FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 22, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Yesterday’s Police Operation at 101 College Street

“I offer condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Grenon and am saddened by his death last night. Reports to date from the Burlington Police Department indicate that many steps over five hours were taken in an attempt to resolve the situation while protecting the safety of the victim, his neighbors, and law enforcement. Under the direct leadership of Chief del Pozo, our police officers acted deliberately and patiently, informed by recent trainings and the most current best practices within American policing on non-lethal resolution of incidents of this type. I appreciate the efforts of Chief del Pozo and the many officers on the scene who put themselves at risk as they worked to resolve the situation. We will examine the results of the independent Vermont State Police investigation and internal reviews to determine lessons from this incident that should inform our handling of future similar situations.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

Mayor Miro Weinberger Announces Successful Negotiation
of City Contract with Electrical Workers Union
IBEW Local 300 and City Council Ratify Agreement Reached without Need for Arbitration or Fact-Finding

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the successful negotiation of the contract between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 300 and the City. The agreement between IBEW Local 300, the union that represents 79 staff members of the Burlington Electric Department (BED), and the City, was the first in many years to be reached without the need for arbitration or fact-finding.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated, innovative, and safety-conscious team at Burlington Electric whose members focus every day on generating and delivering safe, reliable, renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency opportunities, to our community,” said Mayor Weinberger during a contract signing ceremony at the Burlington Electric Department’s Pine Street facility.  “I am pleased that we were able to successfully reach a negotiated contract with the IBEW that has the union and the City sharing in both the healthcare and retirement cost risks, keeps cost of living adjustments approximately within the rate of inflation, allows BED to recruit competitively in the rapidly-changing energy industry, and is consistent with our efforts to keep electricity rates at current levels in upcoming years.” 

The new four-year agreement, ratified by the IBEW Local 300 on March 3, 2016 and by the City Council on Monday night and retroactive to July 1, 2014 , was reached through a collective bargaining process that began in August 2015.

“We appreciated the thoughtful collaboration with the City and Burlington Electric management team,” said Jeffrey Wimette, IBEW Local 300 Business Manager and Financial Secretary. “Our members felt they were able to craft a living document that took into account the goals and needs of the employees, as well as the business.  The members established a sense of pride and ownership throughout the process and look forward to moving ahead under the terms of the new agreement, which has both sides sharing in the challenges and opportunities BED will be tackling in the months and years ahead.”

“This is a fair contract in the best interests of our customers,” said Neale Lunderville, BED General Manager. “We are fortunate to have such an amazing team at Burlington Electric. IBEW Local 300 is a smart, well-led union that understands the quickly evolving demands of the energy industry. They are great partners as we work to transform Burlington Electric into a utility of the future.”

“I offer sincere thanks to the negotiating teams who worked countless hours to achieve this agreement,” added Mayor Weinberger.  “I’m particularly impressed that labor and management were able to reach such a fair and workable agreement without the need for arbitration or fact-finding just months after the completion of a successful department-wide reorganization. I offer a special thank you to IBEW Business Manager Jeffrey Wimette and members of the IBEW leadership team, to my Administration’s negotiating team led by City Attorney Eileen Blackwood, and to BED’s team led by General Manager Neale Lunderville.”

The City of Burlington now has completed multi-year collective bargaining agreements for fiscal years 2015 through 2018 with three of its four public employee unions: IBEW, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Burlington Fire Fighters Association. Negotiations with the Burlington Police Officers’ Association are ongoing.

*Please visit the Burlington Electric website to view a copy of the agreement between the City of Burlington and the IBEW Local 300
*Please see attached photo

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2016

Contact: Michael Schirling
                802.316.0478
                mike@btvignite.com

City of Burlington Named a White House TechHire City

Burlington, VT – BTV Ignite Executive Director Michael Schirling today announced that the City of Burlington has been named a White House TechHire community, part of a multisector White House initiative to link area employers with Burlingtonians, growing the local tech workforce and empowering community members with the skills they would need for wellpaying jobs in innovation and technology. The City of Burlington and BTV Ignite will partner with local educational institutions and employers to train and employ 75 tech workers in 2016 and 400 tech workers through 2020. Key employers, workforce intermediaries, and training partners include the Vermont HITEC Institute for American Apprenticeship at Burlington College, Champlain College, the University of Vermont (UVM), Vermont Technical College, Community College of Vermont, the UVM Medical Center, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Vermont Technology Alliance.

