thought you were going to say raise your hand for voting again, so my apologies? Okay,.

A

No worries um so that means that we now move on to well actually by Charter. There are some. As we now know, there are some commissions and Boards where, in addition to the city council, the mayor also has a vote so to move things in a in a semi-linear form. We will recess the city council meeting at um 7 56 and we'll pass the gavel to Mayor Weinberger, to convene the city council with mayor, presiding.

E

Thank you, president. Paul I will convene the city council with.

N

E

Presiding at 7 56 p.m, and would welcome a motion to adopt the agenda.

A

E

Thank you, president Paul's, our second second by counselor Shannon, any discussion of the agenda. Seeing none will go to a vote all those in favor of the item, but the motion, please say aye.

N

E

There any opposed the motion carries unanimously and we have an agenda. um So similarly, as we just um completed with the regular city council meeting, we have a an item. 2.1 is a slate of the 2023 boards and commissions appointments that were created through the same process that counselor King described a few minutes ago.

E

Councilor king, would you like to read this slate here? Did we already actually read the full Full Slate? No, we haven't anything. So if um would you like share any thoughts? Anything you didn't hit in the regular meeting relevant and share the Slate.

B

um I think I'll just share the Slate, so we have airport commission term ends in 2026 chip. Mason Board of assessors term ends: 2026 Jonathan, Chapel, Sokol, Cemetery, commission to uh two positions, both ending in 2026 Mary, Wesley and Martha.

B

Dallas conservation board two positions both ending in 2027 Miles, Away, Hannah, brislin design, Advisory Board, two terms ending in 2026 Jay, White, Richard Martin, and there is an alternate position as well with Kathleen Ryan and another uh in the sorry development review board alternate position: 2024 Evan, Gould development review board, full term or full position ending in 2026, Sean, McKenzie, electric light commission two terms or two positions, both ending in 2026 Lara, Bond, Scott Moody.

B

The Fire Commission are two Physicians ending in 2026 Ashley, Bond, Monica, Chapman, Board of Health, two positions, both ending in 2026 Celia bird and Jennifer tomesak parks in Rec, commission, two positions, both ending in 2026 Harley, Johnson, Lee, Morgan, Planning, Commission, two positions ending in 2026 Andrea, Andy, Montreal, Aaron, Malone, police, commission, two positions, both ending in 2026 Mary, Cox, Kevin, Garrison, Public, Works, commission, two positions, both ending in 2026 Jim, Barr, Justine, Sears, the Retirement Board.

B

One position ending in 2026 David mount Board of tax appeals for uh there's three positions: all ending in 2026, Andrew, champagne, David, Mayer, Meg, McGovern vehicle for higher license licensing board; one position ending in 2024, Stephen Hamlin and then the board for registration of Voters ending in 2028 uh Lessie, Leslie, Gendron.

E

Thank you, councilor King,.

E

And um are you making a motion to nominate that site yeah.

B

I would move that we nominate the 2023 boards in commission slate. Okay.

E

Great, do we, um president Paul, if we have a second for that motion? um Is there any discussion of the Slate councilor Shannon.

W

um I just want to thank all of all of my colleagues that volunteered for this commission and worked expeditiously and in cooperation and I think um I think the group was very thoughtful about the choices.

W

I also appreciate all the people who applied for positions whether or not we were able to appoint them tonight or not, as was mentioned previously, there are still openings, I hope, people that will look into those openings I wanted to flag one thing of which is that in this process we notice that there are a few commissions where um in in order in ordinate number of Commissioners terms, come due at one time and we're going to have to look into that um not tonight, but I think it's important to address that because we don't want.

W

You know four and five members of a commission turning over all at one time so before our next appointment cycle that that will need to be addressed. Thank.

A

You thank you very much. Oh I'm. Sorry.

E

Thank you, councilor Shannon. um Are there any other counselors who would wish to speak to the Slate that is before you, okay, seeing none we will. We will go to a vote uh all those in favor of the the motion to appoint this late. Please say: aye.

N

E

Are there any opposed? The motion carries unanimously and the Slate is adopted? Thank you to everyone who was just appointed for your willingness to to serve the city in this important role and to those, um as was stated by President Paul, just a few minutes ago to those who were not successful.

E

This time, um we really encourage you to consider the non-trivial number of open positions that still remain and consider applying again many people who have served the city for a long time were not successful in their first or even second time applying for these competitive appointments, we're fortunate to have so much interest in in these seats.

E

um With that, we have one more piece of business on the city council of Mayor presiding agenda, which is to.

E

um Appoint a series of fire wardens and I would welcome a motion to that effect. If I'm understanding this properly. What's supposed to happen here, Council McGee, I.

X

Would move that we waived the reading except the communication place it on file and approve the attached list of fire wardens for July 1 2023 to June 30 2024.

E

Thank you, councilor McGee. Do we have a second for that motion? Second by councilor Bergman, any discussion of the motion.

E

Seeing none, we will go to a vote. All those in favor of the motion. Please say.

X

E

Is there anyone opposed? The motion carries unanimously.

E

That um is the conclusion of our uh uh agenda there being no further business and no objection. The city council with mayor presiding, is adjourned at 804 pm and I hand. The microphone and gavel back to you, president Paul.

A

Thank you, mayor, Weinberger, I, blame it on jet lag, but I don't think I can get away with that.

L

A

Apologies for speaking over you, um we will reconvene the council meeting at the same time at 804, and our next item is 8.6, which is the city place, public Improvement construction costs.

A

um We do have with us DPW director, Chapin Spencer and Laura Wheelock, Public Works engineer and before we go to some comments from you, we'll go to emotion, uh counselor Barlow,.

V

Oh, thank you, president Paul I move to accept and approve construction costs of the public improvements by SD, Ireland, Brothers Inc and authorized payment for such construction costs in an amount not greater than 11 million. Six hundred thousand six hundred twenty four dollars with an additional authorized.

V

Contingency of one million nine hundred three thousand two hundred ninety nine dollars for a total authorized expenditure for such construction costs not to exceed 13 million dollar 13 million 503 923 dollars, subject to necessary review and approval by the chief Administration administrative officer and in accordance with the Arda 2.0.

A

Thank you so much councilor Barlow. Is there a second to that motion uh seconded by counselor Shannon, um so we have with us uh DPW director, Chapin Spencer and Laura Wheelock uh Public Works, engineer I, understand that the two of you have some uh verbal presentation to give some comments to offer and we welcome them and then we'll go to the council for additional questions or comments um thanks for being here. Thank.

AA

You very much president Paul on this uh one of the longest days of the year. Hopefully it's not one of the longer nights of the year. For you all uh I would be brief. In coordination with multiple City departments, Public Works has been working to make comprehensive and generational upgrades to a number of our downtown rights of way, based on the great Street standards that you all have reviewed and approved.

AA

Our goal really is to make our streets more resilient and our streetscape more vibrant and we've completed a number of successful projects: St Paul Street, City, Hall Park. We have Main Street, Great streets and final design, and tonight we're really focused on several rights of way in the heart of our downtown partnering, with uh City Place partners and adjacent stakeholders. Really, as we seek to return the Vitality that many feel was lost out of a urban renewal many decades ago. So I'll turn it over to senior engineer. Laura Wheelock, with the details.

AB

There's not really much more to add after that, but um just to focus everybody's attention for those who haven't been familiarized with the project. What SD Island will be constructing under these improvements are the new Pine and St Paul streets that extend between bank and Cherry Street, as well as the curb to face a building along Cherry, Street and Bank Street and again, as director Spencer noted, this is in the great Street standards. So this is an improvement of the entire roadway and or construction of the new roadways to those standards.

AB

The street ecology. The balance of the roadway between pedestrians and vehicles are of the Forefront of those design standards, and that is what the street would focus on.

A

Great, thank you very much. That was that was brief. um Are there we'll open the floor to questions or comments from members of the city council at this time, counselor Jane thank.

J

You very quick question: I was just wondering if those construction include.

J

Electric poles, it's not part of the list, do they have any electric pools and also are there a plan to put them down Underground.

AB

um The current streets and areas that they're reconstructing don't have overhead wires. There is one section of Bank Street that the city is pursuing a grant opportunity which would then allow us to move that wiring underground to kind of kind of complete one of the very few sections that still has overhead wires in our downtown.

A

Thanks very much counselor Jang, um any other questions or comments, and if not, we will we will move on to a vote all those in favor of the motion regarding the um this acceptance and approval of these public Improvement construction costs. Please say: aye.

