Neighborhood Assembly Business

Resol ut i ons:
The following resolutions were voted on at the July 18 As
sembly meeting:
Neighborhood Commercial Zoning
"Be it resolved that the Ward n Neighborhood Assembly
supports changing the zoning of the area boardered by Archi
bald Sl, Bright Sl, North Winooski Ave. and Intervale Ave.
from General Commercial to Neighborhood Commercial."
Failed: 3 for, 7 against, 1 abstention.
Participation in Zoning Changes
"Be it resolved that the Ward n Neighborhood Assembly
urges the City Council to assure Assembly members involve
ment in zoning change decision making."
Passed unanimously.
The Assembly also agreed that it would discuss a third pro
posal, also included in this newsletter, at the next Assembly
meeting.
(See pages 4-5 for a desription of General Commercial and
Neighborhood Commercid zonings.)
Family Recreation Center
"Be it resolved that the Ward n Neighborhood Assembly
supports the concept of a family recreation center, and suppcHts
pursuing a waterfront site ov^ the Arms Grant site. Further, be
it resolved, that the City look into using the Moran Generating
Plant as a possible location. The Assembly expresses conc^
over sight specicty, design and ecology and would like to re
view a more detailed report of the Moran sight"
Funding for City-wide
NPA mailing:
"Be it resolved that the Ward n Neighborhhod Assembly al
locates left over administrative monies from the past year, not
to exceed $150 toward the production and distribution of an
NPA brochure to be produced by the CEDO ofce and mailed
out in electric bills."
By-law Changes
Proposed
The following are two sets of changes proposed respectively
by Eugoie Resnick and Ted Wimpey.
The entire text of the by-laws are printed on page four.
S e l l :
I . Name:
Ofcially change our name from Ward n Neighborhood
Planning Assembly to Ward IT Neighborhood Assembly,
n. Statement of Purpose:
Eliminate current statement of purpose and replace it with:
"The Ward n Neighborhood Assembly is an autonomous
foium of freely associated Ward 11 residents. The Assembly
shall discuss and act as it sees t on issues facing the City, the
Ward and the Assembly. The Assembly shall choose its man
ner of relationship and cooperation with other Neighborhood
As s embl i es . "
m. Membership:
Eliminate current wording and replace with:
"Participation in the deliberations of this assembly will be
open to all. Voting privileges will be extended to all residents
of War d n. "
rV: Agenda:
Eliminate the entire section under Agenda and replace it
wi t h :
"The Coordianting Committee shall compile a proposed
agenda. The Assembly shall have the opportunity to make ad
ditions to or deletions from the proposed agenda at the begin
ning of each meeting."
V. General Considerations, section 3 (voting):
Eliminate the current wording and replace with: "All de
cisions (other than amendments to the by-laws) will be made
by a simple majority vote."
Set 2:
Po s i t i o n s :
Presently the by-laws call for members of the Steering
Committee (also referred to as the "Coordinating Committee")
to ll the positions of "liaison," "secretary," and"moderator"
for 6,4 and 2 months, respectively. The present by-laws do
not say anything about the number of people on the steering
commi ttee.
The proposed changes do the following: 1) Set a one year
term for all members of the steering committee; 2) regulate the
size of the steering committee; 3) give die liaison position re-
sposibility for calling steering committee meetings; and 4)
eliminate the positions of secretary and moderator and make
the steering committee responsible for ensuring that the meet
ing moderator is chosen and minutes are taken.
The proposed changes would read:
" A coordinating committee will be elected by a simple ma
jority to ll one (1) year terms. The coordinating committee
will consist of no less that three (3) and no more than ve (5)
people. One member of the steering committee will serve as li
aison (with the City) and will be responsible for calling steer
ing committee meetings.
"The steering committeee will be responsible for ensuring
there is a moderator for eaceh NPA meeting. The moderator
may be a member of the steering committee or any other mem
ber of the assembly.
