Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard had their first discussion of an option to buy the Reformer building on Black Mountain Road to use for a new police station, as well as the process to decide if the property should be purchased at all. Nothing specific was decided, except that public input was required before the Selectboard could feel confident to make a recommendation. Public comment is expected to come at special meetings to be scheduled, and via other informal feedback. 

The Our Town grant was awarded, other grants were accepted and applied for, and other special meetings requesting your input will be scheduled to focus on the FY17 budget and the adoption of new Land Use Regulations.

Restorative Justice

“Community … is made from conflict as much as from cooperation; the capacity to resolve conflict is what gives social relations their sinew.”  David Cayley, The Expanding Prison 1998 (quoting Nils Christie, “Conflicts as Property,” 1977)

The next Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast is planned for Friday, October 16, 2015 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am.

We plan to hear from and meet with Darah  Kehnemuyi, the new Executive Director of the Brattleboro Community Justice Center.

Because of schedule conflicts for a great many of the regular West Brattleboro Association folks, the monthly meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8th is canceled.

The next monthly WBA meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12th.  More info will follow as that day
draws nigh.

After much work to reduce costs of the proposed Police and Fire facility projects, the new price tag for the three projects has a price range, depending on the path chosen, from $12.5 to $15 million. The options and corresponding price tags were previewed this week at the Brattleboro Selectboard’s special meeting, and will be discussed in more detail at their next meeting.

Brattleboro’s connection, or lack thereof, to the Connecticut River was the recommended art project chosen as the winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town public art competition. “From the River, To the River” is a multi-artist, multi-media, multi-site installation with numerous opportunities for the community to become involved.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.  It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contracts, pending or probable civil litigation to which the public body is or may be a party, and the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options.  The Board will reconvene for the business meeting at approximately 6:00pm.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, September 28, 2015 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the local history room.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 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 Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6:00pm at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op in the community room.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, September 24, 2015 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

The Brattleboro NEA Our Town Grant Selection Committee will meet on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 8:00am at the Latchis Theatre on Main Street.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Selectboard began a preliminary discussion of the future of the Municipal Center, somewhat unintentionally, while discussing necessary repairs to bring the building up to current fire safety codes. It began with John Allen questioning the large investment in the structure, meandered through talk of responsibility and stewardship, and ended with a plan to spend the necessary funds one way or another.

Parking ordinance changes were approved. Most of the rest of the evening involved discussions of money. 

The next phase of Municipal Center repairs will get some attention at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

The board will have a second hearing and approval of parking ordinance changes, examine some financial reports for the year and month, and will do their utmost to protect you, dear citizens, from terrorists in our midst with the approval of a mobile data terminal for a police car.

All this and more. Watch on BCTV and read about it here.

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, September 14, 2015 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 Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, September 17, 2015 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 Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 10:00am at Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room (room 2-C).

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 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 Tree Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, 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

In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2015, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, September 6, and Monday, September 7. All other violations will be enforced.

Major industrial development near Exit 1 got a hearty endorsement from the Brattleboro Selectboard on Tuesday evening. Over $1 million in loans and grants have been approved to be spent on an effort to convince a local employer to keep good paying jobs in Brattleboro. There are good odds that G. S. Precision will stay, but plans are not yet final.

A proposed Putney Road telecommunications tower was found to be objectionable enough to trigger a letter of concern to the Public Service Board, Groundworks collaborative will be moving forward to help the homeless with food and shelter through a planned resource center downtown, the Our Town grant selection committee was appointed, and more.