Ward 1 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-12-10
Time: 18:30

Ward 1 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
 Wednesday, December 10, 2025
 In-person at the Friends Meeting House, 173 North Prospect Street
 And Zoom online:
 https://zoom.us/j/96245939050
 Webinar ID: 962 4593 9050
 Or by phone: +1 929 205 6099 ID = 962 4593 9050

​ Facilitator: Carol Livingston​ ​ Recorder: Jonathan Chapple-Sokol

6:15 - Welcome and Food (Namaste Kitchen Express)

6:30 - Formal Start - project & review agenda
​ Introductions: name, street
​ Announcements: share events, meetings, activities of interest to Ward 1 community.
​
6:40 - Speakout - an opportunity to raise concerns & appreciations about Ward 1 community

7:00 - City Council update - Allie Schachter & Carter Neubieser

7:30 - Burlington School Commission update - Matt Price & Gary Golden

7:40 - Plans for the 2026 State Legislative session -State legislators Troy Headrick & Brian Cina
​ ​
8:05 - Presentation by Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation

8:30 Adjourn




 Ward 1 NPA Steering Committee
 Carol Livingston carol.livingston1951@gmail.com,
 Jonathan Chapple-Sokol chapplesokol.npasc@gmail.com,
 Sam Doherty samcharlesdoherty@gmail.com
 Gretchen Platt gshuman7005@yahoo.com
 Rob Gutman rgutman@gmail.com
 Participation Guidelines:

The Ward 1 NPA is sustained by community involvement and encourages engagement at our
monthly meetings per the following guidelines:
1. We are collectively responsible for following the NPA Meeting Agenda as closely as possible
regarding both presentation/discussion topics and time.

2. Participants at the NPA will act in a positive, courteous manner that respects all of those
present (both participants and presenters/guests) and their differing opinions, experiences and
perspectives.

3. Any attendee requesting to speak who has not yet spoken at a meeting will be called on
before others who have already had a chance to speak. Priority is given to Ward 1 residents.

4. Whenever speaking, please be sure to project your voice and use the provided microphone if
provided.

5. If the facilitator feels the need to redirect activity in the room based on these guidelines, the
facilitator will do so per point number 1 above.

Ward 1 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
 Wednesday, December 10, 2025
 In-person at the Friends Meeting House, 173 North Prospect Street
 And Zoom online:
 https://zoom.us/j/96245939050
 Webinar ID: 962 4593 9050
 Or by phone: +1 929 205 6099 ID = 962 4593 9050

​ Facilitator: Carol Livingston​ ​ Recorder: Jonathan Chapple-Sokol

6:15 - Welcome and Food (Namaste Kitchen Express)

6:30 - Formal Start - project & review agenda
​ Introductions: name, street
​ Announcements: share events, meetings, activities of interest to Ward 1 community.
​
6:40 - Speakout - an opportunity to raise concerns & appreciations about Ward 1 community

7:00 - City Council update - Allie Schachter & Carter Neubieser

7:30 - Burlington School Commission update - Matt Price & Gary Golden

7:40 - Plans for the 2026 State Legislative session -State legislators Troy Headrick & Brian Cina
​ ​
8:05 - Presentation by Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation

8:30 Adjourn




 Ward 1 NPA Steering Committee
 Carol Livingston carol.livingston1951@gmail.com,
 Jonathan Chapple-Sokol chapplesokol.npasc@gmail.com,
 Sam Doherty samcharlesdoherty@gmail.com
 Gretchen Platt gshuman7005@yahoo.com
 Rob Gutman rgutman@gmail.com




 Page 1 of 3
 Participation Guidelines:

The Ward 1 NPA is sustained by community involvement and encourages engagement at our
monthly meetings per the following guidelines:
1. We are collectively responsible for following the NPA Meeting Agenda as closely as possible
regarding both presentation/discussion topics and time.

2. Participants at the NPA will act in a positive, courteous manner that respects all of those
present (both participants and presenters/guests) and their differing opinions, experiences and
perspectives.

