MONTPELIER — City councilors have backed away from a proposal to establish designated camping sites for unhoused residents this summer and fall, citing legal concerns, limited resources, and the withdrawal of the volunteer group that initially proposed managing the sites.
Had it moved forward, the proposal would have created two small designated camping areas on city-owned land where up to 10 unhoused people could legally camp under the supervision of a nonprofit operator. Potential locations included Dog River Fields and the Finch Road yard waste facility, about two miles north of downtown.
At a July 8 meeting, councilors agreed the city should not seek another nonprofit to operate the sites this year, although several said they would like to revisit the idea next year if funding and an operator become available.
City Manager Kelly McNicholas Kury told councilors the proposal grew out of discussions with a small group representing local nonprofits that approached the city in May about managing the sites. Staff members later drafted an agreement outlining the city’s and the nonprofit’s responsibilities, but the group ultimately decided not to move forward.
Beth Ann Maier, who represented the Montpelier Emergency Cold Weather Shelter in discussions with the city, said too much time had passed to realistically establish the camps this summer by the time volunteers received the draft agreement. She said it also called for more staffing than they could provide, including overnight supervision at both sites.
“We thought there was a long distance between what [the city] wanted and what we could do,” she told The Bridge.
Another concern: even with a nonprofit operator, several councilors said the city would bear too much legal and operational responsibility for the camps. They cited legal advice the city received this spring, as well as concerns about staffing, police capacity, and funding.
City staff estimated each site would require a two-stall restroom trailer with handwashing stations costing about $3,000 per month, including servicing. The proposal also included water, electricity, shower facilities and city labor for site preparation and trash collection for the nearly four months of operation.
“I think it’s a risk-benefit analysis here that we really need to think through,” said Councilor Adrienne Gil, who recently resigned from the council effective July 22.
Several Montpelier residents used the public comment period to argue that the needs of people living outdoors should weigh more heavily in the city’s decision-making, particularly when encampments are cleared.
McNicholas Kury said the city has received reports of 39 encampments this year — 29 on public land and 10 on private property. She said responses from the city have varied, with some cases resolved through police contact and outreach. In five instances, city staff members cleaned one occupied camp, assisted with cleanup and storage of belongings at two others, and cleaned up two camps the city said were abandoned.
Councilors are now turning their attention to reopening the city hall basement as an emergency shelter this winter. The flood-damaged space served as a shelter last winter and is expected to be unavailable in winter 2028 due to planned renovations.
McNicholas Kury said the city expects to spend about $5,000 to add a second emergency exit to the space, as requested by last year’s service providers. This replaces a much higher, earlier estimate of roughly $120,000 for more extensive renovations.
She said the state fire marshal is expected to approve the updated plan, and the city has been in discussions with local providers about operating it.
Maier said planning for this winter is especially important because she expects the number of people experiencing homelessness to be roughly double that of last year. She attributed that to the state’s reduction in emergency motel vouchers, from about 1,800 households last year to 1,000 this year. Based on conversations with outreach workers, she said she believes roughly 80 of the households losing vouchers are in central Vermont.
The next meeting of the city council is July 22 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall, 39 Main Street, or on Zoom.
