Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-12-16
Time: 12:00

City Council - Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee

 Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 12:00 PM,

Join in Person: Front Conference Room, 645 Pine St. Burlington, VT 05401

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/84603122855
To call into the meeting, including to speak during public comment:
Phone: 312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 846 0312 2855
1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to adopt/amend

2. Adopt Minutes
 2.1. Minutes of 11/25/25

3. Public Forum
 3.1. Public Comment - 20 min

4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1. Unaccepted Streets - 20 min
 4.2. Proposed Executive Session: Unaccepted Streets - 40 min
 4.3. Encore Solar Update - 30 min

5. Director's Report

6. Councilor Items

7. Next Meeting
 7.1. Tentative - 1/27/26, time TBD

8. Adjournment

City Council - Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee

 Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 12:00 PM,

Join in Person: Front Conference Room, 645 Pine St. Burlington, VT 05401

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/84603122855
To call into the meeting, including to speak during public comment:
Phone: 312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 846 0312 2855
1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to adopt/amend

2. Adopt Minutes
 2.1. Minutes of 11/25/25

3. Public Forum
 3.1. Public Comment - 20 min

4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1. Unaccepted Streets - 20 min
 4.2. Proposed Executive Session: Unaccepted Streets - 40 min
 4.3. Encore Solar Update - 30 min

5. Director's Report

6. Councilor Items

7. Next Meeting
 7.1. Tentative - 1/27/26, time TBD

8. Adjournment




 Page 1 of 8
 CITY OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT

 CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY &
 UTILITIES COMMITTEE
 c/o Department of Public Works 802.863.9094 VOX
 645 Pine Street, Suite A 802.863.0466 FAX
 Post Office Box 849 802.863.0450 TTY
 Burlington, VT 05402-0849 www.burlingtonvt.gov

 Councilor Mark Barlow, Chair, North District
 Inquiries:
 Councilor Gene Bergman, Ward 2
 Rob Goulding
 Councilor Becca McKnight, Ward 6 802.881-2278
 Councilor Marek Broderick, Ward 8 rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov




 Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee of the City Council
 Tuesday, November 25, 2025 – 4:00PM
 --DRAFT MINUTES—

 See video for full meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_YCEb4MOYU
Councilors absent: Councilor McKnight

Councilors present: Chair Barlow, Councilor Bergman & Councilor Broderick via zoom
Chair Barlow calls meeting to order at 4:05 pm.

1. Agenda
Councilor Bergman moves to approve the agenda as posted.
Councilor Broderick seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval

2. Minutes of 9/30/25 & 10/29/25
Councilor Bergman moves to adopt both sets of minutes.
Councilor Broderick seconds.
 All in favor, Unanimous approval

3. Public Forum
Peter McOsland spoke about recycling program.
Sharon Bushor (via zoom) raised issues about the timing of meetings close to holidays,
particularly noting the upcoming meeting on December 23rd, and emphasized the importance
of public input on major city decisions.
Pike Porter (via zoom) presented questions about discrepancies in CO2 emissions data from
the EPA Clean Air Market Program and raised concerns about BED's power purchase
agreements, particularly regarding McNeil's eligibility for Connecticut RECS and the need for a
lifecycle analysis of wood combustion emissions.
4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1 Velerity Report
 Darren Springer, General Manager of B.E.D, Mike Harron, Director of Generation
 Operations of B.E.D, Seth Clifford Chief Forrester of B.E.D, Ali Kenney B.E.D


 Page 2 of 8
 Commissioner, present for the meeting. Brad Bradshaw & Katherine Birnie from
 Velerity presented information.

Councilors asked questions about EPA data, different options for replacing McNeil, and will
email any further questions to Darren. Ali asked for clarification about absolute decisions, if
McNeil were not in service, why would there be a need for additional capacity?

