TABLE OF CONTENTS City Government Electric Department. 36 City Organizational Chart . 2 Fire Department . 40 Mayor’s Message . 3 Fletcher Free Library . 43 City Officials Appointed by the Mayor . 6 Human Resources Department . 46 Vermont Legislators . 7 Innovation & Technology. 48 Mayors of Burlington . 7 Parks, Re creation & Waterfront. 49 City Council . 8 Planning & Zoning Department . 55 City Council Standing Committees . 9 Police Department. 58 City Department Information . 10 Public Works Department . 61 Important Dates . 11 School District . 66 City Holidays. 11 Telecom, Burlington . 71 Board of School Commissioners . 12 Regional Organizations City Commissioners. 13 Annual Reports Neighborhood Planning Assemblies . 15 Burlington Housing Authority . 72 Regularly Scheduled Chittenden Solid Waste District . 73 Commission Meetings . 16 Green Mountain Transit . 75 Justices of the Peace . 17 Winooski Valley Park District . 77 Department Annual Reports Miscellaneous Airport, Burlington International . 18 Annual Town Meeting . 79 Arts, Burlington City . 20 Salaries. 81 Assessor, Office of the City . 23 General Obligation Debt. 100 Attorney, Office of the City . 24 Appraised Valuation. 100 Church Street Marketplace. 27 Tax Exempt Property Summary. 100 Clerk/Treasurer, Office of the City . 29 Management Letter . 101 Code Enforcement . 31 Audit Summary . 106 Community & Economic Development Office . 32 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Design/Production: Futura Design Printing: Queen City Printers Inc. Printed on PC Recycled Paper Cover Photo: Courtesy of Andrew Krebs Project Management: Liz Amler, Mayor’s Office This report also is available online at www.burlingtonvt.gov. Thanks to the Department of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront for the use of photos throughout this report. This publication was printed on 100% PC Recycled FSC® certified paper. Annual Financial Report 1 CITY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART WARD CLERKS & SCHOOL INSPECTORS OF COMMISSIONERS4 THE VOTERS ELECTION4 MAYOR CITY COUNCIL 4 AUTHORITY TO: AUTHORITY TO: • Carry out laws and ordinances • Set City policy with Mayor • Pass legislation through passage • Appoint department heads of ordinances subject to Mayor’s • Assure performance of jobs by veto* subordinate officers • Pass resolutions with Mayor* • Recommend measures • Approve Mayor’s budget • Approve supplementary • Act as Chief Peace Officer interbudgetary transfers • Prepare annual budget • Set annual tax rate with Mayor • Act as Chair of Board of Finance • Establish rules for City Council meeting conduct CITY OFFICERS & COMMISSIONERS! KEY DEPARTMENT HEADS (for list, (for list, see page 6) see pages 13-14) Elected at large 4 Elected at large by ward Appointed by the Mayor subject to City Council approval ! Appointed by the City SUPERINTENDENT L BOARD OF Council or City Council FINANCE M with Mayor presiding AUTHORITY TO: L Appointed by the Board of School Commissioners • Act as trustees of public money • Establish accounting system * Ordinances relate to external matters while • Provide monthly reports and PRINCIPALS resolutions relate to annual audit internal matters • Select official depository M Mayor, Chief Administrative • Authorize budget line item changes Officer (non-voting), Presi- • Be responsible for care and dent of City Council, and control of public buildings three Councilors elected by the City Council 2C ITY OF BURLINGTON MAYOR’S MESSAGE am pleased to present you with the City of Burlington’s something that was very much in IAnnual Report. This past year marked more progress doubt just three years ago—the re- towards stabilizing the City’s finances, improving our in- turn of millions of taxpayer dollars frastructure, and ensuring Burlington becomes more af- lost early in BT’s history, and assur- fordable and equitable. The tremendous inventory of ance that Burlingtonians will con- work documented in this report would not be possible tinue to enjoy high-speed internet without the support of the voters and the dedication of choice for the foreseeable future Miro City staff, City Councilors, Department Heads, and nu- (something only about 40 percent of Weinberger merous volunteers on our boards, commissions, and Americans enjoy today). Mayor Neighborhood Planning Assemblies. Details of the proposal include: a purchase price of $30.8 million; granting the City of Tremendous Progress Strengthening the Burlington the right to roll over cash proceeds from the City’s Financial Foundation sale into a minority ownership interest in the new BT; Back in 2012, when the City of Burlington was down- commitment to the full, rapid build-out of Burlington and graded to the edge of junk bond status, this Administra- neighboring communities; $300,000/year of annual con- tion