Town News

1. Voting will be on the 2nd floor, Room 212, the Cosman and Selectboard Meeting Rooms.

2. You won’t need to step up or down even one step to vote! There is an elevator just inside the back entrance at ground level.

3. Wheelchairs are available on the second floor when you exit the elevator.

4. Parking won’t be a problem. Lots of free spaces have been set aside exclusively for voters. Parking is located in the rear of the building, accessible from the Grove Street entrance. Handicapped spaces are right next to the back entrance.

The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will be held at the New England House
on Thursday, October 9^th at 6:00 PM. After a review of the treasury, the group will address several ongoing agenda items including welcome signs and pedestrian and bicycle safety on Route 9. The group will also discuss the status of its Vermont non-profit quest.

At the meeting, the WBA group will also consider the possibility of holiday lights for the community and of having a holiday party again this year.

The Brattleboro Selectboard plans to discuss Human Services Funding at their next regular Tuesday meeting. They will be exploring options to increase, reduce, level-fund, or eliminate the payments entirely in an effort to keep taxes down.

There will be an update on the status of the Police & Fire facility project, a discussion of charging non-profits for emergency services, a look at Town Manager evaluation forms, and more.

Watch on BCTV or attend in person. You can speak to any issue, or bring up something that isn’t on the agenda during Public Participation.

Brilliance is back in the Brooks House. The frozen yogurt place is a new establishment next door, opening just in time for fall and winter. They’ll need some love to get them to a hot summer day.

Duo, the restaurant at the corner of the Brooks House, has been active. They are likely open by the time you read this. I saw a training session going on through the window the other night.

Shall we just say the Brooks House is back?

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, October 6, 2014 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 Representative Town Meeting ad hoc Futures Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 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 ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, October 10, 2014 at 10:00am at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room.

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

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 5:15pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:15pm to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee.

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

The Brattleboro Energy Settlement Funds Working Group will meet on Wednesday October 1, 2014 12:00pm in the Planning Services Department at the Municipal Center

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

The Brattleboro Police-fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 4:00pm I the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Saturday, October 4, 2014 at 10:00am in the Brattleboro Food Co-Op Community Room.

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

The 24 million dollar renovation of Brattleboro’s Brooks House will be celebrated on October 3 at 5p in the Brooks House Atrium in downtown Brattleboro. The Honorable Peter Shumlin, Governor of Vermont will be in attendance, along with Brooks House Development consisting of local businessmen Bob Stevens, Craig Miskovich, Ben Taggard, Pete Richards and Drew Richards.

A fire gutted the historic building, formerly a hotel, in April 2011. A few months later Tropical Storm Irene slammed the downtown area, causing significant flooding. Since that summer, the block-long Brooks House in the middle of Main Street has been boarded up and surrounded by tarps and scaffolding. A group of local businessmen and developers, formed to purchase and renovate it.

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee will meet on Monday, September 22, 2014 at 5:30pm in the community room at the Brooks Memorial Library.

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

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 8:30am in the Selectboard 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 23, 2014 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 Representative Town Meeting Ad Hoc Futures Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 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 Pay-As-You-Throw Advisory Committee/Working Group will meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard 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 Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 6:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

New Board Member Join Youth Services Brattleboro— Bobbi Kilburn of Westminster, recently joined 15 other community members in serving on Youth Services’ board of directors. Through 10 programs ranging from Court Diversion to Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nonprofit agency helps Windham County children, youth, and families thrive.

The board and staff are looking forward to tapping Kilburn’s background in financial management and business consulting services, as well as her willingness to help with the many fundraising activities of the organization.

The Pay As You Throw Working Group is leaning toward high fees for Act 148 compliance, the Brattleboro Selectboard learned Tuesday evening. The “necessary fee” isn’t yet calculated, but is suggested to be calibrated to cover the costs of all tipping fees, program costs, and program materials, and no sliding scale for low income residents is planned.

The board also contemplated cuts to human service funding, and asked for citizen input on the question. The Police received a grant to improve their abilities to unlock and look at everything on your phone, tablet, or GPS device. (Your silly passwords are useless.)

Other grants were received and community members stepped up to serve on town committees and boards. All this and more, below.