LOCAL NEWS: ABOUT LAST NIGHT.....

Shay Totten writing in Blurt:--

About 50 people were inside Contois Auditorium tonight to hear The Burlington City Council debate a host of issues related to downtown development and on-campus housing and development at the University of Vermont and Champlain College.

Three Burlington City police officers were called to Contois Auditorium after a testy exchange between two Democratic city councilors — David Berezniak (Ward 2) and Ed Adrian (Ward 1) — and Republican City Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4) threatened to put a halt to yet another evening of debate on several major issues.

Councilors Berezniak and Adrian made repeated requests for "points of order" and "points of information" which angered Wright and clearly frustrated other councilors. Wright and otehrs were convinced the Democrats were pulling procedural stunts to derail discussion on whether to publicly warn a hearing on changes to the city's zoning rules.

The furor continues. Today Shay updates his post and provides the text of the BPD police report:--

Here, in its entirety, is Lt. Emmett Helrich's incident report (I've confirmed the veracity of this report with Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling):

"City Council President Kurt Wright called to say that he would like police presence as there had been some disruptive behavior on the part of some in attendance prior to the break. Cpl. Edwards and I went to Contois. Wright told me that Councilors Adrian and Bresniak [sp] had been disrupting the council meeting to the point that he might be compelled, as a point of order, to have them removed from Contois. Some in attendance had said that it had been quite disruptive prior to our arrival. Nothing happened after we got there and remained orderly until after the proposed amendment in question had been voted on. (raising the height of buildings in the city) At one point Councilor Adrian asked President Wright why the police were there and Wright told him he had called for police in case the members continued to be disruptive.

"After the vote we left as it was clear our presence was not needed."

Adrian said he was circulating the incident report to show that Wright called the police for no other reason than "to remove councilors that he thought were disruptive ... in particular myself and Councilor Berezniak."

Adrian reasserted his belief that Wright was "manipulating the police to intimidate city councilors from speaking and asserting their parliamentary rights."

As I noted last night, I think this is very, very far from "end of story."

The intimidating games people play. Remember, these are our elected representatives, all adults.

LAST NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING

If the zoning rewrite is such a mish-mash - or as, Tim Ashe, the Prepublican city councilor, put it, a "hodgepodge of ideas" - why vote for it? As the BFP reports today, it passed unanimously. (Outgoing Councilor Cheryl McDonough removed her name as a sponsor.) Still, during the public comment at the meeting, residents Bill Stuono and Maurice Mahoney voiced extreme concern about the final draft; it would seem what they had to say did not sink in with the councilors.

BTW, check your print copies of today's Free Press. There's a zippy insert announcing the last call for information, and, presumably, public comment on the Moran Plant redevelopment pushed on the residents by Mayor Kiss and his CEDO hacks. No attribution in the advertisement supplement in the paper, you'll see. Our tax dollars at work? (CEDO gets a bulk of its funding from federal tax dollars.) Are the Democratic city councilors fuming? They should be asking a lot of questions about this advertisement and the scheduling of this final informational meeting on Thursday, 10 January at Contois. Coincidentally, it's the same day Burlington Democrats are caucusing.

Lacking Vision

John Briggs wrote about the zoning rewrite saga in yesterday's Free Press. He describes it as a pro- vs anti-development thang.

On the pro-growth side in the debate are the council's four Progressives -- Knodell, Ashe, Clarence Davis, Ward 3, and Cheryl McDonough, Ward 2 -- and two Republicans, Wright and Decelles. They have introduced amendments that would allow high density building in outlying neighborhoods; eliminate or abbreviate the upper story setbacks on downtown buildings that allow "view corridors" to the lake; allow more on-street parking in the neighborhoods; and they are generally sympathetic to the arguments of the business community for a development-friendly city.

In opposition, though careful to acknowledge the need for development, are the council's Democrats -- Ellis, Ed Adrian, Ward 1, Bill Keogh and Joan Shannon, Ward 5, and Andy Montroll, Ward 6.

A number of councilors believe independent Sharon Bushor, Ward 1 -- who couldn't be reached for comment -- is sympathetic to the Democratic position, and have indicated independent Barbara Perry, Ward 6 -- also unavailable -- is more sympathetic to the Progressives/Republican coalition.

Surely, it's not that cut and dry, as I wrote in my LTE to the Free Press.

Briggs' article continues (and Freyne comments) --

Several councilors faulted Progressive Mayor Bob Kiss for his silence on the rewrite, with one observing that Kiss told the council at its last meeting about the hurricane damage to Burlington's Nicaraguan sister city, Puerto Cabezas, but said nothing about the rewrite.

"A weather report," said Keogh. "Why he's not there (on the rewrite), I don't know. If (former Mayor Peter) Clavelle were in there, he'd be leading the charge. The council's well ahead of Kiss on this. I think he's still catching up on his job description. I don't think he's exercised much leadership on this whole thing."

"He needs to communicate with councilors at the meeting," Gutchell said. "And he doesn't come across forcefully enough in saying we as a council aren't doing our job."

"I think there's a role for the mayor in making his vision known," said Montroll, adding he didn't understand Kiss' vision "completely, at this point."

Burlington zoning discussed on Channel 17 programs

Recently, Channel 17 has carried programs on the Burlington zoning re-write, which have audio or visual feeds.

Recent City Council meetings

Preservation Burlington's call in program on 23 August with Maurice Mahoney from Citizens for a Liveable City.

Citizens for a Liveable City press conferences on 26 July and 16 August.