Wards 4 & 7 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2026-04-22
Time: 18:30

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

 Wednesday, April 22nd 2026
 6:00PM-8:00PM

 Join in person: Robert Miller Center 130 Gosee Ct
 Join virtually:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85494151752

 Facilitator: Sarah Note Taker: Annie Time keeper: Stephen Greeter: Joanne


6:00pm Free Community Dinner from Miss Weinerz | 30 mins

 ● Roasted mixed vegetables from Intervale Community Farm, VT beans, All Souls
 tortilla chips, Miss Weinerz bread & sweets
 ● Bring your own container and take leftovers with you!


6:30pm Welcome & Ask | 5 mins
 ● Adopt the agenda+ Ground Rules:
 o Listen to each other
 o Treat others respectfully
 o Share your opinion politely
 o Respect the agenda and process
 ● Ask for volunteers to reorganize room and clean-up

6:35pm Introductions | 5 mins
 ● Introduce ourselves with name, pronoun and ward
6:40pm Open Forum | 10 mins
 ● Invite residents to make short announcements, share neighborhood
 updates and upcoming events


6:50pm Rob Goulding | 30 mins
 ● DPW's 2026 construction workplan, along with previewing the end of the
 Champlain Parkway and Main Street projects
 ● Questions
7:20pm Lisa Lax from 350Vt.org | 30 mins
 ● Presentation on the McNeil Plant
 ● Questions
7:50pm Nominate & Vote Steering Committee Members | 10 mins
 ● Current members up for re-election
 ● Nominations
 ● Vote by Ward


8:00pm Adjourn
 ● Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May , 2026. See you there!



 Ward 4&7 Steering Committee:
 Annie Lawson
 Joanne Hunt
 Amy Bielawski-Branch
 Sarah Diaz
 Stephen Brown
 Jane McDonald
 To email the full steering committee: wards4-7npasc@googlegroups.com

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

 Wednesday, April 22nd 2026
 6:00PM-8:00PM

 Join in person: Robert Miller Center 130 Gosee Ct
 Join virtually:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85494151752

 Facilitator: Sarah Note Taker: Annie Time keeper: Stephen Greeter: Joanne


6:00pm Free Community Dinner from Miss Weinerz | 30 mins

 ● Roasted mixed vegetables from Intervale Community Farm, VT beans, All Souls
 tortilla chips, Miss Weinerz bread & sweets
 ● Bring your own container and take leftovers with you!


6:30pm Welcome & Ask | 5 mins
 ● Adopt the agenda+ Ground Rules:
 o Listen to each other
 o Treat others respectfully
 o Share your opinion politely
 o Respect the agenda and process
 ● Ask for volunteers to reorganize room and clean-up

6:35pm Introductions | 5 mins
 ● Introduce ourselves with name, pronoun and ward
6:40pm Open Forum | 10 mins
 ● Invite residents to make short announcements, share neighborhood
 updates and upcoming events


6:50pm Rob Goulding | 30 mins
 ● DPW's 2026 construction workplan, along with previewing the end of the
 Champlain Parkway and Main Street projects
 ● Questions




 Page 1 of 41
7:20pm Lisa Lax from 350Vt.org | 30 mins
 ● Presentation on the McNeil Plant
 ● Questions
7:50pm Nominate & Vote Steering Committee Members | 10 mins
 ● Current members up for re-election
 ● Nominations
 ● Vote by Ward


8:00pm Adjourn
 ● Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May , 2026. See you there!



 Ward 4&7 Steering Committee:
 Annie Lawson
 Joanne Hunt
 Amy Bielawski-Branch
 Sarah Diaz
 Stephen Brown
 Jane McDonald
 To email the full steering committee: wards4-7npasc@googlegroups.com




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Page 3 of 41
DPW:
2026 CONSTRUCTION
Our Mission is to steward Burlington's
infrastructure and environment by delivering
efficient, effective, and equitable public services.

