Ward 2 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2026-01-08
Time: 18:30

Meeting Agenda
Ward 2 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
Jan. 8th, 2026 | 6:30-8:30pm | All are welcome

 Join in person: O.N.E. Community Dinner
 ONE Community Center, 20 Allen Street 5:30-6:30pm | Free | Donations welcome
 Menu: Middle Eastern-themed meal with Kofte-inspired
 Join remotely: Savory Strata, Armenian Green Beans, Lebanese Slaw, and
 https://zoom.us/j/93179389982 Apricot Perok Cake
 Music: TBA
 ​



Facilitator: Lauren Ebersol​ ​ Notetaker: Kason Hudman
6:30 pm Introduction
5 min Review and adopt/approve the agenda and previous minutes; introductions as time allows.
6:35 pm Public Forum (2 minutes max per person)
10 min Please state your full name, pronouns, street, and ward, and follow the NPA ground rules.
6:45 pm Traffic Calming Project
20 min Parsa Pezeshknejad, Transportation Engineer with Burlington DPW
 Listen to a presentation regarding traffic calmers on Elmwood and Intervale Avenues with time for
 comments and questions.
7:05 pm Burlington School District
60 min Jeannie Waltz, Polly Vanderputten, Tom Flanagan
 Hear from your School Commissioners and the Superintendent about the upcoming school year and
 budget with time for questions.
8:05 pm Updates from City Councilors
20 min Melo Grant, Central District City Councilor
 Gene Bergman, Ward 2 City Councilor


8:25 pm Door prize drawing + Adjourn!
 Our next meeting is Thursday, Jan. 8!



 Scan the QR code (or click here) to: Email us • Go to our website • Watch meeting
 recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Instagram • Request a time slot
 with the request form • Get to all links related to this meeting




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 1
Appendix to the Agenda
Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee
To contact the entire Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee, email ward2npa@googlegroups.com
Name Email Joined Term expiration

Lauren Ebersol lebersol27@gmail.com 2023 2027

Kason Hudson kasonhudman@gmail.com 2024 2028

Charlie Giannoni charliecpg@gmail.com 2024 2028

Marc Stannard Marc.Stannard@outlook.com 2024 2028

Nora Aronds noraaronds@yahoo.com 2025 2029

Grace Sherwood Gsherwood703@gmail.com 2025 2029

NPA Guiding Principles
 ●​ Operate through democratic principles and democratic procedures.
 ●​ Provide a safe and welcoming forum where residents can actively share their voices about issues that
 matter to them, and where they can learn from the voices of others.
 ●​ Cultivate involvement by a diverse spectrum of community members through active outreach and
 through eliminating barriers to participation.
 ●​ Operate in a manner that models respectful, inclusive, culturally, and economically aware practices.
 ●​ Be a fun, creative, and vital organization that provides value and benefit through the multitude of
 perspectives shared by those who participate.


Ward 2 NPA Ground Rules
 ●​ Meetings should have clearly defined agenda and roles.
 ●​ Honor time limits: A best effort must be made to start on time, follow the agenda, and finish on time.
 ●​ Listen to others: Make efforts to be an open-minded member of the group.
 ●​ Respect the agenda and the process: Try to remain focused on the issue at hand.
 ●​ Share your opinion respectfully: Speak out, but not over, others’ comments.
 ●​ Treat people how you would like to be treated: Be respectful of everyone, including guests.




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 2
Elected officials representing Ward 2
Mayor
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Progressive mayor@BurlingtonVT.gov


City Councilors
Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Melo Grant Progressive megrant@burlingtonvt.gov 802-310-0962
Ward 2 Gene Bergman Progressive gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov 802-598-3602


School Board Members

Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Jean Waltz jwaltz@bsdvt.org 802-355-7856

Ward 2 Polly Vanderputten pvanderputten@bsdvt.org 802-578-8653


Vermont State House Representatives
Chittenden-15 Troy Headrick Independent theadrick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-15 Brian Cina Progressive/Democrat bcina@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Kate Logan Progressive/Democrat klogan@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Jill Krowinski Democrat jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-17 Abigail Duke Democrat aduke@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228


Vermont State Senators

Chittenden-Central Tanya Vyhovsky Progressive/Democrat tvyhovsky@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Martine Gulick Democrat mgulick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Philip Baruth Democrat/Progressive pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us (802) 503-5266