“The tech economy in the greater Burlington area and throughout Vermont is robust and growing to provide great jobs and opportunities, and fueling the longstanding
spirit of innovation in our community,” said Mike Schirling, Executive Director of BTV Ignite. “The ongoing commitment renewed today by employers large and small and a wide array of talented education and training partners is illustrative of the strength and breadth of the commitment to this important sector of our economy now and into the future. We have anticipated this designation as a TechHire City since October 2015 and are grateful to the White House for their recognition of our collective goals for the future. I am particularly grateful to the Ignite partners, our employers, and the training partners led by VT HITEC who have stepped forward to
accelerate the pace of training, education, and growth.”

“Burlington is well-positioned to grow jobs of the future and foster economic development in the City and the region. Today’s welcome news of our community’s designation as a White House TechHire City is validation of our work together,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Our efforts to build this critical part of our local economy are working and gaining national recognition, as well as local traction and focus with area employers. Burlington’s TechHire designation demonstrates the importance of innovation and our collective drive to enhance tech capacity in Burlington and beyond.”

The City of Burlington and BTV Ignite —a multi-institution tech partnership—has rallied broad support from local workforce intermediaries, education and training providers, employers, and employer associations to improve career pathways for tech jobs. Working within the White House TechHire model, Burlington’s publicprivate
collaborative will train and place 75 tech workers in 2016 and seek to train and place 400 tech workers through 2020. With support from the Vermont HITEC Institute for American Apprenticeship at Burlington College, Community College of Vermont, Vermont Technical College, Girl Develop IT, and Vermont Works for Women, and led by bootcamp style trainings and apprenticeships delivered by Vermont HITEC, the greater Burlington area is poised to rapidly increase training capacity to deliver skilled
workers to local employers. These employers include Dealer.com, UVM, MyWebGrocer, the UVM Medical Center, NPI, Inc., Vermont Information Processing, Logic Supply, Vermont Design Works, Higher Turnover, Smart Resource Labs, PAR SpringerMiller, Allscripts, Bear Code, Agilion Apps, Husky Injection Molding, Vermont Precision Tools, and companies within the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Technology Alliance. Each employer has committed to hire qualified candidates emerging from training programs delivered by partner educational institutions and from new coding boot camps, created with support from community partners.

BTV Ignite is the Burlington, VT arm of the US Ignite initiative. Originally announced in October 2013, BTV Ignite’s mission is to facilitate collaborative efforts between public, private, educational, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial partners to grow and attract techcentric talent, leveraging Burlington’s Citywide gigabit Internet infrastructure and 21st century application development to create the conditions for sustainable techcentric economic growth.

US Ignite is a nonprofit organization, launched in 2012 with inspiration from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Both see it as a 21st century competitive necessity for the United States to take advantage of next-generation technologies. US Ignite’s mission is to foster the creation of 60 next-generation Internet applications – from a network of 200 communities, like Burlington – that will provide transformative public benefit in six sectors of the economy: healthcare, education, public safety, energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.

To participate in BTV Ignite discussions or initiatives, please contact Michael Schirling at mike@btvignite.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2016

Contact:   Mike Kanarick
                  802.735.7962

Burlington Named Earth Hour City Challenge Finalist by World Wildlife Fund
WWF Cites 100 Percent Renewability Accomplishment

Burlington, VT – Burlington has been named one of three finalists in the Earth Hour City Challenge by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), based on Burlington Electric Department’s 100 percent renewably-sourced generation accomplishment, and will compete for the title of US Earth Hour City Capital this spring. Evanston, IL and Boulder, CO also were named as finalists.  The Challenge, which spans one year and encourages cities to promote renewable energy and prepare for climate change, grew out of Earth Hour, the WWF’s global lights-out display to raise awareness around protecting our planet. Earth Hour will take place this year on Saturday, March 19 from 8:30-9:30pm, and Burlingtonians are encouraged to turn off their lights to symbolize their commitment toward addressing climate change.

“The City of Burlington is honored to receive such significant recognition from the World Wildlife Fund’s global environmental movement, Earth Hour, and we’ll be doing all we can to earn the title of ‘US Earth Hour City Capital’” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “I encourage our community to send a message about the importance of being good stewards of our environment by turning off their lights next Saturday evening.”

“Our team at Burlington Electric is proud of our 100 percent renewable generation accomplishment and will continue to lead through energy innovation,” said Neale Lunderville, General Manager at Burlington Electric Department.  “We’ll keep working aggressively to reduce demand, realize efficiency gains, and expand renewable generation.”

While around the world on March 19, the lights of iconic sites like The Empire State Building and the Space Needle will be turned off, in Burlington, homeowners, renters, and business are encouraged to join City Hall, the Church Street Marketplace, and the Unitarian Universalist Church (UU) in turning off non-essential lights between 8:30 and 9:30pm. Unique to Burlington's celebration will be star and planet gazing on the UU lawn, sponsored by the Vermont Astronomical Society.  

