Montpelier PEN Special Issue: Politicians to evict thousands of homeless Vermonters from motels beginning just days from now

A pox on all their houses and on our political system, through which the privileged are able to build generational wealth on the backs of the poor, who, as a result, suffer generational poverty and all of its consequences, including homelessness, poor health, malnutrition, and often early deaths.

If you have the stomach to read media accounts of what has already begun to happen to nearly 3000 homeless Vermonters as a result of the actions, inactions, and purposeful distractions by Vermont politicians, here are links to how this was covered for the last month by VTDigger:

23 state legislators: Abrupt end to motel program, with no transition plan, will be devastating (VTDigger, 5/28/23) 

Phil Scott Vetoes Vermont’s $8.5B state budget, House Speaker calls for a state of emergency(VTDigger, 5/27/23) 

State announces 28-day extension for some in motels (VTDigger, 5/26/23) 

As motel program winds down for unhoused, Vermonters state looks to out-of-state contractors for solutions (VTDigger, 5/25/23) 

Lawmakers approves $8.5B state budget-- and braces for a messy override vote (VTDigger 5/13/23)

Budget negotiators hold firm to ending the motel program, offer 12.5 million to service providers (VTDigger, 5/10/23)

Group of legislators threatens to uphold a potential veto if motel program isn’t extended (VTDigger, 5/5/23)

Final Reading: Scott administration defends plan to end motel program  (VTDigger, 5/3/23)

On their hands, about to lose shelter a mother urges officials to reconsider winding down motel program (VTDigger, 5/1/23)

Group of legislators threatens to uphold a potential veto if motel program isn’t extended (VTDigger 5/5/23)

But, if you want to understand how and why this is happening, here are some links to the truth of the matter:

Everybody’s Breaking Down the Doors of the Emergency Hall of Shame (Vermont Political Observer, 5/28/23,)

Hey, Here’s an Idea: Let’s Attack Phil Scott and Then Ask Him to Save Our Bacon (Vermont Political Observer, 5/25/23)

Dignity, A Modest Proposal (Vermont Political Observer, 5/23/23)

In Burlington the Theme was “Hope.” in Montpelier the Theme was “Nope.”  (Vermont Political Observer 5/14/23)

Objects In Mirror May Be Larger, Or Smaller, Than They Appear (Vermont Political Observer 5/13/23)

This is Not the End. (Updated) (Vermont Political Observer 5/13/23)

Montpelier Public Engagement Newsletter (PEN): Issue #14 The Homeless Emergency in Vermont  (Montpelier PEN, 5/21/23)

Montpelier PEN Special Issue: The Homelessness Emergency (Montpelier PEN, 5/14/23)

And finally, in case you missed this, a consciousness-raising interview for us all  

Vermont Conversation: Who benefits from poverty? Matthew Desmond says many of us do. (VTDigger, 4/28/23)

RELEVANT CONTACT INFORMATION

Legislators:

Rep. Conor Casey  CCasey@leg.state.vt.us

Rep. Kate McCann  kmccann@leg.state.vt.us

Sen. Anne Watson  AWatson@leg.state.vt.us

Sen. Ann Cummings  acummings@leg.state.vt.us

Sen. Andy Perchlik  aperchlik@leg.state.vt.us

House Speaker Jill Krowinski jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us and https://speaker.vermont.gov/content/contact)

President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate Phil Baruth  pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us

Vermont State Officials

Gov. Phil Scott https://vermontce.my.vermont.gov/s/governor-office-ce 

or call: 802 828-3333 

Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman https://ltgov.vermont.gov/form/contact

Or call: (802) 828-2226

Chris Winters, Commissioner, Dept. of Children & Families  (802) 241-0927

Sarah Phillips, Director Dept. of Children & Families: OEO (802) 585-9218

Some Key Allies 

Brenda Siegel brendalynnsiegel@gmail.com

Ken Russell ken@anotherwayvt.org

Rick DeAngelis rdeangelis@goodsamaritanhaven.org

Sue Minter, Executive Director Capstone Community Action sminter@capstonevt.org

Morgan Brown  morganbrown@gmail.com

Carolyn Ridpath carolyn_ridpath@yahoo.com

Page Guertin pguertin2021@gmail.com

Zack Hughes PeerPlus9820@outlook.com

Montpelier Government officials

Mayor Jack McCullough jmccullough@montpelier-vt.org

Sal Alfano (District 2 City Council member) salfano@montpelier-vt.org

Pelin Kohn (District 2 City Council member) pkohn@montpelier-vt.org

Lauren Hierl (District 1 City Council member) lhierl@montpelier-vt.org

Dona Bate (District 1 City Council member)  dbate@montpelier-vt.org

Cary Brown (District 3 City Council member) cbrown@montpelier-vt.org

Tim Heney (District 3 City Council member) theney@montpelier-vt.org

William Fraser City Manager WFraser@montpelier-vt.org

Kelly Murphy Asst. City Manager kmurphy@montpelier-vt.org

ANNOUNCEMENT: PEN TO GO ON HIATUS

As for me, the events of the last month in Vermont and around the country have left me disheartened. 

