Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a memo of understanding which, once filed, will recognize most remaining non-management staff as union members. This makes the fourth group of town employees participating in collective bargaining.

Brattleboro will have a thorough process for finding a new Police Chief, according to plans presented by Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland. If all goes well, the search will result in a new police chief by the end of the summer.

Committee members were appointed, grants enlarged, businesses fined, and more in this relatively short, summer meeting of the Selectboard.

BRATTLEBORO, VT—Rescue Inc. will host a community open house and barbecue on Sunday, June 22, 2014 from 11am to 2pm at Rescue Inc.’s headquarters (541 Canal Street) to celebrate nearly 50 years of serving 15 towns in Southeast Vermont and Southwest New Hampshire.

“This is a great time to get to know your emergency first responders up close and personal and see what it takes to be an emergency medical technician or paramedic,” says Drew Hazelton, chief of operations. There will be a variety of Tech Rescue demonstrations, a hi line for folks to ride, bounce house for the kids along with a coloring book station, as well as tours of the ambulances and Rescue’s headquarters. Free blood pressure checks and hands only CPR will also be available.

Electric vehicle owners living in or visiting Brattleboro now have a new option for charging their cars. The Town of Brattleboro has installed two level 2, 100 amp electric vehicle charging stations on the first level of the Transportation Center at 77 Flat Street. There are three parking spaces reserved for charging electric cars. The State of Vermont will be installing signage directing motorists from Exits 1 and 2 to the stations. These stations are replacing an old obsolete charging station that was installed when the Transportation Center was constructed in 2003.

Town clerical and administrative employees have decided to unionize, and Brattleboro will be reviewing and potentially accepting a collective bargaining agreement at their next Tuesday evening.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will also start down the path toward hiring a new Chief of Police, will adjust committees and grants, approve a loan for the Brattleboro Area Farmers Market, appoint David Schoales to an action team, and more.

You can attend in person at the Municipal Center on Main Street, and bring up items not otherwise on the agenda during public participation. You ca also watch on BCTV, or follow the coverage here the day after.

According to the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s Office only 71 signatures were submitted by the 5pm deadline yesterday, in the attempt to force a reconsideration of the town’s municipal budget. 418 signatures of registered voted would have been necessary.

Bob Bady

The Reformer is reporting that David Gartenstein was seriously injured in a bicycle accident on Sunday, June 8th. He is recovering at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. No other details.

The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will be held at the New England House
on Thursday, June 12^th at 6:00 PM. Vermont State Representative Mollie Burke will address issues pertaining to transportation as it relates to West Brattleboro at this gathering. A member of the Vermont legislature since 2008, Mollie currently serves on the Transportation Committee and successfully procured funds for the repaving of Route 9 slated now to be done ahead of the original schedule due to its bad condition. In addition, Burke will discuss pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 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 Energy Committee will meet on Monday, June 9, 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 ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, June 13, 2014 at 10:00am at Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room.

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

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 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 Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 5:30pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:30pm to discuss a personnel matter.

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

BRATTLEBORO, VT—With the countdown on for opening in early August, the Brooks House Development Team will host an Open House on Strolling of the Heifers weekend to allow folks a peek at progress.

A Brooks House representative will be available in the space that will be occupied by Duo Restaurant (at the corner of Main and High Streets) to provide updates on the construction, answer questions and provide information on spaces still to be leased. The Open House will be free and open to the public during Gallery Walk on Friday night and during the Strolling of the Heifers parade on Saturday.

There was almost no mention of the FY15 budget during Tuesday’s meeting, giving the board a slight break from their spreadsheet to tackle other important issues, such as what on earth will the town do about the need for Police and Fire facility improvements. There wasn’t agreement, but some small steps forward were proposed.

The board also handled some feisty event prevention, made sure that the annual Independence Day parade would occur annually, discussed bridge work, and bought some equipment and software for the Police to crack open your cell phone’s lock codes and passwords, if necessary.

We’ll be doing a live blog here of the special Representative Town Meeting, in which the revised FY15 budget is presented for reconsideration. With the fiscal year looming, it is likely to pass, but how it passes may be another matter. Occasional updates coming throughout the meeting…

The Brattleboro Selectboard plans a regular Tuesday meeting free of FY15 budget discussions for the first time in quite a while, filled instead with the more ordinary business of parade and liquor permits, new bridges, grants, and dog warrants. The outcome of Monday’s special Representative Town Meeting could come up for discussion, and a conversation of what to do with the Police and Fire Facilities project might veer in the direction of the budget, but otherwise the agenda is refreshingly nonbudgemental at first glance.

You can bring up items not otherwise on the agenda during Public Participation if you attend in person. You can also watch on BCTV, and read the full report here the day after.

The Brattleboro Town Manager Search Citizen Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 6:00pm at the Academy School.  It is anticipated that the Committee will enter into executive session at 6:00pm to discuss a personnel matter.

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

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 27, 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 Art Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 27, 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 Selectboard will hold a special meeting and Informational Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. The Board will convene the special meeting at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:00pm to discuss a personnel matter, and reconvene at the Informational Town Meeting at 6:30pm at the Academy School gymnasium.