Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – January 3, 2017

The Brattleboro Selectboard will convene for the first time in 2017 on Tuesday at the Municipal Center to take up a short but interesting agenda. The board will hear about the FY218 budget again, proposed solar panels at the landfill, and a grant for housing improvements. The new Town Clerk will be welcomed, articles for Representative Town Meeting will be considered, and a contract for Town Attorney will be approved.

You can bring up other new, exciting 2017 items not already on the agenda during Public Participation.

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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Board will convene at 5:15pm and hold interviews for the Arts Committee. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into deliberative session and executive session at approximately 5:20pm to discuss Bittersweet Lane Reclassification (in deliberative session) and contracts, litigation, labor relations agreements with employees, and the appointment or evaluation of public officers or employees (in executive session). The Board will reconvene at 6:15pm for the business meeting.

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, JANUARY 3, 2017
COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS – 5:15PM
DELIBERATIVE SESSION AND EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:20PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA

1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – December 20, 2016
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 – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Police-Fire Facilities Project Update
B. FY18 Budget (i) Capital Projects and Purchases (ii) Use of Fund Balance (iii) Parking Fund Transfer (iv) Town Attorney (v) Energy Coordinator (vi) Next Budget Meeting: January 10 at 5:30pm

10. NEW BUSINESS

A. Welcome Town Clerk Hilary Francis
B. Representative Town Meeting Articles (i) Appointment of Town Clerk (ii) Appointment of Town Treasurer (iii) Appointment of Town Attorney
C. Approve Contract – Town Attorney
D. Proposed Solar Project at Windham Solid Waste Management District’s Closed Landfill
E. Accept and Appropriate Scattered Site Grant – Windham & Windsor Housing Trust Revolving Loan Program
F. Schedule Special Selectboard Meeting to Approve Town Meeting Warning – Between January 26 and February 5, 2017
G. 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: December 29, 2016

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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. The Board will hold committee interviews at 5:15pm, then enter into deliberative session and executive session at approximately 5:20pm to discuss (in the deliberative session) Bittersweet Lane and (in the executive session) contracts, litigation, labor relations agreements with employees, and the appointment or evaluation of public officers or employees. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.

7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None.

8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None.

9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Police-Fire Facilities Project Update. Town Manager Elwell will provide the Board with an update on the construction progress at the West Brattleboro Fire Station and Central Fire Station and on the commencement of construction at the Police Station.

NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.

B. FY18 Budget (i) Capital Projects and Purchases (ii) Use of Fund Balance (iii) Parking Fund Transfer (iv) Town Attorney (v) Energy Coordinator (vi) Next Budget Meeting: January 10 at 5:30pm. Town Manager Elwell will provide additional information regarding the above topics as previously requested by the Board. It is anticipated that the Board will discuss those topics at this meeting and will continue budget discussions at additional meetings during January. Specifically, the Board will be asked to set a special meeting on January 10, 2017, at 5:30pm.

POTENTIAL MOTION(S): TBD

10. NEW BUSINESS

A.Welcome Town Clerk Hilary Francis. The new Town Clerk, Hilary Francis,was sworn in on Friday, December 30, 2016, by Annette Cappy, the retiring Town Clerk. The Board is asked to welcome Ms. Francis to her new position.

NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.

B.Representative Town Meeting Articles
(i) Appointment of Town Clerk
(ii) Appointment ofTown Treasurer
(iii) Appointment of Town Attorney

The Board is asked to appoint Hilary Francis as Town Clerk, John O’Connor as Town Treasurer, and Fisher & Fisher Law Offices, PC, as the Town Attorney, all for a one-year term from March 27, 2017,through March 24, 2018, and to add the applicable Articles to the Warning for ratification by Representative Town Meeting.

POTENTIAL MOTION #1: TO APPOINT HILARY FRANCIS AS TOWN CLERK FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 24, 2018,AND TO ADD AN ARTICLE TO THE WARNING FOR RATIFICATION BY REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING.

POTENTIAL MOTION #2: TO APPOINT JOHN O’CONNOR AS TOWN TREASURER FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 24, 2018, AND TO ADD AN ARTICLE TO THE WARNING FOR RATIFICATION BY REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING.

POTENTIAL MOTION #3: TO APPOINT FISHER & FISHER LAW OFFICES, PC, AS TOWN ATTORNEY FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 24, 2018, AND TO ADD AN ARTICLE TO THE WARNING FOR RATIFICATION BY REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING.

C. Approve Contract–Town Attorney. The Board is asked to approve a 1-year extension ofthe agreement forTown Attorney services between the Town and Fisher & Fisher Law Offices, P.C., including a 1.46% increase in the applicable fees for a total 2017-2018 amount of $104,000.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH FISHER & FISHER LAW OFFICES, PC, FOR A ONE-YEAR TERM IN THE AMOUNT OF $104,000.

D. Proposed Solar Project at Windham Solid Waste Management District’s Closed Landfill. The Board will receive an update and have some discussion regarding this matter.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD

E. Accept and Appropriate Scattered Site Grant–Windham & Windsor Housing Trust Revolving Loan Program. The Board is asked to accept and appropriate the Scattered Site Enhancement Grantfrom the Agency of Commerce and Community Development in the amount of $340,000 to provide additional funds to support Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s Home Repair Program and Counseling Advocacy Services Program through December 31, 2017.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE THE SCATTERED SITE ENHANCEMENT GRANT FROM THE AGENCY OF COMMERCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $340,000 TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT WINDHAM & WINDSOR HOUSING TRUST’S HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND COUNSELING ADVOCACY SERVICES PROGRAM THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2017.

F. Schedule Special Selectboard Meeting to Approve Town Meeting Warning – Between January 26 and February 5, 2017. The Board is asked to schedule a special meeting between January 26 and February 5, 2017 to approve the Warnings for Representative Town Meeting. The Town Meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, and Representative Town Meeting is scheduled on Saturday, March 25, 2017. The Warnings must be approved no less than 30 days and no more than 40 days prior to the Town Meeting date. NO MOTION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.

G. Committee Appointments. The Board announced vacancies for various Town committees and boards at its meeting on December 20, 2016. Interviews for the Arts Committee will be held at the commencement of this meeting. The Board is asked to appoint members to the Arts Committee, Conservation Commission, and Planning Commission.

POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS: TBD.