The Brattleboro Selectboard had their first discussion of an option to buy the Reformer building on Black Mountain Road to use for a new police station, as well as the process to decide if the property should be purchased at all. Nothing specific was decided, except that public input was required before the Selectboard could feel confident to make a recommendation. Public comment is expected to come at special meetings to be scheduled, and via other informal feedback.
The Our Town grant was awarded, other grants were accepted and applied for, and other special meetings requesting your input will be scheduled to focus on the FY17 budget and the adoption of new Land Use Regulations.
Preliminaries
Downtown sidewalk reconstruction got a few words from Chair David Gartenstein at the start of Tuesday’s meeting. He reported that teams would make sure the sidewalks looked as good as they could for Columbus Day weekend, and that work should now be complete by October 23 or so. He said the work had gone “really, really well,” and that everything is looking better than before.
Gartenstein expressed his doubts about allowing downtown traffic lights to flash, citing his concerns about safety and laws. He said the town, however, would continue to look at the issue of allowing them to flash, if not always than at least some of the time.
Town Manager Peter Elwell had no off-agenda comments. For board comments and committee reports, Donna Macomber reported that Brattleboro Memorial Hospital would be funding a flashing light at Canal and Belmont for safety. She thanked BMH. David Schoales reported that Planet Gas was now gone, sidewalks would be poured, and soon cars would be able to park at the site of the former gas station and parking lot.
There was no Public Participation, nor was there a Kate O’Connor.
Liquor Commissioners
Acting as Liquor Commissioners, the board approved a special event permit for Whetstone Cider Works. They’ll have permission to give a tasting during the Cotton Mill Open Studio and Holiday Sale, scheduled for December 4, 5, and 6.
NEA Our Town Grant Project Contract
The $56,000 NEA Our Town contract was officially given to Andrea Wasserman, Elizabeth Billings and Evie Lovett, for the project they submitted entitled “From the River, To the River.” The project envisions a multimedia conversation about our connection to the Connecticut river, and will involve installations of benches and projections as well as opportunities for community involvement.
The proposal is available to read in detail at the town’s website.
Two “contingency projects” were also approved. If the river project is unable to be completed, “Brattleboro: Symphony of a Town,” submitted by Andy Reichsman at $46,000, and a performance module of the Southern Vermont Dance Festival proposal at $10,000, will be implemented.
The board thanked all the committee members for their hard and serious work, as well as everyone who submitted a proposal.
Police Fire Facilities Project
Ready for another round of Police and Fire facility planning?
The latest development in the 20+ year plan to upgrade Brattleboro’s Police and Fire facilities is an option to locate the new Police station on Black Mountain Road in the north end of Brattleboro.
Town Manager Peter Elwell began by stating the necessity of the project, which has been delayed along with regular routine maintenance for decades.
He said that eight properties in the north end were considered as part of a change of scope and attempt to reduce the scale of the project earlier this year. The Black Mountain property was chosen as the best option and, if selected, would save close to a million compared to using an improved Municipal Center space for the police.
“It’s a very viable alternative,” he said, ”but we need to hear from the community about relocating the police department from downtown. How acceptable is it, to save a million in project costs?”
Under the north end option, if chosen, the town would purchase and renovate the Reformer building, and lease back 2,000 square feet of space to them. This building, Elwell explained, is large, well-built, and allows for flexible use of the space. This would meet the needs of the department for two generations.
Two plans for the Municipal Center location are also being considered. One is similar in scope to the previous plans but reduces the size of an addition to the building, and the other is a reduced footprint within the existing Municipal Center that would require substantial re-working of existing spaces. Both new Municipal Center plans would be considered one-generation improvements with their new designs. Elwell said some of the long term needs of the departments, after closer review, are luxuries we can’t currently afford.
The West Brattleboro Fire Station plans have not changed, and a new wood-frame building is still planned as a replacement for the current facility. The general feeling is this building has already been reduced to its minimal functional requirements.
