Parks, Arts, and Culture Committee

Regular Meeting

Burlington, VT · October 8, 2025

Minutes

CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov Minutes Parks, Arts & Culture Committee Meeting Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00pm MEETING CONDUCTED IN PERSON AT 645 PINE ST, FRONT CONFERENCE ROOM, AND VIA ZOOM Attendance: Committee Members: Chair Carter Neubieser, Councilor Joe Kane, Councilor Allie Schachter City Staff: Colin Storrs – Burlington City Arts, Deryk Roach – BPRW, Sophie Sauve, Holli Bushnell – BPRW Public Present – Troy Hedricks, Denise Watso, David Massell, Dave Hartnet, Nathan Lantieri Meeting called to order at 4:06 pm by Chair Carter Neubieser Approval of Agenda Joe Kane moved to approve the agenda, Allie Schachter seconded, and all were in favor. Approval of Draft Minutes from 06/26/2025 Kane moved to approve the minutes, Schachter seconded, all were in favor Public Forum Public forum was opened at 4:06ppm. Former city councilor Dave Hartnet shared that when the mayor’s office made their budget cuts he wanted to speak out at the next city council meeting, but he held off. That said, he feels that a huge disservice was done to BPRW. Gary Rogers in particular was a huge loss to the department, and it was a very sad day when we lost those key people. There are budget cuts and shortfalls, but the mayor’s job is to manage the workforce. Hartnet felt that there was a better way to address the cuts. Time has worn on, and now that PACC is looking into it Hartnet feels the need to speak. BPRW shortages are due to the cuts. BPRW is generally beloved by the community because staff put in so much hard work and take such pride in their work. The fact that there is a concern from management that staffing is such an issue disturbs him. Hartnet wants to continue to have the kind of parks department that sets the standard, not diminishes their work. Tory Hedrick is the State Representative from Burlington (Chittenden 15) and a resident of ward 1. He is speaking as a legislator, but also as someone who feels strongly about the systems that continue to marginalize indigenous voices. I regards to the removal of the Chief Greylock statue, he feels that work surrounding this has been deliberate. The city needs to be deliberate about replacement, particularly in terms of who is heard and who is honored. The Abenaki who descend from the original keepers of the land (and from Chief Greylock himself) have been left out of so many conversations. It’s a violation of internationally recognized indigenous rights (Articles 19, 36, and 33). The state of Vermont has been in violation of those rights since the recognition process began. Hedrick’s urges the committee (and the CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov council in general) to read declaration of rights because they apply to this process. Prior Burlington city councils have passed a resolution regarding which tribal organizations they recognize, but resolutions passed by a former council are not required to be followed by a current council. He’s seen himself that really good policy easily die when not properly shepherded. It was a group of overwhelmingly white legislators that forced the original declaration through. There is no credible evidence to support the current Native groups that are recognized by the state, particularly when the actual descendants of first nation’s people have been kept out of the room. This is where the work of anti-racism happens. Hedrick’s feels that the councilors are obligated to ask if this project holds the values of this city - equity, justice, and inclusion. This is our chance to lead with integrity. David Massell, a resident of ward 6 and a professor of history at UVM specializing in Canadian, American, and indigenous history, shared that, with his colleagues, he has organized the 3 public forums on indigenous identity at UVM. These forums brought the issue to the public. For 250 years Americans have played at being native. It was in the 1970 during the red power and civil rights movements that Americans began falsely claiming native status. It is a wide spread phenomenon called race shifting. Native people believe this to be a continuation of colonization. The terrible inconvenient truth is that the entire leadership of the Vermont-state recognized native council has no connection to native Abenaki people. This has been fully researched by David LaRou. Yes, we recognized them as Abenaki with the state, but they were never required to provide proof. The process actively excluded the actual descendants of the original inhabitants of the area. Burlington should work with the actual Abenaki. We do not have to follow the mistake of the legislature. Burlington can and will do better. Denise Watso is a member of the Abenaki Nation and shared that she was glad to be able to speak. Her father is Freddy Watso. Watso means mountain in the Abenaki language. Watso is making a statement on behalf of grand council. Replacing the decaying statue with a new piece is a move in the right direction, but it needs to be with the official, recognized Abenaki nations. 98% of individuals in the 4 Vermont state recognized groups have no actual Abenaki ancestry. There is a bill in the legislature to repair the harm that was done by recognizing non-native people claiming ancestry. Watso urges the city to reconsider their current partnerships. The Odanak and Wolinak communities are open to discussions and would like to be involved. Many of Chief Greylock’s actual descendants are alive today in the Odanak and Wolinak communities. Honoring Greylock’s legacy means working with the community that carries his bloodline. Respecting Greylock means respecting his people. This project must be grounded in recognition and truth. Watso wants this project to build bridges, but those bridges must be built on truth. Public forum was closed at 4:30pm Update on Public Art – Colin Storrs provided a brief summary on the current state of the Chief Greylock project. The city assessed the condition of the piece back in October of 2024. At that time, the statue was in a state that posed a threat to public safety. It need to be taken down and deaccessioned. The city reached out to the Missisquoi Abenaki nation because the 2022 city council resolution directs staff to work with them CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov as point of contact on Indigenous matters. BCA worked on a path forward with the Missisquoi and requested their direction on how to proceed. The Missisquoi supported the deaccessioning of the statue which was approved by council in the spring of 2025. Work was completed following a discussion with original artist of the piece, and ultimately the piece was returned to original artist. Next, BCA initiated the gift assessment project so that the Missisquoi could provide new piece. This will go before the city council to be accepted as a new asset for the city. BCA took more care with this than with other times the city has undertaken this process. This piece has a political nature which makes it tricky. BCA is currently looking at the foundation of the piece and whether the gift will match up to the current foundation without a lot of additions. The next step will be public feedback and a discussion in front of council. They are still gathering community voices, technical information, and looking to have a more public discussion. Schachter apologized for not being able to be present in the room for the discussion and shared her gratitude for all who spoke. She asked what the timeline moving forward is and what the trajectory of the project looks like. Colin explained that BCA is looking to the council in regards to how in depth the process needs to be. The process laid out in the public art ordinance just requires that the council to decide what to do. If there is a wider discussion it would be up to the council to direct it. Neubieser asked for clarity in terms of the 2022 council resolution. He asked if the resolution is specific to this piece or art or if it applies in general. Storrs was not comfortable answering that question for wider city staff, but his interpretation is that it’s a path forward for this process. Neubieser added that he doesn’t revel in the opportunity to litigate anyone’s identity, admitting that there is not a high level of standard regarding the state recognition process which puts the council in a challenging position. He was not sure if PACC or a single department can litigate such a complex situation in a way that feels like they’re making complete, informed decisions. He asked what the conversation has been like with the different communities to date. Storrs shared that they had a clear starting point from the 2022 resolution and they started by working with the Missisquoi. When it became a wider conversation they connected with Denise and other Abenaki grand council members. They are looking to draw in other voices to create a more in depth document before going before council with any new plan. This has been the subject of several multi-departmental meetings. They have also been working with REIB to figure out who will be involved in further discussions. As this has become a topic outside of BCA’s expertise, they’re looking to draw in people that can speak with more expertise aspects that go beyond BCA’s purview. Sophie Sauve added that work regarding community and relationship building has been led by REIB. BCA has