Selectboard Meeting Notes: Our Town Finalists On Hold, Library Hours Restored, Businesses Fined

Artists wondering if they are finalists in the Our Town selection process will be waiting one more week for the final decision of the board, pending the review of one more legit-but-overlooked proposal. The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve the list of finalists at a meeting next week.

Instead, the board was given an overview of the selection process thus far, and a glimpse of the work of the Screening Committee. They approved the Brooks Memorial Library Trustees request to restore lost library hours on Thursdays and Saturdays, approved of a plan to fine local businesses, and accepted what is likely to be the last in a series of radiologically-related grants funded by Entergy.

Preliminaries

Chair David Gartenstein and David Schoales were missing. Alien abduction? Vacation? Their exact location were left to the viewer’s imagination.

Vice-chair Kate O’Connor was in the driver’s seat for this meeting. She said that with two members missing, any decision would require affirmative votes by all three members to be adopted by a majority of the five member board.

O’Connor said that the downtown sidewalk project began on Monday, and things had been progressing smoothly. “Come down, shop and dine. Everything is open,” she said. “You can come downtown.”

Town Manager Peter Elwell had no off-agenda comments, and neither John Allen nor Donna Macomber had committee reports or comments.

There was no Public Participation.

Liquor Commissioners – Special Event Permits

Acting as Liquor Commissioners, the Brattleboro Selectboard approved a series of special event permits for Hermit Thrush Brewery, for “pint nights” on Aug 7, 21, and September 4. Everything was in order and approved for the events at their High Street location.

Town Manager Elwell said that town staff were looking at ways to streamline the process, since approvals such as this have become rather routine.

Kate O’Connor said that it was the board’s obligation as Liquor Commissioners to look at each request. Elwell said it was true, but they were looking to see if there was a way to delegate any business to staff.  He noted that the board, too, in the past, has said it wants to see all requests, however small.

John Allen said he didn’t mind seeing them, but joked that perhaps Hermit Thrush could use a special stamp. “Is there an easier way?”

“We’re wondering that, too,”  said Elwell. He told the board they could expect to hear more on the matter in September.

National Endowment For The Arts Our Town Grant Finalists

The anticipated ratification of the Our Town Screening Committee’s selection of finalists was put on hold for one week, pending a meeting by the committee to review one misplaced proposal.

Town Manager Peter Elwell used some time, however, to explain the work of the Screening Committee thus far, the 34 proposals reviewed, and the one final proposal to be examined and evaluated.

He described the work of the committee as challenging, but that their meeting was also inspiring. “In many ways they were comparing apples and oranges and grapes and bananas,” he explained. “I was impressed by how they organized their work and naturally disagreed about things openly and frankly, but in a constructive and non-confrontational way. It was very positive but lively consideration, from a rich body of proposals.”

The Screening Committee used criteria provided to the artist applicants, as well as a highlighted list of items to consider that were provided by town staff.

He said the group’s members first indicated their own personal rankings of the proposals, then compared notes to see if there was agreement. Some proposals jumped out as clear winners, and others clearly fell short. The committee then focused on the more ambiguous proposals that fell in-between. Elwell said this is where some of the most interesting discussions came about.

“There were lots of ideas, discussions of art and inspiration, and how the proposals related to Brattleboro or make Brattleboro special. Or, how to bring the people of Brattleboro together in a way worthy to the community,” he told the board.

Twelve proposals were then selected. One more, received properly but unfortunately overlooked, will be evaluated this week, and the Selectboard will meet next Tuesday to ratify the recommendations of the Screening Committee.

All proposals are on the town website. Donna Macomber said she had read through most of them, and “it was profoundly motivating to see what comes out of people’s minds when given the opportunity. A kaleidoscope. Inspiring.”

After the selectboard approves of the list of finalists, artists will have until September 11 to present a more detailed proposal. From there, a Selection Committee will hold public meetings to make final recommendations, and the Selectboard will give final approval by October for one or more art projects to proceed.

John Allen hoped the selectboard wouldn’t be required to make any decisions regarding artwork, and Elwell assured him that the Selection Committee would present a final piece of work to approve, and not choose among.

Elwell asked for and got approval from the board to contact some outside experts, on the advice of local experts, to join the Selection Committee. Along with locals, Elwell said outside experts could lend some objectivity to the selection of art, and broaden the perspectives of the committee.

“Therein lies the problem with art,” said Allen. “Art is so subjective and so personal. This process is eye-opening, but it is hard. What you perceive, what I perceive — it could be totally different. Such a broad spectrum.”

Kate Anderson congratulated everyone for this phase of the grant process. “A job very well done for the most recent aspect, “ she said. “The genius and challenge of this grant is the place-making aspect. It will result in something truly wonderful.”

Elwell wrapped up by saying that some of the ambiguity in some proposals came about because a few proposals “didn’t really relate to Brattleboro, but were so neat.” He said that after full review and discussion, though, it was determined that while the proposals were great, they didn’t fit with this particular grant. “Not enough about Brattleboro or the community.”

Restoring Brooks Memorial Library Hours

“Good new business,” announced Kate O’Connor.

The Board of Trustees for the Brooks Memorial Library asked for permission to restore “lost” hours at the library, to be funded with $16,000 from their endowment fund, which now includes a substantial bequest of Ronald Read.

Not-retired-yet Jerry Carbone said that one of the first things the Trustees wanted to do after learning of the bequest was to restore the hours cut from the budget in 2010. He said that a survey done in 2012 indicated it being a top priority for library patrons.

To make it happen, a bit of budget shuffling had to occur. Specifically, the Trustees proposed using the bequest to buy $16,000 worth of books that would typically be bought using their annual budget, and then reduce their regular annual book budget by a corresponding amount and use the balance instead for salaries.

The endowment funds are restricted in their use, and cannot be used for staff salaries.

With line items in budgets adjusted, the Brattleboro Selectboard approved of the plan to restore library operations on Thursday mornings and Saturday afternoons. The restored hours will take effect in mid-September.

“And the world is happy,” said John Allen.

Business Personal Property Fines

“Now on to a not-so-happy topic,” said Kate O’Connor. “Business Personal Property fines.”

Town Assessor Russell Rice explained to the board that 14 local businesses in Brattleboro had failed to fill out their required business property forms, despite multiple warnings.

He asked the board to authorize the Town Assessors office to fine the offending Brattleboro businesses $100 for failing to fill out the form. 

In addition to the fine, each business was publicly named and shamed by the Town Manager.

RERP 2016 Grant

The Vermont Department of Safety has donated a $32,000 grant to reimburse expenses related to activities with Vermont Yankee and the implementation of the Vermont Radiological Emergency Response Plan (RERP).

Peter Elwell said that while the funds had been given annually, this would be the last year of receiving the grant. He said that municipalities in the area surrounding Vermont Yankee had all received funds, used in a variety of ways related to emergency management and radiological emergencies.

“VY put money in a fund for thes state to give to us, but won’t be required to after this year,” explained Kate O’Connor . 

Donna Macomber asked if Entergy could put more money in, voluntarily.

“Entergy has said they will not do it,” said O’Connor.

To end their meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard accepted and appropriated their final radiological-related funds.