Wards 4 & 7 NPA

Regular Meeting

Burlington, VT · March 25, 2026

Minutes

NPA Meteting March 25 2026: Wards 4/7 Miller Center, 130 Gosse Court, Burlington VT 6:30: Welcome- Guidelines for meeting, Introductions–also taking time to get food and return to seats 6:45: Community Forum 6:55: Presentation on Proposition Zero–Annie Lawson: presents on the changes that this campaign would being to Burlington by increasing opportunities for direct democracy. These would include: voters can bring an initiative to the ballot (ie bring a ballot question to a city-wide vote via a mechanism of petition rather than City Council by getting roughly 2,000 paper signatures–aka 5% of eligible voters– to demonstrate that there is support for such a ballot question); call for a resolution to be on a ballot (aka take the temperature of how residents feel on a topic or issue; this is non-binding); and/or call for a referendum to a vote passed by City Council (2000 signatures would need to be gathered in 90 days after the vote in question). Takes questions from audience, including City Councilors sharing their perspectives, and responds to these. More information is available at propositionzero.org. 7:15: Phillip Peterson from Burlington Department of Public Works presents on upcoming changes in the sphere of development, many of which include traffic flow changes and road changes. Specifically, these are: Gosse Court speed bumps; VT-127 Safety Audit; Plattsburg Ave slip lane removal; 2026 Sidewalk and paving work; North Ave rubber speed hump survey; and PlanBTV Open House and Podcast. He encourages residents to get involved in the planning process, saying “development is something that either happens with you, or it happens to you–get involved so you have a say in the decisions.” There is an open house coming up on April 30, location TBD: More info at https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/planBTV2050. Also, there is a podcast that folks can stream at www.993wbtv.org; live shows air Tuesdays at noon on 99.3. More info or questions for Phillip can be directed to him at dpwplanning@burlingtonvt.gov, or at (802) 863-9094. 7:35: Sam Donnelly, Executive Director of Building Burlington’s Future, presents on the work this organization is doing locally to address significant challenges the City is facing. He stresses that the role of BBF is to support and augment the work of elected officials, and to work with then, by bringing more capacity to engage on these issues than is available to the elected’s offices alone. Areas of focus include community wellbeing, community safety, local economy, and increasing housing. Sam also stresses that it is important to partner with the organizations that have been on the ground already, as this organization is less than one year old, and to establish partnerships with folks who have been doing this work for years. More info can be found at https://www.buildingburlingtonsfuture.org/ 7:55: Adjourn; re-convene for April 22 meeting, again at the Miller Center at 130 Gosse Court.

Agenda

Wards 4 & 7 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA): Agenda Wednesday, March 25th 2026 6:00PM-8:00PM Join in person: Robert Miller Center 130 Gosse Ct Join virtually: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85494151752 Facilitator: Sarah Note Taker: Annie Greeter: Martha 6:00 Free Community Dinner | 30 mins • People’s Kitchen meal o Lodeh soup - vegan chowder in coconut milk broth o Yellow Rice - mildly spiced basmati cooked in lemongrass o Beef rendang - braised beef with coconut milk gravy o Chicken satays - skewered chunks served with peanut sauce o Jerk Tofu - marinated in lemon & herbs, served in homemade jerk sauce o Mushroom + Veggie stir fry o Cucumber salad - with shallots vinaigrette o Egg rolls - assorted mix with veggie or shrimp (non-GF) • Bring your own container and take leftovers with you! 6:30pm Welcome & Ask | 5 mins • Adopt the agenda+ Ground Rules: • Listen to each other • Treat others respectfully • Share your opinion politely • Respect the agenda and process • Ask for volunteers to reorganize room and clean-up after 6:35pm Introductions | 5 mins • Introduce ourselves with name, pronoun and ward 6:40pm Open Forum | 10 mins • Invite residents to make short announcements, share neighborhood updates and upcoming events 6:50pm Proposition Zero | 25 mins • Faried Munarsyah & Annie Lawson present • Questions 7:15pm Announcement of Steering Committee Members | 5 mins • What we do and realistic time commitment per month • Current members positive notes • Nominate and Vote next month 7:20pm Building Burlington’s Future | 20 mins • Sam Donnelly presents • Questions 7:40pm Department of Public Works - update on NNE projects | 20mins • Phillip Peterson presents • Questions 8:00pm Adjourn • Our next meeting will be Wednesday, April 22, 2026. See you there! Ward 4&7 Steering Committee: Annie Lawson Joanne Hunt Amy Bielawski-Branch Sarah Diaz Stephen Brown Jane McDonald To email the full steering committee: wards4-7npasc@googlegroups.com