focused on the art side, and BPRW is the host location. REIB is leading that part of the project and could better speak to the work being done and policies being implemented. Neubieser asked for confirmation that the team is looking to responsibly, ethically, and in good faith work with indigenous communities which all city staffers involved in the project confirmed. Schachter was unsure when the project will be coming before council, but she would be happy to reach out to REIB to get update. She would like to have that be a conversation at the next meeting. Or CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov possibly get a full update from REIB at the next meeting. Neubieser asked Holli Bushnell to reach out to REIB to attend the next meeting. He doesn’t feel qualified to sift through this as an individual and feels the broader conversation on native inclusion is needed at State level. In the meantime, Burlington needs to make sure this project is done ethically and respectfully. He feels we will need to rely on REIB for guidance, even beyond this project. Sauve asked if the 2022 resolution could be included in the next packet. Neubieser reiterated that he would like to invite REIB to next meeting. He encouraged folks to share relevant materials with himself or Bushnell. If anyone wants to reach out after this meeting to request time to present outside of public forum that would be possible. BPRW Ordinance Update – Before the committee began the discussion, Schachter confirmed that edits to sections 2 and 5 had already come before the council and that edits need to be made before they can be reconsidered. Deryk Roach confirmed that that is also his understanding and sections 2 and 5 should go on the next PACC agenda. Bushnell confirmed she would do so. Nathan Lantieri, chair of the parks commission, added that the city attorney gave the commission some additional pieces of advice. The parks commission will likely pass the changes and send it right back to PACC. Schachter reconfirmed that the city attorney’s office just hadn’t seen the latest changes yet and that there may be one or two other minor changes coming next week. Lantieri continued by explaining the next area, Item 7, relates to off leash dog areas. This is something that the parks commission has been working on for a year after dog task force wrapped up their. Existing ordinances in Appendix D are outdated and the commission has undertaken a full re-write. They have gone through a long back and forth deliberative process and are formally establishing 3 off- leash areas, all of which are fenced in. This is stated both in Section 7 and in off leash dog policy (interdepartmental). The language has been sent to the attorneys, but Lantieri was unsure if they’ve given approval yet. Schachter shared that she would find it helpful to understand what’s been changed. She asked if the commission could provide a document showing track changes. Mostly she would like to know what’s changed. Lantieri reiterated that the text is entirely brand new. Everything in section 7 expired in 2001 or 2002 so the commission had to start from scratch. The commission used what existed as a jumping off point but the language has been expanded on. Schachter reiterated that it would be helpful to understand what is different as she’s not sure what she should be looking at. Neubieser asked if it would it make sense to re-agendize these items and approve them all at once. He asked if it made more sense to approve all of them together instead of doing them piecemeal, section by section. Lantieri agreed that that made sense but thought it might take longer to complete the work that way. Schachter felt it would be helpful if before the next meeting for Lantieri to follow up with the CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov city attorney to see that everything has gone through the attorney’s office. She would also appreciate it if he could use the expired base and create a track changes version for PACC. BPRW Staffing challenges memo – Lantieri shared that the memo came out of work the parks commission has been doing over the course of the last two months. They have been hearing a lot of concerns from staff regarding being able to provide same quality of service while still dealing with ramifications of staffing losses. Generally, staff still love their work, but they are extra stressed trying to meet all the burdens the staffing losses laid on them. The Parks Commission sees that this moral challenge could lead to a decline in the quality of service to the public. Staff feel over worked and under-appreciated, like anyone can lose their job at any time. This is what the commission has been hearing regarding how city staff is feeling. They wanted to make it clear that, while RIF took place earlier this year, staff are still dealing with the fall out every day. BPRW has roughly figured out how to run department with reduced workforce and make the necessary changes, but beyond that, there’s still some healing that needs to happen. BPRW staff are still carrying the burden, and the parks commission does not feel like staff has received enough support. City employees aren’t always able to advocate their needs and interests in public settings. As a member of the public, Lantieri feels we need help our BPRW staff Kane shared that he appreciated the information as he wasn’t aware of much of that. Schachter felt grateful that this issue is being flagged and for the chance for open dialogue. There has been so much transition. It feels like an appropriate agenda item coming back after the high season. She has heard some concerns from community members around things being cut and things that are still unclear. Schachter felt that there are two aspects to the situation. First, internally there are departmental challenges. She is looking for thoughts on how to transition through this hard time. Second is external in terms of what the impact on community is. What has been reduced? She doesn’t have clarity and is hoping to get public clarity as well. BPRW has a real impact on the quality of life for Burlington residents. She genuinely cares that we can actually talk about this. Schachter wants to learn more and wants the council to be able to better support staff. Lantieri is glad to have the dialogue. In terms of services, things haven’t fully shaken out yet, but the two lead rec managers were removed, so the Rec department has had to go through a major shift. That is one place that was a pinch point. Neubieser shared that he has already talked a bit about staffing challenges. He also felt that it’s not easy for staff to advocate for themselves and that the main priorities should be maintaining our rec piece. Until BPRW has a new director it’s going to be challenging to really feel like we’re on stable footing and get a better idea of what the next three to five years look like. He felt it would be helpful to get a breakdown of services BPRW provides from the new director to make sure we’re on track. His main concern is that we’re not just shifting work around, reducing staff hours while still trying to maintain the same level of support. BPRW needs to find equilibrium. He asked if there is there a pause until there’s a new director or are there more immediate things PACC can work on. CITY OF BURLINGTON Councilor Carter Neubieser, Chair, Ward 1 PARKS, ARTS & CULTURE COMMITTEE Councilor Joe Kane, Ward 3 Councilor Allie Schachter, East District Staff: Holli Bushnell, Office Assistant Lakeview Cemetery hbushnell@burlingtonvt.gov Lantieri shared that the way that a lot of parks programing and services and work timelines are thought about are longer range. The inventory of services is already happening. It will change when there’s a new director, but a lot of things are already on rails, so it doesn’t necessarily need to wait for the new director. Staff is still executing and directing programs. Neubieser understood the situation that Lantieri was describing. He shared that he will reach out to mayor’s team to get a timeline update on the new director hiring process. He wondered if it would make sense to have the service inventory conversation as the next step. He also added that he likes the increased communication between the parks commission and PACC. He doesn’t want to add more meetings for folks, but it was great having Lantieri present to explain the commission’s perspective. Deryk Roach shared that the service inventory is already happening. He also reiterated that the city let go of the two long term employees who knew everything about recreation. There are no other employees to do what they did. Because of this, BPRW doesn’t know what the plan was, what the plan can be, or what we do now. BPRW has provided programs for 30 to 40 years, and now a parks comprehensive planner overseeing the department, but there is no one who can answer some of these questions. We don’t have a direction; what was the vision of letting go of 8 rec employees and who can we find or empower to lead division. We need to be able to answer that question and right now we can’t. Neubieser appreciated Roach’s explanation and added that his comments will inform the next conversation we have at PACC. Schachter asked if we know the hiring time and Lantieri confirmed that the commission has not gotten an update. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 5:20pm. The next meeting to be held on 10/23/2025 at 4:30pm at 645 Pine St and via Zoom.

