NPA - All Wards — Burlington, VT
Date: 2024-01-17
Time: 17:00

All Wards NPA Meeting: Draft Agenda
 Wednesday, January 17th
 5:00-7:00pm
 Sharon Bushor Conference Room & Online
 Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95418319804


Facilitator: Chris Haessly, Ward 3 SC Member
Meeting Minutes: Fosca Bechthold, NPA Public Engagement Specialist & Scott Rogers,
Community Development Manager, CEDO


5:00 pm Welcome & Introductions | 10 min

 • Adopt the agenda
 • Introductions
 • Announcements
 o De-escalation training for interested SC members will be held
 January 30th from 5-7pm in the Sharon Bushor Conference room
5:10 pm Bylaw Work/Expectations & Updates | 25 min

 • Overview of expectations for bylaw work (5 min)
 • Discussion/Questions/Working Session (20 min)
5:35 pm NPA Input on Con Plan | 15 min

 • Overview of Con Plan (5 min)
 o Rebeka Lawrence-Gomez, Housing Program Manager, CEDO
 o Discussion on involving NPAs (10 min)
5:50 pm Overview of VT Open Meeting Laws & Best Practices | 25 min

 • Summary of Open Meeting Laws and relevant information for NPAs (10
 min)
 o Fosca Bechthold & Scott Rogers
 • Link to Vermont Secretary of State Guide to Open Meetings
 • Questions (15 min)


6:15 pm NPA Expectations of City Council & Admin | 15 min
 • Resolution Relating to The Relationship Between City Officials and The
 Neighborhood Planning Assemblies, introduced by Ward 1


6:30 pm Mayoral Candidate Forum Update | 5 min

 • Update on event planning from SC members working on forum


6:35 pm Owners of Action Items from November 2023 All Wards Meeting | 5 min

 • Review action items from last meeting
 • Assign owners to action items from those missing owners


6:40 pm NPA Outreach Comic Updates | 10 min

 • Update from Jessica Hyman, Ward 2 SC Member
 • Discussion on ways to use these resources


6:50 pm Extra Time for Other Topics | 10 min

 • Expectations for future All Wards Meetings?


7:00 pm Adjourn

All Wards NPA Meeting: Draft Agenda Packet
 Wednesday, January 17th
 5:00-7:00pm
 Sharon Bushor Conference Room & Online
 Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95418319804


Facilitators: Fosca Bechthold, NPA Public Engagement Specialist, CEDO & Scott Rogers,
Community Development Manager, CEDO
Meeting Minutes: Fosca Bechthold & Scott Rogers


 AGENDA PACKET


 I. NPA Input on Con Plan
 i. (see ‘Notice’ document in Civic Clerk posting for meeting)

 II. Bylaw Work/Expectations & Updates
 i. (see ‘Other’ document from Nov. 2023 All Wards Meeting civic
 clerk posting)

 III. Overview of VT Open Meeting Laws & Best Practices page 2

 IV. NPA Expectations of City Council & Admin page 3

 V. Action Items from Nov. 2023 All Wards Meeting page 4




 1
VT Open Meeting Law & Best Practices: Presentation

VT Open Meeting Law
Key requirements of the open meeting law include:
 • Providing advance public notice of meetings, including agendas.
 • Conducting all business and actions in open meetings, unless exceptions apply.
 • Allowing public attendance and participation in meetings.
 • Keeping and making meeting minutes available to the public.


