Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee

Regular Meeting

Burlington, VT · May 20, 2026

Minutes

CITY OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE c/o Community & Economic Development Office City Hall, Room 32 • 149 Church Street • Burlington, VT 05401 802-865-7144 VOX • 802-865-7024 FAX • www.burlingtonvt.gov/cedo Councilor Evan Litwin (EL), Chair, Ward 7 Councilor Carter Neubieser (CN), Ward 1 Councilor Allie Schachter (AS), East District Councilor Laura Sanchez-Parkinson (LSP), Ward 3 CDNR Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 20, 2026 6:00 – 8:00 PM Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor – City Hall Committee members: Evan Litwin (EL), Allie Schachter (AS), Laura Sanchez-Parkinson (LSP) City Staff: Christine Curtis, CEDO Other Attendees: Gordon Dragoon, Jason Stuffle, Ellery Ames, Jak Tiano, Burlington Walk Bike Council Draft Minutes Meeting Started at 6:05 PM 1. Approve agenda MOTION by Councilor Schachter, SECOND by Councilor Sanchez-Parkinson, to approve the agenda VOTING: unanimous; motion carries. 2. Public Forum • No one spoke 3. Letter from Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) • Informational only – to place on file 4. Community Block Party update – Burlington Walk Bike Council The programs and services of the City of Burlington are accessible to people with disabilities. For accessibility information, call 865-7144. For questions about the meeting, contact Christine Curtis at ccurtis@burlingtonvt.gov • Designate a citywide block party weekend. • Temporarily reduce barriers and administrative requirements for organizing block parties. • Encourage greater use of streets as community gathering spaces. • Build neighborhood connections and strengthen community engagement. • Committee discussed whether to hold a single citywide weekend, multiple weekends, or a broader block party season. • Selecting dates that avoid conflicts with major city events, move-in periods, and road closures. • Potential funding sources, including Local Motion microgrants and Councilor Initiative Funds. • Coordination with Neighborhood Planning Assemblies (NPAs). • Marketing and outreach to ensure participation across neighborhoods. • Whether the current requirement that 75% of affected residents approve a block party should be modified. • Exploring digital signatures to simplify neighborhood approval processes. • The Walk Bike Council will revise its resolution based on committee feedback. • Committee members will work directly with organizers between meetings. • The goal is to move a refined proposal to City Council in June rather than delaying the effort. 5. Graffiti Abatement Committee • The committee began shaping a new community-focused committee to address graffiti, beautification, murals, and public art initiatives. • Discussion explored Whether the name “Graffiti Abatement Committee” is too narrow or carries negative connotations. • Alternative concepts focused on beautification, public art, or defacement response. • Creating a centralized process for mural proposals and beautification projects. • Supporting equitable access to funding and resources for community art projects. • Coordinating volunteers, artists, businesses, and neighborhood groups. • Developing community cleanup and graffiti-removal efforts. • Gather input from organizations already involved in mural and public art work. • Better understand how Burlington currently handles murals and graffiti response. • Potentially create a volunteer-driven committee supported through CDNR rather than adding workload to city departments. • Consider community cleanup days and neighborhood-based beautification initiatives. 6. Syringe Litter Recommendations • The committee revisited a previously completed syringe litter report and discussed recent developments. • Members discussed uncertainty about which organizations receive state funding for syringe service programs (SSPs). • Questions remain about whether organizations beyond Howard Center receive state-supported SSP funding and reporting requirements. • Members noted that Howard Center plans to discontinue participation in the SSP program after current funding ends. • Discussion focused on possible future uses of the Clark Street property, including recovery housing opportunities. • Members explored potential state and federal funding programs that could support recovery housing development through nonprofit partnerships. • Next steps include: 1. Revisiting the syringe litter report recommendations. 2. Reviewing which recommendations remain relevant. 3. Evaluating progress made since the report was issued. 4. Potentially preparing updated recommendations or a formal resolution for City Council consideration. 7. Adjournment • ADJOURN at 7:52 p.m. by Councilor Litwin with no objection