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 3

Meeting Agenda
Ward 2 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
Jan. 8th, 2026 | 6:30-8:30pm | All are welcome

 Join in person: O.N.E. Community Dinner
 ONE Community Center, 20 Allen Street 5:30-6:30pm | Free | Donations welcome
 Menu: Middle Eastern-themed meal with Kofte-inspired
 Join remotely: Savory Strata, Armenian Green Beans, Lebanese Slaw, and
 https://zoom.us/j/93179389982 Apricot Perok Cake
 Music: TBA
 ​



Facilitator: Lauren Ebersol​ ​ Notetaker: Kason Hudman
6:30 pm Introduction
5 min Review and adopt/approve the agenda and previous minutes; introductions as time allows.
6:35 pm Public Forum (2 minutes max per person)
10 min Please state your full name, pronouns, street, and ward, and follow the NPA ground rules.
6:45 pm Traffic Calming Project
20 min Parsa Pezeshknejad, Transportation Engineer with Burlington DPW
 Listen to a presentation regarding traffic calmers on Elmwood and Intervale Avenues with time for
 comments and questions.
7:05 pm Burlington School District
60 min Jeannie Waltz, Polly Vanderputten, Tom Flanagan
 Hear from your School Commissioners and the Superintendent about the upcoming school year and
 budget with time for questions.
8:05 pm Updates from City Councilors
20 min Melo Grant, Central District City Councilor
 Gene Bergman, Ward 2 City Councilor


8:25 pm Door prize drawing + Adjourn!
 Our next meeting is Thursday, Jan. 8!



 Scan the QR code (or click here) to: Email us • Go to our website • Watch meeting
 recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Instagram • Request a time slot
 with the request form • Get to all links related to this meeting




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 1
 Page 1 of 33
Appendix to the Agenda
Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee
To contact the entire Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee, email ward2npa@googlegroups.com
Name Email Joined Term expiration

Lauren Ebersol lebersol27@gmail.com 2023 2027

Kason Hudson kasonhudman@gmail.com 2024 2028

Charlie Giannoni charliecpg@gmail.com 2024 2028

Marc Stannard Marc.Stannard@outlook.com 2024 2028

Nora Aronds noraaronds@yahoo.com 2025 2029

Grace Sherwood Gsherwood703@gmail.com 2025 2029

NPA Guiding Principles
 ●​ Operate through democratic principles and democratic procedures.
 ●​ Provide a safe and welcoming forum where residents can actively share their voices about issues that
 matter to them, and where they can learn from the voices of others.
 ●​ Cultivate involvement by a diverse spectrum of community members through active outreach and
 through eliminating barriers to participation.
 ●​ Operate in a manner that models respectful, inclusive, culturally, and economically aware practices.
 ●​ Be a fun, creative, and vital organization that provides value and benefit through the multitude of
 perspectives shared by those who participate.


Ward 2 NPA Ground Rules
 ●​ Meetings should have clearly defined agenda and roles.
 ●​ Honor time limits: A best effort must be made to start on time, follow the agenda, and finish on time.
 ●​ Listen to others: Make efforts to be an open-minded member of the group.
 ●​ Respect the agenda and the process: Try to remain focused on the issue at hand.
 ●​ Share your opinion respectfully: Speak out, but not over, others’ comments.
 ●​ Treat people how you would like to be treated: Be respectful of everyone, including guests.




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 2
 Page 2 of 33
Elected officials representing Ward 2
Mayor
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Progressive mayor@BurlingtonVT.gov


City Councilors
Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Melo Grant Progressive megrant@burlingtonvt.gov 802-310-0962
Ward 2 Gene Bergman Progressive gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov 802-598-3602


School Board Members

Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Jean Waltz jwaltz@bsdvt.org 802-355-7856

Ward 2 Polly Vanderputten pvanderputten@bsdvt.org 802-578-8653


Vermont State House Representatives
Chittenden-15 Troy Headrick Independent theadrick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-15 Brian Cina Progressive/Democrat bcina@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Kate Logan Progressive/Democrat klogan@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Jill Krowinski Democrat jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-17 Abigail Duke Democrat aduke@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228


Vermont State Senators

Chittenden-Central Tanya Vyhovsky Progressive/Democrat tvyhovsky@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Martine Gulick Democrat mgulick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Philip Baruth Democrat/Progressive pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us (802) 503-5266




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Agenda - Page 3
 Page 3 of 33
Elmwood and Intervale
Traffic calming
  Jan 8th 2026
  Ward2 NPA meeting

 Page 4 of 33
Where?




