The Burlington City Council passed a resolution on Monday that calls for a wide-ranging response to an uptick in gun violence in the city.

The measure, which passed unanimously, asks the Vermont legislature to pass stronger gun laws, including a trio of charter changes that Burlington voters endorsed in 2014. Those proposals would ban guns from bars, require safe storage of firearms and allow police to seize guns following incidents of domestic violence.

The resolution also pledges to partner with domestic violence prevention groups and those focused on mental health "for the purpose of better addressing root causes of gun violence."



"We will not enforce our way out of this problem," Councilor Joe Magee (P-Ward 3) said. "We must do the hard and crucial work to address the root causes of violence, to create lasting change in order to interrupt the cycle of harm."
The resolution comes in response to a measure approved by the city's Board of Health last month, which formally asked the council to develop a broad public health response to gun violence. Burlington has recorded 51 instances of criminal gunfire since 2020 compared to a previous average of two per year between 2012 and 2019. Guns were used in four of the city's five murders this year.

The resolution adopts most of the board's suggestions. That includes a commitment to involve the city's Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in any local efforts to curb gun violence; the resolution notes that the issue has disproportionately affected people of color.

It also lists additional steps not included in the board of health's version. One provision asks Mayor Miro Weinberger to review the city's existing firearm regulations to consider whether City Hall, the Church Street Marketplace and other landmarks could be designated as "parks," where firearms are banned. Another asks state lawmakers to consider banning people convicted of hate crimes from owning guns.
The measure does not, however, seek to form an office of gun violence prevention as the board of health suggested.

Also on Monday, councilors adopted a new ordinance to better regulate vacant buildings in the city.

Owners of such buildings — defined as structures that are unoccupied for 210 days — will now owe a $750 fee for every three months the space remains vacant. They can apply for a reduced $200 fee if they can prove the building is "being actively marketed for sale or lease." That's an increase from the original $500 quarterly fee and $75 reduced fee.

The ordinance now requires a city official to inspect a vacant building within 48 hours of being notified. If the city deems the building is unsafe, owners have 24 hours to fix the deficiencies. But if the city determines the building can't be made safe, the owner must demolish it within 60 days. Previously, there were no such timeframes on the books.

Owners of unsafe structures must also install a placard on the building to warn of fire hazards. City Council President Karen Paul (D-Ward 6) proposed the new ordinance after two people died in a fire at a King Street apartment building early last year. The same building caught fire again 13 months later and has since been demolished.
Earlier in the meeting, councilors approved a temporary permit suspension for Orlando's Bar & Lounge following a noise complaint. The Lawson Lane establishment will lose its entertainment permit, which allowed it to have live music on its outdoor patio, for a two-week period in April.

And councilors also formally voted to place new voting maps on the March ballot. The city had to redraw the maps after U.S. Census data showed the city's population grew faster in some wards than in others.