Melo on the Issues
Community safety
Drugs are the number one public safety issue in Burlington. Drug use is related to the increase in specific types of incidents including larcenies and car thefts and of course are directly causing the increase in overdoses. Burlington should declare a state of emergency in regards to this crisis. The administration is not reacting fast enough to drug use and related crime. I believe we need a safe injection site to help prevent people from using in the open and disposing of needles everywhere including on or near school grounds and our public parks. It would also provide an opportunity for additional harm reduction services to be provided. We must brand the CAHOOTS model (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets in Eugene, OR) for Burlington and be more informative about the progress being made to get it off the ground.
Why Melo stepped up to work on police accountability: “Two use of force lawsuits against the Burlington Police department changed me. The violence inflicted on the Meli brothers was brutal, unacceptable, and resonated through my community. I applied and was accepted to be on the Special Committee to Review Policing Policies. When that committee was dissolved, I felt it had barely scratched the surface. I then applied and was appointed to the Police Commission where I have been working to support goals of community oversight and accountability of law enforcement, education of the community and BPD, and improved community engagement so that the community and our officers can have a better relationship that is supportive on both sides.”
Increasing community response capacity: “I support a Community Safety system that includes a variety of resources and positions which include addressing root causes of crime. For example, we can't law and order our way out of drug addiction. We can arrest drug dealers but more will come if demand isn't addressed and reduced. I will continue to support financing an increase in positions that are not sworn officers to assist with traffic issues, walking patrols, mental health, and drug misuse. We have two new positions of Community Service Liaison (CSL) and Community Service Officer (CSO). A CSL is a social worker and a CSO is able to address a variety of incidents such as traffic accidents and certain types of patrols. We must bring a CAHOOTS [mobile crisis response] model to Burlington. The city has been advised that we will be receiving additional funding from the state so I would like to see the city set goals and timelines to finally get this crucial resource up and running. It will also be important for the city to follow up on last summer’s Mental Health Summit which did an excellent job articulating the lack of coordination between the various organizations that provide mental health services.”
Housing for all
UVM’s role in our housing crisis: “UVM needs to understand that the increasing enrollments we see over and over unaccompanied by sufficient on-campus housing play a large part in our local housing crisis. UVM currently houses 30% of their freshmen and sophomores in triples. Most of these triples are converted from rooms that were previously doubles giving students very little living space. There is a real issue where the pressure of upper class students renting off campus have caused our vacancy rate to be nearly non-existent and rents to skyrocket. It also takes homes out of the market for families to buy. We must work to bring UVM back to the table to discuss a new agreement which includes controlling their enrollments.”
In addition to supporting important tools like inclusionary zoning and just cause eviction policies, Melo believes we need to do a better job supporting families and enhancing aging-in-place strategies: “Most new construction is focused on studios, one bedroom, and a few two bedroom apartments; three bedrooms are very to find making it extra difficult for families. We need to address the need for accessory dwelling units and other creative solutions.”
Strengthening engagement and accountability: “Our Chief and officers need bias training. Our Mayor also needs training. Both men need to participate in active public engagement that is collaborative in nature with the community at large and the Police Commission. Both men have publicly blamed the oversight work of the Police Commission as being the reason officers aren't applying to work in Burlington. This is outrageous and dangerous to those of us who put ourselves out there and offer our service to the city. This narrative causes community members to blame the Police Commission for the officers leaving. Our officers also need to participate in engagement activities that create bonds in the community and help them to understand how their attitudes and actions affect people. This will help them to take accountability and improve their social currency in the community.”
Climate action
Connecting to statewide and national efforts: “I have taken the Green New Deal pledge and No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. In addition to supporting initiatives at the local level I would engage our state representatives to encourage them to continue to support the Vermont Climate Action plan. I am very proud that our congressional representatives are actively engaged in bringing awareness to the climate crisis.”
