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2026-06-01 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official City Council minutes of June 1, 2026 (approved on the June 15 consent agenda). President Traverse convened at 6:11 pm and adjourned at 11:39 pm. In person: Barlow, Bergman, Carpenter, Grant, Litwin (from 6:21 pm), Sanchez-Parkinson, Schachter, Singh and President Traverse; online: Broderick, McKnight, and Neubieser (in person from 6:41 pm). Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak joined online and then in person at 7:02 pm. Also present: City Attorney Brown, CAO Schad, COS Gerlach, Deputy COS Zakaras and Lori Olberg. A separate session sat the same evening: 2026-06-01 - City Council With Mayor Presiding.

  • Agenda adopted unanimously (Singh/Sanchez-Parkinson).
  • Public Forum ran 6:24 to 7:21 pm with 26 speakers, mostly on older adults and the Heineberg Senior Center, the proposed property tax change, the Champlain Parkway, and City Hall trespass policy.
  • Consent agenda adopted unanimously (Singh/Sanchez-Parkinson).
  • Champlain Parkway: Director of Public Works authorized to open the interstate connection before the Maple and Pine and King and Pine signals have run three months, passed 9:3 (Barlow/Carpenter).
  • Burlington Electric Department FY27 rate increase of 2.99 percent, effective on bills rendered on or after September 1, 2026, approved unanimously (Barlow/Singh).
  • Recess called 11:1 (Grant opposed), 9:30 to 9:43 pm; at 9:57 pm the rules were suspended, unanimously (Bergman/Barlow), to complete only items 5.4 and 5.5.
  • Gross receipts ordinance (Sec. 21-31), administration-amended version, adopted on second reading 11:1 (McKnight opposed; Bergman/Carpenter).
  • Tax Fairness charter change resolution: a vote on Neubieser's motion failed 5:7, then Council referred the resolution back to the Ad Hoc Tax Fairness Committee 11:1 (Schachter/Singh; Neubieser opposed), with a report back in time to warn a charter change for the March 2027 Annual City Election.

Public Forum

Topics only; the minutes record no positions. Residents (in person): David Call (Heineberg Senior Center), Andrea Viets (older adults), AJ Cabrera, Robyn Courville, Beth Gamache and Patrick Roach (older adults), Jonathan Faban (Burlington Police), Patricia Norton (aging in Burlington), Gil Livingston and Will Anderson (tax fairness), Cindy Shanks and Gail Moreau (senior issues), Jack Evans and Jak Tiano (Champlain Parkway), Leslee MacKenzie (proposed 5 percent property tax), Leif Taranth (Dorset Street report), Julie MaCuga (an ICE raid). Reverend Mark Hughes spoke online (topic listed only as "5.2"). Non-resident Burlington property owners: Troi Bachmann (tax fairness charter change) and Ali Jalili (downtown, proposed 5 percent tax on million dollar homes). Non-residents: Kerry Bates (older adults, Heineberg), Rynn Allen (use of force findings), Sylvia Sprigg (aging resources), Lillian Ortaff (regional zoning and equity), Gwendolyn Heaghney (Dorset Street incident); online, Todd DeLuca (City Hall trespassing). See Fiscal Year 2027 City Budget for the older-adults funding theme and Tax Fairness Charter Change for the tax comments.

All items adopted together, unanimously.

  • Accountability List placed on file; FIO documents received for information.
  • Updated Public EV Charging Tariff: the Burlington Electric General Manager authorized to file a revised tariff with the Vermont Public Utility Commission making permanent an off-peak Neighborhood Charger rate.
  • Minutes approved: May 18 regular Council, May 18 Local Control Commission, and the two May 21 special meetings (see 2026-05-21 - City Council With Mayor Presiding Site Visit).
  • Easement agreements between the University of Vermont and the City near the drinking water reservoir site: the Mayor authorized to sign two easements (City access across UVM property, and UVM access across City property).
  • Update on the 2026 Legislative Session placed on file.
  • Unassigned fund balance request: FY26 Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging budget adjusted by 25,639 dollars to roll over unused community celebrations donations.
  • Resolution adopting the updated Local Emergency Management Plan (Barlow; the agenda title read "Located").

Walk/Bike Council collaboration

Phillip Peterson and Gordon Dragoon presented (20 minutes). No motion recorded.

Champlain Parkway

See Champlain Parkway Interstate Connection Opening. Barlow moved and Carpenter seconded approval as presented. Ayes (9): Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson, Schachter, Singh and President Traverse. Nays (3): Bergman, Broderick and Grant. Corey Mims and Chapin Spencer attended in person; Jim Shields, Patrick Weitlauf and Dale Gozalkowski online.

Burlington Electric rate change

See Burlington Electric Fiscal Year 2027 Rate Increase. Darren Springer and Emily Stebbins-Wheelock presented. Approved unanimously (Barlow/Singh).

Gross receipts ordinance

See Gross Receipts Ordinance Amendment. Bergman moved, Carpenter seconded, adoption of the administration-amendment revised version. Ayes (11): Barlow, Bergman, Broderick, Carpenter, Grant, Litwin, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson, Schachter, Singh and Traverse. Nay: McKnight. Passed 11:1.

Tax Fairness charter change

See Tax Fairness Charter Change and Ad-Hoc Tax Fairness Committee update. Neubieser (seconded by Sanchez-Parkinson) moved to waive the reading and adopt the resolution, then moved to divide the question. Roll call: ayes (5) Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson; nays (7) Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Schachter, Singh, Traverse. Failed 5:7. (The minutes do not say which of the two motions this vote decided.) Schachter then moved, Singh seconded, to refer the resolution back to the Ad Hoc Tax Fairness Committee for refinement and public input, reporting back in time to warn a charter change for the March 2027 election. Ayes (11), nay Neubieser. Passed 11:1.

Committee reports and Council affairs

Bergman, Singh, Schachter, Grant and Barlow gave committee reports. No other action recorded.

Sources