Plans for Central Fire Station in downtown have been revised. The idea of a 3-story building has been scrapped, and a slightly revised 2-story option is being presented as the new, more cost-effective choice, saving $550,000 but adding about $100,000 in redesign costs. This would eliminate the 3rd floor Emergency Operations Center (EOC), something Elwell said was rarely needed, and revise the layout of the remaining floors.
A better, shared, community space could be better developed later, noted Elwell, that could be used for an EOC in emergencies, if the town has the need for one.
Voters are now presented with a combination of options.
Option A is to move the police to Black Mountain Road, do West Brattleboro Fire as planned, and do the reduced Central Station. This is the lowest cost option and comes in at an estimated $12,750,000.
Option B is to keep the police at the Municipal Center with similar plans as before, do West Brattleboro Fire as planned, and do the reduced Central Station. This would cost an estimated $13,750,000.
Option C is to keep the police at the Municipal Center with a reduced footprint, do West Brattleboro Fire as planned, and do the reduced Central Station. This would cost an estimated $13,900,000. Why would a reduced size cost more? If selected, this option calls for using renovated basement space at the Municipal Center, and those renovations cost a bit more.
Option D is to do all three as previously planned, at an updated-for-inflation cost of $15 million.
David Gartenstein asked the Chief of Police if he had any reservations about being able to serve the town if the station moved north.
Chief Fitzgerald said that they were still gathering data about response times, use of the Municipal Center by the public, drive times to known locations, and other information, but his feeling is that most work is done on patrol and out in cars, in different sectors of town. While some police will respond from the offices, more often they will be out and around town.
He said the department would have data to share with the public in coming months, but his preliminary review “shows me it doesn’t matter where headquarters is at.”
David Schoales asked about a sub station at the Transportation Center, and Elwell told him $25,000 was in the budget to outfit a room to be used as space for police when downtown.
The discussion then moved to the topic of an option to purchase the Reformer property. Elwell explained an option to buy was necessary. “Because the public conversation will take time, it is important for us to secure the opportunity to make a purchase.”
There was much emphasizing that this was not a purchase of any property. The seller can line up back-up buyers, Elwell said. It does buy the town some time, though.
The option to buy agreement calls for the Town to pay $20,000 to secure the property until March 31, 2016, allowing for debate, discussion, and Town Meeting Representatives to decide. If the decision is to purchase the property, the Town would pay another $10,000 to again secure the property until June 30, 2016, allowing for time to make the purchase.
If there are snags, the Town can pay another $10,000 to secure the property one more time until September 30, 2016. This would allow for time for a town-wide vote to reconsider the actions of town meeting representatives, for example, if necessary.
Brattleboro can purchase the property at any time under the option. The purchase price will be $720,000 plus 50% of all option payments. Total purchase price will be $735,000 or $740,000, depending on whether the third option is required.
Other possibilities exist. If none of these alternatives are approved, the current facilities would still require millions of dollars of improvements, and would continue to be outdated in terms of modern needs of the departments.
The contract for the option agreement will be made available to the public, and the Selectboard hopes to vote to approve it at their next meeting if possible.
The final part of the board’s discussion was around the process going forward. They decided that public comment and questions were a good next step, before they made any further decisions.
Gartenstein cautioned that the tax impact could be substantial, and insisted the public weigh in on this, to help them gauge public sentiment before making decisions about what direction to pursue.
Special public meetings to describe the needs and alternatives and to take public comment will be held during November and December. In late December or early January the Selectboard hopes to be able to make an official recommendation.
In February there could be a Special Representative Town Meeting to authorize the new plans and financing. This meeting would be to allow for full discussion and debate without putting pressure on the normally full March Representative Town meeting agenda. A February vote by representatives could allow for accurate budget numbers to be inserted in the March agenda.
It could also, as Gartenstein pointed out, allow for extra opportunities for challenges by the general electorate, if so desired.
Assuming a positive outcome of voters and representatives, new bonds could be applied for in the spring, plans could be finalized in the summer, and construction could begin next fall.
Schoales suggested when they present information at public meetings, they included total life cycle costs, not just the impact of the bond by itself.
