Playground equipment for the West River Park, muncipal buildings’ energy audits, and a proposed new telecommunications tower for Putney Road are all on the next agenda of the Brattleboro Selectboard, set for Tuesday evening at the Municipal Center on Main Street.
You can attend in person, or watch on BCTV. You can also bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. ASL interpreters will be available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – August 4
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Catering Permit – A&B Squared, LLC, d/b/a Metropolis for Soapbox Derby
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, July
B. Financial Management Questionnaire – Finance Department
C. Playground Equipment – West River Park Play Structure
D. Telecommunications Tower – 1277 Putney Road, Blue Sky Towers LLC (for AT&T Mobility)
E. Energy Audits for Municipal Buildings
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
B. Department Monthly Reports
12. MEETINGS
See enclosed Town Calendar
13. ADJOURNMENT
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MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: Peter B. Elwell, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: August 14, 2015
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The Board will meet at 6:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Catering Permit – A&B Squared, LLC, d/b/a Metropolis for Soapbox Derby. The Town received an application for a Catering Permit for A&B Squared, LLC, d/b/a Metropolis, for the Soapbox Derby on August 23 at 101 John Seitz Drive. Town staff has concerns about this application. The applicant is working to address those concerns. It is not clear at the time of this writing whether or not the applicant will be able to address all of staff’s concerns. The application and an interim staff memo are provided in the Selectboard’s notebooks for this meeting. If additional written information is available before the meeting, we will distribute it under separate cover.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, July. Finance Director John O’Connor will be present to discuss the monthly financial report for July, 2015.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. Financial Management Questionnaire – Finance Department. The State requires the Town Treasurer to annually provide the Selectboard with a copy of the Financial Management Questionnaire prepared by the Auditor of Accounts. Finance Director John O’Connor will be present to discuss the questionnaire.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
C. Playground Equipment – West River Park Play Structure. The Board is asked to authorize the purchase of playground equipment for the West River Park from New England Recreation Group of Westboro, Massachusetts, at a cost of $18,500 (delivered). This purchase will be made using a Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC) contract described in a memorandum from Recreation and Parks Director Carol Lolatte, who will be present to discuss this item. All funds for this equipment were raised privately by the West River Park Committee.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR THE WEST RIVER PARK FROM NEW ENGLAND RECREATION GROUP IN THE AMOUNT OF $18,500.
D. Telecommunications Tower – 1277 Putney Road, Blue Sky Towers LLC (for AT&T Mobility). A petition to erect a wireless communication tower at 1277 Putney Road was filed with the Public Service Board (PSB) by Blue Sky Towers LLC (for AT&T Mobility). The proposed tower is 140 feet tall and would be installed near the rear of the Agway property on Putney Road. The Board is asked to provide comment about the tower to the PSB. Planning Director Rod Francis drafted a letter to Susan Hudson at the PSB, and he will be present to discuss the petition and the draft response. It is expected that Will Dodge, Director of Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Group at Downs Rachlin & Martin, will be present on behalf of Blue Sky Towers.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE LETTER OF COMMENT TO THE VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD AS PRESENTED.
E. Energy Audits for Municipal Buildings. The Board is asked authorize the engagement of Sustainable Energy Education Demonstration Services (SEEDS) and to approve the proposed work plan for the conduct of energy audits in 14 Town facilities. As described in SEEDS’ work plan and in the cover memo from Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland, there are points in this project where information from one phase will determine which of alternate additional analyses will be appropriate for each individual facility. Therefore, the Board also is asked to authorize the Town Manager to make decisions regarding such secondary related energy efficiency analyses, provided the total cost of this project does not exceed $36,220. There currently is $37,592.80 available for this purpose in the Town’s Energy Efficiency Fund.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE ENGAGEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION SERVICES (SEEDS) TO COMPLETE ENERGY AUDITS OF 14 TOWN FACILITIES AND TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO TAKE RELATED ACTIONS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT FOR A TOTAL PRICE NOT TO EXCEED $36,220.
Hmm...is it a permit to sell
Hmm…is it a permit to sell liquor that’s being sought for the soap box derby?
Isn’t this a family/child event? Why would there need to be liquor?
In the notes
“Town staff has concerns about this application.”
Having recently spent an afternoon in the woods with thousands of Germans at a festival outside Buffalo, liquor at events seems pretty ordinary. No problems, even with kegs at every table. The real problem was the heat – I stuck to cold pepsi and water for the day.
New England seems unusually uptight about drinking outdoors. We like to cage people who are sinning. Stay in this area! Don’t cross the line! (We’ve banished smokers to be outdoors, and now complain that people smoke outdoors!)
The rest of the country knows how to do it, successfully, and without much trouble. Street festivals, especially, but also sporting events and other celebrations.
In my imagination I can see a successful soap box derby that has all sorts of things going on, including beer and food trucks. Why have it? It would be fun for people who like that sort of thing, and attract more people.
I can also imagine it without the added food and drink. Less festive for some, but more focused on the event, and attracting more serious soap-box interest.
Not sure either way is better or worse, but we tend to favor the second approach in New England, it seems. It might be nice to find a way to mix it up a bit more.
I think it depends on the
I think it depends on the event. When I lived in Boston ( another puritanical spot!) there were seldom alcoholic beverages sold at events that were advertised as “Family” events. Still lots of food and lemonade, cider, etc. I have to say I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having an event – “family” or otherwise -that doesn’t have liquor. I’m assuming this particular event starts in the early day? And, it’s a pretty specific event – a soap box derby. If it was a fair or block party; a music festival, etc. it would seem that liquor might be more appropriate. I’m sure that soap box derbies now are much different than when I was a kid or even when I was raising my own kids but it still seems like the focus should be watching and enjoying these kids race. A nice frozen lemonade might do the trick for that activity.
Maybe my old age is showing…..