BCAT News

The following is a Letter to the Editor 

The Select Board Mission Statement identifies several goals including provision of public services that promote health and safety of residents and a high quality of life and supporting a strong economic base through effective land use planning. Shari Ellis has clearly demonstrated her agreement and support of those goals by her work with the Land Use committee and other efforts in the course of performing her Town Meeting member responsibilities. 

A good example of her work to achieve those goals is the issue of sidewalks which has languished as a back burner item on the Town’s to do list. The prospective cost of improving the quality and extent of the sidewalk system was often cited as the reason to forgo any major improvements despite general agreement that such improvements would enhance public health and safety. Shari Ellis undertook a lobbying effort to raise awareness of this issue including, resurrecting a long forgotten Town Sidewalk policy statement, presentations to the Planning Board and Land Use committee and other public discussions with such pleasant persistence that she earned the title of “Sidewalk Lady”. Her efforts culminated in the identification of a sidewalk plan as a most desirable element in the State required Town Master Development Plan. Soon after, Town Meeting voted to support a more aggressive sidewalk program which in the words of one TM member would pay for itself over time. 

This and similar efforts by Mrs. Ellis speak volumes about her character and commitment to a continuously improving Burlington with respect to quality of life for  citizens and visitors. We would all benefit from her presence on the Select Board.  Vote for Ellis.

Ernie Zabolotny    

Burlington