For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
March will be a very busy month in Brattleboro with presidential primary elections, two Representative Town Meetings, two informational meetings, and changes in the Selectboard’s schedule. In order to make the schedule clear for the public, attached are copies of the March meetings – in chronological order and by category.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
Agricultural Advisory Board
Arts Committee
ADA Advisory Committee Conservation Commission
Development Review Board (Alternate)
Energy Committee Fence Viewers (by statute, must be legal voters of the Town)
Honor Roll Planning Commission
Senior Solutions Advisory Council SEVCA Board
The Brattleboro Selectboard reviewed a variety of bond options in anticipation of a special Representative Town Meeting deciding the future of Brattleboro’s police facility. No decision was made, but the total cost of 20, 25, and 30 year bonds (including interest payments and funds already borrowed) was provided for comparison.
The board also held a first reading on changes to ordinances that will impact pets and their owners in town. One which may be of particular interest to readers here (hi Zippy) is that police will be able to rescue dogs from hot cars. Other changes include new rules for “dangerous” animals and more clarity in the rules and appeals process.
Selectboard Candidates’ Forum
The next Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast will be held Friday, February 12, 2016 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am.
Brattleboro Selectboard candidates will give brief presentations and be available for questions:
Brattleboro’s Selectboard continued its busy schedule in 2015, convening 39 meetings and focusing on a wide range of projects. Following 1½ years with an interim Town Manager at the helm, 2015 marked the beginning of the tenure of Town Manager Peter Elwell, who transitioned effectively into the Town Manager’s role in January 2015 and has been dedicating himself tirelessly to ensure that the work needed to provide services in Brattleboro is being handled in a professional and efficient manner.
Adoption of new land use regulations is a significant landmark in the life of a town, and Selectboard participated in and developed a comprehensive, inclusive, and transparent process that led to adoption of Brattleboro’s new Zoning and Subdivision regulations in November 2015. This project spanned multiple years and relied on countless hours spent by members of the Planning Department and Planning Commission. It was supported by grant and taxpayer funding, drew on significant work with an outside consultant, and was strengthened by broad input from diverse members of the community. Multiple public meetings and hearings provided extensive information to the public about the new Ordinance. Our new Land Use Regulations should provide the foundation for continued and orderly land use and development that serves the public interest and the public good in Brattleboro during the next generation.
Police and Fire facilities debt, scheduling of special meetings and informational sessions, an ordinance change for animals and fowl, and committee adjustments will be before the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular Tuesday meeting. You can attend in person and participate!
Watch on BCTV and discuss it here after it’s over.
The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, February 1, 2016, at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
NOTICE is hereby given that the Brattleboro Town and Town School District Auditors’ Reports for fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, are available upon request and may be picked up at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont.
The Auditors’ Reports will also be available as part of the Town and School District Annual Report which will be available at the Town Clerk’s office no later than February 19, 2016.
Based on vote at Representative Town Meeting, March 20, 2010, the Town will no longer mail the Auditors’ Reports to all voters of the Town.
(Jan. 25, 2016) — The US Bankruptcy Court accepted the bid by Winston Prouty Center for Child Development to purchase The Austine School for the Deaf campus in Brattleboro.
The Austine School, which was part of the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VCDHH), closed at the end of the 2014 school year. VCDHH, which included a number of support and educational programs, closed in September and the organization declared bankruptcy.
Rather than pursue a long-planned $2.4 million expansion of its facility, including an early education center and community-based services, which is located across from Living Memorial Park, Winston Prouty decided to use its financial resources to purchase the Austine campus. “It would be great to have space where we could not only meet our needs but also collaborate with other nonprofits that might need space,” Chloe Learey, Winston Prouty executive director, said, “This will create an exciting opportunity to work together in new ways.” Winston Prouty’s winning bid was $2.75M. It is anticipating a loan of about $500K, depending on the sale of the current building and capital campaign.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, January 25, 2016, at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, January 25, 2016 at 5:30pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.
An ASL interpreter will be available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Selectboard made the decision to recommend the Black Mountain Road police station option to Representative Town Meeting, and the Town Attorney said Town Meeting Representatives could only vote on the police station portion of the facilities projects, as it was the only project with a change of location.
Several items were placed on the warning for Representative Town Meeting, the PAYT committee was dissolved, a Special Represntative Town Meeting has been scheduled, SeVEDS and child care centers both were warned not to burden Brattleboro’s taxpayers, and the FY17 budget has been approved for Representative Town meeting debate.
All this and more, in a meeting that stretched past ten o’clock.
The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.
Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in the downtown area this evening Jan 16.
Parked vehicles in the downtown parking lots must be removed by 10:30pm or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will likely endorse moving the police station to Black Mountain Road and doing full improvements for the fire stations. The board will also discuss spending $200,000 to make corrections to the gravity sewer project on Black Mountain Road.
The Waste Water Treatment Plant needs fixin’. Town Meeting Representatives will be summoned for a special Representative Town Meeting. Many articles will be considered for the upcoming regular Representative Town Meeting, the board will hear updates on PAYT as well as implementation of the Town Plan, Living Memorial Park may need a stormwater permit for the proposed skatepark, the parking garage gets new stairs, and more.
You can attend in person and participate! Or watch on BCTV then read about it here after.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The special meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard examined the cost of borrowing for proposed Police and Fire facility options, life cycle cost comparisons, how and when to apply the excess fund balance, and preliminary Police and Fire facilities survey results.
It’s increasingly looking like two full fire stations and a Black Mountain police station will be presented to voters, but no decision has been officially made as of yet, and more meetings are scheduled before those decisions are cast in stone.
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 18, 2016, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Monday, January 18. All other violations will be enforced.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 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
(802) 251-8100