Agenda

Packet

City Council - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room MEETING TO BE HELD IN PERSON AT 645 PINE ST FRONT CONFERENCE ROOM AND VIA ZOOM When: Oct 8, 2025 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: PACC meeting https://zoom.us/j/93519051644 Phone one-tap: +16469313860,,93519051644# US +19292056099,,93519051644# US (New York) Join via audio: +1 646 931 3860 US +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) Webinar ID: 935 1905 1644 International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/adUHRldpNz 1. Call to Order Subject 1.1. Call to Order Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 1. Call to Order Department Type 2. Approve Agenda & Minutes 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda 2.2. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes 3. Public Forum Subject 3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 3. Public Forum Department Page 1 of 19 Type 4. Agenda Subject 4.1. Update on Public Art - Chief Greylock Statue - Doreen Kraft Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 4. Agenda Department Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront Type Recommended Action Subject 4.2. Violent Crime and Quality of Life Enforcement - Chief Shawn Burke Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 4. Agenda Department Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront Type Recommended Action Subject 4.3. Library Strategic Directions - Mary Danko Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 4. Agenda Department Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront Type Recommended Action Subject 4.4. BPRW Ordinance Updates Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 4. Agenda Department Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront Type Recommended Action Subject 4.5. BPRW Staffing Challenges memo Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Page 2 of 19 Category 4. Agenda Department Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront Type Recommended Action 5. Adjournment Subject 5.1. Motion to adjourn Meeting October 8, 2025 - Parks, Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4:00 PM, 645 Pine St., Front Conference Room Category 5. Adjournment Department Council and Board Type Recommended Action 6. Informational and Non-Discrimination Statements The City of Burlington will not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, HIV positive status, crime victim status or genetic information. The City is also committed to providing proper access to services, facilities and employment opportunities. The programs and services of the City of Burlington are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals who require special arrangements, auxiliary aid, service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Burlington, should contact the office of the Title II Burlington ADA Coordinator at 802-865-7000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. Page 3 of 19 CITY OF BURLINGTON ORDINANCE ___________ Sponsor: Parks, Arts & Culture Committee (PACC) Public Hearing Dates: ___________ In the Year Two Thousand Twenty-Five ______________ First reading: _________________ Referred to: ___________________ An Ordinance in Relation to Rules suspended and placed in all stages of passage: ______________ An Amendment to Appendix D, Sections 2 and 5, Updating Parks Second reading: ________________ Rules and Regulations Action: ______________________ Date: ________________________ Signed by Mayor: ______________ Published: ____________________ Effective: _____________________ It is hereby Ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington as follows: 1 That Appendix D, Rules and Regulations of the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department, of the Code of 2 Ordinances of the City of Burlington hereby is amended by amending Section 2 and Section 5, thereof to 3 read as follows: 4 2 Perkins Pier Marina, Waterfront Park and Community Boathouse. 5 (A) Safety and Courtesy: 6 (1) Motorists shall not operate any motor vehicle within the land area of Perkins Pier or Waterfront Park 7 at a speed in excess of five (5) miles per hour. 8 (2) Motorists shall park automobiles and boat trailers only in areas designated for that purpose and shall 9 ensure that said vehicles and/or trailers do not block or impede pedestrian and bicycle access along 10 designated pedestrian and bicycle paths. Persons wishing to use launching facilities may do so only after 11 purchase of an appropriate daily vehicle entrance ticket permit or season’s vehicle and trailer vehicle 12 entrance pass. 13 (B) Season and Transient Docking Permits: 14 (1) No seasonal boater person shall tie up overnight to any slip or bulkhead without first having acquired 15 a contract transient permit signed by the Marina Manager Dock Master or having paid a transient fee. 16 (2) Transient Vvessels within the approved docking or mooring areas are presumed to be overnight if they 17 remain after 78:00 p.m. E.D.T. All Transient Boaters are required to check in with the Dockmaster upon 18 arrival and acquire an overnight permit and pay an overnight fee. 19 (23) Vessel oOwner must provide adequate line and feneders and maintain them in proper condition and 20 arrangement. In the interest of safety, the DockmMaster may require that dock lines and feneders be 21 changed or altered. Iin an emergency situation threatening damage to the owner’s vessel, another vessel 22 or property of the City of Burlington. The DockmMaster may cause appropriate lines and feneders to be 23 attached to the owner’s vessel and do other necessary work and the cost of so doing shall be charged to 24 the vessel owner. Page 4 of 19 Page 2 An Ordinance in Relation to An Amendment to Appendix D sections 2 and 5, Rules and Regulations of City Park 25 (34) The City of Burlington can will provide docking assistance and will maintain reasonable surveillance 26 during regular hours but will not be held responsible for the security and/or safe-keeping of vessels moored 27 or docked at the facility. 28 (45) Theis seasonal dock or mooring agreement is not transferable and the City reserves the right to use 29 accommodations reserved by this agreement during temporary vacancies by owner. Owner shall give the 30 City advance notice of commencement and duration of such vacancies of 48 hours. There is no 31 permissible subletting of the slip or mooring by vessel owner at any time or length. The vessel in the 32 assigned slip must be registered in the vessel owner’s name and align with the same name on the 33 permit/contract. 34 (56) After May 1st no refunds will be given to persons choosing not to use a designated slip or mooring 35 after having previously made payment to reserve said slip or mooring for the season. The only exception 36 would be if the Department is able to refill the space at full value by May 15th of the same year. 37 (67) In no case may flame, heating elements, inflammable liquids, explosive gases or other hazardous 38 materials or equipment be used on the vessel while it remains at the City’s facilities, but the use of 39 contained approved galley stoves, lamps, motors and other equipment shall be allowed in accordance with 40 manufacturer guidelines. 41 (78) Owner expressly undertakes and agrees to hold the City harmless with respect to damage or loss to 42 or of the vessel or its outfit, except such damage as may be conclusively attributed to the City’s own 43 negligence, and this undertaking is provided to induce the City to enter into this agreement. 