It’s time for another Selectboard meeting, and time for them to make some decisions about the Waste Management District budget, changing from weekly trash pickup, and single stream recyling.
They’ll also ponder the Police Fire Facilities project, award a bid for Elliot Street bridge repairs, approve some grants, and hear the annual report from the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (formerly the Downtown Alliance, formerly Building a Better Brattleboro).
You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation. Attend in person, watch on BCTV, or read about it hear after the meeting.….
The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contracts, labor relations agreements with employees, and pending probable civil litigation to which the public body is or may be a party. The Board will reconvene the regular business meeting at 6:15pm.
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
….
BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – November 24, November 30, December 1, and December 2
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. First Class Liquor License – Dunch, Inc., d/b/a The Flamingo Diner
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – (i) Should the Projects be Divided and Phased? (ii) Does the Selectboard Want/Need Any Additional Alternatives? (iii) Schedule for Decisions, Warning Approval, Straw Poll, and Representative Town Meeting Action
B. Solid Waste Matters – (i) Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) Proposed FY17 Budget (ii) Collection Contract with Triple T Trucking (a) Frequency of Garbage Collection (b) Single Stream Recycling (c) Contract Extension
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Elliot Street Bridge Repair – (i) VTrans’ Alternatives (ii) Right-of-Way and Finance and Maintenance Agreement
B. Award Contract – Green Street Retaining Wall, Department of Public Works
C. Financial Report – Monthly Report, November
D. Community Development Block Grant – Approve Enhancement Request, Portfolio Enhancement III, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust VCDP Implementation Grant
E. Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (f/k/a Downtown Alliance and Building a Better Brattleboro) – Work Plan, Budget and Town Meeting Article
F. Hazard Mitigation Plan – Approval
G. Design Review Committee – Creation and Schedule for Appointments
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
B. Department Monthly Reports
12. MEETINGS
See enclosed Town Calendar
13. ADJOURNMENT
….
MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: Peter B. Elwell, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: December 10, 2015
———–
The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, December 15, 2015. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contracts, labor relations agreements with employees, and pending or probable civil litigation. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. First Class Liquor License – Dunch, Inc., d/b/a The Flamingo Diner. The Board is asked to approve the first class liquor license for Dunch, Inc., d/b/a The Flamingo Diner, located at 209 Canal Street.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FIRST CLASS LIQUOR LICENSE FOR DUNCH, INC., D/B/A THE FLAMINGO DINER, LOCATED AT 209 CANAL STREET.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None.
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – (i) Should the Projects be Divided and Phased? (ii) Does the Selectboard Want/Need Any Additional Alternatives? (iii) Schedule for Decisions, Warning Approval, Straw Poll, and Representative Town Meeting Action.
The Board recently held three special meetings (on November 21, November 30, and December 2) at various locations to provide information to the public and hear comments from the public regarding several alternatives for repairing and upgrading the Police and Fire Stations. Between now and late January 2016, the Board will consider different specific topics each week in order to determine how to proceed on this project.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. Solid Waste Matters – (i) Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) Proposed FY17 Budget (ii) Collection Contract with Triple T Trucking (a) Frequency of Garbage Collection (b) Single Stream Recycling (c) Contract Extension
WSWMD Budgetary Matters
At the December 1 Selectboard meeting, representatives from WSWMD presented the WSWMD’s proposed FY17 budget. The Board requested additional information from the WSWMD and asked that the representatives meet with Town staff to discuss and possibly revise portions of the WSWMD budget. A staff level meeting occurred on December 2, followed by an emergency meeting of the WSWMD’s Finance Committee on December 3. At the December 8 Selectboard meeting, the Board heard an update about the results from those meetings (which focused on the creation of a fee for service revenue model for apportioning WSWMD costs, rather than on modifications to the FY17 budget) and deferred further consideration of this matter to the December 15 meeting. On December 10, Town representatives will attend a meeting of the full WSWMD Board of Supervisors and the results of that meeting will be presented and discussed at the December 15 Selectboard meeting.
TTT Matters
At the December 1 Selectboard meeting, the Board deferred consideration of this matter to the December 15 meeting so that it could be considered in the context of whatever may be resolved regarding the WSWMD’s budgetary matters.