Chapin Spencer, Director
Cspencer@burlingtonvt.gov/802 - 863 - 9094
Robert Goulding, Public Information Manager
RGoulding@burlingtonvt.gov/802 - 881 - 2278
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THE TWO BIG PROJECTS
Main Street & the Champlain Parkway are
both anticipated to wrap up in early summer.

Both projects are on - time, and on - budget.

These projects are unlocking the potential for
additional housing & commerce while providing
enhanced infrastructure for residents




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CHAMPLAIN
PARKWAY
• 25MPH road
• Connects South End with
 Downtown
• Stormwater improvements
• Pedestrian enhancements: signals,
 shorter crossings, new sidewalks
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WHAT’S LEFT TO DO (tentative
schedules below)
Pine Street
• Pavement markings and line striping installation along Pine Street (next week)
• Roadway sign installation (next week)
• Signal activation (week of May 4)
• Pavement (Main Street) and sidewalk repairs (misc. along Pine) (upcoming weeks)
• General clean up
Champlain Parkway
• Overhead sign structure installation (continues)
• Roadway sign installation (starting next week, continuing)
• Final wearing course of pavement onto I - 189 and the ramps
• Pavement markings and line striping installation
• Traffic signal modification intersection of Home Avenue at the Champlain Parkway
• Full Parkway opening logistics (early Summer)
 • Signal timing adjustments for final condition along Champlain Parkway

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MAIN STREET

• A welcoming gateway into Vermont’s
  Queen City
• Wider sidewalks for pedestrians &
  commerce
• More trees & gardens
• Enhanced lighting
• Abandonment of ravine sewer Page 8 of 41
WHAT’S LEFT TO
DO
• Sidewalks
• Signals
• Tree plantings
• Paving
• Public Art


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SIDEWALKS

The season has started!
$1.65M contract + additional work with in - house
crew
3.1 miles planned overall - hitting our annual target
Contract largely funded by 2025 Town Meeting Day
Bond


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SIDEWALKS
• Developed using the City’s 2021 citywide sidewalk inventory,
• Prioritizes based on utilization, location, and sidewalk condition.
  Utilization refers to both the expected level of use and the types of
  users.
• Location considers the sidewalk’s proximity to schools, neighborhood
  activity centers, employment centers, etc.
• In addition, staff review resident requests, perform field inspections,
  and coordinate sidewalk improvements with other City projects.
• This information is combined and considered to create a work plan
  that makes sense for effective mobilization of a contractor




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 SIDEWALKS**




**Gosse Ct - tentative for later in season
 Short run segments not included here

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PAVING

Asphalt plants are open!
$1.7M contract + remaining work from CY 25
Total ~3.5 miles planned for the year
Largely funded by 2025 TMD Bond
Larger workplan being developed for 2027 - 2030




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PAVING
BACKGROUND
 • Street network consists of over 96 miles of streets.
 • Classified as Primary/Arterial, Secondary/Collector and Tertiary/Residential.
 • Each street type has different anticipated lifespan generally based on average daily traffic
 volumes.
 • In order to keep pace with the anticipated lifespan of the Burlington Street network,
 minimum target is 4 miles/year.

PRIORITIZATION
 • There are a number of factors DPW Staff consider when selecting streets to pave and
 patch.
 • Funding, street condition, street type/traffic volume, nearby projects and resident requests

HEADWINDS
While this year we had our most competitive bid environment in awhile, inflation & fuel
prices have eaten into available construction funding




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 PAVING




*Includes patches on lower North Ave, Lake St, Archibald St, Intervale Rd
**NNE streets tentatively scheduled for August
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WATER WORKS!
Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades
 • Stage 0 remains on target for completion this summer/fall. This
 is a major first step to begin comprehensive upgrades funded
 by 2025 TMD bond
 • Screening & grit equipment being installed at all 3 plants

Water main improvement project
 • Bids came in today! (4/22)
 • Includes: Pine St (from S Crest to Home Ave), Summit St (Maple
 to Main), and all of Bennington Court (coordinated with paving)

