NPA - All Wards — Burlington, VT
Date: 2024-04-29
Time: 19:00

All Wards Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA):
 Draft Agenda
 Monday, April 29th, 2024
 7:00-8:45pm


 Join in-person: CVOEO Meeting Space, 255 South Champlain St

 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/97684208734


Facilitator: TBD Note Taker: TBD


7:00pm Welcome: Introductions, Announcements & Public Forum | 10 min

 • Adopt the agenda
 • Introductions
 • Announcements & Public Forum

7:10pm Overview of NPA Funds & Purchase Process | 20 min

 • Presentation by Chanel Bastion, Grant & Finance Coordinator, CEDO
 • Questions

7:30pm Overview of Open Meeting Law: Agendas, Minutes, and Attendance | 10 min

 • Presentation by Fosca Bechthold, NPA Public Engagement Specialist,
 CEDO
 • 2019 VT Secretary of State Guide to Open Meetings
 • Questions

7:40pm Discussion: NPA Communication & Record-Keeping Methods | 15 min

 • Share ideas and feedback about communication methods used & how
 important documents are shared (i.e. google groups, shared google drive,
 etc.)
 • Sharing what methods each NPA uses to keep records & what systems
 would be helpful to have in place

7:55pm Discussion: Outreach & Engagement Methods | 30 min
 • Meeting with Trusted Community Voices (TCVs) Report-Out | 5 min
 o Jessica Hyman (Ward 2 SC)
 • Proposal for city-wide NPA outreach event in June or July
 • Discussion on effective outreach & engagement methods NPAs are
 currently using & ideas for other methods to explore


8:25pm Time for Any Additional or Remaining Topics | 20 min


8:45pm Adjourn

Neighborhood
  Planning
 Assembly
Budgeting and Purchasing Process
 Rules for Use of City Funds
 Purchases must be in relation to one of the following NPA goals:



1 To be open and accessible to all voters of the city residing in the ward




2 To provide ward residents with information concerning city programs and activities




3 To help obtain residents' views of city needs




 To help provide residents with an opportunity to make recommendations relating to
4 government decisions


 To provide advice to City Commissions or the City Council relating to community development, housing
5 programs, the City's Comprehensive Development Plan, waterfront planning activities, and the City
 budget.
Examples of Eligible Expenses



 Childcare for meeting Cash to a person or family
 attendees in need


 Advertising or outreach Charity donations
 for promoting meetings
 Supplies or services
 Meeting supplies such as intended to be used next
 food or paper products fiscal year
 Purchasing Process Overview

 Decide as a Ward
 Request for Direct Request for Request Ward
 how the budget
 Payment Form Reimbursement Budget Updates
 should be spent
 To avoid personal payment, Please submit an NPA Request an updated Ward
See NPA Budgeting Tool
 submit an NPA Direct Reimbursement Form budget from the NPA
sheet for assistance
 Payment Form to the NPA with itemized receipts to Coordinator at any time during
 What goals or projects will
 Coordinator at least 3 weeks the NPA Coordinator for the year
 you accomplish this year?
 in advance, including reimbursement. Checks
 What vendors/businesses
 purchase details and vendor will be mailed unless
 could you use?
 estimates. pickup at City Hall is
 requested.
Budgeting Tool Example
NPA Request for
Direct Payment
Form
Available as printable or fillable pdf

Must be received by NPA Coordinator
at least 3 weeks in advance

Contracts are required for services
over $2,500.00 and must be signed
by City CAO
NPA Request for
Reimbursement
Form
Remember to include receipts for full
payment


Checks can be sent by mail or picked up at
City Hall


Receipts can be scanned and sent using
smartphone apps.
End of Fiscal Year
Please submit all reimbursement
paperwork by May 31st in order for CEDO
to allow for last minute budget usage


June expenses need discussion with NPA
Coordinator due to tight deadline.

All Wards Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA):
 Draft Minutes
 Monday, April 29th, 2024
 7-8:45pm

 Location: CVOEO, 255 South Champlain St.



Facilitator: Chris Haessly Note Taker: Jessica Hyman

Steering Committee Members in Attendance: 13 total
 Ward 1: n/a
 Ward 2: Lauren Ebersol, Erika Faulkner, Jessica Hyman, Mollie Klepack Flanigan
 Ward 3: Jessy Robbins, Chris Haessly, Amy Prenowitz
 Ward 4: Hank Prensky
 Ward 5: n/a
 Ward 6: Dale Azaria, Nancy Harkins
 Ward 7: Vicki Garrison
 Ward 8: Ryan Nick, Tom Carroll

Members of the Public in Attendance: Charlie Giannoni, Lea Terhune, Brian Pine (CEDO),
Chanel Bastion (CEDO), Fosca Bechthold (CEDO), Sarah Hernandez-Timm (BPD)

