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December 27, 2023 – Local Government News Direct to You 

Public Library, City Hall & Senior Center will be Closed Monday, January 1st in Observance of New Year's Day

FY25 Budget Update

Hello South Burlington,

The City Council and City staff continue work to develop and finalize the FY25 budget— the budget you will consider on Town Meeting Day. On December 15, the Council held a Budget Retreat, where they heard presentations from each Department on City operations and budget impacts. These presentations can all be found here, and you can watch the retreat here.  

During a robust discussion at the Retreat and at the regular City Council meeting on December 18^th, the Council discussed a series of changes to the proposed FY25 Budget that they will consider over the first half of January. The changes under discussion include:

• Using $417,000 of the ARPA grant to fund climate projects associated with the Government and Transportation Implementation Plans of the Climate Action Plan.
• Using $325,000 of the ARPA grant to fund a Parks Master Plan ($125,000) and the grant match for the Hinesburg Road Shared Use Path construction ($200,000).
• Using an additional $350,000 from surplus to partially fund a new traffic signal at Market Street and Hinesburg Road.
• Funding staff and consultants in the General Fund operating budget to implement the Climate Action Plan over the next seven years.
• Increasing the annual funding to the Housing Trust Fund by $25,000.

With these changes, the overall increase in tax rate would be 5.82% or $0.0286. Using FY24 assessment values, the average condo owner would see an increase of $84.88 in their annual tax bill in FY25 and the average homeowner would see an increase of $125.24. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed FY25 Budget on January 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of City Hall.

We’d love to hear from you! We encourage you to review the materials and presentations available here. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me, Jessie Baker, at jbaker@southburlingtonvt.gov, or you can reach out directly to the City Council at citycouncil@southburlingtonvt.gov. We look forward to seeing you and hearing from you!

Jessie

2nd Public Hearing

On January 2 and 8, 2024, the City Council is holding the Second Public Hearing on the CityPlan 2024. CityPlan 2024 is the overall guiding plan for the next decade of policy decisions in South Burlington. The draft CityPlan 2024 can be found on the City’s website HERE. Come share your feedback at the public hearing or by email in advance to planning@southburlingtonvt.gov

Animal Licenses Available Beginning January 2!

By Holly Rees, City Clerk

It’s the time of year again to register your cat or dog with the city. Who needs to be registered? Any dog or cat 6 months of age or older. Why should they be registered? To ensure that every dog and cat has had the necessary vaccinations to protect the citizens of South Burlington. As per state law (VSA Title 20, Section 3581), all owners of dogs are required to be licensed with the city clerk prior to April 1st of each year. All dogs registered after April 1st are assessed a late fee. The city council added an ordinance in 1998 that included cats to the list of animals to be registered in South Burlington. 

Hinesburg Road Sewer Pipe Repaired

On the evening of Monday, December 18, a gravity sewer pipe under Hinesburg Road (originally installed in 1964) failed. South Burlington DPW staff worked around the clock to address the issue and get this critical pipe back in service.

Looking For Early Ballots?

Beginning January 1, 2024, you can request your early ballots through My Voter Page Vermont Election Division. If you prefer, you can call the City Clerk’s office at 802-846-4105 in the new year and we can manually enter your request.

Looking to Get On The Ballot?

The Secretary of State's office has developed a resource page that walks through the process of Petitioning Your Local Government (vermont.gov)

If you are planning to run for local office, you will need to complete both the Consent of Candidate form, along with the completed Petition for Local Office with the required 30 signatures, and return to the City Clerk’s office before 5:00 p.m. Monday, January 29. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact City Clerk Holly Rees at 802-846-4119.

November 2023 Fire Department Calls

In November, the Fire Department responded to 366 emergency calls for service. 66% of these were medical emergencies, which is a typical percentage for the SB fire department.  There were 19 motor vehicle accidents and 28 fire alarm activations that were not a result of fire. These were the result of system malfunctions and other causes of smoke, such as smoke from cooking, as well as carbon monoxide alarm activations. There were three fires in November, all of which resulted in minimal damage or property loss due to prompt alerting to the fire department and/or fire protection systems. The remaining 74 emergencies include persons in distress in elevators, hazardous conditions like gas leaks and fuel spills, as well as electrical hazards and odor investigations.  

