Recently discussed enterprise fund budgets will be adopted at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. New liquor license fees will also be up for adoption.
Police officers will be sworn-in, Selectboard goals will be discussed, public vs. private roads will be debated, grants and contracts approved, and plans for the West Brattleboro Fire Station will be reviewed on Tuesday at the Municipal Center on Main Street. You can attend in person and participate, even bringing up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, May 17, 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 labor relations agreements with employees, contracts, and pending or probable civil litigation, and 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, MAY 17, 2015
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – May 3
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Police Officers Memorial Day and Police Week Rededication Swearing-In Ceremony of Brattleboro Police Officers
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Special Event Permits – Strolling of the Heifers Friday Street Festival (i) Vermont Distillers, Inc. (ii) Appalachian Gap Distillery, Inc. (iii) Saxtons River Distillery (iv) Go America Go Beverages, d/b/a Whistle Pig Whiskey (v) 14th Star Brewing Co. (vi) Caledonia Spirits (vii) Stonecutter Spirits
B. Liquor Permit Fees
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS
A. FY17 Utility Fund Budget
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project (i) Update (ii) Financing (iii) Review of Plans for West Brattleboro Fire Station
B. Selectboard Goals – Discussion and Approval
C. FY17 Parking Fund Budget
D. FY17 Solid Waste Fund Budget
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report for April, Finance Department
B. FY17 Heating Oil – Award Bid
C. Public/Private Roads (i) Minshall Street (ii) Gulf Road / Wickopee Hill Road (iii) Bittersweet Lane
D. Accept and Appropriate Grant – VTrans Structures Grant for Bonnyvale Road Retaining Wall Replacement Project, Department of Public Works
E. Accept and Appropriate Grant – PACIF Equipment Grant, Town Manager
F. Whetstone Brook Area Design Study – Presentation
G. Rescue, Inc. Annual Contract
H. Town Committees and Boards – Announce Vacancies
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
B. Department Monthly Reports
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: May 13, 2016
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:30pm to discuss labor relations agreements with employees, other contracts, 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. Special Event Permits – Strolling of the Heifers Friday Street Festival (i) Vermont Distillers, Inc. (ii) Appalachian Gap Distillery, Inc. (iii) Saxtons River Distillery (iv) Go America Go Beverages, d/b/a Whistle Pig Whiskey (v) 14th Star Brewing Co. (vi) Caledonia Spirits (vii) Stonecutter Spirits. The Board is asked to approve special event permits for seven establishments participating in the Strolling of the Heifers Friday Night Street Festival, taking place at the River Garden located at 157 Main Street, on Friday, June 3, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS FOR SEVEN ESTABLISHMENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE STROLLING OF THE HEIFERS FRIDAY NIGHT STREET FESTIVAL, AT THE RIVER GARDEN LOCATED AT 157 MAIN STREET, ON FRIDAY, JUNE 3, FROM 5:30PM TO 8:30PM.
B. Liquor Permit Fees – At the May 3 meeting, the Selectboard approved a new administrative policy (Permit Application Best Practices) authorizing the Town Clerk to approve certain special liquor applications without the need for Selectboard approval (unless an event includes liquor applications from five or more vendors). At that meeting, staff recommended and the Board discussed adding local fees to the State’s permit fees to partially cover the Town’s administrative costs associated with processing the applications. The Board tabled the matter in order to provide additional time for affected businesses and the general public to review the revised permit fee schedule and provide input. The proposed fee schedule is included in the memorandum dated April 25, 2016, from Town Clerk Annette Cappy.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE SCHEDULE FOR SPECIAL LIQUOR APPLICATIONS, AS FOLLOWS: $15 EACH FOR REQUEST TO CATER PERMITS, SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS, AND ART GALLERY PERMITS; AND $50 EACH FOR FESTIVAL AND EDUCATIONAL SAMPLING PERMITS.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS
A. FY17 Utility Fund Budget – The Board held its first discussion on the FY17 Utility Fund Budget at a special meeting on May 10. At that time, the Board requested additional information and deferred action on the matter to provide the public additional time with which to comment on the budget. The Board is now asked to approve the FY17 Utility Fund Budget.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FY17 UTILITY FUND BUDGET, AS PRESENTED [OR “AS AMENDED”].
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project (i) Update (ii) Financing (iii) Review of Plans for West Brattleboro Fire Station (i) The Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee (PFFBC) met on May 11. Town Manager Elwell will provide the Board with an update on the Police-Fire Facilities Project and the PFFBC’s recommendations.
(ii) Town Manager Elwell’s memorandum dated May 12, 2016, describes the reasons why he and Finance Director O’Connor believe that bank financing is not in the Town’s best interests and why they recommend that the Selectboard officially commit to participating in the Vermont Bond Bank’s 2016 Series Bonds to obtain the additional financing needed for this project.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE TOWN PARTICIPATION IN THE VERMONT BOND BANK’S 2016 BOND OFFERING TO OBTAIN $7.8 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL FINANCING FOR THE POLICE-FIRE FACILITIES PROJECT. (iii) The PFFBC made two recommendations at its May 11 meeting:
West Brattleboro Fire Station Overall Design
To approve the site plan and construction documents presented as a progress set, with consideration given to such other refinements as are code required, recommended by the architect and the project manager.
