 All right. Hi everyone. My name is Nick. I am Lee's campaign manager and And also a fairly new resident to Burlington, so it's really lovely to meet all of you Very excited to be getting involved on this campaign and getting involved in this cycle Lee and I connected a little bit over a month ago and Almost immediately when they told me they were interested in running. I was like, do you have a manager? Do you have someone who wants to do that? And we connected and got a chance to kind of talk more about what we wanted in the campaign and Very very soon realized that we would be a good fit for each other to get this done So I'm going to introduce Muffy to come up and talk a little bit more about Lee and why we're running this campaign this year So I'm Muffy. I live in Ward 7 So Totally I was going to talk about this and that several months ago She and I both go to these regular Wednesday morning with coffee with Maro Which is a wonderful way to learn about what's going on in your city and participate, but by the side So I went up to Lee And said have you ever considered running for counsel and I had learned that she was in Ward 7 and I'm Ward 7 So what I didn't realize until a couple weeks ago is that probably she'd already made the decision before I mentioned it to her But I just really there's some reasons she and I work together on the community development block grant advisory board, which is for the city and what we do is we review clear applications that are Federal monies and that's how I sort of first got to know her but she also by that time we were both I started attending these Coffee hours during the pandemic when I was laid off from work And I've continued to go since then but that's how I also have gotten to know Lee. I've watched her a few times as well on council meetings I Can't say that I usually go to them, but I watch them on zoom And I just I'm really taken with The work that I saw her put into the block grants Which it's not a huge job, but there's a lot of reading and reviewing that we do and I just felt she really Did what I call her homework and Lee is also on the parks Commission and more recently. I've just really been taken with What she's able to tell us is going on with how involved she herself is and There are a number of issues that I feel that I would That she the way she presents them with its housing healthcare The opioid crisis and all the ones that we already know we're dealing with in Burlington I think I can really look to Lee To be going and what I think is the correct direction and there's a huge amount of work And I just I'm really taken with the fact that I feel that she also brings some real life Hardness hardships and that she's survived gone through and Can really relate to certain things that are going on in this city and across the country And I just I just know she would represent me really well, and I hope to be able to persuade my Small number of people that I know in Ward 7 to join with me I look forward to doing an open house for Lee So if you know of people in Ward 7 that I should Maybe include I don't have a huge amount of space, but I have a decent amount of space I live far north into Burlington And I look forward to supporting Now you're gonna hear from Lee Thank you so much Muffy that was just beautiful and it is true So, you know, I've been kind of thinking about this stuff for a long time and Muffy asked Have you ever thought of running and I'm like Think about that. I was still trying to play it cool and have some plausible deniabilities So but here we are so I want to thank everyone for being here today from a very early age I have known that I wanted to serve my community and build a better world My elementary school was named after a man whose life continues to impact my work Jonathan Daniels was a young seminary student who in the summer of 1965 was working in Alabama to register black voters after the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 20th Jonathan and 29 other organizers were released from jail six days after being arrested for picketing segregated stores Jonathan and three others crossed the street and attempted to enter a general store to buy a cold drink an Unpaid special deputy leveled a shotgun at one of Jonathan's companions a 17 year old black student Jonathan pushed the young woman out of the way and took the full blast of the shotgun in his stomach Daniels lost his life and his killer was later acquitted by an all-white jury But in his death he changed the course of the American justice system It was Jonathan's murder and his killers acquittal. That was the legal basis to desegregate southern juries growing up attending Jonathan Daniels elementary Hearing his story in values and seeing his pictures every day in the halls helped shape how I saw the world There was a common good and I would be on that side My story is not an easy one to tell my biological parents have challenges that made parenting very difficult for them My mother was single for a large part of my childhood and we were barely getting by Like many Vermonters myself and members of my family have struggled with substance use disorder as a queer and trans person I have not been fully accepted by my family. I have been the odd one out and when folks talk about being a voice for the voiceless I have been with the voiceless. I have seen the brutality of our systems and also the decency of people in an almost inexplicable way As someone who is in recovery and formerly unhoused. I know the interlocking challenges we face intimately I've worked in the healthcare field most of my adult life Covering a lot of roles include including working as an EMT and working specifically with folks who have developmental disabilities Having both my own experiences and also seeing so many folks go through the healthcare system What I know is when we get what I know is when we get the right resources to the right people and Build and build the system that works for all change is possible That's my background, but my story is centered here in Burlington I came to the Queen's City for the first time when my previous job ended When I visited Burlington for the first time as a trans non-binary person. I felt safe and away. I never had before Burlingtonians embraced me and encouraged me to pursue my