"The Steering Committee will be responsible for ensuring
that accurate minutes of each assembly are taken. Minutes will
include accounts of all votes taken, and will be made available
for public inspection."
2
Ward II Neighborhood
Assembly By-laws
statement of Purpose:
We the residents of Ward 2 recognize that the Neighborhood
Planning Assemblies were established as a means to enable citizens
to advise on and participate in the variety of decisions that face City
Government The enabling resolution, passed by the City Counc^
on September 20, 1982, states "(the) Council and various City
Conunissions could be much assisted if the views of the general
public with respect to the needs of the City could be communicated
to it in a regular and orderly fashion;...". It goes on to state "many
positive benets would result from the creation of neighborhood as
semblies at which citizens could consider the issues facing City
Government and make recommendations for the consideration of
a{^inted and elected ofRcials charged with the responsibility of
implementing City policies;...".
Scope:
The areas of concrni that may be addressed by this Assembly
shall include, but not be limited to, community development, hous
ing, City budget. School Department and School Department
budget, zoning and land use, social and recreational facilities and
services, traf^c and parking, streets and sidewalks, energy, po
lice and re safety, social services delivery, and other areas that
effect this Ward and the City at large as appropriate.
Being mindil of the responsibilities that accompany the use of
public funds and dedicated to the goal of maximum citizen partici
pation in the deliberations of this Assembly, we the citizens of
ward 2 hereby adopt the following By-Laws:
Membership:
Participation in the deliberations of this Assembly will be
open to all residents of Ward 2. Voting privileges will be extend
ed to any person whose name appears on Burlington's Ward 2
voter checklist. Any resident who wishes to participate in the opera
tion of this Assonbly and whose name does not appear on BurMg-
ton's Ward 2 voter checklist is encouraged to register to vote.
Meetings:
Regular meetings of this Assembly will be held on the fourth
Wednesday of every month at 7:30 pjn. in the H. O. Wheeler
School or in an alternate advertised location. Special meetings may
be called by amajcvity vote of the participants at Regular meet
ings or by a petition of not less than 25 registered voters of Ward 2
presented to a member of the coordinating committee.
Posi t i ons:
This Assembly will elect by simple majority a Coordinating
Committee who will ll the following positions for the term indicat
ed;
L i a i s o n - 6 m o n t h s
Se c r e t a r y - 4 mo n t h s
M o d e r a t o r - 2 m o n t h s
Elected City ofcials, department heads and commisioners are in
eligible for positions on the Coordinating Committee.
The Moderator will conduct the meeting in an orderly fashion
in keeping with the apjvoved agenda. The Secretary will keep
accurate minutes of this Assembly's meetings and will count and
record all votes taken. Li addition, the Secretary will make ar
rangements to have copies of each meeting's minutes available for
public inspection.
The Liaison will have the following responsibilities:
1) collect agenda items from the apim)priate City per
sonnel and/or Assembly members;
2) propose the agenda for each meeting;
3) keep informed to the extent possible on the actions and
decisions of City ofcials as they affect this ward;
4) communicate to the City the recommendations and deci
sions of this Assembly by letter or personal presentation as appro
priate, including a reasonable degree of information about minority
view points or approaches as appropriate.
The Coordinating Committee will meet in advance of this
Asembly meeting. The Committee will be free to call upon City
ofcials and other resource people in its deliberations.
A member of the Coordinating Committee will be subject to recall
proceedings on the written petition of 15 members of this Assembly
which specically states their complaints(s}. This petition will be
presented to the moderator of the next regular Assembly meeting for
the consideration of the membership, which will thereupon decide
the time and place for a recall discussion and vote. It will take a ma
jority vote to effect a recall. Should a member of the Coordinating
Committee be recalled, a new Coordinator will be elected at the next
Assembly meeting.
Agenda:
All agenda items will be considered on a "rst come, Hrst served"
basis or diey will be given immediate attention if the agenda item
warrents such action in the judgement of the Coordinators. Agenda
items submitted after the Coordinating Committee's meeting may be
addressed subject to provision 1 below.
