Ward 1 NPA

Ward 1 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA) Wednesday, May 13, 2026 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 & participation guidelines ​ Introductions & Announcements: share events, meetings, activities of interest to Ward 1 Community. (CJ Knudsen - Lake Monsters schedule) ​ 6:40 - Speakout - an opportunity to raise concerns & appreciations about Ward 1 community 6:55 - NPA business ​ Vote on slate of Steering Committee members - 5 minutes ​ NPA budget - Vote on spending of balance of 2025-26 NPA funds ($1000) - 15 minutes ​ ​ Steering Committee suggests spending: a.​ Neighborhood sign - Colchester Avenue/Patchen Rd/ East Ave b.​ NPA informational fliers to disseminate to neighbors in August c.​ Our contribution to Zine renewal - $75 - 100 d.​ Liner for skating rink at Schmanska Park ​ City says money must be used for: 1) Promoting the NPA 2) Providing residents with information about City programs/activities 3) Gaining input from residents about City needs 7:15 - City Council update - Allie Schachter & Carter Neubieser 7:35 - Burlington School Commission update - Matt Price & Gary Golden 7:40 - 1. Dept of Public Works construction workplan - 25 minutes 2. VT 350.org and Stop VT Biomass - Lisa Lax & Leendert Huisman - 25 minutes 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 44  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 44  Ward 1 NPA Meeting 5/13/2026: Budget Discussion Ward 1 NPA received $3,000 for FY 2025-26. Total spent for 2026: Food (Sept - June) - $1185 Friends Mtg House - $ 450 Stickers for signs - $ 105_ ​ ​ Total spent - $1740 $3000 - 1740 = $1260 Ideas for use of $1260 balance: 1.​ Neighborhood sign (Colchester Ave, East Ave, Chase…) - $2420 ​ ($1450 sign construction; $700 installation) 2.​ NPA informational flyers - $260 for 300 8.5 x 11 flyers ​ (Carter printed 2,000 for Ward 1 households campaign; $1820) ​ NPA magnets - 250 2x3.5 = $145 ​ ​ Welcome bags for new off-campus UVM students - 125 needed 3.​ Ward 1 NPA contribution to revised Zine - $75 - 100 4.​ Plastic liner for Schmanska Park ice rink (replaced annually) - $200 ​ Need sign indicating support of NPA 5.​ BBQ - $300 Jonathan and Carol’s proposal: 1.​ 500 flyers for outreach to neighbors - $500 2.​ 500 magnets for outreach to neighbors - $300 ​ (125 to UVM Welcome bags) 3.​ Ward 1 contribution to Zine revision - $100 4.​ BBQ (organizers?) - $300 5.​ Fall, 2026 - revisit discussion about neighborhood sign Page 3 of 44 Freestanding Sign (1) 32”w x 29”h, double sided, 1” pvc panel, full color digital print with semigloss lamination, mounted to posts with aluminum flat stock brackets. Ward 1 Welcomes you to (2) 4”x4”x10’ pt posts stained black, cut for ground clearance. Burlington We meet monthly on the 2nd Wednesday 36 in Ward 1 Welcomes you to Burlington Ground We meet monthly on the 2nd Wednesday 48 in ! Please check for spelling, grammatical errors, size, color and all other details for accuracy. One round of edits are included in the initial price quote. Additional changes will be accommodated at $125 /hr. Any changes or corrections after this approval is signed will result in additional charges and I agree to those as necessary. 36 in I understand that the design is the property of Sammel Group and may not be reproduced without written permission. Approval Signature Date 8 0 2 . 879. 3 3 6 0 • 20 MORSE DRIVE, ESSEX JUNCTION, VERMONT 05452 • S A M M E L G R O U P. C O M Copyright © 2026 Sammel Group. All Rights Reserved. Page 4 of 44  20 Morse Dr., Suite C Essex Junction, VT 05452 +18028793360 hello@sammelgroup.com ADDRESS SHIP TO CONTRACT # 1963 DATE 04/30/2026 Jonathan Chapple-Sokol Jonathan Chapple-Sokol Burlington Ward 1 Burlington Ward 1 PROJECT NAME Freestanding Sign ITEM NAME DESCRIPTION QTY RATE AMOUNT Design Administrative, Design and Production File Preparation 1.50 125.00 187.50 S ig n 32”w x 29”h, double sided, 1” pvc panel, full color digital print with 1 1,450.00 1,450.00T semigloss lamination, mounted to posts with aluminum flat stock brackets. (2) 4”x4”x10’ pt posts stained black, cut for ground clearance. Installation Installation 1 700.00 700.00 ZONING TO BE HANDLED BY OTHERS SUBTOTAL 2,337.50 TAX 87.00 TOTAL $2,424.50 Accepted By Accepted Date Approval Signature Date A deposit of $1212.25 and signed contract are required to begin work. Production