The Brattleboro Selectboard heard a number of updates and reports at their second regular meeting of May. They learned how a grant was used to help with housing, how a group would like to expand passenger rail service in the region, how Green Mountain Power is burying some of the most problematic electrical circuits, and more.
More, of course, included hearing that utility rates would be increasing.
Preliminaries
They start late.
Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin – I went to a meeting yesterday with Trans and they are beginning to explore the long dormant Putney Road improvements. It is a state road, so there is no match. It is state money renovating Putney Rd, and one perk is there will be a bike lane and better sidewalks. One problems years ago was there would need to be blasting on the rock, and that is not part of this project. Engineers will begin plan to bring back by end of year so we can review it and approve it and get on the queue to start the project many years from nw. Tomorrow night is the information session at Academy School. RTM is following Tuesday at 6:15pm.
Town Manager John Potter – This week is national public works weeks, so we recognize the staff at DPW WE have professionals in 6 divisions, maintaining vital services. Not provided without the public works professionals. They rebuild and protect our travelways, waterways, water and waste systems. They are essential. Thank the staff of DPW for their contributions.
Liz – the budget report is on the web site and available at the library.
Oscar Heller – went to the Southern Vt economy summit today. Touched on many things, put on by BDCC. There was a big well attended event, thinking realistically about problems with a problem solving spirit. I think there are some bright spots in our future.
Amanda Ellis-Thurber – the 50th anniversary of the Farmers Market – it brings great food and spirit to the community.
Isaac Evans-Frantz – last month there was some graffiti in a playground with some hate symbols andI reached out about it. We have a declaration of inclusion in Brattleboro. I am in conversation with the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community. (reads declaration). You can read the entire statement here on the wall and it is posted online.
Public
Barbara – On Friday our school had a dangerous event on our campus, we required the assistance of the police department. They supported the staff and the student. No intervention needed beyond their supportive conversation. From Community House, we thank the officers who came to help. We truly appreciate what you do. To the person who tried to take pictures, shame on you. The family saw you and was hurt by your actions.
Dick – Our special RTM is coming up. As a taxpayer, I will be extremely disappointed if RTM sends it back tot he selectboard again. there is no way there will be another budget before July 1. You can reduce it or accept it, but not reject it. Please do not add any money into the budget. There are two positions people feel passionate about. Adding to the budget adds to the burden of the taxpayer. If staff leave, we’ll feel their shoes. I will request RTM members that the vote is recorded, so we can have a record of how people voted. It should be a recorded vote, so people in the community can see how you voted. We’ll have an election in 10 months. And Liz, when is the black topping on RT 5 and RT 9 going to start. I thought Putney Rd was going to be blacktopped this summer.
Liz – it will be paved well before the Putney Rd improvements.
Dan Tyler – we have had contact with contractors – after the 4th of July. We’ll know more in mid-June.
Consent Agenda
A. Martocci’s Third-Class Seasonal Liquor License Renewals – Approve
B. FY25 Municipal Planning Grant for Capital Programming – Accept and Appropriate $29,700 Grant
C. FY25 Downtown Transportation Fund Grant – Accept and Appropriate $124,405 Grant
So consented.
Announce Committee Vacancies
They announce Committee Vacancies.
(Liz reads list.)
Amanda – could you detail what Fence Viewer, Honor Roll , and Weigher of Coal do? Do they mean what they say?
Potter – contact our officer for details of those positions, or look online.
Amanda – where is the Ag Advisory Committee?
Liz – they may not have a current vacancy.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Closeout Hearing -Windham and Windsor Housing Trust Scattered Site Program
Potter – officially open a hearing then Bruce Whitney will explain the program and results.
Liz opens public hearing.
Bruce Whitney from Windham and Windsor Housing Trust – I’m the director of home ownership. This is the home stabilization program, not the scattered site program. The housing stabilization program was a COVID $$ for CDBG. The state worked with 5 home ownership centers around the state. It provided financial assistance to homeowners and renters, financial payments toward mortgages, utilities, taxes, etc. and we did that with 38 households, and provided financial counseling for people if they were struggling with bills. There were other assistance programs, too, and we helped with paperwork. We added some money for repairing some apartment units at the Chalet. We did a quick rehab during the pandemic and more work was needed. It is wonderful to work with the town on these grants. Thanks. You are helping Brattleboro and the region.
Liz – it is a valuable service you provided to our town. I’m sure it kept many people in their homes during COVID. Thank you.
Hearing closed.