A reasonable period of time will always be provided on the agenda
as an open forum to encourage members to freely express their views
and concerns on the management of the Assembly and on topics of
public interest. Specic items will be placed on the Agenda in the
following maimer:
By a majority vote of the Assembly. (Items referred by this As
sembly will automatically be considered at its next meeting unless
otherwise designated in the vote.);
By request of the City Council or Board of Aldermen;
By the request of the mayor;
By the request of a City Department and or Commission;
By request of the School Board;
By petition of 15 Assembly members.
Gener al Consi der at i ons:
1) A minimum of 10 people will comprise a quorum for an "of
cial" meeting.
2) No proxy votes will be accepted, however provisions will be
made for letters from members not present to be read.
3) Decisions on aj^opriadons and major issues must be made by
a 2/3 majority. Decisions on other issues will be made by a simple
majority vote, although consenstis should be strived for. If a question
arises concerning the denition of "major" versus "other" issues, the
question will be resolved by a simple majority vote.
4) All meetings of the Assembly and all decisions and recommen
dations relating to the Assembly will be made in meetings open to
all. All documents, reports, and written correspondence will be avail
able for public inspecdon.
5) Agendas and meetings will be warned at least one week prior to
an Assembly meeting. Suitable methods of warning include, but are
not limited to, mailings, public postings, newspaper advertisements
and public service announcements. Responsibility for warning will
be assumed by the Coordinating Committee and the appropriate
C.E.D.O. personnel.
6)These by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of those
present and voting at an Assembly meeting when notice of the pro
posed change has been included in the advertising for the meeting.
Zoning Options for Winooski Ave. Area
What follows are three zoning options
for the area of land bounded by the dark
line in the map below labeled "GC" The
rst set of zoning regulations is called
General Commercial, and applies to
many commercial areas in the city in
cluding the one under consideration. The
second set, called Neighborhood Com
mercial is an existing designation which
applies to a few areas in the City includ
ing much of North St. The third set,
North Winooski Commercial District, is
a drctft proposal that has been designed
specically for this district. It was de
vised by a committee which was formed
at a public hearing on May 3. It is pri
marily this third proposal that will be
discussed at the August Assembly meet
ing.
The three sets of regulations are pre
sented here exactly as they were written,
so they contain all the legal jargon. Two
phrases which pop up frequently are
"permitted uses" and "conditional uses."
A permitted use is deemed automatically
appropriate and does not need to go in
front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
A conditional use must be heard and ap
proved by the ZBA.
Gener al Commer ci al
(existing zoning):
By virute of its designation within the
comprehensive master plan for the City of
Bm-lington, the general conmiercial district
has been established. The district is estab
lished for those areas of the community
where the principle use of the land is for
businesses retailing heavy durable goods to
the region.
(A)Within the (GC) district, the following
uses and their nonnal accessory uses are
permitted subject to design review as pro
vided in section 19 and the general provi
sions in sections 20-25:
(1)Animal hospitals and vetinary clin
ics, but excluding open kennels on the
premises.
(2)Automobile washing establishments.
(3) Gasoline service stations, garages
anid repair shops provided that:
(a) rqyairs shall limited to minor re
pairs and adjustments unless conducted
in a building;
(b) there sh^l be no storage of motor
vehicles, appliances and equipment on
the premises other than those in the pro
cess of repair or awaiting delivery or in
an enclosed structure or screened from
public ways and abutting properties.
(4) Bakeries and other establishments
manufacturing prepared foods and mis
cellaneous food products.
(5) Salesrooms for automobiles, bicy
cles, boats, farm implements and simi
lar equipment, provided outside display
is limit^ to new merchandise or sec-
ond-hand equipment in good repair.
(6) Building supply and materids sales,
but excluding open storage.
(7) Cold storage and freezer lockers.
