Ward 3 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-11-05
Time: 18:30

Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly
 Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 6:30 PM
 Join in person: City Hall, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 149 Church St.
 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/98644635243

Facilitator: Christopher Haessly
6:30 pm Call to Order | 5 min
 Adopt the agenda and review meeting ground rules.
6:35 pm City Council Updates | 10 min
 An update on the work of the City Council and its subcommittees.
 • Melo Grant, City Councilor, Central District (5 min)
 • Questions & Answer Session (5 min)
6:45 pm CDBG Advisory Board | 15 min
 The NPA will elect a representative to the CDBG Advisory Board.
7:00 pm Homelessness & Community Health | 1 hr, 20 min
 An opportunity to hear from service providers, the Mayor’s Office, and a former ONE resident.
 • Tammy Boudah, Howard Center Street Outreach Team
 • Michael Curtin, Burlington Fire Department
 • Jess Kirby, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform
 • Sebastian Ryder, former North Champlain Street resident
 • Theresa Vezina, Office of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
8:20 pm Public Forum | 10 min
 An opportunity to share opinions, news, and events.
8:30 pm Adjourn




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, November 5, 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
 ✓ Zachary Cummings, South Champlain Street
 ✓ Darrell Fields, Church Street
 ✓ Christopher Haessly, College Street
 ✓ Charlie Messing, College Street (via remote attendance)
  • City Officials/Staff:
 ✓ Melo Grant, City Councilor, Central District
 ✓ Barbara Turnbull, Dept of Finance and Administration
 ✓ Charlie Giannoni, Town Meeting TV
  • Presenters:
 ✓ Tammy Boudah, Howard Center Street Outreach Team
 ✓ Andre Clark, Street Cats Burlington
 ✓ Michael Curtin, Burlington Fire Department
 ✓ Jess Kirby, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform
 ✓ Sebastian Ryder, former North Champlain Street resident
 ✓ Theresa Vezina, Office of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
  • Community Members/Public:
 ✓ Susan Dow, South Champlain Street
 ✓ Nora Aronds, North Union Street (W2)
 ✓ Ben Smith, Cherry Street
 ✓ Rena Koopman, Saint Paul Street
 ✓ Ed Baker, Staniford Farms Road (W4)
 ✓ Bella Fearn, South Champlain Street
 ✓ Jill Lesh, College Street
 ✓ Omar Talhouk, UVM Student Government Association
 ✓ Cameron Laychak, UVM Student Government Association
 ✓ Trudy Richmond, Elmwood Avenue (via remote attendance)
3. City Council Updates
Presented by: Councilor Melo Grant (Central District)
Councilor Grant provided an overview of recent city developments and how residents can
access information:

 ● Mayor’s Updates: Demonstrated how to access the mayor’s updates and budget
 memos via the city’s "Civic Clerk" online portal.
 ● FY25 Budget: Highlighted the Mayor’s memo detailing decisions made to address the
 $14.2 million budget gap.
 ● Police Chief Search: Final surveys for community input are available now (accessible via
 barcodes on city flyers). Consultants have begun face-to-face meetings.
 ● City News: Phil Lewis has been appointed as the new Director of Parks, Recreation, and
 Waterfront. Moody’s upgraded the city’s credit rating from Aa3 to Aa2.
 ● Tax Fairness: A working group is discussing potential recommendations, including a
 universal exemption for the first $30k - $50k of homestead property value and cleaning
 up various "splinter taxes."
 ● Downtown Safety: Vermont State Police have begun volunteer shifts (Noon to 8:00 PM)
 to assist with downtown visibility through the holiday season.
A resident asked about safety after 8:00 PM. Councilor Grant noted that the Burlington Police
Department (BPD) continues patrols and urged residents to use the online drug tip line,
especially to report idling cars (often an indicator of drug activity). She is meeting with the
Department of Public Works (DPW) regarding better enforcement of anti-idling ordinances.
4. CDBG Advisory Board Election
Brooks Cummings was nominated and elected as the Ward 3 representative to the Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Board, which helps to determine the allocation of
federal anti-poverty grants in Burlington.
5. Panel Discussion: Homelessness and Community Health
A panel of social service providers and community members was convened to discuss the
current state of homelessness, substance use, and community health strategies.
Panelists:
 ● Chief Mike Curtain, Burlington Fire Department (BFD)
 ● Teresa Vezina, Office of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
 ● Jess Kirby, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR)
 ● Sebastian Ryder, Community Member
 ● Tammy Boudah, Howard Center Street Outreach
 ● Andre Clark, Street Cats Burlington
Key Discussion Points:
 ● Current Landscape: Chief Curtain and Tammy Boudah noted a significant increase in call
 volume and a shift from primarily alcohol-related issues years ago to complex opioid
 and polysubstance use today. The drug supply is highly polluted, complicating overdose
 responses.
 ● Lived Experience (Resident Impact): Sebastian Ryder shared her experience living next
 to a "drug house" on North Champlain Street for seven years. She described the trauma
 of constant disturbances, property damage, and lack of effective city response at the
 time, which eventually forced her to move.
 ● Overdose Prevention Center (OPC): Teresa Vezina and Jess Kirby outlined plans for the
 voter-approved OPC.
 • Purpose: To provide a safe, medically supervised space for use, reducing public
 overdoses and syringe litter while connecting people to wraparound services
 (housing, medical care, treatment).
 • Community Concerns: Residents raised concerns about the OPC attracting drug
 dealers. Panelists responded that dealers are already present and that bringing
 use inside, monitored by trained staff and cameras, is safer than the current
 status quo of uncontrolled public use.
 ● Barriers to Treatment: Multiple panelists emphasized that many individuals are deemed
 "service resistant" when they actually face insurmountable barriers such as the lack of
 transportation, impossibly long waitlists for the few available treatment beds, or being
 discharged for minor infractions.
 ● Consensus on Needs: There was broad agreement among all panelists on the urgent
 need for more inpatient treatment beds, recovery housing, and low-barrier shelter
 options in Vermont.
 ● Human Connection: Andre Clark stressed the importance of basic human connection,
 sharing how Street Cats provides food, clothing, and non-judgmental social support to
 reduce despair.
 ● Charlie Messing (College Street): Expressed support for the OPC as a necessary start to
 get people off the street and emphasized treating all individuals compassionately.
6. Public Forum
Several members of the community came forward to speak on various topics.
 ● Ed Baker (Staniford Farms Road): Thanked the presenters and read a statement of
 support for the proposed Overdose Prevention Center (OPC) from the First Unitarian
 Universalist Society.
 ● Bella Fearn (South Champlain Street): Described her weekly volunteer work picking up
 trash and syringe litter. She shared harrowing accounts of finding bloody overdose sites
 and urged support for the OPC to reduce hazardous waste in public spaces.
 ● Melo Grant (City Councilor): Added that a new "accountability court" pilot is being
 established with a special prosecutor to fast-track cases for individuals with multiple
 offenses, aiming to connect them more quickly to treatment or required services.
 ● Theresa Vezina (Mayor’s Office): Announced that the City of Burlington and
 Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform are hosting an educational webinar for
 community members to learn more about overdose prevention centers.
 ● Brooks Cummings (Cherry Street): Expressed frustration that the behavior of a few
 hundred individuals is negatively impacting the quality of life for the city's 44,000
 residents.
 ● Tammy Boudah (Howard Center): Spoke about the benefits of the new accountability
 court and the need for accountability for repeat offenders.
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:45 PM.