Burlington, Vt. –  The Weinberger administration successfully secured approval for a construction contract to build the Champlain Parkway by a unanimous vote of the City Council during the April 25 Council meeting. The $45 million contract will improve traffic circulation, alleviate overburdened roadways, protect Lake Champlain through enhanced stormwater management, and improve vehicular, bike, and pedestrian safety in the Southwest section of the City. 
 
The funding of the project comes primarily from the federal government, which is contributing 95 percent of the cost. The State of Vermont will pay 3 percent. The City of Burlington will be responsible for 2 percent of the project’s eligible costs. The City will also be responsible for certain related costs outside of the federal project scope such as development soils, landscaping and decorative lighting. 
 
“It has been 35 years since this project stopped mid-construction, and it has been a major, unresolved issue in this community ever since,” Mayor Miro Weinberger said. "Since taking office, I have been committed to securing an effective resolution to this multi-decade challenge. To achieve that resolution, for a decade we have worked to dramatically improve the design and functionality of the new roadway, add critical bike and pedestrian safety improvements, secure State and Federal support for a second major project – the Railyard Enterprise Project – and more.  I am grateful to our City team, and our committed State and Federal partners who got us to tonight, and to the City Council for their careful engagement and unanimous support.”  
 
Director of Department of Public Works Chapin Spencer said, “Through the successful efforts of multiple Administrations and multiple Councils, the project has evolved from a four-lane, high-speed highway into a new two-lane City-street with extensive bike, pedestrian and stormwater improvements. Thank you to Vermont Agency of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration for supporting this work.” 
 
The Champlain Parkway will be a two-lane, 25 MPH road which is designed with pedestrians, cyclists, visitors and residents in mind. The project will connect the South End with downtown Burlington, alleviating traffic on neighborhood streets while providing an opportunity to safely navigate 2.8 miles of roadway. Additional enhancements to the streetscape include: stormwater water quality improvements that reduces sediment loading to the lake, undergrounding of aerial utilities on Lakeside Avenue, improved accommodation for pedestrians and cyclists with the development of a shared use path along Pine Street, and traffic signal improvements with pedestrian signalization. 
 
The initial construction phase includes more than $40 million of improvements between Home Avenue and Kilburn Street. Construction is anticipated to begin by July of this year and be completed in 2024.  Initial work in 2022 will focus on project segments off Pine Street to coordinate construction with the Shelburne Street Roundabout project, as Pine Street is a key detour for the roundabout.  
 
The second and final phase is planned for 2025 through 2027 and will be coordinated with other South End projects through the South End Construction Coordination Plan, minimizing impacts on residents and businesses.   
 
The initial phase of construction will not make a new connection to the interstate highway system and, therefore, is not projected to increase overall traffic in the project area. 

This phasing allows the administration and City Council to work with the public in the future to determine when our community is ready for the second phase of the project that will make the interstate connection.  
 
The final roll call vote was 10-0, with two Council members absent.  
 
To learn more about the Champlain Parkway Project, click here 
 
 
 
 

Burlington, Vt. – Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Electric Department (BED) today announced the annual update to the City’s Net Zero Energy Roadmap, providing new 2021 data that show emissions in the thermal and ground transportation sectors in the City increased 1.5 percent in 2021 relative to 2020, but remain 12.5 percent lower than the Roadmap’s 2018 baseline. For comparison, emissions in the United States rose 6.2 percent in 2021.

In addition, the Mayor and BED highlighted, in a presentation planned for this evening’s City Council meeting, a number of key initiatives either already underway or planned for this year which will support additional progress toward the Net Zero Energy city goal, including:

New and expanded BED strategic electrification incentives for 2022;

-New policy development that will be possible with the passage of the City’s Thermal Energy Charter Change last week;
-Planned installation in 2022 of the first modern Level 3 fast chargers in Burlington, as part of BED’s Net Zero Energy Revenue Bond projects;
-Concluding Phase 3 of feasibility work on a Burlington District Energy System and reaching a “Go/No-Go” decision for the project;
-Expanded access to electric vehicles through a partnership with CarShare Vermont, including in the Old North End;
-Expansion of a successful pilot program for charging at rental and multi-family buildings from 14 chargers currently, to include 50 to 60 additional chargers.

