State of things
More education plan details come out; health commissioner retires.
Page 2
Japan Fest
South Burlington High students bring cultural exchange to community.
Page 10
the South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
Who’s counting?
City council nixes
Long View project
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The Long View Project, a unique conservation and housing initiative more than two years in the making in South Burlington, will not be moving forward.
A motion to approve a revised resolution for the project failed 2-2 last week, with one councilor, Andrew Chalnick, recusing himself from discussions since he owns land that directly abuts the Spear Street property.
Efforts to conserve roughly 32 acres on Spear Street have been in the works with the South Burlington Land Trust and property owners Northeast Agricultural Trust, a limited liability company owned by Tom Bellavance, since 2023. Bellavance’s wife, Janet,
is on the South Burlington Land Trust’s board of directors.
The project would have also set aside 2.5 acres for 16 affordable homes in partnership with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity.
The city council officially signaled its intent last September to move the work forward with a hefty $460,000 commitment in open space funds to support the project.
The sticking point came in December, when the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board awarded a $175,000 grant to complete the property acquisition. A new condition in the grant agreement proved contentious and ultimately hindered the project. It
See LONG VIEW on page 10
South Burlington City Council candidates talk priorities
With Town Meeting Day approaching and two seats up for grabs on the South Burlington city council, residents are seeing some familiar faces cast their bids for the spots.
Tim Barritt, the current council chair, is running unopposed for the three-year seat he currently holds.
Another incumbent, Elizabeth Fitzger-
ald, is vying for the two-year seat she’s held since being elected to finish out the remainder of a term vacated by Tyler Barnes in October 2023.
South Burlington resident Lydia Diamond is also throwing her hat in the ring for the two-year seat.
Tim Barritt
Barritt has seen the city evolve in more ways than one, having served the city’s residents for nearly a decade, and as chair
of the council since last March.
But he has been no bystander on the council during that time. He touted his ability to often act as a swing vote on many occasions and that he’s “always felt confident in my reasoning for how I voted.” That fair balance is exactly what he is hoping to keep.
While the city council has had its hands full this last year, Barritt said he is most proud of successfully enacting a rental registry on short-term rentals and the
city’s successful legal battle regarding a parcel of property at 835 Hinesburg Road.
Barritt voted to enact the city’s rental registry last year and said he is glad to see it starting to have a positive effect on the fire safety and well-being of renters as inspections find deficiencies and city employees work with owners to resolve them.
See CANDIDATES on page 12
COURTESY PHOTO
Feb. 5 was the 100th day of school for the kindergartners at Chamberlain Elementary School. The kids did crafts and paraded through classrooms showing off that they are now 100 days smarter.
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Friends and Family Dinners
ETHAN WEINSTEIN VTDIGGER
Gov. Phil Scott’s education proposal would allow every student to opt into a school choice lottery system within their regional school district.
Last week’s testimony in the House Committee on Education from Education Secretary Zoie Saunders was the first public explanation of how school choice would work in Scott’s “transformation” plan.
“It’s very provocative,” Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, the committee’s chair, said during the
hearing, “and we need provocative.”
The new information on school choice and education governance is the latest aspect unveiled in the administration’s extensive proposal. Previously, Saunders released the details of the governor’s proposed foundation formula, a new way to pay for education that would spend about $180 million less than the state currently spends.
Week by week, Scott and his team have added more specifics to their cornerstone policy proposal. Lawmakers had been eagerly awaiting more information on school choice, one of the plan’s
biggest gaps in the first weeks of the legislative session.
In Vermont’s current system, many towns offer school choice if their local school districts do not operate public schools for all or certain grades, sometimes offering specific options and other times allowing total choice.
In Scott’s proposed system, every student would be assigned by their district to a public elementary, middle and high school, according to Saunders, with limited exceptions. Each student could also apply for a lottery to attend a “school choice school.”
Those choice options could be magnet public schools or private schools, and each school district would decide which and how many schools to designate, though every district would need to designate at least one school choice school. Officials did not indicate whether religious schools could receive public funding as they do in Vermont’s existing system.
The designated schools would need to follow state guidelines related to “educational and financial standards,” according to the proposal, and certain requirements could be set such as a minimum number of school choice students that a private school would accept.
Despite some state oversight, “select state academic and operational requirements would not apply” to school choice schools, according to the proposal.
The plan attempts to account for existing school choice in the
PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
Scott’s education plan.
State Health Commissioner to retire at the end of next month
ERIN
Health Commissioner Mark Levine announced his retirement last week after eight years serving as the head of the Vermont Department of Health.
Levine, a medical doctor, led the department through several crises, including the state’s most significant health challenge in decades: the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Levine was a steady, reassuring voice through the pandemic, and in the months of recovery that followed,” Secretary of Human Services Jenney Samuelson said in a statement. “Each week, during marathon press conferences, he calmly tackled complex topics in epidemiology and public health.’
