 I'm sorry. Yes. Yes. Yes. So, I'm going to go to what Gary had written. And then I'm going to explain it to him. I'll explain it to that. I'm going to go to the audience. I am. I am. I'm not going to moderate. I'm going to. Okay. Oh, somebody's. Oh, I'm going to do that. Are we here? Yes. Do you have your coat? Yes. Okay. Okay. All right. I'll show you. I'll show you. I'm moving that, I want you to grab a little more space. Hi. Hello, and welcome to Town Meeting TV's coverage of Town Meeting Day 2024. This program is part of a series of forums we are bringing you in advance of Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 5th. Town Meeting TV hosts forums with all candidates and covers the questions you will see on your ballot, introducing you to community decision makers and connecting you with issues that shape your local community. You can find all of our forums at cctv.org slash 2024 or on our town meeting TV YouTube channel where auto-generated captions are available. On tonight's program, we will hear from three candidates running for South Burlington City Council. Those candidates are Lydia Diamond, Julian Keenan, and Mike Scanlon. Thank you all for joining us. Thank you, thank you. We have prepared a list of questions for each of you and you will have 90 seconds to answer each one. If you are tuning in live, we also welcome your questions at 802-862-3966. If you call in, we will do our best to prioritize your question, though we will screen calls to ensure questions are not repeated. We ask that you share your name, the town you live in, and that your questions be directed at all candidates, not just one candidate in particular. Let's get started with one minute opening statements. We're gonna start with Lydia. Lydia, tell us why you're running and what makes you qualified to serve on city council. Well, I'm running because South Burlington has never had a person of color to step up and run. And so I ran last year. I didn't get elected or selected. So here I am. And I'm looking forward to my victory because I represent BIPOC poor people, disabled people. People who feel unseen and unheard. And I got a big mouth, so I got plenty for y'all. Is that enough? Yeah, it's perfect. I'm from South Burlington, by the way. I live on Lomkin Road, which is not the southeastern wealthy quandering. I think that's what they called it. Okay, thank you. I'm from the other side. Thank you, Lydia. Julian. All right, well, hi, my name's Julian Keenan. I live in South Burlington as well. And I'm a young father who was drawn by the strong sense of community, excellent schools and endless opportunities for people of all ages. And what I really love about South Burlington is that it's truly, I believe, exceptional. It's got great schools. It's a very strong, tight-knit community. There's endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. And we're also so close to so many conveniences, good shopping, excellent medical care. So all these things, I think, make us exceptional. I want to just ensure that we continue on that path. I also think that we're going, this country and our society in general is going through some very difficult times and uncertain times. And I think we need to be a beacon for resilience. And I think with these four characteristics that make us so great, we can certainly continue to be there and be there in the future. And I think my background service also makes me a good asset for this position. I've worked as an intern for Senator Patrick Leahy, who's done great service for this state. I worked for the New Hampshire Association for Justice as a program manager, and I really loved their mission. And then I also currently serve on the Natural Resources Committee. So lots of things. And then my career is in finance and technology. So I think the sort of innovative and creative approach as well as my attention to numbers and fiscal responsibility, I think will be an asset to this position. So thank you for your consideration. Thank you, Julian. Mike. Hi, I'm Mike Scanlon. And I have chosen to run for city council for the basically the same reasons why I chose in 16 with my wife and my now 11 year old son. Beautiful green space, recreational parks, best schools in the state, affordable housing, a vibrant economy that allowed me to have confidence that when I step back as I have now in a retired position to allow my wife to go back to the workforce as I basically stay home as the parent. The ambition that we have for South Burlington of a vibrant city center was exciting. And the bike path that would basically connect us both internally and externally were all appealing factors. And this is still a work in progress. And now that I'm retired, as I mentioned, I have the time. And I want to give that time to the community to basically have the shared excitement of living in South Burlington. But in running the campaign, I've also walked around and I've seen that in our big city we have different neighborhoods and different challenges. And I want to bring my experiences as a mediator in the Foreign Service the last 30 years in the State Department and to bring those skillsets of bringing people together to the city council for the city council is there to listen to the community. Thank you, Mike. Our first question is about the city budget. Do you support the proposed city budget of $64.9 million and associated 5.82% tax rate increase? Are there any aspects of the city budget that you would have liked to see changed? And Julian, we'll start with you. All right. Well, I think just in the