A resolution that would allow Burlington, Vermont city councilors the ability to access city programs, especially a city-operated emergency shelter, was the most controversial item on the council agenda this week.
The resolution states that Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, a Progressive, has “established a policy which denies City Councilors all access to the Miller Center Emergency Shelter Program while in operation, without consent of the City Council...” It asks that a process be created that allows councilors to visit and observe any city program while in operation.
Several attendees expressed concerns during public comments about city leaders having unfettered access to shelters. Sequoyah Peace said while he operates a micro-business, he is homeless and needs shelter facilities.
“This resolution is disrespectful and it’s divisional. There has been very few problems at the shelter. We need these shelters. We do not need the city council watching us,” Peace told councilors.
Ward 7 Democrat Evan Litwin says the resolution is a direct result of a variety of concerns and is intended to begin a conversation with the administration.
“There are many important questions at hand. Some of those questions have been posed to the administration and some have not been answered. Perhaps most importantly in a strong-mayor, strong-council, co-equal system of government is it sound policy to keep elected councilors from being able to observe city run programs operated in city owned buildings, especially when similar policies do not exist in privately run shelters?” pondered Litwin. “Does this lend itself to governmental transparency or does it have the unwanted effect of eroding the public trust?”
Ward 2 Progressive Gene Bergman complained that there was no outreach to the caucus nor much time to review the proposal.
“This is not saying oh let’s have a joint meeting with Progressives and Democrats and the Mayor’s office to try to deal with certain issues. No. It is dripping with irony to think that anybody on my side, that I, could accept that. You want to talk about the problems that may exist there, we need to do that in a reasonable way. This is not that,” Bergman insisted. “I get resolution after resolution that basically politicizes and partisanizes this issue and personally I’m just plain sick of it.”
Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak defended the policy noting it had been in place before she took office.
“Our sheltering policy started under the prior administration so it is inaccurate to say that this was my policy. We of course have evolved it. Myself, as mayor-elect, in March of 2024 went to visit that shelter. We had to get prior consent by every individual there. It took weeks, days I should say. So this is a really unreasonable overreach by council,” Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak said. “And we do have ways for councilors to come and engage. I really want to caution that what this resolution shows is a real distrust not only as me as mayor but our professional staff.”
Ward 4 Democrat Sarah Carpenter moved to postpone action on the resolution. The motion passed on a 6 to 5 vote and the measure will be reconsidered during the council’s March 24th meeting.