“While Burlington avoided the significant emissions increase that we saw nationally in 2021, it is clear we can and must do more in 2022 to accelerate our progress toward our Net Zero Energy goal,” said Mayor Weinberger. “I am committed to taking additional steps, including with the new Thermal Energy Charter Change regulatory authority the City now has, to enact forward-looking policies that will cement emissions reductions in the coming years.”

"Many of the steps we're taking in Burlington are working, and the data shows that. Now, we need to double down on all of it, and more. We need to go bigger, faster -- and everyone in Burlington has a role to play,” said East District City Councilor Jack Hanson.

Natural gas use in the City was reduced by approximately one percent in 2021 compared to 2020, and is down nearly 11.5 percent since the Roadmap’s baseline year of 2018. Ground transportation fuel use (gasoline and diesel) is estimated to be up in 2021 by approximately 10 percent compared to 2020, driven primarily by increased miles traveled per vehicle as the economy more fully reopened in 2021. Gasoline and diesel use in Burlington, as of 2021, remains 10.5 percent below 2018 levels, according to Synapse Energy Economics which provides BED the Roadmap data updates.

“The 2021 Net Zero Energy Roadmap update provides a clarion call for additional climate action in Burlington, and we’ll need to ramp up adoption of electric vehicles, cold-climate heat pumps, and other clean technologies to achieve the pace outlined in the Roadmap,” said Darren Springer, General Manager of Burlington Electric Department. “Burlington Electric is ready to help our customers make the switch away from fossil fuels with strong rebates, technical support, and financing partnerships with local credit unions. We also are putting the Net Zero Energy Revenue Bond funds to work in 2022, adding new fast chargers and investing in our grid to enhance reliability and add capacity for strategic electrification.”

In January, BED announced new and expanded incentives for 2022, including increased rebates for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, home chargers, and heat pump water heaters. BED also announced that it would continue into 2022 its strong Green Stimulus incentives for heat pumps.

“It is incredibly helpful for policymakers and the public to have access to up-to-date emissions and fossil fuel use data in Burlington as we track progress toward our Net Zero Energy goal year-by-year, “said Gabrielle Stebbins, Chair of the Burlington Electric Commission. “I am pleased we have been able to maintain much of the emissions reductions achieved in 2019 and 2020, even as the nation saw a rebound in emissions in 2021. Going forward, we have a great opportunity, including with the Thermal Energy Charter Change, for our City to lead on enacting strong and thoughtful policies that save Burlingtonians money on energy bills, improve air quality and community health, and make additional climate progress.”

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To view General Manager Springer’s presentation on the Net Zero Energy Roadmap data,  click here

Burlington, VT –  Bill Truex Jr. died suddenly, but peacefully in his home in Burlington on Sunday. Mr. Truex lived in Burlington since the late 1960s. Throughout his civic and professional life, he had an enormous impact on the City of Burlington.   

Mr. Truex was a founding partner of Truex Cullins & Partners Architects in 1968, an architecture firm in Burlington with a focus on urban planning and civic architecture. He served as the lead architect on a range of Queen City buildings including: the U.S. Coast Guard Station, the Fern Hill Housing for Elderly, and the American Red Cross Blood Center. His most transformative creation was the pedestrian Church Street Marketplace, which he envisioned, developed the first design concepts of, advocated for and helped manage in its formative years.   

His contributions continued into the present day, and included chairing Mayor Weinberger’s Public Investment Action Plan process in 2013 that has resulted in redevelopment of the northern waterfront making possible the A_Dog Skatepark, the new Community Sailing Center, Water Works Park, the Burlington Harbor Marina, and the Moran FRAME. Mr. Truex was named a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) — one of only five Vermont architects in the state’s history to earn this distinction. 

