After many a meeting to discuss the details, the FY18 Municipal Budget will likely be approved for presentation to Representative Town Meeting at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.
An $80,000 IT plan will be presented. The board also will hear about financial audits, work out an easement arrangement with Commonwealth Dairy, loan some money to Hermit Thrush Brewery, and more.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:45pm to discuss labor relations agreements with employees and the appointment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. 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, JANUARY 17, 2017
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:45PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES –January 3
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. First Class Liquor License and Outside Consumption Permit – Casa Diaz, LLC
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. FY18 Budget – Approval of Budget to Recommend at Representative Town Meeting
B. Police-Fire Facilities Project – (i) Construction Update (ii) Authorization of Additional Expenses
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, December
B. FY16 Financial Audit and Single Audit – Review
C. Partial Release of Open Space Easement and Restrictions – Commonwealth Dairy
D. Approve Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) Loan – Hermit Thrush Brewery, LLC
E. Tri-Park Housing Cooperative (i) VCDP Application for $30,000 – Hold Public Hearing and Approve Resolution (ii) Allocation from Program Income – Up to $40,000
F. Close Out VCDP Implementation Grant – Final Public Hearing Retaining Wall Between Harmony Parking Lot and Green Street
G. IT Improvement Plan
H. Committee Appointments
I. Schedule March Selectboard Meetings (i) Reschedule or Relocate March 7 Regular Meeting (due to Town Meeting Day voting) (ii) Schedule Informational Meeting at Academy School on Wednesday, March 15 (Doors open at 6:00pm; Caucuses at 6:30pm; Meeting at 7:00pm) (iii) Organizational Meeting for New Selectboard on Monday, March 27, at 5:30pm
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: January 12, 2017
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:45pm to discuss labor relations agreements with employees and the appointment or 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
A. First Class Liquor License and Outside Consumption Permit – Casa Diaz, LLC.
The Board is asked to approve the First Class Liquor License and Outside Consumption Permit for Casa Diaz, LLC, d/b/a Casa Diaz, located at 1380 Putney Road. Mr. Diaz and his wife are expecting a baby at any time and Mr. Diaz has asked a representative from the law firm representing him to attend this meeting.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FIRST CLASS LIQUOR LICENSE AND OUTSIDE CONSUMPTION PERMIT FOR CASA DIAZ, LLC, D/B/A CASA DIAZ, LOCATED AT 1380 PUTNEY ROAD.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None.
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. FY18 Budget – Approval of Budget to Recommend at Representative Town Meeting.
The Board is asked to approve the FY18 Budget that it will recommend for adoption at the Representative Town Meeting on March 25. The budget that is included in the Selectboard’s notebooks for this meeting includes all of the changes that have been approved by the Board since staff submitted its proposed FY18 Budget on November 1, 2016, and each of the changes is itemized in a cover memorandum dated January 12, 2017, from Town Manager Elwell.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE FY18 BUDGET AS PRESENTED AT THIS MEETING AND TO RECOMMEND THAT REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING ADOPT THIS BUDGET ON MARCH 25.
B. Police-Fire Facilities Project – (i) Construction Update (ii) Authorization of Additional Expenses.
Town Manager Elwell will provide a status report on construction at all three project sites. He also will request Selectboard authorization to expend $65,239.80 from the project contingency for purchases that are itemized and individually described in his memorandum dated January 12. If these purchases are approved, $781,450 (6.1% of the overall project budget) will remain in the overall project contingency.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF $65,239.80 FROM THE OVERALL POLICE-FIRE FACILITIES PROJECT CONTINGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES THAT ARE ITEMIZED AND INDIVIDUALLY DESCRIBED IN THE MEMORANDUM DATED JANUARY 12, 2017, FROM TOWN MANAGER ELWELL.
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Financial Report – Monthly Report, December.
Finance Director John O’Connor will present the December 2016 monthly financial report.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
B. FY16 Financial Audit and Single Audit – Review.
Finance Director John O’Connor will review and discuss the June 30, 2016, financial audit and single audit. Once again, both audits are completely “clean” and resulted in no findings or recommendations from the auditors.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
C. Partial Release of Open Space Easement and Restrictions – Commonwealth Dairy.
The Board is asked to approve a partial release of an easement that will allow a boundary adjustment to facilitate the expansion of the Commonwealth Dairy facilities on Paul’s Road. As set forth in greater detail in the memorandum (and attachments) from Town Attorney Bob Fisher, the requested release affects only a small portion of the existing protected lands. The remainder of the protected lands will still fully serve the purposes for which they have been restricted.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO SIGN A PARTIAL RELEASE OF THE GRANT OF RESTRICTION AND OPEN SPACE EASEMENT AND RESTRICTIONS DATED MARCH 19, 2007, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THE COMMONWEALTH DAIRY EXPANSION PROJECT.
