BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Burlington businesses are welcoming a public safety plan unveiled by the governor on Thursday to address the Queen City’s ongoing challenges related to homelessness, substance abuse, and theft.
The 14-point plan, the first steps of which were put into action last week, includes the appointment of a special prosecutor and standing up an “accountability court” to triage cases involving individuals with five or more cases pending.
Other steps include increased law enforcement presence, reducing syringe litter, adding a mobile addiction treatment van, organizing a massive volunteer cleanup, and adding a construction and traffic consultant.
The plan comes after the governor met two weeks ago with Burlington’s mayor, and at the urging of the business community.
“COVID obviously was a big disruption, and it hasn’t really been the same since. We’ve seen less foot traffic downtown,” said Peter Hiskes, sales strategy director at Outdoor Gear Exchange. He says the new effort is encouraging. “I think it’s been a long time coming that we have that collaboration between the city leaders and the state leaders,”
“This is a good start, and I look forward to this being a springboard to talk about more of the ongoing entrenched issues that are really a challenge for the entire state,” said Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
“This plan, if enacted properly, can help everyone, everyone of all shapes and sizes be better, be happier, be safer,” said Jasper Roberts, the assistant manager at Whizbangs Candy Lab on Church Street.
Francois Bouchett, with the home furnishings store Homeport, says he’s concerned that officials’ three-to-four-month timeline to enact the plan is overly ambitious. “I think it will probably take longer, but I mean, who knows if they’re really making this a priority. It could happen,” Bouchett said. “We’re a pretty tight-knit community. We like the other businesses on the street. We want to see them succeed, and everyone kind of has that mindset,” Bouchett said.
Other aspects of the plan that the business association and mayor praised include implementing expanded substance use treatment in the Department of Corrections.