AI generated minutes w/ slight staff revisions: Darren Springer, General Manager of
Burlington Electric, introduced the Valerity report, which explores options for reducing stack
emissions and increasing efficiency at the McNeil site. Brad and Catherine from Valerity
presented the findings, focusing on establishing an emissions baseline and analyzing potential
initiatives for emission reduction. They discussed various options, including low-carbon fuels,
efficiency improvements, and waste heat recovery, while considering their impact on operating
costs, capital requirements, and rates. The presentation highlighted the need for further
evaluation of specific technologies, such as organic ranking cycle and wood pyrolysis, to
achieve the desired emission reductions. Brad presented an analysis of carbon reduction
options, comparing their impact on rates and emissions. He highlighted that ammonia and
RNG have high costs, while carbon capture and wood pyrolysis are more promising. The
analysis showed that carbon capture and pyrolysis could achieve a 50% reduction in
emissions with smaller impacts on rates. Brad explained that carbon capture could be used to
sell CO2 in the Northeast market, while pyrolysis offers increased efficiency and the production
of biochar. Brad explained that McNeil provides cost-effective renewable energy, contributes to
ISO New England's capacity requirements, and acts as a hedge against high market prices.
The discussion explored potential alternatives if McNeil were not in service, including wood
pyrolysis, hydropower, and battery storage options. Two scenarios were presented: one based
on wood pyrolysis and another on hydropower, both aimed at meeting Burlington's renewable
energy and capacity obligations. The conversation ended with a recommendation to explore
longer-duration battery storage systems and distributed energy resources to complement any
new renewable energy sources. Brad explained that the analysis used 2024 as a baseline for
comparing emissions reductions across different technologies, and clarified that wood
pyrolysis would not generate the same capacity as the current McNeil plant, requiring
additional storage or capacity purchases. Brad clarified that January data was randomly
selected to represent McNeil's value stream as a hedge against high prices, and explained that
carbon capture and pyrolysis options would require significant capital investment. The
committee agreed to follow up with Darren regarding written answers to outstanding questions
about the report.


Information only

 4.2 Unaccepted Streets (Changed from 4.3)
Laura Wheelock, Senior Public Works Engineer Technical Services, Philip Peterson,
Senior Transportation Engineer & Alice Schwencke, Excavation Inspector presented
information.

Councilors asked about having the breakdown of the lists into wards. Does the City provide
support? Proposed rates?

AI generated minutes w/ slight staff revisions: The meeting focused on the management
and potential acceptance of private and unaccepted streets within the city. Phillip, Alice &
 Page 3 of 8
Laura discussed the challenges of identifying and addressing these streets, including the need
for comprehensive mapping and outreach to property owners. The group agreed that providing
formal notices to property owners about the status of their streets is important, though the
timeline for sending these notices may be pushed back from the initially proposed October 1,
2026 deadline. They also acknowledged the complexity of the situation, with some streets
being privately owned but maintained by the city, while others are unaccepted and present
more significant challenges.
Information only


 4.3 Recycling Next Steps (Changed from 4.4)
Chapin Spencer, Director of DPW presented information.

Councilor Bergman and Councilor Broderick expressed concerns about the city's ability to
regulate and control a private contractor, particularly Casella, which has a history of price
increases. The group agreed that building capacity within city departments and maintaining
democratic control over the program is preferable to privatization, despite the financial
challenges involved. expressed opposition to privatizing Burlington's recycling service,
emphasizing the importance of democratic control and accountability over public goods. He
highlighted concerns about losing infrastructure and the ability to control pricing and worker
exploitation if the service is privatized. Emphasized the need for financial sustainability and the
potential for the service to remain unchanged for residents.


AI generated minutes w/ slight staff revisions: The meeting focused on the city's recycling
program and potential changes to its operation. The city is considering either continuing to run
the consolidated collection service in-house or contracting it out to a private hauler. A memo
was presented that outlined the options, including a recent competitive bid for a contracted
service. The DPW Commission voted in favor of contracting out the service, though the final
decision rests with the council. Colby Delaire, Union President expressed concerns about
staffing challenges in the recycling department, noting high turnover and difficulty attracting
new candidates, even with incentives. They emphasized that any changes to the program
should not result in the loss of union jobs.
Councilor Bergman moves to recommend that the city maintains the recycling program.
Councilor Broderick seconds.
Councilor Bergman – Aye
Councilor Broderick – Aye
Chair Barlow – Nay


 4.4 Great Streets Bank & Cherry Update (Changed from 4.2)
Julia Ursaki, Transportation Engineer presented information.

Councilor Bergman supports & wonders what the likelihood of the economic progress council
not supporting us is. Councilor Broderick & Chair Barlow supports this.

