The Burlington, Vermont City Council had a number of items on the agenda this week including revisiting efforts to redistrict the city and approving a pilot home share program.
Monday’s meeting began with a work session and public comment session on redistricting. Councilors have been considering various ward configurations and had narrowed options to a seven- or eight-ward map to put on the March Town Meeting Day ballot. South District Democrat Joan Shannon prefers the seven-ward configuration.
“I’m not opposed to eight-ward maps generally. But I do not think that these two eight-ward maps work. I do think that the seven-ward maps work.”
A motion was made to have the planning department move forward with an eight-ward, four-district map with boundaries yet to be determined. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.
Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger noted that whatever plan the council eventually approves, he must also agree to it before it goes to voters.
“I’ve been open to a wide variety of outcomes through this process including, as I know many of the colleagues on this side of the table have been, returning to a 7-ward 14-councilor model. It seems that we’re on the cusp of moving away from that definitively. And I find interesting the notion that we should go beyond the 10-percent deviation. I’m uncomfortable with the idea that we would settle on something that immediately made us open to some legal challenge.”
The council must make a final decision on a redistricting map by December 12th to meet Town Meeting Day deadlines.
Burlington councilors also approved a resolution creating a HomeShare Vermont Pilot Incentive Program, which urges the city’s Housing Trust Fund to allocate funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Ward 1 Progressive Zoraya Hightower outlined the program.
“There was a recommendation that the city partner with HomeShare Vermont to implement a home sharing program where one person offers a bedroom in exchange for some help. This is both a way to help people age in place as well as a way to increase affordable bedrooms in Burlington. The Housing Trust Fund has more funds this year to allocate $30,000 to provide this incentive for up to 30 Burlington homeowners and a $1,000 tax credit.”
The vote to approve was unanimous. Due to a conflict of interest Council President and Ward 6 Democrat Karen Paul had recused herself from deliberations and the vote.
The council held an executive session to receive an update from Mayor Weinberger on the City Place downtown development project.
“It’s been just one week since the last public update. Nothing has changed with respect to there being a mutual goal by both the administration and City Place Partners to bring forward to the council for action in the next couple of weeks a finalized document for action.”