committed to turning the City of Burlington’s tributions to grow ing the local tech economy and digital finances around. The Fiscal Year 2012 Management Let- divide issues; agreement not to increase prices on broad- ter, dated January 24, 2013, listed 27 findings, of which band for 60 months; agreement to an anti-monopoly fu- twelve were identified as a “Material Weakness,” and ture sales restriction; and a commitment to net neutrality one was a “Significant Deficiency.” Because of the dedi- and a maintaining BT’s historic privacy policy. cation and hard work of our City team over the past six years, in Fiscal Year 2017 we earned the first audit in 15 years with zero findings and no Material or Significant weaknesses. Even prior to the good news around the City’s audit and fund balance, I was proud to announce in March 2017 that Moody’s Investors Service revised the City of Burlington’s outlook to positive and affirmed the City’s A3 credit rating. The City earned another upgrade in No- vember 2017. Of the six ratings steps that Burlington lost between July 2010 and June 2012 in the wake of Burling- ton Telecom’s financial struggles, four have now been re- stored in three upgrades over the last three years. Since voters approved the Fiscal Stability Bond in 2012, improvements to our credit rating have resulted in total net present value savings estimated at approxi- The City Council’s vote to move forward with the mately $12.6 million in current dollars (or $18.9 million Schurz offer now puts the City on a clear path towards in gross dollars), while we have continued to invest fund- resolving further credit challenges, and may well lead to ing in important new projects like the Sustainable Infra- additional tax-saving ratings upgrades. Sale documents structure Plan and Early Learning Initiative. must be completed for submission to the Public Utilities I thank our CAO’s Office team, City Departments, City Commission (PUC) by January 2, 2018, and the potential Council, and Burlington voters for helping us so dramat- PUC approval timeframe is between May and October of ically improve our city’s financial health. The fact that 2018. The BT transaction with Shurz is expected to close we have been able to make so much progress in a short within approximately 60 days following regulatory ap- time without service cuts or major tax increases is a trib- proval. I look forward to finishing this important job for ute to the strength of the Burlington economy, the hard the people of Burlington in the months ahead. work and innovation of our management team, the col- laboration of our public employee unions, and the support First Year of Sustainable Infrastructure of our residents. It provides us a strong foundation to be Plan Construction the welcoming and inclusive City we strive to become. As we have been working to responsibly manage our City’s finances, we have also been seeking to properly Resolving Burlington Telecom steward our City’s infrastructure. In November 2017, vot- Key to the City’s improving finances was the resolution ers overwhelmingly approved two bonds in support of of the Burlington Telecom sale process. In December our new Sustainable Infrastructure Plan. The 2017 con- 2017, City Council approved the sale of BT to Schurz struction season saw the beginning of our work to ad- Communications, putting us in a position to close the dress aging streets, sidewalks, water infrastructure, and book on BT’s decade of financial challenges and achieve more. By the end of the season, DPW completed five long-term benefits for customers, taxpayers and the City. miles of road repaving (compared to a recent average of These benefits include a stable, strong future for BT— Annual Financial Report 3 MAYOR’S MESSAGE This ambitious Bike Path rehabilitation represents the largest capital project our Parks Department has under- taken, and completes the long-desired restoration and improvements to the Bike Path in the New North End. Future generations of Burlingtonians will look back at these years as an era of major public investment—as a time when the City Council, the Administration, and the public worked together to dramatically improve and ex- pand our park system, our core infrastructure, and our public spaces. I am proud to see the quality of the work, attention to detail, and careful consideration of ecology and accessibility that has been incorporated into the de- sign and construction to dramatically improve this great community asset. This overhaul will greatly extend the three miles per year), reconstructed over three miles of life of the path and a reserve fund was previously estab- sidewalk (recent average, just over one mile per year) lished to make sure these improvements are properly and proactively upgraded nearly three miles of water maintained in the years