44 (89) Season’s docking permit rates shall be set annually by the Harbor Commission, subject to final 45 approval of the City Council. Persons acquiring a larger or smaller boat during the permit period shall have 46 their fee altered and prorated on the basis of the amount of the season left. Boats shall not tie up prior to 47 May 15th or later than October 15th without written permission from the HarbormMaster or Deputy 48 Harbormaster. Season’s slips remaining open after July 1 may, after due notice by the Harbor Commission, 49 be reclaimed and reallocated by the Harbormaster or Deputy Harbormaster Commission. 50 (910) Permit holders failing to remove vessel from assigned slip by October 15 are subject to a late fee 51 and/or towing fee set annually by the Harbor Commission. 52 (11) All permit holders, both seasonal and transient and their guests, are expected to conduct themselves 53 in a respectful manner. Belligerent behavior, harassment of guests or staff or conduct disruptive to the 54 operations of the marina will not be tolerated and are reasons for immediate removal. The Harbormaster or 55 Deputy Harbormaster have the ability to revoke any permit, either temporary or permanent, if behavior is 56 found to be disruptive. 57 (12) All boaters staying at our docks or moorings are required to provide Vessel insurance in such 58 coverage types and amounts as recommended by the City’s professional insurance consultant. 59 (130) Additionally, rules set annually by the Parks and Recreation Commission and Harbor Commission 60 are in effect and enforceable by ordinance. Page 5 of 19 Page 3 An Ordinance in Relation to An Amendment to Appendix D sections 2 and 5, Rules and Regulations of City Park 61 5 Park closings. 62 (A) Motor vehicles are prohibited at all times within the confines of City Hall Park, Champlain Street Park, 63 Lakeside Park, Pomeroy Park, Roosevelt Park, Smalley Park and Battery Park. 64 (B) Motor vehicles are permitted to be driven and/or parked within the confines of Waterfront Park, Leddy Park, 65 South Calahan Park, Oakledge Park, Schmanska Park, Ethan Allen Park, North Beach Park and Perkins Pier, 66 provided that: 67 (1) Motor vehicles shall be excluded from the confines of Leddy Park between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., 68 except that motor vehicles may be driven and/or parked within the confines of Leddy Park during such time 69 for the purpose of attending scheduled skating events at Gordon H. Paquette Municipal Arena. Motor 70 vehicles shall be excluded from Perkins Pier between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., except that 71 motor vehicles may be driven and/or parked within the confines of Perkins Pier if the person driving and/or 72 parking such vehicles displays on his or her dash-board a late parking permit obtained from the attendant 73 upon admission to the Pier. 74 (2) Motor vehicles shall be excluded from the confines of Schmanska Park, Ethan Allen Park, Waterfront 75 Park and Oakledge Park between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. 76 (3) Motor vehicles shall be excluded from the confines of North Beach Campground Park, unless access 77 and parking within the campsite area are allowed by reservation permit, between May 15 and October 14. 78 Saturday at 6:00 a.m. on the last weekend in April and the end of Labor Day in the following manner: 79 (a4) Motor vehicles shall be excluded from the "beanch parking lot" between May 15 and October 80 15 from dusk to dawn. as follows: 81 1. Between 9:30 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. or 82 2. Within twenty (20) minutes after the time that the lifeguard in charge shall announce that the 83 beach is closed. 84 (45) Between midnight on Labor Day and 6:00 a.m. on the last Saturday of April October 15 and May 14 85 motor vehicles shall be excluded from the confines of North Beach Park, including the campground and the 86 beach. between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. 87 (56) Motor vehicles shall not be parked within the confines of any city park except in those areas properly 88 designated and marked parking areas. Motor vehicles shall not be parked within the confines of a city park 89 except by those using the park for recreational purposes. 90 (C) The Director of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront superintendent of parks or tour commander of Chief of the 91 police department or their designee shall have the authority to close any park to vehicles and/or person on a 92 temporary basis for the following reasons: 93 (1) Maintenance and/or construction. Page 6 of 19 Page 4 An Ordinance in Relation to An Amendment to Appendix D sections 2 and 5, Rules and Regulations of City Park 94 (2) For public protection from conditions caused by weather or climate. 95 (3) When there is reason to believe that the closing of such park is necessary for the maintenance of 96 order, safety and decency in such park and in those areas surrounding such park. 97 (D) The Director of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront superintendent of parks may, as authorized by the Parks 98 Commission board of parks and recreation commissioners, allow vehicles in prohibited areas for special events 99 occurring in such areas. Additionally, the foregoing restrictions on motor vehicles shall not apply to city vehicles 100 or personal vehicles while being used for official City business. 101 (E) There shall be stop signs placed at the following locations within the city parks: 102 (1) At the Flynn Avenue exit from Oakledge Park. 103 (2) At the North Avenue exit from Leddy Park. 104 (3) At the North Beach entrance. 105 (4) At the entrance to Perkins Pier. 106 (F) No person shall park a motor vehicle in any parking space on Perkins Pier which is marked for boat trailers. 107 (FG) Closing hours for City Hall Park. City Hall Park shall be closed for public use from 12:00 midnight until 108 6:00 a.m. on a daily basis. This park closing shall not aeffect pedestrian crossings through the park. 109 110 111 112 * Material stricken out deleted. 113 ** Material underlined added. 114 115 em/hm/Ordinances 2025/ An Amendment to Appendix D, Sections 2 and 5 Rules and Regulations of the Burlington Parks and Recreation 116 Department 117 July 14, 2025 Page 7 of 19 MEMO To: Burlington Parks, Arts and Culture Committee of the Burlington City Council From: Burlington Parks and Recreation Commission Date: September 9, 2025 Subject: Proposed Update of Section 7 to City Ordinance Appendix D Background: In 1999, the City started plans for the first off-leash fenced dog parks in Burlington at Starr Farm Park and Waterfront Park. These areas were completed in 2001/2002. At that time, the City added a section to Appendix D (Section 7) that allowed for the creation of fenced dog parks, including Starr Farm and Waterfront Park, as well as areas set aside for non-fenced off-leash spaces. This was a pilot and was never finalized or readopted. Despite sunsetting 18 months after inclusion within Appendix D, the language from this pilot project is still included in Burlington’s Code of Ordinance more than 20 years later. In order to respond to growing community concern regarding dogs in public spaces, the Burlington City Council formed an ad hoc study committee of community members in 2021, known as the Dog Task Force. With a goal to comprehensively examine city policy towards dogs, their work included recommendations for off-leash use, enforcement, licensing, and related issues. Over the course of two years, this group met regularly, culminating in the release of their final report in December 2023. The Parks Commission began deliberation on the recommendations in May 2024 by first pursuing to creation of a sub-committee of commissioners and members of the public. The