Public comments and Burlington City Council deliberations during its meeting Tuesday night focused on a resolution calling on the city to make drug use and the substance abuse crisis a public health and safety priority.
Many residents told Burlington leaders they no longer feel comfortable in public spaces, in large part due to drug activities that they say threaten public safety. Andrew Vota has lived in the city for 25 years and urged passage of the measure.
"Burlingtonians, myself among them, have grown incredibly frustrated with the situation in our downtown, in our neighborhoods, our parks and across the city," Vota said. "We are not okay with the level of property crime, brazen drug dealing and use, violent crime and most of all people suffering. We want acknowledgement of the situation from our leaders and we want to hear you say that it is a crisis. We want to know why it seems to be getting worse and not better. But most of all we want action."
The Burlington Police Department delivered a report on its drug task force activity. Following the presentation City Council President and Ward 6 Democrat Karen Paul handed the gavel to Ward 5 Democrat Ben Traverse so she could participate in the debate. As chair of the public safety committee she presented a resolution that declares drug use and substance abuse a public health crisis in the city.
“I believe this resolution is the single most important one that we will pass all year and we need to pass it unanimously," Paul said. "Our community needs to hear us speak with one voice that we are committed to addressing the unprecedented drug activity that’s harming the fabric of our city. Our community is enormously concerned. We are truly at a pivotal moment in our city and the harm and the lack of safety is palpable.”
Ward 3 Progressive Joe Magee offered amendments that he said would clarify and cut wordiness in the resolution. It failed on an 8 to 3 vote. Magee then expressed opposition to the main resolution.
“I am very wary of the fact that we continue to call for very short sighted solutions in the name of being comfortable when we have the opportunity to radically change how we handle these things in the future," Magee said. "This resolution is not a magic wand. And even though it carries with it many things that I have supported and advocated for I will be voting no on it, partly due to some of the language that stigmatizes those who use drugs and partly because of the process that got us to tonight.”
Ward 2 Progressive Gene Bergman had supported the amendments but after they failed said the base resolution offered a balanced approach to the drug crisis.
“It’s clear it’s not a magic wand, this resolution, and that’s OK," Bergman said. "There is no single solution to this problem, to this crisis. And I think that at its heart what it speaks to is a need for new and innovative actions on both the public safety and the enforcement and the health aspect.”
The resolution passed on a 10 to 1 vote with one councilor absent.
Councilors also authorized budget amendments to allocate money from the opioid money fund to create a Community Response Team within the city’s fire department.
Another item before the city council sought acceptance of grants that will allow the city to open a seasonal warming shelter. Burlington’s Special Assistant to End Homelessness Sarah Russell says the planned temporary shelter at the VFW will accommodate up to 30 people.
“We’re fully funded by the Agency of Human Services," Russell said. "That includes both operations and a small amount of capital improvements there and we will operate using a low barrier model.”
Councilors approved the measure promoted by Mayor Miro Weinberger on a 10 to 1 vote with one member absent.
