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   Characteristics of a
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     A. Education, Early
         Childhood
         Education and
         Child Care
     B. Cultural and
         Recreational
         Opportunities
     C. Quality of Life: 
         Neighborhoods,
         Citizen
         Involvement and
         Public Safety
     D. Homeownership
         and Housing
         Affordability
     E. General
 
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Family Report Action Plan and Progress Report
September 2003

Contents:

A.  Education, Early Childhood Education and Child Care
B.  Culture and Recreation
C.  Quality of Life: Neighborhoods, Citizen Involvement and Public Safety
D.  Homeownership and Housing Quality
E.  General Recommendations
 

A. Education, Early Childhood Education and Child Care

Action Steps    Responsible Party Community Partners Time Frame and Priority Progress
A.1 Further develop an Early Education/Child Care Policy Schools, CEDO Early Childhood Council Medium-term, 1st Priority - Participating in Vermont Partnership for Children & Families’ preparation of a Strategic Plan for Vermont’s early care and education system.
A.1a Continue to implement the Early Care and Learning Initiative Schools  Child care providers Short-term, 1st priority - Eight providers have contracts with the District, are working jointly on quality/curriculum issues, and will begin drawing ADM funds this fall
A.1b Work with the state and with local early education groups (including schools, providers, Child Care Fund, and UVM) to sustain and expand Act 60 early education funding Schools, CEDO Early Childhood Council Short-term, 1st priority - Legislation (S.166) is pending, School District is analyzing to determine overall effect
A.1c  Develop an outreach plan to communicate resources available to child care providers (relating to loans and NAFCC accreditation) CEDO Early Childhood Council Medium-term, 1st priority - Gathering information about available resources, exploring possible new funding options to support accreditation
A.1d Work with the business and nonprofit communities and with community groups to develop expanded and coordinated parenting skills programs, including workplace-based and neighborhood-based programs CEDO Early Childhood Council, United Way Medium-term, 2nd priority - Working on identifying gaps in parenting skills programs that are currently offered (i.e., there are not enough long-term skills programs)
A.1e Explore creating a Children’s Trust Fund (possibly financed through a credit card program) to subsidize early education/childcare CEDO   Long-term, 2nd priority  
A.2 Increase efforts to make the public schools feel welcoming and safe for all students Schools   Medium-term, 1st priority - School District is working on revisions to its harassment policy
A.2a Implement the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (PASS) Program Schools   Short-term, 1st priority - Ongoing
A.3 Improve school facilities Schools   Long-term, 1st priority  
A.3a Build/renovate a state-of-the-art high school  Schools   Long-term, 1st priority  
A.3b Improve the physical plants at the elementary and middle schools Schools   Long-term, 1st priority  
A.4 Increase parental involvement in children’s education Schools, CEDO   Short-term, 1st priority - VISTA home-school liaisons are completing their 1st year
A.4a Increase family involvement in PTOs Schools, CEDO   Medium-term, 2nd priority  
A.5 Maintain and increase quality educational experiences for all students  Schools   Long-term, 1st priority  
A.5a Implement the Training for All Teachers program Schools   Short-term, 1st priority - Ongoing
A.5b Maintain class sizes at primary grades  Schools   Long-term, 1st priority  
A.5c Expand the sustainability curriculum Schools   Medium-term, 2nd priority  
A.6 Increase the roles of schools as community-driven community centers  Schools   Medium-term, 1st priority  
A.6a Help the VNA locate space for and build its new Family Center CEDO   Short-term, 1st priority - VNA has an option on 2 properties on Archibald St., is waiting to hear about a $1 million legislative appropriation- Alternative to building a new facility is to keep the preschool at Wheeler and lease new space for parent workforce development activities
A.6b Encourage community services to locate in close proximity to schools   CEDO, P&Z, Schools   Medium-term, 2nd priority - See above
- Current AHS reorganization is looking at assigning a local AHS team to each school district
A.7 Expand mentoring programs    United Way Medium-term, 2nd priority  
A.7a Replicate DREAM program in Burlington CEDO, Schools   Short-term, 2nd priority - Tracking progress and expansion of program: New programs at SMC & Franklin Sq.
A.7b Continue to expand participation by City employees in mentoring programs  Human Resources   Short-term, 2nd priority  