purpose of this process was to determine how the recommendations in the Dog Task Force final report pertain to the work of the Parks Commission, specifically with regards to the off-leash dogs in City parks and the existing language in Appendix D, Section 7. At this time, the broader commission paused deliberation on the recommendations until the sub- committee could present a plan for next steps. However, largely due to scheduling challenges, this sub-committee was never convened and the work related to off-leash dogs in parks was returned to the entire Parks Commission in April 2025. Crafting the off-leash dog policy has been a deliberative item on the Parks Commission agenda each month from April to September 2025. The amendments below represent the recommended changes to Appendix D, Section 7, to be replaced entirely by the new language. Additionally, this Page 8 of 19 document includes the creation of the Burlington Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront (BPRW) Off- Leash Dog Policy (OLDP). Structurally, Appendix D, Section 7 will dictate rules for off-leash dog areas in city parks, including their establishment and general rules for the public in these designated areas. The OLDP provides further clarification and specificity for BPRW operations pertaining to off-leash dog areas in parks. Proposed amendments to Burlington Code or Ordinance Appendix D, Sec. 7. Off-leash dogs in city parks A. Off-Leash Dog Policy. The Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department (PRW) shall maintain an Off-Leash Dog Policy (OLDP) as approved by the Parks Commission. The policy may be modified by PRW with the approval of the Parks Commission. Burlington Code of Ordinance Appendix D Section 7 shall govern the establishment of off-leash dog areas and general rules for the public in these designated areas. The OLDP shall govern PRW operations of off-leash dog opportunities. B. Designation of Areas. Areas may be designated for the purpose of allowing dogs to be under control of the guardian owner or guardian’s owner’s agent by means other than physical restraint. Opportunities, where possible, shall be dispersed across the city. 1. As defined in Burlington Ordinance Section 22-13, dogs shall be leashed or controlled by other similar means of physical restraint at all times within city parks, except in designated off-leash areas 2. Permanent off-leash fenced dog areas shall be located at: i. Oakledge Park ii. Starr Farm Dog Park iii. Urban Reserve 3. There are no areas designated as unfenced off-leash dog areas within the City of Burlington’s parks. C. Public Information. 1. PRW shall provide information about off-leash dog opportunities through onsite signage and through its website, including maps, hours, and references to rules & policies pertinent to off-leash dog areas. 2. If Appendix D Section 7 or the OLDP has been modified, PRW shall conduct an outreach campaign for a period of up to 18 months to educate the community about how the changes impact off-leash dogs in City parks. PRW may conduct additional awareness campaigns about dogs in City parks at the Department’s discretion. D. General Rules for Areas Designated as Off-Leash Dog Areas. 1. A person taking a dog into an off-leash area shall have the dog held on leash when entering and exiting the off-leash area. 2. A person taking a dog into an off-leash area shall maintain voice, hand, or leash control over the dog at all times while the dog is in the off-leash area. Such person shall have a leash in their possession at all times. 3. A person taking a dog into an off-leash area is responsible for all actions of the dog, shall keep the dog within their vision at all times, and shall remove the dog when their Page 9 of 19 behavior is in violation of the City of Burlington Code of Ordinances, including but not limited to Appendix D Section 7, or the PRW OLDP. 4. The following are prohibited in off-leash dog areas: i. Glass containers. ii. Human food. iii. Female dogs in heat. iv. Excessive barking, howling, or other noise. v. Bullying of other dogs. vi. Failure to remove feces; All feces shall be removed from the off-leash area and placed in the appropriate receptacle. vii. Unlicensed dogs; All dogs shall be licensed and display valid license tags. viii. Dangerous dogs as defined by Burlington Code of Ordinances, Article II, Section 5-13. ix. More than 3 dogs per person. x. Children under 12 years of age unaccompanied by an adult. E. Enforcement. 1. In addition to the penalties provided for by ordinance, a person or dog that violates the rules of this section is subject to ejection from the off-leash area as defined in the OLDP and may be ejected from park premises. 2. A person who violates any rules or policies applicable to off-leash dog areas on two (2) occasions within a twelve-month period shall be barred from taking any dog into the off- leash areas during the six (6) months subsequent to the second violation. Additional violations may incur additional penalties beyond those described in this section, at the discretion of the PRW Director. 3. In addition to the penalties provided for by ordinance, a duly authorized enforcement officer may impound a dog for a violation of the rules of this section or for activities determined to be a nuisance. 4. In addition to the penalties provided for by ordinance, all violations of Appendix D and the OLDP may include a restorative justice process with the Burlington Community Justice Center. 5. The PRW and the Police Department shall collaborate to educate and enforce the rules and policies applicable to off-leash dog areas. F. Administration. 1. Commercial Use of Parks. The PRW may issue a permit and charge a fee to allow for commercial use of off-leash dog areas by professional trainers, and for-profit and not- for-profit animal organizations. Portions of the off-leash dog areas shall remain available for unencumbered use by the public as off-leash areas during these events. Fees collected by PRW for commercial use shall be used for the establishment, operations, or improvements of designated off-leash dog areas. Commercial use of off- leash dog areas without a permit shall result in a fine as set for in Chapter 22 section 23 of the Burlington Code of Ordinances. Commercial use of off-leash dog areas may be further defined or modified by the OLDP. 2. Closure of Off-leash areas. The PRW Director may, upon a finding of need at a particular off-leash area, close the area to off-leash use. The reopening of such area is at the discretion of the Director. The Director shall post a notice indicating that the area has been closed for off-leash use at the entrance to the area and at other locations in the area if needed to give notice to the public of the closing. Page 10 of 19 OFF-LEASH DOG POLICY Purpose: The Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department (PRW) shall maintain an Off-Leash Dog Policy (OLDP) as approved by the Parks Commission. The policy may be modified by PRW with the approval of the Parks Commission. Burlington Code of Ordinance Appendix D Section 7 shall govern the establishment of off-leash dog areas and general rules for the public in these designated areas. The OLDP shall govern PRW operations of off-leash dog opportunities. Areas of Policy A. Designation of Areas and Times of Operations. The following areas are off-leash areas, as designated herein or on site: 1. Fenced Dog Parks i. Starr Farm Park (year-round). Times. The designated area may be used year-round from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier. ii. Urban Reserve (year-round). Times. The designated area is open for off-leash use at any time. iii. Oakledge Park (year-round) Times. The designated area is open for off-leash use during the hours the parking lot is open for vehicle parking. 