As a result and because I will turn 80 on June 5, I am going to take a break from publishing PEN. I want to spend the next few months (maybe more) literally and figuratively “tending my own garden” rather than trying to fix “a world” that doesn’t seem to be fixable even at the local level.

For those of you who have the time, energy, and inclination to “fight the good fight,” I have a few recommendations for upcoming public engagement opportunities in Montpelier, beginning with a timely presentation, entitled: Building an Emergency Shelter Community to Address Homelessness to be held at the Kellogg-Hubbard LIbrary on June 7 at 6:30pm.

Please join us to learn how the City of Burlington developed the 30-unit Elmwood Emergency Shelter Community, which is located in downtown Burlington and is part of the Mayor’s 10-Point Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Housing as a Human Right. Representatives from the project team will provide details on timeline, permitting, costs, and construction, as well as an account of the first three months of shelter operations: their guest selection process, services provided, early challenges, and successes to date. This will also be live streamed and filmed by ORCA.

Looking ahead to this summer, I would suggest that Montpelier residents keep their eyes on what the City Council decides to do (or not do) about homelessness in our community, water/sewer issues, and the next stage of the Country Club Road Site planning

And I’d strongly encourage you to read and attend the July hearings on the new City Plan, which the Planning Commission and the Planning and Community Development Department have been working on off and on for the past 4+ years, largely unnoticed by members of the public and even by most members of the City Council.

If you have not yet opted-in to receive PEN in your email, please let us know at peterhkelman@yahoo.com that you wish to continue to receive it. 

And, by all means feel free to pass on this and any other issue of PEN to others you think may be interested.

Montpelier Public Engagement Newsletter (PEN): Issue #14 The Homeless Emergency in Vermont & Country Club Road Site Project Next Steps

The Homelessness Emergency in Vermont

On June 1 statewide, hundreds of people (including children) will be exited from the motels in which they have been living. 

What can we, as individuals, do to address this human tragedy? 

Consider this message from our Montpelier Representatives Kate McCann and Conor Casey, posted May 18 on Front Porch Forum Issue 6970:

Thank you for the outpouring of support you have shown surrounding our "no" vote on a budget that does not provide a responsible off ramp for the GA housing program.

At this point, if you are so inclined, please apply some pressure to Governor Scott. He is the only person that can stop 766 households including the sick, the aging, and families with children from being tossed out in the street on June 1. 80 of those households are here in Washington County. There is no place for these folks to go. There are no beds, and where there may be beds there are no staff to support housing more folks

This is a call to action. Please call or email the Governor.
Phone: 802-828-3333
https://vermontce.my.vermont.gov/s/governor-office-ce

We think we all want to see an end to this pandemic program, but we need a humane off ramp. We need to extend the program while advocates and agencies work to place our most vulnerable neighbors into other, perhaps more permanent housing.

Meanwhile, your elected Representatives and Senators need to get back to the table and work up a plan to keep the 1056 households who become ineligible on July 1 from the same fate. We have a responsibility to prioritize housing for all Vermonters and to work to find a responsible transition for this population in need.

Good Samaritan Haven and Another Way have been working hard to secure tents and sleeping bags, but this is no way to treat people, especially in the 8th richest country in the world. It just isn't what we do as Vermonters.