John Allen made what is becoming a regular plea for the public to get involved. “You can’t just come in at the 13th hour and cry foul,” he said. “You have to get involved right from the beginning.” He added it wasn’t fair if people just came at the end, and that the project “really has to happen.”
FY17 Budget Special Meetings
It’s budget season for the Brattleboro Selectboard, and special meeting scheduling is in full swing. To prepare the FY17 budget for presentation to voters, a series of special Selectboard meetings will be held in November and December to review budget details.
Town Manager Elwell gave a bit of preview, noting first that he had not completed the comprehensive review of town operations in time for this year’s budget process as he had hoped, but also that the work done thus far shows him that the town budget has already been trimmed rather lean.
This year will be like other years, he said. He’s asked department heads to provide a level or reduced budget to him for FY17. “We can’t afford extras.”
An official budget is coming at the end of the month, he told the board, but some early numbers are known.
He said that while he advises not using the fund balance to reduce taxes, there might be a bit of a surplus and “it is an unusual year.” He reminded the board that the great deal ($1.97) for oil in the spring was paid for with last year’s funds and must be paid back this year, about $40,000.
Benefit costs, of course, are up. And raises for employees need to be considered.
His early ballpark estimate for the budget was that it would be up $90,000 over last year.
All of the details will be discussed at special meetings scheduled in November, on the 10th and 24th, making for a series of six in a row weekly Selectboard meetings with big topics
Land Use Regulation Special Meetings
In anticipation of approving Brattleboro’s new Land Use (ie, Zoning) Regulations, the Brattleboro Selectboard has scheduled two special Selectboard meetings, on October 27 and November 10, for public hearings and comment.
Sue Fillion of the Planning Services department said the new regulations were presented in detail earlier this year at a series of special meetings before the Selectboard, have been reviewed and endorsed by the Planning Commission after two public hearings, and are approaching final approval and adoption.
She said once the board warns the public meetings officially, the town will review all new applications under the new guidelines.
John Allen asked and was reassured that people could still come at the last moment and object. Fillion said the board could adopt them, make changes, ask for changes, or send them back.
Bulletproof Vest Grant
The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, gave the Brattleboro Police $2,047.54 from the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant for bulletproof vests.
Elwell noted that small grants like these take pressure off the budget by paying for things we need.
JAG 2015 Grant
The Brattleboro Police received a JAG 2015 grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The $17,062 will be used for community policing, major accident investigations, and tactical unit expenses.
LSTA Resources Sharing Grant
The Brattleboro Selectboard accepted and appropriated $2,796 from the LSTA Resources Sharing program of the Vermont Department of Libraries. The money, of course, will be used for resource sharing.
Vermont Community Foundation Grant for Skatepark
The Recreation and Parks department, along with the skatepark committee (BASIC), have been given permission to apply for a $500 grant from the Dunham-Mason Fund, administered by the Vermont Community Foundation. The money would go toward design and construction.
The board also authorized Town Manager Elwell to sign a “fiscal sponsor agreement for competitive grant rounds” to act as fiscal agent for the BASIC committee.
Elizabeth McCloughlin said that this was the first of many grants currently underway for the skatepark. “We’ll be rolling them out like hotcakes.” Waiting for Act 250 amendment for Living Memorial Park has slowed the project once again, and hinders other fundraising efforts.
My guess on Police Fire
I doubt anyone will want the $15 mil option.
If the north end really seems to provide equal police service, I doubt anyone will want anything except the cheapest option. That is, I expect most people to say, sure, let’s move north to save some money as long as service remains the same.
I think even the cheapest option will seem a bit expensive to do all at once for many people, but it also seems like what it will cost to get the three buildings done. Is there a distinct advantage to doing them all at once, or is there any financial advantage to staggering them, even a bit?
I do find the town being landlord to the daily paper to be an interesting situation.
Can you elaborate?
“I do find the town being landlord to the daily paper to be an interesting situation.”
Rental
The north end plan calls for leasing 2,000 sq ft back to the current owner, presumably so they can keep working there. It also provides income to offset any loss of taxable income on the property on grand list, they say.