The Brattleboro Selectboard were, until Tuesday night, the last keepers in the United States of something called an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) Program grant. Before them was $2.3 million that has matured, and the board voted to transfer all of it away from UDAG into the Town’s Revolving Loan Fund.
The board was also pleased with their progress on a number of issues, and happy to hear the monthly fire department report.
The Brattleboro Selectboard kicks off the new year with another error. The paving project was under-estimated by 3211 tons of asphalt. Oops, and $32,000.
The Fire Department will read their monthly report – for November of last year, the board will revisit their retreat and goal-setting, and the Town Manager will request a transfer of over $2 million to the Revolving Loan Fund. You can attempt to bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation if the Chair deems you worthy.
A combative public greeted the selectboard to kick off their Tuesday night meeting. The quick version: downtown is unsafe and your website sucks.
After that was out of the way, the board was treated to a discussion of I-91 exit 1 bridge repairs next spring and summer, emergency housing plans, and about EMS transition items such as potential municipal revenue, the RFI process, and a new project-related website.
Municipal EMS potential revenues will be open for limited discussion at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeting. The board begins their official EMS decision making process, which they continue to call a “Fire-EMS transition,” and will ask potential 3rd party EMS contractors to give the town information. They’ll also announce a new project website, a new taxpayer-sponsored and government-generated news program, and an email address!
The board will also discuss emergency housing, cemetery changes, and a new plan to fix the I-91 pile of rust… er,. bridge at Exit 1.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair doesn’t read your mind and forbid you from speaking on issues he doesn’t want discussed.
Brattleboro was given a clue, perhaps, to the problem between the Town of Brattleboro and Rescue, Inc. at Tuesday’s Selectboard meeting. Fire Chief Howard said multiple times that even if another EMS service was chosen to provide first response care in Brattleboro, he would have his department keep arriving on scene “first,” no matter what.
This study has been described a way to assess the feasibility of a Fire/EMS service within the
Brattleboro Fire Department. It might be noted that $25k of the money set aside for this study was approved as part of the Town Budget on a vote of 100-6 (5 abstentions) by members at a March 19, 2022 Representative Town Meeting. At that time the line item for the appropriation was for a ”strategic plan” to help with “community expectations, concerns, positive feedback, help identifying critical issues, service gaps as well as give … guiding values and principles on how we move forward ….” 2021-2022 Annual Report, p. 48
There was no mention of Fire/EMS at that time.
A few items have come our way that indicate some pushback on the recent Town decisions regarding Rescue, Inc.
Anne Latchis has sent this out:
I’m writing to ask you to please write or call our town select-board members to ask them bring the ‘Town Manager’s decision to no longer contract with Rescue, Inc.’ to a TOWN VOTE . Contact info is listed below.
Brattleboro Fire Chief Mike Bucossi has announced his retirement, effective April 1, 2021. Bucossi has served the community in the Brattleboro Fire Department (BFD) for literally his entire adult life. He became a call firefighter in 1975 during his senior year at BUHS and became a full-time firefighter two years later. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1984, to Captain in 1985, and to Assistant Chief in 2000. He became Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator in July of 2007 upon the retirement of Fire Chief / EMC Chief David Emery.
During his 43-year career full-time with BFD, Bucossi provided leadership at countless incidents. At two of the most memorable and significant, he was the Incident Commander at the Wilder Block fire on December 4, 2004, and at the Brooks House block fire on April 17, 2011. He also was the Operations Officer (second in command under then Town Manager Barbara Sondag) during the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011.
Brattleboro Fire Chief Mike Bucossi announced his retirement via twitter this afternoon:
“After 43 years the end has arrived. I have retired from the Brattleboro Fire Department, effective April 1. It has been a fabulous career and a great honor to work with such a talented, dedicated group. I look forward to quality time with my beautiful wife!”
The National Weather Service is warning that hot temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s combined with high humidity levels are expected to create dangerous heat conditions Friday, Saturday & Sunday with the most oppressive conditions expected Saturday.Early morning low temperatures in the 70s will not provide much cooling.
The Brattleboro Fire Department would like to remind citizens of these few simple rules to remain safe and healthy
The Brattleboro Fire Department would like to proudly announce that we have received notice from the NH Fire and Emergency Medical Services that four staff members are recipients, in part, of the 2018 EMS Unit Citation from the State of NH, for their actions taken in the extrication at a fatal accident in Hinsdale, NH on March 9, 2018.
At 10:07pm the Brattleboro Fire Department responded on a mutual aid request for extrication at the scene of a two vehicle, head on collision on Chesterfield Rd in Hinsdale. Lt. Josh Jones, FF Matt Hubbard, FF Ben Aither and FF Andrew Baldwin, all members of Platoon #3, performed the extrication of one patient from the back seat area of a vehicle.