N

A

Any opposed, please say no, that motion passes unanimously. Thank you. So much for being here uh we'll move on to our next agenda item, which is 8.7, which is the Net Zero Energy presentation, and for this presentation we have Darren Springer general manager of Burlington electric uh here with us, as well as the chair of the electric commission, Scott Moody.

A

Thank you both so much for being here um and ideally, if we've allotted about 20 minutes for this for this agenda item and uh if you can limit to about 10 and then we'll go to questions and comments from the council.

AC

Very good uh good evening.

V

AC

We have actually two agenda items, so I know I'm gonna walk through our Net Zero Energy update, and then we also have our commission report as well. um So, as the mayor mentioned, this was released uh just last week and um in terms of the road map which was released and adopted by the council in 2019.

AC

As a reminder, the four major components there are moving towards electrifying buildings and becoming more efficient within our buildings, moving towards electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids for ground transportation, moving towards District energy and reducing the number of vehicle miles that we travel through a walking biking, Transit and other alternative modes of transportation.

AC

This was the report that was developed by synapse energy economics out of Cambridge Massachusetts, and they do the updates with us every year so that we have the most current data in term terms of our emissions in the ground, transportation sector and the building sector. I wanted to start with just a good accomplishment here that we've had over the last several years, which is Burlington, continues to be ranked by environment America in its shining cities report as the top City per capita for solar.

AC

Not only in the Northeast but really in the entire East, we are the top city for solar in terms of watts per person, and that's been several years running now um wanted to share as well in terms of incentive performance that relative to our state requirements, which is the orange bar here. We continue for the last three years to exceed, and this is on purpose exceed the state electrification requirements which are under tier three of Vermont's renewable energy standard.

AC

We had that big bump in 2020, because we had the geothermal system at hula come online and we had two electric transit buses that year, but we've been able to maintain the out performance even without those measures- and we are hopeful- I know we're just talking about Green Mountain Transit. We are hopeful we're going to see additional electric transit buses in the near future, we're working with them on that, and we're also hopeful that we're going to see additional geothermal heating and cooling, including potentially at the new high school among other places.

AC

So there's opportunities still to have that kind of an impact over the next several years as well. Our Revenue bond is really helping us to fund the incentives at the higher levels and, as as you all have seen, we've done this graph a few times. But since we launched the green stimulus effort during the beginning of covid, this is June 2020. Where that dot is on the graph. We have now over 22x the number of residential heat pump installations that we had in June of 2020..

AC

So we're seeing that uh starting to see that kind of exponential level growth that we're hoping to see in terms of heat pump, adoption in the City of Burlington, which is certainly an important component for Net Zero, so going to the Net Zero roadmap and I've linked here to the the website that we have where we maintain the roadmap and these Updates.

AC

This is a goal to reduce and eventually eliminate, fossil fuels across the electric thermal and ground transportation sectors and, of course, Burlington became the first city in the nation in 2014 to Source 100 of our power from renewable generation. Now we're trying to have a similar accomplishment in terms of buildings and in terms of ground transportation.

AC

The plan that we have has been recognized as the first U.S 2030 Net Zero plan by the smart electric power, Alliance I believe Ann Arbor Michigan has joined us now with a similarly ambitious approach and we've joined them for some webinars to talk about what we're each doing. So, it's great to see other cities around the nation and even close to home Montpelier joining this effort as well and important. To note this is not a Burlington electric initiative. This is in all departments uh initiative, as well as a community initiative.

AC

We really can can't get there without collaboration across every different department across the community, and we have so many great opportunities that we're partnering on with different city departments. So I want to thank every department for their participation.

AC

Lastly, just before we jump to the data, I wanted to note that, in terms of where the data comes from, synapse energy economics gets data from Burlington electric and also from Vermont Gas systems particular to the thermal sector and then for the transportation data, it's primarily from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and the Vermont travel survey. But there is a lag with that, so that data applies 2021 and prior for 2022. They use Vermont state travel data and they essentially extrapolate for Burlington.

AC

So every year that we do the report, we update the prior Year's travel data to get a little more granular for Chittenden County, so jumping to the the data itself. uh This is good news here in the ground transportation sector, which is we continue to be ahead of the very ambitious Pace that the roadmap lays out for us uh in the dotted lines in terms of our actual consumption, uh estimated by synapse um for gasoline and Diesel, and they come to this estimate.

AC

Looking at the number of vehicles registered in the community, the number of vehicle miles that are traveled and then the number of electric vehicles out of the as a percentage of the total vehicles and in each of those cases we're seeing really significant progress, we're seeing less Vehicles registered in Burlington than we've. Seen in past years, we had the Press event to announce this report at the new car share charger in the old North End at the community center, where we have one of a number of car share.

AC

Evs that have been located around the community car share is a great organization, I think they're contributing to that reduction in the need for vehicle registrations, as well as Green Mountain Transit. We've had free a transit ridership for the last several years, as well as all the opportunities for walking and biking electric bikes as well. We are seeing a continued reduction in vehicle miles, traveled relative to pre-pandemic, so we had a big drop off as you can see going from 2018 to 2020, but we've been able to mainly sustain that vehicle miles.

AC

Traveled have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and certainly a number of different Innovations, including remote work. I think has something to do with that and then lastly, we're of course seeing more EVS in the community and we we continue to press for opportunities to help our customers with electric vehicles plug-in hybrids that reduce the use of gasoline and Diesel. So good news here, more challenging news in the building sector- and this is not weather normalized, which means that the weather can play an impact on this data.

AC

What we've seen with natural gas is a decline still since 2018, but a bit of a rebound over the last year. Some of that could be due to weather. There are some other factors that could be a play as well: I'll break it down here by residential and Commercial, and you can see residential and commercial commercial had a little bit more of a pronounced rebound if you will between 2021 and 2022 relative to residential. So this presents a bit of a challenge for us in the building segment relative to ground transportation.

AC

This is the overall picture for Burlington thermal and ground transportation, greenhouse gas emissions from the 2019 till 2022, and, as you can see, we had a significant drop during the pandemic and we've largely been able to hold on to those gains not entirely but largely and I'll talk about uh just on this next slide. You know compared to the National Trend. We saw nationally a six and a half percent Rebound in emissions between 2020 and 2021, and an additional 1.3 percent between 21 and 22.

AC

Burlington's rebound between that same time period is a total of 3.2 percent, so we're seeing a significantly more mild Rebound in emissions coming out of the pandemic here than what we've seen nationally.

AC

Emissions here are still down over 11 percent relative to our 2018 Baseline. So that's good news. It's not as good a news as we want. We want to get. You know further onto the path of the Net Zero road map, but this is still a significant change relative to 2018 and it's something that's definitely in the right direction.

AC

um In terms of uh I mentioned the the fuel consumption uh in the ground transportation sector, 10.6 uh below what the roadmap Pace would have been. um So that's a real positive I mentioned car share. That's uh that EB is called Sparky I, believe that's the Nissan Leaf that's uh out here on uh Saint, Paul and Maine, um and uh we we celebrate uh car shares uh support for all of these different initiatives.

AC

um I mentioned the rebound relatively in the commercial sector with natural gas and the desire to have even more adoption of heat pumps and EVS in particular, as we try to move towards the roadmap uh goals.

AC

um I believe this, my last slide- and this is just some forward-looking thoughts uh to share um I- think that the policies that the administration and the council have adopted or are with respect to the carbon fee in the process of working on are going to be particularly meaningful in impacting the building sector.

AC

In the coming years, um rental weatherization has only just begun to roll out as of 2022. The renewable heating ordinance has only just rolled out as of 2022, and the carbon fee policy would potentially have a even more significant impact, both for new construction and large existing buildings and City buildings. So there's a lot of Reason for Hope there. If we can Implement those policies, District energy would have the single biggest impact in terms of reducing commercial sector.

AC

Fossil fuel use it's approximately a 16 percent reduction for the current system, design that includes the hospital UVM, the Intervale Center and we're working hard on that to bring you a concrete proposal in the very near future that you can evaluate relative to District heat and then just. Lastly, the inflation reduction act at the federal level is going to provide a significant boost when combined with our incentives and the state incentives in making an impact for Burlington. So let me stop sharing my screen here and glad to answer any questions.

AC

Hopefully, I was relatively on Pace timing was.

A

uh That that's that's great. Thank you thanks. So much um so the floor is open for any questions or comments from the council.

A

A

uh Councilor Bergman I.

I

Gave them the opportunity, um thank you for the report. I I'm really enjoying working with you all um through the took and in other ways. So there are three areas that I want to explore.

