Comparison updated September 10
Burlington Forward
Original Resolution vs. Proposed Revisions
Burlington Forward is still being revised before it returns to the City Council. This page compares the August 3 resolution with the latest consolidated draft posted by the City, dated August 17. It identifies language that was added, removed, or revised, along with provisions that remain substantially the same.
Changes in the August 17 draft
The draft adds or revises language on civil rights, encampment responses, training, community participation, social-service activity, regional responsibility, and alternatives to traditional criminal penalties.
Provisions that remain
The draft continues to address public-space use, services for people in crisis, responses to prohibited conduct and encampments, public reporting, and State and regional responsibilities.
Compare the language.
Open a topic to see the August 3 language next to the August 17 draft. The section numbers are included so you can check every excerpt against the full documents.
Equity, civil rights, and public participation
Systemic inequities · Preamble
There is no comparable language in the August 3 resolution.
“The City recognizes that systemic inequities—including racism, poverty, ableism, discrimination, and unequal access to housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, and economic opportunity—have contributed to the conditions addressed in this Resolution.”
REIB involvement and participation · Preamble
There is no comparable language in the August 3 resolution.
“The City shall ensure its Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is involved in identifying and addressing disparate impacts… protecting the dignity and civil rights of all people; and ensuring reasonable opportunities for affected communities to participate in decisions that impact them.”
Children and families · Preamble
The August 17 draft adds three paragraphs addressing children, families, unsheltered homelessness, and behavioral-health crises.
“Children and vulnerable adults who regularly witness open-air drug use, drug transactions, and unmanaged mental health crises in public spaces may experience significant psychological, developmental, and safety harms…”
Evidence and community input · Section 1.01
“To achieve these objectives, Burlington must realign its values and related efforts.”
“Burlington must realign its values and related efforts using evidence, community input, and measurable outcomes…”
Enforcement, accountability, and alternatives
Conduct and protected characteristics · Section 1.02(B)
“Compassion without accountability is not compassion. The City Council rejects the notion that tolerance of unlawful conduct is itself an act of compassion.”
“The City Council rejects the notion that public safety requires choosing between compassion and accountability.”
“Enforcement shall focus on unlawful conduct and actual harm, not on a person’s housing status, disability, health condition, or other protected characteristic.”
Dignity and due process · Section 3.06
There is no comparable sentence in the August 3 resolution.
“Every individual is entitled to dignity, due process, and meaningful opportunities to obtain treatment, recovery services, shelter, and supportive services.”
Consequences and alternatives · Section 3.06
“…supporting the investigation, arrest where authorized by law, prosecution, and appropriate punishment…”
“…proportionate and lawful consequences… including treatment, diversion, restorative justice, or other alternatives where appropriate.”
Encampments, personal property, and access to services
Steps before encampment removal · Section 3.05
“The City Council requests that the Administration act more promptly upon discovery of a prohibited encampment, generally within twenty-four (24) hours, to provide notice of a specified date…”
“Prior to removal, the City shall make reasonable efforts to identify and offer accessible alternatives, provide adequate notice consistent with applicable law, protect and store personal property, and connect individuals with housing and services.”
Social-service activity in City Hall Park · Section 2.04
The Administration is asked to help secure permits or “offer alternative locations to unpermitted social service activities.”
The Administration is asked to “better coordinate social service activities in City Hall Park with other events, programming, and public uses of the Park.” Any relocation “shall be developed in consultation with affected service users and providers.”
Unattended personal belongings · Section 2.02
There is no comparable requirement in the August 3 resolution.
“Implementation shall include reasonable procedures to protect and store unattended personal belongings.”
Training, neighborhood input, and public reporting
Training and employment provisions · Section 2.05
“Public Space Response Teams shall supplement, but not replace, traditional public safety resources…”
Participating City employees would serve on paid time, subject to applicable collective-bargaining agreements. Training would cover “racial equity, implicit bias, de-escalation, disability awareness, trauma-informed practices, cultural responsiveness, and constitutional and civil rights protections.”
Neighborhood beautification priorities · Section 2.07
There is no comparable requirement in the August 3 resolution.
The City is encouraged to work with Neighborhood Planning Assemblies and residents in setting beautification priorities, “especially communities that have historically been underinvested in.”
Demographic public-space data · Section 2.09
The original resolution called for performance data but did not include this direction.
“Where possible and legally permissible, performance data should be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, disability, gender, housing status, and other relevant demographic factors to identify and address disparate impacts.”
Service capacity and regional responsibility
Meaning of “humane” service capacity · Section 3.02
There is no comparable definition in the August 3 resolution.
“The term ‘humanely’… shall include but not be limited to consideration of the lived experiences of people accessing services and whether services are accessible, culturally responsive, disability-inclusive, trauma-informed, and effective.”
Standards for long-term strategies · Section 3.01
The August 17 draft adds implementation criteria and acknowledges that long-term strategies require time and resources.
Meaningful long-term strategies “should be trauma-informed, culturally responsive, accessible to people with disabilities, and implemented consistently and fairly.”
Regional responsibility and displacement · Section 3.03
The City would work with the State, neighboring municipalities, and service providers “to expand service capacity throughout the region.”
“Regional responsibility shall be pursued through shared investment and expanded service capacity across municipalities, rather than through exclusion or displacement of individuals based on their place of origin or current residence.”
Public-health siting and State action
Zoning impacts · Section 4.02
There is no comparable sentence in the August 3 resolution.
“Zoning decisions shall also consider potential disparate impacts on historically marginalized communities.”
Overdose prevention center review · Section 4.03
The downtown restriction remains. The August 17 draft adds criteria for considering any location.
“Any consideration of a potential overdose prevention center location shall include an evidence-based assessment of public health outcomes, anticipated community impacts, equity, accessibility, and the potential benefits and risks to people who use drugs and the broader community.”
Requests to the Legislature · Section 5.03
“Strengthens public safety while protecting individual rights” and “promotes equitable regional responsibility.”
“Strengthens public safety while protecting individual civil rights, advancing equity, and ensuring due process and equal protection under the law.” The draft also adds that essential services should not be denied based on protected characteristics or place of origin.
Section 3.07 also adds direction for State and local law-enforcement coordination to include accountability, community engagement, racial equity, and civil-rights protections.
Provisions that remain in the draft.
The August 17 draft continues to include the following subjects and requests.
What the resolution would and would not do.
It would
- Set policy direction for future City action.
- Request reports, recommendations, and follow-up.
- Set timelines for public reporting.
- Direct further legislative and committee work.
- Call for State investment and action.
It would not, by itself
- Hire staff or create new service capacity.
- Select a shelter or sanctioned-camping location.
- Change the zoning ordinance.
- Authorize the City to disregard constitutional rights, State law, or City policy.
Read both versions.
Original resolution
The version introduced before committee review.
Open the August 3 PDF →Latest posted draft
A redlined working document, not the final version expected for September 14.
Open the August 17 PDF →Next steps.
Committee review is continuing, and additional changes may be made before the September 14 Council meeting. If the City publishes another consolidated draft, this page will be updated.
This comparison covers the substantive differences identified between the August 3 resolution and the August 17 proposed revisions. It does not list grammatical, formatting, or other non-substantive edits. The comparison is organized by topic; section numbers are provided for reference. The linked PDFs are the source documents.