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Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – December 15, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

There is a monster on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. It’s a channel monster grinder in need of some love and attention.

The board will also discuss non-monster items, such as the 2nd reading of the rental housing ordinance, a radio tower agreement, a new solar site designation, and more of the FY22 budget. You can bring up other items not already on the agenda, be they monster or non-monster, during public and monster participation.

A COVID Christmas Anti-Viral Holiday Special

by cgrotke | Entertainment
covid christmas special

I promised you a new holiday treat for this year, and here it is: A COVID Christmas Anti-Viral Holiday Special.     It is a super cute animated Christmas story made especially for a special year, featuring a masked snowman, masked singers, socially-distanced Santa, toy shopping, Mom, and a decorated tree by a fire. And lots of mask jokes.

I didn’t set out to make a new holiday special. I was working on some Christmas card ideas and Lise saw what I was doing and suggested they might make for some nice animation. That got me thinking, and before long I was able to string together a series of card ideas into a parody of a couple of my favorite holiday films.

Brattleboro and Vermont COVID-19 Dashboard Summary – December 2020

by cgrotke | Health

T’is the month of December. Here is the continuation of daily COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

You can find the November numbers here,  October stats here,  September numbers here, August numbers here,  July numbers here, the June numbers here, the May dashboard reporting here, and the April numbers here.

The iBrattleboro Animated History Advent Calendar

by cgrotke | Entertainment
xmas calendar 2020

It’s back. The annual tradition has not yet ended, though the most recent computers and browsers might have trouble as Flash really is coming to an end. That makes this a special gift for people who don’t upgrade!

The iBrattleboro Christmas Calendar  is a daily animated look at downtown Brattleboro, with new bits of local history thrown in every day. Follow along as the scene builds up, and keep a special eye out on the 24th.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – December 1, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

Goodbye, Archery Building. At their next meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will be voting to tear down the old train yard building to make room for paved parking spaces.

They will also hear another first reading of the proposed Rental Housing ordinance, hear updates on community marketing and the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, consider tax exemptions for five properties, and continue with their review of the FY22 budget. If you are so inclined, you can add to the agenda by bringing up other items during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meetings Have Become Too Long

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Brattleboro Selectboard meetings have become very long. Too long, really.

It isn’t the number of items on the agenda. Even a short agenda can lead to a very long meeting.

Holding the meetings online might be part of the problem. 

First, it adds time to each meeting to explain how to participate. It adds time to invite people to speak and wait for them to work out technical issues. Almost every virtual meeting has delays due to the meeting being virtual. Sometimes they are short delays, but they add up.

Governor Issues Strict Order On Social Gatherings, More

by cgrotke | State News

Governor Scott issued new COVID-19 executive orders today for Vermonters. The big news is that everyone must limit attendance at all gatherings to members of their immediate household. This includes staying at home for Thanksgiving, with a tiny loophole for family members living alone.

Effective Saturday November 14, 2020 at 10pm it is ordered that multiple household social gatherings be suspended, restaurant hours and seating limits be tightened, and bars and clubs be closed to in-person service.

It is furthered ordered that restaurants and public accommodations keep contact logs, that the public comply with contact tracing efforts, and that recreational sports programs be suspended.

There’s more: all college students returning home in or out of state must quarantine at home, and all businesses shall reinstitute or reemphasize telecommuting and work from home.

The full text of the executive order is below.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – November 17, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will attempt their first “consent agenda” at their next regular meeting. It is an effort to move things along at a slightly quicker pace than before by grouping items that are simple and require no discussion.

Bigger issues for Tuesday’s meeting include an update to inform the board that Community Development Block Grants cannot be used for direct aid to tenants, SeVEDS will give their annual update and appeal for funding,  the Energy Committee will offer up their revised goals,  and the FY22 budget exploration gets underway with a discussion of revenues, capital projects, and capital equipment needs. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro and Vermont COVID-19 Dashboard Numbers – November 2020

by cgrotke | Health

We’re in November. Here is the continuation of daily COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro.

You can find the October stats here,  September numbers here, August numbers here,  July numbers here, the June numbers here, the May dashboard reporting here, and the April numbers here.

Town of Brattleboro COVID-19 Update October 30, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News, Uncategorized

Here’s what’s new in this week’s COVID-19 update from Brattleboro’s Town Manager:

…

WHAT IS NEW TODAY 

• The Presidential/General election is coming up on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Due to the pandemic, there is no in-person early voting in Brattleboro. All active registered voters were automatically mailed a ballot. Please make sure to follow the instructions included with your ballot, including signing the certificate envelope and making sure your ballot is inside that envelope, as well as using a black pen or pencil (not a marker). If you have not yet received your ballot, or if you have any questions about your ballot, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at 251-8157. 

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 3, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a limited regular meeting on Election Night. They’ll issue a statement in support of American democracy, consider and reject a request to relax mask-wearing rules in local businesses, hear an overview of the FY22 budget, and set a schedule to discuss it in detail. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda – October 27, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

Tired of long Brattleboro Selectboard meetings? You aren’t alone. At their next special meeting the board will consider using a “consent agenda” as a way to potentially speed things up on a trial basis for the next few months. 

The board will also take up a few other matters that slipped through the cracks recently due to… long meetings. They’ll hear about a plan for sustainability, financial reports, the revised Long Term Financial Plan, and will et a schedule to hammer of the FY22 budget. You can bring up other itmes not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Rental Ordinance Fizzles

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard in brattleboro

The Brattleboro Selectboard held a first reading of a proposed ordinance to limit upfront rental costs, but decided not to move ahead with a second reading. Instead, more research, new ideas, and data will be explored.

Groundworks got a big grant which enables the completion of their project on South Main Street, and the marketing initiative to promote Brattleboro was discussed.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – October 20, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will have a first reading of an ordinance to limit upfront rental costs at their next regular meeting, which will be held on 10-20-2020. (And probably end at 10:20.)

Police cars will be purchased, health insurance will be renewed, leases will be extended, grants will be applied for, and the skatepark committee will be disbanded now that their work is through. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.