In community,
Kate McCann and Conor Casey

And this letter that Mary Moulton, Executive Director of Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) sent to her 700 staff members:

After two years, the state does not have a sustainable plan; we are reaching out to key leaders in government to present the needs and vice versa.  I write this to you because we are all members of this community; and we all have a responsibility towards one another.  The fact is there is no place for these people to go.  There is very little housing and what is available is not affordable by people who have been living in hotels with complex medical, mental health, and substance use treatment needs. All Divisions within our agency are affected. It is up to us, the “collective we”, to press forward with an agenda that will protect life and offer some measure of dignity. Here are some of the less than perfect solutions that may be available if we can get the support of all involved:

 

1. Sleeping bags and tents will be available for people leaving hotels and we will announce pick-up places if you are assisting someone or know of someone in need

2. Our region is seeking money to rent campsites; these will likely be short term and people will have to move around; they are already filling or filled

3. City councilors in Montpelier and Barre are looking at land they might open up for camping – more to come on that

4. We have requested to the State that state lands be open for camping and there be portable toilets and showers – no decision yet

5. Emergency shelter may be opened short term in the cities as a place for people to come in for medical care and to make plans for next steps – no decision yet

6. Transportation is being sought for people leaving hotels; tickets are being purchased for a few but most are staying in the area --- there are signs in the hotels directing people on who to call

7. There is an attempt to rent a portion of one of the hotels to house 30-40 people when the voucher system ends  - no decision yet.  Keep in mind, there will be programming of a smaller magnitude put back in place when winter months are upon us.

8. Penny Martin at our Sunrise Recovery Center in Montpelier will, once again, come through to help community members in need by providing shower facilities

9. An Organizer or Navigator position has been requested to direct people in the area and work with service providers – no decision yet

 

Our emergency line and urgent care workers are getting busier with requests and demands from people who are feeling quite desperate.  Hospital systems are concerned that they will fill up, particularly in the ER, during a time of year when they tend to be even busier.  Hospital overflow on the acute care medical side, as well as psychiatric and substance use care needs, will likely increase exponentially. The only step to abate this totally would be if individuals did not leave the hotels on May 30th and June 30th.  There is an effort afoot to push for free space in the hotels.  Again, I will keep you posted as plans evolve over the next 10 days or so.  This is a humanitarian crisis and people living through it are having significant levels of distress.

 

Thank you for whatever kindness you can offer,

 

See also: https://montpelierbridge.org/2023/05/homeless-exodus-expected-by-end-of-may/

Country Club Road Site (CCRS) Project

At the upcoming May 24 City Council meeting, the CCRS Project Team will share the results of the spring (final) stage of community input and the White + Burke Consultant Team will recommend to the City Council which of three concept plans they think should be pursued in the Actionable Master Plan, which it will present to the City Council at its June 28 meeting. 

To date, a disappointingly small number and a limited range of residents have actively participated in this process This presentation to the City Council will be the last formal opportunity for those who haven’t yet participated to do so before that June 28 meeting.

The full White + Burke report may be read here, but following are several edited excerpts from the presentation they will make to the City Council, which summarize their basic findings:

Goals

Perhaps the most significant outcome of Phase 1 is the identification of the goals for the Country Club Road site. The following have emerged from the public process feedback and conversations, the City Council’s direction, and the consultants’ analysis of the site and community context as the top priorities: 

• Address the high housing need by providing a mix of housing product with affordable, workforce, and market rate units 

• Address the need for indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities, including a comprehensive recreation and community facility, as well as fields, courts, and other such uses

• Balance the above with: 

o Conservation / open space,

o Incorporation of spaces for Abenaki recognition, celebration, and education, 

o Amenities for the new residential communities (i.e. community gardens)

o Trails

o Gathering spaces (i.e. amphitheater, playground, gazebo, etc.) 

o Connection of wildlife corridors

o Connection to surrounding parcels and City infrastructure (i.e. bike path, traffic patterns, public transit, and potential future vehicular access north or west) 

o Minimize impact on climate by utilizing and leveraging technologies and best practices for energy efficiency and energy generation.  

o Minimize impact to taxpayers. 

These are the most essential elements of the Phase 1 planning, as they will need to act as the guiding rudder for the City Council and staff in directing and navigating the development of this project

Concept Plans 

Three concept alternatives in this spring stage were presented to City Council in April. [See Concept Plans A-C]. 

Conceptual drawings will not and should not be utilized in isolation from the ultimate Actionable Master Plan document. The specifics of what the selected concept plan entails will be described within the Master Plan, but the purpose at this time is to give shape to the desired usage, footprint, scale, and layout of the site. 

This sets the vision for the City to pursue and provides a basis for the conversations being recommended in the next phases of work. Without a vision and an illustrative representation of how many important features and project qualities could be accommodated within the site, it would be impossible to dig into the next layer of due diligence (i.e., permit implications or additional working group participation). This also sets the vision for working with development partners and lays a framework for expectations within proposals for the residential development. 

To be clear, this plan is not a final land plan. The exact quantities of housing, the siting of the units, the exact layout of the road network – these are all conceptual at this phase. This plan is illustrative in nature and will be refined many times before any construction begins. 

