Neighborhoods

Trinity Institute 2016: Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice 01/22/2016

With the recent targeting of persons of color with Ku Klux Klan leaflets and events in Ferguson, Mo., Staten Island, NY, and Charleston, SC., many across the United States have come to question whether our nation can ever achieve racial equality within our institutions and social interactions. The St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and College Street Congregational Church will be partner sites when a leading group of activists, scholars, authors, artists and experts on racial inequality come together to hold life-giving conversations on the racial issues of our time, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change at Trinity Institute’s 45th National Theological Conference, “Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice.”

A Panel of local experts on racism in Chittenden County and in Vermont will speak. Panel members include:

Hal Colston, Director of Neighborkeepers and 2014 Burlington Free Press Vermonter of the Year
Dr. Sylvia Perry, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Science at UVM, and author of many papers on issues related to racism and bias awareness
Wanda Hines, Executive Director of the Joint Urban Ministry Project (JUMP), and community activist

The panel is being moderated by Sally May, Interim Associate Pastor at First Congregational Church, Burlington.

For more info visit: http://conta.cc/1OvvqID or contact: Karen Mikkelsen at kmikkel@icloud.com or Rev. Ken White at kwhite@collegestreetchurch.org

Housing - Fair, Safe, Affordable: Update on Vermont Tenants and Mobile Home Program 01/21/2016

Ted Wimpey, Director of CVOEO's Fair Housing Program, speaks with Jonathan Bond, Director of CVOEO's Mobile Home Program and Vermont Tenants.

Focusing on housing programs of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. Fair Housing Project (FHP): Advocacy/Public Advocacy, referrals, education and outreach, enforcement, and information regarding Housing Discrimination issues. Mobile Home Project (MHP): Advocacy/Public Advocacy, tenant organizing, referrals, counseling, and information for Manufactured Home Owners who are renting lots - especially those in Mobile Home Parks. Vermont Tenants (VTI): Advocacy/Public Advocacy, organizing, advice, tenant counseling, training, and information regarding Residential Tenancy.

The 'Y' Connection: Helping Yourself to Health - Small Steps Are the Start 01/20/2016

Y Connection host Jan Riordan speaks with Kristin Magnant, RN, Community Health Initiatives Coordinator with GBYMCA, and Robin Edelman, MS, RD, CDE, Diabetes Program Administrator with Vermont Department of Health on the newly rolled out MyHealthyVT.org website. This web based resource provides information regarding six (6) health self-management programs available across Vermont with the motto “Helping Yourself to Health – Small Steps are the Start.” Emphasis of this show is on Diabetes Prevention. More information on the Y: www.gbymca.org

The Y: We're for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

Burlington Development Review Board 01/19/2016

Information on the Burlington Development Review Board is under the City's Planning and Zoning Office.

Burlington Ward 2 and Ward 3 NPA Meeting 01/14/2016

Neighborhood Planning Assemblies (NPAs) are grassroots, neighborhood organizations that were established in each of Burlington's seven Wards to empower citizen participation in City government. Working as neighborhood advocacy groups, Neighborhood Planning Assemblies facilitate communication between the citizens of Burlington and city government through regular meetings scheduled in each Ward. Wards 2 & 3 meet the second Thursday of the month.

Meeting place: McClure Multi-Generational Center 241 North Winooski Avenue

Form - Based Codes: What, Where & Why? 01/13/2016

National and local speakers come together to answer the big questions about Form Based Codes: what are they, where are they being used, and why are they being considered in Burlington? The panel provides a range of information and perspectives on creating and using form-based development standards as part of local land use regulations.

Panelists include: Lee Einsweiler from Code Studio in Austin, TX, who’s a national expert on the creation of land development codes, speaking about the use of building form elements in zoning codes from a national perspective. Regina Mahoney, AICP, from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, shares the experiences of other Vermont towns in incorporating form-based codes into land use regulations. David White, AICP, Director of the Burlington Dept. of Planning & Zoning, provides context on why Burlington is crafting form-based regulations and how they will fit into the context of the City’s existing zoning. Andy Montroll, Planning Commissioner & Chair of the City’s Joint Form-Based Code Committee, speaks to the Joint City Council & Planning Commission process being used to develop Burlington's own code and its most important features.

For More Information: www.burlingtonvt.gov/planbtv/fbc Link to Agenda here

Final Community Workshop - Re-Imagining Essex's Planning Governance 01/13/2016

After months of studying how planning governance in Essex works today and how it could be improved, the Working Group for Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) presents its findings and recommendations.

The Working Group’s recommendations will head to the Town Selectboard and Village Trustees in February 2016. The two boards will have a joint meeting in March to discuss the recommendations.

Currently, the Town of Essex and Village of Essex Junction have separate planning commissions and zoning boards of adjustment. TGIA formed around the belief that the community wants to move toward a shared Essex vision that simultaneously honors and builds in the unique characteristics of the Village and Town outside the Village.

For more information, visit www.essextgia.com or contact Assistant Town Manager/Town Planner Greg Duggan at 878-1343 or gduggan@essex.org

Burlington Ward 1 and Ward 8 NPA Meeting 01/13/2016

Meeting place: McClure Lobby Conference Room, FAHC/UVM Medical Center

BTV North Avenue Task Force Press Conference 01/12/2016

Press conference announcing the launch of the new Web site AvenueForEveryone.com, the first major outreach and education tool produced by the North Avenue Task Force as part of the Burlington City Council North Avenue Pilot project.

Rich Nadworny - The North Avenue Task Force, Kelly Stoddard-Poor - AARP, Dave Hartnett - North District City Councilor, Steve Crafts - Owner of Place Creative, and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.

The new Web site, http://www.avenueforeveryone.com is the Task Force’s first major public outreach project, created by BTV resident members of the North Ave. Task Force with financial support from the AARP and content support from Burlington DPW. Up to now the North End of Burlington has been inundated with some misinformation and misperceptions about the pilot project to improve North Avenue. The new site is one step to help residents understand the changes afoot and to enable them to make informed decisions.

The pilot has become a controversial topic fueled by area media coverage and lawn signs. AvenueForEveryone.com is one of the Task Force’s efforts to help create a respectful and impactful dialogue on the changes envisioned for Burlington’s New North End.

Positively Vermont: Vermont Foodbank 01/12/2016

Host Dennis McMahon speaks with John Sayles, CEO of Vermont Foodbank.

More information at www.vtfoodbank.org

Featured Story

CCTV Receives NEH Grant to Support Community Archives

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is pleased to announce receipt of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant alongside 32 peer archival institutions across the country. This $49,927 grant award will support efforts to preserve and expand access to audio/visual community history materials in the CCTV Archives. Read more about this opportunity here!