Burlington officials have taken action to assist downtown businesses that have expressed frustration with the city’s safety, construction challenges and overall decrease in business.
The Burlington City Council passed a resolution May 19 in support of local businesses and a “vibrant, welcoming, safe downtown.”
The resolution follows an open letter penned to Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak calling on the city to take “immediate action” to help the downtown sector that is “facing a crisis.”
The letter was signed by about 170 downtown businesses and states a shared concern regarding safety downtown. The letter cites an increase of storefronts closing, long-term employees leaving and residents choosing to avoid the downtown area.
“Those of us who remain feel neglected and increasingly unsafe,” the letter states.
Ten actions city needs to take to improve downtown
The letter presents 10 actions that businesses say the city should take to provide leadership, support and the resources necessary to operate businesses that are safe, welcoming and sustainable. Those points of action and concern include:
- Clean, safe and usable parking garages.
- Employee safety and retention.
- Accountability and support for public safety.
- Needle removal and public drug use.
- Children’s safety.
- Relocation of the free lunch program from the parking garage.
- Graffiti and property damage.
- Better communication and mitigation from the city departments.
- Public nudity ordinance.
- Invest in downtown’s image.
More detailed calls to action can be found under each request on the letter.
This cry for help from downtown businesses has been echoing for months. Construction and road closures along Main Street have been throwing businesses into an economic tumble.
Controversy regarding the free lunch program
As businesses were speaking to councilors at the May 19 meeting, a counter protest was taking place outside by supporters of Food Not Bombs Burlington, a local chapter of a nationwide organization that aims to serve food to those who need it.
For five years, Food Not Cops – the Vermont name of the organization – serves lunch every day outside of the downtown parking garage between 1 and 2 p.m. Many downtown cafes and restaurants donate food to the organization.
The open letter addresses potential problems with Food Not Bombs serving lunch outside the parking garage. The letter states that while the businesses support the efforts to feed and care for those in need, the proximity to the garage has a negative impact on the area. It states that some attendees have repeatedly stolen from businesses or caused harm.
“We respectfully ask that this program be relocated to a more appropriate and secure setting – not eliminated. We are aware there have been alternative spots brought to the city’s attention, and we would like those explored,” the letter states.
Food Not Bombs went to their Instagram page asking businesses to rescind their signatures from the letter, stating it’s an “assault on mutual aid” and anti-homeless.
The organization stated that the letter places blame on those people struggling with homelessness and addiction but does not offer any real solutions “rooted in compassion or addressing the systemic causes of these issues.”
A second letter circulated days before the May 19 City Council meeting, with over 50 other businesses and organizations saying the shop owners’ original pleas fail to recognize the underlying causes of the problem Burlington is facing.
Councilors went back and forth on whether to remove language from the resolution that involved the program. They settled on a compromise where a “more suitable” location will be researched, something they said has been in conversation for over a year. The resolution states that while “the city no way seeks to interfere with the provision of mutual aid, the Marketplace garage is not an ideal location either for the recipients of food distribution or for people parking in the garage.”
The resolution passed 8-4, including the amendment calling on the mayor to make a plan to move Food Not Bombs. That plan will be presented at the July 14 City Council meeting.
To assist with the relocation, the city authorized the use of up to $2,000 from the FY25 Council Initiative Funds.
Other aspects of the passed resolution looking to make Burlington safer and appealing include positive PR campaigns, better police response, better communication about construction from DPW and expanding free parking.
Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.
link