Council adopts pilot to let residents submit evidence for select ordinance violations with limited incentives

The Burlington City Council approved a pilot program on Jan. 27 authorizing the city to test a Violation Reporting Incentivization Pilot (VRIP) for a narrowly defined list of ordinance violations, including graffiti, certain illegal dumping and specified parking violations (for example, unauthorized use of handicapped spaces). The motion passed 6–5.

Councilor Littwin, who sponsored the measure, said the pilot aims to crowdsource evidence for specific, well-defined violations and to reward successful, verified reports where enforcement leads to a ticket. Littwin said he modeled portions of the program on other U.S. cities and asked the Ordinance Committee to draft implementing language and safeguards. Opponents, including Councilor Bergman, said enforcement capacity — not reporting — is the core issue and warned the pilot could inundate staff with cases the city lacks capacity to enforce.

After discussion the council voted to adopt the resolution and refer the matter to the Ordinance Committee for ordinance drafting and pilot design; the committee will determine feasibility, evidentiary standards, limits on types of violations covered and whether incentives are appropriate. The clerk recorded a roll call: Yes — Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Shannon, Travers; No — Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Kane, Newbyser. The council set a March committee milestone but several councilors cautioned that a rushed timeline would complicate legal review and administrative preparations.

The ordinance committee will work with the city attorney’s office and departments to draft a legally defensible pilot ordinance and return recommendations to council.