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2026-08-03 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official City Council minutes of August 3, 2026 (adoption of these minutes appears on a later Council consent agenda; the vote was not separately checked). Convened 6:15 pm, adjourned 12:08 am. Present in person: Barlow, Bergman, Broderick, Carpenter, Grant, Litwin, McKnight, Neubieser, Schachter and Singh; online: Sanchez-Parkinson and President Traverse. Also present: Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak, Acting City Attorney Sturtevant, CAO Schad, COS Gerlach, Deputy COS Zakaras and Lori Olberg.

  • Agenda adopted unanimously (Traverse/Bergman) after adding a nomination of Barlow as Acting City Council President, who then presided over most of the evening.
  • Public Forum ran 6:30 to 10:16 pm with about 100 speakers, the great majority on the Burlington Forward Initiative. A motion to extend the forum so ALL speakers could comment failed 6:6.
  • Consent agenda adopted unanimously (Bergman/Litwin), including a drinking water staffing reorganization, a Right of Way Operations Lead reclassification, a Community Justice Center reclassification, a $340,000 Conservation Legacy Fund use for the Auer Family Boathouse parcel, a $17,500 surplus breathing apparatus sale and a $389,262 garage repair contract.
  • After a recess, Council voted 11:1 at 10:36 pm to suspend the rules and finish the consent and deliberative agendas.
  • Two entertainment permits and a College Street parking license agreement approved unanimously; the Industrial Pollution Prevention ordinance (Chapter 26) adopted on second reading unanimously.
  • Burlington Forward resolution: motion to table failed 5:7; motion to divide off Article V failed 4:8; referral to four committees with a September 14 report-back passed 7:5.

Public Forum

Opened 6:30 pm, closed 10:16 pm. Speakers signed up as in-person Burlington residents (about 90), online residents (six) and one property owner. Nearly all named Burlington Forward, the resolution or item 6.5 as their topic; others raised food distribution and mutual aid, criminalization of homelessness, public safety, public health, AI governance and direct democracy, and trees. Online speaker Rose Hawkins stated opposition to the resolution; the minutes otherwise record topics, not positions. Named speakers with People pages: Bruce Wilson (food not cops, city youth board), Bella Fearn (item 6.5), Chris McGrath (Burlington Forward resolution) and Charlie Messing (Burlington Forward and trees). Motion by Broderick, seconded by Bergman, to extend the forum failed on a roll call of 6:6 (ayes Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson, Schachter; nays Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Singh, Traverse). See Burlington Forward Initiative.

Burlington Forward Initiative

Item 6.5 (60 minutes), a resolution sponsored by Councilors Traverse, Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Schachter and Singh.

  • Table motion (Bergman/Broderick) failed 5:7; ayes Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson.
  • Updated motion language moved by Traverse, seconded by Litwin: refer to the Committees on Public Safety, REIB, CDNR and PAC, with reports on recommended amendments due September 14, 2026, and ask the Mayor's Office to collaborate with Council leadership on proposed amendments to Article V (State Partnership), also by September 14.
  • Motion by Grant, seconded by Bergman, to divide the question and separate Article V for its own discussion and vote failed 4:8 (the minutes list Neubieser under both ayes and nays).
  • Referral passed 7:5. Ayes: Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Schachter, Singh, Traverse. Nays: Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Neubieser, Sanchez-Parkinson.
  • A written response from CVOEO to the proposed resolution was placed on file on consent (item 5.15).

Adopted unanimously. Highlights:

  • Accountability List, July 13 minutes (Council, Council With Mayor Presiding and Local Control Commission) approved.
  • Resignations accepted, vacancies to be advertised in Seven Days (August 5 edition): Alexander "AJ" LaRosa, Development Review Board, and Daniel Munteanu, Public Works Commission (see Public Works Commission Appointment). Letters of appreciation to be sent.
  • Water Resources drinking water personnel reorganization, with corrected motion language (tier III at Grade 19): Drinking Water Staffing Reorganization.
  • One of three Right of Way Working Foreperson positions (Grade 16x) reclassified to Right of Way Operations Lead (Grade 19), Street Maintenance Division.
  • Community Justice Center position reclassified from Grade 14 to Grade 15: Community Justice Center New Positions.
  • Second Amendment to the Burlington Harbor Marina Ground Lease between TS-Grove PT Marinas BM, LLC and the City: Mayor authorized to execute, subject to City Attorney review.
  • Sale of 10 surplus Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus units to the Hampton Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. for $17,500.
  • Downtown Garage capital repair: contract with Structural Preservation Systems for $339,262 plus a $50,000 contingency, not to exceed $389,262, for the Westlake Garage and the College Street Garage.
  • Use of $340,000 from the Conservation Legacy Fund to acquire the Auer Family Boathouse parcel on North Avenue: Auer Family Boathouse Acquisition.
  • Resolution appointing acting ward clerks (Wards Three and Four) and acting inspectors of election (Wards Three, Four and Eight) for the August 11, 2026 state primary, sponsored by Traverse.
  • Openings on Burlington commissions and boards placed on file.

Deliberative agenda (after the 11:1 vote to suspend the rules)

  • Item 6.1: 2026-2027 Indoor Entertainment Permit for Big Lake Recording Company LLC, 70 South Winooski Avenue, Suite 2B, with all standard conditions. Broderick/Singh; unanimous.
  • Item 6.2: one-day special event outdoor entertainment permit for Queen City Printers, Inc., Pine Street parking lot, September 11, 2026 (Art Hop). Broderick/Grant; unanimous.
  • Item 6.3: license agreement for Omega Electric Co. at 270-274 College Street reserving two parking stalls for work at 266 College Street. DPW Director Spencer spoke. Broderick/Schachter; unanimous.
  • Item 6.4: Industrial Pollution Prevention Ordinance, Chapter 26 (Sewer Use Ordinance), second reading adopted as amended by the Ordinance Committee. Bergman/Carpenter; unanimous.

Other

Mayor's and committee reports, Council general affairs and the Council President's updates were listed as verbal reports with nothing recorded.

Sources