Say goodbye to the Vermont Yankee emergency warning sirens. The Brattleboro Selectboard plans to endorse the idea of removing them at their next regular special meeting.
They will also recap their latest impressions and feelings about the Police Fire Facilities meetings, will review departmental FY17 budgets for the Library, Assessors, Town Clerk, Finance, Fire and Planning departments, and will again discuss postponing their Windham Solid Waste Management District Budget vote. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.
Watch on BCTV and read all about it here after the meeting.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 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 or probable litigation to which the public body is or may be a party. The Board will reconvene the 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
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015
SPECIAL MEETING – 6:15PM
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
AGENDA
1. CONVENE MEETING
2. CHAIR’S REMARKS
3. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
4. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Discussion
B. Solid Waste Matters – Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) Annual Budget
7. NEW BUSINESS
A. Disposition of Emergency Preparedness Sirens Owned by Entergy Vermont Yankee
B. FY17 Budget Proposal – Presentations from Departments (i) Library (ii) Assessor’s Office (iii) Town Clerk (iv) Finance Department (v) Fire Department (vi) Planning Services
8. ADJOURNMENT
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MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: Peter B. Elwell, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: December 4, 2015
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the special Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 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.
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Discussion. The Board 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 upgrading the Police and Fire Stations. The Board is asked to discuss and determine a process for proceeding with consideration and action on this project.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME.
B. Solid Waste Matters – Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD) Annual Budget. At the December 1 Selectboard meeting, representatives from WSWMD presented the WSWMD’s proposed FY17 budget. The Board requested additional information from WSWMD and asked that the representatives meet with Town staff to discuss and possibly revise portions of the WSWMD budget. Those communications have occurred and are continuing. Town staff will provide an update at the December 8 meeting and will request that Selectboard action on this matter be deferred until the December 15 meeting, at which time Town staff expects to be able to recommend specific Selectboard action(s) and WSWMD representatives will again attend to participate further in the Selectboard’s review of this matter.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO DEFER ACTION ON THIS MATTER UNTIL THE SELECTBOARD MEETING ON DECEMBER 15, 2015.
7. NEW BUSINESS
A. Disposition of Emergency Preparedness Sirens Owned by Entergy Vermont Yankee The Board is asked to review a letter from Entergy Vermont Yankee that offers options regarding the disposition of six (6) emergency preparedness sirens that Entergy Vermont Yankee has owned and operated in Brattleboro. Staff recommends selection of option #2 to allow Entergy Vermont Yankee to remove the sirens at no cost to the Town.
PROPOSED MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE SELECTBOARD CHAIR TO EXECUTE A LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING WITH ENTERGY VERMONT YANKEE THAT SELECTS OPTION #2, AS FOLLOWS: “ENVY WILL DISABLE AND REMOVE ALL SIRENS IDENTIFIED ABOVE FROM SERVICE WITHIN 60 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER THE PDEP BECOMES EFFECTIVE AND WILL COMPLETE THIS WORK AT NO COST TO THE TOWN.”
B. FY17 Budget Proposal – Presentations from Departments (i) Library (ii) Assessor’s Office (iii) Town Clerk (iv) Finance Department (v) Fire Department (vi) Planning Services
The Board will hear presentations from the six (6) noted departments regarding their proposed FY17 departmental budgets and will discuss those budgets with the public, the Town Manager, and applicable Town staff.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
removal of emergency sirens
It seems like a mistake to remove the sirens – isn’t there still a danger of something going wrong? They are storing materials there that need to be attended.
What if something were to happen at the plant that the community needs warning about?
Two thoughts
“What if something were to happen at the plant that the community needs warning about?”
They will be supplying emergency tubas and trombones to all residents to use instead. More musical. : )
Just kidding. I assume they plan to use the other systems that are now in place – especially the reverse 911 feature that calls everyone in town, and the VT Alert system, that sends out texts and emails.
Can anyone recall the “1-2, What Do I Do?” poem? (I remember that much of it.)
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I have a strategy for the Selectboard to consider of presentation of Police and Fire projects to voters. I suggest again that the Police Fire projects, plural, be presented to voters as individual options:
– West B Fire Station, yea or nay? ( It passes easily)
– Central Fire, yea or nay? (It probably passes easily)
– Police Options 1, 2, 3 – yea or nay? (might not pass this year, but maybe it does)
The town can then start building 1 or 2 of the projects and possible all three. If one or more is rejected, it’s a smaller puzzle to present next year.
It doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Present it al la carte and one building cannot drag the others down with it.
If we had done this years ago, one or more of these buildings would be finished by now.
The individual project
The individual project strategy makes the most sense and will put the least financial burden on the town. Which of course means that the Selectboard will not be considering that option. Why do something that actually makes sense?