2. Unfenced Off-Leash areas i. There are no areas designated as unfenced off-leash dog areas within the City’s parks. ii. Off-leash dogs outside of areas designated as fenced dog parks are prohibited in the City’s parks. B. Rules for Commercial Use of Off-Leash Fenced areas a. Commercial users are required to be a Program in the Parks participant. b. Commercial users are responsible for creating any boundaries, with temporary fencing or by other temporary means, required to meet their needs and that of the other users. c. Commercial users are limited to twelve days per year exclusive of commercial uses that do not restrict other uses of the area. d. No more than one commercial user may use the same dog park concurrently. Off- leash dogs will be permitted to access any areas of the off-leash area that are not separated by temporary or permanent fencing. e. With the exception of extraordinary circumstances, no more than 33% of an off- leash dog area shall be permitted to be restricted for commercial use. f. Commercial use shall not interfere with standard entrances and exits from the off- leash dog area. i. If any PRW staff time is required for the event, commercial users of the park are responsible for all costs related to the staff time. PRW staff will only be made available with the approval of the PRW Director ii. Commercial users will be responsible for all costs related to set-up, operations, security, and cleanup for all events. iii. Standard PRW Department requirements for reserving parks apply. Page 11 of 19 MEMO To: Burlington Parks, Arts and Culture Committee of the Burlington City Council From: Burlington Parks and Recreation Commission Date: September 9, 2025 Subject: Overview of current Burlington Parks and Recreation and Waterfront Staffing Challenges The purpose of this memo is to summarize some of the challenges facing the Burlington Parks and Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) Team as summer concludes, to celebrate the accomplishments of BPRW staff in the face of these challenges, and to share information with Burlington leaders in order to collaborate to seek solutions. In May 2025 the City of Burlington made difficult decisions to close a large budget gap. $5.4 million in cuts were made to balance the budget, which included a Reduction in Force (RIF) laying off 18 city workers and eliminating seven other vacant positions. We recognize and appreciate the hard work and difficult decisions that went into this budgeting process at all levels of the City. BPRW had the largest number of layoffs, with eight full-time staff laid off during the RIF, including two division directors. These staffing and budget cuts also coincided with the departure of the outgoing BPRW Director at the end of June, leaving the department without critical leadership during this major transition period. The three remaining BPRW Division Directors stepped in not only for the departed BPRW Director, but also for the other two division directors whose positions were eliminated during the layoffs. This left three Division Directors to fill six roles during Burlington’s busiest recreation season (summer). Other BPRW staff were required to take on the workload of the positions that were eliminated. In many instances, due to existing contracts or conflicting mandates from City administration, staff were required to maintain the high quality of service expected in Burlington’s parks and events with less support. These compounding issues have tangibly impacted morale within BPRW, with the impact of this tumultuous period still unfolding as staff reckon with the future of their programs and careers. From conversations with staff, Commissioners have heard: - Exhaustion from overwork during their busy season, - Fear around potential future cuts impacting livelihood, - Sadness for the way their coworkers were removed, - Confusion on how they can hire workers in the current City framework to maintain service quality, - Exasperation over feeling powerless during City decision making that impacts the future of parks, - Insufficient recognition of their years of dedicated civil service to the city of Burlington. We would like to recognize the significant efforts of the BPRW staff who have navigated Burlington’s busy summer season while understaffed, to recommend the need for a longer-term mending of trust broken between the department and City administration, and to share some details on what the city should seek in a new BPRW Director. 1 Page 12 of 19 Significant BPRW Summer 2025 accomplishments include (among many others!): Parks & Facilities: ▪ During the months of June/July, rangers Noticed and Removed 37 camps in park spaces. During the month of July we connected 10+ of our unhoused community to services and support. The kind efforts of Niel Preston and Jake Payne was featured in Seven Days. ▪ Active parks construction projects include: o Leddy Bike Park o Leddy Roller Rink o Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage Memorial Healing Space • Ongoing maintenance is a large part of BPRW’s role. Examples of facilities work, just during this summer period, includes: o Ongoing working group meetings for future Public Safety building o Additional camera installations at Library, Pine Street, Station 2 and City Hall o Completed Bay Floor replacement at Station 2 o Key core program and office repair projects completed at BCA o Phase one of current BPD HVAC project complete…phase 2 is underway o Air conditioning condenser repaired at Arena o PM service complete for City Hall HVAC o Repaired pressure washer at Pine Street o Ongoing graffiti removal and clean up o Ongoing maintenance of rain gardens and parks landscapes throughout the City o Ongoing removal of ash trees throughout the City: www.burlingtonvt.gov/975/Active- ImprovementProjects o Completion of tree work service requests from VueWorks and SeeClickFix as necessary o The Fishing Pier lighting has been replaced with new parks standard fixtures. o Staff setup and worked the Brew Fest and Dragon Boat events. o Staff have started replacing bridge planks on RT 127 Bike Path bridge. Recreation: • Recreation and Nutrition continued to offer over 200 free lunches and 250 free dinners a week for 7 weeks of the Summer across 4 different ‘pop-up’ style camp sites around the city. Kids enjoyed swimming and other adventurous field trips, crafts, field games, as well as on-site enrichment such as story tellers, 4 Winds Nature Institute, and the Fletcher Free Library. The support and consistency provided by counselors truly made a positive impact on the families in the vulnerable communities BPRW served! • July and August was filled with many camps: skate camps, tennis camps, soccer camps, ultimate camp, baseball camp, disc golf camp, and waterfront adventures camp. There were also several programs taking place: soccer clinics, track & field, and adult tennis programs. • Miller has been the site of Champ Camp all summer and will soon be transitioning into becoming the new Recreation Team headquarters. • Two brand new registration based specialty camps took place in July, Nature Camp, a smashing introduction to hosting youth enrichment at Kieslich Park (Thank you conservation!) and Zach’s Magic Camp. The warm reception from families and the enthusiastic good times had by participants provides clear evidence that we will continue to offer these programs in future Summers! • The CORE has been wrapping up operations in preparation for the lease to end at the end of September. CORE has hosted a number of specialty camps and older adult programming for a very vibrant and fun last summer. The last day of BPRW programming was August 21. 