Burlington LP Events <back to main>

**Councilors late to meeting: McDonough (10 minutes late), and Shannon (14 minutes late)
   Councilors missing: Keogh, Perry, Fiermonte

Local Control Commission (LCC)

-The following permits were approved:
Outside consumption permit for Cobblestone Deli
Special Outside consumption permit (one day only) for Splash at the Boathouse

Annual mtg. City Council

**No one spoke at the public forum

Council General City Affairs:

• Bushor: Colchester Ave Ad hoc committee meeting held it's 3rd meeting on 5/26; resulting in similar recommendation as previous meeting; referring the recommendation to the Council's transportation committee
• Blais: Ben Franklin store on North Ave is closing doors soon, greatly affecting the New North End
• Ashe: Friday, 2PM Barnes Elementary on North St - Healthy Neighborhood and Kids program event

Mayor General City Affairs:

• St. Joseph's held a meeting yesterday for the new Vermont Interfaith organization: main topics they're addresssing: Affordable housing, health care, youth; had 900 in attendance
• Next monday's council meeting (6/13): Council set to vote on budget and tax rates as well
• Reappraisal update: residentials are going weel, 106 cases are moving to the Board of Assessor's for appeals; so far there have been 590 commercial appeals
• Recently visited Russian sister city with City Atty. McNeil (both paid for costs out of own pocket)

Committee reports:

• Knodell: Charter change committee meeting on Wednesday discussing the IRV process for mayoral elections for upcoming town meeting day in 2006
• Montroll: Ordinance met twice last week; 1st to discuss zoning rewrite with planning commission and 2nd was an informal meeting on zoning specifics; holding another meeting on Friday at 11:30AM with city atty.; public meeting on Tuesday, 7pm
• Carleton: Priority setting committee: main topics voted on: zoning, fiscal planning, housing, with public safety barely coming in last

Board / Committee Reports:

• Airport Commission
  • (No one from the Commission in attendance to present report to council)
  • Bushor: Has questions, regardless of the report that was provided to council
  • Ashe: since the council is appointing members to the committees, so the members should be able to present to council
  • Report tabled until the next meeting
• Electric Light Commission
  • Possible rate increases expected for next year due to higher oil prices; they were set to ask for a 7.6% budget increase , but luckily one of their accounts paid earlier than expected; next year's may need a rate adjustment due to costs
  • McDonough: unsure why the commission did not see the rate increase coming? and would a gradual rate increase be used for the increase?
    Market for oil is hard to predict, likens the process to a poker game; The gradual increase for rates is what the commission is planning
  • Montroll: any way to cut down the use of electricity more? The marketplace itself is creating more efficiencies
• Fire Commission
  • For the lesser response time to emergencies, the cost is higher, but it saves lives
• Board of Health
  • Currently working on a pesticide ordinance to protect people
  • Also will be holding meetings and debates in the next few weeks about fluoridation, and then the board will make a suggestion to the council
  • Bushor: Is the raccoon/rabies still on the radar? Not at the moment, usually comes back in 3 year cycles
• Police Commission
  • The Budget for training officers is currently at $40,000
  • $1.1 Million received from Homeland security for new equipment
  • There have been no operational issues in the last 18 months that have resulted in lawsuits
  • No significant violent crime in Burlington, but if there is a case, then they keep working until case is solved
  • Curley: the dept. has 100 officers, but the SRO isn't fully staffed?
    Dept. currently only has 10 full-time positions, so they are understaffed as it is (suggested additional officers in FY06 budget)

**Appointments by Council and mayor for Commissions and boards

• Tax appeals vacant positions: council may approach former councilors to help fill the vacancies
• Housing board of review, and Planning commission vacancies being readvertised

Meeting adjourned 8:20PM