B. Cultural and Recreation Opportunities

Action Steps    Responsible Party Community Partners Time Frame and Priority Progress
B.1 Develop a system for expanded and coordinated outreach regarding family events and programming in the City    CEDO, Fletcher Free Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools, Market Place Sponsors and advertisers Medium-term, 1st priority  
B.1a Establish a central calendar for all departments CEDO, Fletcher Free Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools, Market Place Sponsors and advertisers Short-term, 1st priority - Burlington City Life calendar printed & distributed around Burlington (5,000 copies) each month since May 2003, plus online version
B.1b Explore combining existing departmental newsletters into a single City newsletter CEDO, Fletcher Free Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools, Market Place   Medium-term, 2nd priority - Beginning to consider idea of expanding City Life into a larger “civic engagement” newspaper
B.2 Make sure recreational programming is available to all families, regardless of their income  CEDO, Fletcher Free Library, City Arts, Parks and Recreation, Schools   Short-term, 1st priority  
B.2a Review all fee bases and make sure programming is affordable to all residents, with scholarships available    CEDO, Fletcher Free Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools Sponsors Short-term, 1st priority -Researched grant opportunities to increase scholarship funds available- Pursuing sponsorships that will support City Life operating costs and fund scholarships for low- to moderate- income children
B.3 Increase recreational/cultural facilities DPW, Parks & Rec, City Arts, CEDO   Long-term, 1st priority  
B.3a Continue to support the opening of the new science center   CEDO   Short-term, 1st priority -ECHO Center opened May 2003
B.3b Build the new recreation center(s)   CEDO, DPW   Long-term, 1st priority - Public meetings during Fall-Winter 2002
B.3c Increase the availability of community gardens, perhaps with greenhouses Parks & Rec Friends of BACG   Long-term, 2nd priority  
B.3d Evaluate the feasibility of linking cultural facilities through a downtown cultural/arts district or a centrally located arts information kiosk  City Arts   Long-term, 2nd priority  

C. Quality of Life: Neighborhoods, Citizen Involvement and Public Safety

Action Steps    Responsible Party Community Partners Time Frame and Priority Progress
C.1 Improve livability for families of neighborhoods around the City’s institutions of higher education CEDO, Code   Medium-term, 1st priority  
C.1a Encourage conversion of student rental properties back to owner-occupancy    CEDO BCLT, Real Estate community Medium-term, 1st priority - Trend of market-rate conversions of student rentals to single-family homes has begun
C.2 Encourage children to engage in positive behaviors and not behaviors that are negative or a nuisance to neighbors/the community  CEDO, Schools Children and Youth Service Providers    
C.2a Improve resources for unsupervised children, especially between the hours of 3 to 7 p.m. – including neighborhood-based recreation, parenting and mediation programs   CEDO, Schools Children and Youth Service Providers   - See A.1d
C.3 Increase the number and visibility of safe, “family-friendly” places in the City  CEDO, Parks, DPW, P&Z   Long-term, 2nd priority  
C.3a Enhance City Hall Park as a child/family-friendly place    CEDO, Parks & Rec Rotary Medium-term, 1st priority -Some physical park improvements including new seating area & landscaping, new walkway, construction of a gateway between the Marketplace & the Park
- Events in the Park: Annual Latino Fest , Farmers’ Market , Magic show for several hundred children, Lund puppet show, BBA “Brown Bag Lunch”
C.3b Increase the number of areas where families without backyards can play with young children Parks & Rec, DPW   Long-term, 2nd priority  
C.3c Explore developing signage indicating spaces/places throughout the City for young children CEDO, Parks & Rec, DPW UVM Early Education Department Medium-term, 2nd priority - Met with Jeanne Goldhaber (July 2003) to discuss signage possibilities
C.3d Encourage “neighborhood centers” where families can walk to access centralized services and where families want to gather to socialize   CEDO, Planning and Zoning   Long-term, 2nd priority - AHS reorganization is exploring establishing easily-accessible, centralized local offices
C.4 Make sure the scale of land use patterns encourages walking (including safe paths for children walking to school) Planning and Zoning, DPW   Long-term, 2nd priority  
C.4a Provide safe route and transportation alternatives for children to the public schools, especially those for pedestrians and bikes DPW, Planning and Zoning   Medium-term, 1st priority  
C.4b Prepare a plan for the development of a network of connecting mid-block pathways within the downtown and into adjacent neighborhoods and add these corridors to the Official City Map  Planning and Zoning   Medium-term, 2nd priority  