2 Page 13 of 19 Waterfront: • Events: July 3rd Event was a success, even though Mother Nature tested us with a full-site evacuation. A wonderful show for the Community, and one of the first big tests for the BPRW team after the loss of valued staff members. BPRW has completed over 80% of our Waterfront Events for the 2025 Season and are starting to work through the process of opening the 2026 season for current producers in the Fall. • Beaches: The BPRW team continues active and effective monitoring and both online and physical communications with beach goers to ensure safe beach usage in the face of cyanobacteria and e.Coli • At North Beach the team has had to address multiple behavior issues and incidents, finding public intoxication issues are higher this year, with tempers quick to rise in the public. BPRW has called BPD consistently throughout this Summer to help with these issues, and are thankful for their support. • Campground: The Campground has been steady in reservations, however we definitely notice a decline in our Canadian customers. • Marina: Hosted seasonal and transient boaters, events like the Antique & Classic Boat Show and The Poker Run, an annual gathering of speed boats (raises money for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta) all amidst navigating low lake levels during mid and late August. This re-emphasizes how important the upcoming Harbor dredging project is for us. We can expect to lose out on transient revenues as we need to re-allocate those slips to accommodate our seasonal slip holders whose slips are now too shallow to use. These are just illustrative examples of accomplishments and ongoing work of our BPRW staff during one of the busiest and most beautiful summers Burlington has seen in a long time. These are a sample of their work to recognize the efforts of the BPRW team in the face of significant adversity. We invite ongoing review of staff achievements monthly in the Director’s Report for additional and useful details each month. BPRW is asked to manage many of the things that make Burlington into the city that residents and visitors expect it to be. They do so with dedication, excitement, grace, and most of all, love for public space and for the City of Burlington. They are the stewards of the public face of the City of Burlington – a strong parks network is one of the most highly visible components of a vibrant and healthy community. While the unfortunate reality of our current moment requires the City to make strategic cuts, the Parks Commission hopes city leadership will carefully consider the impact of prior cuts to BPRW as the city moves forward. We also recommend that the city consider what options may exist to rebuild trust between department staff and city leaders. While cuts may have been essential to keep the City operational, we must also recognize the RIF caused harm to current city employees that has not been resolved. To recognize the team that has supported our community through the summer and to set them up for success this Fall and going forward, the Commission also wishes to reflect on several elements we believe are key in the upcoming hire and appointment of a new BPRW Director. The new BPRW Director will need to be willing to lead through change. This individual will need to: • Lead and make difficult decisions about what recreation services can realistically continue to be offered to operate effectively at current budget and staffing levels; • Re-organize to operate effectively with reduced staffing levels; • Represent the important and cross-cutting work of BPRW in a city that is facing multiple and significant challenges, and advocate for the Parks to fill appropriate roles and responsibilities within the City; • Boost morale, ensure BPRW staff are supported in their important work, and heard and valued for their high technical and management skills and contributions, as reflected in the work outlined above. Nate Lantieri, Parks Commission Chair, is participating in the hiring panel for the new BPRW Director. He has/will aim to represent these perspectives as he is able during that process. 3 Page 14 of 19 Finally, the Parks Commission would like to formally request an agenda slot during an upcoming meeting of the Parks, Arts, and Culture (PAC) Committee, ideally the PAC September meeting to discuss any feedback or questions from PAC. We hope this memo, which was unanimously approved by the Parks Commission during our September meeting, updates you on the work of BPRW and the hopes of the Commission to rebuild morale within the department. Nate Lantieri & Kirstin Boehm Chair & Vice Chair Burlington Parks & Recreation Commission 4 Page 15 of 19 MEMO To: Burlington Parks, Arts and Culture Committee of the Burlington City Council From: Burlington Parks and Recreation Commission Date: September 9, 2025 Subject: Overview of current Burlington Parks and Recreation and Waterfront Staffing Challenges The purpose of this memo is to summarize some of the challenges facing the Burlington Parks and Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) Team as summer concludes, to celebrate the accomplishments of BPRW staff in the face of these challenges, and to share information with Burlington leaders in order to collaborate to seek solutions. In May 2025 the City of Burlington made difficult decisions to close a large budget gap. $5.4 million in cuts were made to balance the budget, which included a Reduction in Force (RIF) laying off 18 city workers and eliminating seven other vacant positions. We recognize and appreciate the hard work and difficult decisions that went into this budgeting process at all levels of the City. BPRW had the largest number of layoffs, with eight full-time staff laid off during the RIF, including two division directors. These staffing and budget cuts also coincided with the departure of the outgoing BPRW Director at the end of June, leaving the department without critical leadership during this major transition period. The three remaining BPRW Division Directors stepped in not only for the departed BPRW Director, but also for the other two division directors whose positions were eliminated during the layoffs. This left three Division Directors to fill six roles during Burlington’s busiest recreation season (summer). Other BPRW staff were required to take on the workload of the positions that were eliminated. In many instances, due to existing contracts or conflicting mandates from City administration, staff were required to maintain the high quality of service expected in Burlington’s parks and events with less support. These compounding issues have tangibly impacted morale within BPRW, with the impact of this tumultuous period still unfolding as staff reckon with the future of their programs and careers. From conversations with staff, Commissioners have heard: - Exhaustion from overwork during their busy season, - Fear around potential future cuts impacting livelihood, - Sadness for the way their coworkers were removed, - Confusion on how they can hire workers in the current City framework to maintain service quality, - Exasperation over feeling powerless during City decision making that impacts the future of parks, - Insufficient recognition of their years of dedicated civil service to the city of Burlington. We would like to recognize the significant efforts of the BPRW staff who have navigated Burlington’s busy summer season while understaffed, to recommend the need for a longer-term mending of trust broken between the department and City administration, and to share some details on what the city should seek in a new BPRW Director. 