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The Brattleboro Selectboard held a meeting Tuesday evening with a single issue on the agenda – the rejection of the FY15 budget by voters at the recent special referendum. The board disagreed with one another and with those attending over the precise meaning of the vote and, therefore, what to do about it. Some heard a cry for drastic action while others heard a request to simply reign in the facility renovations.

One thing, however, seemed quite clear to everyone: there will be no new $9 million bond for the Police and Fire facility project in the fiscal 2015 budget.

Brattleboro voters rejected the proposed budget Tuesday.

478 voted in favor, but 771 voted against, sending the Brattleboro Selectboard back to work on another version.

1249 people participated by voting. 554 of those were by absentee ballot. Results are for the entire town; votes were not counted by district.

Brattleboro will end the year with a deficit according to a memo from the Town Finance Director. Most of it was expected and all of it was approved, but it isn’t especially good financial news. Especially given the fact that the Brattleboro Selectboard learned that the DPW would exceed the road maintenance budget for the year.

Perhaps someone would like to make a donation to cover the cost overruns. Such was the suggestion of Chris Chapman, who told the board of a plan to let people give money to the town because they like us and want to be charitable.

The Selectboard wasn’t interested in forming a new committee to investigate generating electricity and heat locally, but supported the idea of forming a sub-committee of the Energy Committee to take up the task.

Citizen suggestions for town improvements will be center stage at the next regular Tuesday Meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. Former board member Chris Chapman would like the town to consider taking donations, and George Harvey would like a committee to investigate generation of local electric power.

The board will also hear from the Arts Committee, approve whiskey drinking for the Stroll, review staffing of Police and Planning departments, get a PACE update, buy a new police car, and more.

You can attend and participate in person, or watch on BCTV. Full coverage here afterward.

Brattleboro Selectboard Chair David Gartenstein led an informational meeting at Oak Grove School Wednesday night. The topic was the special referendum vote on April 17, the town budget, and the Police and Fire Facility project. Not counting Town staff, Selectpersons, and Town Meeting Reps, about 36 members of the public attended.

Gartenstein first gave an overview of the proposed budget and the work that went into creating it, all familiar to regular readers of Selectboard Meeting Notes. His main point was that it was a lean, level-service budget, with most of it going to pay staff and benefits.

He also said the town’s basic, core services were police, fire, roads, parks & recreation, and the library.

The registered voters of Brattleboro will have an opportunity to vote on the town budget within a few weeks. David Gartenstein told fellow Brattleboro Selectboard members that a successful petition by fifty-six Town Meeting Representatives will trigger a town-wide vote by ballot, as stipulated in the Town Charter, allowing for voters at-large to weigh in on the $16.2 million budget.

The Police Fire Facility Project committee has been requested by the board to look for additional ways to cut costs. New cell phone towers, solar arrays, skatepark location possibilities, and more were also discussed Tuesday evening.

The “new” Brattleboro Selectboard will have their first regular Tuesday meeting of the year on April 1.

There are some atypical items on the agenda awaiting them, too. There will be a Representative Town Meeting follow-up discussion, and an issuance of a Health Order against Susan Rockwell, owner of 19 Elm Street.

Also on the agenda, a new cell tower for Meadowbrook Road, an update from the Skatepark Site Selection Committee, a request for additional solar energy use, and more.

You can watch on BCTV or attend in person. If you go, you may bring up additional items not on the agenda during Public Participation.