D. Homeownership and Housing Quality

Action Steps    Responsible Party Community Partners Time Frame and Priority Progress
D.1  Support and increase homeownership CEDO   Medium-term, 1st priority  
D.1a Explore new homeownership initiatives such as Fannie Mae    CEDO Fannie Mae, HomeOwnership Center Short-term, 1st priority - Launched Burlington HomeOwnership Program – evaluating products to encourage greater use.
D.1b Raise VHFA program (income) limits to encourage homeownership in Burlington    CEDO VHFA Short-term, 1st priority - Complete
D.1c Encourage owner-occupancy of small apartment buildings City Council, CEDO HomeOwnership Center Medium-term, 2nd priority - No progress
D.1d City employees should be encouraged to buy homes in Burlington    HR, CEDO VDCU, BCLT, Fannie Mae Medium-term, 2nd priority - Employee survey complete – one-third of respondents expressed interest in home-buying help
D.1e Encourage accessory apartments in single-family homes and barns/garages   City Council, P&Z, CEDO   Medium-term, 2nd priority - City Council is exploring amending ordinances to encourage conversions
D.1f Increase Housing Trust Fund (HTF) revenue to support homeownership   Rep. Sanders, CEDO   Long-term, 1st priority - National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act is co-sponsored by 205 bipartisan members of Congress and endorsed by over 4,000 organizations – would double revenues to HTF
D.2 Improve the quality and availability of family rental housing        
D.2a Notify tenants of Minimum Housing code violations Code Enforcement VTI, VLA Short-term, 1st priority - Tenants are notified of inspection results on request
D.2b Promote use of the federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit P&Z, CEDO Preservation Burlington Short-term, 1st priority - Ongoing
D.2c Require that landlords give tenants a disclosure form    CEDO, Code Enforcement VTI, VT Apartment Owners, Inc. Medium-term - City Council is exploring how to implement this idea
D.2d Adopt a flexible rehabilitation sub-code    City Council, CEDO, Code, DPW VTI, VCIL Medium-term - Discussions and information gathering/sharing has begun.
D.2e Enact Time of Sale Minimum Housing Compliance Ordinance City Council, CEDO, Code VTI Medium-term - Ordinance & CD Committees discussing this idea.

E. General Recommendations

Action Steps    Responsible Party Community Partners Time Frame and Priority Progress
E.1 Develop a more coordinated approach across city department to making the City a more family-friendly place All City Departments      
E.1a Develop an outreach plan and materials for communicating Burlington’s family assets to the general public, with a multicultural approach to the plan and the materials    Guide CEDO   Medium-term, 1st priority - Working on a Family Resource
E.1b Hold cross-departmental meetings to guide family initiatives in the city   CEDO, Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools, Market Place   Short-term, 1st priority -Meetings held in Jan, Feb, Mar, and June
- Issues discussed: City Life calendar & scholarships
E.1c Add a discussion about impacts on Children and Youth to each Section of the City’s Municipal Development Plan Planning and Zoning   Medium-term, 2nd priority  
E.1d Work with City Departments to assure that children/family-based activities are included at all events and functions CEDO, Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools, Market Place   Medium-term, 2nd priority  
E.1e Consider expanding the centralized mailings on recreational/cultural activities into a City newspaper, addressing issues such as quality of life   All city departments   Medium-term, 2nd priority - Expand City Life over time to have it include quality of life and civic engagement issues
E.1f Explore incorporating a “Neighborhood Ambassador” program into educational and recreational programming CEDO, Library, City Arts, Parks & Rec, Schools   Short-term, 2nd priority - Have decided not to pursue this idea.
E.2 Serve as a model employer for parents with children   Human Resources      
E.2a Review policies regarding parental leave, flexible hours, childcare assistance, etc. Human Resources Child Care Resource Short-term, 1st priority - Considering feasibility of City participation in a employee survey of childcare needs
 

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Page last updated September 2, 2003

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