Burlington, Vermont - The controversy over what the city of Burlington owes South Burlington for the impact of the airport continues after the Burlington city council wouldn't accept an agreement in principal.
For years the two cities had a contract in place, but portions of it have expired. A possible resolution to the on-going dispute led to a special council meeting in Burlington Monday night.
The council met for about two hours and spent about an hour and 40 minutes behind closed doors. The meeting came after councilors learned that Burlington Mayor Kiss and South Burlington's city manager reached an agreement in principal.
Now that the deal appears to be grounded if only temporarily.
The Burlington airport lies in South Burlington. That's why Burlington pays its neighbor $1.1 million each year in lieu of taxes. The two sides are in a payment dispute over "fees for service."
The terms of the proposed agreement remain unclear following Monday's special city council session. "The city council didn't buy that proposal," said Democratic council-member Bill Keogh.
Keogh said it wasn't close. He said they didn't have enough details in order to make an informed decision.
"City council tonight decided to refer this whole dispute back to the airport commission for perhaps a recommendation and resolution back to the city council," he said.
The council expects that report by its next meeting on November, 7th. Previously commissioners told the city council that South Burlington over-inflated the value of the services provided.
The commission has been promised access to more information before making their next recommendation.
"I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that we're probably not too far apart, South Burlington and Burlington," said Airport Commission Chairman Gene Richards. "(We've) got a bunch of people to bring together and bunch of different schedules, but I feel we can be successful."
Airport commissioners and city council members say they're confident a deal will get done because it's not in anyone's interest to resolve the matter in the courts. "We're neighboring communities," said Keogh of South Burlington, "and we have to get along on a number of issues."
Councilor Keogh said the two sides have been acting on a handshake agreement since the contract in question expired a few years ago. He said that's the major factor complicating the issue, and hopes similar handshake agreements don't pose similar problems.
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