It was the first April meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard, the first meeting with Elizabeth McLoughlin as Chair, the first time Congressman Peter Welch has told Brattleboro about $3.3 million on the way, and the first time we learn of Town Manager Peter Elwell’s planned retirement at the end of the year.
Much discussion, though, was about goals for the coming year.
Preliminaries
Chair Liz McLoughlin – is the congressman on the line? We’ll just carry on until he joins us. We’ll ratify our actions taken at the last meeting. (ratified!) Now, Peter Welch…
Peter Welch – thank you. I’m delighted to be with you. Maybe July 4 we can be together. I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the American Rescue Package for Brattleboro. It’s like the CARES package. People get $1400 checks, it continues unemployment benefits until September, it continues PPP, and cost of vaccines will be paid for. It also does something for childhood poverty with a $300 child credit. That’s a big deal. There was a big debate about money for states and communities. The VT delegation was in favor. You know what you had to contend with. A year ago I came back to Vermont on an empty plane. Things were closing down. People were worried about bills and kids, and businesses. We’ve been through a lot. We have the vaccine. We have a ways to go. That’s why we had the package. In Brattleboro you are getting a share of what’s coming to VT and it will be $3.3 million, with first payment within 60 days of when the bill was signed, then in a year you get another payment. School district will get $9.4 million. Can spend until 2024. Take your time and how best to use this. There is flexibility with this. We get the ai back to you, but how to most help your citizens is best made by you. The good news is you will have resources to work with, but it won’t be as much as some want. The decision you make will have a lasting impact beyond the next few years. Our offices will have guidelines, and probably some confusion. We’ll be here to assist. Rebeccas Ellis my state director will be available. This will be for the long term betterment of Brattleboro. And we’re available if you have questions. Thank you.
Liz – Thank you. The lines of communication are open. There are a number of people applying for community stimulus… Kay Curtis – Tri Park Housing…
Kay – Here I am. Hello. I’m the board president for TriPark mile home park… 800 residents. I’ve live here 6 years. My neighbors are retirees on fixed income, people with disabilities, working class families. We need help before another Irene.
Adam Hubbard – Hi. Thanks for taking time. I’ve been the owner’s rep for Tri park. I was born and raised here and have never seen a project as worthy as this one. It sets at the intersection of housing, safety, climate change… it suffers from problems it didn’t create. It lost 20 homes in Irene. Most reserves spent. The infrastructure is 60 years old and needs to be replaced, and these residents need help.
Welch – it’s on Rt 9?
Liz – yes, just past Chelsea Royal Diner.
Josh Davis – Healthworks ACT – my one minute pitch. This is a collaboration, and our current healthcare model doesn’t address homelessness. This program has embedded clinicians for care and peer support, to save lives. Will reduce healthcare costs. A full month will cost the same as a day in the ER.
Welch – really really impressive.
Konstantin – Retreat workforce development…
Liz – there is one more person and that is Lissa Weinmann
Lissa – ….
Liz – nope…
Welch – I’m familiar with the program…
Liz – Konstantin? Anyone see him? Congressman we’re thrilled to have you, coming bearing tremendous gifts for our community.
Welch – Lissa did meet with our office. I’m really thrilled to be in on this meeting, and we need real local leadership to get through this. These projects are all about the community committed to the community. We have to help people in the mobile home park, those with mental health issues, and is suited to the needs of the people who live there. We all live in a place and revere having a sense of place, but it has to be nurtured andthewse projects show you have that civic spirit. I’m thrilled to be able to help. You will have money, and the state will have money, so all of us have a responsibility. Thanks for having me here tonight.
Liz – iPhone? – who are you? We hope to have live meetings sometime soon, Congressman.
Welch – thanks for having me. Bye.
Liz – Okay. Well, will we top that? We’ll try. Let’s approve minutes… (approved). Chair’s remarks… I have a tricky thing, just a couple things, then may come back and say more after manager’s comments. I’ve noticed some street sweeping and it is an environmental cleanup measure. Thanks, DPW. It’s a clean water measure. Also, I hope everyone stays vigilant about COVID measures and sign up for your shot.
