First working council meeting: april 2024

We started April with the swearing-in ceremony of Emma Mulvaney-Stanak as Burlington’s first out queer, woman mayor. Also sworn in earlier this month were councilors new and old, making up our mighty city council caucus of five.

We have a mandate from those who elected us, those who we share community with, to push our agenda and provide for the common good of all residents— regardless of their income, housing status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or ethnicity, immigration status, or political alignment. We are ready to move forward together and put people before politics. Read on for some updates of what’s happened since April 1st swearing in ceremony:

After the swearing-in ceremony, we had our first serving council meeting as a new body and discussed some really critical topics.

We got assigned to the following committees:

Most committees are made up of three councilors. The Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee (TEUC) is made up of four councilors, and the Board of Finance. The Board of Finance has 5 members, 3 councilors (Kane, Barlow, and Carpenter), Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak, and newly elected Council President Ben Traverse. Ben is also a de-facto member on all standing committees. Read on to learn which Progressive Council members are on which committee. View the full list of Committees and their composition at the City Website.

Since learning our committee assignments, digging into committee work, and getting familiar with our new colleagues on council, we have been attending meetings and working closely with our constituents, meeting to determine our priorities around economic and climate justice, democracy reform, and public safety. 

Our first council meeting

The Sale of the Building at 200 Church Street

During our first working meeting on April 15, we discussed the proposed sale of the city-owned building at 200 Church Street, which was purchased in 2005 to be used for formerly municipally-owned broadband provider Burlington Telecom’s (BT) Network Operations Center. The Community Justice Center currently occupies part of the building, as does the Human Resources Department. 

Progressives raised concern over selling public property to a private entity at this point, and voiced desire to explore federal grant options or climate-related funds for municipal building upgrades instead of selling a building that will likely significantly increase in value over time, especially given the significant investment underway and proposed in the downtown core, including at City Place and the ‘Memorial block’. This decision is still pending.

Net Zero Energy Road Map

At this meeting, Darren Springer, Burlington Electric Department’s General Manager, provided an annual update on the status of Burlington’s Net Zero Energy Road Map. Despite the progress we have made, we are not on track to meet our goals— Greenhouse gas emissions in the ground transportation and thermal/buildings sector are down 18.2% in 2023 relative to the 2018 baseline, but almost half of that decrease can be attributed to unusually warm winters. Our natural gas consumption is nearly 1 billion BTU above our goal, as well as our CO2 emissions — which are exceeding the goal laid out by the city by 50,000 metric tons in the thermal and ground transportation sectors. 

Progressives voiced the importance of protecting our work force needed to ensure this work is done in the face of the $9 million budget deficit. We are behind on our weatherization goals, and General Manager Springer voiced that workforce is the primary impediment to weatherizing buildings at the rate that we aim for in the Net Zero Energy Road Map. Councilors advocated for more frequent updates from the Electric Department on our climate progress. We are grateful for our unique position as a forward-thinking community, and have hope that we will be able to close the gaps needed to get on track to adequately address the climate crisis. Progressives will continue working with climate advocates and city employees to ensure we close these gaps and lead on climate.

Learn more about the Net Zero Energy Road Map from Former Progressive City Councilor Zoraya Hightower and Newly-elected Councilor Neubieser:

The Burlington-Winooski Bridge

The Vermont Transportation Agency recommended a total replacement of the Burlington Winooski Bridge. This month the council voted unanimously for the project's funding and maintenance agreement. The estimated project costs range between $60 and $80 million. A Federal RAISE Grant of $24.8 million was secured in 2023 to assist in funding the project. Construction is slated to commence in late 2027 and conclude in late 2029. Certain aspects of the project have been predetermined based on the specifications outlined in our grant application.

An update from the Mayor’s Office: Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

We are working diligently to address added challenges related to Burlington's FY25 budget. While earlier estimates in December 2023 suggested the deficit was $9 million, more recent analysis shows a gap of approximately $13 million. I am committed to working with Department Heads and the CAO to deliver a budget to the City Council that is affordable, sustainable, and right-sized while delivering services that meet our City’s most pressing needs. 

As we work to address the larger gap, you will see a commitment to identifying efficiencies, using staffing figures that reflect the reality of current workforce hiring challenges, and thoroughly reviewing programs created with one-time funds to find solutions that are sustainable and meet current needs. Among the earlier estimates in December 2023 suggested the deficit was $9 million, more recent analysis shows a gap of approximately $13 million. I am committed to working with Department Heads and the CAO to deliver a budget to the City Council that is affordable, sustainable, and right-sized while delivering services that meet our City’s most pressing needs. As we work to address the larger gap, you will see a commitment to identifying efficiencies, using staffing figures that reflect the reality of current workforce hiring challenges, and thoroughly reviewing programs created with one-time funds to find solutions that are sustainable and meet current needs. 

. . . 

Closing this deficit is doable. I am committed to delivering a budget that is affordable to taxpayers, sustainable, and right-sized based on what we need most in our city today and in the years to come.  

Opportunities for engagement

• Monday, May 6th, 2024: Council Meeting

  • At this council meeting, our councilors will be introducing a resolution supporting the UVM Medical Center Nurses Union. Come show your support for essential healthcare workers in their fight for better benefits, working conditions, and support from across our community.

• Monday, May 20th, 2024: Council Meeting