Last week Burlington hosted mayors from cities across the country during the 2017 Mayors Innovation Project Annual Meeting.

The group of civic leaders came from communities that differed greatly in terms of size and demographics but were all focused on fixing issues that impact communities nationwide, such as: opioid abuse, modern policing and climate change.

City officials were given the chance to showcase the Burlington’s efforts including, Police Chief Brandon del Pozo discussing 21st Century policy and Burlington Electric Director Neale Lunderville giving a presentation on Net Zero cities.

The event was also an opportunity to display the local business community with a walking tour of Church Street. Local businesses, Citizen Cider and ArtsRiot served as the welcome reception and dinner hosts. The group even attended a Vermont Lake Monsters game on Friday evening at Centennial Field.

“It’s great for these civic leaders to visit Burlington and see the modern vibrant business community we have here.” said BBA Executive Director Kelly Devine.

The Mayors Innovation Project is a coalition that is designed for Mayors from across the country to work together on designing modern policy on pressing social issues. The idea is to connect mayors and city staff with experts who can provide technical assistance as they seek to implement policy in their communities. Founded in 2005 the project now includes membership from more than 100 cities representing roughly 33 million people.