Manhattan Ave Stormwater Outfall: late summer/early fall




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Page 17 of 41
WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR WATER:

 https://vt.adopt-a-drain.org/




 https://seagrant.w3.uvm.edu/blue/



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 STARTS TONIGHT!
KNOW YOUR ZONE, MOVE YOUR CAR, TELL YOUR
 NEIGHBOR!
 BURLINGTONVT.GOV/CLEANSWEEP




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 STAY INFOMED
 STAY IN TOUCH
 Maintenance Construction Customer
 Requests Impacts Service




 • Front Porch Forum
 See Click Fix: 802 - 863 - 9094
 • Signage
burlingtonvt.gov/dpw • VT - Alert:
 dpw - pinecustomerservice
 burlingtonvt.gov/
 @burlingtonvt.gov
 construction

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THANK YOU Page 21 of 41
Burlington’s McNeil Plant:
 A CASE FOR CLOSURE
 A presentation to Burlington’s NPAs
  By 350 Vermont’s Chittenden Node & Stop VT Biomass




 SPRING 2026

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Page 23 of 41
McNeil Plant Basics

• Commenced operation June 1984
• Located in Burlington’s Intervale
• Burns wood to generate electricity
• 50 MW (largest electricity generator in Vermont)
• Jointly owned by Burlington Electric Department (BED) (operator
 and 50% owner),Green Mountain Power (31%) and Vermont
 Public Power Supply Authority (19%)
• Provides 32-45% of BEDs total power supply (FY 2015-2023).



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The Case Against McNeil Plant

• Largest stationary source of greenhouse gas emissions in VT
• Harmful to health - particulate matter and other pollutants
 which leads to or exacerbates health conditions
• Negative impact on forest ecosystems and the benefits they
 provide.
• It costs a lot- the power it produces is expensive.
• It’s old and inefficient




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 McNeil’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions


 “Burning wood to generate electricity emits more carbon
  dioxide per kilowatt-hour generated than fossil fuels- even
 coal, the most carbon intensive fuel.”
-John Sterman, William Moomaw, Juliette N. Rooney-Varga & Lori Siegel, Does wood
 bioenergy help or harm the climate?, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol 78, No. 3
 (2022) 130.
  McNeil emitted 349,000 tons of CO2 in 2025 (EPA). It also emits lesser
amounts of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. Fossil-fuel
 powered equipment and vehicles used to pull wood feedstock from the
 forests and transport it to the plant emits additional greenhouse gases.



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The Carbon Neutrality Myth

BED claims that McNeil is carbon neutral because BED engages in
sustainable forestry and the carbon dioxide emissions from its stack are re-
sequestered by trees as they regrow.
This is a myth. When trees are burned the carbon dioxide is released
immediately creating a carbon debt which takes decades to centuries to
eliminate through tree regrowth.
Also, regrowth is uncertain. Harvested areas may be converted to other
land uses or trees may succumb to insects, disease or drought.
 John Sterman, et al.; EU Bioenergy, Bioenergy Accelerates Climate Change,
https://www.eubioenergy.com/the-5-issues/it-accelerates-climate-change/




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 Theory (according to BED):
“Closed Loop” Carbon Cycle




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Reality:
Wood burning power plants
emit more CO2 per unit
energy and also degrade the
forest carbon sink.
The result is higher
atmospheric CO2
concentrations.




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Ecological Harm


• Burlington Electric states: “McNeil’s wood supply is primarily 88.4% in-
  woods chips/residues such as the tops and limbs left over from
  higher-value wood products, with an additional 9.7% from sawmill
  residue and 1.6% from waste-wood yard wood.” (Bold added)
 - McNeil, Climate and Forestry, BED website.

• The reality: McNeil’s burns “Whole Tree Chips,” which include chips
  generated by cutting down and chipping whole trees.
-PUC Dkt. No. 4450, Certificate of Public Good for McNeil, 9/14/81 § 87; 6/22/83 Order Amending Certificate of Public Good.

• The plant burns 400,000 tons of woodchips per year
 -April 29, 2022 VEIC Summary Memorandum.
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  This impairs forest ecosystems and
 erodes important benefits forests
provide, including flood protection, & has
a destructive impact on forest ecology
 and wildlife.