Town Manager Elwell – with warmer weather, the leaf pickup is scheduled. The two days are Fri April 16, and Fri April 30th. Get the large paper bags to fill up with leaves and get them out to the curb. The other comment is in the theme of passing the baton. This is news I’ve discussed with the Selectboard members and now share. My intention to retire… I will retire on Dec 31, 2021, I’m providing 9 months notice to have good succession. This has been the most satisfying time of my career. Coming home has been part of what has made it special. I am grateful to have worked with so many talented people. I appreciate too many to list. We have many committed to positive change. I want to thank my teammates on the Town staff for the work they do every day, always with an eye to the challenges ahead. While I’m grateful to everyone, I especially thank Patrick Moreland and jan Anderson. I also thank the board that hired me, and all boards then and since. For our collaboration. I will continue to volunteer int he community, but after 36 years in government, I look forward to doing it in a supporting years. We plan to stay here. This is not goodbye, just another transition in the normal evolution of relationships, so inevitable in life.
Liz – this is quite a meeting. The Town has been so honored to have Peter here for the last 6 years. The many ways he has improved the town are structural… a good structure and tone to continue with. One of his goals was to maintain a civil society that is civil. The best we can do to honor him is to let him step down with our thanks.
Daniel Quipp – I’ve worked with Peter for the last couple of years and look forward to this year. I don’t know many town managers, but I know a little about what it takes to provide leadership and make change, and I’ve been impressed over the years as I worked with you. I appreciate the service you’ve given this town. Second, yesterday there was a soft launch of a new rental and housing emergency program VT Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Quite generous. There are still some things being worked out. You can call SEVCA.
Tim Wessel – Liz’s remarks were in line with what I’d say. Kudos to Peter to go from leaf collection to retirement… great segue. You impact has been great and it will be a legacy going forward. Some of the patterns and practices, and tone of kindness is something we should all strive for.
Ian Goodnow – Peter – oh my gosh. The Town of Brattleboro owes you a debt of gratitude. I served for one intense year. Working with you is an honor and pleasure. Happy for you, and appreciative of what you’ve done. The interconnectivity you’ve created will be an immense job for us to fill. Thank you. Another thing, I found a piece of info from the state – the roadmap to reopening – a 7 page presentation that lays out what the plan is for the next three months. There has been so much uncertainty – seeing a well laid out plan – VT Forward Roadmap. Maybe you’ll find comfort as well.
Jessica Gelter – Peter’s announcement was sad and surprising. I’ve been looking forward to working with him for years. I echo what others said. I appreciate how you’ve brought the energy to move forward, no matter what the wild idea was. Glad to be a part of that, and my first meeting.
Ian – welcome, Jess. You have entered another intense meeting.
Liz – as we all do. Public participation…
Gary Stroud – hello everyone. peter, a quote from Mr. Dickens – it was the best of times. I learned a lot. You taught a lot of us in the community. I’ll bump into you shopping. I wish you the best of luck. All blessings, and to Jessica, and to the new team and the new opening of Brattleboro, hopefully soon. next person has big shoes, Mr Elwell. It’s like a family member. I’ll see you out there.
Jeannie – I’d like to speak on the safety review. I’ve been studying some of the documentation and the implementation memo – what is being done to move forward. Things are moving slowly, but we don’t get responses from law enforcement. It was a huge undertaking. I’d love some feedback.
Elwell – On the inquiries you made that you didn’t get responses to, contact me. Not he way forward with the recommendations, when we first received the report, some of us had an expectation would be to prioritize and do some things first, and what we heard from the committee and facilitators was that it would be a mistake to rush and was important to view each piece within the broader scope of all of the recommendations. It caused us to create a plan that enforced some patience on us. On certain recommendations, there has been progress, and on others there is some initial communication to build up collaborations as not to rely on police. It will take a long time to build. We’ve just started that and hope to have some progress reports in the months ahead that will feel more real. It won’t happen immediately. Some will take a long time to build. There is beginning forward motion. I’m looking forward to a time to point to some successes and discuss things that are harder.
Evan Chadwick – It’s great to see everyone, with new and old ideas. I look forward to the coming year. I’d like to make it clear here again, and maybe relook at the idea of a downtown community marketplace… might that be a possibility to discuss, or do a feasibility study. I feel that talking with lots of people, there is excitement in the idea. I’d love to follow and assist if you want to look at it further. I’d just like to bring it up again.
Liz – I’d suggest calling Sue Fillion and start there. The planning commission has an interesting study linking public spaces, and here were interesting ideas there… you might be able to start the ball rolling with Planning.
