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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the DECEMBER 8, 2022
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SoBu City Council votes down charter change for heating
VOLUME 46, NO. 49
A vibrant Christmas
Cota votes no despite call for recusal COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
South Burlington’s City Council last week voted down a charter change that would have allowed them to regulate thermal energy systems in existing residential and commercial buildings. After first being introduced at its Nov. 21 meeting by the Climate Action Task Force, council members on Nov. 30 voted 3-2 against the proposal, with council members Thomas Chittenden, Matt Cota and Tim Barritt voting the measure down. The charter change would have mimicked language passed by Burlington voters in 2021 that was signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott in April and would have allowed
the city to craft policy regulating thermal energy systems in existing residential and commercial housing stock. The policy came less than a month after the town passed an ordinance regulating heating systems in new buildings permitted after Feb. 15. That law requires that newly constructed residential or commercial buildings utilize a renewable energy source for their primary heating system and domestic water heating system. City attorney Colin McNeil said that local statute allowed the city the authority to regulate heating systems in new buildings, but said the city had “not studied” the statute “to determine conclusiveSee CHARTER CHANGE on page 18
PHOTO BY IVY KIRBY
Santa and Mrs. Claus greet cars filled with revelers at Jay’s Christmas Party at the Vibrant Church in South Burlington last weekend. See more photos on page 19.
Cost of temporary classrooms more than triples LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The projected cost to bring temporary classrooms to the South Burlington school district
has jumped from $1.3 million to more than $6 million. The South Burlington School Board has been working for some time to address overcrowding at both the Rick Marcotte Central
and Orchard schools linked to population growth in the city. Since last fall, an enrollment committee, composed of community members and school personnel, has been working on finding
solutions for elementary schools currently exceeding the state-recommended 85 percent capacity by more than 100 students. The original projected cost for the classrooms, or zero energy
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modules (ZEMs), jumped to more than $6 million based on several factors not originally budgeted: the increased cost of labor, supply See IMPACT FEES on page 17
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