Selectboard Meeting Notes – Business Not Quite As Usual

A few atypical work items were undertaken by the Brattleboro Selectboard at Tuesday’s meeting. These are things that boards do, but just not that often. 

The board bought and sold property, announced a new library director, held a close-out hearing on a Brooks House grant that got a bit heated, and contemplated long-term strategies for staffing and economic development. Plans for public meetings on the Police-Fire project’s latest form were also set, and more.

Preliminaries

Chair David Gartenstein reminded people that train tracks are dangerous places and should not be walked upon. This was in response to the weekend death of someone hit by a train just north of downtown.

Town Manager Peter Elwell wanted everyone to know that the Parking Enforcement Office hours at the Transportation Center would be reduced for a temporary period of time, to 10 am until 4 pm. Staff should be there, he said, unless they are out, in which case they’ll leave a note saying when they’ll be back.

Elwell said the FY17 budget was now available online on the town’s website, and it will be up for discussion along with land use regulations at the next meeting. “Next Tuesday is a significant night.”

Elwell said a new director for the library had been found in Binghamton, N.Y. and will be taking over where Jerry Carbone leaves off. He said the new hire has steered a four-county library system, worked at a Berkeley, CA library, chaired the Newberry awards for children’s literature, and is well qualified. The decision to hire her was unanimous. (Her name sounded like “Star Electronica,” but that can’t be right.)

For Selectboard comments and committee reports, David Schoales reported that new budgets for the Waste Management District were being formulated, and there was a likelihood of a reduction in the assessment paid by Brattleboro.

Elwell noted that another possible area of savings might come from switching garbage collection to an every other week schedule. The success of composting, he said, makes it possible to consider.

Kate O’Connor announced the coming of the Today Show, with Al Roker attempting to set a record for weather forecasts in every state within one week. She invited all to the Brooks House for his visit at 9 p.m. “It’ll be fun so everybody come down.”

Pas de participation publique.

Liquor Commissioners

Hermit Thrush Brewery was granted another special event permit, this time to celebrate their one-year anniversary of brewing (and asking for special event permits.)

Their special event will be held November 21 from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

Kate O’Connor said they were “just the type of business we need” and that there was a lot to celebrate.

Police-Fire Project Meetings, Postcard, and Option Agreement

As has been previously announced, the Brattleboro Selectboard will be holding three special meetings for the purpose of discussing in detail any and all questions relating to the latest incarnation of the Police-Fire facilities project.

The meetings are scheduled and confirmed as follows:

• Saturday, November 21, at 9:00am, in the Green Street School gymnasium

• Monday, November 30, at 6:00pm, in the Academy School gymnasium (BCTV will tape and rebroadcast this meeting; ASL interpreters will be available)

• Wednesday, December 2, at 6:00pm, in the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS) multipurpose room.

A postcard with reminder information will be sent to Brattleboro residences and businesses. The board voted in favor of the $2,389 cost for production and mailing of a 6 x 8 inch card, and will work with the Town Manager on what it should say and how it should look.

The long-awaited Option Agreement contract for a possible purchase of 62 Black Mountain Road… is still awaited.

John Allen’s suggestion of a banner for Main Street was entertained but deemed to costly and/or time-consuming.

Police Officer Recruitment and Retention

The Brattleboro Selectboard authorized the Town Manager to “occasionally and strategically overfill the complement of Police Officers” in Brattleboro in an effort to keep the ranks full while dealing with a long training process and regular turnover.

Town Manager Elwell said the new approach would be to use the traditional budget for 27 officers in a different way. In the past, positions would go unfilled and the budget would often return a small surplus as a result. Now, rather than be understaffed, we’d be slightly overstaffed for short periods of time.

Chief of Police Mike Fitzgerald said that the goal is to hire more than 27 officers in order to maintain the full 27 member force. 

New hires typically go through a 10 month hiring period that involves background checks, various physical and medical tests, orientation, police academy training and 3 months of field training. This time lag causes the department to be short by a couple of staff each year, he told the board.

Fitzgerald said Brattleboro loses, on average, 2.5 police officers per year in addition to being short due to officers in training. John Allen jokingly asked how we lose half a person. More seriously, he wondered why it hadn’t been done before. The Chief said he’d only been in his new position a year.

Over the last five years, the Chief informed the board, Brattleboro often has just 24 officers on hand. many currently work beyond their 10 hour shifts. “Sometimes 16 hours.” The Chief said much of his overtime budget goes directly to covering shifts.