Tim Wessel – give me a call, too. I had some ideas like this, but then learned how complicated it can be – ownership and priorities. It’s not quite simple, but we can work on making progress.
Jessica – the Planning Commission looked at spaces and found a space that could be an outdoor market.
Liz – there was linking open spaces and a parking study. Putting them together with your ideas might bear fruit.
Consent Agenda
Peter explains consent agendas again, and this one contains:
A. Replacement Fire Department Radio System – Authorization to Lease/Purchase
B. Housing Action Plan – Award of Contract
C. Vermont Agency of Transportation Matters (i) Annual Financial Plan (ii) Certification of Compliance – Town Road and Bridge Standards
D. Appointment of Fire Chief Leonard Howard III as Town Forest Fire Warden
Elwell – the radio system has been in the plans for a while. $54k. The housing action plan is a hiring a consultant to collect data – it’s a challenging problem in town and this will help us know what actions to take. Th other two items are administrative – a state certification. And the appointment of the Fire Warden is a state action that the selectboard appoints.
Ian – Having reviewed the material, thanks for putting all the work in. I move to approve consent agenda as presented.
Liz – yes, that information is in the public realm as well.
approved
Town Meeting Follow-Up Matters – Staff Updates and Selectboard Discussion
Liz – Town Meeting follow up matters. There is a list…
Elwell – yes, a memo has five separate actions for follow up actions. There is other activity going on, but this speaks to those items that requires follow up action. There are items approved with nonbonding guidance, too. These five are areas where the action of RTM felt like specific guidance to the board – the dependent care reimbursement for selectboard members – $25k for greater compensation, $10k for chair and $8k for members. There was a related action for reimbursement for dependent care expenses – elder care or child care or other care. We propose that soon, in May, staff brings a procedure to administer that reimbursement program, so it can be done fairly.
Elwell – Second – funding for town web site upgrade was improved, and there was a conversation that as we have dealt with this matter, the important objective of increasing engagement with the community and that led to an action to employ principles of inclusion and that we use an inclusive process =for community involvement in developing the RFP. We’ll come back in a month with a plan to create the RFP… a calendar and steps involved, in may.
Elwell – on using local suppliers and labor on water supply – there isn’t going to be action for the board, but for the staff on the project. We want the public to know that there are constraints to use local restraints with federal money. There will be some provision of local supplies, and we’ll try to empty local labor, but federal law prohibits us from rejecting a qualified low bid that isn’t local. We’ll track it throughout the project, for transparency. We’ll show what we did locally.
Elwell – there was an action taken to direct us to send the community safety review report to state officials and local legislators. It’s been sent.
Elwell – no spending increases in conflict with he community safety review – we’ll keep that in mind as guidance.
Liz – seems to me town staff is telling us what they are doing and when they’ll report.
Annual Selectboard Goals – Initial Discussion
Liz – we never got to these last year. It was a surprising year. We have an opportunity to create a list of our goals. Let’s call up our background info…
Elwell – best that I not speak to every item on the list. There are 20 items… in general, at this time this year the selectboard reviews a list of projects and actions that town staff brings forward as a starting point for your discussion. Trying to help. We can make changes. It is an important guide to how you will serve the community. This is a place where ongoing services will be ongoing, these represent guiding principles or actions or paths of action that something you as a group are embracing. One more thing. The one very substantive thing I’d offer that isn’t on the list is search for a new Town Manager. That is a pre-eminent task of the board. I’ll work with you to make that process smooth, but you s=hould make that a top priority.
Liz – let’s start with COVID recovery – any additions or topics to discuss?
Jessica – one to consider is support of activity in public spaces – energizing downtown spaces, arts, athletics, getting people out there.
Liz – where to put that?
Jessica – it’s a public health issue and COVID related.
Liz – number 5 then…
Ian – Jess, can you say it again?
Jessica – the idea is we are supportive of activity and energy in public spaces and do what we can to make it happen.
Elwell – an example – we’ve been reviewing an application for relaunching Gallery walk – an expansion of activities . From a permitting point of view, we’ve been working with he DBA to enable closure of Elliot Street block. That’s be part. Closing half of Harmony Lot, too. Western half, away from Main Street, will have activity. There are other spaces, too. Maybe two other outdoor spaces downtown for relaunched and enlarged Gallery Walk event.
Ian – yes, I see it as a foil to at the beginning of COVID and parklets. I’d like to add on or highlight number 4 – the idea of online participation in selectboard meetings – a hybrid model as we go forward. I appreciate town staff putting it on the list.
