Wards 4 & 7 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-03-26
Time: 18:30

Wards 4 & 7 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA):
 Agenda

 Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
 6:00PM-8:00PM

 Join in person: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center
 Join virtually: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85494151752

 Facilitator: Sarah Note Taker: Time keeper:


6:00 Free Community Dinner provided by Volcano Asian Cuisine 1355 North Ave | 30 mins

 ● vegetarian (tofu) fried rice; vegetarian egg rolls
 ● chicken fried rice; beef fried rice;


6:30pm Welcome & Introductions | 10 mins
 ● Adopt the agenda. Ground Rules
 ● Introductions- Name, pronoun, Ward


6:40pm Open Forum | 10 mins
 ● Invite residents to make short announcements, share neighborhood
 updates and upcoming events


6:50pm Senator Philip Baruth - Vermont State Senator | 30 mins
 ● Updates from beyond the Statehouse
 ● Questions

7:20pm Representative Abbey Duke - State Representative | 20 mins
 ● Updates from the Statehouse
 ● Questions
7:40pm Councilor Sarah Carpenter- Ward 4 Burlington City Councilor | 20 mins
 ● Updates from the City Council
 ● Questions
8:00 Adjourn
 ● Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 23rd. Hope to see you there!



 Ward 4&7 Steering Committee:
 Annie Lawson
 JoAnn Hunt
 Sarah Diaz
 Sami McRae
 Mark Leopold
 Stephen Brown
 Jane McDonald
 To email the full steering committee: wards4-7npasc@googlegroups.com

Wards 4 & 7 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
March 26, 2025 | 6:00 -8:00 PM
Meeting Minutes

Facilitator: Sarah Diaz Notetaker: Mark Leopold

6:00 pm Free Community Meal Provided by Leonardo’s Pizza

6:30 pm Introductions - Sarah explains the open meeting etiquette

6:35 pm Attendees Introduced themselves 48 people in attendance

6:45pm Open Public Forum: 10 Minutes

  Martha Molpus mentioned Hineburg Community Center 4/4 seed planting. 4/16 1PM Vermont Ethics Network
 meeting about advanced directives. 4/19 popup celebration

  Cots Walk Sunday May 4th signups available now was mentioned
  Monica – School District Event 4/9 6-8pm Main Street Landing “Sharing our Stories” extension of Black History
 Month and Women’s History Month
  Tricia Early Childhood Education 4/25 Popup parents event

  Charlie G. –VT 127 Shared Use Path Connection Study
 https://www.ccrpcvt.org/our-work/transportation/current-projects/walk-bike/vt-127-shared-use-path-connection-study/#public
  Burlington Walk and Bike Council plans a joint meeting with South Burlington Bike committee

6:55pm Speaker Senator Phillip Baruth

  Current topics and status of bills in the senate
  Motel program 3000 people including 500 kids many families – governor calls it a failure because of the
 lack of the available progression of step up housing. Many are disabled. Some on oxygen The program is
 about to end 4/1/25 unless the legislature gets the budget adjustment to pass over the governor’s veto.
 House Democrats want a 3 month extension through 6/30/25.
  Education funding and structure – from 100 to 5 school districts has met the most skepticism
 some parts of the plan have broad support such as using a foundation formula – with student counts
 being weighted for more expensive special needs students – based on ELL English language learners etc.
 allow local additional taxes but that violates the spirit of the brigham decision-
  Act 250 exemption for developed areas like Burlington that have zoning laws
  Property Taxes –component healthcare went up 16% last year $70MM spent to bring the tax increase
 down to 17% Currently planning something near a flat increase 1% or 0%
  State Construction Aid is not existent in VT for schools like it is in many states this is weighing heavy on
 Burlington for the new high school
  pbaruth@uvm.edu
7:35pm Speaker: Representative Robert (Bob) Hooper

  Working for 1% on the yield bill – the budget adjustment
  Best contact email: staterephooper@gmail.com

7:45pm Speaker: Sarah Carpenter Burlington City councilor Ward 4

  Sarah asked Bob about the status of the 5 charter changes passed to the legislature from November 2024 and
 Maarch 4, 2025. Bob said 3 of 5 are moving forward now and the others can move after the money issues are
 resolved.
  Burlington city budget fiscal 2026 starts June 1
 Hopefully no general tax increase. There remains a 2.5 MM gap based on level funding which means a 4%
 increase due to contracts. Cost savings may come from some departmental functions merging.

8:00pm Meeting Adjourned



Next Meeting will be Wednesday April 23rd!