(8) Dairy bars and ice cream manufac
turing.
(9) cleaning and laundering estab
l i shment s.
(10) Electrical appliances and equip
ment, sales and repairs, but excluding
open storage.
(11) Fabricating shops such as cabinet,
upholstery and sheet metal shops.
(12) Funeral homes, mortuaries and
cr emat or i es.
(13) Launderettes and launromats.
(14) Milk distribution and bottling facil
i t i es.
(15) Tourist homes.
(16) Nursery school and kindergartens
provided that at least one hundred (100)
square feet of outdoor play is provided
for each child; provided further, that
such aggregate play area shall en
closed by a sturdy fence at least four (4)
feet m height.
(17) Physical culture establishments.
(18) Plumbing shops, but excluding
open storage.
(19) Produce stands and markets.
(20) Public works and public utility fa
cilities such as distribution lines, trans
former stations, transmission lines and
towers, water tanks and towers, plumb
ing stations, telephone exchanges, and
service and storage yards.
(21) Restaurants, including drive-in res
t a u r a n t s .
(22) Sign pamting and fabricating
shops.
(23) Truck terminals, transfer compa
nies, bus terminals, passenger depots.
(24) Wholesale and warehouse estab-
lislments, except for the storage of un-
cured hides, explosives, oil and gas
products.
(25) Resource recycling centers.
(2Q Residential uses.
(B) Minimum lot and maximum densi
ti es: Wi thi n the GC di stri ct a maxi mum of
twenty-ve (25) units per acre or equal per
cent thereof is permitt^.)
(Ord. of 12-9-74)
Continued on page 5
Map of area under discussion
Zoning Options
Continued from page 4
Neighborhood
Commercial (NC).
(A) Purpose: The neighborhood commer
cial district is designated to provide for
limited commercial uses in neighborhood
residential areas where the character of the
neighborhood merits protection by a suita
ble residential/commercial mix. For these
reasons, the following regulations shall ap
ply.
(B) Permitted uses: No building, structure
or land shall hereafter be erected, structu
rally altered or enlarged except for the fol
lowing:
(1) Residential:
a. Single family.
b. Duplexes.
c. Multi-unit housing at a density
not greater than twenty-ve (25)
units per acre.
d. Boardinghouses and rooming
houses, up to four (4) persons, pro
vided the owner also occupies &e
premises as a primary residence.
(2) Community centers; places of as
sembly lunited to churches, chapels
and synagogues.
(3) Existing commercial uses and any
expansion or reconstruction not to ex-
ce^ twenty-ve (25) per cent of exist
ing oor area.
(C) Permitted accessory uses: Uses or
structures customarily subordinated to any
of the listed primary uses may be permit
ted, provided, however, that any stmcture
with a oor area in excess of ve hundred
(5(W) square feet or a building containing
living space shall not be considered an ac
cessory building.
(D) Conditioiial uses:
(1) Boardinghouses and roominghous-
es serving more than four persons.
(2) Home occupations subject to the re
quirements of Section 27, Home Occu
pations.
(3) Professional occupations.
(4) I\iblic and semipublic uses, and
membership clubs.
(5) Commercial uses, except places of
live entertainment, hotels and motels,
pawnshops, or pool or billiard halls,
provided that:
a. Such use does not adversely af
fect the residential character of ad
joining neighborhoods; and
b. The primary market or service
area is that of adjoining neighbor
hoods and that service of any ex
tended area or regional market is
ancillary to the neighborhood mar
ket; and
c. The proposed use will not be
contrary to any program of neigh
borhood conservat i on or revi t al i za-
tion nor will it encourage the de
velopment of "skid row-area."
(6) Restaurants except bars and cafes,
provided that:
a. No more than two (2) such uses
shall be located within one thou
sand (1,000) feet of each other.
(Ord. of 6-13-83; Ord. of 11-9-87)
No r t h Wi n o o s k i
Co mme r c i a l Di s t r i c t
Per mi t t ed Us es * :
Baker i es.