Liz – to do an in-person town meeting is one thing, or online is one thing, but a hybrid? It will be more difficult.
Daniel – I think he means selectboard meetings.
Tim – a needed discussion and a lively one. I have some ideas of how it could work or not work at all. Looking forward to the discussion.
Liz – OK… governance – we’ve added a new number 1. Anything else? No? Okay – diversity, equity and inclusion. These elements are for town government and town staff in the work they do, separate from the community safety review. It’s two halves of the coin. This is a town matter?
Elwell – it is town-focused. I’d describe the first as guidance for all of us – the staff and the committees and the board – we all hold each other accountable for thinking about equity in every decision we’re making. The second one is more guidance to staff. There is a staff committee working on these issues, and we want their work to continue. HR director is doing good work on this. We acknowledge here that in your oversight role you should know about this.
Jess – a lot of the things seem very measurable. Number 1 under this says view all decisions through an equity lens. Do you get training, or is there a definition of an equity lens? Can we agree on one so we’ll know if we accomplish that goal?
Elwell – my answer is there isn’t something written down that defines what it is. Some have had the training – one full day – an introduction to the topic. This issue and need for us as white people in positions of leadership in this period of time we have become more aware of paying attention to what we are hearing and doing our best to grow and do better, especially as white people exercising power. Routine decisions – do we pause enough to call out ways that we may not be serving all people. Sometimes it is racial, some times it is class, sometimes about a part of town. many ways this can come into play. Is there a standard? Not at this time.
Liz – we deputize ourselves to look to each other that the work is being down and we can call upon experts if we need it.
Daniel – in the time I’ve been on the board. Do I have a perfect view of an equity lens? Do we need to agree? I don’t know. We have different views on how decisions impact the community. I’d be reluctant to spend too much time on a definition at this time given we just got handed money and a town manager replacement search.
Liz – I think Peter talked of all dimensions it could apply and we should hold each other accountable.
Ian – I speak for it being on there even without definable goals. My own experience – I’m studying rules of conduct for the VT bar – some things aren’t very well defined, but they are written down. Putting it in our goals is important.
Tim – I encourage Jess to send something out with specific language. The problem is you can get bogged down with definitions. I have the most selectboard institutional memory – it is great to have this list but so much will happen that we don’t know of yet. A lot of our work is responding to chaos.
Daniel – I’d invite us to question when we make decisions – the equity question. When we spend the millions… we’ll come back to the question when we have these discussions.
Liz – I think it is important to be vague.
Ian – if we had this list of goals last year we would have thought about implementing it.
Liz – community safety. We have continuing implementation..
Elwell – it is important, and since it came up, the importance of the dynamic tension between urgency and thinking things through. That’s the harder part. It is important that the list is not longer and more detailed. We’re committed to progress and being held accountable in public.
Jessica – Peter, so, to me the CSR reflected mistrust in systems. Are we only checking in with the community twice… is that enough to let people know it is transparent and builds trust.
Elwell – for you to decide. The work that is ongoing is being done with people in the community. It won’t be invisible to those advocating for doing things differently. Won’t be behind a curtain. I feel strongly that the first time we do this should be in August. If we come in June, we’ll come in June, but any time before August would not give us enough time to get going – it would misplace urgency. After August, I don’t have as strong an opinion. Monthly might be too often. It’s up to the selectboard.
Tim – I’m a little brain scrambled with the news tonight and how that will impact our implementation. Let’s think more and come back. usually it takes two meetings to do this, so we’re all happy with this.
Liz – also, these are our own goals and they can evolve as we see fit as the year goes on. The news tonight may accelerate or decelerate these items and we’ll come to some sort of agreement because things change and evolve.
Ian – we have two weeks to think about these things. I give a lot of weight to Peter’s assessment about when to do the first check-in.
Liz – the other thing, in that chart, some things are already happening, so it is not like we’re all held in amber until August. Some things are happening. People may not see it or hear it but it is going on.
Jessica – it is exactly that – people aren’t hearing about it and it causes mistrust. Even if we don’t have news we should keep taking to show our commitment.
