Burlington City Council to vote on measure to ground F-35s

The Burlington City Council will vote Monday on a non-binding measure urging the Vt. Air National Guard to stop F-35 training during the pandemic.

The resolution asks Gov. Phil Scott to stop the Air National Guard training sessions on the F-35 jets and instead "to fully mobilize to combat the COVID-19 pandemic." That includes delivering meals and medical equipment.

The Air National Guard says there are about 50 airmen on state active duty directly supporting the effort and scheduled flights will continue to maintain federal readiness requirements.

The council will also vote on whether to update its emergency paid leave policy for all city employees. Last month, councilors adopted the policy, which provided up to 15 days paid leave for staff who were affected by COVID-19.

The city now wants to extend that to 25 days for employees who qualify for benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by the federal government.