Bank s .
Building supply and material sales, but
excluding open storage.
Community centers and places of as
sembly limited to churches, chap
els and synagogues.
Dairy bars.
Day care centers, nursery schools and
kindergartens provided that at least
one hundred (100) square feet of
outdoor play area is provided for
each child; provided further, that
such aggregate play area shall be
enclosed by a sturdy fence at least
four (4) feet in hei^t.
Dry Cleaning and laundering establish
me n t s .
Electrical appliances and equipment,
sales and repairs, but excluding
open storage.
Funeral homes, mortuaries.
Gener al of ces
General retail stores and service estab
lishments, provided that the princi
pal activity is the offering of goods
and services within the building.
Home occupations (subject to perfor
mance standards).
Launderet t es and l aundromat s.
Medi cal of ces.
Phar maci es.
Physical culture establishments.
Plumbing shops, but excludmg open
storage.
Produce stands and markets.
Pr of essi onal of ces.
Residential uses, except for boarding
houses and rooming houses serving
more than four (4) persons.
Rest aur ant s.
Salesrooms for automobiles, bicycles,
boats, fami implements and similar
equipment, provided all display is
i ndoor s.
Supermarkets.
Condi t i onal uses:
Animal hospitals or vetinary clinics,
but excluding open kennels on the
premises.
Automobile washing establishments.
Boardinghouses and roominghouses
serving more than four (4) persons.
Cold storage and freezer lowers.
Commercial photography establish
m e n t s .
Conveni ence st or es.
Cr emat or i es.
Entertainment establishments (pool
halls, arcades, etc.).
Establishments manufacturing pre
pared foods and miscellaneous
food products.
5
Fabricating shops such as cabinet, up
holstery and sheet metal shops.
Fast-food restaurants, excluding drive-
i n f aci l i t i es.
Gasoline service stations, garages and
repair shops provided that;
(a) repairs shall be limited to minor
repairs and adjustments unless con
ducted in a building;
(b) that there shall be no storage of
motor vehicles, appliances, and
equipment on the premises other
than those in process of repair or
awaiting delivery or in an enclosed
structure or screened from public
ways and abutting preperties.
Hotels, motels and lodging houses
Ice cream manufacturing.
Machine shops.
Medical or dental laboritories.
Milk distribution and bottling facili
t i es.
Movie theatres and performing arts
c e n t e r s .
Printing, publishmg and copying estab
l i shment s.
Public and semipublic uses, and mem
bership clubs.
Public works and public utility facili
ties such as distribution lines,
transformer stations, transmission
lines and towers, water tanks and
towers, pumping stations, tele
phone exchanges, and service and
storage yards.
Research laboritories.
Resource recycling centers.
Salesrooms for automobiles, bicycles,
boats, farm implements, and simi
lar equipment with exterior stor-
age.
Sign painting and fabricating shops.
Trucking terminals, transfer stations,
bus terminals, passenger depots.
Warehouse establishments, except for
the storage of uncured hides, ex
plosives, oil and gas products.
Wholesale establishments.
Height Limits: 35'
Coverage:
60%; may be increased subject to Design
Re v i e w.
Set bac k s :
Rront Yard: 15' or average setback of abut
ting buildings
Side Yard: 10% of lot width of 5' mini
mum/10' maximum
Rear Yard: 25% of lot depth or 5* mini-
mum/ l O' maxi mum.
Density: 25 dwelling units/acre
*Note: Any nonresidential use listed under
Permitted Uses will require Zoning Board
Approval as a conditional use if 15,500 sq.
ft. or larger.
Mai n St r eet
Ta s k F o r c e
continued from page 1
plan and an opportunity for ques
t i o n s .
The presentations, which have con
sumed most of t he Task For ce' s
meeting time, were deemed neces
sary by Public Works Department
ofci al s to fami l i ari ze Task Force
members with all the basics of the
problem.