Meeting Preparation: Organizing an Agenda
Components to include:
  • Meeting date, time, & location
  • Zoom link to meeting (same zoom link used for each meeting)
  • Name(s) of the facilitator & name(s) of the note taker
  • Agenda items & associated times they will commence

Suggested Additional Components to include:
  • NPA logo
  • Steering Committee member names & contact info (at the end of agenda)
  • Additional relevant resources
** Please send CEDO meeting agendas by the Friday morning before your scheduled NPA
meeting**
 • we will post it to civic clerk at least 48 hours before the scheduled NPA meeting

Meeting Minutes
 • One SC member should take meeting minutes at the NPA meetings
 • Record any actions and/or votes & their results
 • Summarize points made during presentations and/or public forum, etc.
 • No need to write verbatim

 • Please send CEDO finalized or drafted meeting minutes by the Friday morning directly
 following your meeting

 o We will post them to civic clerk within the 5 days following the meeting




 2
Summary of CEDO Expectations:

 • Please send CEDO meeting agendas by the Friday morning before your scheduled NPA
 meeting (5-6 days in advance of meeting)
 o We will post it to civic clerk at least 48 hours before the scheduled NPA meeting

 • Send CEDO finalized or drafted meeting minutes by the Friday morning directly
 following your meeting (1-2 days after meeting)
 o We will post them to civic clerk within the 5 days following the meeting




Resolution Relating to The Relationship Between City Officials and
The NPAs


Resolution Relating to

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY OFFICIALS AND
THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING ASSEMBLIES


 CITY OF BURLINGTON


In the year Two Thousand Twenty Four…………………………………………………………………
Resolved by the City Council of the City of Burlington, as follows:

That WHEREAS, the 1982 Resolution “Relating to the Creation of Neighborhood Planning Assemblies”
(NPAs) established the NPAs in part to provide a forum for Burlington residents to advise elected and
appointed officials on municipal issues, as evidenced by language in that resolution:

“Whereas this council and various city commissions could be much assisted if the views of the general public with respect to the
needs of the city could be communicated to it in a regular and orderly fashion…

“Whereas many positive benefits would result from the creation of neighborhood assemblies at which citizens would consider
the issues facing government and make recommendations for the consideration of appointed and elected officials charged with
the responsibility of implementing city policies…

“Whereas in the judgement of this city council an appropriate and effective means of realizing such goals would be through
creation of NPAs in each ward of the city which would meet on a regular basis and provide advice to appointed and elected
officials with respect to the issues facing the neighborhoods and the city

“Resolved…the NPAs shall…help provide citizens with an opportunity to participate in making recommendations with respect to
government decisions including allocation of revenues. The NPAs shall also be encouraged to provide advice to the appropriate

 3
commission or this council with respect to Community Development, housing programs, the city’s Comprehensive Development
Plan and its waterfront activities, and the city’s budget among other things.”; and

WHEREAS there currently exists no process to ensure that elected and appointed officials consult with
the NPAs on any issues; and

WHEREAS it is not infrequent that City Council resolutions are made public and voted on before
discussion at NPA meetings is possible or solicited;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council, in consultation with the NPAs, will establish
processes and criteria for determining the municipal issues on which NPAs must be consulted for advice
and input prior to City Council votes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said advice and input be considered in City Council deliberations and
decision-making on those issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that processes and criteria be created by commissions and city departments
for the same purpose; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these processes and criteria be established by April 1, 2024.




Action Items from November 2023 All Wards Meeting

• Return to All Wards Meeting in the near future.
• Define the relationship between NPA and the City of Burlington.
• Form an NPA bylaws and resolution committee.
• Establish a communication group.
• Align nondiscrimination policies with the City of Burlington.
• CEDO to call Wards 4/7 and Ward 8 NPA meetings.
• Develop a grievance and data collection process.
• Encourage new registered voters to join NPAs.
• Host a mayoral debate.
• Utilize the All Wards Steering Committee Google Group for communication.
• Explore the possibility of hosting community events.