“We lost a true Burlington giant this weekend. Bill Truex had a vision for the Church Street Marketplace, inspired by the pedestrian plazas throughout Europe, which fundamentally changed our City for the better,” Mayor Weinberger said. “Bill had a great love and appreciation for this City and I am very grateful for the friendship and support of City initiatives that Bill generously offered throughout the last decade.”  

The work to preserve and build upon the work Mr. Truex created with the Church Street Marketplace continues to this day. 

“I am honored to steward one of Bill’s most impactful projects. The Church Street Marketplace is one of the most recognized and celebrated public spaces in our country.  It would not have been possible without Bill’s vision and perseverance,” said Kara Alnasrawi, Church Street Marketplace Director. 

Mr. Truex was a sustaining advocate for community-based planning and served on Burlington’s Design Review Board, Burlington’s Planning Commission, Burlington’s Urban Renewal Agency as well as on the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. As Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Downtown Burlington Development Association, he led the development and production of an acclaimed master planning document, “Burlington: A Shared Vision.” 

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OFFICE OF MAYOR MIRO WEINBERGER 

149 Church Street | Burlington, VT 05401 | (802) 865-7272 

 

Press Release

March 22, 2022

Contact: Jordan Redell, jredell@burlingtonvt.gov

 

 

Night of Progress on City’s Housing and Transportation Goals in Final Meeting of the 2021 – 2022 City Council

 

Burlington, VT – At its March 21 meeting, the City Council supported three major initiatives that move forward the City’s housing and transportation goals.

 

“Tonight was a good night for our efforts to end homelessness, create new homes, and expand transportation options,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “I am grateful that this Council met well into the morning hours to complete this critical agenda.”

 

North Winooski Avenue Bike Lanes

The City Council voted 8-4 to advance the vision laid out in the Winooski Avenue Transportation Study to make improvements to bicycle safety on North Winooski Avenue, which is an important transportation corridor in the City. The Parking Management Plan now recommends a phased plan, whereby parking changes would occur between Union Street and Riverside Avenue and reduces the immediate net parking loss by half – from 82 to 40 spaces – while still achieving the completion of continuous bike lanes between downtown Burlington and Winooski.

 

Short Term Rentals

In a 5-7 vote, the Council upheld the Mayor’s veto of the Short Term Rental Ordinance passed on February 22. In a memo to the Council, Mayor Weinberger expressed concern that the ordinance would have an unintended consequence of worsening our housing shortage by discouraging and presenting further barriers to the development of duplexes, multi-unit buildings, and accessory dwelling units. He also urged Council to quickly bring forward a new version of the ordinance without the specific problematic provisions that restrict homeowners from operating short-term rentals in their owner-occupied properties.

 

Shelter Pods on Elmwood Avenue

In an 11-1 vote, the Council supported the Administration’s plans to build a low-barrier emergency shelter pod community on Elmwood Avenue. Building a shelter pod community was one of the priorities presented as part of Mayor Weinberger’s 10 Point Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Housing as a Human Right. In the coming weeks, the City will take steps to improve the site on Elmwood Avenue to build up to 30 climate controlled shelters, as well as on-site toilets and showers, and a Community Resource Center.

 

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--
Jordan Redell

Chief of Staff

Office of Mayor Miro Weinberger

City Hall | 149 Church Street

Burlington, VT 05401

Pronouns: she, her

Sign up for email newsletter updates from the Mayor’s Office.

 

 

OFFICE OF MAYOR MIRO WEINBERGER 

149 Church Street | Burlington, VT 05401 | (802) 865-7272 

 

Press Release

March 14, 2022

Contact: Jordan Redell, jredell@burlingtonvt.gov

Oliver Carling, info@burlingtonyaroslavl.com

 

 

Mayor Weinberger and Burlington-Yaroslavl Program Announce Next Steps for Sister City Relationship

Official diplomatic government relationships remain suspended indefinitely in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program will continue direct citizen to citizen engagement

 

Burlington, VT – Last week, Mayor Weinberger met with several board members of the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program (an independent non-profit), as well as former mayors Bob Kiss and Peter Clavelle, to discuss next steps for the relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl, Russia, and to coordinate efforts between the City and the Program moving forward.

