The Montpelier City Council authorized the city manager and staff to negotiate a contract framework with Washington County Mental Health (WCMH) to provide mobile crisis outreach, street outreach coordination and related community trainings, funded at $50,000 allocated in the city budget.

Why it matters: Council and staff framed the funding as a near‑term, limited pilot to restore some capacity lost when state funding for a shared embedded crisis worker ended. The proposal is intended to reduce police involvement in low‑level crisis calls by providing a community‑based response and outreach while staff pursue longer‑term funding for a full‑time or dedicated position.

Montpelier Police Chief Eric Gordon introduced the proposal, asking council to authorize negotiation of a contract framework so staff could finalize the scope and costs. “What I’m asking today is we’re gonna present an option for our mobile crisis response ... and what I’m hoping that the council would do is authorize the city manager, the finance director, and myself to negotiate a contract with Washington County Mental Health,” he said. Chief Gordon and staff described a program that would supply outreach, coordinated referrals into local services, participation in community‑based meetings and trainings for merchants, and on‑call response capacity. Staff said the $50,000 is in the city budget and would not replicate prior embedded full‑time coverage but would buy enhanced services from WCMH on an overtime or a la carte basis.

WCMH CEO Beth Zeitler described the proposal as a pragmatic short‑term step: the service would not be an embedded full‑time clinician but a directed outreach and response arrangement that could include direct referrals, daily coordination with staff and periodic presence at community meals and merchant meetings. Beth and Chief Gordon said one goal is to shorten the time from police or outreach contact to connection with clinical intake and services via a direct referral pathway to WCMH’s access hub.

Council and public debate was extensive. Supporters, including representatives from Good Samaritan Haven and Another Way, said the program could restore lost capacity and help people in crisis. Several councilors and residents pushed staff to ensure the $50,000 buys a dedicated, measurable service and to avoid relying on existing WCMH staff at overtime rates if that leaves other services depleted. Several speakers asked the city to use the pilot to pursue additional funding (state grants, philanthropic support) and to develop measurable metrics for success such as reduced police call volume for behavioral health incidents and number of individuals engaged in services.

Councilor Sal moved the motion to authorize staff to develop a contract with WCMH and bring it back for approval; the motion passed. Council directed staff to negotiate a scope of services, clarify whether the arrangement would rely on overtime for existing staff or would fund a dedicated part‑time person, and return with a detailed contract that addresses measurement and escalation of the program if it proves successful.

Ending: The council approved staff direction to negotiate and return with a contract for city review and formal approval. Staff said they will incorporate public feedback, clarify staffing arrangements, include measurable outcomes and present a contract at a future council meeting.