POTENTIAL MOTIONS: TBD
10. NEW BUSINESS A. Elliot Street Bridge Repair – (i) VTrans’ Alternatives (ii) Right-of-Way and Finance and Maintenance Agreement. The Board will receive a presentation from Jennifer Fitch of VTrans and other members of the project team. This is a VTrans project for which the Town will provide a 2. per cent funding match. Town staff also is providing in-kind assistance to the project team, which is moving on an extremely expedited schedule with the intent of bidding the project this winter and constructing it during the Spring/Summer of 2016.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. Award Contract – Green Street Retaining Wall, Department of Public Works. The Board is asked to award the bid for the Green Street retaining wall project to Renaud Brothers, of Vernon Vermont, for a total of $386,379, which includes Alternate 2 (sidewalk replacement). Five bids were received and Renaud Brothers submitted the lowest bid.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD THE BID FOR THE GREEN STREET RETAINING WALL PROJECT, INCLUDING ALTERNATE 2 (SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT), TO RENAUD BROTHERS OF VERNON, VERMONT, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $386,379.
C. Financial Report – Monthly Report, November. Finance Director John O’Connor will be present to discuss the November financial report.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
D. Community Development Block Grant – Approve Enhancement Request, Portfolio Enhancement III, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust VCDP Implementation Grant. The Board is asked to authorize a $45,000 enhanced application request to the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) to support the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) Portfolio Enhancement III project, as set forth in the memo dated December 7 from Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE A $45,000 ENHANCED APPLICATION REQUEST TO THE VERMONT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE WINDHAM & WINDSOR HOUSING TRUST PORTFOLIO ENHANCEMENT III PROJECT.
E. Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (f/k/a Downtown Alliance and Building a Better Brattleboro) – Work Plan, Budget and Town Meeting Article. The Town’s designated downtown organization, Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (DBA), is required to appear before the Selectboard in December of each year and present its annual budget for approval by the Board. Representatives from DBA will be present to discuss the organization’s FY17 budget. The Board is also asked to add an Article to the Warning for the Representative Town Meeting on March 19, 2016.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL WORK PLAN AND BUDGET OF DOWNTOWN BRATTLEBORO ALLIANCE AS SUBMITTED, AND TO ADD THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE TO THE REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING WARNING FOR 2016: “TO SEE IF THE TOWN WILL VOTE TO RAISE AND APPROPRIATE THE SUM OF $78,000 THROUGH THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ON PROPERTIES WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (AS APPROVED BY TOWN MEETING ON MARCH 19, 2005, AND AS DELINEATED IN THE TOWN ORDINANCE ENTITLED MUNICIPAL ACT TO ESTABLISH AND REGULATE THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT) TO BE USED FOR THE CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS OF PROJECTS OF THE TOWN’S DULY DESIGNATED DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATION.”
F. Hazard Mitigation Plan – Approval. The Board is asked to adopt the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), entitled “2015 All Hazard Mitigation Plan, Town of Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont.” The LHMP has been approved by FEMA Region 1, pending adoption by the Board. A copy of the LHMP can be obtained from the Town’s Planning Services Department.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ADOPT THE LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, ENTITLED “2015 ALL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO, WINDHAM COUNTY, VERMONT.”
G. Design Review Committee – Creation and Schedule for Appointments. The newly adopted Land Use Regulations (LUR) established a Historic Resource Overlay District which provides for design review, as set forth the in the memo dated December 2 from Planning Director Rod Francis. The Board is asked to establish a Design Review Committee of 3 members with 3-year terms with the initial staggered termination dates of June 30 in years of 2017, 2018, and 2019. In accordance with the Town Charter and the Selectboard Rules for Conduct, after the Committee is established the Board will announce vacancies and accept applications. The Board may determine the deadline for receipt of applications to be January 14, with interviews (if necessary) and appointments at the Selectboard meeting on January 19, 2016.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE OF THREE MEMBERS WITH 3-YEAR TERMS AND STAGGERED TERMINATION DATES, WITH APPOINTMENT OF SAID THREE MEMBERS TO OCCUR ON JANUARY 19, 2016.
My two cents
There is no reason for the Selectboard to “phase” the police and fire projects. They are ready to be presented to the public, and if they are good plans the public will respond accordingly. No need for the SB to put any of the options off, unless the plans are flakey and need more work.
The primary focus should be on letting people vote Yes or No on each of the buildings individually. Like so:
1. West B Station – Yes/No
2. Central – Yes/No
3. Police Yes/No and if Yes, then which plan A. B, or C?
The public, those paying for all of this, can decide what to do. Any ‘phasing” can, will, and should be done by voters with their ballots. If taxpayers want to do all three, they will. If they want to do one or two this year, so be it. They are the bosses.
(Had we done this years ago, we’d probably have 2/3 of the work done and just be discussing a single facility at this point, in my view.)