A discussion of issues related to panhandling in Brattleboro is scheduled for the next meeting of the Selectboard. It is likely to be a starting point for the board, as no definitive action is being proposed.
The board will be busy as Water & Sewer Commissioners, approving a few big, expected projects. They will hear an update on progress toward building a skatepark at Living Memorial Park, set property tax rates, buy stuff for the new fire and police buildings, review their goals, approve some paving and celebrate dance in the region. All this and more, and you are invited to attend and participate.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. ASL interpreters will be available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8100
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2017
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES, June 20
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. Request for Abatement of Water and Sewer Late Fees – Kirill and Irina Drozdova
B. Welcome Center Wastewater Pump Station Upgrade Project (i) Agency of Transportation Finance and Maintenance Agreement
(ii) Agency of Commerce and Community Development Grant Agreement
(iii) Approval to Purchase Generator, Pumps, and Switching Equipment
C. Rebuild of Headworks Conveyor at the Wastewater Treatment Plant
D. Western Avenue Water Main over I-91 – Construction Services Agreement
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project (i) Update (ii) PD Furniture Purchase (iii) PD Dispatch Logging System Purchase (iv) Miscellaneous PD and FD Outfitting Purchases (v) Increased Funding for Owner’s Project Manager Services
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Southern Vermont Dance Festival Proclamation
B. Set FY18 Property Tax Rates
C. Farm Tax Stabilization Program – FY18 Request for Waiver from the Robb Family Farm
D. Capital Paving Program — Bid Award
E. Skatepark Items (i) Status Report (ii) Accept and Appropriate Grant from the Crosby-Gannett Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation (iii) Authorize Application for a Recreational Facilities Grant from the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services
F. Panhandling — Discussion
G. Community Drug Interdiction Program Grants from Vermont Department of Public Safety
(i) Accept and Appropriate an Amendment to the FY17 Grant
(ii) Accept and Appropriate the FY18 Grant
H. Selectboard Goals – Quarterly Review
I. 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: July 7, 2017
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The following summarizes the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The Board will convene at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS
A. Request for Abatement of Water and Sewer Late Fees – Kirill and Irina Drozdova
The Board is asked to consider the appeal filed by Kirill and Irina Drozdova requesting waiver of $15.71 in late fees that were imposed because the Drozdovas paid their May 2017 water and sewer bill after the May 15 deadline.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD
B. Welcome Center Wastewater Pump Station Upgrade Project (i) Agency of Transportation Finance and Maintenance Agreement (ii) Agency of Commerce and Community Development Grant Agreement (iii) Approval to Purchase Generator, Pumps, and Switching Equipment At the June 6 Selectboard meeting, the Board approved an agreement with the State of Vermont and the Federal Highway Administration allowing the Town to move forward with expedited procurement of a generator, pumps, and switching equipment for the project to upgrade the wastewater pump station at the State’s Welcome Center on I-91 in Guilford. Since the pump station serves Commonwealth Dairy and the Delta Business Campus more than the Welcome Center and the Algiers Fire District in Guilford, the Town will assume ownership and full operating responsibility for the pump station after it has been upgraded. As described in the memorandum dated June 29, 2017, from Public Works Director Steve Barrett, the two agreements on the July 11 agenda will (i) provide for the State to pay for the Town’s upgrade of the pump station and for the Town’s eventual assumption of ownership, and (ii) provide for a $100,000 contribution to the project from the Windham County Economic Development Program to expand the capacity of the pump station to meet future economic development needs. The third item for the July 11 meeting is approval of the pricing for the expedited procurement of the previously mentioned long-lead-time capital equipment.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO (1) EXECUTE A FINANCE AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF VERMONT AND THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO; (2) EXECUTE A STATE OF VERMONT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE VERMONT AGENCY OF COMMERCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO; (3) PROCEED WITH THE PURCHASE OF PUMPS, SWITCHING EQUIPMENT, AND AN EMERGENCY GENERATOR, AS SPECIFIED; AND (4) TAKE ANY OTHER ACTIONS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE UPGRADE OF THE WELCOME CENTER PUMP STATION UPGRADE PROJECT.