AI generated minutes w/ slight staff revisions: the committee supported removing it from
the current project to address a $16.6 million funding shortfall, allowing work to proceed on
other streets while seeking additional funding.

 Page 4 of 8
Information only


 5. Director’s Report
None

 6. Councilor Items
None

 7. Next Meeting
Tentative - December 16 or 19, 2025 at 645 Pine St at noon.

 8. Adjournment
Chair Barlow adjourns meeting at 7:20 pm.




 Page 5 of 8
From: Pike Porter <pikeporter@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2025 3:42 PM
To: Mark Barlow <mbarlow@burlingtonvt.gov>; Gene Bergman <gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov>; Becca Brown
McKnight <bbrownmcknight@burlingtonvt.gov>; Marek Broderick <mbroderick@burlingtonvt.gov>; Darren
Springer <dspringer@burlingtonelectric.com>
Subject: CO2 data question


[ WARNING ]: This email was sent from someone outside of the City of Burlington.

Hi all,

I attach data from the EPA clean air market program website: https://campd.epa.gov/data/custom-data-
download (McNeil facility code is 589) which provides different CO2 data then the Velerity slide
presentation. Can Velerity explain the discrepancy during its presentation?

Thanks.

Pike


From: Gene Bergman <gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2025 4:16 PM
To: Julia Ursaki <jursaki@burlingtonvt.gov>
Subject: FW: public records request



Also for TEUC public comment please



From: Pike Porter <pikeporter@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2025 2:55 PM
To: Mark Barlow <mbarlow@burlingtonvt.gov>; Gene Bergman <gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov>; Marek
Broderick <mbroderick@burlingtonvt.gov>; Becca Brown McKnight <bbrownmcknight@burlingtonvt.gov>
Subject: Fwd: public records request



[ WARNING ]: This email was sent from someone outside of the City of Burlington.


Hi all,



I requested any evidence to support that outlandish assertions that, " When McNeil generates power using
wood as fuel, the wood used is sustainably harvested, primarily in Vermont and upstate New York, but at times
has come from other sources throughout the Northeast. BED has been approached by Connecticut wood
suppliers regarding taking wood supply from tree trimming operations and other Connecticut non-commercial
wood sources." Below is the response advising that there is no evidence to support these claims.

 Page 6 of 8
See you at 4.



Thanks.



Pike Porter

Burlington Electric rate payer tired of "a troubling pattern of [BED]...inconsistencies and shortfalls."

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Joseph Dempsey <jdempsey@burlingtonvt.gov>
Date: Mon, Nov 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Subject: RE: public records request
To: Pike Porter <pikeporter@gmail.com>



Good afternoon Pike,




I can confirm that the City has no records responsive to this request. There are no written documents or
communications with wood suppliers in Connecticut.




Thank you and have a great holiday week,

Joe




--

Joseph Dempsey

Public Information Officer

City Attorney's Office

The City of Burlington, Vermont

jdempsey@burlingtonvt.gov




Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be
subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act.




 Page 7 of 8
From: Pike Porter <pikeporter@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2025 5:53 PM
To: Joseph Dempsey <jdempsey@burlingtonvt.gov>
Subject: public records request




[ WARNING ]: This email was sent from someone outside of the City of Burlington.

Hi Joe,




I've attached a letter BED had submitted on its behalf that makes two statements:




...but at times [the wood] has come from other sources throughout the Northeast. BED has been
approached by Connecticut wood suppliers regarding taking wood supply from tree trimming operations and
other Connecticut non-commercial wood sources.




I request to review all documents possessed by Burlington Electric that helped inform these statements, or can
substantiate these statements, including wood contracts from other sources throughout the Northeast
evidencing dates and source locations of this wood, and emails or other correspondence from Connecticut wood
suppliers.




Thanks.