Ian – between now and August, multiple things in the chart require selectboard policy decision. Will one or two come up? It wouldn’t be the check-in…
Elwell – several of them will come after the first review in August. My recollection is they are policy decisions informed by other items. Some things we can just do. There are a few things we’re well underway with, and the easiest to do hasn’t yet been finished. The reason is because we’re in communication with people in the community who are interested in it. When we go to implement, we shouldn’t rush to do it, but interact with those who know more so we agree on implementation. We’ll finish this before August.
Liz – When Peter brought this to us March 2, there was a lot of trust there from the community to the work the town staff has done. A lot of controversy and initial mistrust has been addressed by the thoroughness of this chart and commitment to go forward.
Tim – there’s nothing wrong if someone comes and asks when things will get done. We can ask if they read the document. I try to do that. What do you know so far? Then we have a common ground. If you jump into the process, it can look like the board is kicking it down the road.
Liz – okay until next meeting?
Daniel – more about goals first – the next topic was housing – the housing study, then sustainability. Fossil free facility fund. Thats TBD. Also about cataloging emissions, strengthening trails, protecting agriculture land, stormwater, public outreach for a town website. When I read this, I’m super psyched by all of these goals.
Jessica – one big thing not on the list – figuring out cannabis retail…
Ian – now we’ll move on to the next item after the break?
Liz – I have some things to add and discuss. So let’s take a break and start in with these last four items. How about 8:12?
Goals again
Liz – these goals are important to me and all our members so let’s start with housing. We did discuss the housing study. Anything else to add?
Daniel – I feel like these goals are not all the things the town does. We did sort of make a commitment to review the security deposit ordinance.
Liz – when the report comes out we can assess the new ordinance. We can put it in.
Ian – I think that since we made a commitment I’d like to see it added on as well.
Liz – anything else in the housing realm? Sustainability. Someone asked me about the fossil free fund and where it came from. I wrote an article about the sustainability coordinator. We can go beyond a best price if something is more efficient. This is more about capital projects and efficient…
Daniel – we are trying to get rid of fossil fuels. The establishment of this fund could mean we could get a more expensive system that is more efficient.
Ian – $70k, right?
Tim – I claim credit for the alliteration…
Liz – wouldn’t you add another F?
Tim – I try to get the F out. That wasn’t dirty. Where is the local trails system coming from here?
Elwell – the one liner is that there a lot of good trails, right from the center of town, but there are different trails by different people, and there is an ongoing effort to better communicate and create a more coordinated awareness. The broader body of work is to make an integrated system out of an asset.
Ian – I support this so so much. COVID showed people how much they like being outside. Our trails are a jewel in our crown. Really support this.
Tim – to have a system that is cohesive, like the Retreat Farm trail system, to highlight the areas and connect them would be wonderful.
Liz – the Planning Dept did a study to link public access parks in the downtown together.
Jessica – one thing I was curious about was increasing public access and engagement. Is that about infrastructure and signage or accessibility?
Liz – I thought it included the town park system.
Sue Fillion – within the department we’ve had opportunities to work on the trails. Part of it is making sure people know about parking and knowing where the trail starts. DBA has a small grant to make… there are lots of people managing trails and have their own identity… this is to marking Brattleboro Trails, for marketing. The state is putting a lot of resources into outdoor rec, so that’s why it has taken off.
Liz – that study they did about linking parks and trails?
Sue – that’s more about downtown. I do expect that will come back to the selectboard.
Liz – it was nifty.
Jessica – I noticed that multimodal transportation is not mentioned in here. I was curious about that.
Liz – we focused on busses in previous goals. Now we have the new train station. Do we want to add these things to sustainability.
Ian – I’d add on that bike accessibility with Western Ave, Rt 7, bike lane discussion and Putney Rd, so I think there is a lot coming down the road on that and I think it would make sense to include it in some way.
Liz – coming down the road? Sustainable transportation item as number 5 or a whole new section?
Tim – already in progress. We aren’t going to hit everything. We can list them. It’s our list, but I’m ok with capping it and agreeing to hold ourselves to.
Liz – let’s add a number 5 about it and see how detailed we want to be at the next meeting.
Ian – Quipp – anything about roads? Last year you had interest in roads?
Daniel – nope is the quick answer. I intend to argue for roads during budget season. You all know that. This is some of our goals, and not everything is going to get done. I’d trim rather than add to this. I’m happy to accept them as they stand, but I won’t object to adding anything. Not a burning thing to me.
