Burlington Forward
Original Resolution vs. Proposed Revisions
Burlington Forward remains under review. This page compares the resolution introduced on August 3 with the proposed revisions in the last complete working draft, posted August 17. It also summarizes the committee reports added to the September 14 Council packet.
Changes proposed in the working 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.
Committee updates from September 14
The Council packet includes new recommendations and areas of agreement, but not a new consolidated resolution. They may shape the next draft, but they are not final amendments.
Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Recommended separating homelessness, substance use, mental illness, and criminal conduct more clearly; involving affected residents, City staff, and community partners earlier; and checking legal and budget implications before making commitments.
Parks, Arts & Culture
Said encampment response should remain tied to the City’s existing Sheltering on Public Lands Policy and to available staff, shelter, and housing capacity. The committee also pointed to Fletcher Free Library’s coordinated “hot spot” model.
Public Safety
Reached agreement to remove the word “orderly” and supported an inventory of existing public-safety cameras. Members did not reach agreement on the proposed public-space response team or the structure of embedded services.
Community Development
Continued related work on graffiti response, syringe litter, and syringe-service operations. Its September 14 memo did not propose final Burlington Forward amendments.
Compare the language
Open a topic to see the August 3 language next to the proposed revisions in the working 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 working 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 working 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 working 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 working 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 the source documents
Original resolution (August 3)
The version introduced before committee review.
Open the August 3 PDF →Proposed revisions (posted August 17)
The last complete redline published during committee review. It is not a final resolution.
Open the working draft PDF →September 14 committee reports
Committee recommendations, stakeholder feedback, and related City updates. No new consolidated resolution was attached.
Open the Council packet →Next steps
The committees reported back on September 14. The City has not yet published a new consolidated draft or announced a final vote date. We will update this page when either is posted.
This comparison covers the substantive differences identified between the August 3 resolution and the complete working draft posted August 17. It does not list grammatical, formatting, or other non-substantive edits. Committee recommendations are summarized separately because they have not yet been incorporated into a new consolidated draft. Section numbers and source documents are provided so readers can verify the language.