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Carbon Rock Stars: Large, Older Trees & Forests
 How many oak trees does it take to store 8 tons of carbon?




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 Human Health

 McNeil emits particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur
dioxide, volatile organic compounds, including benzene and
 formaldehyde, and other pollutants which are known to be
 harmful to human health.
McNeil releases these pollutants in proximity to racially diverse,
 low and middle-income neighborhoods of Burlington’s Old
 North End and Winooski, whose residents face greater
 environmental risks than residents of other areas.


 Page 33 of 41
 $ $$
Expense

• BED Financial statements show that McNeil has generated losses for 8
  of the last 10 fiscal years (2016-2025) totaling more than $34 million
  over the 10-year period. (This figure includes depreciation, but does not
  include interest.)
• As 50% owner, BED bears 50% of these losses.
• The average real-time price for wholesale power in New England in
  2024 was $39.50 per megawatt-hour. www.iso-ne.com/about/key-stats.
• Wholesale prices were forecast to increase to $55/MWH in 2025.
  U.S. Energy Information Administration.
• The net cost of generating power from McNeil was $96.42/MWH in
  fiscal year 2025 and $98.70/MWH in fiscal year 2024. McNeil Joint Owners
  Operating Committee Materials.
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Age & Efficiency of the Plant

• The plant is 26% efficient. (April 29, 2022 VEIC Summary Memorandum)
• It runs only about 50-60% of the time, and is frequently off-line for planned
  maintenance, repairs due to operational problems, or because of market prices.
• BED has invested in capital improvements to extend operation of the 42-year-
  old plant beyond its anticipated useful life.
• In 2023, BED obtained City Council approval to move forward with District Energy
  Project which would depend on McNeil.
• Additional capital expenditures are planned or under consideration.
• BED has planned all of these major expenditures without evaluating whether
  the plant should continue to operate or whether alternative sources of power
  would be more effective.

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Flawed Policies
Flawed Policies

BED has directed the course of Burlington’s overall climate policy, leading to
flawed policies.
• These call for reducing fossil fuel use rather than reducing GHG emissions from
  all sources (such as the McNeil Plant).
• The Net Zero Energy Roadmap defines “net zero,” as eliminating fossil fuel use in
  the heating and ground transportation sectors, yet calls for pursuit of the District
  Energy Project, which would perpetuate McNeil’s massive GHG emissions to
  produce electricity.
• The Carbon Pollution Impact Fee is applied to heating systems powered by
  fossil fuels but not to “renewable” systems and fuels with significant greenhouse
  gas emissions.
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  This undercuts the potential benefits of
electrification of buildings and vehicles. To
meaningfully reduce GHG emissions through
electrification, we must electrify and obtain
  power from low carbon sources, such as
 hydropower, solar and wind.


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Our Vision:




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Advocate!

Burlington City Government Should:
• Place responsibility for development of the city climate policy in a
 city department or official independent of BED.
• Develop a plan to close the McNeil Plant, preferably by June 2028.
 The plan should include measures for a just transition to other
 employment for affected employees, a plan to keep electric rates
 stable, and ensure adequate energy for future needs.




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Actions We Can Take


• Connect with our city councilors ( email, phone calls, in person
 conversations).
• Write to Mayor Emma.
• Attend a city council meeting and speak during public comment.
• NPAs to consider a resolution to send to City Council on this issue.
• Get involved with VT 350.org or Stop VT Biomass.




