Burlington City Council President Shannon Announces Changes to Public Comment Period

September 12, 2013

For Immediate ReleaseSeptember 11, 2013

Contact: Joan Shannon
                 802.324.3300

Burlington City Council President Announces Changes to Public Comment Opportunities

Burlington, VT - Burlington City Council President Joan Shannon today announced that the Burlington City Council is adding an hour at the beginning of the three upcoming Council meetings for public comment on specified topics in an effort to better serve our community.  Beginning with the Septmeber 23, 2013 City council meeting and continuing through the two October meetings, each City Council meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and focus on a single issue.

"The City Council wants to ensure that City residents have convenient and ample opportunity to address the Council directly on these important issues," stated Council President Shannon.  "This change is designed to facilitate a more efficient use of the public's and the Council's time."

 

The dates and topics are:

  • September 23, 2013 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Livable Wage Ordinance
  • October 7, 2013 from  6:00 - 7:00 p.m. - F-35s and
  • October 21, 2013 from  6:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Gun related City Charter Changes.

 

The City Council's regular Public Forum is scheduled from 7:30- 8:00 p.m. during each Council meeting.  It's primary purpose is to provide residents an opportunity to address items on the Council meeting's agenda, as well as items of public interest.  At a recent Council meeting, there was not sufficient time for the Council to both hear from the public and to handle the City's other business.  To accomodate the abundance of speakers, public forum was suspended and taken up again at the end of the meeting.  The intent of this temporary schedule change establishing a time earlier, rather than later, in the evening, to listen to public comments on these three specific issues is to make Council meetings more productive and to enable the public to provide their comments earlier in the evening without waiting for the Council to complete its agenda.