The Department of Health tracked Covid-19 data, provided Covid guidance to Vermonters and organized mass vaccination campaigns, among other measures. Levine also served as an adviser to Gov. Phil Scott on health matters.
EDUCATION PLAN
continued from page 2
current system. The lottery could provide “preference” for students in towns that have historically had school choice, Saunders said.
In the proposed system, state money would follow students, meaning school choice schools would be paid directly by the state for the weighted funding associated with choice students.
Some Democratic members of the committee appeared concerned about providing access to school choice for all students — an expansion compared to the state’s existing system.
“Not surprisingly, this is a big issue,” Conlon said. “Does this open the door to folks coming in and creating an independent school in competition with the public school system?”
Jill Briggs Campbell, interim deputy
“I will be forever grateful for his advice and counsel over the years, but especially during the pandemic, as he appeared with me daily at press conferences during those difficult days, giving much comfort to Vermonters as our very own ‘Country Doc,’” Scott said in a statement.
Along with Covid-19, Levine led the department through some of the worst years of the opioid epidemic, which hit a new peak during the Covid pandemic but began dropping in 2023.
The press release announcing his retirement cited other accomplishments during his tenure, including creating a nurse home visiting program for newborns.
Levine, a 71-year-old resident of Shelburne, had an internal medical practice and served as associate dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine before joining the health department. He plans to officially retire at the end of March.
Levine and Scott were not available for further comment.
secretary of education, said school districts could decide not to allow a proliferation of “school choice schools” so as not to “drain” students from the public school system.
Lawmakers could also set limits on creating new private schools.
Thursday’s testimony from Saunders also provided more information on the five proposed regional school boards that would oversee all the state’s public schools.
The plan recommends school boards with five members, with each member representing a regional “ward” within the district.
Each school under the proposed system would have a “school advisory committee,” composed of parents, students, teachers and community members. The committee, Saunders said, would play a role in offering budget feedback and could direct some limited amount of discretionary spending.
PHOTO BY MIKE DOUGHERTY/VTDIGGER
Health Commissioner Mark Levine was a familiar voice during the Covid-19 pandemic.
South Burlington Police Blotter: Feb. 3-9
Total reported incidents: 196
Welfare checks: 7
Trespassing: 9
Traffic stops: 11
Suspicious events: 4
Retail theft: 5
Winter parking ban violations: 6
Motor vehicle complaints: 8
Foot patrols: 19
Disturbances: 9
Directed patrols: 14
Agency assists: 16
Alarms: 15
Crashes: 11
Arrests:
Steven M. Provost, 44, of South Burlington, for unlawful trespass, following a Jan.8 incident on Shelburne Road.
Ryan S. Orvis, 46, of Hinesburg,
for identity theft, following a Jan. 25 incident.
Feb. 3 at 10:14 p.m., Travis Omnik, 28, of Winooski, for driving with a criminally suspended license, at the corner of Main Street and East Avenue in Burlington.
Feb. 5 at 7:43 p.m., Kyle A. Purinton, 34, no address listed, on an in-state warrant on Market Street.
Feb. 6 at 9:17 p.m., Samantha A. Murray, 34, no address listed, on an in-state warrant on Farrell Street.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney office and can be amended or dropped.
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OPINION
Realism about achievability amid D.C.’s political headwinds
From the Senate
FY26 CITY BUDGET
Town Meeting Day—March 4, 2025
Polling places open 7 am to 7 pm
The FY26 City Budget...
Continues our commitment to service delivery with a focus on community affordability
• Provides for the current level of service delivery
The legislative session is in full swing, and Vermonters are facing significant challenges, from a strained state budget to the weight of rising taxes. This year, I’m serving on the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs, where I’m committed to advancing regulatory reforms. My goal is to streamline the process of building homes and businesses in Vermont, making it easier, less expensive and more predictable, with more rational guidelines for appeals.
I’ve also been appointed vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, where we’re diving deep into the governor’s proposed education funding formula and proposed student weights. This complex issue demands careful consideration, and I’m ready to tackle it head-on. One thing is certain: We can’t afford to continue down the current path.
Health care costs are another critical concern. Vermont now bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest health care costs in the nation. We need to explore solutions like reference-based pricing and raising the Certificate of Need threshold, which could encourage more options for common health care services, easing the burden on hospitals and lowering costs for individuals and insurance premiums. I support both approaches and believe it’s time to re-examine policies enacted in Montpelier over the past two decades that have proven unsustainable and too expensive while also looking more closely at how hospitals are spending limited resources.
