Carla Occaso
This winter, when the temperatures dip below 10 degrees, 15 people can stay inside at the former teen center in Montpelier’s City Hall. This is because the city council unanimously voted to accept the agreement between the city and the Board of the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter during their Dec. 17 city council meeting. The first date the shelter would be open is Saturday, Dec. 27. In fact, on Dec. 27 temperatures did dip below 10 degrees, but The Bridge was unable to immediately confirm whether the shelter actually opened over the weekend.
The agreement called for allowing up to 20 people in the basement of city hall — in the former teen center area toward the back by the bathrooms. And while permission is given for 20 beds, the center will provide 15 beds to start with, according to Sustainability and Facilities Coordinator Chris Lumbra, who said on Dec. 17 that any carpentry and electrical work was progressing and that the shelter is expected to open “the Saturday after Christmas.”
The shelter would only open when temperatures dip below 10 degrees, which is forecast to occur this Tuesday, Dec. 30, Wednesday, Dec. 31, Thursday, Jan. 1, and Friday, Jan. 2, according to the National Weather Service. Hours of operation for the center would be from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. People are not allowed to stay during the day regardless of the temperatures per the agreement.
Residents Steve Whitaker and Dave Bellini both questioned the “10 degree rule,” saying it is dangerous to be outside below 32 degrees. Whitaker said that only being open on nights when it is 10 or below is “cruel indifference.” He also questioned where they are going to go after 7 a.m. “Last year, daytime shelter was needed so people don’t just get kicked out into the cold,” he said. He further pointed out that city hall is a public building that is open during the day, and allows people to come in, use the restrooms, and hang out. If only the people who stay in the basement are not allowed in during the day, that would be discrimination, he said.
The agreement states that if people don’t leave when asked, their privileges to use the shelter would be revoked, Whitaker pointed out. “Revoked by who,” he asked. “You have a punishment for using a public building? This is absurd.”
City Councilor Jim Sheridan asked about whether it is legally defensible to make people leave in the morning. Acting City Manager Kelly Murphy said, “Yes I think so,” adding that there were incidents in the past “where the behavior has not been good. So I think if we ask people to depart, that would be best.” She also said she wants to be clear that those who “have behavior issues” won’t have access to the shelter on a future night. Murphy said she is looking into how to issue no-trespass orders if needed. Murphy emphasized the need to coexist with daytime city hall business.
Sheridan said it is not really clear right now how to get rid of people who behave badly, “Are the police going to remove them? Or how is that going to be dealt with?” He asked.
Homeless Committee Co-chair Zack Hughes said his committee shared some of the concerns raised, such as that city hall is a public area, and that it is “not acceptable to put someone outside in negative weather. I don’t care what their behavior is.” Hughes said those coordinating the shelter have a reasonable responsibility to make sure if someone is ejected from their facility that they are safe afterward.
Councilor Cary Brown said she also attended the Homeless Committee meeting, and that she interpreted the language to mean that people are not allowed to stay downstairs in the basement and “not that they wouldn’t be anywhere on the property.” She further said that if people are not “behaving well,” they would be treated like anyone else who is not behaving in a public building.
Following the shelter discussion, the city council met with the legislative delegation, including senators Anne Watson, Ann Cummings, Andrew Perchlik, and representatives Conor Casey and Kate McCann.
They discussed reforming the Act 250 appeals process to prevent individuals from blocking development, the high cost of health insurance costs for the municipal staff, and the need for Payment In Lieu of Taxes retention. Also of concern is the skyrocketing costs of education in a tight budget year. Rep. Casey noted the “chaos” of state employees being ordered to come back to their offices and the impact on the downtown economy, since many of the downtown Montpelier state office buildings are still not being used. Casey serves on the House Corrections and Institutions Committee.
Sen. Ann Cummings warned that this will be the “worst year” for budget needs versus available funds. Cummings is the Dean of the Senate (the longest serving senator), former mayor, city council member, and planning commission member. She is the chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Sen. Andrew Perchlik highlighted the $33 million shortfall in the transportation fund as a result of declining gas tax revenue. Perchlik is going into his ninth year in the senate and serves on the Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee.
Sen. Watson is the chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and sits on the Appropriations Committee. She is also a former city councilor and mayor of Montpelier. She will be working on issues to do with housing and energy.
Rep. Kate McCann focused on mental health services and using state property for transitional housing. McCann is on the House Education Committee and works as a teacher at U-32.
