The Burlington, Vermont City Council heard a number of reports and presentations during its Monday evening meeting, including an update from Burlington Telecom and a request for wage scale adjustments for the fire department.
In 2019 the city of Burlington sold what was then a municipally operated telecommunications company providing cable and phone service to city residents. Burlington Telecom President and General Manager Michael Loucy says the company has been growing and expanding services.
“Operationally we’ve grown. We’re up to about a head count of 35 which is a 20 percent increase. Capital improvements through 2022 about $15 million-plus. Our linear fiber miles are up 54 percent since 2019. So basically we’re growing. We’ve increased our market by 45 percent so we’ve passed 26,000-plus businesses and homes now today that we can provide service to. Our subscribers are over 11,000, 10,000 in Burlington alone. That’s up about 38 percent since 2019. In our expansion markets, which was contemplated as part of our growth program, we’re also hitting our targets.”
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger explained why city councilors heard an update from a company that is no longer owned by the city.
“While BT is now completely legally separate from the city we do have this agreement that we negotiated that has very significant and ongoing provisions, some of which are permanent, some of which last 10 years. And I think one of the more unusual elements of the agreement we have is the commitment to make local investments and it’s exciting to hear how much of that commitment you’ve already fulfilled and that you actually exceeded the requirements in the recent year.”
In 2014 the city became the first in the nation to source 100 percent of its power from renewables. Burlington Electric Department General Manager Darren Springer provided an update on the city’s Net Zero Energy plan, which intends to reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuels across the city’s electric, thermal and ground transportation sectors.
“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 data in the coming years. Rental weatherization has only just begun to roll out. The renewable heating ordinance has only just rolled out. And the carbon fee policy would potentially have an even more significant impact both for new construction and large existing buildings and city buildings. District energy would have the single biggest impact in terms of reducing commercial sector fossil fuel use.”
The council also considered adjusting the wage scale for the Burlington Fire Department command staff, comprised of the battalion and deputy chiefs, retroactive to January first of this year. Fire Chief Michael LaChance explained the request.
“Currently if you were to promote to the rank of Battalion Chief in charge of a shift of 25 folks you’re going to take a base pay cut of about $1,070 a year. That is a 1.03 percent pay cut. So it is getting more and more difficult to entice folks to promote. What this does is it solves this compression issue once and for all. It sets clear percentage increases over the highest-ranking union member, which is typically where you promote from, a clear percent increase that will be consistent through the years. We won’t be here doing this again in five years.”
A motion to approve and authorize the wage scale adjustments passed on an 11 to 1 vote
The Burlington City Council will meet Monday to review the city’s proposed 2024 budget. The fiscal year begins on July 1st.
