Selectboard Meeting Notes: Single Stream Savings Dry Up, Precision Stabilization Offered

Major changes to Brattleboro’s trash and recycling were discussed, but decisions were delayed in order to gather more information from the public and solid waste district. And the prospect of savings from a switch to single stream recycling proved elusive.

BDCC and GS Precision received a decade of tax breaks along with loans and some property adjustments as a reward for staying in town, keeping and creating many good-paying jobs, and and supplying grandlist enhancing facilities.

Grants, an emergency compressor, committee vacancies, and more were also up for discussion.

Preliminaries

Chair David Gartenstein thanked everyone who has come to a Police Fire Facility meeting thus far, and encouraged people to attend the final public discussion on Wednesday evening. He encouraged people to shop downtown, and in town.

“The new grader arrived today,” announced Town Manager Peter Elwell, “in time for winter.” It was his good news to contrast with his not-so-good news that I-91 lanes would be closed next week between exits 2 and 3 for some pre-winter maintenance on the “elderly bridge.”

There were no other selectboard comments nor committee reports.

Public Participation

Tim Johnson reminded everyone that Project Feed The Thousands is underway, and hoped people would give what they could.

Liquor Commissioners

Acting as Liquor Commissioners, the Brattleboro selectboard approved a special events permit for Saxtons River Distillery to serve samples at Cotton Mill Hill during their open house this coming weekend.

Water & Sewer Commissioners

Acting as Water & Sewer Commissioners, the Brattleboro selectboard approved the purchase of utility vehicles for the Department of Public Works.

New vehicles include a compact trailer, a service truck, a dump truck, and a Bobcat Toolcat work machine for a total cost of $238,536. The dump truck comes with a 7 year chassis warrantee.

A tag along trailer will be put out for re-bid.

Police-Fire Facilities Projects Discussion

This week’s discussion of the Police and Fire facility project consisted of a review of the most recent public discussion and a suggestion of a schedule for getting the issues before voters this spring.

Kate O’Connor said she appreciated that everyone attending was taking time to listen. She felt that many still didn’t know what to do after the meeting, and that it was healthy and better than being in a stuck mode of thinking.

John Allen felt the two meetings thus far had been similar. He reflected that in the end one must vote one’s conscience.

David Schoales wanted it to be better known that there would be energy savings from using new facilities that would save money over the long run.

David Gartenstein noted the need to balance health and safety needs with the needs for the facilities, as well as the burden taxpayers feel. “There is a substantial tax burden and it needs to be weighed,” he said, adding that those raising concerns of costs don’t want to be seen as devaluing the work of the two departments.

He suggested a timetable for fellow board members to consider: non-binding public vote by ballot on one or more options at the beginning of March, 2016, a special Representative Town Meeting to vote on Police and Fire facility issues on March 12, and then a regular Representative Town Meeting on March 19.

The board will think about it and decide at a future meeting.

John Allen again said that people must come to meetings. “I’m happy people showed up at the meetings, but there should be hundreds of people. I guess we’ll wait to the last hour for an opinion.”

Elliot Street Bridge Repair

Jennifer Fitch and associates at the Vermont Agency of Transportation was to give the board a brief overview of how the Elliot Street bridge will be repaired, but “due to bad driving conditions” the VTrans crew were unable to make it to Brattleboro, and their presentation will be rescheduled.

Better Back Roads Grant

Brattleboro received a $4,000 grant from VTrans as part of the Better Back Roads program. The money will pay for work related to road erosion problems affecting water quality.

GS Precision and Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Exit 1 Industrial Park

As part of the effort to keep GS Precision and its well-paying jobs in Brattleboro, the Brattleboro Selectboard struck some deals Tuesday night with the company via the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and their new Real Estate Holdings, Inc. 

Patrick Moreland did most of the explanation to the board, beginning with news that the town received a million dollars in state grant funds for the town to help BDCC support GS Precision. “A substantial grant for the town,” he said.

BDCC has formed a new entity, a holding company, to act as a taxpayer for the project. Because the project will keep 300 jobs and add 100 more and add to the grand list, the town feels it worthwhile to support the project with some tax deals on the new property and equipment being added.

The holding company will be allowed to pay municipal taxes of just 35% of the fair market value of any new improvements for the next ten years. New equipment will be taxed under the Business Personal Property Tax at 25% of its value for that same period. All existing property and equipment will continue to be taxed as it is currently.

Moreland explained that this generates new tax revenue for the town immediately, but not at 100% of its eventual rate. 

