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2026-05-11 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official City Council minutes of May 11, 2026 (approved on the May 18 consent agenda, item 6.3). Acting City Council President Barlow convened at 6:03 pm. Present in person: Bergman, Broderick, Carpenter, Grant, Litwin, Sanchez-Parkinson, Schachter and Singh; online: McKnight and Neubieser. President Traverse was absent until he arrived in person at 9 pm. Also present: Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak, Interim COS Alnasrawi, City Attorney Brown and Lori Olberg; Assistant City Attorney Sturtevant and Deputy COS Zakaras online.

  • Agenda amended (added consent item 6.14, the O.N.E. Cleanup proposal) and adopted unanimously (Singh/Bergman); Broderick and Grant were not at the table.
  • Executive session on the IBEW union negotiation update, 6:07 to 6:34 pm, under 1 VSA 313(a)(1)(B); both motions Singh/Schachter, with Broderick and Grant not at the table. No action recorded. See IBEW Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • Work session, 20 minutes, on the Final Recommendation Report from the Mayor's Climate Advisory Group; Jen Green spoke.
  • Public Forum 6:35 to 7:08 pm with 12 speakers (Grant recused herself).
  • Consent agenda, as amended, adopted unanimously (Bergman/Schachter).
  • Aging Council reinstated and the Age-Strong BTV plan adopted, as amended, unanimously (Schachter/Carpenter).
  • Vermont Route 127 shared use path: Alternative 1 approved unanimously (Bergman/Broderick).
  • Parking enforcement vehicle camera equipment from AIMS Parking, $54,508, approved 10:2 on a roll call (Bergman/Grant); Broderick and Neubieser voted no.
  • Public hearing on CDBG and HOME proposed allocations for the 2026 Action Plan, 9:48 to 9:54 pm.
  • SECORD Phase 1 development agreement approved unanimously (Singh/Schachter).
  • Fourth amendment to the CityPlace ARDA 2.0 on the inclusionary housing delivery timeline approved unanimously (Traverse/Bergman).
  • Consumer protection ordinance, first reading, set for second reading on May 18, passed unanimously (Bergman/Litwin).
  • Council voted unanimously at 10:18 pm (Bergman/Traverse) to suspend the rules and complete the deliberative agenda; agenda items 8 through 10 were not addressed.

Executive session and union bargaining

See IBEW Collective Bargaining Agreement. City Attorney Brown spoke. The Council found that premature public knowledge of the status of labor negotiations would clearly place the City at a substantial disadvantage and entered executive session to discuss bargaining a successor agreement with the IBEW, with the bargaining team and staff from Human Resources, Finance and Administration and the City Attorney's Office.

Climate Advisory Group report

See Mayors Climate Advisory Group Report. Presented as a discussion and information item; no motion is recorded.

Public Forum

Topics only; the minutes record no positions. In person: Andrea Viets (older adults in Burlington), Nick Persampieri (the Climate Advisory Group final report), Ashley Adams (shutting down McNeil), Melo Grant (credentials), Charlie Messing (aging and the bus), Lisa K. Lax (Climate Advisory report), Joey Corcoran (public hearing comments), Mayes Moskowitz and Andre Clark (homelessness; public hearing comments). Online: Robin Lloyd (art in the City Hall lobby), Sharon Bushor (city affairs) and Pike Porter (climate change and net zero). Non-Burlington resident, online: Leendert Huisman (McNeil greenhouse gas emissions).

  • Accountability List placed on file; FIO documents received; minutes approved for the April 27, 2026 regular Council meeting and Local Control Commission meeting.
  • Update on the 2026 Legislative Session placed on file.
  • Resignation of Jonathan Chapple-Sokol as Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission alternate accepted; vacancy to be advertised and a letter of appreciation sent.
  • Communications from Lisa Lax, Leslie Swackhamer and Pike Porter (April 27 public forum comments and net zero energy) placed on file.
  • REIB Director authorized to designate up to $50,000 of the REIB budget for the Richard Kemp Center: $25,000 in fiscal year 2027 and $25,000 in fiscal year 2028, subject to review by the CAO and City Attorney (response to a letter from the Center's director).
  • 2026-2027 indoor and outdoor entertainment permit renewals approved with standard conditions.
  • Housing inspection ordinance, first reading, set for second reading on May 18; see Housing Inspection Ordinance Amendment.
  • O.N.E. Clean Up event: use of $6,500 from the FY26 City Council Initiative Fund (Bergman, Sanchez-Parkinson and Grant).

Run Vermont presentation

Run Vermont Executive Director Anthea Dexter-Cooper presented on the Vermont City Marathon (15 minutes, information only).

Aging Council

See Burlington Aging Council Reinstatement. Schachter moved and Carpenter seconded to waive the reading and adopt the resolution as amended; passed unanimously.

Route 127 shared use path

See Route 127 Shared Use Path Alternative. Max Madalinski, Maddy Suender and Drew Gringras were present. Bergman moved and Broderick seconded; passed unanimously.

Parking enforcement cameras

See Parking Enforcement Camera Purchase. Chapin Spencer and Jackie Esperti spoke. Passed 10:2.

CDBG and HOME public hearing

See Community Development Block Grant 2026 Action Plan. Christine Curtis and Alnasrawi spoke; public comments by Bushor and Travis Poulin.

SECORD and CityPlace

See SECORD Phase One Development Agreement and CityPlace Inclusionary Housing Timeline Amendment. Alnasrawi and Gummi Johnson spoke to both items.

Consumer protection ordinance

See Consumer Protection Ordinance Revision. First reading passed unanimously, with the second reading set for May 18.

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