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City lobbyist outlines early 2025 priorities before Burlington council
Summary
The city’s legislative team reported busy early activity in Montpelier, citing housing, general assistance, mental-health and substance-use supports, water infrastructure and several bills including a local-model gun restriction under review by the Legislature.
David Mickenberg, the city’s Montpelier lobbyist, told the Burlington City Council on Jan. 27 that the Vermont legislative session had just begun and city priorities were already under active discussion.
Mickenberg, who represents Burlington through Mickenberg LLC and partners Zatz & Renfrew, summarized the city’s five core agenda items and highlighted current movement on housing, funding for substance use and residential treatment, updates to general assistance (GA) housing supports, water-infrastructure funding and multiple bills that mirror city charter items.
The city’s housing priorities include more permanent affordable housing and expanded temporary options. Mickenberg said the House Human Services Committee recommended additional funds in the state Budget Adjustment Act to cover people from April through June; he also said House General and Housing Committee members recommended supplemental dollars for the Department for Housing and Community Development, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and Vermont Housing Finance Agency.
On substance use and behavioral-health supports, Mickenberg said the House Human Services Committee reported a recommendation that the Budget Adjustment Act include $10 million for residential treatment and provider supports. He also said the Department of Health delivered an update on overdose-prevention centers to the House Human Services Committee, referencing earlier state legislation passed last year.
Mickenberg told the council that city leaders had met the state treasurer and were working with the Burlington delegation on infrastructure financing and other funding sources the city might draw down.
He said the legislature had received a city-related charter-change bill on police oversight (H.59) and that the delegation had sponsored H.45, a bill modeled on Burlington’s charter language that would prohibit carrying firearms into establishments that serve alcohol and create penalties and signage requirements.
Councilors asked for ongoing updates and more detailed tracking of bills that could affect Burlington — for example, a house bill (H.39) that councilors said would repeal the earlier earmark for overdose-prevention-center funding. Mickenberg said the bill had been introduced but had not yet had a hearing.
The council and mayor noted coordination underway to meet in Montpelier with the Burlington delegation and with city departments — including the school district and Burlington Electric — to present unified policy and funding requests.