I

um Have you looked at the South, Burlington solar and if you could just so you're familiar with it, have you all studied it? You know: do you have any preliminary, because I know we don't have anything similar right now, thoughts related to its applicability for the City of Burlington.

AC

You know, generally speaking, I'm favorably disposed towards it. um We work with new construction buildings to try to.

G

AC

At opportunities for solar, um you know it's not always from a technical standpoint. There may be barriers in terms of needing the roof space for different uses, whether that's mechanical or otherwise, but having something that was pushing towards where it's technically appropriate and feasible. Let's have solar on the roof is something that will always be supportive of.

I

Great I look forward to working with you to maybe come up with a similar ordinance here, I'm curious about the potential for geothermal um heating right, and would just note that um Farmington Massachusetts has a a district, a geothermal project. A pilot project of that eversource is um that company is pushing or is doing and I'm just curious about the potential that we have in Burlington and you know sort of what are those potentials and what are the limitations that we would uh see? We.

AC

We love geothermal, it's a great Heating and Cooling Source very efficient. We have incentives for geothermal. We even have new incentives to help with the test Wells so that a customer can explore if they have the appropriate groundwater for geothermal, so we're we're active in this space. We have a number of buildings around the community, Champlain College hula several of the schools that already utilize it very well and we're working with the new high school I'm. Looking at the geothermal opportunity, there I'm optimistic that we can. We can help with that.

AC

There are several other buildings that I'm aware of that are looking at. It I think it's not necessarily in Burlington a district system opportunity as as much as it is a building opportunity. It's it's much more expensive to retrofit if you're building new and you have that opportunity- it has amazing life cycle economics um and there are companies that are working on retrofit and trying to make it more cost competitive.

AC

There's even a company called dandelion geothermal, that's a spin-off of Google that that is looking at trying to do this for residential and using shallower drilling techniques. So there may be applications in the future where retrofit becomes more cost competitive, but right now it's a really amazing opportunity at any time we're either building new or there's an opportunity like there is at the high school, with a major change to look at whether we can place a geothermal system and our team will support that 100. It's a great opportunity.

I

Great I I actually look forward to you investigating the um the work done in Massachusetts and and being open in terms of a district project which you know I I think is the future in a large way. Although I understand the the problems with uh with retrofitting and and the capital, that's included in in such a a project.

AC

And just just a caveat: we're not opposed to District geothermal, our technical folks, just don't see as many cost-effective opportunities for it. Currently in Burlington, it's a great opportunity. If you're building a new housing complex, a new, you know University campus, it may be a little more challenging for retrofit, but we're supportive of that too, where it has a cost-effective opportunity.

I

Great um and then the last relates to the the solar potential I'm very impressed with the numbers there I'm wondering what different areas of the city might be appropriate for a larger array. You, you know, I've talked with you about the the old dump in my neighborhood in Scott's neighborhood, and it looks to be perfectly situated for such a thing. So what? What are the potential for? For those.

AC

um Yeah, certainly the the land use decision about that property is sort of outside of our our boundary uh of expertise, but um but yeah opportunities like that, where you might have a megawatt or two megawatts of solar, are going to be fairly rare in in the environment we have where we have a relatively Compact and relatively built out environment.

AC

um Certainly rooftop solar, going back to the earlier discussion, uh particularly for new construction or retrofits uh major opportunities there, and um you know anything uh where you can add something along the order of what you're talking about you know at the landfill you know megawatt two megawatts the biggest project we have is two and a half megawatts. It's the South 40 project, which is located in the new North End.

AC

So we don't have, uh after that, the biggest project is the 500 KW on the roof deck at the airport and then much of the rest of that solar is really smaller projects. You know 100 kilowatts here, 40 kilowatts here, you know three kilowatts on my roof. You know those types of things so, but really we've act, we've kind of disaggregated, the solar and spread it around.

AC

The community, and which is a good thing, but you know if there are opportunities to do something bigger in a cost-effective way that has potential as well and solar is a kind of a small but growing slice of our Energy Mix plays a useful role is complemented well by having kind of a diversity of Renewables great.

I

Thank you, Mr Mayor I would hope that you and your Administration would look seriously at the old landfill and the potential for solar, and you know perhaps the passive uses that are being it's being used for now. I, don't think that there's a conflict and would be great if we could include that in our in our thinking and our planning and in the attempt to get a zero emission future. Thank you.

A

Thanks very much councilor Bergman. Are there any other counselors who wish to have any questions or comments regarding the presentation, counselor Barlow.

V

uh And thank you for that.

V

um My question is more about it's really troubling that the thermal sector is so far behind and I'm just wondering if you think, with some of the measures that we're currently undertaking that that's sufficient to sort of bend that curve back in the other direction. So that's one I guess: I'll start there.

AC

um I think we have the opportunity to bend that curve downward significantly with a combination of the policies that we're discussing and District T, um uh roughly speaking, I'm going to get the numbers, hopefully reasonably in the ballpark I believe we have uh about 1600, mmbtu uh or no sorry, no 16 00, uh maybe it's billion mmbtu, but it in terms of kind of commercial thermal sector use and you could reduce by 230 225 000 mmbtu with District T.

AC

So it's again it's about a 16 reduction in just on that one project, because you're really talking about some of the larger energy use in the community being kind of taken away from fossil fuel and put on renewable steam, there's also significant efficiency with District T that maybe we don't talk about as much because they're we're talking a lot about the the steam provision. But a boiler is going to be.

AC

um You know a certain percentage efficient and the district's team that comes the steam is going to be already at the level that's needed for the campus. So you can save a significant amount of fossil fuel by not running some of those boilers as well as much of the time. So that's where that 225 000 mmbtu figure comes from for the district heat reduction.

AC

The carbon fee policy I think will have a significant impact if it is enacted- um and that's not only we're talking about new construction, making sure that it's being built with the clean technologies that are are available, but also, you know, beginning to make the transition in large existing buildings as well and in City buildings which we're already working on. But it would. It would codify that that's a significant chunk of the thermal sector that you'd be affecting right there, and then you get to some of the harder to reach.

AC

You know how do we help small businesses with heat pump? You know right now we're doing an incentive approach and we want to keep doing that and try to reach more customers at a certain level. uh Prescriptive policy may be a challenge to apply. You know for certain segments, but I'm optimistic that we can bend that curve down with those two interventions with the carbon fee and with District T, and the roadmap really calls those out um kind of as being key policies as well.

V

Okay, thank you. um The other thing I've been thinking about ever since the Symposium last week, I've been educating myself on electric generation and one of the things that I learned this week is that the power we use is actually generated at the time we use it, um which I guess I didn't appreciate before. So we talk about solar, but solar only works when the sun is shining. Wind only works when the wind is blowing and so I'm wondering if there are other strategies to leverage those clean Technologies.

V

As you know, in terms of storage and is, are there feasible utility scale, storage technologies that are on the horizon or they're being looked at by bed?.

AC

Yeah, it goes back back to the point about you want a diversity of renewable resources. We can't really rely exclusively on anyone or even just a couple. If you want to be 100 renewable, which we've we've wanted to be, and we are having the different characteristics is really important. You know, Hydro runs certain times of the year very well other times of the year, a little bit less wind produces a little more in the winter and at night.

AC

So that's a good complement to solar, which produces more in the summer and during the day and obviously McNeil with wood can be dispatched for when we need it and Burlington is a load Center within the state of Vermont. You know we are the biggest sort of energy draw in the state of Vermont, maybe alongside, if you think about the Global foundries Campus, which is roughly a similar kind of power use to Burlington those are load centers. They need generation in a nearby proximity to keep reliability for the grid.

AC

So the the diversity of Renewables provides that we are looking at storage, not only for battery storage. The way that you know everybody thinks about with Lithium-ion batteries, we're looking at that for utility scale, but we have pilot projects through this program called Delta climb, where we bring businesses to partner with us seed stage, businesses from around the country. One of those is looking at the idea of when prices are low on the New England grid, when renewable energy Supply might be optimal. You know when the sun is shining.

AC

For example, if we have a lot of solar, can we use electric boilers essentially as a form of thermal storage and run those during those low price times, basically draw on the renewable energy? That's out there and put it to good use with decarbonizing thermal loads?

AC

That's part of the district energy proposal as well is to have an electric boiler to do exactly what I just mentioned, but we're also looking at it with a company called neothermal, which is a one of those seed stage, businesses that you know you could use one at our Pine Street campus or you could put one somewhere else at a smaller size and do similar things. So we have to think about thermal storage and and timing of the grid for for pricing, as well as things like lithium ion battery storage.