Beyond education, housing, health care and climate, other important issues are on the table. I’ve introduced a bill to simplify our stormwater mandates. Constituents statewide struggle to comply with these Environmental Protection Agency-inspired state regulations, facing unclear directives, limited resources and unrealistic timelines.
The current program often requires expensive infrastructure improvements on properties where the impact on water quality is minimal. We need a true all-in approach to cleaning Lake Champlain, where everyone contributes to strategic waterway improvements that will adapt our infrastructure to the rising flood levels we keep experiencing while maximizing the cost-benefit of our limited tax dollars.
I’ve also introduced a bill to allow for stewardship trusts in Vermont, enabling businesses to enshrine their values into operating documents that persist beyond current boardroom priorities, like what Patagonia has done in Oregon.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be introducing bills on data privacy and implementing an ad valorem car registration fee. This type of fee, common in other states, would create a dedicated funding stream for public transportation, charging higher-end vehicles more. Currently, a 2025 Cybertruck costs the same annual registration fee as a 1999 Dodge Neon. I believe those with newer, more expensive vehicles can contribute a bit more to alleviate congestion by helping fund our public transit needs.
We must be realistic about what we can achieve, what we can afford and what is feasible given the political headwinds coming from Washington.
This year, we must also address the state’s collected 30-percent share of local option tax revenues passed by communities to raise money to reduce their residents’ property tax burdens.
I’ve introduced legislation to redirect surplus funds back to EMS ambulance service providers by waiving an existing tax on their insurance company reimbursements.
• Maximizes non-property-tax revenue by aggressively budgeting for Local Option Tax and interest earned income and reviewing fee structures
• Is sensitive to the property tax impacts from the State Education Fund and limits municipal property tax impact
Continues investments in Public Safety
• Addresses State funding changes and strengthens public safety tools
• Invests in our Community Outreach Team and Community Justice Center
• Increases funding for road line striping, sidewalk improvements, and paving
Supports City Center vibrancy
• Opens the Library on Sundays
• Funds the South Burlington City Center Collaborative
Continues commitment to addressing climate change
• Increases commitment to Green Mountain Transit to meet climate and transit goals
• Provides $345K in funding for capital work related to addressing climate change
FY26 General Fund
Regarding climate change, Vermont needs to prioritize adaptation and commit to realistic emissions reduction timelines. I agree with Gov. Scott’s call to revisit legislation passed in the last decade and recalibrate it to our current realities. The Global Warming Solutions Act, with its private right of action provision, is diverting valuable attention and resources away from state agencies. I support repealing this provision while maintaining focus on successful programs that transition our economy to greener technologies.
We must be realistic about what we can achieve, what we can afford and what is feasible given the political headwinds coming from Washington.
The state is currently collecting more than necessary, and these taxes were approved by town voters to lower their municipal property taxes, so excess dollars over what is needed for our payment in lieu of taxes agreements should do that. As more towns adopt local option taxes, we need to recalibrate this distribution to ensure these communities receive the full benefit of the revenue they generate.
It is an honor to serve in this role representing you in Montpelier. I welcome your thoughts and opinions, so please reach out: Thomas.Chittenden@gmail.com.
Thomas Chittenden, a Democrat from South Burlington, represents South Burlington, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne and several other towns in the Chittenden-Southeast Senate district.
Sen. Thomas Chittenden
Sen. Thomas Chittenden
SB school budget: all the traffic will bear
Guest Perspective
Michelle Boyer
Every year, this classic reference comes to mind during the South Burlington School District’s budgeting cycle: district leadership proposes the highest-priced package they can sell to the community, and the board obediently approves it.
Although I am a skeptic by both nature and training, I was hopeful this year when the board, superintendent and finance director began discussions by expressing concern about limited resources, community impact and the increasing number of residents worried they won’t be able to afford their own homes. Especially encouraging were board members’ statements that they would stop labeling those who raise concerns about spending as uncaring, ignorant or both.
The budget
The board subsequently approved a 15.76 percent increase in per-pupil spending, with a likely best-case property tax increase of 8.1 percent. Inflation over the last two years was 4.8 percent and 3.4 percent.
Many stakeholders at that meeting raised compelling concerns — enough that at least one board member seriously questioned the budget’s appropriateness. Two of five members voted against it.
Even so, the budget was approved by three people, leaving us once again to
wonder what our families and neighbors will have to give up to keep up with district spending.
The superintendent
Public trust took another hit on Jan. 22 when the board chair refused — comment after comment — to consider community concerns regarding the superintendent’s hiring, performance evaluations and alarming pay raises since 2022.
The chair cited various reasons why, from her perspective, these concerns were based on ignorance, and then the board proceeded to ratify an increase in the superintendent’s base pay to $216,693 — 21 percent higher than when she was hired less than three years ago.