aftermath of COVID, it's been really challenging. The COVID funds have run out and so there's been a lot of planning to make sure that we get on the right foot. And I think the city council and I think just the city staff have done an excellent job really trying to navigate that really complicated situation. And try their best to make difficult decisions. And when we look at our $34 million budget, 21 million of those dollars is for the police department, firefighters, the fire department, and as well as roads. So, and then the health care and input of those costs is that's like skyrocketed. And even when you adjust all that for inflation, so when you look at real dollars and if you look at it on paper, it looks like a 5% increase. If you adjust it for real dollars and you take into account all of these changes that I was talking about before, it's essentially flat if you adjust it. If you look at it in terms of real dollars when adjusted for inflation. So, I really respect what's been done. I know it's been difficult, but I think that they've done a really good job. And just another note about taxes, which I think is very important. As we talk about development, as places get more urbanized, as places get more urbanized, we definitely spread out more and that causes more water lines to maintain, more paving, more stop lights. It just causes higher increases in taxes over time. That's what's gonna drive our taxes higher in time. It's not necessarily trimming around the edges. We gotta think about the future and how that could impact our taxes. And so that's why we can't claim to lower taxes and advocate for suburban sprawl at the same time. It just doesn't work. Thank you, Julian. Mike. Thank you. Yes, I will vote on March 5th for adoption of the budget. But it's also been come quite clear to me as I walked around the neighborhoods and knocked on doors that affordability is becoming the perhaps dominant question in South Burlington. Many of the neighborhoods find it very challenging every year to see an increase in our costs of living in terms of driven by property taxes on residences. So I think there's no question that going forward, one of the big challenges for the city council is going to be to find ways to basically promote cost savings. We have an excellent city government that I'm sure will work to find those efficiencies. An increased cooperation between the cities, the city and the school will add to that. And we also have a cooperation with the municipalities to have economies of scales with Green Mountain Transit and emergency dispatchers. But I think at the end of the day we're also gonna have to find a way to grow revenues. And I think the best way is to basically take advantage of the very environmentally conscious businesses we have to basically help them grow and to grow that revenue base for the city. And business success attracts other companies with the same values that we have and they have shown to have in their environmental stewardship. And as we grow revenues, we'll be able to not only continue to do and ensure that we have the services that we are so fortunate to have now, but also to fill many of the ambitions that we have laid out from equity to climate change and affordable housing. Thank you, Mike. Lydia, the school budget. School, city budget. Excuse me, yes, the city budget. The city budget is huge and what's missing in the city budget is BIPOC people. BIPOC people are not only important to the budget, but they don't see themselves in the budget. They see exclusion. And BIPOC people bring something to the table. They're just not seen as the wealthier people. BIPOC people have a lot to offer, you know. The pandemic hurt the whole planet and it hasn't been enough time for everybody to recover. Wealthy people might recover quicker than poor people. So I'd like to see more assistance, more resources for the BIPOC community and self-reliance in the budget. Thank you, Lydia. Now we'll move on to some questions about the school budget. Do you support this year's school budget of $71.2 million and associated tax rate increase of 18.26%? How would you address the challenges facing the state education fund and the impact on Burlington schools and taxpayers? Mike, we'll have you start with this one. Yes, this is, I think, to have been quite a shock. The percentage increase is staggering, to say the least. And as I just mentioned, we're already in a community where many people are feeling that they are slowly but surely being forced to think of leaving South Burlington because of the growing costs. That being said, I myself have benefited tremendously from public education as my siblings, my parents. And at this stage, I would vote for it. But this cannot become the new norm. And I think this is what has to be communicated very strongly by the city, by the school board, and they have done that. But I think other voices must join it from the business community and other elements of South Burlington. This education is critical. The world I've lived overseas for 30 years is very competitive and education is the greatest equalizer in life to allow people to advance. It's been true in my family and it's been true in many others, but the costs have to be sustainable. And these numbers clearly are not. And there's hope that the state will basically, still in the time left, address this issue and this shocking figure will hopefully come down. Thank you, Mike. Lydia. Can you repeat the question? Yes. Do you support this year's school budget of $71.2 million and associated tax rate increase of 