cgrotke

The Brattleboro Selectboard spent most of the regular Tuesday meeting adding things to the agenda for Representative Town Meeting in March. They also gave over $30,000 to a regional effort to develop the economy, and firmly set forth their final budget for FY15.

A number of the articles put on the warning were aimed at reducing property taxes. One thing that won’t be on the Town Meeting agenda, at least not this year, is lowering the voting age to sixteen.

In food news, the former Bickfords will become Brattleboro’s latest pizza place, a regional chain called Ramuntos Brick Oven Pizza. Read on for all the details.

It is agenda setting time for the Brattleboro Selectboard, and Tuesday’s regular meeting will result in a slate of issues for Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting to consider, including a 1% local option tax, transfer of skating rink funds not used, taking money from the Unassigned Fund Balance to apply toward tax relief for 2015, and repurposing of agricultural land protection funds to apply toward tax relief in 2015.

The board will get a request from SeVEDS for about $36,000. They will also approve a liquor license for Brattleboro’s newest pizza restaurant and sign off on an FY15 General Fund budget of $16,284,625 and a Capital plan budget of $1,380,475.

The Brattleboro Selectboard announced their nearly-final budget numbers for FY15. It will cost $16,306,285 to run the town, an increase of about 8.7 cents for taxpayers. Everything was trimmed, but nothing substantial was cut or reduced. As one member said, the can was kicked down the road.

In the good news category, a unique public-private partnership has been formed to save the town large sums of money. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, SIT, and Harris Hill have offered to help the town relocate communications towers off of Wantastiquet by providing towering locations in town.

The topic of energy audits returned, a plan for a $50,000 energy audit fund was proposed, and a 16 year old asked the board for the right to vote. All this and more below.

Traffic has slowed on Western Ave near Union Hill as police clear up a multi-vehicle accident on Monday evening.

It’s getting icy out there. Drive, ride, and walk carefully.

The town’s budget will be discussed at the first regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard on Tuesday evening. You can attend in person at the Municipal Center or watch on BCTV.

They will also take up issues such as whether any “savings” in this year’s budget could pay for energy audits of municipal buildings, new communication tower locations for Fire and Police departments, grants and an open CRT board position.

You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.

Braving snow, ice, treacherous roads, and cold weather in the meeting room, the Brattleboro Selectboard pressed on to carry out the business of the town. By the end of the night, almost all in attendance were wearing some form of hat, coats, sweater, scarf, or gloves. Everyone except John Allen, who sat in short sleeves all evening.

The board again warned of a rise in property taxes. They reviewed the slow pace of the PACE program progress and noted the many hurdles that still remain. The Red Clover Commons preliminary plans got a nod of approval, they learned the cost of the Elm Street bridge repairs, and approved planning grants.

And what will seem like a rare gift from the board, they voted to refund money to taxpayers fined for late Homestead Declarations last year.