 

Mayor Weinberger released the following statement:

 

“I continue to stand with mayors from around the world in protesting Russian aggression by suspending the formal, diplomatic Sister City relationship with the City of Yaroslavl.  President Putin’s assault on innocent civilians and Ukraine’s sovereignty threatens the safety of millions and the stability of global order and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.  We will consider resuming this relationship when there is an acceptable resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.

 

“At the same time, I fully support the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program’s efforts to maintain citizen-to-citizen communications and relationships with friends in Yaroslavl during this period of terrible conflict.  It is my hope that such efforts can play a useful role in maintaining the exchange of views and information between the cities, even as President Putin attempts to fully control the flow of information to Russians about the war in Ukraine.  I am grateful that so many Burlingtonians remain committed to this Sister City relationship and continue to make the effort highly impactful and meaningful to many here and in Russia.

 

“Even when the City’s formal relationship resumes, perhaps years from now, there should be greater attention going forward to the ways in which Russia’s authoritarian leadership has directly impacted Burlington-Yaroslavl relations.  We should continue to decry the ongoing imprisonment of Yaroslavl’s duly-elected Mayor, Yevgeny Urlashov, and take steps to ensure that future interactions between the City of Burlington and City of Yaroslavl bring attention to the importance of free dissent and an independent media in our system of municipal government, liberties that have been brutally suppressed by Putin's government in Yaroslavl and throughout Russia."

 

Oliver Carling, President of the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program, released the following statement:

 

“We understand Mayor Weinberger’s reasons for suspending municipal government-to-government ties with the City of Yaroslavl and share his condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine by the national government of Russia.  The Putin regime’s conduct of the war, including the targeting of civilians and destruction of cities, is shocking and heartbreaking, and we appreciate the need to send the strongest possible message through our political institutions.

 

“At the same time, the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program, Inc., is a non-profit organization, not a municipal entity, and operates according to its mission under the supervision of an all-volunteer board.  We will continue to promote communication and people-to-people connections with the residents of Yaroslavl, as we have done for 34 years.  Many of us in Burlington have dear friends in Yaroslavl.  Our friends include teachers and students, doctors and librarians, musicians and small business owners.  We should continue to talk to our friends, near and far, in this time of crisis.

 

“In wartime there is always a temptation to vilify ordinary citizens perceived as representing the aggressive regime.  We must maintain a clear distinction between the Russian government and the people of Russia, many of whom oppose the war and live in fear of their national government.  It is dangerous for Russians to speak out, independent media have been silenced, and young men are at risk of conscription.  A new law says that reporters can be imprisoned for 15 years for factually reporting on the war in Ukraine.  In standing with Ukraine and opposing the war, we believe that keeping channels of communication open with our friends in Yaroslavl is more important than ever.”

 

The City of Burlington will continue to support cultural exchanges with an annual $2,000 contribution to the organization.

 

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--
Jordan Redell

Chief of Staff

Office of Mayor Miro Weinberger

City Hall | 149 Church Street

Burlington, VT 05401

Pronouns: she, her

Sign up for email newsletter updates from the Mayor’s Office.

 

 

Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act.

OFFICE OF MAYOR MIRO WEINBERGER

149 Church Street | Burlington, VT 05401 | (802) 865-7272

 

Press Release

March 3, 2022
Contact: Jordan Redell, jredell@burlingtonvt.gov

 

Mayor Weinberger Suspends Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister City Relationship

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Weinberger announced the he is suspending the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister City Relationship in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 

Established in 1988, the Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister City Program currently serves as an independent non-profit group to promote an exchange of culture between the two cities. Over the past 30 years, the two cities have facilitated exchanges and visits with students, business leaders, and athletes. The City of Burlington has long contributed $2,000 annually to the program’s budget.