 Page 5 of 33
Why are we doing this ?
 Elmwood
• Speeding Metric Observed TCM Threshold
 85th Percentile Speed 26 mph > 25 mph
• Crashes Daily Traffic Volume 2,200 > 1,500 vehicles/day
 Bike Volume 470 > 250 bikes/day
 22 (all time), 5 injury, 4
 Crash History > 5 crashes in 3 years
 bike crashes

 Intervale Ave
 Metric Observed TCM Threshold
 85th Percentile Speed 27 mph > 25 mph
 Daily Traffic Volume 1100 > 1,500 vehicles/day
 Bike Volume 100 > 250 bikes/day
 Crash History 9 (all time), 2 injury > 5 crashes in 3 years
 Page 6 of 33
Why are we doing this ?
 “Please add speed bumps to Intervale Ave. People fly
 down that road and it is also in need of new paving. …”
• Speeding
• Crashes “Traffic calming needed on Intervale Avenue.”
• Requests
 “Elmwood Ave has been used as a drag race strip for
 the past week or two by a car with a super loud muffler
 Are there any traffic calming efforts available to help?”



 • Elmwood • Intervale:
 • 2 resident traffic calming • 3 resident traffic calming
 requests requests



 Page 7 of 33
Elmwood Ave (Parking chicane)
A parking chicane uses parked cars and painted extensions to create a slight curve in the
roadway, which naturally slows traffic

1 Parking space loss for chicanes and two parking spaces for crosswalk.




 Page 8 of 33
Elmwood Ave (Parking chicane)




 Page 9 of 33
Elmwood Ave (Parking chicane)




 Page 10 of 33
Intervale Ave (Speed tables)




 Page 11 of 33
Intervale Ave (Speed tables)




 Page 12 of 33
Intervale Ave (Speed tables)




 Page 13 of 33
Net steps

 • January – February: Finalize design

 • March 18: Commission meeting

 • Spring: Advertise bids

 • Summer: Begin construction



 Page 14 of 33
Questions

  Contact info:
  Parsa Pezeshknejad, Ph.D., Project manager
  ppezeshknejad@burlingtonvt.gov
  802-734-2208

  Phillip Peterson, PE, Senior Transportation Engineer & Planner
  ppeterson@burlingtonvt.gov




 Page 15 of 33
NPA Budget Update
January 8 2025




 Page 16 of 33
 Budgetary Assumptions
 Full list of assumptions posted on budget website

Level Services Budget
 ● To maintain the current level of services, the overall budget would need to
 increase by about 5%.
 ○ The General Fund budget would need to increase about 6%, but the
 initial tax impact will not be available until after Dec 1.
Major Drivers
● Wages: 5% increase based on pattern of settled bargaining agreements.
● Beneﬁts: 8% increase in health insurance premiums.
● Debt Service: 6.6% the last major increase associated with BHS/BTC.
● Federal funding: $2m of program costs in excess of federal revenue.
● Rent: $2m of savings associated with the end of the DtBHS lease.
 Page 17 of 33
BSD Enrollment History




 Page 18 of 33
 Draft Board Guidance
● Realign staﬃng to reﬂect lower projected
  enrollment and ensure Act 73 class size
  minimums are met.
● Limit budget growth due to the impact of
  BHS/BTC debt service.
● Identify funding needed to support speciﬁc
  strategic plan activities.
● Continue to oﬀer academically rigorous
  programming for all learners that leads to
  improved student outcomes.
● Present the Board with at least three budget
  scenarios reﬂecting diﬀerent tax impacts due
  to uncertainty in federal and state funding.
 Page 19 of 33
3.2% Decline in Enrollment from Last Year
● Declining school-aged population in Burlington
  (as well as the county and state).
 ○ Housing appears to be the most signiﬁcant obstacle.
● Substantial decrease in the number of refugees
  being resettled in Burlington (and across the
  country).
● Neither private school enrollment nor school choice
  are having a meaningful impact on enrollment.

