The Brattleboro Selectboard held a very long first meeting of Spring.
Despite pleas from the public, they pressed on with many issues they felt could not wait for new board members. From Community Safety to ARPA, the board ignored suggestions to improve their public perception and to increase public input.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will set aside over $2 million of the $2.7 million in ARPA funding for EMS related projects and potential start-up costs, leaving a much smaller amount for the public to discuss how to spend. This comes after promises of community outreach and public input to best determine the ways to spend the funds. Related, the monthly EMS update has been relegated to the Consent Agenda.
The board will also discuss how to spend the $300k in community safety funds. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will decide on a way to make decisions about EMS services at their next regular meeting, with decisions expected by September.
The board will also hear some ideas on how to spend some of the ARPA funds, endorse a walking and biking action plan, and more. You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.
The currently sitting Selectboard in Brattleboro has unfinished business … and it cannot be accomplished by the currently sitting members.
For there to be honest and real “transparency,” three members of the board must change.
Richard “Dick” DeGray stands out first as someone who speaks his mind and — from personal experience, I can say — as someone who will think through an issue and debate it. Dick and I may not always agree, but we will hear each other.
Franz Reichsman is the detail person, I believe, measured and thoughtful. He has the needed background in emergency medicine to do the deep dive into our present quandary with EMS.
And Peter “Fish” Case showed his insight and evenhandedness by bringing together, virtually, the chiefs of the Brattleboro Fire Department and Rescue Inc. during an episode of Vermontitude, “A Path Back.” https://youtu.be/CYi39JDY5-U
A special hearing by the Brattleboro Selectboard to consider health violations cited at 16 Washington Street had much discussion by all concerned – except one key individual: the property owner. Kurt Daims didn’t attend his hearing, and the board did not look kindly on such an action. He did issue a statement via BCS delivered to the board, but it wasn’t enough.
The new train station project was again described in detail, ARPA funds were discussed, the tree ordinance was adopted, and more.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will do a number of routine items at their next regular meeting – renew liquor and tobacco licenses, get updates on EMS and finances, grant and easement for the new train station project, discuss ARPA, and review RTM child care options.
The board will also take up an appeal to a health order for 16 Washington Street and adopt a revised tree ordinance. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 6:15pm at the Brattleboro Co-op.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 11:30am over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 5:00pm at the Brooks Memorial Library.
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 Report is available:
https://www.brattleboro.org/vertical/Sites/%7BFABA8FB3-EBD9-4E2C-91F9-C74DE6CECDFD%7D/uploads/Brattleboro_FD_EMS_Study_(FINAL).pdf
As expected it presents four options for possible EMS services going forth:
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.
This statement was by Patrick Moreland at the Select Board meeting of Oct 11:
“There will be a rough draft of the report in early November, then they will be back with a final report in December.”
The Brattleboro Selectboard will discuss cost increases, delays, and supply chain issues at the Water Treatment Plant at their next regular meeting. This is in addition to kicking off budget season in earnest, with an overview of the FY24 General Fund Budget, revenue, and capital project and equipment expenses.
They will consider free parking for Holly Days, hear the annual presentation from the downtown alliance, and learn about marketing initiatives. The board will also cross into school matters as they take up the issue of appointing a new member to the WSESU board. You can, as always, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Quite a few business and organization directors had harsh words for the Brattleboro Selectboard regarding downtown crimes, especially at the Transportation Center. Almost all mentioned break-ins or thefts, and quite a few reminded the board that the Transportation Center is town-owned and municipally- controlled. In other words – it’s your problem.
After many hours, the board voted to get price quotes on a new camera system for the Transportation Center, and possible consider some other steps, maybe, after we do a timeline and budget season is coming up, y’know. Can’t promise anything, but we feel your pain.
Camera options for the parking garage will be up for discussion at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The Interim Town Manager has some preliminary cost estimates for them to review.
The board will hear from SeVEDS, get an update on EMS services, pass those bike ordinance changes, buy winter fuel, talk about ARPA fund spending rules, and consider a 6.7% increase in health insurance premiums. They’ll also kick off FY24 budget season with a look at revenue and expenses in the General Fund. Quite possibly they’ll talk of postponing some of these items when the meeting runs on too long. You can make the meeting longer by bringing up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
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.
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.
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.
The Brattleboro Fire Department AP Triton Survey was “closed” to anyone who clicked on the link to access it, despite an October 31 deadline for community members taking the survey.
Clicking on the link this weekend led to a screen that said the survey was closed.
The Brattleboro Selectboard doesn’t want to review what led to an abrupt change in EMS services in town last spring.
As much as some citizens would like to know, the board resists. No lookin’ back. No way. Don’t want to even think about it.
The next animal control officer will serve 40 hours a week, a fancy new B&B got a liquor license, the Town will work on plans for permanent downtown public restrooms, and the board expressed gratitude for the monthly EMS update and all the fine work being done.