AC

So we are exploring all of those as well as just moving demand like we do with our EV Ray, trying to move demand off peak.

L

Thanks appreciate it.

A

Thanks so much counselor Barlow are there any other comments um from the council as well as on on Zoom I I am I, am paying attention to the screen.

A

Seeing none uh thank you so much uh general manager swinger greatly appreciate this. um Is it your intention to I'm trying to remember when the last presentation was? Are you doing these at regular? So you are what how and how long has it been.

AC

Roughly, we were able to get the results of the roadmap update, usually sometime between April and June each year. So typically you'd see us around this time every year, I think last year it might have been in May if I remember correctly, so we try to do this update uh once a year and then I think we try where we can to provide additional updates relative to incentive uptake and other things uh different times of the year.

A

Okay, thank you so much so seeing no other counselors in the queue will close out this agenda item with our thanks. Unless there is someone, yes, we will we move on to that. That is item 8.8, which is the annual commission report for the Burlington elector commission. We have the chair of the commission, Scott Moody with us Scott thanks so much for your time and for your service on the commission.

A

um Were there some comments that you wanted to offer before we open it up to the council? Yes,.

AD

um Great yeah, absolutely uh thank you for uh Mr Mayor, uh president Paul and counselors. Thank you. So much for having having me here tonight is. It is a pleasure and an honor and if you'll, allow me to filibuster for a quick second here, there's a few of you that I've known for for a long time there's a few of you that I've met once or twice and and some of you that I've never met at all.

AD

A lot of you know me from my role at Channel 17 on the other side of this is rarely on this side of the table once a month. So probably see me in my role at Channel 17.

AD

um and that's kind of how I ended up on this board. uh It was part of it was when I first got to channel 17 uh in 2009. uh One of my first assignments was Burlington, electric and I, found it absolutely fascinating um and at every board meeting as soon as I shut, the camera off I was I, was talking to the engineers and and Commissioners and stuff, and just absolutely a fascinated by it, and there was a point where uh general manager, Barb Grimes, said Scott. You know you're here every month anyway, there.

AA

Was an opening.

AD

On the board she's like you, you should probably come on this side of the table, so um I did and that was uh 13 years ago and I've learned so much so it's so it so come be here tonight. It's kind of a a neat culmination of of 13 years of waiting to be to to be in front of you folks. So thank you very much.

AD

I really appreciate the opportunity to be here so I have a couple things that I just want to go over uh really quick, hopefully, you've all read the the summary here and I'm not going to get too deep into I'm, going to just touch on a couple of things and a couple of items that are not on this um briefly.

AD

um So a couple things we've been looking at, um there's been some concern about our about the Department's fees, um some very slightly about you know when changing apartments and this and that the other thing we haven't been able to get to that. Yet, with a lot of other things that have been going on as general manager Springer has been talking about, but that's something we're hoping to look at doing some revisions on in the fall. The other thing, then, this subject is near and dear to our hearts that the commission is is Street lighting.

AD

We've had several recent discussions with several neighborhoods, primarily in the South End over our street lighting policy has been a couple neighbors that have had some really major projects in their neighborhood and kind of been kind of feeling the the pain of having a different lighting setup.

AD

To that end, we we've had meetings really kind of doing a deep dive on the Department's policy and we brought in some experts and we kind of hashed out a lot of things.

AD

It took some some information for some some communities in in Connecticut that are doing like dimming technology at night and that sort of thing, but um what we came, the conclusion we came to and it's consistent with our policy and with our our is- is to maintain our status as, as is our policy as is and maintain the IES standards, primarily from a safety uh point of view is really the the biggest driver of that.

AD

So we have. We are not changing our policies to um make everybody happy in different neighborhoods. It's um you know where we were looking out for the safety of burlingtonians um on to the bigger things that that really have our attention um have been the the.

G

AD

Of of running Burlington electric over the last year, or so I mean with um um there's, been a lot of inflation, Energy prices not being what was expected of them. There's a there's been a couple of things um that have that are absolutely out of the Department's control um and it has been concerning us on the board. As we look at every month's uh um financials and it kind of it's, it's a it's a troubling uh picture.

AD

However, um the folks at Burlington electric have been diligently um really trying to mitigate all those um things that that are sort of creeping up on the department and and giving us Financial stress. We are well aware of that um and it's at the top of our radar, um but there are folks they're, really intelligent folks there that are, that are trying to do as much as we can across the board to try to mitigate those things. So.

N

AD

That there's it's a little bit troubling, but we're on top of that, um and we can welcome any questions about that in detail. After this.

AD

We're also, um you know, also looking towards uh finishing the district energy project since I've been on the board it started. This has been going on for what 20 so 20 30 odd years, but since I've been on here about the last eight years or so, it's really caught steam, huh and so we're really looking forward to that coming to to fruition. Here in the fall, there's just a few more things to tie up on that project, um and so we're hoping to get to that in the fall.

AD

Yeah and um and as far as what the general manager Springer was talking about, I personally, have are about to benefit from bed's policies and incentives. Now is the time to jump in um and and get into heat pumps and and all those sorts of things we're about to re, um uh insulate our home and we're we're working with uh with a company uh through through bed and and Vermont and Vermont Gas to to do uh do heat pumps in our own home.

AD

So um you know Now's the Time to jump in um so there's some really great things happening um and there's some a couple of troublesome things, certainly in terms of finances, but that's um something that between the department and the board we're.

AD

We are laser, focused on on that um and there's a few there's a few ideas out there um that are being floated as some really in in in intuitive ingenious ideas out there uh from some of the smart cookies that we have down there to to mitigate that even further and I hope to uh down the road. Be able to uh um talk to you about some of some of those, some of the more out of the box.

AD

Thinking ideas that that can help mitigate some of our our financial concerns, so I'm a little bit nervous, um I'm, not usually not used to being in front of people like in front of this uh crowd here, so uh yeah, I'm, very nervous, a bad thing, um and the other thing I just want to mention real quick um is- um is that I would be remiss if I didn't um make make all you folks, aware of just to appreciate the the line crews out there who um rest their lives every day, keeping the lights on for the city, and it means a lot to to us in a would just want to mention those those folks who do a very dangerous but uh necessary job every day for all of us in the city and the people at Burlington, electric there's, some folks and I've noticed this over the years.

AD

On my being on this board, there are people. There are a lot of unsung heroes, people that are in dark cubicles in a in a dark office, someplace who's, who's, Keen minds are able to sift through, as some of you know.

AD

Certainly uh councilor Paul knows uh the complexities of of multiple power and some of the Hoops that these folks jump through day after day for the rate pairs of Burlington um should not go un recognized because they're the people that people are they're, the people are having impacts and are keeping your rates low and keeping the city safe. That you that that none of us hear about and I just wanted to take, take a moment to recognize those folks who don't usually get recognized for the great work that they're doing.

AD

A

uh That was a wonderful, um wonderful presentation, thanks so much and well said: um I I can I I agree with you as a as a person who has once in in the same seat that you are in now the Burlington electric. There are many employees who do wonderful work as well as in the entire city.

A

um Are there any counselors, counselor Shannon.

W

Foreign thank you and thank you Scott for your many years of service on the board.

W

Thank you also for raising the issue of the of the neighborhood lighting, which has been an issue in the South End and there's um there's two things I have heard about and have questions related to relating to that. So one is um I know that you say in your report that you know safety is number one which, when we're talking about line workers and just the safety of the system, I completely agree. But safety has also been the reason for um creating lighting plans in neighborhoods that have been objectionable to a lot of neighbors I.

W

Don't know that the South End is necessarily different from neighbors across the city and I am wondering um why neighborhoods get why? Why neighborhoods get the lighting upgrades and um where else it has happened where it's coming in the future and, secondly, um some streets have gotten like old-fashioned looking lights and some streets have gotten the um the you know: commercial, looking lights and I'm wondering uh how that decision is made and because, of course, the ones who have commercial lights would really like to have those nice. Looking um traditional traditional lights,.

AD

Actually was down in down on Lyman Avenue, the other night talking with a couple neighbors who did just have get those gray, and my understanding is that those fixtures are for when they're, when they're doing Underground, when the wiring is underground, as opposed to Ariel, they would end up getting the the you know, the fiberglass poles, um but.

W

I believe the lamp posts yeah.

AD

W

Scarfab is underground.

AC

Screw yeah the um the the lighting, the the kind of more traditional looking lighting. My understanding is the policy that was adopted a number of years ago uh said that if, if a neighborhood, if a street had that already pre-existing that, when The Replacements happened, that the department would seek to replace with sort of a like kind, but if they didn't have that um and and we are providing underground or or you know, if you're providing.