18.26%? How would you address the challenges facing the state education fund and the impact on Burlington schools and taxpayers? That's a big question and a lot of money. Which I think is okay, but is it supporting the entire community? Because Chamberlain, which is my part of town, the children in the Chamberlain district don't have a park or the Lime Kim Road, we don't have anywhere for our children to play. And I'm a grandma of seven and we've tried to take walks across the bridge, but the F-35 scared the Bejesus out, my grandbabies, and traumatized them. So I'd like to see more for our children, better care for our children, a healthier education for our children. And the price tag is huge. Did I mention I'm a grandma of seven? Thank you, yes. And thank you, Lydia. Julian. Yeah, I mean, I'm so motivated to just listen to the next generation, you know, younger people that goes down to the people that came and vote, the people in the schools. And so this obviously impacts them, but also impacts the taxpayers. And this is a huge increase. And again, it's the aftermath of COVID, this educational formula's changed, state legislation that really is out of the city council's control, but it's still causing a lot of frustration and confusion. And I do agree that, you know, if this goes forward, we need to make sure it's a one-time thing. But I am inclined to support it because we just become a less attractive community if the children can't suffer the consequences of all these back and forths and what's happening. Like we need to make sure that, you know, this continues to be a great place to raise children. And public education is the great equalizer. Everyone has asked, they're excellent schools, regardless of your income, you can go there and get a great education as a child. That's so important for your development. And yeah, and they're the future. So that's why that as well as preserving a lot of the open spaces are things I hold very near and dear to my heart. So we do need to understand, you know, what this rapid growth means in the future. We should really try to lock arms with the school and find ways to understand the growth implications so that we can better forecast and plan for these things and see what needs to be done to ensure that we're planning properly for these types of changes. All right, thank you, Jillian. So the next question is about the water storage bond. Do you support the $5.75 million bond to build a water storage tank in South Burlington? Lydia, we'll start with you. That's an enormous amount of money. And it sounds like there's been something wrong. There's been patchwork done instead of brand new work that will allow for where I live, I'm a tenant. Where I live, we've had like water explosions in different apartments and they continue to do patchwork instead of a true repair. So I'd like to see some true repairs instead of patchwork. Where does all that money go? Why is it so expensive? So. Thank you, Lydia. Jillian. Okay, so yeah, I mean, I definitely support, and the loan tank was at 98% capacity, so it had to happen. And I think it makes sense, it's gonna be an identical tank, so there's gonna be some redundancy in that it's gonna be easy to maintain. If one gets, has to get decommissioned for a bit, you can keep things continuous with managing the other one. So I think the public works team that made the recommendation, I think they're extremely competent and made the recommendation for the right reasons. For me, it's a no brainer. We gotta keep all of that stuff running properly. Okay, thank you, Jillian. Mike. Yes, I absolutely support it. We are at capacity. These are one of the core requirements we have of any city. And I think it would be very prudent for us to proceed on this path. Okay, thank you. We have a caller, so I will answer it. Hello, you are on the air. If you could say your name and where you're calling from. Yes, my name is Robin Lloyd, and I'm calling from Burlington, Vermont. Great, and your question is? Yeah, my question is an issue in Burlington has been ceasefire in Gaza. And? And your question? Now? Yes, I can. Yeah, okay. And so my question? I keep going. Okay, I'm just interested in what the three candidates think about something like the ceasefire and how that might allow for a diminution and military spending because we wouldn't need to be spending money to Israel to solve that. Okay, thank you. So, Julian, we'll have you take that question first, yes. Yeah, so obviously people have very strong opinions on this matter and it's very complicated and it's very sad. And I strongly feel for all the innocent people that are victims in this horrible, horrible situation. I definitely have my very strong views on things, but I think in this capacity in city council, it's very divisive. It doesn't bring anything to the table for our residents. There's a lot of, it just brings a lot of division. Our community doesn't need it. We're not world affairs actors. Like we're not in those types of positions of power and we should be devoting our time to the residents of South Burlington. So I can promise you this, if I'm on the city council, I will not be raising this in the city council. I think it's not the best use of our time. Thank you, Julian. Mike. I think like everyone else, what we see unfolding there is a strategy in so many people's individual lives on both sides. And I think all our hearts go out to the people as we see, but for the grace of God, there goes I. But I do think that there are avenues if people have strong passions and I think in a democratic