Ward 3 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-12-03
Time: 18:30

Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly
 Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 6:30 PM
 Join in person: City Hall, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 149 Church St.
 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/98644635243

Facilitator: TBD
6:30 pm Call to Order | 5 min
 Adopt the agenda and review meeting ground rules.
6:35 pm City Council Updates | 15 min
 An update on the work of the City Council’s Community Development and Neighborhood
 Revitalization (CDNR) Committee and the recent syringe litter report.
 • Allie Schachter, City Councilor, East District
6:50 pm City Council Updates | 10 min
 An update on the work of the Public Safety Committee.
 • Melo Grant, City Councilor, Central District
7:00 pm Legislative Preview | 1 hour, 20 min
 An opportunity to hear from our State Representatives about the upcoming legislative session.
 • Rep. Troy Hedrick, Chittenden-15
 • Rep. Abbey Duke, Chittenden-17
 • Sen. Martine Laroque-Gulick, Chittenden Central
8:20 pm Public Forum | 10 min
 An opportunity to share opinions, news, and events.
8:30 pm Adjourn
 Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 7.




Use the QR code to go to any of these links: Email us • Go to our website • Watch
meeting recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram •
Request a time slot with the NPA Request Form • Links from this agenda
Appendix to the Agenda

Ward 3 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.
  • Wait to be recognized: Members may not speak until recognized by the moderator.
  • 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.

Public Forum Protocol
  • Community members will be required to sign up for the Public Forum before the start of the meeting
 consistent with the process used by the City Council.
  • Participants will have up to two (2) minutes to share their thoughts and will speak based upon the
 order in which the requests were received.
  • Participants may speak only for themselves and individual speakers will not be permitted to yield their
 time to other speakers.
  • Personal attacks will not be tolerated and the moderator reserves the right to limit comments that are
 disruptive and/or obscene.
  • Ward 3 residents will be given priority and, if there is still time, persons who live outside the ward will
 be provided an opportunity to speak.

Question-and-Answer Protocol
  • Please state your full name prior to asking your question.
  • Each participant will have thirty (30) seconds to ask one and only one question.
  • There will be no follow up questions so everyone has a chance to participate.
  • Ward 3 residents will be given priority.

Discussion and Debate Rules
  • Members may not speak until recognized by the moderator.
  • Each member will have a maximum of two (2) minutes to speak on questions before the NPA.
  • No member will be permitted to speak a second time until every member has had an opportunity to
 speak once.
  • No member will be permitted to speak a third time until every member has had an opportunity to
 speak twice.




