Bryn Oakleaf, successful city council write-in, on what’s next for Winooski

Bryn Oakleaf. LinkedIn Photo.

In what was perhaps a surprise outcome, nine-year Winooski resident Bryn Oakleaf successfully ran a write-in campaign for this year’s Town Meeting Day election to win her seat on City Council.

We spoke to councilor Oakleaf about her campaign, past experiences, goals, F-35s, and the future of cannabis in Winooski.

Here’s what councilor Oakleaf had to say:

“I knew it would be a close race, but I knew I had a really good chance of winning. I was pretty confident,” said Oakleaf just a day after being sworn in—following a recount which confirmed her 12 vote margin of victory.

“It really is an honor. I’m very excited to be elected to the council,” Oakleaf said. “I’m very pleased that my effort and all of the help and all of the confidence from the voters really made it happen.”

Oakleaf said that she decided to conduct her write-in campaign after she saw the slate of candidates, about which she felt there was not enough representation for female-identifying women, queer people, and people of moderate income. Oakleaf said she also felt that she has a skill set other candidates could not offer with her background in law and policy, and having worked in government both on the district and state level in Washington state.

Having worked previously for the Department of Ecology in Washington state, Oakleaf noted her experience with the “process and procedures of developing policy, reviewing it, bringing stakeholders to the table, and discussing the goals of a policy as well as the unintended consequences,” adding, “I think that really is something I’ll continue to bring forward in my work with the council.”

Oakleaf said that she thinks what ended up setting her apart from the other candidates was not only her experience, but also her engagement with Winooski politics in the nine years she’s lived in the city. Through her participation in various commissions and councils as an interested member of the public, she said she was able to build familiarity and some working relationships with many of the councilors, elected officials, and city staff, she said.

“Having that was a really good foundation for me as I ran as a write-in candidate,” Oakleaf said. “A lot of folks already knew my name and already knew who I was. I think that was what really ended up giving me the leg up in the end.”

Oakleaf said a specific goal for herself over the course of her term will be to work towards making housing in the city more affordable.

“The [housing] affordability piece is a sticking point for so many residents in Winooski—from renters to homeowners,” Oakleaf said. But she thinks it will take more than a single piece of legislation to solve this issue.

“I think it’ll be a variety of mechanisms that are leveraged to help more equitably disperse taxes and to bring in more of a tax base,” Oakleaf said, adding that “we need to be really mindful of the intersection of that development with current residents” to ensure the city is growing at pace with the goals and interests of the residents.

While she does not yet have a specific plan laid out to grow the city’s tax base, she said that she does see “a wealth of opportunity.”

Oakleaf additionally commented on the persisting issue of the F-35 fighter jets based at Burlington International Airport, which frequently fly over the Onion city.

“I do think the noise is an environmental justice issue,” Oakleaf said. “I feel strongly that noise doesn’t acknowledge boundaries on a map.”

Oakleaf said she is hopeful for progress due to the Town Meeting Day decision by the result of which City Manager Jessie Baker will send a letter to the state federal delegation articulating the question that was on the ballot and the results from the voters—adding that “we have a step forward with having a seat at the airport commission,” as well.

She has the ultimate hope of ensuring “compensation not just for those homes and businesses within the designated flight path on the map, but also looking at the noise impact and hindrance to property use and enjoyment outside that designated flight path.”

Oakleaf additionally noted discussions on the national level regarding the alleged failure of the F-35 mission, citing a recent Forbes article.

Oakleaf also noted that retail cannabis in Winooski, despite passing a city vote, still has some red tape to get through.

“There is a little bit of a pause that has to happen while the state develops their regulations,” Oakleaf said. She does not expect these regulations to be handed down from the state until Spring, “or even Fall of 2022, knowing how things get delayed at the state level.”

Oakleaf noted that even after regulations are made, zoning and permitting must be completed as well. She estimates that Winooski may see retail cannabis operations up and running by late 2022 or early 2023.