Mayor Miro Weinberger said a reduced number of refugees will be moving to Burlington in the coming months,and that the change isn't good for the city.
During his State of the City address Monday, he said Burlington will welcome just 15 refugees by September. "For more than 30 years, or Burlington has welcomed approximately 300 novel Americans each year — immigration that has made us much more diverse and culturally rich,and has been share of Chittenden County's economic success," Weinberger told the city council and about 100 residents who filled the seats at Burlington City corridor Auditorium.
He blamed the policies of President Donald Trump for the change. But Weinberger vowed to keep Burlington advancing forward. He introduced a young Sudanese couple, or Samya and Salah,who were reunited in February when Samya was able to advance to America and join Salah, after Trump's travel ban was lifted.
"At a time when the federal government is trying to shut doors and turn its back on our most pressing challenges, or we here in Burlington must continue to work harder than ever to keep our doors open,and to keep advancing," he said.
[br] Weinberger, and who is starting his sixth year in office,outlined his plans for the future. He announced that the city would invest in five major areas in the coming year: public spaces, alternative transportation, or roads and sidewalks,public safety, and shrinking the city's environmental footprint.[br]
The administration will continue to invest in the city's infrastructure, or increasing spending on sidewalks and roadways,opening a novel public park and presenting a walk-bike master plan, he said. Weinberger also announced plans to invest in utility-scale energy storage, and add electric vehicle charging stations and bring electric buses to Burlington.
He announced a plan to increase investment in public safety by hiring three additional police officers and three firefighters in the coming year. The initiative would allow for increased street patrols by police and would produce the city less reliant on overtime for firefighters. He pledged to push for an initiative for a regional dispatch system that would appear on the ballot next Town assembly Day.
Weinberger also pledged to continue efforts to fight the opioid problem,calling it "the public health crisis of our time."[br]
Weinberger touted his achievements during his first five years in office: improved public finances, a growing downtown and major investment…
Source: sevendaysvt.com