To put the superintendent’s new salary in context, it will be:
• Over $50,000 more than the South Burlington city manager’s salary.
• Approximately $40,000 more than the Vermont Agency of Education secretary’s salary.
• Just $2,000 less than the Vermont governor’s salary in the first year of the new contract.
• By the end of the contract, terms allow her salary to rise above $250,000, pending performance evaluations.
The board
By policy, “The purpose of the board, on behalf of the residents of South Burlington, is to see to it that South Burlington School
District (a) achieves appropriate results for students at an appropriate cost (as specified in board Ends policies) and (b) avoids unacceptable actions and situations (as prohibited in board Executive Limitations policy).”
The superintendent’s accountability requirements to the board are also clearly stated: “The board will view superintendent performance as identical to organizational performance so that organizational accomplishment of board-stated Ends and avoidance of board-proscribed means will be viewed as successful superintendent performance.”
This means the board is required to evaluate the superintendent’s performance based on organizational performance, which — by its own policies — must be defined by student results. Yet, student outcomes were absent from both the most recent curriculum monitoring discussion and the direct board evaluation of the superintendent’s performance.
Instead, inputs were discussed at length as if they were outcomes. By the chair’s own statement, the key elements the board considers in superintendent evaluations are: “board communication, vision, leadership, strategy, management, communications, state and federal regulations, and space for additional comments.”
But how are the students doing?
The outcomes
After years of searching, I have been unable to find convincing evidence that
South Burlington student outcomes meet the district’s own Ends policies. The results included in curriculum monitoring reports are sparse, poorly assembled and impossible to interpret in any reasonable or useful way.
The best source of systematic data on student results is produced by the state, and those results are not encouraging — even when accounting for COVID testing interruptions and the 2023 changes to Vermont’s Comprehensive Assessment Program.
South Burlington’s organizational performance, as measured by student achievement outcomes, has been trending down for years. Worse, disparities in outcomes for our most vulnerable students appear to be rising.
From the district’s own equity policy: “The superintendent shall not fail to address disparities in group outcomes as measured by regularly administered standardized test results, absenteeism…”
The hope
In less than two months, there will be seven board members. My sincere hope is that, collectively, they will have the courage to:
• Demand clear, consistent student outcome data (both achievement-based and otherwise).
• Make fiscally responsible decisions.
• Evaluate superintendent performance based on student results, as policy requires.
See BOYER on page 9
off weatherization projects with home repairs*
warmer all winter and stop wasting the heat you’ve paid for!
• Get up to $9,500 off comprehensive home air sealing and insulation projects with an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor (or $4,000 depending on household income)
• Plus, income-eligible Vermonters can now get up to an additional $15,000 for home repairs that are necessary prior to completing a weatherization project
• Financing options start at 0% interest, or add the monthly payment to your utility bill
Income-eligible Vermonters may also qualify for free weatherization services.
*Subject to availability and eligibility.
Making sure facilities are safe, provide opportunity
From the House
Rep. Brian Minier
16-hour shifts, short-staffing and burnout, making employee retention difficult.
Every biennium, on the first day of the session, the Speaker of the House announces which representatives will be serving on which committees. Having blithely assumed I would be placed on education again, I was shocked to learn I would be moving to the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions. Though unexpected, the move has turned out to be a good fit for me.
As the committee’s name suggests, our work is bifurcated between overseeing and legislating policy for the Department of Corrections and managing the upkeep of approximately 300 state-owned buildings.
Taking the latter first, our committee oversees an annual capital fund budget of slightly more than $200 million. This money is used for everything from the maintenance of state-owned parking garages to the restoration of the Bennington Battle Monument to the upgrade and replacement of our military armories.
Our corrections work focuses on the lives of the corrections officers and inmates in our system, and the testimony we have received thus far perhaps unsurprisingly indicates that both populations are under great stress. As of Saturday morning, there were 1,452 individuals in our jail population, including 127 women, 1,206 men in in-state facilities and 119 men being held out of state. Meanwhile, the DOC has been unable to fill position vacancies, resulting in officers working
Any carceral system will inevitably cause trauma, but there has been an effort in the DOC over the last several years to focus more on the rehabilitative aspect of corrections. Some interesting academic fieldwork done by the Prison Research and Innovation Network over the last five years seems to show early signs of improvement — with a very long way still to go.
Our committee, in conjunction with the administration, is attempting to ensure that our facilities provide a safe environment with opportunities for self-improvement. We are also in the early stages of planning a new women’s correctional and re-entry center. This effort is still in the process of site selection and will take years for design and construction.
This work is being undertaken because the current women’s facility (at the intersection of Farrell and Swift streets) has accrued millions of dollars in deferred maintenance costs, with millions more expected in the decade to come. This necessity provides an opportunity in the new facility to design programming in line with the modern understanding of what corrections is for.