Coming together: “Despite other issues that divide the parties, Burlington actually has some good green initiatives that have been supported by both parties on the council. I would continue to support Net Zero initiatives, more public transportation, and walk/bike infrastructure. Working together, we can increase investments in public transportation, so that people like me who work non-traditional hours still have workable options to ride the bus in the evenings.”
Education and outreach: “One thing that I have come to realize is that there needs to be significantly more outreach to the Burlington community to help educate them about Net Zero. Information on Net Zero can be found here: https://www.burlingtonelectric.com/nze. In my interactions with fellow residents and potential voters I have found that not enough people have heard of Net Zero. The ones who have heard of it don't have a full understanding of what is being done and what is available to them in terms of things like rebates. People seem to vaguely understand there are rebates, but not how much they are and what they are for. This tells me there are a lot of lost opportunities in a city where we have very old housing stock and updates to things like hot water heaters can make a significant difference.”
Community engagement and the Old North End
Advocating for and with the Old North End: “The Central District is the most racially and economically diverse district in the city. One of my goals is to increase community participation in city decisions. I want to increase the number of people who vote in the district. Our low turnout is a reason we are ignored. I want to increase contact with the city council by encouraging public forum participation and contact with the Mayor's office. I will be maintaining my website all year long as a space where constituents can easily find information on important city initiatives and meetings. Community email forums will continue to be important. I want to schedule in-person get-togethers in local coffee shops and other community gathering places. I want people to feel that they can email me directly as well and know they will get a response.”
Centering equity: “As a BIPOC individual I'm well aware that a lot more needs to be done to foster a more welcoming community. The Mayor and certain city policies have been insensitive to the needs and feelings of our diverse community. For example, there were people in the community who worked to distribute free masks to various businesses and public spaces because the city distributed masks at limited locations including the police station which wasn't considered a safe space for some members in our community. I plan on learning a lot more about the leaders in our New American communities and how they can be met in such a way that respects their cultures. I have been attending Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging (REIB) committee meetings now that the city has hired Kim Carson as the new REIB director. I am very concerned about the lack of resources for youth and care deeply about trying to bring back 242 Main and examine other options of providing safe positive things for young people to be involved in. In terms of prioritizing the needs of the community, I will be looking at our issues through an equity lens starting with the most basic common things that we all need – shelter, food, a sense of safety and more.”
Support for workers and organized labor
Union strong!: “I fully support unions. Many members of my family have belonged to unions including my mother. My niece and nephew who both grew up with me are both in unions. I previously worked for a Gannett newspaper where there was a union drive and employees suffered intimidation. I supported the union and testified at a hearing where Gannett tried to change certain employee types to say they were independent contractors. I don't support companies that union bust. I’m proud to have support and endorsements from two local unions the City employees chapter of AFSME as well as the local AFL-CIO.”
Livable wage advocacy: “I have also advocated for better wages in my community. Our ‘labor shortage’ can be solved by increases in wages and benefits. We are dependent on tourism so people deserve more – including respect – if they are on the front line in service industries. Tipped workers should receive the same minimum wage which at this point needs to be above $20 per hour. Our local housing costs are really hurting people. I would push for better enforcement for what the city currently has [for a livable wage ordinance]. In the past they have made too many exceptions for businesses that have city contracts.”
Ballot Items
I always support the school budget. Strong schools, that support our children and the people who teach and take care of them, are crucial to making a strong community.
I will be voting yes as this fee will help the city meet our Net Zero goals.
I plan to vote NO on the new boundaries. I support an all Ward model and this map does not support that. Also the East District was underrepresented on City Council during the planning process and didn’t have a full voice in the process.
I support the right of all legal residents to vote in local elections. They work here, send their children to school, and pay taxes.
I will be voting yes on this item to allow voting to take place at the most accessible locations.
I fully support Rank Choice Voting.
Please watch the Town Meeting TV interview to learn why I support the Independent Police Board.
I support Proposition Zero as a way to allow resident referendums when there is no recourse through the city council.
In short, I am voting yes on all ballot items except for #3 regarding redistricting.