Ward 3 NPA

Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 6:30 PM Join in person: City Hall, Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 149 Church St. Join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/98644635243 Facilitator: Christopher Haessly 6:30 pm Call to Order | 5 min Adopt the agenda and review meeting ground rules. 6:35 pm DPW 2026 Construction Workplan | 25 min A presentation on the DPW’s 2026 construction workplan with updates on the Champlain Parkway and the Main Street projects. • Robert Goulding, Department of Public Works 7:00 pm McNeil Plant Presentation | 25 min A presentation by 350 Vt.org Chittenden Node and Stop VT Biomass. • Nick Persampieri, Climate Activist and Retired Environmental Lawyer 7:30 pm Candidate Forum | 50 min An opportunity to hear from candidates for State Senate in the Chittenden Central district. • Nikhil Goyal • Elaine Haney • Martine LaRocque-Gulick • Tanya Vyhovsky 8:20 pm Public Forum | 10 min An opportunity to share opinions, news, and events. 8:30 pm Adjourn Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 3. Use the QR code to go to any of these links: Email us • Go to our website • Watch meeting recordings on CCTV's website • Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram • Request a time slot with the NPA Request Form • Links from this agenda Page 1 of 40 Appendix to the Agenda Ward 3 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. • Wait to be recognized: Members may not speak until recognized by the moderator. • 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. Public Forum Protocol • Community members will be required to sign up for the Public Forum before the start of the meeting consistent with the process used by the City Council. • Participants will have up to two (2) minutes to share their thoughts and will speak based upon the order in which the requests were received. • Participants may speak only for themselves and individual speakers will not be permitted to yield their time to other speakers. • Personal attacks will not be tolerated and the moderator reserves the right to limit comments that are disruptive and/or obscene. • Ward 3 residents will be given priority and, if there is still time, persons who live outside the ward will be provided an opportunity to speak. Question-and-Answer Protocol • Please state your full name prior to asking your question. • Each participant will have thirty (30) seconds to ask one and only one question. • There will be no follow up questions so everyone has a chance to participate. • Ward 3 residents will be given priority. Discussion and Debate Rules • Members may not speak until recognized by the moderator. • Each member will have a maximum of two (2) minutes to speak on questions before the NPA. • No member will be permitted to speak a second time until every member has had an opportunity to speak once. • No member will be permitted to speak a third time until every member has had an opportunity to speak twice. Appendix to agenda | Wards 3 NPA - Page 2 Page 2 of 40 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 3 of 40 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 4 of 40 CHERRY ST Near final design Construction could start in 2027, though may begin later Page 5 of 40 CHAMPLAIN PARKWAY • 25MPH road • Connects South End with Downtown • Stormwater improvements • Pedestrian enhancements: signals, shorter crossings, new sidewalks Page 6 of 40 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 7 of 40 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 8 of 40 WHAT’S LEFT TO DO • Sidewalks • Signals • Tree plantings • Paving • Public Art Page 9 of 40 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 10 of 40 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 11 of 40  SIDEWALKS** **Short run segments not all included, but does include work on Pine near Bank; and intersection of Lake & College Page 12 of 40 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 13 of 40 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 14 of 40  PAVING* Remaining 2025 contract streets College Union - Willard Pearl Battery - Winooski *Includes patches on lower North Ave, Lake St, Archibald St, Intervale Rd Page 15 of 40 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 16 of 40 Page 17 of 40 WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR WATER: https://vt.adopt-a-drain.org/ https://seagrant.w3.uvm.edu/blue/ Page 18 of 40  STAY INFOMED 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 19 of 40 THANK YOU Page 20 of 40 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 21 of 40 Page 22 of 40 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 23 of 40 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 24 of 40  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 25 of 40 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 26 of 40  Theory (according to BED): “Closed Loop” Carbon Cycle Page 27 of 40 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 28 of 40 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 29 of 40  This impairs forest ecosystems and erodes important benefits forests provide, including flood protection, & has a destructive impact on forest ecology and wildlife. Page 30 of 40 Carbon Rock Stars: Large, Older Trees & Forests How many oak trees does it take to store 8 tons of carbon? Page 31 of 40  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 32 of 40  $ $$ 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 33 of 40 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 34 of 40 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 35 of 40  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 36 of 40 Our Vision: Page 37 of 40 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 38 of 40 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 39 of 40 Questions Comments Discussion Page 40 of 40