Ward 3 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-06-04
Time: 18:00

Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly
 Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
 Join in person: City Hall, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 149 Church St.
 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/98644635243

Facilitator: Christopher Haessly Notetaker: Michelle Borbas
6:00 pm Community Dinner | 30 min
 A free community dinner provided by our friends at American Flatbread.
6:30 pm Call to Order | 5 min
 Review purpose of the NPA and meeting ground rules.
6:35 pm Public Forum | 10 min
 An opportunity to share opinions, news, and events.
6:45 pm Graffiti Discussion| 25 min
 A neighborhood discussion about how graffiti has impacted our city.
7:10 pm Howard Center Safe Recovery Discussion | 30 min
 A neighborhood discussion about the impact on the neighborhood residents.
7:40 pm CDNR NPA Working Group Presentation | 20 min
 A presentation about the relationship between the NPAs and city government.
  Carter Neubieser, City Councilor, Ward 1
  Jonathan Chapple-Sokol, NPA Steering Committee, Ward 1
8:00 pm Legislative Update | 60 min
 Members of the State Legislature will provide an update on the work of the current session.
  Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick, Chittenden Central District
  Rep. Kate Logan, Chittenden-16 District
9:00 pm Adjourn
 Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 18.




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Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly
 Wednesday, June 4, 2025
 Sharon Bushor Room, Burlington City Hall
 Meeting Minutes
1. Welcome & Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at approximately 6:30 PM by Chris Haessly, Ward 3 NPA
Steering Committee member.
2. Attendee Introductions
 ● Officials/Steering Committee Members:
 ○ Melo Grant, City Councilor, Central District (via remote attendance)
 ○ Chris Haessly, Ward 3 NPA Steering Committee
 ○ Nora Aronds, Ward 3 NPA Steering Committee
 ○ Zachary Cummings, Ward 3 NPA Steering Committee
 ○ Darrell Fields, Ward 3 NPA Steering Committee
 ○ Charlie Messing, Ward 3 NPA Steering Committee
 ● Staff/Presenters:
 ○ Shawny Corey, CEDO
 ○ Carter Neubieser, City Councilor, Ward 1
 ○ Jonathan Chapple-Sokol, Ward 1 NPA Steering Committee
 ○ Martine Laroque-Gulick, State Senator (Chittenden Central)
 ○ Kate Logan, State Representative (Chittenden-16)
 ● Community Members/Public:
 ○ George Logan, College Street
 ○ Jill Lesh, College Street
 ○ Brooks Cummings, Cherry Street
 ○ Robert Perry, Clarke Street
 ○ Amy Kimmel, Clarke Street
 ○ Ellie Rochford, Clarke Street
 ○ Lee Morrigan, George Street
 ○ Jeffrey Peterson, Clarke Street
 ○ Ryan Dupuis, Clarke Street
 ○ Chester Thompson, College Street (W8)
 ○ Frank Von Turkovich, Clarke Street
 ○ Charlie Giannoni, CCTV
3. Public Forum
 ● Councilor Melo Grant (Central District): Announced that Police Chief Burke has created a
 detailed, three-page strategic recruitment plan. The department is currently processing 16
 applications and is budgeted for 73 officers. The next Public Safety Committee meeting on
 June 26 will feature a discussion on the "situation room," a multi-agency approach to
 address individuals who are high utilizers of emergency services.
 ● Robert Perry (Clarke Street): Reported that issues continue on Clark Street, citing two
 recent overdoses and stating that the Howard Center's presence acts as a "magnet for
 drug abuse" in the neighborhood.
 ● Frank Von Turkovich (Clarke Street): Asked the NPA to support finding a solution for the
 Howard Center's needle distribution facility on Clark Street. He stated that the program is
 harming the residential neighborhood and that the Howard Center has been unresponsive
 to neighbors' attempts to engage in dialogue.
 ● Brooks Cummings (Cherry Street): Argued that the negative neighborhood impacts on
 streets like Elmwood and Clark are "facts, not fear," and that these facts should be
 considered when discussing the proposed Overdose Prevention Center (OPC) in downtown
 Burlington.
 ● Chester Thompson (College Street): Described finding needles near the public library and
 stated that the needle exchange program does not belong in residential areas and makes
 the community feel unsafe.
 ● Charlie Messing (College Street): Compared the needle exchange to an adult bookstore,
 arguing it should be located in a non-residential area like alongside a highway, away from
 neighborhoods and playgrounds.
 ● Lee Morrigan (George Street): Spoke about the need to heal from the "deeply flawed"
 process that split the former Wards 2/3 NPA. A motion was made by Lee Morrigan and
 seconded to add a discussion and vote on establishing bylaws for the Ward 3 NPA to the
 agenda for the next meeting on June 18, 2025*. After a brief and contentious procedural
 discussion, the motion was passed by a hand-raise vote.
 *The motion was subsequently reviewed in the context of the state's Open Meeting Law and
 the NPA Bylaws and was determined to be out-of-order and non-binding.
4. Graffiti Discussion