society, people should speak out. And I think the federal government is where people should be directing their comments, their views, to be sure that their representatives in the Congress and in the executive basically hear what the views are and it is a very divisive issue, but people should speak out. That is a responsibility as a citizen. But as the city council, our responsibility is South Burlington and we have challenges of our own, granted not of the shocking nature of what we see unfolding. There are life and death issues, but we have responsibilities and our responsibility is to note the various views that are reflected in South Burlington. It's a big city with many different neighborhoods. That's why I've actively gone from neighborhood to neighborhood to be sure that when serving the city council, I am listening and I'm trying to work with my fellow city council members if I'm so lucky to be elected to find solutions and those solutions will be about compromise. Those solutions will be about how to work collectively and this is the skill set that I have developed over the last 30 years in my profession in very challenging areas and I believe it is possible and I believe we can have a positive future in South Burlington as it's the city that we all chose to live in. Thank you, Mike. Lydia. Well, I completely disagree with my, well, they're not my opponents. I'm gonna call them my friends because I'm definitely in a lane all by myself and I would really like to say to President Biden, find a way to cease fire. It's too much chaos going on. Too many innocent people. Just being murdered and it's disheartening. I mean, first Ukraine, now Gaza, I'm a grandma of seven and I wanted to stop. I agree with the cease fire. We have to find a way to compromise. What don't help nobody know where not never, period. Thank you, Lydia. Our next question is on the topic of policing. What does effective policing look like in South Burlington? And Mike, we'll start with you. I think we're very fortunate in South Burlington to have a police chief at Burke. I think he brings a very sort of balanced and very caring nature and perspective to our police force. And to be sure that our police force is effective in providing public safety to all, it's very important that the police force be fully staffed, including with social workers. The challenges that our police force face in the community and what we expect of them are much broader than in the past and I think that's important that they be resourced to be able to engage across the different social challenges that they have, they encounter and to be empathetic to the community they serve. And in that regard, I think it would also be in our interest if we could find ways for our police force to live among our communities. I think there's nothing better than to basically be in the various neighborhoods of our community so people and those who serve us can have a sense of what our lives are like and therefore are empathetic for all of those that they serve and this is what I think is effective policing. Thank you, Mike. Lydia. Hot topic. I was struck by a car last summer on Williston Road in Dorset Street and the police did not come to my rescue. The men who hit me struck me in a way that caused me to have panic attack in the middle of the street and I sat there trying to breathe with no assistance from the police who was right there watching. So I later found out through my insurance company that the police use a tactic to let the insurance company know who they think is at fault. And that tactic is to put the person who they think is at fault first on the crash report I was put first, even though I was the victim. And I've been through a lot. It's been a traumatizing experience. I wrote Chief Burke. He responded by saying, oh no, we don't do that. But I don't like people who cannot tell the truth. And that goes for the police too because they human beings like the rest of us. Right is right and wrong is wrong. And maybe those policies that they don't want to admit to using should be changed. And I'm gonna make sure they all let me watch me. Thank you, Lydia. Julian. Yeah, well, I do think very highly of Chief Burke and I think our police department has run really well. And I know it's a very, very difficult job. And I think that we're just, we're lucky. I think we're lucky. And I do hear about the innovative ideas that the department is using for unified communications across multiple towns, depending on if there's a need in a certain corner of a town and there's another police officer in another town, just kind of communicating and sharing those resources. I think that innovation is definitely important. Lost the microphone there. And I think also the other challenge is that police officers today, the scope has really broadened in terms of what they're challenging or what they're facing today. It's issues that might require social workers, other types of experts in the field and they're being spread really thin. There's drug addiction, there's mental health. They're spying to all these really uncomfortable and difficult situations when violent crime, theft and other things like that really needs their attention because our community really does need to be safe. And I think it is safe largely because they're doing that but I'm sure that they wanna take that on more. And I think lastly, police are also frustrated because with the misdemeanor crimes, people get, they put their lives on the line. They bring these people in that have committed crimes and then they get