3. Any attendee requesting to speak who has not yet spoken at a meeting will be called on
before others who have already had a chance to speak. Priority is given to Ward 1 residents.

4. Whenever speaking, please be sure to project your voice and use the provided microphone if
provided.

5. If the facilitator feels the need to redirect activity in the room based on these guidelines, the
facilitator will do so per point number 1 above.




 Page 2 of 3
Draft Vermont Open Letter to Educational Leadership – December 2025



Burlington’s Ward 1 Neighborhood Planning Association is writing in support of the
Vermont School Redistricting Task Force’s Map for the Future: The Vermont Regional
Education Model. We feel the Task Force has objectively reviewed the data and Vermont’s
educational landscape and have created a process by which change can be made that will
reduce costs while improving educational opportunity as well as maintaining Vermont’s
treasured local character.

They reiterate the well-understood and evidenced-based fact that district consolidation in
and of itself does not save money, nor does it improve access to quality education. Rather,
the Task Force identifies savings in BOCES-type structures that create the opportunity for
districts to work together in the financial sphere as well as leave open paths to share
student opportunities. Further, without a complete and complex overhaul of the whole
States’ school administrative structure, this creates a collaborative environment that can
grow. And by being strategic and voluntary in consolidation, residents of Vermont’s
communities retain control over their destinies and only merge districts where true
advantages are identified. Finally, a plan to create more regional high schools brings
communities together and revitalizes our old and costly-to-maintain. It would also result
in regional standardization of educational opportunity, to the great benefit of our children.



Please heed the product of the Task Force and recognize it as the work of a group of folks
who are deeply committed to improving the educational landscape in Vermont.




 Page 3 of 3

Ward 1 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA)
 Wednesday, December 10, 2025
 In-person at the Friends Meeting House, 173 North Prospect Street
 And Zoom online:
 https://zoom.us/j/96245939050
 Webinar ID: 962 4593 9050
 Or by phone: +1 929 205 6099 ID = 962 4593 9050
 MINUTES

 Facilitator: Carol Livingston Recorder: Jonathan Chapple-Sokol


NO ACTION WAS TAKEN AT THIS MEETING.

 Sam Doherty Ian Keene
 Troy Headrick Rob Gutman
 Serrill Flash Evan Thibault
 Linda Bowden MJ Patchett
 Breck Bowden Daniel Goldstein (Zoom)
 Richard Hillyard Katherine Verman
 Jonathan Chaplple-Sokol Mark Demers
 Carol Livingston Michael Long
 Gary Golden Caryn Long
 Matt Price Allie Schachter
 Julie Springer Amy Malinowski
 Erin Malone Paul Fleckenstein
 Josie Sarah Montgomery
 Tom Derenthal Charlie Giannoni
 Sharon Bushor 3 other unnamed participants
 Angie Chapple-Sokol
 Kathy Olwell
 Catherine Bock
 Peter Lackowski
 Chuck Arnold




 Welcome and Food (Namaste Kitchen Express)
 Announcements – Rob Gutman reviewed All Wards Meeting
 Speakout
 Sharon– Ward 1 NPAs not structured as others. Consider reducing number of agenda items;
 Build more flexibility into agenda
 Richard – Welcome to Ward 1 Erin and Josie
 Erin – Shout Out to CEDO for reaching out about an AMEX Grant opportunity
 Peter - Glory to the crows!
 Chuck – Sidewalk safety; speed limit? No motor vehicles? One side of street parking in winter
 months
 Tom – Perhaps councilors can limit their presentations to one or two big things
City Councilors (Carter absent)
Allie – PRW Director started November; Most city positions now filled
 Recent Council work – Dorm living condition resolution; Unlawful vehicle entry; Updated
contract
Survey deadlines 12/15/2025
Finalized Legislative Priorities:
 Supported housing
 Financial support for critical water infrastructure
 Use of license plate readers
 5 City Charter changes waiting for approval
 Gun possession at places serving alcohol
 Tenants protection – Just cause eviction, rent stabilization Earlier notification of
rent hikes
 Police oversight panel
 City district boundary adjustment without State approval

