Ward 8 NPA — Burlington, VT
Date: 2026-01-22
Time: 18:30

Ward 8 NPA Meeting Agenda
 Thursday, January 22, 2026
 6:30 – 8:00 PM

 Join in person: Sharon Bushor Room, City Hall (1st floor), 149 Church St
 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/91523077007


6:30 Introductions | 5 min


6:35 Public Forum | 10 min


6:45 City Council Reports | 10 min

 • Reports from City Councilors Allie Schachter, East District Councilor, and
 Marek Broderick, Ward 8 Councilor


6:55 Town Meeting Day Ballot Questions | 45 min

 • City officials will share details about the proposed Town Meeting Day
 ballot questions, one of which is a proposed City Charter Change. There
 will be a presentation and Q&A with Chief Administrative Officer
 Katherine Schad; REIB Director Kelli Perkins; and REIB Communications
 and Community Engagement Manager Christian Berry.


7:40 School Board Updates | 20 min

 • Matthew Price, BSD School Commissioner for District East, will provide an
 update on the state education plan, the governor’s recent education
 address, and the City Council vote. (15 minutes)


8:00 Adjourn



 Ward 8 Steering Committee:
 Tom Carroll, fourthriver@yahoo.com

Ward 8 NPA Meeting Agenda
 Thursday, January 22, 2026
 6:30 – 8:00 PM

 Join in person: Sharon Bushor Room, City Hall (1st floor), 149 Church St
 Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/91523077007


6:30 Introductions | 5 min


6:35 Public Forum | 10 min


6:45 City Council Reports | 10 min

 • Reports from City Councilors Allie Schachter, East District Councilor, and
 Marek Broderick, Ward 8 Councilor


6:55 Town Meeting Day Ballot Questions | 45 min

 • City officials will share details about the proposed Town Meeting Day
 ballot questions, one of which is a proposed City Charter Change. There
 will be a presentation and Q&A with Chief Administrative Officer
 Katherine Schad; Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jen Monroe Zakaras; REIB
 Director Kelli Perkins; and REIB Communications and Community
 Engagement Manager Christian Berry.


7:40 School Board Updates | 20 min

 • Matthew Price, BSD School Commissioner for District East, will provide an
 update on the state education plan, the governor’s recent education
 address, and the City Council vote. (15 minutes)


8:00 Adjourn



 Ward 8 Steering Committee:
 Tom Carroll, fourthriver@yahoo.com




 Page 1 of 6
 REIB CHARTER CHANGE
OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY, INCLUSION, & BELONGING (REIB)
 January 15, 2026


 REIB CHARTER CHANGE MARCH 3, 3026 BALLOT
 Page 2 of 6
 REIB Charter Change
 January 15, 2026

REIB Charter Change: What Voters Are Being Asked to Decide
 •On March 3, Burlington voters will decide whether to add the Office of Racial
 Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) to the City Charter

 •The City Charter defines which parts of City government are permanent

 •This change would make the REIB a stable, ongoing part of City government.

 •Placing the REIB in the Charter helps ensure this work continues consistently
 over time, regardless of changes in leadership.
 NPA MEETINGS: REIB CHARTER CHANGE
 Page 3 of 6
 REIB Charter Change
 January 15, 2026




NPA MEETINGS: REIB CHARTER CHANGE Page 4 of 6
 REIB Charter Change
 January 15, 2026

REIB Charter Change: What the REIB Does and Why it Matters for Burlington
 What the REIB Does in Burlington Why This Matters for Burlington

 •Supports city departments in the • Helps the City and community respond to
 development, implementation, and diverse and community-identified needs
 coordination for programs and services to
 ensure consistency and accessibility • Supports a strong local economy and
 community resilience.
 •Provides training and guidance for City
 staff, boards, and commissions • Brings diverse perspectives into City
 decision-making and builds trust.
 •Creates ways for community members to
 engage directly with City government
 NPA MEETINGS: REIB CHARTER CHANGE Page 5 of 6
 REIB Charter Change
 Insert Date


REIB Charter Change: Budget Clarity

 Budget clarity:
 • The REIB already exists
 • It represents about 0.7% of the City’s General Fund
 • At its highest funding level, it has never exceeded 1% of the General Fund




 NPA MEETINGS: REIB CHARTER CHANGE
 Page 6 of 6

Ward 8 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA):
 Minutes
 Thursday, January 22, 2026
 6:30PM – 8:00PM

 Location: Sharon Bushor Room, City Hall, 149 Church St



Facilitator: Tom Carroll Note Taker: Barbara Turnbull (DFA Staff)

Steering Committee Members in Attendance: Tom Carroll
Others in attendance: Ita Meno, Christian Berry, Amy Malinowski, Steven Chisa, Allie Schachter,
Marek Broderick, Jen Monroe Zakaras, Nick Brown


6:30 Introductions | 5 min


6:35 Public Forum | 10 min

 • Ita spoke in support of the REIB Charter Change, the differences between
 the functions of HR and REIB, the many roles that REIB plays in the city
 • Amy shared that the next meeting she will be nominating herself for
 Steering Committee, and that others should join the Steering Committee!
 • Tom shared status updates about the Steering Committee