Same Ol d Pl an
The plan has undergone no serious
changes since it was unveiled at the
December 1989 Ward II Assembly
meeting and sharply criticized at the
January meeting. It still calls for
widening the top of Main Street by a
lane; the construction of islands at the
south end of University Place and at
the bend in Main Street; and the
building of an above (or below)
ground shuttle passage across Main
Street at University Heights. There
are numerous details and particulars
in the "Improvement Project," but
these are the proposed big alterations.
(A detailed presentation will appear
in the September Ward II Voice.)
Ther e i s no evi dence t hat t he Pub
lic Works Department has accepted
any of the criticism leveled at the
plan by citizens all over the city.
Certainly, not a single concern has
been incorporated into the plan being
considered by the Task Force, nor
has the citizens' perspective been pre
s e n t e d .
Cri t i ci sm of t he Pl an
Citizens at the Ward II Assembly
and throughout the city have criti
cized the plan on many levels.
Cr i t i ci sms i ncl ude:
I. Conceptual Failure. The plan,
critics assert, embraces the worst con
ventions of modem transportation de
sign. Confronted with a trafc bot-
tieneck, they simply propose to widen
the moutii a littie, and just move the
problem down the block. Ward I
Task Force representative Jared
Wood compared the city's solution to
a variation of the "Maginot Line," the
French system of military defenses
that was completely ineffective
against Gemian invasion in 1914. It
i s a " seven mi l l i on dol l ar bl ock of ce
ment that will accomplish nothing,"
he sai d.
2. Domination of the Car. The plan
has been criticized on the grounds
that it furthers the domination of the
city and of transportation planning
by the omnivorous appetite of the au
tomobile. Critics argue that automo
bile trafc in Burlington is already
eroding the living conditions in
neighborhoods and that safe, reliable
and ecologically sound alternatives
are being ignor^.
Additionally, they argue that at the
top of the agenda should be a long-
tenn mass transportation solution
coupled with a program for bikes and
pedestrians. All of these arguments
were voiced at the January Ward II
Assembly meeting, where a strongly
worded resolution called for a mass
transportation alternative to a wid
ened Mai n St r eet .
The tendency to base transportation
solutions on the requirements of au
tomobile trafc was captured in a
c o mme n t i n t r a f c c o n s u l t a n t To m
Adler's presentation. He dened con
gestion as "the delay caused to the
user." In other words, congestion is
not the disruption caused to a com
munity, the hazard to children, ag
gravation of the greenhouse effect, or
runoff polluting the land and water.
It is the inconvenience caused to the
idling motorist
3. Burlington Alone: The Atlas
Complex. Some have faulted the de
signers of the present plan for failing
to make it part of a regional solution.
Like the hero from Greek mythology,
they feel they must bear tiie collective
burden alone. However, the short
sightedness of a local solution to a re
gional problem has been indicated by
various critics who instead encourage
the city to work cooperatively with
neighboring communities. The hum
bling experiment, they argue, may
render a long-term solution possible.
Mi ssi on of the Task Force
So far the Task Force has not oper
ated in a way that allows for funda
mental criticism of the plan. Neither
has a decision making process been
set up. And time for meaningful de
liberation has been postponed until af
ter the presentations have been admin
i s t e r e d .
Although Mayor Qavelle indicated
in his remarics to the Task Force that
every aspect of the project is open to
scrutiny, revision and rejection, that
caveat may remain a dead letter unless
people become seriously engaged in
the debate. For some powerful inter
ests and personages both public and
private are arrayed behind the plan:
the downtown merchants as a bloc
(DBDA), the State Agency of Trans
portation,the Federal Highway Ad
ministration, the director of Public
Works (George Crombie), UVM, the
Mayor, the CEDO director (Michael
Monte), and so on.
The responsibility remains for Task
Force members- and i ndeed al l ci ti -
zens!-who see things diffcntly from
Public Works, to imagine alternatives.
