At the first regular meeting in-person at Central Fire Station the Brattleboro Selectboard discussed funding requests for the downtown organization and SeVEDS, then looked deeply at planned capital improvements, including new plans for Living Memorial Park on the horizon.
The board also contemplated using infrastructure funds to replace all the sidewalks in town.
You’ve seen the donation cans for the Windham County Humane Society around. The coffee cans near cash registers in town where you can toss a few coins to help local animals? Harriet Ives, the keeper of the cans, has passed away at age 96.
Here’s the what WCHS had to say about her in their newsletter:
“Harriet Ives recently passed away, at 96 years old. She was a longtime WCHS supporter and friend to any animal in need and we already miss her.
Senator Leahy just announced that he will not be seeking another term as Senator for Vermont.
He went to the Vermont Statehouse to deliver his speech this morning. He recapped his career highlights and things he was especially proud of over the years. Helping Vermonters, especially for women and children, agriculture, protecting the Constitution, the Violence Against Women Act, protections for LGBTQ and Native Americans, civil liberties, judicial nominations, Small State Minimums, and federal funds for Vermont. He mentioned his wife Marcelle often.
Budget season continues for the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting which, by the way, will be the first to be held at Central Fire Station. For this meeting, the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance will offer up their proposed budget and workplan for FY23, SeVEDS will do the same, and the board will take a deeper look into equipment replacement, capital projects, and planning for major improvements to Living Memorial Park.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard has begun budget season. It’s the time of year when citizens should speak up if they want something funded or defunded.
It’s also the time of year Representative Town Meeting Reps should be paying close attention, attending meetings, asking questions, and sharing information they learn with those they represent.
It’s quite easy to do nowadays, but wasn’t always this way. The current board likes to mention that they have traditions and that things are done a certain way, but that’s only been the last few years.
The Association for Computer Machinery announced this prize for high school students talented in computer science. Know any? It could mean $10,000 in scholarship funds.
“Every year, the ACM/CSTA Cutler-Bell Prize in High School Computing recognizes talented high school students in computer science. The intent of the program is to promote and encourage the field of computer science, as well as to empower young and aspiring learners to pursue computing challenges outside of the traditional classroom environment.
The application process involves a Challenge that focuses on having the student develop an artifact that engages modern computing technology and computer science.
The Selectboard was reviewing and adding to their goals at their most recent meeting. There are a few more items they should take up:
End Weigher of Coal Position
This is just embarrassing in 2021. Brattleboro should rid itself of any mention of coal. It’s such an easy thing to do. Town Managers since Barb Sondag have promised to get this done. All it takes is sending an article to Representative Town Meeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard kicked off their FY23 budget season with an overview of the proposed town budget by Town Manager Peter Elwell. Questions were limited at this meeting, allowing the board and the public to take in a broad overview. Deep dive questions begin next week.
One of the lengthier passages in this meeting was a discussion of prepaid assigned funds compared to unassigned funds and how they both are accounted for legally and financially.
It is November and there are more dashboards to summarize. We continue daily and limited-weekend COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.
Budget season begins with an overview of the proposed budget by the Town Manager to the Selectboard, and this starts at the next regular meeting of the board.
They’ll also approve more repairs for the skating rink, increase the deductible on health insurance for town employees, review their goals, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a long meeting Tuesday, discussing union contracts, BMAC, selectboard goals, and more.
The big conversation, though, was about the creation of a $200,000 fund for alternatives to policing. The board was pretty happy with it, but the public wasn’t sure they could be trusted.
I thought I’d share the scene we did for Crowdsourced Cinema VT’s production of Jurassic Park, now viewable on BCTV and other streaming places.
35 teams of Vermonters participated, and were each assigned scenes from the film randomly. Ours was the scene where they first arrive on the island and see their first dinosaurs. As you might expect, I chose to do animation. (Others used live action, puppets, animals…)
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be approving a range of new contracts for police officers, firefighters, and other unionized employees at their next regular meeting.
Union Station will be handed over to the BMAC, the board will hear a sustainability update, they’ll review their goals, Selectboard meetings will be moved to Central Fire Station, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participations.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting to announce the hiring of a new Town Manager, to fill the slot vacated by retiring Peter Elwell. They announced the hiring of Octavian ‘Yoshi’ Manale as the next Brattleboro Town Manager and approved the contract to hire him. He hails from NJ, and begins in the new year.
Promotion of Brattleboro was a primary topic at the regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard Tuesday. Blue Whale Public Relations had some typical Zoom-related delays but otherwise gave a solid report on their early efforts to reach out to the media.
Hybrid meetings will continue for a while longer, favorable financing for the water treatment facility was announced, new stop signs are official, and Union Station might be sold for a dollar in order to save as much as $100,000.
Your local check of the October numbers. We continue daily and limited-weekend COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro. We’ve also added weekly variant updates. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.
From their newsletter:
“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Maya Richmond to be our next Executive Director, taking over the position from Annie Guion, who has filled the role since 2008.
Maya has 18 years of animal welfare experience and has led progressive change at her previous organizations. As the first shelter in Vermont to create an affordable veterinary care program, that kind of leadership is important to WCHS. The board and staff are looking forward to expanding existing programs and creating new ones under Maya’s leadership. Animal welfare has changed dramatically in the last decade and, like most things, was deeply impacted by the pandemic. In 2020, WCHS helped a record 2,000 animals, taking in close to 600 homeless animals and providing veterinary care to over 1,400 local animals.
The continuing thread for the little things that are worthy of noting, but maybe not worth writing a full paragraph to explain. What have you noticed around Brattleboro this fall?
Construction at Amy’s – the former bakery space is getting a makeover.
The Brattleboro Selectboard met on the last evening of summer, and heard big news. Steve Barrett, long-time employee of the Town, will be retiring and Dan Tyler will be taking his place. The switch happens in December.
There was discussion of racism in the community, COVID safety at the Stone Church, stormwater plans, designs for and objections to a new bridge on Western Ave, and more.
A new bridge near Melrose Street will be one focus of attention for the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next meeting. VTrans reps will be on hand to explain the details and answer questions.
The board will also hear more about the creation of a stormwater utility and master plan for the town, will renegotiate tax payments for the Retreat, explore grants for a health program and for a water and sewer capacity study, and more. You can always bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