AC

If you already have overhead wires, there might be a wooden Pole or something where you have a light attached to it. But if it's underground, uh then they would have the more kind of the lighting that you know. You're just referring to the traditionally they're Gray Street poles um at I believe 30 feet with the Cobra head uh fixture.

AC

So that that's the rationale in the policy at least for why um one street had the kind of more traditional looking Lighting in another Street. Had the overhead lighting.

G

Q

AC

Other question that you had if I.

AD

Or well I mean.

AC

AD

Ahead, yeah no go ahead.

AC

I was just going to mention that the reason why a street would get the uh upgraded lighting would be really one of two things. It would be. Somebody called and said: I, don't believe we have a safe amount of lighting on the street.

AC

We want you to do a study which we would and then we would prioritize that area or the more common being and what's happened really in the South End is, if we're doing any sort of upgrades on the street, we bring the street up to what's called the IES code, which is the standard that's adopted by Burlington electric by the electric commission. uh That is a kind of international recognized standard that we use to really to protect the city and bed uh in the event that something went wrong.

AC

We have an objective standard that we can say we're trying to light to a certain level for safety and for other purposes, so that was that I did if I can have just a half. Second I want to correct my math from earlier for councilor Barlow. It was 1400 billion BTU in the commercial sector and then uh 225 000 uh mmbtu would be District T and that's the 225. You divide that by 1400 you get the 16 just couldn't I didn't want to let that.

W

um Just just to follow up on the on the um the new lighting I think it's a relatively new standard, so it hasn't gone out across the city in too many places that I mean where have you done it other than in the South End.

AC

We've had a number of streets in the south end because we've had a number of where we've been moved. In one case we moved lines that were sort of overhead and behind houses and out into the street and in other cases we've had other uh kind of electrical work. That's happening there, but it would happen. You know it would happen anywhere. I believe there's been instances in the new North End as well.

AC

AD

Street just got done, yeah.

AC

AD

On Oak Street.

AC

AD

N

Not it's not limited.

AC

Certainly to the south end, it's happened. I.

W

Just wondered: if you had complaints in other places, I mean it might, it might be somewhat relative to how close houses are to the street. It would impact them more where, where the yards are, are the front yards are smaller.

AD

I would agree um I also, you know you know if I also I also think that um you know the South End team seems to be something of a 100, Acre Wood and a bit. You know some of those streets. I was on them the other night, just that their canopy is uh seems to be just so much more denser than some of the other areas in the city and I.

AD

Wonder if it's uh oftentimes a perception thing that um wow it's so much greater than before, because it was so much darker that you're used to as well. As you know, if those fixtures have been on there no streets for any length of time on the order of years, then you know they've dimmed over time and there's certainly what I you know. There's a change in temp in color temperature is going to um probably get, or else someone up.

AD

I know for my myself, mine got changed from the really really orange lights to the more pastel ones. Now and I I absolutely love it. You know, I had someone on Lyman Avenue. Tell me this light is ugly I'm loving it I can sleep now. um So it's a matter of perception.

AD

Bottom, the bottom line is is so this has to be something that that we can defend in a court of law and go and if God forbid, um there's there's any sort of accident or anything that happens that that the city or the department might be on the on the hook. For that we can say no, we we put we've, put the safety of people first and have a defensible argument. Well,.

W

I I won't belabor it, but I do understand lighting hazards and the city has gotten in trouble for not doing so, but for you know, lighting uh our bedrooms. I can understand people being dismayed that they don't enjoy that, but and I think we need to continue to work to to serve our community in the way that they want to be served. But I'll leave it at that, and thank you very much.

A

Thanks so much counselor Shannon we'll go to counselor Zhang.

J

Thank you, president. Thank you for the presentation and Moody I believe that I known you as a parent before all of this. Yes, sir, you do.

AD

J

um So I think the part of the report it did not include you receive visitors, some animals came to bed.

AC

Some beer, yeah.

J

This year, right, um I think it's good. It's really great and I was just also wondering um if the council know about the podcast on your website, NetZero podcast. It is an amazing and I recommend everyone to please take the time to listen to those those are phenomenal short, concise and Powerful. Great idea. When it please add it next time and we're just wondering um how many miles of overhead wires have you put Underground in 2023 or 2024. I just want to see if we making advantage or no.

AC

First, so we did have some deer in the parking lot at bed. They walked right by the Chargers, great social media post, and thank you for the compliment on the podcast. We have uh Jen green sustainability director for the city, who's the host and Adam Raven. Who is a talented uh you know working on the web and AV and does a lot of the behind the scenes work to make that uh as useful as it is so um in terms of undergrounding. So we have uh typically looked at undergrounding anytime.

AC

There is any sort of project I know. Laura Willock was mentioning that you know we're looking at it for uh part of the street design. That's happening here. I think that the one that was happening uh in the time frame that you were discussing where we had some undergrounding was the Champlain Parkway project, so I know there's some undergrounding that was happening as a result of that project going forward. That was the main one that in talking with munir, uh where we might see or have seen some some impact there.

AC

I know we're also talking to the city about the great streets project, that's happening and opportunities.

AC

Most of that's underground, as it is because we're really talking about kind of the Main Street Corridor, which is already underground, but we're looking at certainly maintaining the underground infrastructure there, upgrading it and also locating a number of EV charging stations in in those areas as well and then I guess the other one would be the one we were just talking about in the South End, where we had some overhead lines that we were able to move underground in the scarf kind of neighborhood was also in the time frame. Roughly that you were mentioning.

J

um Thank you and I think part of the report. Enhancing public outage or community outreach. It seemed as if you could do more, because it seems that you're just tapping into events that are happening but targeted, Outreach exists and there are ways to do it and also make it more effective. I. You know just ask you to maybe look for it better, because I'm confident that the rate support for low income, many people just will take advantage, but they don't know.

J

But how do we change the Mind enriching them in order for them to take advantage of this? Thanks for your work? Thank you. So much for all you do. Thank you.

A

Thank you so much counselor Chang, um uh Council Grant.

M

Thank you. I had a couple of questions since we're talking about overhead wiring. um How is the planning for that work like I, can think of some streets in the historic North End? That would really benefit from you know a major project like that, how is it decided what streets get to have that moved? Underground.

AC

Grant, um so in terms of undergrounding, we typically we don't have a budget to underground. Typically, what will happen is if there's a project, that's happening, that's going to change the infrastructure, uh maybe a major Street project, or something like that. We look for opportunities uh to underground cost effectively within those projects.

AC

If we can, obviously a number of the downtown streets have been undergrounded over the years, partly as a result of that and underground I would say, we're roughly you know, 40 percent or so of the city has underground infrastructure and there's benefits to it in terms of certainly Aesthetics. Reliability can be better in in a storm event.

AC

For example, there's also some challenges like our Line crew has to have special uh training to be able to work underground, and it can be a more hazardous environment for them in terms of going down when there is an outage, it takes longer when it's underground to get the power back on than if it's just an above ground, uh you know systems so, um but the the short answer is we don't really have a budget or any kind of discretionary ability with that.

AC

It really depends on what projects might be happening from a city standpoint, and then we look for opportunities if we can within those. uh If we have to relocate infrastructure to try to underground it. If we can.

M

Okay, thank you.

A

Thank you so much counselor Grant, um seeing no one else in the queue we will close out this agenda item and again Scott thanks. So much pleaser extend our thanks to all the members of the electric commission. Thank.

AD

You and just in closing I would just invite um you know relative to some the the two meeting and other discussions that um you know we we are. We meet the second Wednesday of the month at 585 Pine at 5 30, and we welcome all of those discussions and debates looking forward um to where to how this city uh gets its energy from I. Think it's a worthwhile discussion.

AD

It was last week it will continue to be and we welcome that continued discussion uh going forward at our meetings and I would end by any and all of you. I know you have all kinds of free time, but uh we feed you pizza, so stop, wait and see us sometime and again. Thank you so much for having the opportunity to and the honor to be uh to to present in front of you tonight. Thank you.

A

Thank you. Thank you both so much. uh Our next agenda item is 8.9, which is the fire leadership pay scale on the from the Burlington Fire Department, and um we do are very fortunate to have Chief LaChance here with us to speak to this item. Before we get to you, we'll go to a motion um from councilor Barlow.