Beginning the week of April 25 and continuing through mid-June, the WWF will launch a social media campaign designed to engage citizens to vote and express support for their favorite city among the Earth Hour City Challenge finalists.

*Please see WWF news release here.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 4, 2016
Contact:  Brian Lowe
                 802.735.3983

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on the VNA Family Room

Mayor Miro Weinberger issued the following statement in response to the VNA’s announcement about a community-led process to shape the future transition of the VNA Family Room.

“I appreciate the VNA’s commitment to a public process, expected to take a year or more, and continued support of the Family Room as it moves through this transition. The City will continue to engage with the Family Room Sustainability Task Force and support efforts to sustain this beloved community resource that has served Burlington children and parents for close to thirty years.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 3, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                802.324.2505

Moody’s Investors Service Upgrades Burlington’s Credit Rating Two Steps
A3 rating is highest level since 2012, halfway back to pre-BT downgrades;
Cites prudent, balanced operations and fiscal responsibility

Burlington, VT – Moody’s Investors Service yesterday upgraded the City of Burlington’s credit rating two full steps to A3 with a stable outlook, returning the City of Burlington to an “A” rating. Of the six ratings steps that Burlington lost between July 2010 and June 2012 in the wake of Burlington Telecom’s financial struggles, three have now been restored in two upgrades over the last year (please scroll down to view Burlington ratings table). In its Credit Report, Moody’s indicated “The upgrade to the A3 rating reflects an improved financial position following three years of audited operating surpluses, as well as the city’s strength as the economic center of Vermont (Aaa stable).” Yesterday’s upgrade is projected to immediately result in approximately $450,000 of Net Present Value (NPV) savings for Burlington taxpayers on a debt refinancing transaction that will be completed in April, and will save Burlington taxpayers and ratepayers millions of additional dollars on interest over time whenever the City pursues necessary and prudent borrowing. 

“Today’s news is proof that the commitment of the community, the City Council, and the Administration to restore Burlington’s financial reputation is working. We are keeping dollars in Burlingtonians’ wallets, not wasting them on high interest payments,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger.  “While we have more to do in the years ahead to complete our financial turnaround, the fact that we have been able to make so much progress in a short time without service cuts or major tax increases is a tribute to the strength of the Burlington economy, the hard work and innovation of our management team, and the collaboration of our public employee unions.”

Moody’s decision to upgrade to A3 from Baa2 impacts the rating on $109 million of outstanding General Obligation Bond debt, and $7.8 million of outstanding Certificates of Participation debt. In the coming weeks, the City will refinance existing debt at a lower interest rate than previously possible.  Prior to the upgrade, the refinancing was expected to generate approximately $1.3 million in NPV savings for Burlington taxpayers and ratepayers. The transaction is now projected to result in more than $1.75 million in NPV savings. The NPV savings will be achieved without extending the maturity dates on the existing debt.
 

Highlights from the Moody's report include:

• “The financial position continues to improve due to conservative budgeting and prudent expenditure management. Audited fiscal 2015 results reflect the third consecutive operating surplus.”
• “The stable outlook reflects our expectation that management will maintain balanced operations and a satisfactory financial position, while managing increasing costs for salaries, employee benefits, and capital needs.”
• “The city’s management team since 2012 continues to show commitment to addressing financial pressures with a sound approach and fiscal responsibility, which we expect will be aided by the recent adoption of a formal fund balance policy and ten-year capital plan.”
   

The actions that have contributed to this upgrade include:

• Voter approval in November 2012 of the $9 million Fiscal Stability Bond;
• Settlement of the $33.5 million Citibank lawsuit on terms favorable to Burlington taxpayers;
• Conversion of a 2012 unassigned fund balance of negative $15 million into a 2015 surplus of over $4 million;
• Elimination of multi-million dollar fund balance deficits in the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds;
• Improved financial operations at the Burlington International Airport and Burlington Electric Department;
• Three years of operating surpluses;
• Improved internal controls and financial management practices that have resulted in the reduction of negative audit findings from 27 in 2012 to four in 2015; and
• The creation of a City Council Fund Balance policy and commitment to long-term infrastructure and capital asset planning.