passion for civic engagement Before too long I fell in love in Burlington My husband and I have made our home in the New North End and since then this community has been there for me And I have shown up for my community As I have gotten more interested and involved in community building organizing and local government I became inspired to embark on a new journey. I am finishing up my last year of earning a bachelor's degree in political science And my next journey is going to be going to law school In Burlington, I have felt a level of acceptance that fell out of reach for most of my life This acceptance was first felt when I met my husband Andrew Andrew has had his own challenges in life Shortly after losing his mom Karen to a long battle with cancer Andrew was diagnosed with cancer himself Andrew lost valuable time when his brain tumor was misdiagnosed twice These errors caused Andrew his sight and yet Andrew is one of the most optimistic and positive people I know When we first met I ever I asked him if he ever felt bitter about losing his sight and he said could be worse Having had my own challenges in life. I value resiliency and others So when I learned about Andrew's story saw the life he had built for himself and saw the goodness of his heart I knew he was going to be so special to me Andrew also dedicates his life to the service of others He works as an employment consultant helping others in the blind and visually impaired community to find work He also mentors others who have recently lost their sight He maintained he remains an inspiration to me and grounds me here among you all and my community in Ward 7 That radical acceptance however has not been without challenges We know that as our trans and queer communities become more vibrant Reactionary forces will seek to put us down and discriminate when I experienced discrimination in my NPA I didn't sit there and hope it would get better. I went to my city counselors Organized and worked with the administration to address this critical gap in our policies in October a resolution passed unanimously to combat transphobia and all forms of discrimination in our NPAs I saw once again the amazing potential of Burlington to have a responsive government when we use our voice and work together Currently I proudly serve as the vice chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission After my first appointment I committed to work Collaboratively across party lines and to earn more counsel support at my second appointment After doing exactly that I had the bipartisan votes for my second appointment to make the slate of recommended appointments from the Commission Appointment Committee I've proudly worked with Democrats and progressives to get things done as the vice chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission On the Parks and Recreation Commission, I focused on addressing public safety in our parks Finding creative ways to address the crises that we face in Burlington I'm collaborating with our first responders to find innovative ways to deal with syringe litter Our parks are places for everyone and I've worked to ensure that they remain accessible to all members of the community So folks I've been doing the work here in Burlington. I'm honored to be joined here today by City Councilor community builders activists and community members and People fighting for a good life for every Burlingtonian We are building a movement in Ward 7 to take on the powerful few and we can only do that going forward together This is not about looking across and making enemies with our neighbors. This is about looking up and seeing the systemic systemic Bear with me inequities We have that continue to make housing less affordable our planet less healthy and our families less safe This is about building solidarity with each other And understanding that we cannot make changes from the top on down, but from the bottom up So what are we going to do? We're going to drive down rent price rent prices by holding landlords accountable and supporting tenants While working with the state we will massively invest in good affordable safe housing the time to wait is over We need to fast-track the housing we need right now That also means doing everything we can to support our unhoused community and to find the housing They desperately need that means expanding sheltering options. That means leading from the front here in Burlington We're going to build a better Burlington Let's keep public transit free and empower our unions Let's make our bike paths better. Let's make our sidewalks safe and accessible Let's ensure when we build we are keeping the environment in mind and staying on track with our climate goals That's the kind of Burlington we want We're going to expand healthcare We need huge investment from the state and even the federal government to guarantee healthcare as a human right But in Burlington, we have an unacceptable status quo with an overburden overburden system Resulting in long delays We need to boost funding to health services so everyone can have basic access to health care Again, Vermont is a longtime leader on this issue. We can continue to make an impact here in Burlington As the first trans or queer counselor from the new north end It would also be my priority to expand the office of racial equity inclusion and belonging to include services for our queer and trans community As well as hiring a disability justice expert The reality is that we will face reactionary forces when trying to ensure equitable treatment for all But we can do this together. We cannot wait Burlington is at a crossroads with how to approach public safety Some people including my opponent are focused on increasing the police cap and reactivating the street crimes unit right now We just saw a tragic day of violence in our city and the reaction from some has to been has been to call for unrealistic solutions to this crisis our entire police force is understaffed Upping the cap will not change that we are still almost 20 officers short of the current cap We need plans to hire and retain officers and take the load off the police Insisting the police reinstate the street crimes unit with its current numbers only Insures an even greater strain on our officers and does not prioritize the wellness of