C. Rebuild of Headworks Conveyor at the Wastewater Treatment Plant The Board is asked to award a contract in the amount of $29,882.95 to Custom Conveyor Corporation for rebuilding the headworks conveyor at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. As explained in the memorandum dated June 28, 2017, from Public Works Director Steve Barrett, this is primarily an anticipated maintenance project. Town staff also recommends a modification to the conveyor system that will extend the life of the affected equipment.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD A CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $29,882.95 TO CUSTOM CONVEYOR CORPORATION FOR REBUILDING THE HEADWORKS CONVEYOR AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
D. Western Avenue Water Main over I-91 – Construction Services Agreement The Board is asked to approve a construction services agreement in the amount of $32,300 with Dufresne Group for engineering services to oversee the bidding and construction phases of the Western Avenue I-91 Water Main Project. As the Board will recall, this project involves the emergency replacement of a leaking section of water main that is attached to the underside of the Western Avenue bridge over I-91. More information is set forth in the memorandum dated June 28, 2017, from Public Works Director Steve Barrett.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $32,300 WITH DUFRESNE GROUP FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES TO OVERSEE THE BIDDING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASES OF THE WESTERN AVENUE I-91 WATER MAIN PROJECT.
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Police-Fire Facilities Project (i) Update (ii) PD Furniture Purchase (iii) PD Dispatch Logging System Purchase (iv) Miscellaneous PD and FD Oufitting Purchases (v) Increased Funding for Owner’s Project Manager Services Town Manager Elwell will provide the Board with an update on construction progress at the Police Station and the Central Fire Station, as set forth in his memorandum dated July 5, 2017. The financial portion of his written report lists administratively approved Selectboard Meeting 6/20/17
project expenses and provides an overall summary of the project budget, expenses to date, and funds that have been committed but not yet spent. The memorandum and lengthy attachments also provide explanation and justification for staff’s request that the Selectboard authorize expenditure of $159,306.60 from the Police-Fire Facilities Project Bond Fund to purchase equipment and services that are described in detail in the backup materials and are summarized in the motion below.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXPEND FROM THE POLICE-FIRE FACILITIES PROJECT BOND FUND $99,671.14 FOR POLICE STATION FURNISHINGS; NOT TO EXCEED $25,000 OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR STEVE HORTON’S SERVICES AS OWNER’S PROJECT MANAGER; $20,192.25 FOR A DISPATCH CENTER LOGGING RECORDER; NOT TO EXCEED $20,000 FOR A VARIETY OF OUTFITTING ITEMS FOR THE TWO FIRE STATIONS; $7,914.99 FOR TELEPHONE CABLING, A WEATHER STATION, AND A DIGITAL ALARM MASTER BOX AT THE POLICE STATION; AND $6,199.36 FOR NEW SIGNAGE AND TO RELOCATE A COMPRESSOR, BOTH AT THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION; ALL AS SET FORTH MORE EXPLICITLY IN THE MEMORANDUM DATED JULY 5, 2017, FROM TOWN MANAGER PETER ELWELL AND IN THE ATTACHMENTS THERETO.
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Southern Vermont Dance Festival Proclamation
The Board is asked to approve a proclamation that recites information regarding the history and impact of the Southern Vermont Dance Festival and proclaims July 13-16, 2017, as Southern Vermont Dance Festival Weekend in the Town of Brattleboro.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO PROCLAIM JULY 13-16, 2017, AS SOUTHERN VERMONT DANCE FESTIVAL WEEKEND IN THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO.
B. Set FY18 Property Tax Rates The Board is asked set the FY18 property tax rates to fund the FY18 General Fund Budget as approved at Representative Town Meeting on March 25, 2017. The municipal tax rate will increase by 3.07 cents, which is less than the 3.5 cents that was forecast when the FY18 budget was approved by the Selectboard and by Representative Town Meeting. Because the education tax rates will decline for both residential and non-residential property, the overall total local property tax rate for FY18 will increase by less than a penny. More details are provided in the Selectboard’s notebooks in memoranda from Town Assessor Russell Rice and Finance Director John O’Connor and on a chart labelled “Brattleboro Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018 Property Tax Comparison.”