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All Wards NPA Meeting:
 Draft Meeting Minutes
 Wednesday, January 17th
 5:00-7:00pm
 Sharon Bushor Conference Room & Online
 Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95418319804
To watch the recording of the meeting: Burlington All Wards NPA - 1/17/2024 (youtube.com)


Facilitator: Chris Haessly, Ward 3 SC Member
Meeting Minutes: Fosca Bechthold, NPA Public Engagement Specialist & Scott Rogers,
Community Development Manager, CEDO

Start Time: 5:10pm End Time: 7:30pm


Steering Committee Members in Attendance:
Ward 1: Jonathan Chapple-Sokol, Carol Livingston, Samantha Ayotte
Ward 2: Erika Faulkner, Jessica Hyman, Lauren Ebersol, Mollie Klepack
Ward 3: Chris Haessly, Michelle Borbas
Ward 4: Hank Prensky
Ward 7: Carmen George
Ward 5: Lena Greenberg
Ward 6: Dale Azaria
Ward 8: Ryan Nick


Others in Attendance:
Fosca Bechthold, Todd DeLuca, Christopher Aaron-Felker, Rebeka Lawrence-Gomez, Erik
Ramakrishnan, Scott Rogers


5:00 pm Welcome & Introductions | 10 min

 • Adopt the agenda
 • Introductions
 • Announcements
 o De-escalation training for interested SC members will be held
 January 30th from 5-7pm in the Sharon Bushor Conference room


5:10 pm Bylaw Work/Expectations & Updates | 25 min

 • Overview of expectations for bylaw work (5 min)
 • Discussion/Questions/Working Session (20 min)
5:35 pm NPA Input on Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development for
 2024-2028 Plan | 15 min

 • Overview of Con Plan (5 min)
 o Rebeka Lawrence-Gomez, Housing Program Manager, CEDO,
 presented briefly on the Con Plan
 o (see slides attached to civic clerk all wards meeting post, listed
 under ‘notice’)
 o Survey link to provide feedback and suggestions for this plan:
 https://communityfeedback.opengov.com/portals/burlingtonvt/Issue_1
 3526

5:50 pm Overview of VT Open Meeting Laws & Best Practices | 25 min

 • Summary of Open Meeting Laws and relevant information for NPAs (10
 min)
 o Fosca Bechthold & Scott Rogers
 • Questions about VT Open Meeting Law relating to extent that Steering
 Committee meetings have to follow Open Meeting Law, what constitutes
 ‘substantive’ in an open meeting law context, & more
 • Link to Vermont Secretary of State Guide to Open Meetings


6:15 pm NPA Expectations of City Council & Admin | 15 min

 • Resolution Relating to The Relationship Between City Officials and The
 Neighborhood Planning Assemblies, introduced by Ward 1 for City
 Council to consider
 • Some discussion around this resolution & encouraging all NPAs to vote on
 the resolution to send to city council to consider passing


6:30 pm Mayoral Candidate Forum Update | 5 min
 • All Wards mayoral candidate forum is no longer happening, but there are
 other forum events happening leading up to the election


6:35 pm Owners of Action Items from November 2023 All Wards Meeting | 5 min

 • Return to All Wards Meeting in the near future (next month) – Chris
 Haessly (ward 3) & Erika Faulkner (ward 2) will work on getting this
 together (hopefully once a month)
 • Define the relationship between the NPAs and the City of Burlington –
 invite councilors to the next meeting to have a larger discussion about
 this?
 • Form an NPA bylaws and resolution committee – future all wards
 meetings?
 • Establish a communication group – agenda item for next meeting
 • Align nondiscrimination policies with the City of Burlington – CEDO will
 send this out to the NPAs
 • CEDO to call wards 4/7 and Ward 8 NPA meetings – done
 • Develop a grievance and data collection process – REIB
 • Encourage new registered voters to join NPAs – Lauren Ebersol (Ward 2)
  maybe an agenda item for next meeting?
 • Host a mayoral debate
 • Utilize the All Wards Steering Committee google group for
 communication – currently occurring
 • Explore the possibility of hosting community events – future all wards
 meetings?


6:40 pm NPA Outreach Comic Updates | 10 min

 • Update from Jessica Hyman, Ward 2 SC Member
 o CEDO has translated comic text into Arabic, Burmese, French,
 Nepali, Swahili, Somali, and Vietnamese
 ▪ Translations will become available with image files


6:50 pm Extra Time for Other Topics | 10 min

 • Expectations for future All Wards Meetings?


7:00 pm Adjourn