 Appendix to agenda | Wards 3 NPA - Page 2

Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly
 Wednesday, December 3, 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 Christopher Haessly, Ward 3 NPA
Steering Committee member. A motion to adopt the agenda was made, seconded, and
approved by a voice vote.
2. Attendee Introductions
  • NPA Steering Committee Members:
 ✓ Brooks Cummings, Cherry Street
 ✓ Christopher-Aaron Felker, Park Street
 ✓ Darrell Fields, Church Street
 ✓ Christopher Haessly, College Street
 ✓ Charlie Messing, College Street
  • City Officials/Staff:
 ✓ Melo Grant, City Councilor, Central District
 ✓ Barbara Turnbull, Dept of Finance and Administration
 ✓ Charlie Giannoni, Town Meeting TV
  • Presenters:
 ✓ Rep. Troy Headrick, Chittenden-15
 ✓ Rep. Jill Krowinski, Chittenden-16 (via remote attendance)
 ✓ Rep. Abbey Duke, Chittenden-17
 ✓ Sen. Martine Laroque-Gulick, Chittenden Central
  • Community Members/Public:
 ✓ Susan Dow, South Champlain Street
 ✓ Susan Forester, College Street
 ✓ Jill Lesh, College Street
 ✓ Suki Rubin, College Street
 ✓ Alan Rubin, College Street
 ✓ Trudy Richmond, Elmwood Avenue (via remote attendance)
 ✓ Cathy Olwell, North Prospect Street (W1)
3. City Council Updates
Presented by: Councilor Melo Grant (Central District)
Councilor Grant provided an update on the work of the City Council with a focus on Public
Safety issues.
 • Mayor Meetups: Councilor Grant announced a change to the Mayor’s community
 meetups. Starting December 9th, the meetups will move to a new time slot of 5:30 PM
 to 6:30 PM and will be held virtually to encourage higher attendance.
 • Court Backlog: Councilor Grant referenced a recent VTDigger article regarding the new
 Chittenden County Court. The court has successfully resolved 152 cases to date,
 addressing the backlog of defendants with multiple open cases.
 • Public Safety: Councilor Grant encouraged residents to read the police and fire reports
 available via the Public Safety Committee meetings. She noted a 2,000% increase in
 directed patrols, which has led to increased arrests and foot patrols.
 • CARES Team: Councilor Grant expressed concern regarding the discontinuation of the
 CARES team (Crisis Advocacy Intervention Programs), noting that their work was not
 duplicative of the Howard Center and provided essential transport and wraparound
 services.
 • Early Morning Outreach: A resident raised a concern that while drug dealers are
 present at City Hall Park as early as 7:00 AM, street outreach and police presence are
 often not visible until later (8:00 AM). The resident suggested 7:00 AM would be an
 ideal time for outreach intervention.
 • Situation Table: Councilor Grant explained the "Situation Table," a multi-disciplinary
 group designed to address high utilizers of emergency services by breaking down silos
 between agencies to create comprehensive treatment plans.
4. Legislative Preview
Presented by: Rep. Troy Headrick, Speaker Jill Krowinski, Rep. Abby Duke, and Sen. Martine
Larocque Gulick.
 ● Budget Overview: Speaker Krowinski and Rep. Duke outlined a difficult fiscal landscape for
 the upcoming session, citing federal cuts, tariffs, and a lack of COVID-era funding. The
 state budget is approximately $9.1 billion, with significant stress on the Transportation
 Fund and Education Fund.
 ● Corrections (Rep. Headrick): Headrick expressed grave concern regarding overcrowding in
 Vermont prisons. Currently, over 150 men are housed in a for-profit prison in Mississippi,
 and the local women’s facility is overcrowded. He emphasized the need for a cultural shift
 in corrections toward restorative approaches to improve recruitment and outcomes.
 ● Education Finance (Sen. Gulick):
 1) Property Taxes: A projected 11.9% increase in property taxes is anticipated, partly due
 to the previous year's buy-down and rising healthcare costs.
 2) Infrastructure: Gulick noted over $6 billion in deferred maintenance across state
 schools.
 3) Reform Proposals: The redistricting task force is proposing solutions including
 Education Cooperatives (sharing services like transportation), strategic mergers, and
 regional high schools to create economies of scale. Gulick argued that simply drawing
 new district lines without structural reform will not save money.
 ● Healthcare (Speaker Krowinski & Rep. Duke):
 1) Commercial insurance rates are up 2%, but the loss of subsidies is causing premiums to
 spike for many residents.
 2) The legislature is focusing on containing costs and supporting rural hospitals that are
 currently operating in the red.
 ● Community Discussion:
 1) Regional Governance: A robust discussion ensued regarding Vermont's lack of county
 government. Several legislators and attendees noted that the lack of regional
 structure (county-level) hinders economic development and shared services, forcing
 the state to rely on a patchwork of non-profits and town-by-town governance.
 2) Toll Roads: A resident asked about toll roads as a revenue source. Legislators
 indicated this is not currently a top priority due to federal funding complexities.
 3) Mental Health Facilities: Residents questioned the lack of involuntary rehab or state
 hospital beds. Rep. Headrick noted the high cost ($1 million per bed) and "NIMBY"
 resistance from communities when new facilities are proposed.
5. Public Forum
Several members of the community came forward to speak on various topics.
 ● Alan Rubin (College Street): Expressed a desire to replace Ward 3 City Councilor Joe
 Kane and was directed to participate in the upcoming party caucuses.
 ● Brooks Cummings (Cherry Street): Expressed concern about the Urban Reserve,
 comparing it to the former Sears Lane encampment. He cited issues with generators,
 propane tanks, and trash.
 ● Melo Grant (City Councilor): Acknowledged the record number of unhoused individuals
 and the lack of sufficient shelter beds. She advised reporting specific noise or safety
 violations to the police/CSLs.
6. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 PM.