The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” Closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town website by the end of the day. Please note that the Zoom credentials for this meeting have changed. They can be found inside the agenda and administrative report.
Jessica Sticklor (she/her/hers)
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251 – 8115
* Please note that all correspondence with Town staff is part of the public record and may be shared with others.
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM + ZOOM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15 PM
The physical location for this meeting will be the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center
at 230 Main Street.
Selectboard Meeting materials can be found on the Town’s website, Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard.
If you join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, please use the link below.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81564656649?pwd=hX9AZJbP203lT4d2bwZv1qPCeLHRbS.1
Meeting ID: 815 6465 6649
Passcode: 529415
The meeting also will be carried live on BCTV.
Cable TV: Channel 1079
Streaming Online: https://www.brattleborotv.org/live/gov-ed-channel/
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv
AGENDA
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
(please note that all times indicated are approximate)
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING (6:15 PM)
2. ADJUSTMENTS TO AGENDA
3. APPROVE MINUTES –
4. CHAIR’S REMARKS
5. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
6. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
7. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (6:25 PM)
8. REGULAR BUSINESS (6:35 PM)
A. First Charter Petition Hearings – (6:35 PM)
(i) Australian Ballot
(ii) Open Town Meeting
B. Liquor/Tobacco Authority and Process (7:35 PM)
Presentation by Town Attorney and Town Clerk Staff
C. Open Meeting Law Refresher (8:00 PM)
Presentation by Town Attorney
D. Town Audit Update (8:35 PM)
Presentation by Staff
E. Warnings for Annual Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting (8:55 PM)
Selectboard Discussion
F. Monthly FY26 Budget Update for November (9:45 PM)
Presentation by Staff
9. CORRESPONDENCE
10. ADJOURNMENT (10:05 PM)
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MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: John Potter, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: January 23, 2026
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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday,
January 27, 2026. The Board will convene the meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting
Room and on Zoom. All times listed below are approximate, and interested parties should monitor
the meeting if they do not want to miss an agenda item.
If you join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, please use this link:
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85223252040?pwd=f0zpzRIYterkWvZ53MAfbuxuMv3Dvm.1
Meeting ID: 852 2325 2040
Passcode: 602388
The meeting also will be carried live on BCTV.
Cable TV: Channel 1079
Streaming Online: https://www.brattleborotv.org/live/gov-ed-channel/
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv
The meeting also will be carried live on BCTV:
On Cable TV: Channel 1079
Streaming Online: https://www.brattleborotv.org/channel-1079-livestream
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv
8. REGULAR BUSINESS (6:35 PM)
First Charter Petition Hearings – (6:35 PM)
(i) Australian Ballot
(ii) Open Town Meeting
In a memorandum dated January 23, 2026, Town Manager John Potter discusses two Town
Charter petitions regarding Representative Town Meeting (RTM) and the process by which a
charter petition is placed on the ballot. This is the first of two public hearings on this matter.
Included in the Board’s materials are the previous Selectboard memorandums regarding this
matter, excerpts from the minutes of previous Selectboard meetings where this item was
discussed, and copies of the two petitions that will be discussed.
CHAIR ACTIONS: TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CHARTER PETITION 1
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT.
TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER PETITION 2 OPEN TOWN MEETING.
TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER PETITION 1 AUSTRALIAN BALLOT.
TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER PETITION 2 OPEN TOWN MEETING.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
Liquor/Tobacco Authority and Process (7:35 PM)
Presentation by Town Attorney and Town Clerk Staff
In a memorandum dated January 27, 2026, Town Clerk Hilary Francis discusses the Liquor and Tobacco Licensing process.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
Open Meeting Law Refresher (8:00 PM)
Presentation by Town Attorney
Assistant Town Attorney Hannah Clarisse provides an overview on Open Meeting Law in a document dated January 27, 2026.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
Town Audit Update (8:35 PM)
Presentation by Staff
In a memorandum dated (date) Finance Consultant Bonnie Batchelder provides an update on the Town’s Auditor search.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
Warning for Annual Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting (8:55 PM)
Selectboard Discussion
The Board is asked to discuss the Warnings for the March 5, 2026, Town Meeting, and the March 21, 2026, Representative Town Meeting, and provide feedback, if any.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT THE WARNINGS FOR THE MARCH 5, 2026, TOWN
MEETING AND THE MARCH 21, 2026, REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING, AS
PRESENTED.
Monthly FY26 Budget Update for November (9:45 PM)
Presentation by Staff
In a memorandum dated December 29, 2026, Finance Consultant Bonnie Batchelder discusses the FY26 Monthly Budget Update for November.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
