Wards 4 & 7 NPA

Wards 4 & 7 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA) March 26, 2025 | 6:00 -8:00 PM Meeting Minutes Facilitator: Sarah Diaz Notetaker: Mark Leopold 6:00 pm Free Community Meal Provided by Leonardo’s Pizza 6:30 pm Introductions - Sarah explains the open meeting etiquette 6:35 pm Attendees Introduced themselves 48 people in attendance 6:45pm Open Public Forum: 10 Minutes  Martha Molpus mentioned Hineburg Community Center 4/4 seed planting. 4/16 1PM Vermont Ethics Network meeting about advanced directives. 4/19 popup celebration  Cots Walk Sunday May 4th signups available now was mentioned  Monica – School District Event 4/9 6-8pm Main Street Landing “Sharing our Stories” extension of Black History Month and Women’s History Month  Tricia Early Childhood Education 4/25 Popup parents event  Charlie G. –VT 127 Shared Use Path Connection Study https://www.ccrpcvt.org/our-work/transportation/current-projects/walk-bike/vt-127-shared-use-path-connection-study/#public  Burlington Walk and Bike Council plans a joint meeting with South Burlington Bike committee 6:55pm Speaker Senator Phillip Baruth  Current topics and status of bills in the senate  Motel program 3000 people including 500 kids many families – governor calls it a failure because of the lack of the available progression of step up housing. Many are disabled. Some on oxygen The program is about to end 4/1/25 unless the legislature gets the budget adjustment to pass over the governor’s veto. House Democrats want a 3 month extension through 6/30/25.  Education funding and structure – from 100 to 5 school districts has met the most skepticism some parts of the plan have broad support such as using a foundation formula – with student counts being weighted for more expensive special needs students – based on ELL English language learners etc. allow local additional taxes but that violates the spirit of the brigham decision-  Act 250 exemption for developed areas like Burlington that have zoning laws  Property Taxes –component healthcare went up 16% last year $70MM spent to bring the tax increase down to 17% Currently planning something near a flat increase 1% or 0%  State Construction Aid is not existent in VT for schools like it is in many states this is weighing heavy on Burlington for the new high school  pbaruth@uvm.edu 7:35pm Speaker: Representative Robert (Bob) Hooper  Working for 1% on the yield bill – the budget adjustment  Best contact email: staterephooper@gmail.com 7:45pm Speaker: Sarah Carpenter Burlington City councilor Ward 4  Sarah asked Bob about the status of the 5 charter changes passed to the legislature from November 2024 and Maarch 4, 2025. Bob said 3 of 5 are moving forward now and the others can move after the money issues are resolved.  Burlington city budget fiscal 2026 starts June 1 Hopefully no general tax increase. There remains a 2.5 MM gap based on level funding which means a 4% increase due to contracts. Cost savings may come from some departmental functions merging. 8:00pm Meeting Adjourned Next Meeting will be Wednesday April 23rd!