let out right away and so they see them again and again. And that's just not safe for the community. It's not good for the police morale. I think that, and I'm glad that there's stuff happening at the state level to address that. I think that's very important because I think everyone's frustrated by that. Thank you, Julian. Our next question is about the addiction and opioid crisis. Where do you differ from other candidates in your proposed approach to the opioid crisis? What are the most important initiatives South Burlington can undertake to address this crisis? Lydia, we'll start with you. Well, I am a recovering opioid addict. Let's put that out there first of all. And one of the things the city doesn't do is get this mess off the street. I think there should be some type of intense, substance abuse training for folks because people have been impacted by the pandemic and they're struggling. Our young people are dying, overdosing from a man-made drug. Heroin don't grow in this country. Cocaine don't grow in this country. But now this man-made pill is killing normal, regular next door neighbors. So we all need to be held accountable and do better. And I don't mean penalizing people because they steal it, you know? Because if they didn't have to struggle for drugs, they wouldn't be stealing. So do better. Thank you, Lydia. Julian. Okay, yeah, so my thoughts are that this is a, we know it's a compassionate community and I think we just need to root for everyone just grounded on that compassion. And we need to ensure this community is supportive, offers the resources necessary so that people are less likely to turn to these drugs in the first place. I think fundamentally, if we take a step back, people need meaning in their lives. They need to feel like they're contributing to something and our society needs mentors, our community needs to continue to care so that people have outlets and opportunities to feel supported and to know that they're cared about. And then feel connected. I think isolation often makes people turn inward and seek other things to cope with that. And other obviously very difficult traumatic circumstances that are out of their control. But I think people need to understand that they matter and they need to be part of shaping this amazing community. And I think that at least prevents some of it. But then we need to also have resources for the people that are currently addicted and really try to be proactive and give them the support they need. And I think in addition to that, on the other side of it, we need to really make sure that we're enforcing the laws and really taking into custody those who are dealing the drugs in our community and killing the kids. It's just terrible. Everyone knows someone that at least knows someone that's experienced this and we just can't stand for that as a community. It should not be tolerated. And we need to deter that behavior by being pretty tough on that. Thank you, Julian. Mike. Thank you. Yes, this is a very, very complicated social challenge across the United States and not just in South Burlington and the greater Burlington area or Vermont. And it's obviously requires an all hands on deck approach to address it because it runs deep in our society and it affects all of us. And we cannot pretend that it does not exist. Absolutely, there has to be consequences for those people who sell the drugs, push the drugs, make them available to the people. But there also has to be great empathy for those who have fallen into the trap of addiction. I have a personal experience with it. My older sister, unfortunately, developed mental illness and one of the challenges of mental illness is usually becoming addicted to something that basically deals with the pain. And from a personal angle, we learned how difficult it is to basically stabilize someone, which is the first challenge. And then to get them back on the path towards healthy lifestyle. It is very hard and it requires resources and not everyone has a family and this is what is necessary for us to come together as a community to find a way to help each other. And I'm happy to see that South Burlington, Burlington, the Green Mountain Transport where I serve as a commissioner and Howard Center are doing just that, working together to try to create a more seamless system to bring people from Burlington and other areas to the Howard Center to get that treatment that allows them to basically, with the support of the community, get their lives back on hand. It is gonna take this all hands-on approach to make a dent in this very troubling social challenge. Thank you, Mike. My next questions are about development. What is an example of development in South Burlington that you're proud of? What roles should the city council play in guiding new development across the city? And Julian, we'll start with you. You know, I think there's just, there's so many exciting things on the horizon, especially with the city center. I really, I just envision a future there where there's endless opportunities for people to bike, walk safely, congregate, be able to walk to great shops and restaurants, be social and just really, and see music. And I just really see that as a wonderful, active spot. That's an example to a lot of, at least the region, probably even the country, because it's especially unique. So I love what that's becoming. And I think that that is a large part of the answer for our housing shortage. And I also think it helps keep our identity and distinguish us and make us exceptional because it is truly a place