Much of this work is new to me, but I am learning as fast as I can. Though this has necessarily reduced my bandwidth for other pursuits, I try to stay abreast of everything that is going on in the Statehouse, in particular issues pertaining to education. If you would like to know more about my work, or if you have an issue of your own that you would like me to look into, please write me at bminier@leg.state. vt.us.
Brian Minier, a Democrat, represents South Burlington in the Chittenden-11 House district.
Letters to the Editor
Don’t take away honors classes in pursuit of equity
To the Editor:
I have been trying to figure out why the South Burlington schools are bringing the bar down on academics in the name of “equity” for a while now. As the South Burlington schools shy away from equitable solutions for higher learners (of all socioeconomic levels), we are told that this is happening in the name of “equity.”
But those with the means are seeing the lack of challenge and are hiring tutors, paying for extra courses, and the gap in education in South Burlington is widening due to “equity.”
To further my point, the high school has put together a committee to cancel Honors American Studies, which has been in existence for 22 years, a class that challenges students and, according to everyone I have talked with, changes their lives in a positive way. I was informed that 95 students
are enrolled — half the sophomore class — see the value in this class and are excited about learning.
They know the course will be difficult and still sign up. And in the current SBHS 2025-26 course offerings, there is no prerequisite; all can take the class. What is more equitable than that?
Let’s face it, the “*H” that might appear on their transcript, if the class is replaced with an “Honors with Distinction” course, is useless. The value lies in the course that prepares them for college, with advisors who actually care about the students and are willing to help them fail at a perfect time in their academic career. Because you cannot learn if you do not fail.
From a young age, I was helping my family stay in our house, keep our car, keep our water running. I was lucky to go to a school that challenged me. I am here
Rep. Brian Minier
COMMUNITY
Community Notes
Go ‘Above and Below’ at library gallery exhibit
The South Burlington Public Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of Burlington-based artist Brian Drourr and Glover-based artist Elizabeth Nelson in “Above & Below” on view from Tuesday, Feb. 18 to May 9, at the South Burlington Public Gallery, 180 Market St.
The public is invited to the opening reception, Thursday, Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
“Above & Below” brings together two regional artists utilizing photography and painting to examine the winter landscape and night skies — both ever-present imagery during the long winters in New England.
Drourr creates captivating photographs of the Milky Way, star trails, solar eclipses, the aurora borealis, and other sky phenomena in Vermont and New England. Nelson turns her focus to the land below, working with her paints to study ice formations and the winter landscape.
Asylum assistance network seeks creatives for recruitment
The Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network is looking for creatives — artists, poets, writers, sculptors, musicians, photographers — for its third annual April fundraising event, Arts for Asylum Seekers. Creatives will produce and virtually share their work weekly or more often through-
out the month. CASAN and the creatives will reach out to recruit sponsors who will donate to CASAN in exchange for receiving the creatives’ work through email or another online method.
Funds will be used to help asylum seekers with housing, basic living expenses, transportation, legal fees, and other necessary support. The signup deadline is Feb. 28. For more information and to sign up to participate, visit casanvermont.org. Questions? Write to artsforasylumseekers@casanvermont.org.
Sailing Center director receives top sailing award
The Community Sailing Center executive director Owen Milne is the 2025 recipient of U.S. Sailing’s Organizational Leader Award. U.S. Sailing is the national governing body for the sport of sailing and recognizes top-performing organizations and individuals in a variety of categories from coaching and racing to community programs and advocacy. From its website, “The Outstanding Organizational Leader Award is presented to an exceptional individual who has made notable contributions to an organization that have resulted in membership growth, positive financial development, or increased community awareness and integration.”
COURTESY PHOTO
“Star Party” by Elizabeth Nelson
from page 7
today because of those teachers, classes, and classmates.
When you are put into an honors class, you are in it together with a group of learners who choose to be there. You discuss, complain, fail, and learn from each other. You create a support system that enables you to leave your home life behind and thrive. You are given an opportunity.
I ask you to reconsider this choice, to look at what Honors American Studies and all honors-level classes offer. Please don’t take this away from our children. There are many students out there who are in the same boat I was. Remember, as JFK said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”
Brittany Almassalkhi South Burlington
Budget passage critical amid education landscape
To the Editor:
In order for our students to thrive and for our democracy to survive, we need to vote in support of the school budget on March 4.
There are many things to be proud of in this year’s school budget. The FY26 tax rate increase is less than the 8.18 percent approved by voters on the third try last year. When you compare South Burlington to our neighbors, South Burlington School District’s tax rate is one of the lowest in the county, and our per pupil spending is in line with the recommendations in the 2024 Picus, Odden & Associates Report.