Rail Service Resolution
Potter – Larry Shaffer, President of the Central Corridor Passenger Rail Coalition, is asking the board to support a resolution to support expansion of rail service to New London, CT. They’d like to do this, and connecting stops. There is a possible resolution in your packet.
Amanda – the letter that was the preamble, in the third paragraph had me confused. The Palmer connection? Other problems?
Liz – not germane to us, but to the other end. The palmer Street location is in MA.
Potter – they are working on rail connections to find the best service. The resolution is about rail service in general.
Amanda – reads letter – “rail is a valuable tool, environmentally safe, supports economic development, connects communities and region, therefore we support the effort to return passenger service between Brattleboro and New London CT and to include (all sorts of organizations and agencies)..”
Liz – there is a proposed motion to adopt the resolution of support.
Peter Case – I think it is good.
Liz – it’s the beach!
Amanda – and there is a ferry to Long Island.
Dick – the sidewalk is being held up by the railroad – we need an easement. It’s been going on 4 years. I will ask you to not forward this until we get the easement for Morningside. You should help us get that easement. Dealing with the railroad is a difficult process.
Liz – the person who sent the letter has nothing to do with the owner of the land. (Genesse Wyoming?) Rail companies are notoriously difficult.
Potter – I can look into the status of this issue.
Liz – this is a private entity trying to establish assented service and we all support that.
Gemma – I’m a little confused – we have passenger service via Amtrak. Is this a new separate service apart fro Amtrak, otherwise why would we need this resolution?
Liz – existing service is to New Haven. This would reestablish a long dormant line.
Oscar – to reply to Dick, this letter is not leverage in that effort but if there are ways the board or town can help we will.
Peter – give me info and I’ll do a little research.
Resolution adopted.
Green Mountain Power Update
Liz – Tim Jones from GMP will be here to discuss upcoming projects.
Tim Jones , and Carol Weston, from GMP – thanks for letting us come informally to share exciting news – a capital rebuild program – the zero outage initiative. We are focusing on our worst performing circuits, ranking them, and prioritizing projects that rebuild them to remove them from the list. How we get circuits on the list – number of lines, customers, and outages over the last 5 years. Last year we did a proposal to work on the 20 worst with the state. We don’t have any asks of the town tonight. We’ll come back around with some shovel ready work. Our program is to, say Western Ave – a rebuild candidate – going from open wires near Sunset lake. will be rebuilt with more storm resistant materials. We can identify lines that give us the biggest benefit. We want main lines to be reliable. We have done some small projects – Melchen Rd. That will be a proof of concept when we come back – we want to bury lines underground in more rural areas. Townshend, Jamaica, Halifax. We’ll return to Halifax in the summer, we’ll do another 20 miles this summer burying lines. WE are seeing the net benefit of that. The outage experience is slackening. What we are doing is tarting to pay dividends. Essential we have town partnerships. Western Ave is a state highway, but we’ll have to work with your DPW. WE can build Western Ave in late June or July. We’ll be back to help plan it. If there are any issues, we’ll have a chain of command as to who to call. Sunset Lake Rd, Ames Hill Rd… significant populations – we can go out and harden some lines along some of those. Get it squared away, proof of concept. Hopefully other things will come to fruition. We have to rebuild ou mainline infrastructure so we can pivot off it. That’s about it and we welcome any questions.
Liz – do you have a list of properties in Brattleboro. for this year?
Tim – I can provide it. Ames Hill Rd.
Liz – we’d like to have a list – the Town manager can get it. I assume you notice all stakeholders? (yes) How many miles of underground utility are currently in Brattleboro and how much planned?
Tim – nothing in town proper – this time looking at dirt roads.
Liz – it is a very valuable service.
Amanda – I live on one of the roads and have great connections with the contractor moving poles. The 3rd part contractor -who are you working with. I have not seen any notifications yet from GMP. The work on Melchen has been great – less fires. Also, the speed at which you do the work. It isn’t that long that a road will be blocked.
Tim – We do not canvass customers until closer to start time. So, that’s expected. We’ll make contact. Our contractor is (Qualis?) – they give us the whole gamut of what we need. The trenching is done by PLC. They do the direct bury – they have a 10 ft cutting wheel. We also have some other local contractors supporting them, and a GMP employee on the projects. GMP will put in a spare conduit with room for up to 3 telecommunication partners. We’ll tell them and they can do a licensing agreement on the other side. We are putting spare duct in the ground to entice them.
Peter – is there a priority? Almost never lose power where I am.