The City of South Burlington is Hiring!

Looking for a full- or part-time job? The City of South Burlington is looking to hire great people to join our team. 

CLICK HERE for a complete list of current openings!

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Visit us at www.southburlingtonvt.gov 

School District
Events & News

School Board Meeting  with budget presentation January 3, 2024 6:00 p.m. Agenda and participation info on the District website under Announcements Upcoming meeting dates here

For information about events and updates from South Burlington School District, read the Superintendent’s full newsletter December 21, 2023 HERE

UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

City Council Meetings

Access agendas and minutes.

____________________________________

City Council Meeting 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024  |  6:30 p.m.  | 

Auditorium, City Hall, 180 Market Street

Virtual Option: see info below

• Public Hearing on City Plan 2024
• Hold a necessity hearing to consider the construction of an additional water tank on Dorset Street and an anticipated bond vote on Town Meeting Day

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Join Meeting Here

You can also dial in using your phone(224) 501-3412 | Access Code: 436-108-613

Watch the Last City Council Meeting Recording

Want to see what happened during the latest City Council meeting? Can't attend the live session online? We've got you covered.

You can watch the December 18, 2023 recorded City Council Meeting HERE

City Meetings Video Archive

City Council, Development Review Board, and Planning Commission

Did you know that the videos of these group meetings are available online?

• For City Council and DRB meetings, visit the South Burlington YouTube Channel on CCTV. 
• For Planning Commission meetings,  visit the City’s YouTube site

PUBLIC LIBRARY

 Hours 

Monday–Thursday: 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

Friday: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Rick Marcotte Central School Winter Performance 

Students from Rick Marcotte Central School visited City Hall Auditorium on Friday, December 22nd to perform selections from their Winter Music Concert for the community. The audience included employees from City Hall, the South Burlington Police Department, and the South Burlington Fire Department.

Register Today!

SB Library

180 Market Street

Thursday, January 4th
10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Please register with the American Red Cross to donate. (Enter the zip code 05403 and scroll down to find the South Burlington Public Library blood drive.)

Library of Things Survey

The Library of Things

What is the “Library of Things?" It’s a collection of items that can be checked out from the library just like books. They are things that you may only need to use once a year, or maybe even once in a lifetime. The Items are endless, and these are just a few examples of “things” they have: board games, outdoor games, consumer electronics (including a karaoke machine), laminator, label maker, microscope, tools for around the house, metal detector, health & wellness items such as a wheelchair and heart monitor, and special cake pans for birthday parties. The library would like to know what else you would like to see in the Library of Things. Click here to make a request.

Energy Committee Book Discussion

Join a conversation about the book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This event is co-hosted by the South Burlington Energy Committee and the Library. It will take place in the Library Community Room on January 18, 6:30–8:00 p.m.

Winter Recreation

Valentine Dance Tickets On Sale Now

Join us for our 27th annual Valentine Dance at the Delta Hotel. Children and a special adult in their lives will enjoy an evening filled with dancing, prizes, and snacks. We will also have a photo station, craft table, and our ever-popular Big Bear Raffle. 

Don’t miss out on this special event that your child will cherish for a lifetime! This event is sure to sell out.  

Cost: $50/Child-Adult Couple, Additional Child @ $25 (families with multiple children wishing to have 2 adults attend will need to register as multiple child-adult couples done as separate transactions).

Buy tickets here

Gaining Confidence In The Woods for Teens - Saturday, January 27th

This 2 hour walk in the woods, led by Vermont nurse and Master Naturalist Roberta Nubile, will focus on building confidence in the woods and within oneself for teens. We will do a little bit each of: guided meditation, natural history stories, plant and tree identification, journaling, basic compass work (orienteering compass provided to take home), and group discussion.

Having raised daughters who are comfortable in the outdoors, Roberta wants to help empower teens to find comfort and strength in and from the natural world.

Click here to learn more.

Questions? Comments?

Contact Andy Brumbaugh, Communications & Outreach Coordinator

abrumbaugh@southburlingtonvt.gov