 Page 20 of 33
 Areas of Potential Reductions
● Enrollment driven adjustments based on Equitable
  Budgeting Model
  ○ 4.5 FTE teachers
● Superintendent is recommending reductions to
  projected Central Oﬃce budgets (third consecutive year)
● Superintendent established a work group to brainstorm
  additional reduction ideas to consider, based on tax
  landscape and board guidance.

 Page 21 of 33
 RISE Allocation

 Nearly $1.6m of School-directed, Equity-oriented Investments

● RISE allocations decrease by about $50,000 district based on
  reduced enrollment.
● Improve enrollment data also contributed to the reduction.




 Page 22 of 33
 FY25 Audit and Fund Balance

 FY25 Audit is in ﬁnal phase of review

FY25 Audited Fund Balance
 ● Approximately $2,400,000 available to support FY25 budget.
 ○ This surplus is in line with prior year results.
 ● Represents roughly 2% of the total budget.

Fund Balance is One Time Revenue
 ● Careful budget management should result in annual surpluses.
 ● Currently supports signiﬁcant costs associated with rent for
 temporary spaces (DtBHS, BTC, etc.).

 Page 23 of 33
 Level Services Budget Summary

5.6% tax rate increase (current level-service) includes:
● 5% state buydown of tax rates (without which, the tax impact would
  be 10.6%)
● $500k 4.5 FTE’s and $50k District Oﬃce reductions
● $1m DTBHS Rent Savings
● $450K savings from reduced bond borrowing




 Page 24 of 33
 Scenario Overviews
 Area Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
 5.6% tax increase 4.6% tax increase 0% tax increase
 with buydown with buydown with buydown

Additional Savings Target Level-service $1.25 million $5.5 million

Direct Instruction - 4.5 FTE 6.5 FTE 12 FTE
Teachers
School Support Staff - 0 FTE 0.0 FTE 9.5 FTE
Other Educators on Teacher
and Para Contracts

District Services/Admin 0 FTE 3.5 FTE 4.0 FTE

Other reductions $1.5m $1.75m Close a school
 Page 25 of 33
 Next Steps
● The Superintendent will present a recommendation
  to the full school board on January 14. The school
  board will vote on the budget recommendation on
  January 20.




 Page 26 of 33
 Budget Development Timeline



1/14 School Board meeting
1/20 School Board meeting
3/3 Town Meeting Day budget vote

Subject to change
Full budget timeline available at:
http://www.bsdvt.org/district/budget/


 Page 27 of 33
 Appendix
The following slides are provided for reference.




 Page 28 of 33
 Equitable Budgeting

 A Brief History

● Research-based model created with input from the
  community.
● Overwhelming support for allocating resources to the
  students who need them most.
● Provides a foundational level of support plus RISE funds for
  investments unique to each school community.
● Recognize that our staﬃng level must be responsive to
  enrollment changes.
 Page 29 of 33
  Community Survey: Who did we hear from?
We heard from...
● 450+ students, family members, staﬀ, and community members
● Individuals aﬃliated with every BSD school and program
● 43.2% of respondents’ students receive free or reduced lunch
● 21.7% of respondents’ students receive special education services
● 20.9% of our respondents self identiﬁed as BIPOC
● 14.4% of respondents speak a language other than English in their
  home



 Page 30 of 33
 2020 Community Survey: What did we say?
 72% of all respondents and 79% of BSD staﬀ
 strongly agree or agree that

resources should be allocated in a way that supports
 the students who need them most - even if it means
 reducing the resources at their school(s).


 Community Staff Agreement
 Agreement


 Page 31 of 33
 Our proposed model has three components
● A staﬃng model will provide each school
 RISE Allocation
  with its core staﬃng, using staﬀ:student
  ratios (e.g. 1 counselor staﬀ for every 200 Non-personnel
 Funds
  students)
● Non-personnel funds will be allocated
  based on a per-student basis Baseline
● An Equity Allocation will provide additional Staﬀing
  funding using a weighted student Model

  formula, meaning more funds in schools
  with greater need
 ○ Schools will have discretion in how
 best to serve their students using
 these funds
 ○ Intent and desired outcomes will be
 documented for future evaluation Page 32 of 33
 Tax Rates