The district has increased wages and staffing for bus drivers and made critical investments in
special education. Although it’s hard to see reductions to sports programming and the Big Picture Program, I have faith in collaboration with neighboring districts to make these important services more financially sustainable and less dependent on enrollment forecasting.
All this thoughtful planning and leadership is in large part thanks to Superintendent Violet Nichols. Nichols was hired when the former superintendent gave the newly elected school board just three months’ notice —a full school year is customary. Superintendent Nichols worked closely with former Superintendent Young, so she brought an understanding of our district along with a fresh outlook to ensure student success.
Nichols is a savvy businesswoman, advocating for the passage of the 2022 facilities bond and correcting financial inefficiencies that were, frankly, outdated and wasteful. Even more importantly, she hires good people. Our central office is a lean operation serving a multifaceted district of 500 employees and
BOYER
continued from page 6
District accountability to the board — on behalf of the community — is what will ensure that each student gets the opportunities they deserve.
I also hope the board and district leadership will refrain from labeling concerned community members as ignorant or uncaring simply for asking whether student results align with district spending.
2,400 students.
I know how challenging it is to maintain quality education and expand access to services with unpredictable state and federal paradigm shifts. Like last year, we are asked to vote for a local budget while decision makers at the state and federal level quite literally have our fate in their hands.
We need to seriously consider the likelihood of the Trump administration dismantling the Department of Education as we know it. We also have to take seriously the Scott administration’s proposal to upend local school control we know and love.
If the school budget does not pass, we are looking at deeper cuts during an uncertain state and federal landscape. Voting in favor of the school budget is one of the few things within our control. Vote for our students on March 4. Vote for our future.
Kate Bailey South Burlington
Bailey is a former South Burlington school board member.
It is profoundly insulting to suggest that questioning policies and demanding transparency stems from ignorance—as if that is the only possible explanation.
Michelle Boyer, a South Burlington resident, is a research scientist specializing in educational research and the development and validation of student outcome measures.
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mandated that an additional 6.2 acres of the property be conserved as a “transition zone” that leaves open the possibility for future affordable housing development or other appropriate community uses.
That new stipulation posed problems for some of the project partners, mainly the South Burlington Land Trust and Bellavance, who have said the project from the start was meant mainly for conservation purposes. The city entered back into negotiations with the landowner in January to find a path forward, but a new negotiated resolution, which would have left open the possibility for future affordable housing development 50 years after the execution date of the project, was shot down.
“To me, the 50 years sounds like a really good compromise in terms of our ability to use open space money to pay for this,” council chair Tim Barritt said. “50 years is a long time, and a future council could decide how they would deal with that when the time came.”
But for two councilors, Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Mike Scanlan, who have shown hesitation towards the project since the beginning, the 50-year caveat was simply too long to address what they say is one of the city’s and state’s major problems: lack of housing.
“I have not seen the major benefit of this project being in permanently conserving the land,” Fitzgerald, who initially voted a “cautious yes” on the initial resolution, said. “I have seen the primary benefit of this being the permanently affordable housing. The 50 years is absolutely a showstopper, from my standpoint, and even though I am intrigued with the notion of any permanently
affordable housing, I just can’t support moving forward at this point, particularly with that time frame.”
Scanlan has voted no on the project from the start, saying in earlier meetings he would prefer language committing to more than just 16 affordable homes.
“From my perspective, we are protecting 51 percent of our land in the city already, which is the objective of our city plan,” he said. “For me, the issue was housing.”
The project hasn’t only divided the council, but also residents, some of whom have voiced concern about a lack of transparency over the use of open space funds to buy the property, specifically a property located within one of the city’s wealthiest enclaves. Ultimately, the last 27 months have highlighted the unique battle of tug-of-war Vermont’s second-largest city is in over conservation and development.
Voters established the Open Space and Conservation Fund in 2000, levying one cent on the tax rate for land conservation and acquisition of open spaces. Since then, voters have approved widening and modifying the scope to include the acquisition of lands for recreation and for maintenance and enhancement of the city’s parks.
In the years since the fund was established, South Burlington has acquired, conserved or participated in a partnership to purchase eight properties, totaling over 635 acres. Six properties are in the city’s southeast quadrant, the southernmost portion of the city bordering Hinesburg and Williston, which constitutes the largest undeveloped part of South Burlington with some of the most
expensive real estate in Vermont.
Bellavance expressed disappointment in Scanlan and Fitzgerald’s nay votes, saying that there is no way the city could build its way out of the housing crisis on this land alone.
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
The award was given at the recent U.S. Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado, Calif.
Swing your partner at monthly contra dance
St. Anthony’s (Christ the King) Church, 305 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, hosts contra dance presented by Queen City Contras, Feb. 28 at 6:45 p.m.