Fitzgerald characterized it as “a perpetual shortage” that could be eliminated by strategically over-hiring and anticipating annual departures. He predicted a decrease in overtime costs and an increase in morale, as well.

David Gartenstein said they want to fill positions, but also to raise the salaries to competitive levels for entry level positions.

Repurchase of Bagely Property on Akley Road

Brattleboro “acquired” a 1.7 acre property owned by Christopher and Andrew Bagley on Akley Road after no one else bid on it at a tax sale in 2014. 

While it was not redeemed within the allotted year, Andrew Bagley has made an offer to repurchase the property for $4870.06.  The Brattleboro Selectboard accepted the offer, and will publish a notice of a quitclaim deed to make it official.

Finance Director John O’Connor told the board that the offer includes payment of the tax sale bid, plus 2014 and 2015 property taxes, a propert transfer tax, Town Clerk fees, and additional legal fees.

He said the Town is not allowed to profit of the sale of property acquired in a tax sale, and that residents have 30 days from the official publication of the sale to object, by petition of 5%, to the conveyance.

O’Connor said it could have been sold to anyone after the year was up, but Bagley came back and requested it.

805 Western Avenue Grant Funded Buy-Out

The board authorized the Town Manager to undetake a FEMA Voluntary Transaction Agreement for the purchase of the property at 805 Western Avenue, with a deadline.

As Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland explained, the property was severely damaged by Irene flooding in 2011, and Brattleboro applied for and received Vermont Emergency Management funding to purchase and demolish the structure, thereby returning the property to open space and removing a perceived public safety threat. No new development at that location would be allowed.

The town will offer $194,644.15 of grant funds for the damaged property.

The project, however, has a potential problem. In the past three years, no clear title to the property could be found. The clock is ticking, said Moreland. If Brattleboro does not take action on this property soon, the town’s participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) could be at risk for allowing a property to violate code for so long.

With that in mind, the board put a six month (May 5) time limit on the offer to buy the property. If the title cannot be produced in that amount of time, Brattleboro will switch gears and take action in environmental court to bring the property into compliance with our flood hazard regulations.

John Allen asked why the town would want to take a property off the tax map if it could be rebuilt? The short answer from Rod Francis was that the cost would be prohibitive.

As for why the title could not be produced, everyone was mystified. A few theories surfaced, but no hard facts.

Brooks House VCDP Grant Final Public Hearing

As many will recall, Brattleboro provided $800,000 in grant funds to Mesabi, LLC to aid in the purchase, rehab and renovation of the Brooks House. The funds came from the Vermont Community Development Fund, which requires those receiving funds to report back to the town at the end of the term of their grant.

The project was completed earlier this year, and features 23 apartments, commercial office, retail, and restaurant spaces.

Grants manager Kim Ellison told the board that the final Public Hearing was a necessary step before closing out the grant. The minutes would be added to the final report.

The public hearing was opened. 

Bob Stevens of Mesabi thanked the town for its role in sponsoring the grants management process for the Brooks House project. He called it a “significant tool” to help the project.

David Gartenstein said that there had been a substantial risk of blight in the downtown area following the fire and Irene. Because the building was important to the community, town staff committed substantial effort to its rehabilitation. He said he was glad to see it back in business.

John Allen asked Stevens “How are things going?”

Stevens replied that they were a year in to operating the building, and were still learning. A few of the larger apartments have come available and there are still retail vacancies, he said, but occupancy was “getting there” and overall he was very pleased.

“We’re still working on a park out back,” he reported.

Gartenstein had a few words about the park out back. “At the time we approved support of this, there was a commitment to leave the tunnel open from High Street to Harmony lot. There is substantial public interest in keeping the tunnel open.” He said the town has asked for a lease agreement to keep it open, but none had been offered.

Stevens said that Gartenstein’s recollection was contrary to the facts. “I’m not sure where you came up with your view there is an agreement in place, but you are mistaken.” 

“You did request a proposal to lease it,” he continued,” but I’m not sure we are going to respond.” He said they had other plans in place, and that it was private property.

Stevens said the record shows that a trade for property to help straighten boundary lines. “To come back and imply there is some sort of agreement…”

Gartenstein dug in. “The initial site plan showed the tunnel closed and the town requested a site plan showing it open, and that was the way the site plan was approved when this support was provided. Many in the community believe keeping it open is in the public interest.”

“You are disappointed,” said Stevens.

“Many are disappointed,” countered Gartenstein. He said he wasn’t sure there was broad support to construct a park.