 Tax rates are the result of four major inputs

● Education Spending: amount of Education Fund support a
  district’s budget requires - something a district controls!
● Long Term Weighted Average Daily Membership: enrollment
  that weighs factors such as poverty and English Learners.
● Dollar Yield: a state variable reﬂecting the amount of money in
  the education fund. Now adjusted by the statewide CLA.
● Common Level of Appraisal (CLA): a measure of property
  values in each community, adjusted by the statewide CLA.
 Page 33 of 33

Meeting Agenda
Ward 2 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
Jan. 8th, 2026 | 6:30-8:30pm | All are welcome

 Join in person: O.N.E. Community Dinner
 ONE Community Center, 20 Allen Street 5:30-6:30pm | Free | Donations welcome
 Menu: Middle Eastern-themed meal with Kofte-inspired
 Join remotely: Savory Strata, Armenian Green Beans, Lebanese Slaw, and
 https://zoom.us/j/93179389982 Apricot Perok Cake
 Music: Grace Palmer
 ​



Facilitator: Lauren Ebersol​ ​ Notetaker: Kason Hudman
6:30 pm Introduction
5 min -​ Minutes from previous meeting are approved.
6:35 pm Public Forum (2 minutes max per person)
10 min -​ Lauren Ebersol, Ward 2 resident, asks folks to stay after if they can to help mop and sweep the
 floors for an event taking place in this space tomorrow.
 -​ Ward 3 resident, mentions that their daughter is running for city council in Ward 3 and asks folks to
 help sign the petition to ensure that she can run.
 -​ Lauren Ebersol, mentions that Town Meeting Day voting will take place at IAA again in Ward 2,
 reminding folks to not go to the ONE Community Center and instead go to IAA
 -​ Polly, Ward 2 school commissioner, mentions that she is running for re-election and is asking for
 signatures.
 -​ Charlie, Ward 2 resident, asks folks to sign-up to be election workers on Town Meeting Day,
 particularly in Wards 2 and 3
 -​ Ward 2 resident reminds everybody that we are not in traffic, we are traffic


6:45 pm Traffic Calming Project
20 min Parsa Pezeshknejad, Transportation Engineer with Burlington DPW
 -​ Parsa mentions that there are two traffic calming projects coming up in the ONE, one on Elmwood
 Avenue and one on Intervale Avenue. On Elmwood Avenue, they are switching parking to alternate
 and adding a crosswalk near Cedar St. On Intervale Ave, they are adding speed tables and a green
 belt. They are finalizing the design in January-February, on March 18th they have a commission
 meeting on March 18th, and construction is expected to begin in the summer.
 -​ Ward 2 resident, mentions that they like most of the design, but are concerned about the
 proposed speed tables on Intervale. In particular, he doesn’t want a speed table in front of his
 house. Parsa answers that other traffic calming measures likely wouldn’t work on Intervale Ave
 -​ Ward 2 resident, wants to know about the parking near Dewey Park and if this plan will result in
 any parking loss near Dewey Park. Parsa mentions that the Elmwood Avenue project will not result
 in any parking loss near Dewey Park, and will in fact add a parking spot. All the parking loss will be
 on the bottom of the street nearer to Pearl St. The same Ward 2 resident asks about “resident
 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 1
 only” parking, wanting to know why some streets in Burlington have that while other streets do
 not. Parsa and his colleague both answer, mentioning that “resident only” parking usually does not
 solve problems in neighborhoods like the ONE, since the bulk of the people parking are also the
 people who live there. But Parsa’s colleague does concede that there are a few streets that have
 “resident only” parking that do not need it.
 -​ Austin, Ward 2 resident, mentions that he is excited for the speed tables since he lives on Intervale
 Ave and sees folks speeding on that street. He wants to know if the speed tables will be painted.
 Parsa mentions that they should be.
 -​ Andrew, Ward 2 resident, also mentions that he lives on Intervale Ave and is excited for the speed
 tables, and mentions that he regularly sees people speeding on Intervale Ave.
 -​ Ward 2 resident also mentions that she is very supportive of the speed tables due to the excessive
 speeding that she sees in the neighborhood. She also mentions that she would be supportive of
 doing something about parking near Dewey Park and IAA, since it is often difficult to find parking in
 that area.
 -​ Ward 2 resident also voices support for the speed tables, mentions that she lives on Spring St and
 often hears and sees people racing on those streets.
 -​ Charlie, Ward 2 resident, mentions that the speed bumps on Archibald got replaced with speed
 tables because of comments made at an NPA Meeting. So come to your NPA Meeting!
 -​ Ward 2 resident who lives on Intervale Ave, also wants to voice his strong support for the speed
 tables, and mentions that hearing that they are adding speed tables is one of his favorite things
 about 2026 so far.
 -​ Ward 2 resident, wants to know how the Parking Chicanes being added on Elmwood Avenue will
 not result in any loss of parking. Parsa explains that all parking spots lost will be replaced with
 parking on other parts of the street.
7:05 pm Burlington School District
60 min Jeannie Waltz, Polly Vanderputten, Tom Flanagan
 -​ The school commission chair mentions that, due to the rise in the cost of health insurance
 primarily, the school budget is projected to increase by 5-6%. Polly Vanderputten adds that health
 insurance costs are not something school commissioners have any control over and those are
 settled at the state level. The school commission chair mentions that there is a 3.2% projected
 reduction in enrollment, which is not due to kids moving to private school enrollment, but is more
 attributable to the mass drawdown of refugee resettlement in Burlington and affordability issues.
 She further mentions that they are saving where they can, including through things like reductions,
 rent savings, and bonds. The school commission chair details the different scenarios for tax
 increases and savings, including the projection that they will be reducing staff by at least 4 full-time
 employees.
 -​ Jeannie Waltz mentions some of the good news, including the near completion of the new
 Burlington High School and the completion of the renovation on the Integrated Arts Academy.
 There is some discussion between Jeannie Waltz and the commission chair about the benefits of
 the geothermal HVAC system, and all the beauty of the brand new high school. Another highlight is
 the new Burlington Tech Center addition at the Burlington airport, which is a great way to engage
 students in technical learning.