Pike Porter




 Page 8 of 8

CITY OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT

 CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY &
 UTILITIES COMMITTEE
 c/o Department of Public Works 802.863.9094 VOX
 645 Pine Street, Suite A 802.863.0466 FAX
 Post Office Box 849 802.863.0450 TTY
 Burlington, VT 05402-0849 www.burlingtonvt.gov

 Councilor Mark Barlow, Chair, North District
 Inquiries:
 Councilor Gene Bergman, Ward 2
 Rob Goulding
 Councilor Becca McKnight, Ward 6 802.881-2278
 Councilor Marek Broderick, Ward 8 rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov




 Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee of the City Council
 Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – 12:00PM
 --DRAFT MINUTES—
 See video for full meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD24-abUh9c

Councilors absent: None
Councilors present: Chair Barlow, Councilor Bergman & Councilor Broderick Councilor
McKnight via zoom
Chair Barlow calls meeting to order at 12:03 pm.
1. Agenda
Councilor Broderick moves to approve the agenda as posted.
Councilor McKnight seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval

2. Minutes of 11/25/25
Councilor Broderick moves to adopt the minutes.
Councilor McKnight seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval

3. Public Forum
Gregory Unger – West Rd resident – comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Edward & Annelin Winant – Sunset Ct resident – Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Bob McKearin – here to listen
Bob Warrington - Deforest Heights resident - Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Jake Schumann - North Cove Rd resident - Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Ann Rosenbluth - North Cove Rd resident - Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Ellen Hacker – North Avenue Extension – Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Bruce Lancer - North Cove Rd resident - Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Cara Simone (via Zoom) – Chittenden Dr resident - Comments about Unaccepted Streets.
Robert Bristo Johnson – (via Zoom) - North Cove Rd resident - Comments about
Unaccepted Streets.
4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1 Unaccepted Streets
 Laura Wheelock, City Engineer/Division Director Technical Services & Philip
 Peterson, Senior Transportation Engineer & Planner, Megan Moir, Water
 Resources Division Director presented information.

Councilor McKnight doesn’t support sending it to council, shares frustration. Councilor
Bergman asks how we go about it. Wants to schedule decision for a subsequent meeting.
Councilor Broderick agrees it needs to stay in the committee, item needs more time. Chair
Barlow feels timeline is too aggressive.

AI generated minutes w/ slight staff revisions: The meeting focused on the city's decision
to stop plowing and maintaining certain streets, including North Avenue Extension and
Chittenden Drive. Residents expressed concerns about the impact of this change on safety,
accessibility, and property values. They questioned whether the city had adequately
considered the practical implications of this decision, such as the potential need for residents
to form HOAs for street maintenance. Chapin Spencer, Director of Public Works, emphasized
the need for clarity on ownership and responsibility, noting that the process will continue
through October while engaging the community and council. The conversation ended with
plans for an executive session to discuss liability considerations with the City Attorney. The
group agreed to continue the conversation and scheduled an executive session to hear from
the City Attorney's office on legal liabilities. They also discussed the need to differentiate
between private roads with established HOAs and unaccepted streets without such
associations. The committee decided to delay taking action and instead focus on further
research and discussion, potentially including budgeting for necessary services and
infrastructure assessments.
Councilor Bergman moves that at the end of the conversation that we set this for another
TEUC meeting and take no additional action here. Councilor Broderick seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval
City Attorney Eric Ramakrishnan read the first motion to make a specific finding that
premature general public knowledge of confidential attorney client communications
made for the purposed of providing professional legal services to the TEUC would
clearly place the City at a substantial disadvantage by discussing privilege matters and
attorney work product in public, which Councilor Bergman moved the motion above
and Councilor Broderick seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval
City Attorney Eric Ramakrishnan read the second motion to move into executive
session based upon the foregoing specific finding pursuant to one VSA section 313A1F
to confer with the City Attorney regarding liability issues associated with unaccepted
streets to include the members of the TEUC, legal counsel and the Director of Public
Works and their staff, which Councilor Bergman moved the motion above and Councilor
Broderick seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval
 4.2 Proposed Executive Session - Unaccepted Streets

Members of the TEUC, legal counsel, Director of Public Works and their staff Members
went into executive session at 1:43 pm.
Executive session ended at 2:20 pm.


 4.3 Encore Solar Update
Postponed until next meeting.

 5. Director’s Report
None

 6. Councilor Items
None

 7. Next Meeting
Tentative – January 27, 2026, 5:30 pm at 645 Pine St.

 8. Adjournment
Chair Barlow adjourns meeting at 2:24 pm.