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Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – July 11, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

The results of the Brattleboro Selectboard board retreat will be discussed at their next Tuesday meeting. Hint: they have established their five top goals of the year to be good transportation center parking, the town pool, the community safety plan, safety zones, and housing.

Tax rates and utility rates will be set, housing and land use will be discussed, and you can bring up any other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows under Public Participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – EMS and Kitten Update

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard approves union and non-union pay raises and contracts for town employees at Tuesday’s meeting, they will talk finances and financial software, and they will approve enterprise fund budgets and a rate decrease for those who use water.

I’ll skip that stuff and give you a kitten update, then join the board for their discussion of EMS after 7 pm.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting June 20, 2023 – Agenda and Notes

by cgrotke | Town News

Brattleboro employees will get raises and taxpayers will get a 5% reduction in water bills at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

Parking and Utility budgets will be approved, the monthly EMS update will be given, and the public’s chance to weigh in at the 2nd meeting in June regarding EMS services will be on the agenda as well.  You might also be able to bring up other items not on the agenda.

Vermont Edition Features Brattleboro Security Firm Hiring Decision

by cgrotke | Media

Everyone in Brattleboro was on the public radio station that is in Vermont today. Well, maybe not everyone, but lots of people. More than usual!

Everyone in Brattleboro was on the public radio station that is in Vermont today. Well, maybe not everyone, but lots of people. More than usual!

The discussion was about the hiring of security firms to help patrol parts of downtown. The Town Manager, Police Chief, Librarian and others asked and answered questions during Vermont Edition on VP(R).  Town officials seemed optimistic; members of public not so sure.

Selectkitten Meeting Notes – Cuteness Not Called Into Question

by cgrotke | Pets

The Brattleboro Selectboard is meeting tonight and the agenda looks thrilling. By thrilling, I mean pretty ordinary. The biggest item, to my eye, is the hiring of two security firms for downtown patrols. They will also start to look at enterprise fund budgets. It’s all in their background materials.

Tonight, I’d rather tell you the tale of a stray cat that showed up late last fall. It was a little thing, and solid gray. It was getting cold out and I wondered if it was just lost so I put some food out. It seemed a bit on the feral side, or at least a bit standoff-ish or unsure, so I kept my distance.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 6, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

At their first regular June meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hire two outside security firms to patrol parts of downtown.

They will also discuss utility budgets, financial software, traffic safety, and committee vacancies.  You might be able to bring up other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows. 

Selectboard Meeting Notes – EMS: Municipal Revenue Projections

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard may 16 2023

A combative public greeted the selectboard to kick off their Tuesday night meeting. The quick version: downtown is unsafe and your website sucks.

After that was out of the way, the board was treated to a discussion of I-91 exit 1 bridge repairs next spring and summer, emergency housing plans, and about EMS transition items such as potential municipal revenue, the RFI process, and a new project-related website.

Brattleboro EMS – An Open Public Process Made Murky

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

At the May 2 Selectboard meeting, the board endorsed a proposed schedule of information-gathering prior to deciding on Town EMS services in September.

The board thought they had a good plan, but what they presented turned out to be confusing to anyone trying to follow along.  Sadly, in an effort to be extra open and transparent, the board ended up making things murkier.

The Official Path – Meetings and Correspondence

Town Manager John Potter presented the official EMS decision-making schedule, which gives time for public discussion on the topic at the second Selectboard meeting of each month. This is the official time for the public to come and weigh in on warned EMS agenda items.  There will also be a public forum scheduled just prior to the board’s vote in September.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – May 16, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

Municipal EMS potential revenues will be open for limited discussion at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeting.  The board begins their official EMS decision making process, which they continue to call a “Fire-EMS transition,” and will ask potential 3rd party EMS contractors to give the town information. They’ll also announce a new project website, a new taxpayer-sponsored and government-generated news program, and an email address!

The board will also discuss emergency housing, cemetery changes, and a new plan to fix the I-91 pile of rust… er,. bridge at Exit 1.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair doesn’t read your mind and forbid you from speaking on issues he doesn’t want discussed. 

Selectboard Meeting Notes – The Plan for the EMS Process

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard may 2 2023

Brattleboro Selectboard endorsed a plan put forth by Town Manager John Potter that offers an aggressive summer schedule for gathering input from board members, staff, EMS providers , other towns, and the public.  It kicks off at the next board meeting and will be a regular item for the second meeting of each month until decisions have been made.

Brattleboro will celebrate Juneteenth henceforth. The Agricultural Loan Fund has been updated to serve more people and the board held a first reading to find out the details. And green burials and properly-oriented Muslim burials will soon be options at the local cemetery 

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – May 2, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will discuss a plan for the  “Fire-EMS Transition Project” which promises multiple opportunities for the public to weigh in with comments and opinions in the coming months.

They will also add Juneteenth to the official holiday schedule, adjust the cemetery ordinance , change the Agricultural Loan Fund, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation. But keep it short, you pesky public!  : )

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro Bike and Pedestrian Plan Adopted

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved bike and pedestrian plan that, when implemented, will create a network of sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the town. 

The board debated possible changes to budget meeting times, considering a return to the days when budgets would be held on off-days at odd times rather than regular Tuesday evenings. They also approved a one year extension for Golden Cross ambulance service.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – April 18, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve a one year extension with Golden Cross for ambulance services at their next regular meeting, putting in place a new contract that extends well beyond the EMS service decision the board plans to make in less than six months.

They’ll approve rules of conduct, plan a board retreat, adopt new parking rules, endorse a bike and walking plan, and consider changing the way the budget is prepared. They will also most certainly crow about winning a major award.

Sue Fillion Represents Brattleboro in Strongest Town Championship

by cgrotke | Town Plan
strongest town sue fillion

It was Brattleboro vs. Saranac Lake in the final round of the Strongest Town competition, held in a Zoom forum on Monday afternoon.

Brattleboro Planning Director Sue Fillion had her ‘I Love Brattleboro’ shirt on as she explained the Town of Brattleboro to Mike Pasternock and Rachel (?) from Strongest Towns. They asked about nature and seasons, arts and culture, housing, attracting young talent, being kid in summer, and other issues. There were also questions from the audience.

WSESD Board Meeting Agenda

by cgrotke | Education

AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Kelly Young, Board Chair
II. STUDENT MATTERS (5-10 Minutes)
III. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT – Student Leadership Examples
IV. CONSENT AGENDA

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – April 2023

by cgrotke | Health

Here’s the April 2023 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them.  That won’t be much longer. All seem to be wrapping up in the next month or so.  Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH, and MA all seem to be doing weekly updates now, near the end of the week.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Board Chair Suggests Further Limiting Public Comment

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 4 23

New Brattleboro Selectboard members Peter Case and Franz Reichsman attended their first regular meeting since swearing-in. They were treated to discussions of rules and goals, the Windham Regional Commission, Representative Town Meeting, hazard mitigation, and more.

Town Manager John Potter suggested the board have a retreat to discuss short-term and longer-term goals and budgets, to which the board readily agreed.

Chair Ian Goodnow had an unusally rough night. He was 40 minutes past his usual 8 pm break time as he explained to the board his new goals for keeping the meeting on schedule. This included his new desire to limit public comments to just two minutes per person, per agenda item.