The Brattleboro Charter Revision Commission has been formed and work is getting underway to look at, poke at, discuss, debate and suggest revisions to the Brattleboro Charter.
Here are five revisions I think are worth considering:
The Brattleboro Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 6:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street).
The Brattleboro RTM Finance Committee will meet on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 6:00pm in the Central Fire Station Meeting Room (103 Elliot Street).
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their final regular meeting of 2022, taking up issues of finance, cannabis, and EMS services. The AP Triton report gave the board four options of EMS services. The top recommendation of the consultants, though, was to get Brattleboro Fire Department up to national performance standards asap.
The board also heard a well argued critique of their recent police budget discussions.
The AP Triton EMS Feasibility Study and its (expected) four options for Brattleboro EMS services will be made available for the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.
The board will also look at financial statements and audits, appoint members to the Charter Review Commission, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 5:45pm and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Selectboard will reconvene the business part of the meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street.
The Brattleboro Selectboard has extended the due date for applications to the Charter Review Commission. Submissions will now be due by Monday, November 14th, 2022. Below is more information regarding the Charter Review Commission and the application process.
The new bike ordinance was almost adopted by the Brattleboro Selectboard, but it looked strange upon a second review, and was delayed until the next meeting.
Reps from AP Triton said they, too, would not be giving much weight to community input gather by their own community survey on EMS feasibility. They will present four options, but not a preferred choice, and will leave it to the board to come to their own conclusions. They are also 75% done with their work, but would love to hear from the public at their Wednesday night meeting.
The board bought their simulation machine, and started a Charter Review Commission at the last moment possible, despite earlier requests to get the process going multiple times in the past few years.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve the purchase of a simulation machine at their next regular meeting.
They’ll also update the bike section of the Code of Ordinances, hear a presentation on preliminary findings of feasibility of a Fire/EMS service within the Brattleboro Fire Department, and will begin a Charter review process. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Good Afternoon,
Attached is a letter that the Brattleboro Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin sent today to Governor Phil Scott regarding the Youth Vote Charter Change.
The Brattleboro Selectboard accepted the report of the Community Safety Review Committee with a unanimous 5-0 vote and sent the document to Town staff. Staff will annotate and organize the recommendations for the board, evaluating the legality and logistics for each recommendation.
The board also heard about plans for a new water treatment plant at a new estimated cost of $12.5 million. They approved of a charter change amendment to be put to voters on March 2. And they recommend to Town meeting representatives that the police training budget remain at $27,000 rather than be increased to $40,000.
The Brattleboro Selectboard is likely to add a Charter Amendment to the Town Meeting Warning that would eliminate the need for future Charter changes to approved by the state legislature.
The board will hear an update on the Water Treatment facility project, continue finalizing their FY22 budget for RTM consideration, and will continue their discussion of the Community Safety Review Committee’s recommendations. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
A special Selectboard meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Selectboard will appoint Ian Goodnow to the seat that became vacant upon Dave Schoales’ resignation and will elect Selectboard officers. Please note that the Municipal Building will be open to the public on March 23 from 5:15pm until 15 minutes after the special Selectboard meeting is adjourned.
The Brattleboro Selectboard listened to a large crowd of concerned citizens before deciding by a split vote to create a new Sustainability Coordinator position for the Town. The length of this agenda item pushed back most other agenda items, which led to rushed discussions and decision making later in the evening.
I’ve been watching Brattleboro budgets for quite a while, through multiple selectboards, three Town Managers and one Interim Town Manager. I’ve watched many Representative Town Meetings as well and participated in a few. That’s a lot of meetings.
While I’ve come to the conclusion that Representative Town Meeting doesn’t really work, I know that it has become cherished and it is unlikely that abolishing it will be on the ballot anytime soon. Therefore, it should be improved.
The Brattleboro Selectboard has scheduled two public hearings to take place on October 2 and October 9, 2018, at 6:15pm, in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center to take public comment on a petition to amend the Brattleboro Charter to include youth voting at age 16.
