During the late 1990s, I thought it would be a good idea for the city to run a regular article in The Montpelier Bridge where we could speak directly to our residents. I’m not sure of the exact first date or of the first topic. There was no such thing as Front Porch Forum, or Facebook, or podcasts, or video chats, or blogs. Regular use of the web was pretty new and websites were pretty static items. Printed news was the prime source of information for just about everyone.
I initially thought we could have the mayor write a column about things that were happening in the city. Then-Mayor Chuck Karparis liked the idea, but between his full-time job and family obligations, he didn’t have the time. I offered to ghostwrite it for him but he wasn’t completely comfortable with that.
Undaunted, I approached The Bridge, which was led at the time by Nat Frothingham and Jake Brown. They weren’t enamored with giving the city free column space on a regular basis, especially without editorial control over the content. We continued to talk and eventually agreed that the city would buy a full page once a month. The city would write the page with Bridge staff only offering suggestions about wording, length, spelling, or grammar. The cost would be the same as a full-time advertisement. From The Bridge’s perspective it was regular revenue and potentially something that readers might like. From the city’s perspective it was a direct link to the community at a cost less than a newsletter while also financially supporting local news.
We developed a fancy wording disclaimer that this was a partnership between the city and The Bridge noting the city’s responsible for the content. Eventually, this was whittled down to its essence — “This page is paid for by the city of Montpelier.”
I started this project with some personal rules and goals:
- Provide information, not opinion.
- Address key issues using facts.
- Write about issues that were important to the community.
- If there was no controversial issue, provide project or operations updates.
- Provide information about the annual budget process and status of decisions.
- Provide information about the council’s goals and priorities.
- Stay out of local politics.
- Correct bad information that was being shared.
- Acknowledge mistakes and errors that I (or other city officials) made.
- Speak directly to Montpelier residents with my own voice.
- Invite comments, provide my contact information, and tell people where to learn more.
During these 25 or more years, the City Page has covered a large number of issues — the Pioneer Street Bridge, Stone Cutters Way, the death of council member Tom Carey, planning and preparation for Y2K, the impact of September 11, 2001, Iraq war protests, ice jam flood scares and preparation, a 3-foot snow storm, reappraisals, school resource officers, charter changes, sprinklers, the Scott Construction overpayment, tasers, the parking garage, COVID-19, homelessness, the July 2023 flood, and much, much more.
One constant theme has been the annual budget struggle and the burden of property taxes. I’ve written about comparisons with other communities, the impact of grand list growth, potential local sales, rooms & meals and alcohol taxes and the tension of service demands and increasing taxes. All of this was intended to keep people informed, to help them make voting decisions, and to understand circumstances.
This past year’s budget was extremely challenging. The city suffered a big loss of revenue and additional expenses due to the flood, school taxes were facing a big increase due to statewide changes in education funding, and the city needed to make up ground on deferred maintenance and equipment.
To create a reasonable budget this past year, many long-time items were reduced significantly or stripped out entirely. These included:
- Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee reduced from $5,000 to $2,000.
- Social Equity consultant remains reduced from $10,000 to 0.
- Green Mountain Transit My Ride contribution reduced from $40,000 to 0.
- Homelessness Task Force reduced from $45,000 to $17,500.
- Housing Task Force funding reduced from $110,000 to 0.
- Economic Development funding reduced from $100,000 to 0.
- Country Club Road project funding reduced from $40,000 to 0.
- Public Arts Commission reduced from $10,000 to 0.
- Committee Stipend Program reduced from $20,000 to 0.
- Legislative Advocacy reduced from $15,000 to 0.
- Conservation Commission reduced from $3,500 to 0
- Tree Board reduced from $4,000 to 0.
The last item on that list was funding for The Bridge page, which was also reduced to 0. Therefore, this will be my last regular article. Perhaps we will include special pieces from time to time in the future, but for now this is farewell to this communication conduit.
Thanks to the various Bridge staffers over the years who have tolerated my past deadline submissions. Thanks to mayors and city staffers (particularly Communications Coordinator Evelyn Prim) who occasionally wrote articles in my stead.
It’s been an honor to write to you each month. I appreciate all of you who have read these articles and all of you who have commented on them. I hope they have helped you feel connected to your city government.
How to Stay In Touch
While we will no longer have a regular presence in The Bridge, there are many ways to stay connected with the city. Whether you’re interested in learning about projects or simply looking for road work updates, there’s something for everyone:
- VT-Alert: The city uses the Vermont Alert (VT-Alert) system to notify residents of emergency situations, boil water notices, and other urgent public safety information. You can sign up for and receive VT-Alert calls even if you don’t have a cell phone or other electronic device. Sign up for VT-Alerts here: vem.vermont.gov/vtalert
- Notify Me: We use our email and text notification system called “Notify Me” to send out city council meeting summaries, the DPW Weekly Newsletter, the City Manager’s Weekly Report, and other general updates. Sign up for Notify Me here: montpelier-vt.org/list.aspx
- Social Media: The city and several departments have an active presence on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and our monthly podcast on Spotify. Follow us for updates and opportunities for engagement.
- Website: All of our updates have a home on our website, montpelier-vt.org. The “Latest News” carousel on the homepage of the city’s website is the best place to go for breaking stories or up-to-date information on projects and activities.
- Community Engagement Portal: Our project portal powered by Zencity, montpelier-vt.civilspace.io/en, is the place to go to get information on current projects and share your feedback on surveys. This collaborative platform helps us hear what’s on your mind so we can serve your needs.
If you have any trouble signing up for notifications or exploring these platforms, please reach out to Evelyn Prim, the city’s communications coordinator, at eprim@montpelier-vt.org.
Thank you for your interest in Montpelier City Government. Contact me at wfraser@montpelier-vt.org or 802-223-9502 with any questions or comments.