 

Mayor Weinberger issued the following statement:

 

“Today I am suspending our Sister City relationship with the Russian City of Yaroslavl to signal our solidarity with the people of Ukraine in this perilous moment, and to do what we can to ensure that our friends and colleagues in Yaroslavl are fully aware of Burlington’s dismay and horror at the actions of President Vladimir Putin no matter what they are hearing from Russia’s state controlled media.

 

“I have long believed that direct engagement between Russian and American citizens, regardless of tensions at the national level, plays an important role promoting peace and understanding.  I am deeply appreciative of the time and effort many Burlingtonians have put into nurturing this relationship for decades and the positive impact the relationship has had on many students.

 

“However, President Putin’s tyranny is so vast that it has infected and poisoned even municipal-level governmental relationships and put into question whether such cultural exchanges can responsibly continue while Putin is in power.  Burlington’s sister city relationship should not legitimize Putin’s anti-democratic actions in Yaroslavl, enable the spread of Putin propaganda, or facilitate in any way Putin’s dark and dangerous agenda.  In the coming days I will convene a meeting with the active Burlington members of the sister city program to discuss my long-standing concerns about this relationship, and how to properly restart it.”

 

Mayor Weinberger has had limited engagement with the Yaroslavl program since July 2013 following the arrest of former Yaroslavl Mayor Yevgeny Urlashov, an outspoken anticorruption advocate and Putin critic who was elected the day before Mayor Weinberger was first sworn into office on April 2, 2012. Since Mayor Urlashov’s arrest, Mayor Weinberger has declined multiple invitations to visit Yaroslavl.

 

 

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--
Jordan Redell

Chief of Staff

Office of Mayor Miro Weinberger

City Hall | 149 Church Street

Burlington, VT 05401

Pronouns: she, her

Sign up for email newsletter updates from the Mayor’s Office.

 

 

Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Jordan Redell, jredell@burlingtonvt.gov  

Robert Goulding, rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov  

Burlington’s First Fines for Food Program results in $40,000 Donation to Feeding Chittenden  

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Weinberger announced a $40,000 contribution to Feeding Chittenden from the City’s Fines for Food program. Inspired by Feeding Chittenden’s mission to combat food insecurity, the Department of Public Works Parking Division and City Councilor Karen Paul created the Fines for Food pilot program, which was approved by City Council in December 2021. In total, over 800 people paid nearly $80,000 in fines, half of which will go to support Feeding Chittenden’s mission. 

“I’m excited that the City’s successful Fines for Food program was able to make this meaningful contribution to Feeding Chittenden,” said Mayor Weinberger. “Our outstanding DPW team came up a truly innovative program, and I’m grateful to all the residents and visitors who paid off their overdue fines to help this program succeed.” 

“Feeding Chittenden is committed to ensuring no one in our region goes without food,” said Rob Meehan, Director of Feeding Chittenden. “The pandemic has created new hardships and our response has been to pivot as an organization and deliver emergency food and look for innovative solutions to alleviate hunger. DPW’s pay it forward type initiative supports keeping transportation available to folks while also helping to feed people.” 

"Food insecurity is an unnecessary truth,"said Councilor Paul. "Although Chittenden County is considered one of the healthiest in Vermont,  too many, over 10% of our community members struggle with food insecurity, which should be unacceptable to all of us. Food insecurity is linked to a variety of chronic illnesses as well as increased stress and poor mental health. In Vermont, over 70,000 people are facing hunger - and of them over 15,000 are children. Fines for Food was created so we, as a community, could pay it forward and support an important need. These programs do not happen without a lot of teamwork. I am grateful to the Parking Services team and to the many in our community and well beyond Burlington who decided to pay their delinquent fines so we could be here today to donate these funds to Feeding Chittenden."  

“The team in Parking Services was enthusiastic about this partnership and overjoyed with how successful we were in contributing to a great cause and organization,” said Jeff Padgett, Division Director of Parking at DPW. “We heard from people all across Vermont, New England and the country who chose to pay because of the charitable contribution.  We are working hard to redefine the parking experience in Burlington and looking for creative ways to connect with our community.” 