time of 4-6 Weeks, from receipt of deposit, signed contract and approved artwork. Balance is due upon invoice, when work is picked up or installed if included above. By signing above I accept the above prices, specifications and conditions in this contract are satisfactory. Sammel Group is authorized to perform work as specified. Changes after this approval is signed may result in additional charges. Payment will be made as outlined by check, cash or credit card. Interest and attorney’s fees will be the responsibility of the client for collection for non-payment. Sammel Group reserves the right to use photographs of above work for advertising purposes. Proposal is valid for 30 days. Sammel Group Date 5/1/26 Page 5 of 44 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 Page 6 of 44 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 Page 7 of 44 CHAMPLAIN PARKWAY • 25MPH road • Connects South End with Downtown • Stormwater improvements • Pedestrian enhancements: signals, shorter crossings, new sidewalks Page 8 of 44 WHAT’S LEFT TO DO (tentative schedules below) Pine Street • Roadway sign installation • 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 Page 9 of 44 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 10 of 44 WHAT’S LEFT TO DO • Sidewalks • Signals • Tree plantings • Paving • Public Art Page 11 of 44 CHERRY ST Near final design Construction could start in 2027, though may begin later Page 12 of 44 Ward 1 Work Since 2017 *Paving in orange *Sidewalk in red Page 13 of 44 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 Page 14 of 44 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 Page 15 of 44  SIDEWALKS** **Short run segments include Wilson and Colchester Ave (not full length sidewalk projects). Page 16 of 44 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 Page 17 of 44 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 Page 18 of 44  PAVING* Remaining 2025 contract streets College Union - Willard Pearl Battery - Winooski *Includes patches on lower North Ave, Lake St, Archibald St, Intervale Rd Page 19 of 44 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 • 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 Page 20 of 44 Page 21 of 44 WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR WATER: https://vt.adopt-a-drain.org/ https://seagrant.w3.uvm.edu/blue/ Page 22 of 44  STAY INFORMED 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 Page 23 of 44 THANK YOU Page 24 of 44 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 Page 25 of 44 Page 26 of 44 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). Page 27 of 44 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 Page 28 of 44  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 316,405 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. Page 29 of 44 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/ Page 30 of 44  Theory (according to BED): “Closed Loop” Carbon Cycle Page 31 of 44 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. Page 32 of 44 Ecological Harm • Burlington Electric claims: “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. Page 33 of 44  This impairs forest ecosystems and erodes important benefits forests provide, including flood protection, & has a destructive impact on forest ecology and wildlife. Page 34 of 44 Carbon Rock Stars: Large, Older Trees & Forests How many oak trees does it take to store 8 tons of carbon? Page 35 of 44  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 36 of 44  $ $$ 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. Page 37 of 44 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. Page 38 of 44 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. Page 39 of 44  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. Page 40 of 44 Our Vision: Page 41 of 44 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. Page 42 of 44 Actions We Can Take • Connect with our city councilors (email, phone calls, in person conversations). • Write to Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak. • Attend a city council meeting and speak during public comment. • NPAs to consider a resolution to send to City Council on this issue. • Attend Electric Commission meetings and speak during public comment. • Get involved with VT 350.org or Stop VT Biomass. Page 43 of 44 Questions Comments Discussion Page 44 of 44