Michael is the Ward II representa
tive to the Main Street Task Force.
The Ward II Assembly requested writ
ten reports in the Voice.
' j 9 m m
6
In Defense of the Neighborhood Assemblies
a commentary
by Michael Sheridan
As voluntary, community-based associations, the
Neighborhood Assemblies have the potential of be
coming models of direct democracy and good gov
ernment. Today they are neither, with the unhappy
result that the governing of the City-everybody's
business- has become nobody's business but a few
elected and many non-elected ofcials.
It is an ironic commentary on the nature of Bur
lington politics that some of those ofcials were at
one time connected to neighborhood or grassroots or
ganizations, and that they soon shed all pretense of
democracy when it conicted with their search for a
stable career, or when the grassroots organization did
not hold them accountable. In either case, the result
was tragic for the political life of the city. While of
cials "administer" the city from above using plainly
managerial standards of efciency, political activity
in the neighborhoods steadily declines.
All of which helps to explain the political slumber
that has quietly overtaken the Assemblies and neigh
borhoods of our city.
Though many ofcials and bureaucrats owe their
positions to surges in neighborhood vitality, that is
not enough to hold them solely to blame. In the ab-
sense of democratic accountability from the neighbor
hoods, their drift into the bureaucracy and mediocre
business-as-usual is a sure thing.
The question is how to revive the assemblies as the
democratic hope of the city.
I beheve that we have as a citizenry to make the
important step from being mere "voters" to being ill
citizens, and that can only be done by participating
actively in the political institution that represents our
immediate community, namely the Neighborhood
Assembly. When we have be^n to do that in large
numbers, and begun to experiment with the assem
bly's many possibilities as a distinct political form,
we will be able to ignore the ofcials by initiating
policies and actions from below.
If you follow this line of reasoning about the as
semblies to its logical conclusion, you'll undoubtedly
realize that it involves a reversal of the way things
are presentiy done in the city. Policies will be gener
ated democratically and coherentiy from below, not
from the drawing tables of city planners and profes
sionals where they have the shroud of mystery. Pre-
development agreements between city ofcials and
big money interests will become more difcult as the
assemblies scrutinize Council activities and resist un
popular decisions. In short. City Hall will have to
reckon with the assemblies' articulated positions on
all major questions facing the city. The assemblies
will "shadow" city govemment and exert moral pres
s u r e .
The Neighborhood Assemblies also represent the
best forum for the people of Burlington to ght for
social justice and ecological sustainability. The sat
isfaction of our basic requirements of affordable
housing, decent wages, renewable energy, an unpol
luted environment, and so on, must no longer be left
up to the business interests and politicians tiiat have
always called the shots. Because their solutions to
those problems too often reect the necessities of the
so-called market "realities" and not the community,
they tend to serve prots, not people. The situation is
the root source of much of Burlington's ecological
and social breakdown.
Only the empowered Neighborhood Assemblies
will have the political legitimacy to intervene directly
in and against the market to preserve the integrity of
the community, particularly its vulnerable citizens.
Concretely, this might take the form of opposition to
undesirable growth, political and material support for
cooperative stores, or even campaigns targeting de
velopers and business owners who promote practices
damaging to the community.
The strategies are really numerous and the possibil
i ti es l i mi tl ess.
Of course, the Neighborhood Assemblies are now
only a dim approximation of the empowered model
I've tried perhaps unsuccessfully to describe. But
I do not believe that the assemblies are for that reason
any less worth my while. Indeed, I know that any
experiment in democracy takes time and a tremen
dous amount of patience and work.
But perhaps the best defense of the Neighborhood
Assemblies today is to say that they are a forum for
the deeply human, face-to-face contact that is absent
from most of our lives. In a world in which we vote
alone, accept rent increases alone, suffer the effects
of air pollution alone, and face our employer alone,
the assembly is a place for sociability and collective
a c t i o n .
I defend the Neighborhood Assembly not for what
it is but for what it can become.
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