 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 2
 -​ Polly Vanderputten, returns to the slide with the different cost and tax scenarios, and explains that
 the acronym FTE means “full-time equivalent”, and the acronym RIF returns to “reduction in force.”
 -​ Steven, Ward 2 resident, mentions that he is proud that Burlington almost always passes school
 budgets. He then goes on to say that Act 127, which distributed funds based on need, should be
 maintained in Act 73, at least according to Governor Scott, and if that is not maintained, alarm
 bells should go off. Jeannie Waltz mentions that it is very upsetting that much of the work done on
 Act 127 has been disregarded after the passage of Act 73, and she mentions that people should
 stay on high alert because it is not guaranteed that the more equitable funding mechanism will
 transfer after the implementation of Act 73.
 -​ Ward 2 resident, Bill Church, mentions that he is very concerned due to the funding cuts coming
 down from the federal government, and he wants to know how the school commissioners see the
 fight for public education as an act of resistance against federal authoritarianism. Polly mentions
 that a focus on poor students and ensuring that public education acts as a tool of empowerment
 for them is essential to the way she views her role. Jeannie mentions the power of the restorative
 practices they integrate in the Burlington School District and how empowering learning those skills
 should be for children and adults, creating civically engaged and kind people.
 -​ Ward 2 resident mentions that it is a particularly challenging year for property taxes, and wants the
 school commission to keep that in mind. Polly mentions that she appreciates the comment, and
 she mentions that one of the most essential jobs of the school commission is to balance all of
 these financial stresses for the taxpayers of Burlington, especially as so much federal funding has
 been lost.
 -​ Melo Grant, Ward 2 city councilor, has a suggestion for the school district regarding the health
 insurance reimbursement provider for the district, suggesting that it's possible that the district
 could save money by switching providers and doing a price comparison with other providers. Melo
 then mentions that serving on the school commission is an inherently political position, with
 decisions on equity and budget issues are political. Polly, Jeannie, and the commission chair
 mention that the role of education must be open to all different perspectives and free of political
 bias in order to properly educate and ensure all students feel welcome and open to learning and
 accepting new ideas.
 -​ Charlie mentions that Jonathan, who was mentioned as now the chief financial officer of the
 Burlington School District, used to serve on the Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee. Charlie then
 encourages all the school commissioners to mention something that they love about the
 Burlington School District. Polly mentions that there are so many things that they love about
 Burlington School District, and Jeannie mentions the success of the Eagle Bay alternative program
 with someone she knows. The school board chair mentions all the excitement over the new high
 school and all the social programs the district provides in addition to the schools, and the gratitude
 from the students is also something she highlights.
8:05 pm Updates from City Councilors
20 min Melo Grant, Central District City Councilor
 Gene Bergman, Ward 2 City Councilor
 -​ Gene Bergman mentions that there will be a lot of budget proposals before the city council over
 the next six months due to the upcoming large budget gap. Gene mentions that there is a
 proposed small tax increase proposed to fund the police and fire department, which should reduce