March Ballot Items
 Add REIB Department

Per State:
 Breck – Clean Water Fund? Troy – We have gotten funds
 Richard – explained some history on redistricting
 Julie – How could some of these be sitting since 2021???
 Angie – Thanks for your work
 Jonathan – Advocacy Opportunities?
` Rob – There should be a time limit after which these are automatically approved
 Per items State feels there should be statewide policy – Breck: That makes no sense
 Lack of County Government makes coordination difficult
Per Cameras
 Kathering V – Traffic Cameras work where they are.
 Tom – ON privacy. Everyone now knows where we park – why be concerned about
traffic violators when Park Mobile was implemented without Privacy conversation?
 Breck- Worth giving up that bit of privacy for road safety
 Allie – there is also a revenue generating component to ticketing traffic violators
 Caryn – need ‘CSO’ types to pull scofflaws over
Schools
 Gary – most likely not running again; 12% hike projected for school costs. But it is too
early to take the figure without a grain of sale. Ed fund has been whittled away. Commission
about to meet with BSD to examine– Tom thinks the figure will be more like 9-10%. Focus on
Central Office cuts rather than building level. HS under budget means lower debt service.

 Matt – 3rd Grade Reading, Math, show significant issues, likely caused by curriculum
decisions 3 years ago.

 Statewide – everyone is in favor of merges, everyone has own idea of what it means.
Act 73 does no provide data to point in a particular direction (Ed quality? Cost?)

Breck – Opportunity for CESAs (BOCES model)? Maybe in addition to consolidations.

Legislators
Brian – Ibogaine and visionary architecture
Troy – We are at stage 1 of budgeting and education planning. we are still in control
 Prisons are getting worse. Incredibly overcrowded. Site not approved for women’s
prison. Justice-involved youth suffering for system. Commoditization of incarceration

1640 Incarcerated
 173 women; 77 detainees without due process
 1317 men; 466 without due process

Brian – (stated without evidence) unhoused folks are being arrested for being homeless.
Troy – We have robust community that supports ICE detainees so it is beneficial to maintain
justice to keep folks here

Apartheid-Free Community (Malinowski/Fleckenstein, VT Coalition for Palestinian Liberation)
 Quick review of presentation

Response from Allie, others on concerns, complications, support, distinction between
antizionism and antisemitism.

Generally civil dialogue.
Adjourned around 9PM

Peter – Cash Bail?




6:30 - Formal Start - project & review agenda
 Introductions: name, street
 Announcements: share events, meetings, activities of interest to Ward 1 community.

6:40 - Speakout - an opportunity to raise concerns & appreciations about Ward 1 community

7:00 - City Council update - Allie Schachter & Carter Neubieser


7:30 - Burlington School Commission update - Matt Price & Gary Golden 7:40 - Plans for the

2026 State Legislative session -State legislators Troy Headrick & Brian Cina 8:05 - Presentation

by Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation

8:30 Adjourn




 Ward 1 NPA Steering Committee
 Carol Livingston carol.livingston1951@gmail.com,
 Jonathan Chapple-Sokol chapplesokol.npasc@gmail.com,
 Sam Doherty samcharlesdoherty@gmail.com
 Gretchen Platt gshuman7005@yahoo.com
 Rob Gutman rgutman@gmail.com
 Participation Guidelines:

The Ward 1 NPA is sustained by community involvement and encourages engagement at
our monthly meetings per the following guidelines:
1. We are collectively responsible for following the NPA Meeting Agenda as closely as
possible regarding both presentation/discussion topics and time.

2. Participants at the NPA will act in a positive, courteous manner that respects all of those
present (both participants and presenters/guests) and their differing opinions, experiences and
perspectives.

 3. Any attendee requesting to speak who has not yet spoken at a meeting will be called on
 before others who have already had a chance to speak. Priority is given to Ward 1
 residents.

4. Whenever speaking, please be sure to project your voice and use the provided microphone if
provided.

5. If the facilitator feels the need to redirect activity in the room based on these guidelines, the
facilitator will do so per point number 1 above.