Stevens countered, saying that many believed the tunnel should be kept closed. “The town never asked to have the site plan changed.” He said that a tenant, a college, wanted it kept open, but has since changed their mind.  “It’s not a town conversation,” said. “It had nothing to do with negotiations with the town.”

Gartenstein said that the Town Manager at the time said the request to keep the tunnel open had been passed along, and a new site plan showed it being open.

“With all due respect, Mr. Chair,” said John Allen,  “You keep saying ‘we’  but I’m in favor of it being closed. I want to go on record.”

And the public hearing was closed.

Committee Vacancies

Vacancies in the Regional Economic Hub Study Group, Development Review Board, and Traffic Safety Committee have been announced. Brattleboro will be announcing committee vacancies as they occur from now on, to help fill positions more quickly.

Deadline for applications to the Town Manager’s Office is November 20. Appointments will be made at the December 1 Selectboard meeting.

Economic Development Strategy Discussion

For many years, the Selectboard has mentioned economic development in yearly goals, but has never held a formal discussion of the issue until Tuesday night, when Town Manager Elwell listed how the town engages in economic development activities, and asked the board to approve continuing in the current manner.

Elwell said that municipalities approach economic development in a variety of ways, from fully-staffed recruitment efforts to hands-off, free market approaches. Brattleboro, he said, has fluctuated between approaches and has not been consistant over time.

Current economic development work is shared by the Town Manager’s Office and the Planning Department, with other staff and board members working together as needs arise. Elwell said he didn’t think the town needed full-time staff devoted to the matter, especially with other organizations and individuals in town working full-time on economic development.

“I conclude with certainty that we’re in a good place,” he reported, though he admitted more could always be done.

While no major change is needed, Elwell noted that Brattleboro tends to be reactive more than proactive on issues of economic importance. He said that one role for the town was to create an inviting environment and prepare opportunities for businesses to succeed. Another was to provide guidance and expert resources for community development block grants.

He listed Town effort in the previous nine months as examples of town economic development work, including:

– A partnership with Vermont and BDCC to help G.S. Precision expand facilities and employment.

– Participation in SeVEDS.

– Participating in “Entergy money”

– Representation on the Windham Regional Commission

– Working with Downtown Brattleboro Alliance

Other work includes the formation of a Regional Economic Hub Working Group and the Small Business Assistance Program.

Ongoing efforts include helping businesses with planning and navigation of necessary rules and regulations. Those businesses won’t likely be large industries so much as smaller operations. Elwell said it was a “”changing landscape” and  that the “cumulative impact of small opportunities will lead to a healthier Brattleboro.”

Donna Macomber said our size, budget, and resources allowed us to benefit from “this degree of intersectionality” and allowed for us to consider many factors.

Elwell said the goals that guide the town’s work are to increase the Grand List, increase employment, and increase vitality in concert with the Town Plan and the best interests of Brattleboro. He said that worries about Brattleboro being challenged by being a small town might be misplaced, and that we have opportunities. “We know and see one another. There’s not much bureaucracy to cut through.”

The bottom line, he said, was to do more of the same, pay attention, watch, and be nimble.

Kate O’Connor felt that they were being more thoughtful now, and that perhaps closing VY had led to new efforts to work together in new ways. “For first time, we’ve engaged the state like never before. We’re in a better place than a year ago.”

John Allen said he didn’t “get” economic development, and asked if we were actively trying to recruit businesses.

Elwell said that the town isn’t actively recruiting so much as making conditions favorable and inviting, and making sure town actions are helpful. Simply being responsive and answering questions can make a difference.

“Economic development is always brought up,” said Allen, “and this is the most we’ve talked about it. Isn’t that what a town is supposed to do?”

Elwell said the conversations were often couched in “old style” terms. “Very rarely will we have a big score like Commonwealth. It’s not a failure if we have lots of small successes, and not one big hit.”

David Schoales said he has noticed that the town is busy again, and that he can see that many little things can add up. He felt that the conversation was a start, not an end, and that they should always look for ways to do better. He felt having organizations come and talk with the board might be a good idea.

Rod Francis suggested the state tax burden be examined and compared with local taxes. “Does our tax program look encouraging for business growth or is it a drag?”

Schoales said he liked the new geek businesses and techie organizations, and felt that they help keep kids around here.

To wrap things up, Adam Griswold of BDCC said that everyone’s understanding of economic issues was increasing, and that there were many things that could be done. He said he looked forward to working together and talking more in the future.

One More Thing

Before departing, Donna Macomber thanked the ASL interpreters for their work keeping up with the meetings. They got a round of applause.