Link to Watch Meeting Recording: Upcoming



7:15pm Welcome: Introductions, Announcements & Public Forum | 10 min

 • Adopt the agenda
 • Introductions
 • Announcements & Public Forum

7:25pm Overview of NPA Funds & Purchase Process | 20 min

 • Presentation by Chanel Bastion, Grant & Finance Coordinator, CEDO &
 Questions
 o Note: No pre-paying, all funds must be used in current fiscal year
 (July 1-June 30)
 o Direct payment preferred (vs. reimbursement) – need invoice
 from vendor 3 weeks in advance
 o For reimbursement - checks can be picked up at City Hall
 o NPAs can request reports at any time – will show only expenses
 that are fully processed
 o Requests of more than $1,000 in good or $2,500 in services must
 come with at least 3 quotes and a reasoning for selection
 o General deadline: All expenses by May 31 – and submit in a timely
 manner throughout the year
 o New form format: Fillable PDF and may be submitted
 electronically
 o W-9s needed for vendors or businesses that the City hasn’t used
 before, and anyone using the funds for income
 o Unspent funds revert to general fund
 o Q: Can funds be donated to a non-profit? A: No
 o Q: Would hiring a research consultant be an allowable expense?
 A: Yes
 o Q: What is the process for approving reimbursements? A:
 Expenses are approved at the NPA level, then checked by Fosca
 for eligibility and approved
 o Q: What about sales tax? A: City doesn’t want to pay it, use sales
 exempt form
 o Q: Will the NPAs receive the same amount in next fiscal year A:
 Ideally yes, but will not know until FY25 budget is approved


7:50pm Overview of Open Meeting Law: Agendas, Minutes, and Attendance | 10 min

 • Presentation by Fosca Bechthold, NPA Public Engagement Specialist,
 CEDO & Questions
 o Send meeting minutes to Fosca by Friday morning after any
 meeting
 o Minutes must be posted within 5 calendar days
 o Include attendance (send photo or scan attendance sheets) –
 Fosca can pull Zoom attendance
 o Q: Do facilitator and note taker need to be included on the
 agenda? A: Not required, but helpful
 o Q: We have sign-in sheets and ask for Ward, name, address, etc.
 Sometimes sheets are not legible, does it matter? A: It’s OK to
 send photos of sheets, even if it wasn’t legible

 • 2019 VT Secretary of State Guide to Open Meetings

8:00pm Discussion: NPA Communication & Record-Keeping Methods | 10 min

 • Share ideas and feedback about communication methods used & how
 important documents are shared (i.e. google groups, shared google drive,
 etc.)
 • Sharing what methods each NPA uses to keep records & what systems
 would be helpful to have in place
 o Ward 1: n/a
 o Ward 2/3: Shared Google Drive, Google Groups, include agendas,
 running notes, templates, ordered by year, digital records of sign-
 in lists/emails, Facebook/Instagram, website, yard signs
 o Ward 4/7: Paper records, plus Google Drive, sign-in sheets,
 Facebook Page, meals, timekeeper; 1st Weds set agenda, NPA 4th
 Weds, plus special meetings for bylaws, etc.; website, yard signs
 o Ward 5: n/a
 o Ward 6: Very few records, agenda and meeting summary by
 monthly email newsletter and on FPF, just started taking
 attendance; include what is NPA on agenda/meeting summary
 posts
 o Ward 8: Very little
 o Ideas:
 ▪ Heat map to see where activity/participation is coming
 from
 ▪ Need more outreach about meeting summary with link to
 video recording as a way to increase
 awareness/engagement

8:15pm Discussion: Outreach & Engagement Methods | 20 min

 • Meeting with Trusted Community Voices (TCVs) Report-Out, Jessica
 Hyman (Ward 2 SC)
 o Main comment from TCVs: What problems do you solve? Need to
 see direct solutions?
 o How are SC members being recruited? Is there a stipend?
 o Outreach to community via local grocery stores
 o Welcome packets to new arrivals; civic education for new arivals
 o Focus on what can be done now - what needs to be done before
 inviting people into the room; actively include equity component
 to SC meetings to show an ongoing commitment and foster a
 space to be inclusive; caution against diversity for the sake of
 diversity
 o “NPA has an opportunity to create something greater than
 ourselves…. We’re not giving anything up, we’re creating a better
 community.” (See Ward 4/7 bylaws)
 o Bubbling up: What is the purpose of the NPAs? Need to answer
 that before we figure out how we do outreach and what data we
 need to collect; BIG Q re role of NPAs: What do we do that City
 Council doesn’t?
 • Proposal from Fosca: City-wide NPA outreach event in June or July
 o This would be an opportunity to connect with communities who
 aren’t already part of the NPAs in a space that’s comfortable to
 them

8:35pm Time for Any Additional or Remaining Topics | 10 min

 • Connect with new Burlington residents by including an NPA outreach
 insert with voter registration
 o Would require content approval (and maybe funds for printing)
 o Remember that not everyone can/will register to vote
 o Lauren, Erika, Chris, Amy to form committee
 • All Wards Meeting Frequency: Chris & Erika proposed every 3rd
 Wednesday of the month as a standing All Wards meeting and initially
 meeting once a month
 • Where will NPA docs live?
 o Shared google drive (& sending them out via email to SC
 members)

8:45pm Adjourn

 • Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 15th 2024