West Brattleboro Energy Efficiency
To approve the input Efficiency Vermont presented and suggest that the project team work with them in order to evaluate the energy efficiency ideas presented, so as to maximize rebates that make economic sense. (Note: Most of the items suggested by Efficiency Vermont already had been included in the project design. The several items that had not already been included will be bid as alternates so that an informed decision can be made regarding the cost and payback expectancy for each of those.)
The Board is asked to approve the PFFBC’s recommendations.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO EXPRESS THE SELECTBOARD’S CONCURRENCE WITH THE TWO MOTIONS ADOPTED BY THE POLICE-FIRE FACILITIES BUILDING COMMITTEE AT THE COMMITTEE’S MEETING ON MAY 11, 2016.
B. Selectboard Goals – Discussion and Approval – Due to time constraints at the Selectboard meeting on May 3, the Board deferred consideration of this matter to May 17. During discussion of the proposed FY17 Utility Fund Budget at the special Selectboard meeting on May 10, the Board asked to add to the list of goals an item “to review the Utility Fund financial model and consider whether any rate ordinance modifications are appropriate for FY18.” Included in the Board’s backup materials is a list of proposed goals including those presented on May 3 and the additional item requested on May 10. The Board is asked to hold a discussion and to set its goals for 2016-2017.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL SELECTBOARD GOALS, AS PRESENTED [OR “AS AMENDED”].
C. FY17 Parking Fund Budget – The Board held its first discussion on the FY17 Parking Fund Budget at a special meeting on May 10. At that time, the Board requested additional information and deferred action on the matter to provide the public additional time with which to comment on the budget. The Board is now asked to approve the FY17 Parking Fund Budget.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FY17 PARKING FUND BUDGET, AS PRESENTED [OR “AS AMENDED”].
D. FY17 Solid Waste Fund Budget – The Board held its first discussion on the FY17 Solid Waste Fund Budget at a special meeting on May 10. At that time, the Board deferred action on the matter to provide the public additional time with which to comment on the budget. The Board is now asked to approve the FY17 Solid Waste Fund Budget.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FY17 SOLID WASTE FUND BUDGET, AS PRESENTED [OR “AS AMENDED”].
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report for April, Finance Department. Finance Director John O’Connor will discuss the monthly report for April, 2016.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. FY17 Heating Oil – Award Bid. The Board is asked to award the fiscal year 2017 heating fuel contract to Discount Oil of Keene, New Hampshire, for 82,000 gallons of No. 2 heating fuel oil at a prepaid price of $1.579 per gallon. The bid information is set forth in the memorandum dated April 28, 2016, from Finance Director O’Connor.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD THE FISCAL YEAR 2017 HEATING FUEL CONTRACT TO DISCOUNT OIL OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, FOR 82,000 GALLONS OF NO. 2 HEATING FUEL OIL AT A PREPAID PRICE OF $1.579 PER GALLON.
C. Public/Private Roads (i) Minshall Street (ii) Gulf Road / Wickopee Hill Road (iii) Bittersweet Lane.
The Board is asked to consider three distinct requests for action on the public/private status of three roads in Brattleboro. The question of public benefits vs. private benefits in the three situations presents some similarities and some contrasts. The Board is asked to consider the broad question of public roads vs. private roads and to make a determination regarding each of these three particular requests in a manner that will ensure as much consistency as possible. Town Attorney Bob Fisher has provided a memorandum dated March 21, 2016, with several attachments that together provide extensive background regarding both the particular requests and the broader legal and procedural context in which these decisions will be made.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD
D. Accept and Appropriate Grant – VTrans Structures Grant for Bonnyvale Road Retaining Wall Replacement Project, Department of Public Works. The Board is asked to accept and appropriate the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) Structures Grant in the amount of $175,000 as partial funding for replacement of the Bonnyvale Road Retaining Wall.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE THE VERMONT AGENCY OF TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURES GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $175,000 AS PARTIAL FUNDING FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE BONNYVALE ROAD RETAINING WALL.
E. Accept and Appropriate Grant – PACIF Equipment Grant, Town Manager. The Board is asked to accept and appropriate the VLCT 2016 PACIF Equipment Grant in the amount of $730.68 as partial funding for safety equipment for the Police Department and Library Department.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE THE VLCT 2016 PACIF EQUIPMENT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $730.68 AS PARTIAL FUNDING FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
F. Whetstone Brook Area Design Study – Presentation. The Planning Services Department is working with the U.S. EPA on a Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Project to improve resilience in the lower Whetstone Brook area and explore appropriate land use planning responses to climate change, contribute to flood resilience, and foster redevelopment in that area. Planning Services Director Rod Francis will discuss the preliminary conceptual outline of the anticipated study for the project.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
G. Rescue Inc. Annual Contract. The Board is asked to approve the contract with Rescue Inc. for FY17 and the schedule for phasing out a “Brattleboro discount” that is no longer appropriate due to changes that evolved over many years in the relationship between Rescue Inc. and the Town.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH RESCUE, INC., FOR FY17 AND THE SCHEDULE FOR PHASING OUT THE “BRATTLEBORO DISCOUNT,” AS PRESENTED.
H. Town Committees and Boards – Announce Vacancies. The Board is asked to announce vacancies on various Town boards and committees and to ask interested persons to submit committee applications to the Town Manager’s Office. The Board will make appointments for fiscal year 2017 at its meeting on June 21, 2016.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