where people of all different stages of life can go and enjoy themselves, whether you're a young person new to the workforce, an empty nester parent, someone with a small family, people that decide to not have kids that have a dog. Like there's so many exciting ways. My wife and I actually lived in Cambridge Mass for a while when we just got out of college. And we lived in a neighborhood just like that, walking to the stores, taking the dogs around the neighborhood, and there's a pond. You could go on the bike path, so it was really great. So I think this is foundational to a thriving South Burlington. And the city should be making quick investments to make sure it's business friendly. The village green is also gonna be very important. And connected bike and walking paths so that everyone of all incomes and ages and backgrounds can enjoy that. And then I think that will allow us to preserve other areas outside the city where it's built up there. Preserving the open spaces and our natural resources. So you can even go from outside the city court and enjoy the wooded trails and wildlife. That's actually a very part of my platform. And that's a big driver for what I'm running for as well. And I do hope that I do hear more commitment to that from other candidates because that is a big deal to me. Thank you, Julian. Mike, development. Element, I think the tip area, the downtown city area is critical for our city. We still have 10 years to go on it and we need to stay very much focused on it because we only get the full return on it if we complete it. The full return will be very important in addition to the revenues for our city so we can continue to afford the services we have and the aspirations we want to fulfill. As I've said before, it's very clear that expanding taxes on property, residential property, it cannot continue to be the only option to fund the future of our city. It's also something that will bring us together as I have found walking around South Burlington. There are different communities. We have different perspectives and I think that will help bring us to a common place if we can share in a very human way in the city center the experience of restaurants, cafes, shopping and just socializing when Vermont has this wonderful weather in the summer. But it's also about stimulating opportunities for young people. I mean, there's no question that one of the biggest challenges is bringing young people to the workforce and retaining young force. And they're looking for a lifestyle, qualities that have certain elements that are found primarily in the city center. There needs to be not only rental properties but properties that actually can be bought so young generations can come and start to build equity and build that equity that helps them to go in the future. So for me, that is one of the most critical opportunities we have and I'm very excited about it. Thank you, Mike. Lydia. Beautiful, beautiful South Burlington. It really is beautiful. And I love the new city hall library. I mean, I don't know if anybody saw it but last night the art work in the hallway was beautiful. It was breathtaking. And, but my neighbors struggle with childcare, struggle with transportation, get in a car because there's no walking to the store on Lomkin Road, you know? And like I said before, there's no playground for our children, you know? But what my neighbors call it is we live on the poor side of South Burlington or we live on the poor side of the street and across the street are the wealthy elders. But there's no open space for the children to run and play safely. It's too dangerous. And even the few children that live in the building where I live, because I'm a tenant, they don't really have anywhere to run to or run and play or ride. And you have to keep a close watch on them at all times, you know? So I look forward to exploring that more because young people need that. Young families need to be able to rent to own a home. So I'd like to see that sooner than later. Thank you, Lydia. My next questions are about climate change. The newly adopted 2024 South Burlington City Plan states, to meet the city's climate goals, the community needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 and by 95% by 2050. What will you do as city councilor to pursue these goals? Mike, we'll start with you. These are very ambitious goals and very important goals for their city, for all of us. But I also think one of the challenges that I saw is we saw it even this year with the budget. We basically had to step the budget back 3% because there weren't the funds necessary to carry out some of these ambitions that are laid out in the claimant action change. From my perspective, while we were developing this plan, it would have also been, I think, very prudent and wise to have developed a strategy for economic development in South Burlington. We have many ambitions in our city, and that's wonderful. And we have a city that we all love, but we also have challenges. We've heard that not all parts of the city have parks, not all part of the city have the infrastructure that they need to create a sense of equal opportunity. And the only way we're going to address those issues is, including the issue of climate change, is to grow the budget. TIF will help, but it's 10 years away before we get the financial bang from TIF. We have the opportunity, we have many companies that are very focused on environmental stewardship, and we need to basically see these commercial entities grow. We need to see these partners grow and attract other