The Burlington, Vermont City Council’s agenda this week had a few routine items including approval of entertainment permit applications and mayoral appointments to renew. Councilors also voted on whether people will continue to be required to wear masks in city shops and weighed in on a transportation study.
Burlington councilors had postponed action on a resolutionduring their May 17th meeting that rescinds the city’s requirement originally adopted on May 18th, 2020 that face coverings be worn in retail stores and city buildings to stop the spread of COVID. Ward 4 Democrat Sarah Carpenter said it was appropriate for the council to delay action on the resolution.
“I think we did the right thing waiting a few more weeks and I’m very pleased where we are now," Carpenter said. "Chittenden County is almost 82 percent vaccinated. Our 18 to 29 year-olds the group that we were most worried about has come up almost eight or nine percent in the last couple of weeks. So I feel confident that we’re on the right trajectory and it’s time to put us in order with state and federal outlines.”
Mayor Miro Weinberger had urged the council to pass the resolution to end the mask requirement when it was first offered. He reiterated that it encourages unvaccinated people to get the shot.
“What it will mean is not that there is no mask mandate in place but that the mask mandate in retail stores and public buildings is lifted for vaccinated people," the mayor said. "Unvaccinated people will still be under the strong recommendation for their health and the requirement from the governor that they continue to wear a mask in those setting and other settings.”
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s I-89 2050 Study is drafting proposals to revamp the travel corridor that traverses the state’s most populous county and city. East District Progressive Jack Hanson offered a resolution that asks the study stop considering increased capacity and instead assess ways to create a more sustainable transportation system in the county.
“As the largest member community of the Regional Planning Commission I think it is really important that we weigh in on this study," Hanson said. "I think money and resources that go into just expanding and kind of going further down this road of automobile dependency is really wasteful. And so the idea of this resolution is that we as a city council would express our input that we would like to see this major study really focus on ways to reduce vehicle miles traveled along the I-89 corridor.”
North District Independent Mark Barlow was the only councilor who voted against the resolution.
“I believe some of the changes are being explored in the study so I hate to like throw out that good work," Barlow said. "And I also support increasing mass transit and strengthening cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and support stronger climate policy and action. But I don’t necessarily feel that this current planning project is incompatible with those other goals.”