V

Thank you, president Paul I moved to approve and authorize the wage scale adjustment to the fire leadership pay scale for the Burlington Fire Department Command Staff, comprised of the positions of Battalion Chief and deputy chief as further detailed in the proposed tables and allow future wage adjustment adjustments to be consistent with bffa and cola increases and further authorize back wages to be paid. According to such revised pay scale effective retroactively to January 1st 2023.

A

Thank you, councilor Barlow I'd like to get a second on that motion, please seconded by counselor Carpenter. Thank you very much, um Chief LaChance nice to see you we're hoping that maybe you could just provide a brief overview of this agenda item and then um we'll go to any Council. Counselor comments. Sure good.

AE

Evening, everybody, um so this this conversation has been one that has been you know, uh probably every three or four years it comes up, um and we have to worry about pay compression with uh between the union staff and the non-union staff.

AE

The pay compression is an issue because it um reduces the number of folks that want to promote uh into my command staff and as a newly appointed Chief without a administrative Chief or a emsg for the last three months, I can tell you those positions are are very worthwhile um after based on the most recent bffa contract.

AE

Currently, if you were to promote to the rank of battalion chief in charge of a shift to 25 folks you're going to take a base, pay cut of about a thousand seventy dollars a year and that doesn't take into account over time for minimum Staffing or any of the annual retention or education bonuses or other various sprinkles, as we call them in the contract.

AE

um That is a 1.03 percent pay cut. So um it is getting more and more difficult to uh to entice folks to promote uh what this does. Is it solves this compression issue issue once and for all? It does uh it sets uh clear: percents percentage increases over uh the higher the highest ranking, uh Union member, which is typically where you promote from and um when you promote to Deputy Chief from battalion chief again, a clear percent uh increase that uh it will be consistent through the years.

AE

We won't be here doing this again in in five years.

AE

um I know that there's some concern Council Jang about the about the retroactivity of this of this proposal. I just want to speak to that. If I could, um this was considered this, this whole process was began, probably March or April of 2022 under Chief Locke. He was noticing a significant compression issue prior to the latest bffa contract.

AE

um He moved on uh prior to solving this issue acting Chief Libby was he worked on it as well, but wasn't able to bring it to fruition. It was one of my primary goals in the first few months of my promotion to chief engineer to solve this problem and just move on with it and not have to have this conversation at every Monday morning command meeting the scales as you see them in the memo are moderate increases and I can speak to any questions.

A

Great thanks so much Chief. uh Are there any counselors who wish to speak to the motion before us.

A

uh Counselor Shannon.

W

um Just very briefly, uh Chief I wanted to just recognize um how your how much more work your department has and how much all of your staff has had to step up in in many different ways and um I I very much appreciate the compression issue and that people don't want to take what should be an honor, because there isn't a financial incentive to take on the additional burden, and it is tough.

W

It's a tough environment out there for all of you and I want to thank you and all of the firefighters, EMTs and staff for all that you're doing for the citizens of Burlington. Thank.

AE

You counselor I, appreciate that and I'll pass that on to my Crews. I really do count on these folks these, but my Battalion Chiefs and my Deputy Chiefs to just be you know, champions for their Crews. You know to Mentor them and to just keep you know, keep spirits up when times are times are tough, sometimes and uh so um I think uh us being able to pass. This will just allow them to feel uh appreciated for what they're doing every day. So thank you.

A

Thank you and thanks counselor Shannon uh we'll go to uh counselor Grant.

M

Thank you. I wanted to Echo some of the comments that counselor Shannon just made I kind of look at the um fire department overall I like to like to call you kind of like the silent Warriors behind the scenes.

M

I I really um don't feel that burlingtonians have a real understanding of um the amount of work that you're doing and as someone who is extremely concerned about um the drug crisis in our city, I really see how um members of the fire department and the EMTs are responding to that crisis and saving lives, and um you know we have to. We have to look at at wage Equity we're looking at it in other departments, so I definitely support this for the fire department. Thank you.

A

Counselor Grant counselor Carpenter.

F

um I just do want to add on to that and I had bumped it in the chief and was um complimenting. As you all recall, we had asked Sarah Russell to pull together a inter Municipal meeting, we've been meeting every um Tuesday on the houseless issues and I'm very pleased that um Kyle has been participating in um you know. Just really helping us deal with this situation, but it was, you know, makes us proud to have them so much involved in those conversations.

A

Great thanks so much councilor Carpenter, um seeing seeing no other having no other counselors in the queue and seeing no other. Oh, my apologies, mayor Weinberger. Thank.

E

You, president Paul um I, just wanted to uh thank Chief LaChance for making this a priority early in his 10 years, a new Chief and and working hard to to get this fixed so that we can address these problematic staffing issues within the department and have a good system going forward. So thanks chief for for forgetting this done. Thank you, sir.

A

Thank you very much and thank you, mayor Weinberger, um seeing no others and if we can just get the uh the zoom screen back to the um thank you um don't see anyone else. So we'll go to a vote. All those in favor of the motion is made by councilor Barlow. Please say: aye.

Q

A

Any opposed, please say: no, no, okay! That motion passes uh by a vote of 11 to 1. um Chief LaChance thanks so much again for being here have a good night. Thank you. You as well um item 8.8.10 has been removed from the agenda, which brings us to our last.

K

A

Item president of agenda, um which was added by a vote to amend our agenda and that's now, 8.11, which is the 2022 annual report on BPD data president.

K

A

K

Sorry over here, it's sorry, um just I believe you should have a roll call in that last boat, since it wasn't unanimous and we have in two different yeah.

A

K

Thank you we'll.

A

We'll dial it back a little bit and go back to 8.9 um Lori. If you could call the roll please counselor.

Z

Barlow, yes, councilor Bergman.

I

Z

Counselor Carpenter, yes, counselor Jang, no counselor Doherty, yes, councilor Grant, yes, counselor Hightower,.

N

Z

B

Z

Yes, counselor McGee.

Q

Z

Counselor Shannon, yes, counselor, Travers, yeah city council, president Paul. Yes,.

A

Z

A

Thank you so much that motion passes by a vote of 11 to 1.. So, um as I had mentioned, 8.10 has been removed from the agenda, which brings us to 8.11 the 2022 annual report on BPD data. This item had been consent. Item 7.8 and counselor Grant had asked that it be removed, so um Council Grant. If you wanted to speak to this at this time, I'm happy to recognize you.

M

Yes, please all right I wanted to mention a few items of concern regarding this notice and then also request and I guess this would be at the discretion of of you counselor president Paul, whether it should be um an agenda item for a full council meeting or for um the Public Safety Committee, um the so in a nutshell, I was concerned about the the following um that I felt that I'd like to see more information regarding um to the axis of the use of force data I find it concerning that.

M

It's saying that we have a vendor being used by our police department since sometime in 2022, and that vendor is is not providing information, and here we are in the middle of 2023. So I would like a little bit more um information as to exactly why why that's happening um the there have been reports being provided. So if that vendor's not providing it, um how is that data um being extracted? I guess for lack of a better um word, um I understood the first initial delay.

M

I do have a concern about further delaying it, because it was that it was a little bit late last year, which caused the police commission's report to be late again, and this would make it even more late. So I just want to have a little bit more transparency as to what's going on, because this can put stress on the commission um and um so I'd like to hear from uh Megan Tuttle and Nancy Stetson as well, and then, if they feel that uh BPD needs to chime in they can certainly do that.

M

I'd like to also know the uh process for how the data is quote: unquote, cleaned um the use of force data. It can be really sensitive and has been really sensitive issue in the past, because it relates to racial disparities um and tracking those within the department. So those were some some concerns. I had and I would request that, either in a future city council meeting or um the public safety meeting that these issues would be discussed in full detail. Thank you.

A

um I don't know um deputy chief. If there are, there was a quite a number of of items that councilor Grant had mentioned. If there were any that you felt, you could speak to now or um okay great go ahead. Please yeah.

AF

uh Just just for everybody's information, um as of June 14th, the uh Benchmark company, their Engineers, had sent the data analysts the information that she required. The issue came from. Obviously, there are a private company that markets their software to police departments and uh before we used valcor, which we were actually a part of, and so the access to that was already granted to um the data analysts and other departments that wanted to use it because of the type of software.

AF

It was this time they have, they are going to have to create a way for the data analysts to go in through a back door, because the data that I used to put in my reports, I have they've made up they've created reports for me that give me the information that I want.

AF

That's what they've done now that they know what um the data analyst requires for the annual report and uh moving forward there, we're in talks with them on how to allow the data analysts to go in and get that extract that information themselves uh when they need it. So, like I said valve core before we were part of that, as a part of you know the uh the creation of it, so the access was there already for the data analysts, uh in this case a private company.

