Sketchy on specifics now, compares it to flood relief and then recovery
By Guy Page
Yesterday, Governor Phil Scott met with Burlington business leaders to hear concerns about downtown crime, homelessness, and drug abuse. Today, at his weekly press conference, he promised in the next few weeks to deliver a ‘blueprint’ of state assistance to the leaders of the struggling Queen City.
Burlington’s largest city is losing business, tax income, and quality of life due to the proliferation of residents who are homeless and/or abusing drugs. The business community is increasingly frustrated with the unwillingness or inability of city leaders, led by Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, to stem the crime and disorderly behavior throughout the downtown business district.
Scott declined to offer specifics but said, “I don’t want this to be just a short-term solution. We want this to work over time, to get to the second part, the recovery.”
“I said during the meeting yesterday, I look at this as like a crisis that they’re facing, much like a flood, and first thing that we need to do is respond to the flooding and help people, and then the recovery part after. So there’ll be a two step process. But first things first.”
The governor said he’s not done with talking to Burlingtonians. He wants to meet with community residents and representatives of UVM and Champlain College. But the business owners, although from all points of the political compass, were “all speaking with pretty much one voice. They want action. They want to see something done.”
“I can’t help but wonder if our problems grow because the response and resources don’t exist in other cities and towns and people are coming here.”
Burlington City Councilor Mark Barlow
The Burlington Daily News reported yesterday that City Councilor Mark Barlow worries the planned safe injection site may actually draw drug abusers from out-of-town: “I can’t help but wonder if our problems grow because the response and resources don’t exist in other cities and towns and people are coming here,” Barlow said Monday night at the City Council meeting.
At his Wednesday press conference, Scott was asked what he thinks of Barlow’s statement. “I agree wholeheartedly with the councilor,” he said. “It’s an attraction, it enables. I don’t think it’s a path forward.”
“I agree wholeheartedly with the councilor. It [the safe injection site] is an attraction, it enables. I don’t think it’s a path forward.”
Gov. Phil Scott
He said he hopes the site, AKA the Overdose Prevention Center, will never be built and expressed skepticism it ever will be.
Scott said he only signed the bill delivering state money for the safe injection site pilot project because it was part of an opioid settlement bill that includes funding for substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery programs that were worth funding, he said.
On other issues, Gov. Scott said the increasing popularity of high-powered e-bikes means Vermont should move towards better protections for drivers, but probably in response to a national trend, he said. As a race car driver, motorcylist, and bike rider, he always wears a helmet.
The governor also declared this week’s federal court ruling allowing Mid-Vermont Christian School to resume playing interscholastic sports a “very narrow ruling.”
In 2023, the Vermont Principals’ Association banned MVA from interscholastic play because on grounds of conscience and concern for safety it refused to allow its girls’ basketball team to take the court against the Long Trail School and its biologically-male center.
While defending the VPA decision, he said that “we should allow kids to play and I think that this strikes that balance….everyone got something out of it, and we will continue to do what we think is right.”