In his State of the City address Monday, Weinberger vowed to help non-English speakers more easily access city services, make housing more affordable and review the role of the city’s Neighborhood Planning Assemblies. The efforts will “make our community more equitable, sustainable and welcoming,” he said.
The announcements appeared to be a response to Weinberger’s election opponents, independent candidates Carina Driscoll and Infinite Culcleasure. On the campaign trail, both criticized Weinberger’s lack of transparency and argued that he worked to benefit the business community rather than the neediest Burlingtonians.
“The events of the last year, including the elections here on Town Meeting Day a month ago, have made plain our community’s work towards a more just future is not done,” acknowledged Weinberger, who earned 48 percent of the vote compared to 35 percent for Driscoll and 16 percent for Culcleasure.
The mayor declared that the state of the city is “very strong,” but emphasized that work remained to be done.
He set forward five initiatives for the coming year: collecting data on city equity initiatives, increasing access to childcare in Burlington, working to become a net-zero energy city, strengthening public engagement and addressing the opioid epidemic.
Weinberger highlighted his work expanding the growth of housing during his first six years in office, and touted his work facilitating the sale of Burlington Telecom.
He also told the story of Sean Blake, 27, who died of an opioid overdose last year. In the coming year, the city would prioritize making buprenorphine more easily accessible by offering the addiction medication at the Howard Center and in the University of Vermont Medical Center emergency room. “Nowhere is our work more urgent and nowhere is there more at stake,” he said of the city’s efforts to address the opioid crisis.
Gov. Phil Scott turned out for the event, as did state Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) and former Burlington mayors Peter Clavelle and Frank Cain.
The mayor also vowed to move forward on the Burlington Early Learning Initiative, an effort he started to expand childcare openings for young children. The mayor has been working on the program for five years, with few tangible results, as Seven Days reported last week. But, Weinberger assured, “it is starting to make an impact on the ground.”
Following Weinberger’s address, the city council elected Ward 4 Councilor Kurt Wright, the body’s only Republican member, its president. He replaces Jane Knodell (P-Central District).
Also sworn in were the eight city councilors elected on Town Meeting Day. Seven were incumbents; the only newcomer is Brian Pine (P-Ward 3), who earned the Old North End seat after Progressive Sara Moore decided not to seek another term.
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Weinberger has to start making those large donors happy. Why were some of them from out of state?
Miro is the best example of why Burlington needs to have term limits for mayor. He is our own mini-Trump. Bread and Circus and nothing more.
NorthOldEnder- you could not be further from the truth. Shame that you won’t take the time to speak to and get to know the mayor.
We have heard that same story from him before as far as helping to find affordable housing! What is affordable for him is not for the homeless people but is for the many slumlords which he seems to get paid to look the other way. Landlords are charging outrageous rents and are geared towards getting rent from the college kids whose rich mommy’s and daddy’s will pay it. Burlington is in need of rent control
Affordable housing is contingent upon people willing to invest large sums of money to construct new buildings. This is where many developers run into stumbling blocks when the small group contests everything that is proposed. That small group is working really hard to be the controlling factor on what happens in the city and have no concerns for the rental population. The only way that rents are going to become more affordable is through more housing. Landlords have bills that need to be paid as well and they have limits on how low they can rent an apartment before it no longer becomes sustainable.
Ted Miles, there are plenty of vacant buildings that can be made into apartments for low-income people. I am sure that Miro has plenty of rich friends that could help out
How about the F35?
@Gi Grape
Why don’t you get a bunch of your friends together and renovate all those buildings. It won’t cost much since you will be doing it all out the goodness of your heart.
Some issues I wish he would consider and address: 1) The F-35’s. Please listen to the voters who do not want this dangerous military machine flying over our neighborhoods. Over 6,000 families and homes in the surrounding areas and towns will be negatively effected. There ARE alternatives, contrary to what Leahy, Welch, Sanders and VTANG and Burlington should never have been considered in the first place. Apparently, no one did their homework or care about what the people wanted. 2) Put our tax money to work and fix Pine Street and North Avenue which are horrible land mines with their pot holes and ruts. Drivers and cars will thank you! 3) Although it is admirable to “fix” the opiate problem, the key is early intervention, not only after the fact and adding another drug to combat symptoms (I hope people that receive this drug are also getting counselling, and rehab treatment in addition.) As someone who has made a career in Human Services and Social Work, it is so important to have resources for our children such as positive mentoring, education, family support, nutrition, after school activities, sports, the arts, etc. so they will not want to resort to drugs in the first place. 4) You were lucky enough to be elected for a third term (I did not vote for you) so please listen to the people in Burlington who are trusting you to do the right thing and not only to your many business cronies and developers….
Yep, noticeably absent from this State of the Union: the F-35.
And you gotta love Miro’s efforts to increase diversity and equity: by “collecting data.” Allows continued inaction while he claims to be doing something about it. Kinda like the childcare fiasco. Wonder which friend he’s going to pay $180,000 to “study” the issue?
For all you Miro lovers, what has the mini trump really doing for the people other than ignoring the things that need to be done in Burlington that really need to be done. The new mall is not necessary as it is just a waste of space. We need more important things such as paving a lot of streets, opioid treatment programs, affordable housing for low-income people and so much more. Instead of filling his pockets from his rich friends for doing them favors why doesn’t he get things done?