AF

Obviously, you know was concerned about having someone to have access to the back entrance to their uh data into their programming, and so that's what's being worked out uh moving forward uh and as far as I know, she has. Our data. Analyst has all the information that she needs now to finish that uh report so moving forward.

AF

That's that's where we're headed uh a year from now that should be in place and she will be able to get or whoever the data analysis at the time should be able to get that information once again, the stuff that I get I had to do the same thing I had to reach out to them and I had to tell them exactly what I wanted and then their Engineers had to put together a program that put together that information and now, for me, it's a couple of clicks and I put the month in that I want to look at, and it gives me the information that I need for the report that I put out.

A

So much uh deputy chief lebreck um is uh is it you know, I know that I had reached out and I believe that Megan Tuttle had also reached out uh to councilor, Grant um and she's not available this evening, so it would, it probably would be wise to I will I will certainly follow up to see when that report will be done um and it sounds like it will be done more regularly going forward now that, on on time, yeah.

AF

They they have the information now that um the data analyst requires, because her their reports are different than mine uh and moving forward. They should have that report and it should be able to be put in a form that they can actually run themselves. The data analysts can run themselves much like I. Do.

A

All right, I'm happy to see if that could be available for the for our July meeting. um uh uh Counselor Grant um counselor uh councilor McGee had had a had a was next in the queue I didn't know. If you had were you finished.

M

um I I appreciate um Chief regret's uh feedback. That's definitely very interesting. um It does raise more questions for me. So, uh yes, I would definitely uh look forward to um a meeting with uh Megan Tuttle, um Nancy Stetson and the new analyst who, whose name I'm for forgetting right now. um Thank you.

A

Counselor McGee thank.

X

You president Paul uh DC, lebreck I, just had a quick question. I know that um the memo also mentioned some changes to the security and valcor that made it difficult for them to access information from that side of things. So I'm wondering if you could just speak to that briefly and then I'll have a comment afterwards.

X

AF

So anybody that has access to valcor obviously uh has to pass a background check a fingerprint check, uh criminal history check um and then pass two tests that the uh criminal justice um uh the doj puts in place for anybody that has access to any type of personal information uh with the National Crime computer ncic.

AF

uh So they're, not it's it's! Actually. If we don't follow those steps, we can lose our access to that computer system. So there's not anybody trying to prevent anybody from uh gaining access to it that that has that is allowed to see it, but they have to follow certain steps and pass these security things before they're.

AF

The security uh Parts before they're allowed access to it and we had just hired uh our own network uh head Network um person uh after a couple years of not having it and they went through and we were remiss in a few of those places so they have there.

AF

They have gone and corrected uh where we were basically allowing people access that had to hadn't passed those uh security um protocols that we had that are supposed to be in place, and those are not anything that we have any say in they're, put together by the Department of Justice uh to prevent you know people from Gaining information that they shouldn't, and you know way how you should uh keep your everything from locking your computer, if you're not sitting at your desk to if you're escorting people through that, don't have that type of access you have to your computer should not be.

AF

Your screen should not be able to be seen by them, uh so it goes down into that type of minutia uh and everybody in our Police Department that has access to valcore has to have those in place or- and it even has to do with you know, bigger things like a a room where you know everybody in there has to have alcohol or access or pass these tests if there's computer screens or that type of stuff up or they'd have to have their own secure office.

AF

um So those are the types of things that are. This network administrator that we have now is is making sure that we are following all the rules.

X

um And just a quick comment: um I I just hope that for All City departments that as we're looking at potential vendors for data management that we're making sure that they're meeting the needs of of the city and ensuring that everyone who needs access to data has access to the data so that we're not running into these sorts of um delays with reports or any other necessary information. Thank you.

A

Thank you, councilor McGee, uh we'll go to Mayor Weinberger.

E

Thank you, president Paul um to councilor McGee's last point, I, just uh hope. The council and the publics aware um of the um enhanced transparency portal, the enhanced dashboard that we just uh relaunched last week and we put out a press release about it last week. So certainly it is a high priority for the administration to put as much data as we can consistently out into the um into the public. I. Do um okay, just I appreciate deputy chief lebreck coming on at 9 20 tonight to try to answer these questions.

E

I do wouldn't I think it is important. um I I just do want to point out. um We would have been happy to respond to further information requests ahead of time. uh Director Tuttle made an attempt to reach counselor uh Grant in advance.

E

The meeting when this item had been pulled, um I I, certainly with respect to support our talented, skilled, hard-working team I would hope that we would attempt to seek informational responses to Communications through other means and having having to schedule additional meetings having to bring counts staff to late night meetings for information that can be transmitted in other ways. Maybe this was unavoidable, although I I think they're from the conversation we've had, we could have answered these questions in another manner. Thank you, president. Paul.

A

Thank you, mayor Weinberger will go to counselor Grant.

M

Thank you so um worked during the day. Today we got an email from Megan Tuttle today, and um this document was only recently um put up so I understand that, for a whole variety of reasons, things are put in the consent agendas and on the agendas at the last minute. uh So as far in advance as we can get things on, I I responded to it. When I saw it, um I appreciate uh Chief lebreck coming down tonight, I wasn't anticipating needing to have anyone speak to it tonight.

M

I only wanted to have it out of deliberative to say that these questions um do have and that I would like, for the sake of transparency, because data has been a very, very sensitive issue and as we move forward, um we do want to keep maintaining that transparency.

M

um So that document raised certain uh questions that I had and I just wanted to make sure that they were covered um in either the the full council meeting or a public safety meeting, um so that they're discussed thoroughly, um and- and this is because that there have been issues with the data and the data was a little bit late last year um and there were um there were problems that I don't want to belabor at this moment.

M

So that's where my concerns are are coming from I'm, not trying to make anything difficult, um I just reached out when I, when I saw it and I said. Oh, this Bears a discussion, um and that was what I just really wanted to do was say. These are what the concerns are, and can we have a more detailed meeting um inviting uh the principals that um are involved with uh the Gathering of this data, so nothing undermined it.

M

I thought I could do that um and I just sometimes you know I think emails that are sent same day. It's it's it's difficult.

M

um If we can get things on the agenda, I felt like there was a lot of things added to the agenda that weren't there when I looked over the weekend, um so I just want to put that out there but I understand things go on late, but if they go on late, then we might have late requests to be fair. Thank you.

A

Mr Grant um uh hearing no other discussion on this. uh The recommended motion is to waive the reading except the communication and place it on file. I am happy, of course, to follow up with uh director Tuttle uh when she is available, um I'm, not sure when that will be, but certainly in the very near future to get this on an agenda as a completed document, um perhaps in for our July meeting. But in the meantime we have a recommended motion to waive the reading except the communication and place it on file.

A

Is there any so moved? Thank you so much councilor McGee seconded by counselor Shannon, all those in favor of the motion. Please say aye aye any opposed. Please say no! That motion passes unanimously and with that we complete our deliberative agenda. There's just a couple of items left item number nine is committee reports. Are there? Are there any counselors who wish to offer a committee report.

A

Oh I, counselor, uh councilor, Barlow.

V

Thank you, president Paul. um As you heard tonight, the transportation energy and utility committee met on 613 and held a symposium on biomass electricity generation at McNeil for those who missed it, CCTV recorded it and it's available on YouTube and on their website. We haven't talked about any follow-up action as a committee, but expect we'll continue to dig into this.

V

That's an important topic for the committee and for our Council, as we consider District energy in the coming months, um we'll also be holding Duke, will also be holding a joint meeting with the vehicle for higher licensing board. Next Tuesday June 27th 5 PM at 6, 45 Pine, haven't finalized the agenda for that meeting yet, but expect you later this week.

A

Thank you so much councilor Barlow any other committee.

A

Yes, counselor Carpenter.

F

um Actually, this is not about my committee and I. Don't know if this is appropriate, but um first I want to thank to for pulling together that form. It was a huge amount of work. I know um and I am overwhelmed with information and I just want to request some time. Perhaps before we consider the district energy proposal that we have a work session of the council, I think and I'm just going to say that and suggest that that get mulled around.

A

Thank you excellent suggestion. Counselor Carpenter, councilor Bergman.

I

So the joint ordinance and Charter change committee uh on police oversight will be meeting on the 6th of July and the tax abatement committee had an organizational meeting and we will probably have uh um hearings in the uh in the fall when all is said and done. So then this full and as people may know, the tax abatement committee is basically a hearing body, but it then would come. Our work then comes to the full board.

A

Thank you great. Thank you. So much uh councilor Grant.

