Ward 2 NPA

Meeting Agenda Ward 2 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA) March 12, 2026 | 6:30-8:30pm | All are welcome Join in person: O.N.E. Community Dinner ONE Community Center, 20 Allen Street 5:30-6:30pm | Free | Donations welcome St. Patrick’s Day Menu: Veggie Shepherd’s Pie topped Join remotely: with Colcannon, soda bread, Slaw, and Irish Apple Cake https://zoom.us/j/93179389982 Music: Ana Ruesink & Luci Simmons Facilitator: Grace Sherwood​ ​ Notetaker: Kason Hudman 6:30 pm Introduction 5 min Review and adopt/approve the agenda and previous minutes; introductions as time allows. 6:35 pm Public Forum (2 minutes max per person) 10 min Please state your full name, pronouns, street, and ward, and follow the NPA ground rules. 6:45 pm Top 5 Things Going On in Burlington 5 min Hear 5 quick things that are going on in Burlington, as selected and highlighted by the NPA steering committee. 6:50 pm NPA Meeting Structure Discussion 20 min Participate in a discussion with the steering committee about how we can make the NPA meeting best serve you (and the community!). 7:10 pm Burlington Window Dressers 15 min Jody Woos Hear about Burlington Window Dressers can help you improve the windows in your home. 7:25 pm Listening Session - Overdose Prevention Center 30 min Theresa Vezina - Special Assistant on OPC Implementation, City of Burlington Participate in a guided discussion on the Overdose Prevention Center, with focus on follow up from the community survey. 7:55 pm Door prize drawing + Adjourn! Our next meeting is Thursday, April 9! Scan the QR code (or click here) to: Email us • Go to our website • Watch meeting recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Instagram • Request a time slot with the request form • Get to all links related to this meeting ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - March 12, 2026 - Agenda - Page 1 Page 1 of 19 Appendix to the Agenda Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee To contact the entire Ward 2 NPA Steering Committee, email ward2npa@googlegroups.com Name Email Joined Term expiration Lauren Ebersol lebersol27@gmail.com 2023 2027 Kason Hudson kasonhudman@gmail.com 2024 2028 Charlie Giannoni charliecpg@gmail.com 2024 2028 Marc Stannard Marc.Stannard@outlook.com 2024 2028 Nora Aronds noraaronds@yahoo.com 2025 2029 Grace Sherwood Gsherwood703@gmail.com 2025 2029 NPA Guiding Principles ●​ Operate through democratic principles and democratic procedures. ●​ Provide a safe and welcoming forum where residents can actively share their voices about issues that matter to them, and where they can learn from the voices of others. ●​ Cultivate involvement by a diverse spectrum of community members through active outreach and through eliminating barriers to participation. ●​ Operate in a manner that models respectful, inclusive, culturally, and economically aware practices. ●​ Be a fun, creative, and vital organization that provides value and benefit through the multitude of perspectives shared by those who participate. Ward 2 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. ●​ 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. ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - March 12, 2026 - Agenda - Page 3 Page 2 of 19 Elected officials representing Ward 2 Mayor Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Progressive mayor@BurlingtonVT.gov City Councilors Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Melo Grant Progressive megrant@burlingtonvt.gov 802-310-0962 Ward 2 Gene Bergman Progressive gbergman@burlingtonvt.gov 802-598-3602 School Board Members Central District (Wards 2 & 3) Jean Waltz jwaltz@bsdvt.org 802-355-7856 Ward 2 Polly Vanderputten pvanderputten@bsdvt.org 802-578-8653 Vermont State House Representatives Chittenden-15 Troy Headrick Independent theadrick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-15 Brian Cina Progressive/Democrat bcina@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-16 Kate Logan Progressive/Democrat klogan@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-16 Jill Krowinski Democrat jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-17 Abigail Duke Democrat aduke@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Vermont State Senators Chittenden-Central Tanya Vyhovsky Progressive/Democrat tvyhovsky@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-Central Martine Gulick Democrat mgulick@leg.state.vt.us (802) 828-2228 Chittenden-Central Philip Baruth Democrat/Progressive pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us (802) 503-5266 ​ ​ Ward 2 NPA - March 12, 2026 - Agenda - Page 4 Page 3 of 19 Overdose Prevention Center Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 1 Page 4 of 19 Introductions and Overview • What is an Overdose Prevention Center (OPC)? • What is the status of the OPC in Burlington? • OPC Services Assessment • Tonight’s Listening Session Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 2 Page 5 of 19 Tonight’s Listening Session Preliminary survey results Evaluation next steps • What positive impact do you hope the OPC will bring to our community? • What are your concerns or questions Discussion with Residents related to the OPC? • What would you like to see for ongoing communication once the OPC opens? Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 3 Page 6 of 19 Services Assessment Overview Evaluation Activities to Date • The City of Burlington contracted with In-person surveys with Pacific Institute for Research and people with 49 people Evaluation (PIRE) to inform the Services with living experience* Assessment report required by the OPC Online community Guidelines. survey completed with over 1500 responses* • Purpose is to engage people with living experience and the wider Burlington Ongoing tracking of professional and residential community community engagement to help inform the City and VCJR in the activities implement of the OPC. *Preliminary findings only include quantitative data. Qualitative (open-ended) data will be shared in final report Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 4 Page 7 of 19 Who did we hear from? 49 individuals 1505 respondents completed the in-person completed the online PWLE Survey community survey All respondents used an illicit substance 75% of survey respondents within the past 30 days identified as Burlington residents, 45% work in Burlington, and 2% are Burlington 84% of respondents reported not having business owners a stable place to live, with 80% unsheltered 8% identified as a person who used to use 86% used drugs at least once per day or currently uses non-prescription opioids or stimulants 43% used drugs alone most of the time or always 47% had at least one overdose in the past year. Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 5 Page 8 of 19 Where are people using drugs in Burlington? Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 6 Page 9 of 19 Utilization and Perception of the OPC PWLE utilization of the OPC Of the 49 respondents, 92% responded that they would consider using the OPC once it opens, with 73% responding that they would use the OPC always or most of the time. Community Perception of the OPC On scale of 1 (least helpful) to 10 (most helpful), the most selected answer was 10, the median answer was 7 and the average answer was 6.3 Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 7 Page 10 of 19 Respondents’ Preferred OPC Location PWLE survey: How likely would you be to use Location Factors an OPC at various locations? (from community survey) Community survey: Where should an OPC When asked which are important be located in Burlington to be most effective? factors when considering the vicinity of the OPC: • Downtown Burlington was the most Accessibility for potential clients selected response on both PWLE and was the most common response (52%), followed by proximity to community surveys schools/playgrounds (40%), • The ONE and Riverside/Intervale area were other support services (40%), and transportation (38%) a the 2nd and 3rd choices on both surveys Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 8 Page 11 of 19  Access to the OPC (PWLE survey) 68% of PWLE responded that Time PWLE are willing to they would be likely or very travel to access an OPC: likely use a free shuttle if it 68% were offered between downtown 5-15 minutes 60% and the location of the OPC 15-25 minutes 23% 75% of PWLE responded that they would be likely or very 75% likely to use the OPC if it was 25-35 minutes 13% a mobile van that traveled around Burlington. Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 9 Page 12 of 19 Security and Safety at the OPC (PWLE Survey) How would a security guard How would a security guard inside the OPC make you feel? outside the OPC make you feel? More safe 53% More safe 47% Less safe 19% Less safe 19% Neither more safe or Neither more safe or less safe 28% less safe 34% Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 10 Page 13 of 19  1. Prevent overdoses and save lives Public Health 2. Reduce the number of people using drugs Outcomes outdoors and in public spaces 3. Help connect people to drug treatment and health and social services Community survey respondents ranked the 4. Less burden on emergency rooms, police, order of importance of fire, & EMS by reducing overdose-related seven identified public calls health outcomes 5. Reduce crime in the area surrounding (in order of most the overdose prevention center importance to least) 6. Reduce number of syringes or other litter related to drug use discarded in public 7. Reduce HIV and hepatitis C transmission due to syringe sharing Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 11 Page 14 of 19 Services and Supports • The majority of PWLE respondents reported that proposed OPC services such as medical care, STI testing, bathrooms and showers, peer support, drug checking, on-site buprenorphine, mental health and drug treatment referrals, and support with basic needs are important or very important • Community survey respondents ranked possible OPC services: Referrals to drug treatment, Mental health services or referrals, on- site buprenorphine treatment, bathrooms, and peer support were noted among the most important services to offer at the OPC Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 12 Page 15 of 19 Ongoing Community Conversations Community survey: How would you want to engage in community conversations around the OPC? Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 13 Page 16 of 19 Next Steps • Continued engagement at NPA meetings, focus groups, attendance at community meetings, and interviews with people with living experience • Final report with findings to inform the Services Assessment in April • Hiring OPC Project Manager • Link to Annual Progress Report Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 14 Page 17 of 19 For More Information Link to Annual Progress Report Theresa Vezina Special Assistant on OPC Implementation tvezina@burlingtonvt.gov 802-735-8358 Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 15 Page 18 of 19 Discussion Questions • What positive impact do you hope the OPC will bring to our community? • What are your concerns or questions related to the OPC? • What would you like to see for ongoing communication once the OPC opens? Burlington Overdose Prevention Center 16 Page 19 of 19