Warning of the 100th Annual Winooski City Meeting 

The legal voters of Winooski are hereby warned and notified to meet at a City Meeting at Winooski School on March 6, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss Article Two, Article Three and Article Four and to conduct an informational hearing on the Australian Ballot questions. The meeting to be adjourned and to reconvene at the Winooski Senior Center, 123 Barlow Street on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 to transact any business involving voting by Australian Ballot to begin at 7:00 o'clock in the morning and to close at 7:00 o'clock in the evening. The legal voters of the City of Winooski are further notified that voter qualification, registration and absentee voting relative to said meeting shall be as provided in Title 17 V.S.A. Chapters 43, 51 and 55. In addition, Act No. M-6 (H.227)

Article One

To elect two (2) City Councilors for a term of two (2) years each.

Article Two, City Budget

Shall the voters of the City of Winooski approve the budget for the Fiscal Year for 2024 in the amount of $9,242,032.87(nine million, two hundred and forty-two thousand, thirty-two dollars and eighty-seven cents). The amount to be raised from property taxes is $6,699,800.98 (six million, six hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred dollars and ninety-eight cents).

Article Three

Shall the City Council be authorized to apply for and accept funds from sources other than property taxation, and to expend the same for the benefit of the City in addition to sums for which budget appropriation has been made? (Approval of this article will not impact property taxes.)

Article Four

Shall the Charter of the City of Winooski, Acts of 2013, No. M-9, as amended, be further amended to give the City Council the power to provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants from evictions without 'just cause' by adopting and adding a new subsection 304(b)(13) to read as follows:

"304(b)(13)(A) To provide by ordinance protections for residential tenants, as defined in Chapter 137 of Title 9 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, from eviction without 'just cause' where just cause shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) a tenant's material breach of a written rental agreement,

(2) a tenant's violation of state statutes regulating tenant obligations in residential rental agreements,

(3) non-payment of rent, and

(4) a tenant's failure to accept written, reasonable, good faith renewal terms.

(B) Such ordinance shall exclude from just cause the expiration of a rental agreement as sole grounds for termination of tenancy. In addition to the exemptions in Chapter 137. of Title 9, the ordinance shall exempt from this provision, subject to mitigation provisions, sublets and in-unit rentals as well as the following properties but not limited to:

(1) owner-occupied duplexes, and triplexes;

(2) those being withdrawn from the rental market, including properties to be occupied by the owner or an immediate family member as a primary residence; and

(3) those in need of substantial renovations which preclude occupancy.

(C) Such ordinance shall include provisions that:

(1) mitigate potential negative impacts on tenants and property owners, including but not limited to requirements of adequate notice and reasonable relocation expenses,

(2) provide for a reasonable probationary period after initial occupancy, and

(3) limit unreasonable rent increases to prevent de facto evictions or nonrenewals, although this shall not be construed to limit rents beyond the purpose of preventing individual evictions.

(D) The ordinance shall define what is 'reasonable' and 'adequate notice' in defining just cause and shall require that landlords provide notice of just cause and other legal requirements as part of the rental agreement"?

Dated at Winooski on the 23rd of January 2023.

Kristine Lott, Mayor

Councilor James Duncan

Councilor Bryn Oakleaf

Councilor Thomas Renner

Councilor Aurora Hurd