160 Burlington businesses met with the Mayor in mid-August to discuss their concerns. Instead of answers or comfort, they got more frustration, and this kicked off a week of sparring and finger-pointing between Burlington and Montpelier.
- Politics aside, now is the time for action. We need our leaders to lead with solutions that are grounded in our reality, respect budgetary limits, and, unfortunately, acknowledge the current constraints on compassion after years of that being the answer.
What Was Passed: Council President Ben Traverse called publicly for change in a draft resolution, which came before the City Council Monday night and passed 9-2.
Thank you to everyone who spoke up! This would not have been possible without all those who emailed, called, and showed up to speak at Council.
- LCC sent this letter in support of the resolution and called on the City Council to focus on all areas of the City once the situation in the downtown core was handled.
- Be sure to thank your council members for their vote and encourage them to continue the work to make Burlington safer.
What’s in the resolution? The resolution pushes for a stronger and more visible safety presence, new accountability tools, and state coordination to reduce crime, drug activity, and disorder, making the area safer and more usable for families, businesses, and events.
More details – the resolution does the following:
- Increases safety presence: Commits to maintaining more consistent police and public safety patrols in City Hall Park and enforcing the park’s hours (closed 12am-6am).
- Targets crime and disorder: Directs enforcement against violence, drug trafficking, open drug use, fencing of stolen goods, and other disruptive behaviors that discourage park use and harm downtown businesses/events.
- Uses new strategies: Encourages the use of “no trespass” orders when necessary, expands the Situation Table program, and launches City Circle, which allows people who break municipal ordinances to resolve tickets through restorative justice instead of only the court system.
- Specific request for state support: Requests that Vermont’s Governor and state agencies help by coordinating law enforcement against low-level drug trafficking and expanding access to drug treatment and recovery services.
What’s Next? The resolution requires a progress report by September 29, 2025, on whether staffing and resources are sufficient to achieve these goals, along with recommendations if any gaps remain.
Bottom Line: There is still much to be done; however, there are plenty of reasons to think better days are ahead in Burlington!