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[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Good.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Yes. You would be an expert.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Hello, and welcome to the Senate Government Operations Committee meeting of Friday, 02/27/2026. We're going to tick up one item today, not the two that we have on the calendar, S-two 91, which is the travel disclosures for legislators and certain executive officers. We wanna hear back from the administration on exactly what, because my feeling was that they were already doing that, but we wanna find out to what degree and how public those disclosures might be. So we will hopefully invite Secretary Clark to join us when we come back on the week of the tenth, I think it is. 09/10/1213, yes, the tenth. And at that point decide whether to amend it or move it or whatever we decide to do. So with that in mind, we only have one item today, H508, which is an act relating to approval of amendments in the charter of the city of Burlington. We've talked a couple of times about this, and I believe our legal counsel, Tucker Anderson, who can certainly join us at his leisure at the Gable, might have some finalized amendment that we could look at.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: So I just, I have sent this amendment to the city of Burlington this morning, but I have not heard back from them yet. Okay. It looks to me to do what we had discussed, but I didn't promise to the city attorney, but I would send them whatever. Understood. Yep.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: And I think the, I don't know if it's crux of the problem, it's not necessarily a problem. The crux of the charter change that within a five year period, but not more than once every five years, they could change the redistricting against, and we felt that there was maybe some questions that we had about that. So am I summarizing that? Yeah. They do get yearly or annual census data from the US Census Bureau, but we're not sure whether that would be the only way that they would be able to tell that family A moved from Ward 1 to Ward 8. And maybe we do want to give them the authority to do that every five years, as is obvious with the definition of centennial, every ten years, there's a census. In between those ten years, I don't believe there's any other municipality that we extend this to. And so this would be new if we were to, go along with what the house sent them over, which is they could do it no more frequently than other five years.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: So that is what has that is no longer there, because what I've heard from the testimony from the city of Burlington is they wanna be able to do it when they need to, but they don't want it to be abused, and so they wanted some parameters.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: I do recall that from Tucker. Right. Was what it's talking about. Do recall
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: as well. So, we're, has an amendment that addresses that, right? I think so. So, are we about to go over that?
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: Yes. Good afternoon. Tucker Anderson, legislative counsel. I did just send the draft to the committee. I had sent Oh. Per the committee's instructions initially to senator Vyhovsky. Yeah. And things came together in what I described as the bog award. A sedition. I didn't receive it until early this morning. So that is my apologies if it was late for you.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: I can print copies for anyone who wants.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: That would be great.
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: The way that the amendment is structured, very straightforward. It strikes the five year limitation. The entire sentence, it's set a limitation on the exercise of the apportioning authority of the city council and replaces it with a mandate so that the city council shall change electionary boundaries whenever necessary to correct an unconstitutional division of population among the city boards. So they maintain discretionary authority to amend, to change the boundaries from time to time. That's the phrase that is used. It was proposed by the voters, and, it is followed immediately in this amendment by the new language that requires the city council to change the election area boundaries whenever there's an unconstitutional provision. Tim and I Tim Devlin and I had some discussion about what was the best way to describe this when there's an unconstitutional deviation between the boards within the city, whether it should just be called out, know, that the boundaries should be divided as necessary to ensure equal division of population. That's the phrase that is used in all the other charters that have similar power for their city councils. But when we discussed it, that trigger is actually not what the constitution required because it allows up to a 10% deviation. It doesn't require equal distribution between the ones. So in order to actually do what the committee was discussing last time, we decided that the most concise and accurate way to describe committee's intent was whenever necessary to correct an unconstitutional division of population. I will correct one thing that was brought up in Chair's introduction. There is one other municipality that has a five year limitation, and I haven't brought it up before. That's the city Of Saint Albans. Oh. The city Of Saint Albans has the same restriction on their city council's authority to reapportion city laws. Senator Vyhovsky.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Alison Clarkson. Thank you. As always, your testimony is enlightening and makes me wonder if this actually does do what the city asked because it seems like it would still allow them to redistrict whenever they want. Correct. And that is what they were trying to curtail. They only want to be allowed to do it. Yes. So Or to correct it's unconstitutional Right. So this is a requirement that they do it then, but it is not a restriction that they can only do it then. They could still choose. And and what the city had said, they were trying to So this actually may not do with the city.
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: A one word change Only. Could address that only. Correct. The city council shall only change electionary boundaries whenever necessary to correct unconstitutional, convicious, ovulation, or custody boards.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Let's do it. Senator Warren, think they will like this language, don't you?
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Well, so what I heard from the city is that the reason they did the five year is because they wanted a limitation on this And being by removing the five year and not having the only, I don't think we're providing them the limitation they asked for.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Well, with only.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Then I think it would do that. Yeah.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: I think it's good. You know whether the language for Saint Albans would be similar to what was proposed in the House Amendment?