Stove Dragon (Oliver Scanlon, Rose Jackson, Sam Zakon-Anderson) will play, and the caller will be Grace Hendrickson-Jones. All are welcome; all dances are taught; no partner or experience
Rosanne Greco, President of the South Burlington Land Trust, expressed similar frustrations in an email.
“Fitzgerald and Scanlon voted to withhold open space funds for an environmentally valuable natu-
ral resource area which would have benefited everyone no matter where they live,” she wrote.
“Their decision runs counter to climate change mitigation needs and is environmentally and fiscally irresponsible.”
necessary.
Price: $12 adults over 18, $5 kids 12-18 or low-income, under 12 free.
Bring a pair of clean, softsoled shoes to dance in and a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Students take part in annual Japan Fest event
Approximately 30 students enjoyed a taste of Japanese culture as participants in Japan Fest at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, Jan. 31. The students learned how to say some Japanese greetings and New Year’s expres-
sions. They also learned how to write some hiragana (a Japanese writing system) and created some New Year’s cards with their own creative artwork for the Year of the Snake. At the end of the event, the participants tried sushi with chopsticks.
The Japanese Program of South Burlington High School has been organizing this Japan Fest series in collaboration with the University of Vermont and Champlain College Japanese programs for the past three years, after having previously been engaged in various community outreach efforts with local elementary schools.
COURTEST PHOTO
South Burlington High School Japanese language program students recently put on a cross-cultural event at Tuttle Middle School.
The old Long family home sits vacant off Spear Street. South Burlington officials last week declined to conserve the 32-acre property.
Wolves gymnasts make podium, short of top spot
to pull away from South Burlington in high school girls’ basketball on Friday.
Gymnastics
South Burlington fell just short of the top spot in a high school gymnastics meet against Middlebury and Burlington on Friday.
The Wolves finished in second place, just 0.7 points behind first place Middlebury.
Kelsey Adams came in first on the vault and tied for first on the floor exercise, as well second in the beam and bars to pace South Burlington. Abigail Farzier was third in the bars and beam for the Wolves.
Adams finished second in the all-around competition and Frazier was just behind in third place.
Girls’ basketball
BFA-St. Albans 53, South Burlington 22: BFA-St. Albans used a 17-5 run in the third quarter
Lexi Paquette had 12 points to pace the Wolves, who scored just 11 points in the second half. Tori Griffin added eight points.
Alpine skiing
The South Burlington alpine ski team competed at the annual Slopeside Cup at Cochran’s Ski Area on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
On the boys’ side, Sam Harm was the top finisher coming in fourth place to lead the Wolves to a second-place finish. Dylan Karpinski (seventh), Russell Rothman (11th), Jackson Rothman (13th), and Jesse Poor (19th) were all top finishers for South Burlington.
The South Burlington girls came in third place overall, led by a sixth-place finish by Leila Macias-Aunave. Mira Epstein (17th) and Katie McNeill (18th) also finished in the top 20.
While the city and its residents often find themselves entangled in legal battles over development, Barritt noted that he, as one of the city councilors named in a land use lawsuit in 2022, was glad to hear that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case regarding 835 Hinesburg Road this year.
“I am glad it is over and now our planning and zoning office can work with the developers on appropriate plans for that large tract of land right next to I-89 and Route 116,” he said.
He noted a few priorities, like ensuring the city council works with the safe routes to school task force on finding viable alternatives for students to “commute” to schools, and keeping residents informed as the city moves on some of its largest capital projects like the bike and pedestrian bridge over the interstate and a massive overhaul of the Bartlett Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant.
As the state grapples with a housing shortage, he said the city must balance the affordability needs of its residents.
“Property taxes are always a concern, and since the municipal part of your tax bill is about 25 percent, we must do every-
thing we can to maximize revenues to relieve pressure on the property tax,” he said. “Keeping the city affordable while maintaining services and moving major projects along is job one. An economic development plan could help with this by directing resource to commercial development.”
The other side of that coin is how to balance the need for housing with the effects of growth on schools and other city services.
services which South Burlington residents have come to expect and enjoy from our city remain the same,” she wrote.
She said she is particularly proud of the work she and her fellow councilors did to develop the 2025 policy priorities and strategies, which acts essentially as the annual work plan of the city.
But she is perhaps proudest of the work city manager Jessie Baker and staff did in guiding a budget that limited its impact on the tax rate, particularly considering what is happening with the school budget.
“Continuing the current level of service delivery as the proposed budget intends may not be glamorous, but when it comes to staffing our police and fire departments, providing safe drinking water, paving our roads, sidewalks and bike paths, and investing in maintaining and improving infrastructure with environmentally-sustainable solutions, those are the things that people value most and notice first,” she said.