1 Page 16 of 19 Significant BPRW Summer 2025 accomplishments include (among many others!): Parks & Facilities: During the months of June/July, rangers Noticed and Removed 37 camps in park spaces. During the month of July we connected 10+ of our unhoused community to services and support. The kind efforts of Niel Preston and Jake Payne was featured in Seven Days. Active parks construction projects include: o Leddy Bike Park o Leddy Roller Rink o Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage Memorial Healing Space Ongoing maintenance is a large part of BPRW’s role. Examples of facilities work, just during this summer period, includes: o Ongoing working group meetings for future Public Safety building o Additional camera installations at Library, Pine Street, Station 2 and City Hall o Completed Bay Floor replacement at Station 2 o Key core program and office repair projects completed at BCA o Phase one of current BPD HVAC project complete…phase 2 is underway o Air conditioning condenser repaired at Arena o PM service complete for City Hall HVAC o Repaired pressure washer at Pine Street o Ongoing graffiti removal and clean up o Ongoing maintenance of rain gardens and parks landscapes throughout the City o Ongoing removal of ash trees throughout the City: www.burlingtonvt.gov/975/Active- ImprovementProjects o Completion of tree work service requests from VueWorks and SeeClickFix as necessary o The Fishing Pier lighting has been replaced with new parks standard fixtures. o Staff setup and worked the Brew Fest and Dragon Boat events. o Staff have started replacing bridge planks on RT 127 Bike Path bridge. Recreation: Recreation and Nutrition continued to offer over 200 free lunches and 250 free dinners a week for 7 weeks of the Summer across 4 different ‘pop-up’ style camp sites around the city. Kids enjoyed swimming and other adventurous field trips, crafts, field games, as well as on-site enrichment such as story tellers, 4 Winds Nature Institute, and the Fletcher Free Library. The support and consistency provided by counselors truly made a positive impact on the families in the vulnerable communities BPRW served! July and August was filled with many camps: skate camps, tennis camps, soccer camps, ultimate camp, baseball camp, disc golf camp, and waterfront adventures camp. There were also several programs taking place: soccer clinics, track & field, and adult tennis programs. Miller has been the site of Champ Camp all summer and will soon be transitioning into becoming the new Recreation Team headquarters. Two brand new registration based specialty camps took place in July, Nature Camp, a smashing introduction to hosting youth enrichment at Kieslich Park (Thank you conservation!) and Zach’s Magic Camp. The warm reception from families and the enthusiastic good times had by participants provides clear evidence that we will continue to offer these programs in future Summers! The CORE has been wrapping up operations in preparation for the lease to end at the end of September. CORE has hosted a number of specialty camps and older adult programming for a very vibrant and fun last summer. The last day of BPRW programming was August 21. 2 Page 17 of 19 Waterfront: Events: July 3rd Event was a success, even though Mother Nature tested us with a full-site evacuation. A wonderful show for the Community, and one of the first big tests for the BPRW team after the loss of valued staff members. BPRW has completed over 80% of our Waterfront Events for the 2025 Season and are starting to work through the process of opening the 2026 season for current producers in the Fall. Beaches: The BPRW team continues active and effective monitoring and both online and physical communications with beach goers to ensure safe beach usage in the face of cyanobacteria and e.Coli At North Beach the team has had to address multiple behavior issues and incidents, finding public intoxication issues are higher this year, with tempers quick to rise in the public. BPRW has called BPD consistently throughout this Summer to help with these issues, and are thankful for their support. Campground: The Campground has been steady in reservations, however we definitely notice a decline in our Canadian customers. Marina: Hosted seasonal and transient boaters, events like the Antique & Classic Boat Show and The Poker Run, an annual gathering of speed boats (raises money for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta) all amidst navigating low lake levels during mid and late August. This re-emphasizes how important the upcoming Harbor dredging project is for us. We can expect to lose out on transient revenues as we need to re-allocate those slips to accommodate our seasonal slip holders whose slips are now too shallow to use. These are just illustrative examples of accomplishments and ongoing work of our BPRW staff during one of the busiest and most beautiful summers Burlington has seen in a long time. These are a sample of their work to recognize the efforts of the BPRW team in the face of significant adversity. We invite ongoing review of staff achievements monthly in the Director’s Report for additional and useful details each month. BPRW is asked to manage many of the things that make Burlington into the city that residents and visitors expect it to be. They do so with dedication, excitement, grace, and most of all, love for public space and for the City of Burlington. They are the stewards of the public face of the City of Burlington – a strong parks network is one of the most highly visible components of a vibrant and healthy community. While the unfortunate reality of our current moment requires the City to make strategic cuts, the Parks Commission hopes city leadership will carefully consider the impact of prior cuts to BPRW as the city moves forward. We also recommend that the city consider what options may exist to rebuild trust between department staff and city leaders. While cuts may have been essential to keep the City operational, we must also recognize the RIF caused harm to current city employees that has not been resolved. To recognize the team that has supported our community through the summer and to set them up for success this Fall and going forward, the Commission also wishes to reflect on several elements we believe are key in the upcoming hire and appointment of a new BPRW Director. The new BPRW Director will need to be willing to lead through change. This individual will need to: Lead and make difficult decisions about what recreation services can realistically continue to be offered to operate effectively at current budget and staffing levels; Re-organize to operate effectively with reduced staffing levels; Represent the important and cross-cutting work of BPRW in a city that is facing multiple and significant challenges, and advocate for the Parks to fill appropriate roles and responsibilities within the City; Boost morale, ensure BPRW staff are supported in their important work, and heard and valued for their high technical and management skills and contributions, as reflected in the work outlined above. Nate Lantieri, Parks Commission Chair, is participating in the hiring panel for the new BPRW Director. He has/will aim to represent these perspectives as he is able during that process. 3 Page 18 of 19 Finally, the Parks Commission would like to formally request an agenda slot during an upcoming meeting of the Parks, Arts, and Culture (PAC) Committee, ideally the PAC September meeting to discuss any feedback or questions from PAC. We hope this memo updates you on the work of BPRW and the hopes of the Commission to rebuild morale within the department. 4 Page 19 of 19