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Questions
Comments
Discussion



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NPA Wards 4 and 7
April 22 2026

6:30 - Welcome and Ground Rules

6:35 - Community Forum

6:50 - Update on DPW projects from Chapin Spencer, Director of DPW and Rob Goulding from
DPW: repairing sidewalks by contractors as well as in-house DPW staff. Two big projects are
both on track for completion on time and on budget: Main Streets Great Streets and Champlain
Parkway (25mph here). Last steps: connecting it to I-189. This will happen in next 2 or 3
months. Sidewalk paving: it’s happening; it can’t all happen at once; decisions are made based
on use, proximity to schools, etc. Similar decisions made around paving priorities and
schedules. They anticipate over 3.5 miles of paving this year. There;s also a large patching
program for streets that don’t meet criteria for full re-paving. There is a 5-year paving plan on
the website, to see projections for future projects. ​ `Water infrastructure: upgrade to water
treatment plant is completing phase 0 on time; next steps are screening and equipment to begin
repairs made possible by 2025 bond that passed. A new program: adopt-a-drain: protect
drains. Street sweeping is underway, and a big comprehensive clean-up began today. East Side
begins tonight. West Side begins tomorrow. 3 easy ways to reach out: a maintenance request
(SeeClickFix), Construction Impacts (sign up for alerts via VT-ALERT; also Front Porch Forum),
and also customer service: 802-863-9094 ; folks can also send questions to
dpw/pinecustomerservice@burlingtonvt.gov. DPW staff take questions from attendees.

7:10 - Lisa Lax and Kim from 350VT, presenting on Burlington McNeil Plant and why they
believe it should be closed. Quote from Bill McKibbin stating that science has been updated and
shows that burning wood for electricity is a “bad idea.” History: started in June 1984; this is the
largest electricity generator in VT. Jointly owned by Burlington Electric, Green Mountain Power,
and VT Public Power Supply. Generates 32-45% of Burlington’s power supply. It is the largest
stationary source of greenhouse gas emissions in VT. We know it is harmful to health, has a
negative impact on forest ecosystems, and is old and inefficient, making it expensive to source
the energy that it creates. Much of the burning is getting rid of the moisture before you can
even get to the part of burning for energy. (Wood has a lot of moisture.) The carbon neutrality
myth: trees get burned and carbon dioxide is release immediately, and it is not neutralized until
decades or even centuries have passed and new trees have grown. And the growth is
uncertain. Another myth: the “closed loop” theory, saying that carbon is released by burning
wood, then reabsorbed by other trees. But carbon is carbon: there is not a closed-loop
relationship between trees burned and trees grown. Releasing carbon into the atmosphere is a
bad idea all around and we should be doing what we can to reduce its emission. Another myth:
forest is less affected when wood is burned than other fuels. Reality: the high emission cost of
burning wood is so high that trees cannot catch up to offset it by absorbing it at the same rate.
Myth: ecological harm: Burlington Electric says that McNeil primarily burns woodships, but the
reality is that it also does burn whole trees to meet demand. For one mature tree burned, 465
mature trees are needed to completely absorb the carbon emitted by that one tree. This does
not make sense as a sustainable or smart way to generate electricity. Human health: many
detriments. Folks at UVMMC say that wood smoke is akin to cigarette smoke in terms of its
health impacts. McNeil is located in Old North End neighborhood. Vermont ranks 5th in the
nation for asthma. Expense: BED shows that McNeil has generated financial losses for 8 of the
past 10 years. Most states retire biomass plants when they are 30 years old. In 2023, BED
obtained city council approval to expand operations, not wind them down. It is only 26%
efficient. 350VT says that BED has flawed policies, partially led by BED. The policies undercut
the potential benefits of electrification of buildings and vehicles, since the ecological cost of
generating the electricity powering these is so high. Better alternatives: wind and solar.
What can you do? Advocate to: place responsibility for for development of the city department to
oversee the plant in a body that is independent; ie not BED.
-Connect with city councilors
- Connect with Mayor Emma
-Attend a city council meeting and give public comment
- Ask your NPA to consider a resolution to send to City Council on this issue
- Get involved with 350 VT for ongoing efforts and involvement.
Lisa and Kim take questions.

Voting: Gary from Ward 4: 16 votes for, no votes against
 Sal from Ward 7: 16 votes for, no against, 1 abstain
 Joanne from Ward 4: 14 for, none against\
 Amy: Ward 4: 13, no opposed
 Annie: Ward 4, 15 yes, no against
 Sarah: Ward 7: 10 for, none against
Next NPA Meeting: Wednesday May 27
Next Planning Meeting: May 6