 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 3
 the budget gap by about $2M, but $10M remain. Gene mentions a few other proposed changes,
 including a tax fairness proposal that would have to be passed as a charter change and move
 through the state legislature as well.
 -​ Melo mentions that if a property tax fairness proposal went through and the landlords increased
 rent, it would disproportionately affect Wards 2 and 3 since those are the wards with the highest
 proportion of renters. Melo also encourages everybody to regularly email our state legislators in
 order to stay engaged and make sure our state legislators know that we are engaged. Melo then
 talks about the apartheid free community pledge and encourages people to go watch Ben Traverse
 at the Ward 5 NPA Meeting talk about why he would deny it from being on the ballot. Melo then
 talks about how this issue relates to the fight for democracy in general and it is very important that
 people stand up for international law.


8:25 pm Door prize drawing + Adjourn!
 Our next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 12!



Scan the QR code (or click here) to: Email us • Go to our website • Watch meeting
recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Instagram • Request a time slot
with the request form • Get to all links related to this meeting




Appendix to the Agenda
Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee
To contact the entire Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee, email ward2npa@googlegroups.com
Name Email Joined Term expiration

Lauren Ebersol lebersol27@gmail.com 2023 2027

Kason Hudson kasonhudman@gmail.com 2024 2028

Charlie Giannoni charliecpg@gmail.com 2024 2028

Marc Stannard Marc.Stannard@outlook.com 2024 2028

Nora Aronds noraaronds@yahoo.com 2025 2029

Grace Sherwood Gsherwood703@gmail.com 2025 2029

NPA Guiding Principles
 ●​ Operate through democratic principles and democratic procedures.


 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 4
  ●​ Provide a safe and welcoming forum where residents can actively share their voices about issues that
 matter to them, and where they can learn from the voices of others.
  ●​ Cultivate involvement by a diverse spectrum of community members through active outreach and
 through eliminating barriers to participation.
  ●​ Operate in a manner that models respectful, inclusive, culturally, and economically aware practices.
  ●​ Be a fun, creative, and vital organization that provides value and benefit through the multitude of
 perspectives shared by those who participate.


Ward 2 NPA Ground Rules
  ●​ Meetings should have clearly defined agenda and roles.
  ●​ Honor time limits: A best effort must be made to start on time, follow the agenda, and finish on time.
  ●​ Listen to others: Make efforts to be an open-minded member of the group.
  ●​ Respect the agenda and the process: Try to remain focused on the issue at hand.
  ●​ Share your opinion respectfully: Speak out, but not over, others’ comments.
  ●​ Treat people how you would like to be treated: Be respectful of everyone, including guests.




 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 5
Elected officials representing Ward 2
Mayor
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Progressive mayor@BurlingtonVT.gov


City Councilors
Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Melo Grant Progressive megrant@burlingtonvt.gov 802-310-0962
Ward 2 Gene Bergman Progressive gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov 802-598-3602


School Board Members

Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Jean Waltz jwaltz@bsdvt.org 802-355-7856

Ward 2 Polly Vanderputten pvanderputten@bsdvt.org 802-578-8653


Vermont State House Representatives
Chittenden-15 Troy Headrick Independent theadrick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-15 Brian Cina Progressive/Democrat bcina@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Kate Logan Progressive/Democrat klogan@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-16 Jill Krowinski Democrat jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-17 Abigail Duke Democrat aduke@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228


Vermont State Senators

Chittenden-Central Tanya Vyhovsky Progressive/Democrat tvyhovsky@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Martine Gulick Democrat mgulick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228

Chittenden-Central Philip Baruth Democrat/Progressive pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us (802) 503-5266




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​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - January 8, 2026 - Notes - Page 8