Tim- there is a top 10 worst circuits – Jamaica, Townshend and Halifax have been primary focus, and we’ll do more work with them. There are Brattleboro sites on the list.
Amanda – we were out for 7 days during a snow storm, so this is great.
Tim – Brattleboro is on the priority list. We’ll send a list and can take questions anytime.
Randy – I live on Olsen Drive – we had wires down and on generator. It started fires twice out there. I didn’t know if we were on the list.
Tim – I’ll search that out. Thanks for the feedback.
Liz – thanks for your speedy help with the SIT fire.
Utility Rate Study
Potter – I’ll ask Dan Tyler of the DPW to come up with the consultant from NewGen.
Dan – Mike and his colleagues have taken our data, dug through it and compiled it. Mike will walk us through their finding. No decisions tonight but maybe some feedback from you?
Liz – your background was interesting, that utility rates were fluctuating and we want stability.
Dan – yes – one year it showed s surplus and we leveled rates, we have to do upgrades, and that drives capital costs up, so we raise rates to meet that…
Mike – we were here late February. Not much warmer today. AS an enterprise fund, it should be run as a business. Revenue should meet or exceed expenses, and maintain some reserves. Reinvest in the system. It’s usually your largest investment, so plan accordingly. Factors that impact rates – inflation (salaries, benefits, electricity, chemicals) we use a 3% inflation rate for planning. Capital Improvement plan is a large driver. WE look at funding sources – cash or reserves or debt? Debt service is an impact, plus future debt service. We are being conservative in customer growth and usage. We assume it is fairly built out now. The customer base is roughly the same. Misc revenue will be about the same, too. The operating reserve target is 25% of operating expenses, or 90 days. That gives you rate stabilization. A capital reserve should be 2% of system value over a ten year period. A 50 year lifespan. The revenue requirement – the cost of the system. Water Cap Improvement Plan – a large chunk is water line replacement. That will be debt funded. Sewer Improvements – smaller than water. You invested in sewer and now it is water’s turn. Costs – operating expenses, debt service, and contributions to reserves. We are proposing a 9% increase twice, then 3% inflationary increases. You are just below the 25% target now, and will be above with the new revenue. Sewer is usually more expensive. You’ve done recent project and have debt service to pay off. You need a 2% increase every year. You could even withhold it. It is one fund. Current rate varies by meter size – the larger the meter the more you pay. Same with sewer. (Shows some sample bills). Avg user pays 384 now. You can see your rates are above the middle of the pack and would stay there with the increases. Your fire protection charges – private fire lines – a 3% increase each year is recommend. Our recommendations – adopt the next 5 year period, use the model we built for you, have a consultant every 3-5 years look at things.
Liz – my understanding is the state gives generous loans or grants for utilities. Do you include the here?
Mike – in your current rates, yes. Future debt service is after the 5 year period.
Liz – Dan, you feel comfortable taking over the model?
Dan – Yes – and we have his number.
Liz – have you heard anything about the state being less generous?
Dan – lots of it is federal funding so we’ll see. Terms remain for works in progress. Should know soon. The model is helping us plan.
Liz – it is a big jump and we having been jumping a lot.
Oscar – that was a great presentation and visualization. I was curious – a ballpark cost of doing a study every few years?
Mike – yes. The model is already set up. We might do a review, or do it for you, … depends what you want.
Oscar – I’d like to understand more about the sizable balance when combining the two.
Mike. – a cash balance, so each service covers items. It is one utility fund and you could combine them. maybe you can o less that 9%.
Oscar – if you add the numbers up – we have 3 million on hand – did we build up more than we needed? For another use? (OK) The spike in FY30 is water mains due to be replaced? (YES). The rate hikes presented account for this big jump? (yes)
Liz – you said there was an assessment of the system needs?
Dan – yes – that’s what drove us. We incorporated the assessment into the capital plan, and now need to look at this.
Ivan – I may be off but I thought sewer wasn’t metered independently?
Dan – one meter and charge for both on that meter.
Mike – it is a theoretical usage.
Liz – water in = water out is the theory.
Randy – where I used to live, there were incremental increased ahead of time so it is 9% all at once.
Mike – we want to do the 9% up front so we can get to inflationary 3;s.
Randy – moving forward – since we are looking to plan better, maybe it pays to have a more frequent look, to prevent the large increases.
Liz – we reduced the rate significantly years ago and are paying for it now.
Oscar – we could smooth out the water increase over the 5 years and wouldn’t have a problem. We don’t have to do the two big jumps – could do 4% every year.