D. Approve Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) Loan – Hermit Thrush Brewery, LLC.
The Board is asked to approve a Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) loan of $70,000 from Program Income to support improvements to the Hermit Thrush Brewery facilities on High Street, subject to the terms recommended by the SBAP Committee as set forth in the memorandum dated January 6, 2017, from Grants Manager Kim Ellison.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE AN SBAP LOAN FOR HERMIT THRUSH BREWERY, LLC, IN THE AMOUNT OF $70,000 FOR 5 YEARS AT 3.25% IN SUPPORT OF RENOVATIONS AND LEASHOLD IMPROVEMENTS FOR HERMIT THRUSH BREWERY.
E. Tri-Park Housing Cooperative (i) VCDP Application for $30,000 – Hold Public Hearing and Approve Resolution (ii) Allocation from Program Income – Up to $40,000.
The Board is asked to hold a public hearing and approve a resolution to submit an application for a planning grant in the amount of $30,000 from the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP). These funds will support a master plan project to promote the physical and financial sustainability of Tri-Park Cooperative Housing. In addition the Board is asked to allocate up to $40,000 from Program Income to support this project. The remaining $10,000 in support of an $80,000 total project budget will be provided by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB).
POTENTIAL MOTION #1: TO AUTHORIZE THE SUBMISSION OF A VCDP PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,000 TO SUPPORT THE TRI-PARK MASTER PLAN PROJECT.
POTENTIAL MOTION #2: TO AUTHORIZE USE OF UP TO $40,000 IN TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO PROGRAM INCOME FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE TRI-PARK MASTER PLAN PROJECT, CONTINGENT ON RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM VCDP AND OTHER SOURCES.
F. Close Out VCDP Implementation Grant – Final Public Hearing; Retaining Wall Between Harmony Parking Lot and Green Street The Board is asked to hold a public hearing for the purpose of closing out the VCDP Implementation Grant for the retaining wall between Harmony Parking Lot and Green Street. This project was successfully completed under budget. No action is required by the Board.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
G. IT Improvement Plan. Staff has been working with a consultant, CCI Managed Services (CCI), to improve the security of the Town’s information technology systems and to plan for making significant improvements to those systems. The Selectboard’s notebooks for this meeting include the actual IT Improvement Plan (labelled “2016 Technology Assessment Final Report”) from CCI and a memorandum dated January 6, 2017, from Assistant Town Manager Moreland that summarizes CCI’s recommendations and recommends a way forward. In sum, improvements are recommended for email, network design, servers, wiring and switches, wireless networking, software licensing, and PC/notebook replacements at a total cost of approximately $80,000, for which sufficient funds have been accrued in the Town’s capital fund. Additional changes are recommended to improve connectivity between the various Town facilities. That work will result in a net wash (or possible cost savings) for the Town’s annual operating budget. No funds are being requested for the implementation of this plan. The Board is simply being asked to approve the plan and to authorize staff to proceed with implementation as set forth in Mr. Moreland’s January 6 memorandum.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AS PRESENTED.
H. Committee Appointments. The Board is asked to appoint members to the Agricultural Advisory Board, the Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC), and the Energy Committee.
POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS: BEN COPLAN TO THE AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD. MATTHEW WRIGHT TO THE CITIZEN POLICE COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE. OSCAR HELLER TO THE ENERGY COMMITTEE.
I. Schedule March Selectboard Meetings (i) Reschedule or Relocate March 7 Regular Meeting (due to Town Meeting Day voting) (ii) Schedule Informational Meeting at Academy School on Wednesday, March 15 (Doors open at 6:00pm; Caucuses at 6:30pm; Meeting at 7:00pm) (iii) Organizational Meeting for New Selectboard on Monday, March 27, at 5:30pm.
The Board is asked to reschedule or relocate the March 7 regular meeting in the event that the BCA votes to hold elections in the Selectboard Meeting Room. The Community Room at the Library is available on March 7 if the Board decides to relocate the meeting. In preparation for the March 25 Representative Town Meeting, the Board is asked to schedule the Informational Meeting at Academy School on March 15, with caucuses starting at 6:30pm and the meeting starting at 7:00pm. Town Clerk Hilary Francis has determined that Academy School is available at that time. The Board is asked to schedule the organizational meeting for new Selectboard members on Monday, March 27, at 5:30pm.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