6:45 City Council Reports | 10 min

 • Councilor Schachter spoke about the upcoming budget process which
 involves a $10-12M budget gap for FY27. This is dominating the City
 Council’s work. Potential public safety tax increase which would help
 close gap by $3M. Council passed a resolution focused on housing and
 specifically infill development, implementation roadmap for
 neighborhood code, inclusionary zoning, housing trust fund,
 public/private partnerships. UVM dorm resolution was about enforcing
 housing standards with colleges. Councilors got to tour some dorms.
 • Councilor Broderick shared that UVM and Champlain administrators will
 be coming to the Ordinance Cte meeting to discuss the housing code and
 process questions. DPI is providing assistance with tracking/meeting
 standards.
 • Ita asked if this is still with the Ordinance Committee?
 o Marek: yes, this is an ongoing conversation and will take several
 meetings throughout Feb.
 • Ita asked if it will require a charter change?
 o Marek: no, more likely ordinances.
 • Charlie: what about the housing situation for people living outdoors?
 o Jen shared that the City is partnering with CVOEO to open the
 cold weather shelter for 4 evenings (Fri-Mon) this weekend at the
 Miller Center. It’s a big team effort, also involving the Fire Dept
 who makes the call whether or not an emergency shelter will
 open, and Police Dept who provide support.
 • Charlie: what is the capacity? Is the state of VT providing any support?
 o Jen: 80-90 people capacity, usually there are fewer people. We
 haven’t had to turn people away. The shelter is funded by state
 funding via CVOEO state grant and this dictates how many nights
 the shelter can be open. UVMMC is getting more involved as
 more people have to receive medical care. Shelter is at the top of
 the Mayor’s legislative priorities.
 o Allie: COTS new waystation opened in December which added
 capacity. Another emergency shelter is opening with CVOEO.

6:55 Town Meeting Day Ballot Questions | 45 min

 • Christian Berry presented about the proposal to add the office of Racial
 Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) to the City’s Charter which will be
 on the March 3 ballot.
 • Jen Monroe Zakaras presented about the process of developing the City
 budget for FY27 which anticipates a 10-12M budget gap.
 o Amy proposed increasing fees on blight properties
 ▪ Jen: Mayor has tasked DPI Director Ward with looking at
 problem properties all over the city. It is something that’s
 being worked on and producing action items. Ultimately it
 will be drawn out legal processes on a case by case basis.
 This is a longer term way to raise revenue.
 o Charlie: year after year there are tax increases. What is the plan
 for increasing the tax base?
 ▪ Jen: We need to grow the grand list by increasing housing.
 The city has a history of being a housing leader. Also have
 to balance growth with what the community needs and
 goal of long term affordability. We also need to secure
 renter protections which takes time at the state level.
 o Charlie: what are some of the reasons why people in Burlington
 want to keep living here and paying higher taxes?
 ▪ Marek: it’s a beautiful place. We need to fund our services
 and staff. Events that bring our community together.
 ▪ Tom: this is a diverse and progressive city, people help
 each other, urban fabric benefits the rest of the state
 ▪ Jen: strong community ethos, people really care
 ▪ Allie: Jazz fest and downtown
 o Steven: what city properties are we going to sell?
 ▪ Jen: we are looking at vacant lots, unused spaces
 ▪ Marek: this is what we will leverage for public/private
 partnerships, not just giving it away


7:40 School Board Updates | 20 min

 • Commissioner Matt Price spoke about the proposed school budget which
 will be up for a vote on town meeting day. The district looked at many
 budget models; level funding would have meant over 10% tax increase.
 Going to cut 10 FTE positions, including by attrition. Declining enrollment
 over the past decade.
 • Tom: Governor is insisting on consolidation, how does that relate to
 Burlington?
 o Matt: any consolidation won’t affect this budget year, our focus
 was just on this year. VT education is in a precarious place and
 there need to be changes to make it more sustainable. Task force
 report showed that forced mergers have a lot of challenges and
 they couldn’t form recommended maps, instead we could share
 resources between districts. Governor has rejected this and it’s
 unclear what will happen.
 • Tom: 2 grandsons in Burlington schools. There are great resources and
 staff. The diversity is very important. We spoke earlier about what makes
 Burlington worth supporting, could you comment on that?
 o Matt: we do a great job at educating a wide variety of students. A
 few years ago the state decided to fund schools based on student
 needs rather than a flat amount per student. That formula has
 benefited Burlington. Now with Act 73 that funding formula is
 going away.
 • Steven: are we getting cost savings from not renting the mall?
 o Matt: we were paying a lot of rent for Macy’s. That is a big cost
 saving. The new high school came in $6M under budget and we
 won’t need to pay debt service/interest on that savings. It will be
 the newest school building in VT for many years to come. We
 hope it can be a magnet for students in the area.
 • Marek: Why Burlington, why BSD, why vote for these tax increases?
 o Matt: This budget was created thoughtfully and responsibly. We
 needed to make the ask as small as possible. Our schools drive our
 city forward and they are an investment in our future, we have
 one of the oldest populations in VT and need to grow our
 workforce. Great schools also attract young families to Burlington
 so people set down roots here.


8:00 Adjourn

 • Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 26.


 Ward 8 Steering Committee:
 Tom Carroll, fourthriver@yahoo.com