The Hawk Eye
It might be the members of the Burlington City Council who make the decisions for the city, but nearly 100 citizens help advise the city on everything from the riverfront to downtown parking.
Burlington has 19 committees comprised of citizens, business owners and city representatives, who act as an ex-officio members of the boards or commissions to which they are assigned.
"Those boards really generate a lot of the really infant ideas that end up becoming policy within the city," councilman Matt Rinker explained.
One of the ways an idea becomes a policy, Rinker said, is by kicking over a council idea to the pertinent committee. From there, committee members can review it and create recommendations for what they think the council should do.