2020: Looking ahead

Meaghan Emery

Vice-Chair, South Burlington City Council

My new year’s resolution is to get out of my car even more. Thanks to living in the Chamberlin neighborhood, our walkable City Center makes that possible for me and for many of us!

Dave Kaufman

South Burlington City Councilor

Looking ahead to 2020, now that we have the new SB Community Center officially under construction, I resolve to do whatever I can as a city councilor to ensure the project is completed on time and on budget, not that I have a whole lot of “power or say” over those two targets, but it seems to be an appropriate resolution!

With the excellent work that has been done by the IZ-specific committees, I resolve to do my part to ensure our city council takes appropriate action to implement recommendations, especially preservation of open space priorities, ensuring that South Burlington remains a beautiful place to call home.

Recognizing South Burlington as an inclusive community consisting of a broad diversity of residents and businesses, I resolve to do my part as a city councilor to ensure actions of South Burlington’s government, council and management, reflect our shared values of inclusiveness, affordability, and always respect among all of us.

New Year’s wishes are also appropriate and I wish for the most responsible and best decisions/actions possible by your city council and city management to ensure that South Burlington remains a wonderful place to live, work, and play for all our residents!

Finally, I wish for all South Burlingtonians a 2020 filled with prosperity, enjoyment and fun, good health, and always respectful relations with neighbors.

Tom Chittenden

South Burlington City Councilor

My news resolution is to listen more and to speak less; to exercise more and to eat less; to volunteer more and to idle less; and lastly to challenge those with the most to do more for those with the least.

A South Burlington wish list

• A quiet and peaceful year for our residents, visitors and first responders

• Strong approval for our FY21 municipal budget

• More great community musical and food events at Veterans Memorial Park and elsewhere

• Significant work being completed on our new Community Center on Market Street

• Business and job growth in our community

• Approval of the Airport Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) and significant investment by the FAA in sound-proofing qualifying homes in the Chamberlin neighborhood

• Significantly more paving of our roads during the construction season

• A pothole-free winter (not likely)

• Further work toward an Indoor Recreation Facility to benefit South Burlington residents

• Continued discussion of a regional governance authority for the Burlington International Airport

• Emerging from Interim Zoning with a good plan to move forward on growth/conservation questions with strong public support

• A new dog park

• Growing community use of our fine Public Library as the staff work toward transitioning to the new library in 2021

• Continuing support for the South Burlington Food Shelf, and, of course …

• Peace on Earth.