Presented by: Zachary Cummings, Burlington Business Association (BBA)
 ● Mr. Cummings described the BBA's "Good Clean Fun" initiative, a volunteer program
 aimed at removing graffiti from private property in the downtown area.
 ● The program has held two successful cleaning sessions and has received positive feedback.
 ● Currently, volunteer participation is limited to BBA members, but there are plans to open it
 to the general public in the future as the program develops. Communication about public
 sign-ups will be shared via Front Porch Forum and social media.
5. Howard Center Safe Recovery Discussion
This portion of the meeting was an open forum for community members to share their
perspectives and concerns regarding the Howard Center's Safe Recovery program on Clark
Street. The Howard Center was not invited, as the discussion was intended for the community.
 ● Solutions & Community Action: Lee Morgan announced the formation of a new nonprofit
 aimed at addressing syringe litter, with a long-term goal of creating a 24-hour rapid
 response team of "peer de-escalators" (individuals with lived experience) to respond to
 disturbances. Chester Thompson, who runs the Furious Panthers Organization, also
 volunteered to speak directly with individuals on Clarke Street to de-escalate situations.
 ● Neighbor & Property Owner Concerns: Amy Kimmel and Robert Perry (owners of 54 Clark
 Street) reiterated that the issue is not the existence of the program, but its location. They
 described it as a "drug magnet" that brings loitering, litter, and violence to the
 neighborhood. They have attempted to offer solutions to the Howard Center, including
 buying the building or funding a mobile unit, but have received no response since January.
 Frank Von Turkovich stated that Ward 3 should not be a "dumping ground" for the city's
 most difficult problems.
 ● Impact on Public Spaces: Darrell Fields, caretaker at the nearby UU Church, noted that the
 church grounds are no longer safe for children to play on due to the prevalence of
 discarded needles, and that the problem has simply been pushed from one property to
 another.
 ● Institutional Issues: Charlie Messing opined that the Howard Center has become such a
 large, consolidated organization that it can ignore reasonable requests from the
 community while it focuses on its primary mission.
6. Legislative Update
Presented by: State Senator Martine Laroque-Gulick & State Representative Kate Logan
 ● Housing (S.127): The legislature's primary housing initiative this year was the creation of
 "CHIP," a new project-based Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. This is designed to
 help fund necessary infrastructure for housing developments, with incentives for including
 affordable housing units.
 ● Homelessness (H.901): A bill was passed (awaiting the governor's signature) to restructure
 the state's response to homelessness. The goal is to move away from a heavy reliance on
 the GA/hotel-motel program and toward a more centralized model run by regional
 Community Action Programs (like CVOEO). This new "VHARTH" program would provide
 more comprehensive wraparound services, though it is expected to be more expensive per
 person than the motel program. The governor's support for the bill is uncertain due to
 cost and eligibility concerns.
 ● Tax Policy: A proposed tax on second homes was studied but not enacted this year due to
 its complexity. The legislature will continue to study how to disaggregate the non-
 homestead property tax rate to apply different rates to different property types (e.g.,
 agricultural land vs. second homes).
 ● Education Funding (H.454): Both legislators expressed significant concern about the
 education bill, describing it as a rushed and "irresponsible piece of legislation." They
 believe it has the potential to harm the Burlington School District by lowering education
 spending, even if it results in lower property taxes.
7. CDNR & NPA Working Group Presentation
Presented by: Councilor Carter Neubieser (Ward 1) & Jonathan Chapple-Sokol (Ward 1 NPA)
 ● Purpose: The presenters outlined a resolution drafted by a working group to formalize and
 improve the relationship between the City of Burlington and its Neighborhood Planning
 Assemblies (NPAs). The goal is to set clear expectations and build trust.
 ● The Resolution: The document is a non-binding statement of principles. It affirms the
 essential role of NPAs, directs CEDO to create standardized processes for communication
 and training, and asks the City Council to acknowledge the value of NPAs and consult with
 them on key issues like major developments, redistricting, and charter changes.
 ● Community Feedback: While some skepticism was expressed about the impact of a non-
 binding resolution, the general consensus was supportive. Attendees felt that formalizing
 the relationship would add legitimacy to the NPAs and encourage the City Council to take
 their input more seriously. The NPA members present voted by a show of hands to
 express their general support for the effort.
8. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:15 PM.