   

Source: Moody’s Rating Reports

Source: Moody’s Investors Service Rating Symbols and Definitions, February 2016, https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004
 

*Please see the attached Moody’s Credit Report.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Results of North Avenue Ballot Item

“Last night’s results indicate that there are a lot of people throughout the City who are interested in improving North Avenue, and I continue to believe it is important to explore if that can be done. However, I am concerned that so many New North Enders have reservations about the pilot and hope they will reserve final opinion until they experience the reconfiguration and review related safety and traffic flow data. In the weeks ahead, I will be working with New North End Councilors and residents to try to establish consensus about how the pilot will be evaluated and to build confidence in the process going forward.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 26, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

Mayor Miro Weinberger Statement on Mask Ordinance and Mardi Gras Weekend

“With the annual Mardi Gras festivities approaching, we wanted to take this opportunity to assure our residents and visitors that no one will be prosecuted under the City’s mask ordinance for wearing a mask while participating in the Mardi Gras celebration. All are welcome to downtown Burlington for the annual Mardi Gras weekend March 4 through 6, with the highly-anticipated parade down Main Street taking place on Saturday, March 5. I am looking forward to marching in the parade and thank all of the community members who make this a memorable weekend, year after year.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius, City of Burlington, 802.324.2505
                 Elise Annes, Vermont Land Trust, 802.522.9855
                 

City of Burlington, Vermont Land Trust Announce Progress on Land Conservation
Create New 12-Acre Public Park on Former Burlington College Land;
Important Step Toward Achieving City’s Long-Standing Goals for Site

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger and Vermont Land Trust (VLT) President Gil Livingston today announced the creation of a new Burlington City park, following the February 18, 2016 purchase by the City and VLT of 12 acres of land for $2,000,000 from developer Burlington College Community Housing (BCCH) through its principal, Eric Farrell. After a collaborative, citizen-engaged planning process regarding the future of the former Burlington College land on North Avenue, this successful acquisition will include the protection of the property’s community gardens, woodland path, lakeside bluffs, and beach that have been enjoyed by residents for many years. The purchase was unanimously approved by the City Council earlier in February and funded using $500,000 of the City’s dedicated land conservation acquisition fund and leveraging other conservation financing secured by VLT.

The partners involved in the planning process, including VLT, Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), property owner BCCH, and the City of Burlington, spent many months listening to and addressing the community’s needs and interests regarding the future of this land and its possible uses. The results include a new public park connecting the Old North End to the Burlington Bike Path that will formalize public access to a forested trail and sandy beach, expanded space for community gardens, a new open play field, and the use of the existing stone house for the community. The new park, which provides a critical east-west connection for the City, will adjoin much-needed affordable and workforce housing.

“Yesterday’s closing was a major milestone in the achievement of the City’s long-standing goals to preserve open space and create new connections between the Old North End to the waterfront,” said Mayor Weinberger. “While considerable work remains to be done to finalize this progress and achieve the City’s other key goals for this important land, today is a day to celebrate progress and effective collaboration with our partners.”

“Access to the outdoors and the lake is so important to City residents, especially underserved residents in the Old North End.  The Vermont Land Trust is gratified to actively support the City’s effort to create a new urban park, especially in the context of also helping fill the need for affordable, workforce, and market rate housing,” said Gil Livingston, President of the Vermont Land Trust.

The creation of the park and preservation of open space is tied to meeting the City’s other goals for this important site, including development that supports new neighborhood uses and enhances revitalization of the Old North End and North Avenue and the creation of a range of housing types for a range of income levels. These goals were initially established by the City after a report in 2001 commissioned by then-Mayor Peter Clavelle, and were reaffirmed by Mayor Weinberger in 2014.  The new park will not be permanently protected from reverting to private ownership until the site has gone through anticipated rezoning.

“Publicly owned open space is critical to the social, economic, and environmental health of the City,” said Jesse Bridges, Director of Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront. “Building from conservation priorities of generations before us we are proud to have played a role in saving another key piece of Burlington’s waterfront and secure it as a publicly accessible park for all to enjoy.  We will continue to improve access to our treasured waterfront, expand community garden opportunities and enhance native natural areas through this acquisition.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 9, 2016
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

City Invites Public Input on Criteria for Sale of Burlington Telecom

The City of Burlington and the Burlington community have a significant investment in Burlington Telecom’s success and interests in ensuring affordable, effective, and responsive fiber optic services for its residents. To that end, the City is engaged in a public process with the residents of Burlington to determine criteria by which the City should be guided in a future transaction involving the ownership of Burlington Telecom.  We invite you to join the discussion and share your thoughts at the final public meeting:

Wednesday, February 10
DPW Conference Room, 645 Pine Street
5:30 – 7:30 pm

Minutes from prior public meetings soliciting input on sale criteria are available here: http://www.burlingtontelecom.net/burlington-telecom-advisory-board/.

Interested participants may also watch recordings of past meetings on Channel 17: https://www.cctv.org/tags/burlington-telecom-advisory-board.

This public meeting is intended to gather feedback from the Burlington community to inform the Burlington Telecom Advisory Board (BTAB). Your comments will be considered as the BTAB finalizes a recommendation regarding these criteria to be presented to the City Council for review and approval. The current schedule, which is subject to change, is for the recommendation (as revised based on public comments) to be presented to the City Council for approval in March 2016.

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