As council liaison to the city’s reconfigured housing committee, she hopes to support its work to promote and incentivize affordable and workforce housing while fostering a safe, economically diverse and climate-equitable community.
She also hopes to hear from different voices in the community in the coming years.
“The city is not actively engaged in any housing projects currently as a partner, unlike some other communities in our region,” he said. “Since our Affordable Housing Committee and Housing Trust Fund have been combined into a new Housing Committee, I would like to see ideas from this group. How we fund this will need some study from the council.”
While the battle between development and conservation is often front and center in South Burlington, Barritt praised the city’s planning commission on crafting new land use regulations to mirror the legislature’s new housing density rules, thus increasing the potential number of units that can be built in areas with water and sewer service.
“I think South Burlington is well poised to furnish housing to the county for years to come,” he said. “The only resistance will be construction costs and potential lawsuits from abutters.”
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
This 21-year resident of South Burlington has been actively involved in nearly all aspects of the city for decades, previously serving on the school board for 15 years, as well as the city’s steering committee and charter committee.
“The issues may be newer to me, but the process of listening to feedback from the community, deliberating the best policy recommendations at a cost the community will support, and ensuring the quality of
“Prioritizing filling of open positions with residents who can represent different points of view based on life and work experience, educational background, ethnicity, age, home ownership or rental, etc., is important to understanding the impact of policies on all of our community and to preparing and encouraging civic participation in the future,” she said.
Like her fellow incumbent, Fitzgerald touted the planning commission’s efforts to pass land use regulations that should allow for increased housing opportunities in South Burlington, but said it’s imperative that the council collaborate with the school district on understanding demographic growth and infrastructure capacity in the city.
The need for more housing and a dedication to conservation are not mutually exclusive, she said, and should not be viewed with a zero-sum mentality that pits progress in one area against another.
“The choices we make are inter-connected and should be considered in that way,” she said.
She said South Burlington is an economic hub in Chittenden County that
Tim Barritt
Elizabeth Fitzgerald Lydia Diamond
CANDIDATES
continued from page 12
will continue to grow.
“Commercial entities that support the needs of our residents will help contribute to the future of attracting and retaining a younger population to our city,” she said. “Arguably, one can add ‘crisis’ to climate, healthcare, public education funding, housing, and public safety, all resulting in an affordability “crisis”. Striving to understand and plan for a cohesive approach to these over-riding concerns, while balancing current and emerging needs, is our shared responsibility.”
Lydia Diamond
Diamond declined to be interviewed for this story.
She is a self-proclaimed “Vermont matriarch” with four adult kids and 6 grandchildren born in the Green Mountain State, according to a previous questionnaire from The Other Paper. Her family originally hails from Brooklyn but moved
to Vermont in 1994.
Diamond previously served on the Burlington School Board before moving to South Burlington in 2006.
“I don’t see representation for me on the South Burlington city council,” she said during a recent candidate forum with Town Meeting TV, adding that she is a renter, not a homeowner. “I learned a couple years ago that the South Burlington City Council has never had a person of color step up and run. We need representation on the South Burlington city council.”
When discussing the city and school budgets, she said that she would like to see funds allocated to support the communities that may not be as represented, along with mental health services for children and fighting racial harassment.
She said regarding development in the city that she would like to see a multicultural center for BIPOC children in the future.
WARNING
CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2025
ANNUAL MEETING
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are hereby notified and warned to meet at their respective polling places at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School at 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School at 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School at 262 White Street, and South Burlington City Hall Senior Center at 180 Market Street on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 7:00 o’clock in the morning, at which time the polls will open, until 7:00 o’clock in the evening, at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot on the following articles:
ARTICLE I
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
On the first Tuesday in March, 2025, the voters of the city shall elect, from among the legal residents of the city, two members for terms of three years, two members for terms of two years and two members for terms of one year. Thereafter, the election of school directors shall be for the length of the term of the member whose term is expiring.
ARTICLE II BUDGET
Shall the voters of the South Burlington School District approve the School Board to expend Seventy-One Million Five Hundred Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-Four and 00/100 Dollars ($71,507,854.00), which is the amount the School Board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?
The South Burlington School District estimates that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in per pupil education spending of $14,486.00, which is 15.76% higher than per pupil education spending for the current year.
Polling places are at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School at 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School at 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School at 262 White Street, and the South Burlington City Hall Senior Center at 180 Market Street. Voters are to go to the polling place in their respective District.
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further warned and notified that a public information meeting will be held to discuss Articles I and II on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at 180 Market Street.
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further notified that voter qualification, registration, and absentee voting relative to said annual meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.
Dated at South Burlington, Vermont this ___8th___ day of January 2025.
South Burlington School District Board of School Directors
Received for record and recorded this ___14th___ day of January 2025, in the records of the City of South Burlington.
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