Town Manager Elwell said that this sort of deal was common, and puts the emphasis on new value. “It provides incentive to grow the grand list and make investment here.”

Dora Bouboulis questioned giving so much to a wealthy, existing local company. She said that this sort of deal was usually reserved for new business and start-ups. She compared it to a sports team threatening to leave unless a new stadium was built for them.

Brattleboro will also provide a 7-year loan of $200,000 at 3% interest.

The board also approved three small related land transactions. BDCC may sell some of the industrial park lots to its real estate holdings company, and the town has approved of partially discharging mortgages related to those lots. 

This all dates back to an agreement created in the 1980’s under the leadership of Town Manager (Corwin) Elwell, and updated in the 1990’s, in which federal funds were obtained to create the industrial park, and certain terms were agreed to between BDCC and the Town.

Grand List Errors and Omissions

The board approved correction of errors and omissions to the 2015 Grand List. There was a net plus in the total, but no one said by how much.

Emergency Purchase of Skating Rink Compressor

A  $15,891 100 HP compressor for the skating rink was recently purchased by the Town Manager. It was an emergency purchase, funded by a rink maintenance fund (not taxes), to replace a similar but damaged compressor.

The damage was caused by a third party contractor, so insurance funds may eventually repay the maintenance fund. The fund is created by fees on those using the facilities.

Dog Park Grant

Dog Park fundraising moved ahead with the Brattleboro selectboard’s approval of a Small and Inspiring grant request for $2,500 to the Vermont Community Foundation. If the grant comes through, it will help pay for fencing at the location at Living Memorial Park.

Community Drug Interdiction Program Grant

Brattleboro Police received $60,000 from the Vermont Department of Public Safety. It is a Community Drug Interdiction Grant, presumably to be used to interdict community drugs.

Town Manager Elwell said the state grant program replaces a previous federal grant program.

Solid Waste Collection, Single Stream, and WSWMD Budget

Three solid waste issues came before the board Tuesday night, each an attempt to reduce the cost of some aspect of our solid waste program.

First up was a discussion of changing to an every other week pick up for trash bags, while keeping the every week pickup for recycling and compost. This, the Town Manager said, could save nearly $100,000 a year.

He noted that it would have a downside for certain residents, and wasn’t saying it would add difficulty, but felt that it was a logical next step after the success of Pay As You Throw.

Elwell hoped the board would decide quickly, so the change could be included in the FY17 budget, but the board wanted to give the public time to weigh in.

Patrick Moreland suggested there be some public discussion for a while, but ultimately adopt it. He considered it “big savings.”

In the course of discussion, it was requested to remind people that trash bags can be placed inside trash cans, to keep rodents away.

Jane Southworth suggested Moss Kahler be called upon for an educational program.

The second solid waste issue was intertwined with the third. Should the town switch from the dual stream recycling collection and separation of paper from plastic and glass to go with a single stream, where all recyclables go in a single container?

Elwell said an early Windham Solid Waste Management District budget made it appear that a switch to single stream could save almost $20,000 a year, but a subsequent budget wiped that savings away, and he was no longer able to enthusiastically recommend a switch.

David Gartenstein said one big question from last year remained unanswered. That is, why is Brattleboro being charged almost $50,000 in recycling collection fees, when the town already pays for the service through Triple T? He didn’t get a very clear answer from WSWMD reps, who said it covered the costs of the containers at Fairground Road and was part of a difficult-to-change assessment based on population.

Bouboulis and Southworth said, by way of history, that the WSWMD began when Brattleboro didn’t want to deal with the dump on its own anymore. The regional system was developed to share the work, and respond to state suggestions for combining efforts, they said. 

The assessment covers participation, said Southworth. “We can all dump recyclables in the region, anywhere in the region,” added Bouboulis. “That’s how it works.”

John Allen questioned the need for the district, and Southworth said it was a legal entity that would need to be dissolved.

The board will return to the discussion at their next meeting. They requested the Town manager work with WSWMD board members to get clear answers and explanations of budget numbers and the need for Brattleboro to pay the recycling fee.

Committee Appointments

The board made some committee appointments:

Kathryn Turnas will be joining the Development Review Board, David Whittle will become a Development Review Board alternate, and Louise Zak will be joining the Traffic Safety Committee.

Committee Vacancies

The ADA Committee has a new vacancy, and other committees have open seats. The Brattleboro selectboard will have the Town Manager send out notice of this and other open positions.