Potter – we’ll take your feedback and will bring back a draft utility budget in June.
Legislative Update
Potter – I haven’t had as much time to work on these matters this spring, but I did get to provide testimony on two bills, summarized in the memo. One was H397 – local option tax distribution. I requested that they consider 100% distribution to towns that support the motel program (rather than 70/30). They do pay it out to us as PILOT funds sometimes, but 100% would be better for us. Committee was receptive, asked a lot of good questions, understood. The tax department said 75% was the highest they could go to protect PILOT payments statewide. So it went up 5%. The other bill was H91 regarding the motel program – I asked for some allocation other than municipalities that have extra costs due to the program. That’s being considered. They have been reducing the amounts of possible grants in there. Floor action on Thursday.
Oscar – I have also..all of us have been talking to people to try to make something happen. I was told the bill could change at any point, but there was some money for municipalities last night… hopeful.
Liz – all sorts of people have written. Articles in the paper. It is important to note that it was a revelation to legislators to understand the impact on the host municipalities.
Amanda – I appreciate John’s advocacy at the state level.
Isaac – I agree. Once concern from some service rounders is that there is a stretched pool of funds, and that there are concerns that money not be taken out of that pool. I hope in the future the state can support the unhoused and the communities.
Liz – I’d hope that the state diversify the set of towns and motels. Not let us bear the burden as we have for 5 years.
Randy – my understand is the bill is a study period. It’s years away, right?
Potter – yeas, next fiscal year.
Oscar – it isn’t clear to me. Some might be in FY26 as bridge funding. Waiting another year is a big ask of towns.
Cristina – H91 hasn’t been passed yet, and there will be transition if passed. I’m concerned that if we are moving toward nonprofits providing the services and away from municipalities, what will happen in the mean time? We want to take care of people until then, too…
Liz – it is a state program and private non profits are providing shelter. there is a considerable amount of sheltering but it isn’t municipally based.
Oscar – for FY26, the current program will continue in much the same form, but we should keep talking about shelter needs in the community, separately.
Cristina – currently the nonprofits providing services are at capacity, and cannot expand the capacity with state fund. It can’t just be put onto them. They are doing everything they can, and more needs to be taken care of.
Monthly FY25 Budget Update
Potter – the finance team has been working on budgets but confirmed the numbers in your packet. We project that we expect to be $883,773 in deficit with article 9 approvals at RTM – use of fund balance of —- so a loss of about $32k year at the end of the year. Still trying to close that gap if possible.
Isaac – thanks for the work and working to close that gap.
Oscar – thanks, appreciative of this. If the gap is $30k, you won’t hear a word of complaint from me. A couple clarifying questions – expected bond payments and a bond expenses line halfway down – there is $800k left. Has that been pulled out and is it $973k?
Potter – I will find out. I believe the $973 is probably what we have the most current knowledge on.
Oscar – annualized spending estimates seems fine. Fire revenue is way up from April – a $640k jump – the ARPA funds are in here. The revenue seems like an over performance… we feel good about those numbers?
Potter – it is being driven by the call volume. It is an estimate. It might not materialize. $100k play either way is a reasonable way to think about it. We have another $117k in hand.
Oscar – a million in change in billing? That would be a huge windfall?
Potter – yes.
Oscar – it would be really welcome if it bears out.
Potter – and, in my comments, it is also EMS week this week, and the job our crews have been doing – 14-15 calls per shift sometimes. We should be super grateful to them. If you have a chance, give them a thank you this week.
Oscar – most of the agonizing over the EMS program isn’t the performance and work they do. It has been financial.
Liz – the general fund department EMS reimbursement there is a line that – projected actual of over a million. Even subtracting the seed money we except to exceed the budgetary amount.
Oscar – the agenda items have the summary. This is in the digital materials.
Liz – after the warrants.
Oscar – are there other areas – I’m slightly surprised to see projected accounts receivable in here.
Potter – property taxes is that way. Most of them are.
Oscar – I thought most were pure actuals.
Liz – this is a new presentation based on what our new financial teams wants to structure. We can all get used to that.
Oscar – marking lines that include accounts receivable…to show them clearly. The big question I have – we are sublating out the $850k use of fund balance – have we spent all of those costs? Have we bought all the bins?
Potter – most of that has been spent already. Bins are outside the general fund. This is the cost increase on the Casella contract over Triple T.
Kate – a question about the chart that shows projected revenue loss of $32k. The EMS revenue has the $250, and ARPA funds, and without it, we are projected to make the $851. That $250k was put in expecting the deficit. So this is floating the FY25 budget now, not its intended purpose. Without it, we are deficit spending. We can go back to prior meetings to verify this.
