The awaited Option Agreement to lock-in a chance to purchase a property at 62 Black Mountain Road has materialized and will be signed (if there is no objection) at the Brattleboro Selectboard’s next meeting. No property is bought, but some money is spent.
Brattleboro Land Use regulations may or may not be adopted, and may or may not be sent back to the Planning Commission for further work. It all depends on if the board is satisfied that any changes to the current draft are minor edits. One of the changes requested, though, isn’t minor. We’ll see how this gets resolved.
Also on the agenda, tax stabilization agreements for local farms, a report on town energy consumption, and more. Attend in person or watch on BCTV, and read about it here after the meeting.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:00pm to discuss contracts, labor relations agreements with employees, and the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options, and then reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:00PM REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – October 27 and November 3
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Educational Sampling Event – Holiday Beer & Wine Tasting at Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center, Brattleboro Food Co-Op
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project Option Agreement for Possible Future Purchase of 62 Black Mountain Road
B. Proposed Zoning Code/Land Use Regulation Amendments (LUR) – Possible Adoption of Land Use Regulations dated October 1, 2015
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, October
B. Farmland Tax Stabilization Program – (i) New Agreement – Kayan and Burlett, Wild Carrot Farm (ii) Revised Agreement – Bailey, Fair Winds Farm (iii) Waiver Committee Determinations – Thurber/Ellis, Robb, Chamberlin
C. FY17 Budget (i) Projected Revenues (ii) Proposed Capital Expenditures
D. Energy Committee – Report on Town Energy Consumption
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: November 12, 2015
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:00pm to discuss contracts, labor relations agreements with employees, and the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Educational Sampling Event – Holiday Beer & Wine Tasting at Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center, Brattleboro Food Co-Op. The Board is asked to approve the Educational Sampling Event Permit from Brattleboro Food Co-op for the Fourth Annual Holiday Beer and Wine Tasting event at the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center, 10 Vernon Street, on Friday, December 11, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. A representative from the Brattleboro Food Co-op will be present.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL SAMPLING EVENT PERMIT FROM BRATTLEBORO FOOD CO-OP FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY BEER AND WINE TASTING EVENT AT THE BRATTLEBORO MUSEUM AND ARTS CENTER, 10 VERNON STREET, ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, FROM 5:30PM TO 8:00PM.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Option Agreement for Possible Future Purchase of 62 Black Mountain Road. The Board is asked to approve the Option Agreement to Purchase Real Estate. The Agreement will provide the Town with an option to purchase property located at 62 Black Mountain Road for the purpose of relocating the Police Department if that action is later approved by the Selectboard and Representative Town Meeting. More information about such an option will be provided at the public information sessions on Saturday, November 21, at 9:00am at the Green Street School gym; on Monday, November 30, at 6:00pm at the Academy School gym; and on Wednesday, December 2, at 6:00pm at the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS) multi-purpose room.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE OPTION AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE REAL ESTATE, AS PRESENTED.
B. Proposed Zoning Code/Land Use Regulation Amendments (LUR) – Possible Adoption of Land Use Regulations dated October 1, 2015. At the November 10 Selectboard meeting, the Board held a final public hearing to hear proposed amendments to Brattleboro’s Land Use Regulations (LUR). At that meeting, the Board asked Planning Director Rod Francis to provide additional information on two specific matters. Enclosed in the Board’s packets are two memos from Francis. The Board is asked to take one of the following actions: (1) vote on a motion to adopt the LUR as drafted; or (2) make minor (non-substantive) amendments and vote on a motion to adopt the LUR; or (3) send the draft back to the Planning Commission with suggested areas for change.
POTENTIAL MOTIONS:
TO ADOPT THE LAND USE REGULATIONS DATED OCTOBER 1, 2015, AS DRAFTED.
– OR –
TO ADOPT THE LAND USE REGULATIONS DATED OCTOBER 1, 2015, WITH MINOR (NON-SUBSTANTIVE) AMENDMENTS MADE AT THIS MEETING.
– OR –
TO SEND THE DRAFT LAND USE REGULATIONS DATED OCTOBER 1, 2015, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH SUGGESTED AREAS FOR CHANGE AS DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING.
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, October. Finance Director John O’Connor will be present to discuss the monthly financial report for October.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. Farmland Tax Stabilization Program – (i) New Agreement – Kayan and Burlett, Wild Carrot Farm (ii) Revised Agreement – Bailey, Fair Winds Farm (iii) Waiver Committee Determinations – Thurber/Ellis, Robb, Chamberlin.
(i) The Board is asked to approve the new Farmland Tax Stabilization Agreement with Jesse Kayan and Caitlin Burlett (Wild Carrot Farm). The details on the farm land are set forth in the Memo from Town Assessor Russell Rice, dated November 6, 2015.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE NEW FARMLAND TAX STABILIZATION AGREEMENT WITH JESSE KAYAN AND CAITLIN BURLETT (WILD CARROT FARM), AS PRESENTED.
(ii) The Board is asked to approve the revised Farmland Tax Stabilization Agreement with Jay A. Bailey and Janet Bailey (Fair Winds Farm). The Bailey agreement was previously approved by the Board on March 18, 2014, but the property being farmed changed to accommodate the Wild Carrot Farm. The Bailey agreement will not change but the Exhibit A has been revised. Details on the revised farm land are set forth in the Memo from Town Assessor Russell Rice, dated November 6, 2015.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE REVISED FARMLAND TAX STABILIZATION AGREEMENT WITH JAY A. BAILEY AND JANET BAILEY (FAIR WINDS FARM), AS REVISED.
(iii) The Farmland Tax Stabilization Waiver Committee, consisting of Selectboard member Kate O’Connor, Town Manager Elwell and Finance Director O’Connor, met with the owners of three farms to discuss unique circumstances that occurred this past year for three farms in the Farmland Tax Stabilization Program, being farms owned by Thurber/Ellis, Robb Family, and Chamberlin. The Waiver Committee recommends that the Thurber/Ellis farm and Robb family farms be allowed to remain in the program and that the Chamberlin farm no longer participate in the program, effective with the beginning of fiscal year 2017. Town Manager Elwell will summarize the meetings of the farmers with the Waiver Committee.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE FARMLAND TAX STABILIZATION PROGRAM FOR THE THURBER/ELLIS FARM AND THE ROBB FAMILY FARM, AND TO RESCIND THE AGREEMENT FOR THE CHAMBERLIN FARM, ALL EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2016.
C. FY17 Budget (i) Projected Revenues (ii) Proposed Capital Expenditures
The Board will hold several meetings over the next two months to discuss the FY17 budget. Town Manager Elwell and applicable department heads will discuss projected revenues and proposed capital expenditures at this meeting.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
D. Energy Committee – Report on Town Energy Consumption. A member from the Energy Committee will be present to discuss this matter.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
