Event Name: Members of Occupy Burlington Bring Recommendations to Mayor Weinberger
Location: City Hall Burlington Vermont, 6pm
With welcome basket in in hand (including a home-made “choc-uppy” as well as other delicacies) individuals from Occupy Burlington have decided to greet the incoming Mayor Miro Weinberger on his first evening in office. The Mayor is scheduled to attend a City Council meeting held in City Hall at 6pm. These occupiers are presenting the him with some suggested commitments for his 3 year term, hoping he’ll sign on. The group hopes that his encouragement in the early days of their encampment will hold true after the campaign trail has ended. The proposed commitments are as follows:
-Decreasing the gap between the median income of Burlingtonians and the housing rates.
-Creating at least ONE year-round shelter in Burlington which provides specialized substance abuse counselors and is specific to those suffering from substance abuse related issues.
-Creating a Church Street Market Place Accountability Process, in which a) Church Street marketplace is required to bring all proposed rules and/or legislation to well-advertised and reasonably scheduled Town Hall meetings that include a voting process which indicate the desires of the community b) Church Street marketplace holds an overhaul of their existing rules and regulations by bringing them to a well-advertised and reasonably scheduled town Hall meeting that includes a voting process to indicate the desires of the community c) A commitment to helping Church Street Market Place make Church Street a “Local” zone, where ALL businesses are both locally owned AND operated.
-Pulling ALL city funds from financial institutions that are NOT local Credit Unions.
-Allowing Burlingtonians to create a food garden in City Hall Park which is maintained by the Elementary Schools with the help of community volunteers This will inspire tourists and remind Vermonters that we are dedicated to locally grown, healthy and organic foods.
-Requiring ALL Burlington Police Officers and City Parks Department employees to complete a De-Escalation, Non-Violent Communication and Anti-Oppression training in order to help reduce instances of racial or ethnic profiling and incarcerations.
-Creating PAID (by Church Street Market Place) positions of trained PTSD, Substance Abuse, Domestic Abuse and Rape Survivor counselors.
-Help create, encourage and maintain monthly Ward-specific Town Meetings in which City Council Members are bound to represent the decisions made by their constituents.
-Instigating a moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures until such a time when a (UNTIL A) “Net” can be created to protect Burlingtonians from falling into homelessness.
-Working with the CCTA to provide city maintained bicycles and increased and more affordable public transportation that adequately meets the needs of the citizens of Burlington and surrounding areas.
-Publicly recognizing The Day Without the 99% declared for May 1st which has been organized in part by Occupy Wall Street and other Occupations worldwide including Occupy Burlington.
These proposed commitments will be presented to the new Mayor following the Council Meeting. An info table will be available to those who have questions about the event and a live stream of the City Council Meeting will be available outside City Hall. These occupiers would like to encourage Burlingtonians to address and suggestions they may have for the Mayor at the info table.
#OccupyVermont 