Liz – let’s add a number 5 about multimodal travel. Now, my favorite project – this project has been held in abeyance – stormwater utility – it is so necessary, and expensive. Vermont mandates it, and this program will get us money. I’m anxious to get this going.
Elwell – the free money is become the state doesn’t pay taxes. We fund stormwater with taxes, but I-91 and other state roads makes them a significant fee payer into the stormwater utility – the sooner we get this going the better. The one other thought – this is a very complex piece of work and will take a few years. Tremendous engineering and legal work, and a fair rate system… really nerdy but essential. This is to begin the creation of this. It will go on for another year or two before we operate a stormwater utility.
Daniel – this is a utility that will have rate payers. We’ll pay based on the amount of impermeable surface on our property.
Elwell – residential is usually a single fee up to a certain size. (An example – $47 year). Most will pay less than they ay for stormwater in taxes today. Large parking lots will be big ratepayers.
Liz – the state will pay upon completion.
Ian – a quick process question, and a newbie question
Tim – no
Ian – this is my first goal setting, for something multi year thing would we look at last year’s goals?
Elwell – yes – usually you would. Two years ago is a bit out of date. The purpose of putting in last year’s is more to this process. It isn’t scientific. Just you, five people, determining objectives for the coming year. You’re the policy makers, declaring these as deserving special attention this year.
Liz – last time we had goals we did most of them
Tim – I thought we had goals last year….
Ian – web site goal looks good…. throughout this, the outreach is visible. The housing study will do a large survey. The question of how it goes out… I’m excited to continue and improve outreach.
Daniel – this is where an equity lens comes in. I talked with Josh Davis, when we do the housing study, give your opinion and put them in touch with case workers. Can’t just hear from executive directors.
Liz – I’d assume there are a lot of stakeholders providing insights to the report.
Daniel – equity can drive doing a survey.
Liz – we’ve reached the end of the list…
Jessica – retail cannabis
Elwell – under community safety, or its own thing?
Liz – we all think it should be its own thing….
Elwell – no problem.
Liz – Planning Commission has been studying zoning…
Jessica – they’ve been doing some infrastructure policy, but we need a local cannabis control board and need to participate at the state level and how that shapes out and the roll out and laws that get written.
Ian – one more. Just a question – do we want to … COVID recovery – anything specific about the funds he spoke about?
Liz – the person who wrote this already knew about the funds, so let’s just have more time to think.
Daniel – not likely to forget the $3.3 million.
Tim – surprised it wasn’t mentioned about roads.
Elwell – $3.3m is a large amount, and there will be other money flowing – some transportation money likely, and other ways we might seize ways to spend state and federal funding. being general leaves you to be more fluid.
Liz – there could be money for water treatment plant, or infrastructure bill money, and money for non-profits in the community, so that’s separate. The overriding money affects residents, businesses, and non-profits. There’s money beyond the $3.3 million.
Selectboard Rules for Conduct of Meetings and Hearings – Annual Re-Adoption
Liz – we’ll be readopting these lovely rules. Anyone have any comments or want to amend them? Seeing none…
Daniel – a reminder that the public an submit items for the agenda. There is a timeline. Liz and Ian and Elwell can speak to it.
Elwell – on page 4 section g – there is quite a lot there. There is info for the public to initiate a request, and guidance about who has authority over the agenda and if something is on the agenda, and if they disagree.
Ian – to pick out one important one… if you want to get an agenda item considered, you can submit a written request to the selectboard on the Tuesday prior to a selectboard meeting, and it would be considered. That’s one of the bid ones.
adopted!
Last bits
The rest of the meeting is committee appointments and schedules. I’m sure it was fascinating.
Arts Committee Need and Mission Questioned
I was sent a copy of a response from the board Chair to a request to reduce the number of members on the Arts Committee so that a quorum can be reached:
“As you may know, on April 6th, the Selectboard asked Peter Elwell to discuss with Town staff the need and mission of the Arts Committee, in effect, asking if we should accept that the Town Arts Committee simply isn’t needed anymore, and further, the Selectboard has asked the Town Manager to look at the Town’s other advisory committees. Ian Goodnow, the Vice Chair, and I have decided to wait on this matter until the Town Manager has reported back to the Selectboard regarding this committee or any other committees that may or may not have become inactive or obsolete. ”
…
Why would an “arts town” want a pesky arts committee anyway? : )
It’s a bit unbelievable, too, that Brattleboro clings to Weigher of Coal in 2021 but questions the arts.