Background 

‘Fines for Food’, which ran during the holiday season, encouraged community members to resolve outstanding parking fines with DPW donating 50% of overdue payments to Feeding Chittenden. It was envisioned by Councilor Paul and designed by DPW’s newly formed Parking Services group in consultation with the Administration and Feeding Chittenden to take concrete action to address food insecurity, unlock lost revenue for the city and create a positive experience for people in resolving old, overdue tickets. Revenue generated by this program outpaced historic payments for overdue parking fines and thus resulted in no loss of revenue to the City. While the initial program was a pilot effort, there is interest and enthusiasm in moving forward with similar efforts. 

 

More Information 

Community members can reach a member of the one-stop-shop Parking Services team by calling 802-540-2380 or pay overdue tickets online at burlingtonvt.gov/parking or in person at the municipal building at 645 Pine St.   

Community members are also encouraged to contribute to Feeding Chittenden. Please visit https://feedingchittenden.org/ to learn more about their work. 

 

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About Feeding Chittenden  

There are more than 20,000 individuals in Chittenden County who live in food insecure households.  Feeding Chittenden works to reduce that number through a food access center with programs that include a food pantry, home deliveries, soup kitchen, culinary job training and the Good Food Truck.  Visit www.feedingchittenden.org for more information. 

 

 

 

 

sponse to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act.

The ARPA survey results are now available. We received 3,877 responses and 3,000+ written-in suggestions. These responses will directly influence how ARPA funding is spent in Burlington, Vermont. 

Review the Results

Thank you for your interest in the future of Burlington! 

If you’d like to direct folks to learn more about what ARPA is, please visit loveburlingon.org/arpa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2022

Contacts:  Jordan Redell, jredell@burlingtonvt.gov

Rob Goulding, rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov

 

 

The Federal Highway Administration Issues Record of Decision for the Champlain Parkway Project

 

Burlington, VT – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger and the City of Burlington Department of Public Works announced that a Record of Decision (ROD) for Champlain Parkway Project has been issued by the Federal Highway Administration on January 20, 2022. The issuance of the ROD signals the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for environmental clearance. Specifically, the ROD constitutes approval of the Preferred Alternative for this project to provide access between I-189, US Route 7 (Shelburne Street) and the City Center District in Burlington, as described in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the project.

 

The Record of Decision allows work to move forward on the project, bringing the City closer to improving traffic circulation, alleviating overburdened roadways, and improving vehicular, bike and pedestrian safety in the Southwest section of the City.

 

“The issuance of the new Record of Decision represents a major project milestone and another big step towards the completion of this multi-decade effort to improve South End transportation options and safety for pedestrians, bikers and drivers,” said Mayor Weinberger. “It is time to get this project built, deliver its benefits to the people of Burlington and the region, and demonstrate that our systems for building new public infrastructure still function.  We are grateful that our state and federal partners listened to local concerns and have issued this ROD in support of a phased project, a critical change that gives the City greatly enhanced ability to coordinate the project with other work and address neighborhood concerns.  I am grateful to the City team of dedicated employees and consultants, led by Director Chapin Spencer and City Engineer Norm Baldwin, that has brought us to the cusp on construction through a decade of skilled, responsive, and persistent effort."
 

Although the ROD is the final step in completing the environmental clearance process and results in a Selected Alternative, future changes and refinements to the project may still occur.

 

A digital version of the ROD is available on the project website. Paper copies of the ROD are available at Burlington City Hall, Burlington Department of Public Works and at the Fletcher Free Library.

 

With the issuance of the ROD, the City of Burlington plans to advertise the bid for the Champlain Parkway Project early February. The City aims to announce the award of contract in March or April, with a goal to begin construction in summer of 2022.

 

In response to community concerns raised over the last several years, the City has divided the construction of the Champlain Parkway into two phases, and is sequencing work with other projects in the South End through the South End Construction Coordination Plan.  The plan will minimize impacts on the community during construction of the projects and should also eliminate the gap in time between the construction of the Champlain Parkway and the commencement of the Railyard Enterprise Project.  Under the plan, the initial phase of work for the Champlain Parkway is slated for completion in fall 2024.