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: Yes, the St. Aldens language is exactly the as Burlington's initial proposal.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: And for how many years has St. Augustine been able to do that? I can pull it up. I'm just serious whether there have been any issues, how often they have actually done it. I even note that in
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: the online version of the
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: statutes, it doesn't frequently list random looking. Oh. The provision was added. It's an idle, curious question that doesn't really Well, you and I may have passed.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: You and I may have passed.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: We could. Well, I think the intent of the committee is being made clear with our legislative council. So I guess I'm fine looping this. If people want to, I'd like to wait and send it away.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: So I did promise the
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: city Oh, promise, and we can't make it you come back.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. Right. I I did promise the city to make the language, and I do wanna make the change.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So to show you the city council shall only change electionary boundaries whenever necessary to correct my own company. Couldn't do it. The city council shall change election boundaries only when necessary, but you're the wordsmith will. I promise I'll find the right grant
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: And then. To discuss the limitation that would be put into place at that point. If they are common to the dissoundal census, which would normally be the timing of due reapportionment, the language might be interpreted to restrict them even at that point. As long as the warrants are within the constitutional standards for deviation. So that was the overarching concern is does the restriction prevent them from actually undergoing regular reapportionment of the board's dissent? Something to think about since it sounds like it's, you're gonna come back to the amendment at a later point so we can
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Let's
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: Think about a way to to allow continue to use this discretion to reapportion overtimes by it.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yeah, I was about to ask to say, if they shall only, because my other question is, we say they shall only, that seems to be a blanket prohibition on doing it in another time, but not actually a requirement that they do it then. Do you see what I mean?
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: Yes, it would still be discretionary.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So I'm remembering, and I think Senator Clarkson and I were on the reapportionment committee, which would have been back in 'twenty one, I'd say. There was a plus or minus deviation of 10%, I think, that was sort of understood That was up within the guidelines of constitution, would that be the same in this regard? Yes, it devolves down from the general assembly standard down to all the political subdivisions of the state. Yeah. And it served us well, I think, in that committee. If it was eight and a half, we were like, well, it's not great, but it would not And require
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: we tried to keep
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: it under five, though. Yes.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Sometimes we weren't 82. Know, it's it's, I think, easier when you're moving so it's my opinion. If you're moving ward boundaries, it might be a little bit easier than moving a municipal boundary. In the house, they do carve up municipalities at a different distance. Yes. They do. In the senate, it's less likely. I'm not sure
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: if it's even sometimes those divisions. We did.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So did we we didn't charge We did. Got gloves.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yes. Chittenden. Chittenden.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: We Oh, did we ever? The six pack. The famous six pack.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Yes. You, in fact, did chop up a county.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Mine. No. No. We chopped up a municipality. Chittenden.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Well, they were all in Chittenden County.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Yeah. But we created Chittenden North, Chittenden
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Central, Chittenden Southeast. The point I was making. Yeah.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Right. I
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: what I mean.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah. And in fact, you wound up getting an extra seat with the Chittenden North seat. Two? Thought it went from six to seven.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: It did, went from seven.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Oh, okay. Well, I always sort of consider the Colchester Grand Isle District also Chickie It's not. I mean, Chittenden County. Absolutely
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Chittenden County.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: But it's good to know that
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: some percent
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: deviation is at least the point at which you have to say, hey, we gotta do something. Okay. So when the city gets back to you, so we seem to be moving a lot of stuff into that week, we'll get it back. Although this one doesn't have to move.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: I think like
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: that many days in the morning.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: It doesn't. I'll work with Tucker to figure out Yeah.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: We don't need to put five zero eight on when we come back.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: What the right length is.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: 391, you do Maybe it doesn't exist. We do wanna hear from the administration, and so and I will communicate that to When I read it, it seemed perfect, and
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: then you explained it, and I was like, oh, no. This actually doesn't do what they want.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Those were the only two items, and I hate to make it look like we didn't include senator White in any of the discussion today. Is there She she went up to get something to eat, I think. I
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: hate to ask, but I will given our time frame, is there any way we could ask Sarah or if she could just pop over or or testify by Zoom?
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Okay. I'm not against that.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: Absolutely. If we wanna take
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: break and our time we have time.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Well, I was, again, trying to get you all out and on the road by Okay. Very early this afternoon.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Right. So then
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: The house I I don't see a house member left in the building, so
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: They're printing their town
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: meeting reports. I think they
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: I'm subscribed for that. I saw that.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So that's Yeah. Let's wait till we get
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: that. Okay. So
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: is there anything else that the committee has found and determined we should take up today? Oh. Again, with all due respect to the senator from Windsor, junior senator from Windsor.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: I'm trying to look for the most controversial bill on our board to see if perhaps we should do that today.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Oh, That was accompanied by a smile, I guess. Thank
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: you, John. There's one of their obsession.
[Tucker Anderson (Legislative Counsel)]: I'm gonna be in the video. Figure something out. I'm just waiting to hear back from
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: That took me completely by surprise. I shouldn't I didn't even find out about it until I walked into the Senate chamber for the additional amendment that we looked at earlier in the day. Ah, but anyway, have a great week off, come back rested, and as you always do, ready to pitch in again and get some things done.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: May I just remind our constituents and everyone who's watching that it's not a week off. We are all going to our town meetings and meeting with lots of constituents because everyone knows that we are not in the legislature this week. So actually, there's a lot of pressure on our time during this week. So just letting people know.
[Tanya Vyhovsky (Vice Chair)]: And you should vote. This town meeting turnout is Yes. Yes.
[Alison Clarkson (Member)]: Low. Low. Yeah. So please go and vote on Saturday, Monday night, or Tuesday.
[Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Okay. With that in mind, we will adjourn for the day, the week, and see all of you back here on the March 10.