M

Thank you, um I just wanted to uh thank the reib department for the Juneteenth celebration. uh Despite the very wet weather, um I thought it was a really beautiful event. It brought a lot of people together.

M

um A lot of there were already a lot of things planned uh inside at various locations, but even more things such as the community meal had to be moved inside and uh contoi's was packed. There was even people, I know when I finished my meal and I left. There were people in line waiting, because the account of people inside the auditorium was was too high.

M

So uh just a shout out to the work um done by the reib team and um okay, okay and uh big shout out to uh them, bringing the hip-hop Legend one of the one of the real pioneers of hip-hop Slick Rick. That was a really incredible show and very well received that put a great cap on a lovely day. Thank you. Thank.

A

You uh councilor Grant, that's actually a wonderful segue to item number 10, which is city council, General, City Affairs. Are there any other counselors that have comments on General, City affairs, counselor, Zhang,.

J

Thank you, president and I think it is more appropriate to talk about it here, which is the racial Equity inclusion and belonging director of the City of Burlington. Kim Carlson has delivered something very meaningful about reib one. We stayed on budget to.

J

We worked with okay, okay, which is an organization right here to to to plan and execute, and this is the third year, but from my perspective, the one we pass, this juneteen 2023 has been the best in the city of Berlin in the history of the city, one it was centered. Also it worked with old departments in the city in order to make it happen, including the Flint theater BCA.

J

In one point, there was a performance right here in this room and you can see former City councils performing you go outside. You see current City councils performing and all the doing two City councils actually performed. It was unique.

J

The food was was great and available, and it was all free right not to mention the reception prior to the event itself at the Flynn as well, where Miro Weinberg mayor Weinberger, has given substantial amount of recognition of community members who have been doing racial Equity work for decades in the past, including Patrick Brown and many many other people. I think this was a great celebration and also it was done with the Kemp family.

J

They also did something I attended all of them, but this year, for some reason, has been the best recognition of Juneteenth in the history of the city and I'm, proud to witness it and also proud to recognize Kim Carlson's hard work in making it in delivering this I want to say thank you to everyone, including the mayor and the administration, for making it happen, and for recognizing this day, hopefully next year it will be a free day off for everyone in the city. Thank you.

A

Well, thank you so much counselor Zhang.

A

If there aren't any other comments on General City Affairs, we can move on to item number. 11. I just wanted to remind everyone that we do have the addition of the June 26 meeting to our Council calendar. So we will be seeing each other very very soon after this evening and the um although there may be a couple of agenda items. The main reason for that meeting is to vote on the mayor's recommended FY 24 annual budget.

A

um My apologies counselor counselor Grant. Did you want to add something before I had moved on?

A

Just need to unmute yourself.

M

Thank you um just under General, City Affairs I just wanted to mention again. um I know. We are all concerned and I am Gravely concerned for the historic uh North End in terms of the crimes that are occurring that are being driven by the drug crisis.

M

um The meetings that we're having Tuesday Mornings um regarding the um the motel and on house crisis are are very informative, um are are very helpful in keeping track of how things are moving I think they also engage uh new conversations um in terms of getting people, information and I really think we need to do something similar with regards to the drug crisis in the city. Thank you.

A

Thank you so much counselor Grant uh that will move us to item number 12 the final item of our evening and that would be updates from the mayor mayor Weinberger. The floor is yours.

E

Thank you, president Paul um I wanted to also note um and voice appreciation for the successful Juneteenth celebration, this past Friday and Saturday, and thank director Kim Carson and the team from okay. Okay for leading a really great effort, and despite some not optimal weather I thought it was again a a great celebration.

E

It does seem to me something I said a couple times over the course of the weekend. Is um you know, looking back over the last decade and the kinds of the work we've done together, the changes we've made, I think the creation of this holiday as a city holiday and making it a major annual City Event is really one of the bigger changes of the of the past decade and want to thank everyone. Who's involved in making this a really uh great year as well and I, appreciate counselor jangier your your remarks.

E

The also wanted to give the council an update on what and the public can update on events that happen today. That I think will be of general interest to burlingtonians.

E

Today was the first day of a pretty remarkable 2023 veto session that the legislature has convened to vote on I believe seven at least seven different bills that they are considering overriding.

E

There are three votes today that have a significant Burlington um Focus one.

E

The governor's veto of the child care bill was overridden, which means that the really historic and transformational investment in the state's child care system that we have been advocating for the City of Burlington has been advocating for with our child care providers is, is moving forward, and this will in many ways is a bill consistent with the what Burlington's, Early Learning initiative has attempted to do of putting additional resources into the local child care system, and this, of course, does that on a wholly different scale that this that the state is able to do in a way the city can't, and it's a very exciting step forward for everyone who it really thinks we.

E

We owe it to all Burlington children, all Vermont children, to ensure that they all have a a great start in life and have access to the important um opportunities of high quality child care. uh The governor's veto of the Burlington Charter change regarding all Resident voting um also went to the floor today, and it was overridden in both Chambers is my understanding.

E

So um we will now join a couple other Vermont communities in having the ability to allow all legal residents to vote in local elections and then finally, it was not a veto override, but it was a pretty extraordinary action.

E

um The house voted by a Voice vote and then the Senate voted 30-0 to support a companion bill to the budget, which was also overridden that sets the sunset of the pandemic era Motel program on a on a very different path. That is and really supports the regional plan that we announced earlier this month and that we talked about it at the work session with you at your last meeting with Sarah Russell.

E

um As a result of this action, I want to make sure everyone's clear. The uh feared evictions of the high need group in July is not going to happen that these households will stay housed until they are placed in alternative, permanent or transitional housing between now and next April. Anyone who's still in the housing. As of next April, the the legislature is gonna reassess what happens at that point.

E

um This is, you know, a dramatically different outcome than what the state was headed towards when the legislature adjourned just a month ago. At that point, essentially, there had been agreement that the program was going to end on July 1st, after an initial meeting with our team, the Burlington team that was amended backwards to July 28th. As recently as last week, the agency of Human Services was continuing to communicate to us that that deadline was not going to to change and we should stay focused on on that deadline.

E

So this is a major change with this legislative action and we are, it is our understanding the governor is going to sign this companion bill. I certainly urge him to do so. um I. It is my sense that we would not have gotten this outcome. Had the City of Burlington not objected to the plan and come a lot of people had objected, I think what was different about our objection is. We came forward with a viable, Humane alternative plan for basically a comparable cost. We made the point.

E

The point that um the the plan, as of the beginning of the month of housing, basically offering families with children, elderly individuals, people receiving Home, Health Care, offering them expelling them from the hotels and offering only congregate, shelters. These large rooms, gymnasiums with cots that that would for weeks to months was the what was stated to us at the time. That was going to be a terrible outcome and we pointed out how that outcome was completely avoidable. Using the coordinated entry system that we have built.

E

The city has really been a leader in building this over the last decade and that we had we secured over the last couple weeks, unanimous vote by the chitty County Housing homelessness, Alliance, to focus the all of the resources and the um the the really the power of that coordinated entry system on housing, everyone who is in the motels, so we really pointed out that the uh that we could get everyone housed through the system by next April um I, say all that uh to point the the legislation that passed today is um very consistent with our proposal.

E

It gives us it gives until next April for this to point out, and it really elevates explicitly in the legislation the coordinate entry as a key strategy. um We already have had a meeting this afternoon.

E

That was a very different meeting with the agency of Human Services to discuss this implementation and make sure that we are getting at the local level all the information we need to successfully deliver on this commitment that the cha ccha has made to use the coordinate entry system to house everyone um there we are, so that's that's where things stand with the high need population. We are of course concerned about the people who've already been expelled from the hotels and the large number of unsheltered individuals that we we are seeing here in tinnen County.

E

um This is uh it is to it is to address this need that we propose the use of the 108 Cherry Street facility as a emergency temporary emergency shelter.

E

uh That proposal has not been accepted yet, but we are continuing to actively collect information through Outreach workers, our own and partner agencies, and we continue to communicate as recently as today to the state the urgency of further supportive action for this group. So that's the update on the hotel pro. Thank you, president. Paul great.

A

Thank you so much mayor Weinberger, and that brings us to the end of our agenda. I'll. Ask for a motion to adjourn please so.

X

A

Moved made by councilor McGee seconded by councilor Zhang, all those in favor of the motion to adjourn, please say: aye aye any opposed. Please say no. We are uh adjourned at uh 9, 42 and again to keep in mind that next Monday June 26th, we will have another meeting have a good evening. Thank you.

A

A