our community or the force My so my solution is a more holistic and I will emphasize Does see a place for policing in our city? Detectives have done a good job closing cases involving guns proper staffing is Necessary However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the crime we see the drug use is Not an issue that can be policed away It needs a comprehensive understanding of the issue and as someone who is watched or attended almost every police commission meeting Over the last three to four years. I don't think asking officers to do even more on such a short staff Is the answer to our problems? One of our deputy chiefs has directly said that staffing the street crimes unit pulls officers away From trying to respond to drug dealing happening in places like City Hall Park. That's not the answer We need to do this in a smart and measured way that centers the lives of our people and respects the role of the police But our answers do go beyond policing We need to continue investment in innovative solutions like those started in the fire department to address the public health crisis We face with opioids and other drugs Treatment should not start at the end of a gun Treatment should begin with immediate resources. You need a person who is there to help and not there to criminalize you Our police chief himself acknowledges that policing alone will not solve the opioid crisis We need intervention programs to combat drug use in the first place and we need a city government that knows these issues Front to back. I know these issues. I know them personally I know our city is safer when we all have the things we need to thrive Locking someone up or shaking them down is not the answer to our problems. We cannot pause. We can hardly blink We need this investment and we need these changes now And we can do this We can build a better Burlington in the face of immense challenge We stand up and reject bigotry and pessimism. I remain optimistic despite our challenges I am running for Burlington City Council in Ward 7 Seeking both the progressive democratic nominate the progressive and democratic nominations this year because I know together We can lean in organize and create a better world and the queen sit with the queen city taking the lead I know we can get immediate health care resources to our citizens and create a public safety environment that supports all our people I know we can empower our labor movement and protect our planet. I Know we can go forward together building bridges between neighbors while standing up to the powerful interests Someone like me has never won in the New North End. This is a historic campaign and I'm so glad you're with me Let's go forward together That's our run of show. Thank you guys so much for coming out We're gonna be sticking around, you know, please feel free to dig into more food and all that stuff But thank you so much for coming out. We really appreciate it. Yeah, Milo You absolutely can't say something. Yeah, we would love to have you say something Thank you Hi everybody Um, I know this isn't my my ward, but it is my city so I feel vested in this race and I want to say that I proudly endorse Lee for a number of reasons when Lee has said that they have been present. They have been present. We first met When as a steering committee member, she invited me to speak at a 4-7 MPA meeting about issues surrounding public safety I was also trying to go around to the different MPAs as a police commissioner to educate people about how to access The chiefs report. Do you want to see how many incidents we have? Do you want to know where we're at with building back the Department all that information was on the chiefs report So it was about trying to educate people so they could find the information now. Sometimes what I had to say Wasn't always welcomed because there's a lot of difficult Conversations around equity and policing in our community We regretfully have some of the same issues that we're facing the rest of the country We just recently settled a use of force case of $750,000 $500,000 from the insurance company $250,000 from a special fund aka your property taxes always tell people you don't care about racism. You should care about your property taxes 20,000 that was also spent to meet the insurance deductible another 20,000 that was spent to meet the insurance deductible in the jack case So there's a lot of things going around that we have to be honest about That affect how the community feels about our police department Which then affects how our officers feel in terms of not wanting to feel wanted so there's a lot of things that need to be addressed and Lee was not one to shy away from those conversations and that is really important and Some people go well the parks commission first of all our parks are so important to us They really well and truly are there a big part of why people live here and the public safety issues in the parks have been major and the ideas that Lee has put forth a very important and has already been involved with those conversations and Would be able to hit the ground running This job has a really big learning curve As much as I knew from all the being on the police commission being on working committees being on joint committees as much of that work that I was doing and as much of the City council meetings I was attending. It was still a long Long learning curve so to have someone that's already been doing this work and can hit the ground running It's going to be really important So once again, I really support Lee and I hope you consider voting for them and encouraging your friends and neighbors Out here to do to do so this area of the city is becoming just as diverse as the rest of the city We really don't look like Vermont. We're really a very unique place and That diversity needs to really be represented for us to be the best that we can be. Thank you so much. That was it My name is Keegan Alba. I'm a Ward 7 resident and I am supporting Lee for city council I've known Lee for a while now and I've just been really impressed with how They want to engage the community and how much of their work is based in love and there's so much passion For Burlington in their voice. So I hope that you join me in supporting Lee in the months ahead and their run for city council