like-minded companies that are aligned with our virtues, because this then will allow the revenues of our city to grow, not on the backs of the residents, but allow us to, therefore, fund not only the important climate action changes, but the other needs that clearly the city wants based on the neighborhood you live in. We need to have a city in which everyone is benefiting. This is the city, I think, that we all want to live in. Thank you, Mike. Lydia, climate change. I feel like really we are a climate crisis. And I said it last night, there's a, Marvin Gaye is a musical genius, may he rest in peace, but he put out an album called What's Going On, and it talked about climate change then. Now that's, okay, wait, I'm 60, I'm gonna be 61, so that's like 40-some-odd years ago. Where was the plan then, and how did we get to the crisis that we are in right now? Because everybody's affected. That blood in last year was so scary. Montpelier was underwater, so I'd like us to make better decisions for our community. No patchwork, fix it right the first time so we don't have those dangers. Thank you, Lydia. Julian. Yeah, I completely agree. We definitely don't wanna do small things around the edges. We wanna be bold here, because if we don't invest, we definitely lose, and climate change is a crisis, and the next generation is counting on us to do our part, even if we're just one city, but they're counting us to do our part to make a positive difference. And I think also technology and just nice buildings are not gonna save us. That's not gonna, it's a part of the solution. It's not gonna save us alone. It's actually us all valuing the planet, appreciating the natural beauty around us, cherishing what it gives to us mentally and physically as a healthy and health-conscious community. None of the stuff we talk about will even matter at all if we don't as a society value nature and Mother Earth around us, and that really drives me, and that drives me to be here. And I think by doing that, we're also showing love for future generations, because they're counting on us, and they don't have a voice here. So I'm trying to advocate for them in this place, and I do think my demographic is not really represented in the city council right now, and I really want to make sure that I am representing those values and really standing up for those people. And from a practical standpoint, just if you're talking in a tangible way, preserving the open spaces in those natural resources help mitigate against the effects of climate change. They help mitigate the floods and they help filter the water out of the lake, that goes into the water that goes into the lake. It cools things off. There's less asphalt there. So lots of reasons why I think these investments are important, and then just lastly, walking and bike paths, making sure that we develop in denser areas so people are less of a car culture. And then of course, the other investments have been made, I agree with them. Thank you, Julian. So this has been a wonderful conversation. We're gonna not be able to get all the questions in today, but I'd love to give you about 30 seconds to make some closing statements to the viewers. And Lydia, we'll start with you. So, Brillianton, you need to step your game up when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I represent black, indigenous people of color, and we matter too, and we need to see that at the table. Thank you. Thank you, Lydia. Julian. Yeah, I'm here because I love this community. I want this place to be amazing now and into the future. I think it can be, I think it will be. I think that we need to make sure we have a vibrant city center with a beautiful village green for people to enjoy. That's the long-term vision. I think that's what we need to support, that we need to support the updated city plan. We need to make sure we preserve our open spaces and connect the bike paths and walking paths so people can access those areas from all different backgrounds and create new green spaces for all residents. Go to my website, www.keeningforcouncil.com. Contact me, I've got signs, and I'll make sure you get one. So, find me somewhere. But I ask you for your vote on March 5th, and I thank you for your consideration. Thank you, Julian. And Mike. I think the challenge for South Brillianton ahead is to balance the realities of the financial challenge, the financial realities that we have that continued property taxes is not a solution. We need to find additional revenues, additional efficiencies so we can meet all the objectives. And the objectives vary really much on the neighborhood you live in. And as a city council member, if I'm so lucky to be elected, I'll listen and use my skills that I developed the last 20, 30 years in government of bringing people together to find common solutions through compromise to have a united prosperous future. And I think this is the time for us to act, to create that common city that we are all so fortunate to live in. Thank you, thank you each and every one of you for what you shared today. And thank you for tuning in to town meeting TVs, ongoing coverage of local candidates, local budgets, and ballot items. You can find this and many more forums at cctv.org slash 2024 or on our town meeting TV YouTube channel. And you can tune into our live election results show after you cast your ballot on March 5th. Contact your local clerk to find out how to obtain a ballot and to register to vote. In Vermont, you can register to vote on election day. Thank you for watching and sharing town meeting TV.