Please note that there are elements to the final land plan that simply are not knowable at this phase and are thus, were not included in these three concept plans.

Takeaways from the hypothetical financing mechanism scenarios are as follows:  

• City will seek grants – many unknowns at this time. 

• Using municipal-only TIF reduces the delta [difference] remaining to be funded significantly.  

• Using municipal-only TIF plus water/sewer user fees covers all of the cost of Concept A housing infrastructure and most of the cost of Concepts B & C.  

• Using State TIF program should cover entire cost of infrastructure for housing development.  

• Any surplus of tax revenue in some of the financing scenarios could help fund the recreation investment if there is sufficient nexus between the investment into the Recreation & Community Zone infrastructure and the private development.   

• More financing possibilities will evolve as partnerships with developers emerge and recreational programming developed. 

• City will need to continue to look at costs and funding streams. 

• Ultimately, City voters will have a vote on any bonding costs – but not in Phase 1  

• Spring 2023 phase is not a vote on spending.

Consultant Team Recommendation 

As part of the scope of this phase of work, the consultant team was asked to make a recommendation for a concept plan to incorporate into the Actionable Master Plan to take through the next phases of work. 

The team agrees with the public’s response to Concept A, finding it the most consistent with the public’s feedback and the goals that emerged for the site. It has the highest potential for financial feasibility and provides the highest return on investment for the City. 

City Council’s Action Items 

At the meeting on May 24, the team is asking for answers to two questions: 

1) Does the Council endorse the goals outlined above?  If not, please specify amendments. 

2) Which concept plan should be incorporated into the Actionable Master Plan as the vision to guide next steps? 

The decisions made by Council at this meeting are not strictly binding – as in, the City is not bound to fulfill this exact land plan. It is fully expected that changes to the plan will occur over time, as more due diligence is undertaken, planning is refined, and the conversations evolve with development partners. 

There is no capital investment associated with this decision – any infrastructure spending decisions will require Council review and approval and will come later. Rather, a decision on this visionary plan will enable the consultant team to complete the Actionable Master Plan and set forward the next steps for advancing the planning and due diligence. 

At the City Council of June 28, the team will submit the Actionable Master Plan and present highlights, at which time the City Council will be asked to adopt it as a final codification of this Phase of work. 

End of edited excerpts from the upcoming 5/24 White + Burke report to the City Council

Calendar of Public Engagement Opportunities

5/22/23 Planning Commission Meeting

5:30 PM City Council Chambers, City Hall

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84814446009?pwd=UFRhSjl3anltR1BMbHNYNTU1aW03Zz09

Meeting ID: 848 1444 6009 Passcode: 610029 

Phone in: +13126266799,,84814446009#,,,,*610029#

Agenda packet link

[Note: agenda indicates continuing work on the City Plan: Review and approval of storyboard outlines for economic development and energy chapters.]

5/23/23 Parks Commission Meeting

6:00PM City Manager’s Conference Room

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87024019325?pwd=dHJJWVFld3Z1N0Y4RXo3bEVERlIzZz09

Meeting ID: 870 2401 9325 Passcode: 357911 One tap mobile: (305)-224-1968

Agenda link

[Note: Nothing on the agenda about camping in the parks during the anticipated increase of homeless people in our area.]

5/24/23 Public Restroom Committee Meeting 

10:30 AM - 11:30 PM  City Manger’s Conference Room 

Zoom link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86772194620?pwd=ZXhGM2dKSEp1V0dGQTUxRnZlQjFCQT09 

Meeting ID: 867 7219 4620 Passcode: 762184 One tap mobile: (309)-205-3325

[Note: No agenda available, but likely to be discussion of bathrooms for use during the anticipated increase of homeless people in our area.]

5/24/23 City Council Meeting 

6:30 PM City Council Chambers, City Hall 

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88458744521?pwd=Q3ZIbnFpZG1KTEFBMzZCajlJSERLdz09

Meeting ID: 884 5874 4521 Passcode: 461150 One tap mobile: (305)-224-1968

Agenda Packet link:

[Note: the agenda contains a number of topics that may be of interest to residents, although some of these may be so obscurely titled that one might not realize the significance of what lies behind the name (e.g., Enviso Update, Downstreet Housing & Community Development’s Green Mountain Home Repair Program, Casella/ Leachate Treatment, Montpelier Water Resource Recovery Facility Update, Chapter 11 Ordinance change 1st Reading, Night Paving.]