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A MUNICIPAL TAX RATE OF $1.2214 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS, AN ADDITIONAL $0.1294 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND AN ADDITIONAL $6.8785 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE TRI-PARK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, AND TO RATIFY THE STATE-MANDATED EDUCATION RATES AT $1.5976 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES AND $1.4557 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
C. Farm Tax Stabilization Program – FY18 Request for Waiver from Robb Family Farm The Farm Tax Stabilization Waiver Committee (Selectboard Chair Kate O’Connor, Finance Director John O’Connor, and Town Manager Peter Elwell) recommends that the Robb Family Farm be allowed to remain in the Farm Tax Stabilization Program for FY18. There are unique financial circumstances related to the generational transition in the operation of Robb Family Farm that required the Waiver Committee’s review and the Waiver Committee has determined that the applicable land is still being farmed and is eligible for continued participation in the program.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE CONTINUED PARTICIPATION OF THE ROBB FAMILY FARM IN THE FARM TAX STABILIZATION PROGRAM FOR FY18.
D. Capital Paving Program — Bid Award The Board is asked to award a contract in the amount of $146,178.50 to Mitchell Sand and Gravel of Winchester, New Hampshire, for the FY18 capital paving program. Mitchell Sand and Gravel was the low bidder from among three bids received at the specified location prior to the bid deadline. The Mitchell Sand and Gravel bid complies with all requirements of the Town’s specifications for this contract and provides a price that is well below the $250,000 that is budgeted for this work.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD THE FY18 CAPITAL PAVING CONTRACT TO MITCHELL SAND AND GRAVEL IN THE AMOUNT OF $146,178.50.
E. Skatepark Items (i) Status Report (ii) Accept and Appropriate Grant from the Crosby-Gannett Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation (iii) Authorize Application for a Recreational Facilities Grant from the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services Members of BASIC (the Brattleboro Area Skatepark is Coming committee) will provide the Board with an update on their fundraising and other preparations for construction of a skatepark in the upper section of Living Memorial Park. Together with Town staff, they also will request Board action to accept and appropriate one grant and to apply for another. Details regarding the two grants are provided in the Selectboard’s notebooks for this meeting.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE A $1,400 GRANT FROM THE CROSBY-GANNETT FUND OF THE VERMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND TO AUTHORIZE APPLICATION FOR A $25,000 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES GRANT FROM THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS AND GENERAL SERVICES, BOTH TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF A SKATEPARK IN THE UPPER SECTION OF LIVING MEMORIAL PARK.
F. Panhandling – Discussion The Board and the public will have an initial conversation regarding legal, societal, and economic aspects of this issue and about work that is being done to address it.
NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON THIS ITEM AT THIS MEETING.
G. Community Drug Interdiction Program Grants from Vermont Department of Public Safety (i) Accept and Appropriate an Amendment to the FY17 Grant (ii) Accept and Appropriate the FY18 Grant This is an annual grant that funds participation of a Town police officer in the regional anti-drug task force. The FY17 grant amendment will provide supplemental State funding for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2017, and the FY18 grant will provide State funding for this position for the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2017.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE TWO COMMUNITY DRUG INTERDICTION PROGRAM GRANTS (AN AMENDMENT TO INCREASE AN EXISTING FY17 GRANT BY $5,000 AND A NEW $90,000 GRANT FOR FY18) FROM THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
H. Selectboard Goals – Quarterly Review The Board is asked to review the Town Manager’s status report on implementation of the Board’s 2017-2018 Goals through June 30, 2017, and to take any action the Board may deem appropriate regarding continued work toward achieving those goals during the months ahead.
NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON THIS ITEM.
I. Committee Appointments The Board is asked to consider re-appointing two members to the Energy Committee and one member to the Cemetery Committee. The three applications are included in the Selectboard’s notebooks for this meeting.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD
