CITY COUNCILORS’ QUESTIONNAIRE 2020

Survey of candidate positions on issues that are important in the city today.

he Coalition for a Livable City is an alliance of Burlington, Vermont community

groups working to restore public processes in defense of the environment, quality

of life, transparency in governance, and democratic participation in our city.

We are a volunteer organization composed of eight grassroots groups with over

300 individual members in our collective member groups.

Save Memorial Auditorium 

Downtown Neighborhood Association

Pine Street Coalition 

People for Peace and Security

Save Open Space-Burlington

South End Alliance

Save Our City

Off the Wall

Keep the Park Green

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1. Would you vote to put all petitioned resolutions on the ballot that have wording
approved by the city attorney and that meet the 5% requirement?
Yes _____  No ______
Your comment:



2. Would you consider the outcome of an advisory citizen ballot question as a
mandate for implementing the will of the majority of voters?
Yes _____  No ______
Your comment:

3. In 2018, both Burlington citizens at town meeting and the Burlington City
Council adopted resolutions asking the U.S. Air Force to cancel the basing of F-35
fighter/bombers at Burlington International Airport and to "request instead low
noise-level equipment with a proven high safety record appropriate for a densely
populated area." Do you support additional Council measures to terminate F-35
training operations at the city's airport?
Support additional measures _____;   Oppose additional measures _____
Your comment:

4. How will you vote on the renewal of the lease that enables basing F-35
fighter/bombers at the Burlington-owned Burlington International Airport?
No - vote down lease renewal. _____
Yes - vote for lease renewal _____
Your comment:

5. Would you vote to require developers to pay impact fees to fund the full costs of
sewage treatment required for their project?
Yes ____;    No ___
Your comment:

6. Would you vote to require a limit on undergraduate enrollment at UVM equal to
the amount of on-campus housing available?
Yes ____; No ____
Your comment – or alternative solution:

7. As a City Council member, would you vote to require the contemplated
Champlain Parkway to include discrete, multi-modal lanes for pedestrians and
cyclists throughout its length? 
Yes ___;    No ___
Your comment:

8. As a City Council member, would you vote for roundabouts at busy
intersections, where feasible, as advocated by AARP, AAA, and Geico?
Yes ___ ;   No ____
Your comment:

 9. Would you vote to approve a substantially increased penalty on landlords who
fail to maintain their real estate up to City code? 
Yes ___; No ___
Your comment:

10. As a City Council member, would you vote to restore, renovate and maintain
Memorial Auditorium as a public space? 
Yes ___; No ____
Your comment:

11. What would you do to be more accessible to your constituents?
Your comment:

12. How do you see the role of the NPAs in city government, and should this be
enhanced?
Your comment:


13. Numerous commercial properties downtown have stood vacant for many years.
Would you vote to have owners return such properties to the market or face a
substantial tax penalty?
Yes, support penalty _______
No, do not support penalty _______
Your comment:

14. Will you vote to support a new Champlain Parkway environmental study/re-
design process: (1) minimizing impacts on the low-income/minority King & Maple
Streets neighborhood; (2) through utilizing roundabouts where feasible,
minimizing serious injuries for all, and cutting global heating emissions; (3)
insuring a separate sidewalk and bikeway, or protected bike lanes the length of the
route; and (4) retaining Pine St/Queen City Park Rd. connectivity?
(1)Yes ___;   No ____
(2)Yes ___;   No ____
(3)Yes ___;   No ____
(4)Yes ___;   No ____
Your comment/s:

15. The Mayor sold the Burlington-owned Burlington Telecom Communication
System to a private company, denying to the people of Burlington a locally owned
and based telecom system. Do you believe that this was a decision based on the
best interests of the residents of our city?
Yes ___; No ____
Your comment:

16. What is your view about the way the city has handled the City Place
Development to date, and what approach would you support and advocate for
going forward?
Your comment:

17. The city's failure to respect and enforce lot coverage and other zoning
provisions has resulted in excessive run-off damaging the lake, and extensive loss
of green space, damaging neighborhoods.
What would you do to see that zoning laws are actual not theoretical?
Your comment:

18. The City owns the controversial parade mural. Will you support moving the
parade mural into storage now, until decisions are made about what to do with it?
[Note: DPW has pledged staff and equipment, and there is storage space in the Annex of
Memorial Auditorium. The panels can be secured while final decisions are made.]
Yes ___; No ____

Your comment:

19. Do you support an independent police commission with more oversight
authority?
Yes ___; No ____
Your comment:

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Thank you for your commitment to civic engagement.
*Endorsements to be announced Feb 20, 2020.