 

At the completion of the first phase of construction, project benefits will include:

• A new 25-mph grid street between Home Avenue and Lakeside Avenue that will enhance connectivity and resiliency of the South End street network
• A new stormwater pond and new stormwater sand filter that will take 11.5 acres off the combined sewer system and reduce 6,344 pounds (over three tons) of sediment from being discharged into Lake Champlain annually
• New shared use paths providing roughly two miles of continuous off-road bike/pedestrian path from the Pine Street and Locust Street intersection to Queen City Park Road in South Burlington
• Improved raised intersections at Pine Street and Kilburn Street, Pine Street and Marble Avenue, and Pine Street and Howard Street
• A new midblock crosswalk at Pine Street and Arts Riot
• An enhanced Pine Street with new granite curbs, reconstructed sidewalk with ADA-compliant access ramps on the eastern side, and new top pavement layer with improved surface drainage
• Undergrounded utilities on Lakeside Avenue between Pine Street and the new portion of the Champlain Parkway

 

For additional information please contact the Champlain Parkway Public Information Team at:

info@champlainparkway.com
 802-496-8956 
 

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--
Jordan Redell

Chief of Staff

Office of Mayor Miro Weinberger

City Hall | 149 Church Street

Burlington, VT 05401

Pronouns: she, her

Sign up for email newsletter updates from the Mayor’s Office.

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2022
Contact:  Jordan Redell
                  jredell@burlingtonvt.gov

 

Mayor Weinberger Appoints Scot Barker as Chief Innovation Officer
 

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger announced today the appointment of Scot Barker as the new Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for the City of Burlington. Scot brings more than 25 years of management and information technology experience to this role. Scot currently serves as the Manager of Support Services at NorthCountry Federal Credit Union and previously worked at MyWebGrocer for 10 years in various leadership roles.

 

“I am pleased to appoint Scot to serve as the City’s next CIO,” said Mayor Weinberger “Since we created the position in 2014, the CIO has played an important role in professionalizing the City’s IT systems, and improving some of the City’s critical operations including restructuring the City’s permitting system and responding to COVID-19. Scot has the right experience and commitment to Burlington to serve in this key leadership role.”

 

“I’m honored and excited to be appointed to the position of Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Burlington. I look forward to serving the citizens of Burlington and the city employees. I see this opportunity as a natural continuation of my past work in social impact organizations and hope to advance our technological resources to increase inclusivity and equity across our community.”

 

Background

While at NorthCountry Federal Credit Union, Scot led the back-office support teams responsible for title management, credit and debit card services, and the organizational archives and data repository. He oversaw the selection and implementation of a new document management system while championing new operational initiatives and providing leadership across the organization.

 

In addition to 10 years at MyWebGrocer, Scot has led technology and operational groups at various companies, including IDX, Van Gennep and Scitex America and has consulted for many local, national and international organizations. Scot spent 15 years working closely with social impact organizations around the world leading him to teach a tri-sector leadership class at Marlboro College for several years. Scot currently teaches project management through Norwich University’s NorwichPro professional development program.

 

Scot has served in several volunteer roles in Burlington, including as a softball coach for community teams and at Burlington High School, at the Committee for Temporary Shelter (COTS), and serves on the board of directors for the nonprofit organization, Technology for Tomorrow. Scot earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri.

 

Scot has lived in Burlington’s New North End for 26 years with his wife Becky Holt and their daughter, Sydney, who attends college at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.

 

Search Process and Next Steps

The search for a CIO has been ongoing for several months, and a committee reviewed many applications from across the country. The committee included:

 

• Kerin Durfee, Human Resources Director
• Antonio Guerrero, Senior Systems Engineer
• Scott Duckworth, Senior Network Engineer
• Mark Barlow, City Councilor
• Katherine Schad, Chief Administrative Officer

 

If confirmed by the Council on January 24, Scot will begin work on March 7, 2022.