Agenda

Packet

Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/96381629365?pwd=HCGW3R5qCTc7gYaxZDQpBMtbRUExX1.1 Meeting ID: 963 8162 9365 Passcode: 620684 --- One tap mobile +19292056099,,96381629365#,,,,*620684# US (New York) +13017158592,,96381629365#,,,,*620684# US (Washington DC) --- Meeting ID: 963 8162 9365 Passcode: 620684 1. Agenda 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda 2. Public Forum Subject 2.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments Meeting May 20, 2026 - CDNR Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Category 2. Public Forum Department Type 3. Letter from Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) Subject 3.1. Informational only - no action needed - to place on file Meeting May 20, 2026 - CDNR Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Category 3. Letter from Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) Department Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) Page 1 of 26 Type Recommended Action 4. Community Block Party update – Burlington Walk Bike Council 5. Graffiti Abatement Committee Subject 5.1. Initial discussion — CDNR committee tasked with drafting a resolution establishing a graffiti abatement committee Meeting May 20, 2026 - CDNR Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Category 5. Graffiti Abatement Committee Department Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) Type Recommended Action 6. Syringe Litter Recommendations Subject 6.1. Discussion — CDNR committee to revisit their previous recommendations to City Council Meeting May 20, 2026 - CDNR Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Category 6. Syringe Litter Recommendations Department Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) Type 7. Adjournment Subject 7.1. Motion to adjourn Meeting May 20, 2026 - CDNR Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st Floor, City Hall Category 7. Adjournment Department Council and Board Type Recommended Action Page 2 of 26 April 22, 2026 Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak and Members of the Burlington City Council Burlington City Hall 149 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 Dear Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak and City Councilors, Thank you for your continued service to our community. We greatly appreciate your personal time and public service that you invest in our beautiful City of Burlington. Thank you for the opportunity to provide information about the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation, GBIC. GBIC is a nonprofit regional economic development organization created over 70 years ago by Mayor Moran of Burlington, other municipal leaders in Chittenden County, and community and business leaders to create and retain high-wage jobs for working Vermonters and their families. Over the decades GBIC has created 7 industrial parks in Chittenden County for housing key employers from a wide variety of different industries. GBIC brought Burton to Burlington and helped Jake and Donna Burton Carpenter to build a global industry. GBIC also brought IBM to Vermont and has recruited numerous employers from outside of Vermont to come here, and we have helped Vermont entrepreneurs like Rhino Foods, Dealer.com, BETA Technologies, and scores of others locate and grow in Vermont. Since our inception, our work has enabled the growth of over 100 employers in Burlington and thousands of jobs, yielding millions of dollars of sales and property taxes for the City. As dictated by our charter, we are explicitly nonpartisan and collaborate with everyone. We are the Regional Economic Development Corporation that is recognized and contracted with the Vermont Department of Economic Development to provide economic development programs and services in Chittenden County, a privilege and responsibility that we work hard to perfect. Many of the members of our staff, Board of Directors, and advisors are also members, taxpayers, and voters in the Burlington community. GBIC owns its historic office building in downtown Burlington, located next to the Salvation Army. Our building currently houses GBIC, the Vermont Afghan Alliance, the Vermont Department of Economic Development’s APEX program, the Vermont Economic Development Authority, SCORE, and the Vermont Small Business Development Center, either at reduced rent or in completely donated space. GBIC pays over $40,000 in property taxes to the City of Burlington each year, and we stay here because it is part of our mission and purpose to do so – We believe in investing in the strength and beauty of the City of Burlington. We have partnered with the City of Burlington on an initiative to cover blight with beauty. Last year we donated over $10,000 to paint over graffiti in the Old North End and on the 266 Main Street building across from P.O. Box 786 • 60 Main Street Burlington, VT 05402 Tel. 802.862.5726 • gbic@vermont.org • www.gbicvt.org Page 3 of 26 Edmunds Elementary and Middle School, and this year we plan to continue to join artists and community leaders to do more beautification projects. The City’s financial support is a meaningful contribution to our mission and operations. Thank you for your continued leadership in supporting investments that benefit Vermont’s employers, working Vermonters, and communities. Sincerely, Frank Cioffi President Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation P.O. Box 786 • 60 Main Street Burlington, VT 05402 Tel. 802.862.5726 • gbic@vermont.org • www.gbicvt.org Page 4 of 26 Page 5 of 26 Page 6 of 26 Page 7 of 26 Page 8 of 26 Page 9 of 26 Page 10 of 26 Page 11 of 26 Page 12 of 26 Page 13 of 26 Page 14 of 26 Page 15 of 26 Page 16 of 26 Page 17 of 26 Page 18 of 26 Page 19 of 26 Page 20 of 26 Page 21 of 26 Page 22 of 26 Page 23 of 26 Page 24 of 26 Page 25 of 26 Page 26 of 26