The Brattleboro Selectboard will receive a report regarding downtown traffic lights and traffic flow at their next Tuesday meeting. They will also receive a final report from the Regional Economic Hub Committee and act on that committee’s recommendation to dissolve.
The board will assist local businesses via new policies and procedures for the Small Business Assistance program, and will places fines and fees on local businesses for failing to get a business license in a timely manner.
You can participate by attending in person, or watch on BCTV. Read about the meeting the next day.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 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, appointments, labor relations agreements with employees, and the evaluation of a public officer or employee, and 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, MARCH 8, 2016
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – February 16
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS
A. Utilities Trailer – Award Bid, Department of Public Works
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Continued Discussion
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Downtown Traffic Lights – Discussion about Cycle/Flash
B. Regional Economic Hub Study Group – (i) Final Report to Selectboard (ii) Recommendation to Dissolve Committee
C. Small Business Assistance Program – Amend Policies and Procedures
D. Business License Fines – Assessor’s Office
E. Committee Appointments
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
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: March 3, 2016
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contracts, appointments, labor relations agreements with employees, and the evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS
A. Utilities Trailer – Award Bid, Department of Public Works. The Board is asked to award a bid in the amount of $11,690 to Vassar’s Complete Auto Service of Greenfield, Massachusetts, for a utilities trailer for the Public Works Department. Five bids were received and Vassar’s was the lowest bid that met bid specifications as set forth in the memo from Steve Barrett and Hannah O’Connell, dated February 23, 2016. The sum of $11,000 was budgeted for the purchase. The additional $690 will be offset by savings on other utility fund capital purchases.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD A BID IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,690 TO VASSAR’S COMPLETE AUTO SERVICE OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, FOR A UTILITIES TRAILER.
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Continued Discussion.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Downtown Traffic Lights – Discussion about Cycle/Flash. Last year during the downtown sidewalk reconstruction project, the traffic lights were taken off regular cycle and set on flash mode to facilitate the construction. Several comments were received from drivers and pedestrians about the traffic lights. The Town hired a consultant to collect traffic data and provide recommendations to improve the traffic flow. A report prepared by Milone & MacBroom, Inc., dated February 2, 2016 is included in the Board’s backup materials, along with a summary memo dated March 3, 2016, from Public Works Director Steve Barrett. Traffic Engineer Van Kcoyannakis and Public Works Director Barrett will be present to discuss the data and possible recommendations.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. Regional Economic Hub Study Group – (i) Final Report to Selectboard (ii) Recommendation to Dissolve Committee
The Regional Economic Hub Study Group established by the Board in August of 2014 met for the final time on February 25, 2016. The Study Group’s Final Report to the Selectboard is included in the backup materials. Members of the Study Group will be present to discuss their work and their recommendations. At the conclusion of that discussion, the Board will be asked to dissolve the committee, effective immediately.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT THE FINAL REPORT OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC HUB STUDY GROUP AND TO DISSOLVE THE STUDY GROUP, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
C. Small Business Assistance Program – Amend Policies and Procedures. The Board is asked to approve changes to the Policies and Procedures for the Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP). The amendments proposed by the SBAP Loan Committee are included in the Board’s backup materials.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE CHANGES TO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SBAP), AS RECOMMENDED BY THE SBAP LOAN COMMITTEE.
D. Business License Fines – Assessor’s Office. The Board is asked to assess the sum of $175 in fees and fines to certain businesses that have not obtained General Business Licenses for 2016, as set forth in the memo from Town Assessor Russell Rice, dated March 4, 2016, 2016.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ASSESS THE SUM OF $175 IN FEES AND FINES TO BUSINESSES THAT HAVE NOT OBTAINED GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSES FOR 2016.
E. Committee Appointments. The Board is asked to appoint several volunteers to various committees as set forth on the Committee Applicants and Vacancies included in the Board’s backup materials.
POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS: TO BE DETERMINED.
Business tax, and lights
Ugh. Business fines.
How is the “Business License” not an illegal tax? It is all in the hands of the Town Assessor, not the Town Clerk. Seems mighty tax-like to me.
The Selectboard can’t come up with new taxes, yet this “license” is all tied up with taxes and was somehow was allowed. The goal seems to be focused on revenue, not simply knowing who is operating a business in town. This information could be known without the current cost.
Time for a review of its origins, and a restructuring to make it work for businesses in town, not against them.
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Traffic lights. I was downtown one evening last week. Traffic was light and flowing on Main Street. I stepped to the corner, pressed the button, and the light immediately changed to give me the right of way. It quickly went back to giving Main Street traffic a green light. It worked for pedestrian and driver.