By Guy Page
Burlington city councilors want Gov. Phil Scott and his administration to take a series of immediate actions addressing homelessness, mental illness, substance use, drug trafficking, retail theft and other criminal activity affecting the city.
The proposed 10 point resolution, slated for review Monday night and sponsored by Councilors Bergman, Schachter, Sanchez-Parkinson, Traverse, Grant, Litwin, Broderick, Singh, Neubieser, Carpenter and Barlow, argues that the problems confronting Burlington are statewide and national in scope and beyond the ability of a single municipality to solve.
Among the most immediate requests is state assistance in establishing a 100-bed, low-barrier, year-round homeless shelter somewhere in Chittenden County before winter.
The resolution asks the Agency of Human Services to help the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity identify and secure a location for the shelter, address potential staffing shortages and provide transportation for people traveling between social services and the facility.
CVOEO announced its search for a suitable Chittenden County location in July, according to the resolution.
Councilors also want the state to help expand daytime low-barrier space for unhoused people, either in Burlington or elsewhere in Chittenden County at a location accessible by public transportation.
The resolution calls the crises of homelessness, mental illness and substance use disorder “intertwined epidemics” that aggravate one another and are further complicated by Vermont’s housing shortage.
It also asks the Scott administration to quickly make FY27 state funding available to municipalities dealing with disproportionate numbers of people sheltering on public land.
Another request would extend the amount of time vulnerable homeless Vermonters, particularly families with young children, may remain in hotel and motel rooms beyond the 70-day cap permitted under Act 143 until sufficient emergency shelter space becomes available.
The councilors are also seeking restoration of mental-health resources, including four inpatient beds and three recovery-services positions at the Central Vermont Department of Mental Health site. They want the Department of Mental Health and University of Vermont Medical Center to develop strategies to improve acute and short-term mental-health care.
The resolution goes beyond homelessness and treatment services, tying Burlington’s downtown problems to repeat criminal activity, illicit drug trafficking and shortcomings in the court system.
Councilors are asking the state to devote additional resources to the Chittenden County court system and build on the county’s Accountability Docket, which the resolution says demonstrated that dedicated judicial resources could speed case resolution, increase accountability and improve access to treatment.
The proposal calls for continued or expanded use of a dedicated judge, prosecutor, public defender and other court personnel for cases involving repeat offenders and defendants facing multiple pending criminal cases.
It also seeks continued funding for a Howard Center caseworker working with the State’s Attorney’s Friday “Support Court,” and expanded capacity for Treatment Court and Mental Health Court.
The resolution asks the state to convene youth-service providers, schools, designated agencies and Agency of Human Services officials to examine juvenile involvement in violence, drugs and gun possession and develop ways to intervene with at-risk youths.
Drug trafficking and policing also figure prominently in the proposal.
Councilors want the state to increase and coordinate resources targeting Vermont’s illicit drug market, which the resolution links to access to firearms. They also request continued state law-enforcement assistance for Burlington, coordinated with the Burlington police chief and focused on drug trafficking, traffic enforcement and retail theft.
The proposal calls for closer coordination between Burlington and the Vermont Department of Health, including state support for publicly funded programs such as syringe services. It specifically cites programs offered by Vermont CARES and calls for education, outreach and communication with clients and neighbors, along with temporary state staffing or other resources when needed.
The resolution follows an August 2025 council request for state action on public safety and health problems. That earlier resolution sought coordinated law-enforcement efforts against drug trafficking, examination of juvenile violence and gun possession, and discussions among state health officials about treatment capacity and barriers to substance-use treatment.
The new resolution says there is “strong bipartisan City Council support” for working with Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and the Scott administration on the city’s community health and safety problems.
If adopted, the resolution directs the mayor to bring the council’s requests to the governor and report back to councilors “as soon as practicable.”