Potter – it is just plan and we set out to do what we said we’d do.
Oscar – a lot of things are floating other things- we’ll be over in overtime and benefits. EMS revenue look to be over performing. We’d like to see things more predictable and smooth. I take your point but the $250 was in the plan for the budget all along. If EMS was under and we made it up that way… do we need to take it out? Let’s talk more.
Liz – it is a very negative way to look at it. You are making a worst case…
Amanda – there are concerns for our spending and how we spend and what pockets. I’m looking forward to passing the budget, then for FY27, the commentary from the public helps with that. We hope to pass that budget and move on to the next one.
Dick – it sounds like everyone is giddy over the projected EMS funds – it depends on what we get after we send the bill. I was told once the year is done we’d have a better idea. WE should know what the bad debt is like by now. We should know the percentage. I’m not all excited about the funding looks like this until we know what the bad debt is. Given the overtime in fire and police, DPW will bail us out again this year which is a heavy burden on one department.
Liz – we’ll talk about that at the end of next quarter.
Potter – it isn’t bad debt – when yo set the rates you understood you’d rarely collect the full amount. That was to collect as much private insurance as we can. It’s not debt.
Liz – the amount assume an amount oof collection and it assumes an amount of bad debt.
Potter – DPW will be very close this year, and won’t be bailing anyone out.
Dick – a question from weeks ago – I asked if there were issues in the current budget with fund that weren’t initially in the budget we’re in. Are all the numbers in the budgetary correct – retirement, benefits? (yes)
Randy – I like to see that a CPA is doing the accounting. The Transfers – I assume finance is now transferring things I a different way? And congrats on EMS, but increases alls, overtime is in work, 3 new staff will take time to bring on board, we’ll still have overtime. When they come next time, could hey chart this picture for the public to show we are getting our arms around this? Show it as granularity as we can. The last part with the debt – we have the two rates, depending on Medicare or Medicaid, and if we collect copays… it would be nice to know that number. If we know what we can expect…
Liz – when the fire department comes we’ll make sure they bring the assumptions of the model and what the payments would be and what the nonpayments would be. It’s a known estimated number we are using.
Dick – we should have a number of people we are treating without insurance.
Liz – there is a certain level of finesse in that we are asking people to pay and debt isn’t written off for a certain timeframe.
Heidi – I will reiterate my plea – please have clear numbers about EMS expenses. Everything it is costing to run the program.
Oscar – I find the transfer section confusing, too, so I’d like to flag it and say next month we make it more clear.
Potter – the two transfers out are …um….
Oscar – I’m looking at transfers in… I want to make sure we aren’t double counting. Top of page 4. If the approved use of fund balance is already in the revenues and ten we subtracted it, we’d be double counting… I want to flag it for next month to be sure. make sure that line item isn’t being double counting.
Potter – that would be a major accounting error by the accountant….
David – I’d also like data on EMS revenues . It needs to be presented a. quarterly basis, matched against collections for that quarter. Absolutely critical to see how the money is flowing. Delighted that EWMS collections are doing better than expected.
Randy – what would sort it out is a footnote – more detail. You can put transfer, then say “see footnote” to summarize the transfers.
Dick – Parking budget- you should be discussing this. You are under budget in revenue by $300k+ and that is a substantial number. You talked about eliminating Sunday parking to take away $43k in revenue each year. That concerns me. The parking budget is in sad shape – not generating any money at the Transportation Center. Not sure if the board is as concerned about the parking fund as they should be. Apply the same logic as to the water and sewer planning.
Liz – I’m sure the board is concerned about the parking fund…
Isaac – I share the concern. My understanding was some of the expenses were the transition to the new system, and our expenses will go down in future years?
Potter – no, the plan was with Sunday parking, we’d be out of deficit next year. That will have to be looked at again when you look at the parking budget in a couple weeks. Most of the transition was paid for with grant. These are mostly operating costs.
Oscar – I think we were concerned at last meeting. Do we really want to be cutting Sunday parking when we are running a deficit? Should we aim for a higher revenue target? The plan was to run at a deficit so it would be good to know what that number was.
Liz – we’ll talk about that when we do the parking.
report accepted
Representative Town Meeting Motions
Liz – we have the last item – Representative Town Meeting Motions
Potter – you’ve warned the meeting or May 27th. At that meeting you’ll make motions. This is to assign the motions to be read…
So, you don’t need me to do this. : )