As seen in Burlington Free Press - Vermont

Council approves CEDO director

By John Briggs
Free Press Staff Writer

January 23, 2008
The City Council on Tuesday voted 10-3 to confirm the appointment of Larry Kupferman to head the city's powerful Community and Economic Development Office.

Democratic Councilors Ed Adrian, Ward 1, and Bill Keogh and Joan Shannon from Ward 5 voted against Kupferman.

Mayor Bob Kiss told the council of his choice before the Jan. 7 council meeting and said he expected a vote that night, but the council, by an 8-4 vote, postponed its vote until it had a chance to interview Kupferman. He replaces Michael Monte, who resigned in December.

Kupferman worked with Kiss at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity and has been Kiss' human resources director.

Kupferman faces two immediate challenges: gaining support on the council and in the community for Kiss' $21 million public/private plan to remodel the Moran plant and make it part of Waterfront Park; and working with Blodgett Ovens, which announced last week it has outgrown its Lakeside Avenue factory, to try to keep the company with its 170 workers in the Burlington area.

In other business:

The council unanimously passed a measure that removed institutional zoning changes from the new zoning ordinance. The changes were unknown to the council when it passed the ordinance Jan. 7. The council will consider zoning changes for Fletcher Allen Health Care, the University of Vermont and Champlain College in the coming months.

The council passed a ballot measure for March 4:

An advisory question that will ask voters whether to move ahead with Kiss' $21 million Moran plant redevelopment plan. The question promises that voters would have a chance to weigh in on the plan if it would require a property tax change. The council amended the resolution on the ballot item to ensure that its approval would be required if the mayor's development plans for the plant change. The council hadn't voted on two other ballot items by press time:

A bond authorization for the Burlington Electric Department. BED wants to issue bonds up to $39.6 million, payable from revenue, for capital improvements.

An advisory question that if approved by voters, would have the mayor and City Council decide whether to recommend the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana and would urge the governor and Legislature to explore the issue statewide.

Contact John Briggs at 660-1863 or jbriggs@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com .