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Parents, operators and the Hub urge Montpelier Council to act after Turtle Island Children’s Center faces move out
Summary
Parents, staff and board members of Turtle Island Children’s Center told the Montpelier City Council the long-running early-childhood provider must leave its longtime building and urged the city to help keep infant-through-preschool care in the city; city staff said an open RFP for the Country Club Road site is underway and bids are due April 23.
Montpelier City Council heard multiple public comments urging urgent city action after Turtle Island Children’s Center said it must relocate out of Montpelier.
Speakers including parents, Turtle Island staff and board members described the center as the city’s largest inclusive child-care program and warned that losing it would remove infant-through-preschool seats inside the city.
Tara Byrne, a Montpelier resident and mother of two, told the council she received notice that Turtle Island must move and said losing the center would force families to commute for childcare, reduce parents’ work hours and shrink volunteer participation in civic life. “If Turtle Island leave, there won’t be any childcare program in the city,” Byrne said.
Mark LaRosa, Turtle Island board president and a parent, said the program enrolls about 70 children and employs almost 30 people. He described months of intense board work to find a new site and said the center may have to split parts of its program and move some operations out of town to remain solvent.
Jocelyn York, executive director of Turtle Island, and staff member Phoebe Stone said the program is exploring short-term space at an existing childcare facility on Country Club Road that could house roughly 20–30 children, and that Turtle Island is also discussing a longer-term joint proposal with the organization known as the Hub.
John Ray Hill, speaking for the Hub, said the Hub and Turtle Island have begun productive talks and may submit a joint proposal in response to the city’s request for proposals. Hill said prior meetings between the Hub and city staff were delayed after the city opened an RFP to the public.
City staff and councilors said the city opened an RFP for use of the Country Club Road facility to ensure an open, equitable process; the administration told council the RFP deadline is April 23. Staff said they encouraged Turtle Island to submit a proposal and urged collaboration with the Hub but stopped short of directing a sole agreement with any bidder while the RFP process is active.
Councilors who spoke balanced support for keeping Turtle Island in Montpelier with the need for a fair, public procurement process. Councilors emphasized they want to avoid exclusive pre-bid collaboration yet noted it was positive that Turtle Island and the Hub are talking about a joint proposal.
Several council members suggested the city could help by facilitating proposals, providing technical assistance and considering a task force to oversee early-childhood planning; no formal council action was taken at the meeting.
The council asked staff to continue advising applicants, to post any materials for interested bidders, and to return to the council with proposals after the RFP closes.
