police

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Solid Waste, Fireworks, Police, and Fire

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard nov 17

The Brattleboro Selectboard was focused on budget and finance issues for most of their meeting. Near the beginning of the long meeting, they adopted a new solid waste plan, agreed to a contract with Casella for three years, and decided to add additional fees to the already-increased PAYT bag costs in an effort to help keep expenses down for some people in a program TBD.

Fireworks are expensive, but drones are even more expensive so Brattleboro will continue to pay for the joyful explosions upsetting pets and people with PTSD.

In the budget presentations, the police department made accusations against a selectboard member that they said accused the police department when asking questions at a recent meeting.  And the fire department really wants a 42 hour work week and four platoons instead of the 56 hour week and three platoons they currently suffer under.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 18, 2025

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will be working on the budget at their next regular meeting. The Police and Fire departments are scheduled to present their FY27 requests. The Town will also adopt a new solid waste contract and program, raising your PAYT bag prices and having DPW expand to pick up compost.

The board will also discuss trespass warnings and fireworks, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Bridge Over Troubled Island, Charter Changes

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard july 8 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard learned what the Brattleboro Charter Commission has been working on regarding the form of town governance and other possible changes to the Charter. The Commission has put over two years of work into this and the Chair seemed quite interested in being able to edit whatever they present, such as the form of town government, when it comes before the board again in September.

The next big discussion was about the old Hinsdale bridges. Hinsdale sent some semi-unanticipated reps to read Brattleboro the riot act. They seemed to take special glee in pointing out just how terrible Brattleboro’s problems are, and wanted to know if the town would agree that the bridges should be destroyed or sold.  A split vote at the end of the discussion means Brattleboro does not surrender in the battle

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – July 8, 2025

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard starts July with a big meeting on the 8th. They’ll spend almost a half million dollars on DPW vehicles, authorize tax collectors going after local businesses, pay for a new $476k retaining wall, and that’s just in the consent agenda. (They’ll also retroactively consider a parade permit – if it fails, do the participants need to march backwards?)

Once the meeting gets going in full, the board will hear from the Charter Revision Commission, receive an update on the old Hinsdale bridges, set a property tax rate of $1.5835 per $100, hear about increases to water and sewer rates, spend over $500k on space for police and bathrooms downtown, and more.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Fire Department Suggests Hiring More Staff To Lower Costs; No Major Changes To Safety Budgets

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard breakdown april 22 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard continued their month of many meetings with a discussion of potential service reductions in public safety.

It was a long meeting, mostly because the police and fire departments were given hours to speak of the value they provide to the town. After that, the public spoke about how much they valued the police and fire departments.   In the end, no changes will happen and the town may end up hiring more fire department staff. To save money.  

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Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda and Notes – April 22, 2025

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom. Instructions on how to access the meeting remotely can be found in the agenda. ASL interpreters will be in the meeting for deaf and hard of hearing members of the public. The materials for this meeting will be posted on the town’s website by the end of the day.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – New Board Thinks About New Budget

by cgrotke | Town News
sb swearing in fire chief april 1 2025

The newest version of the Brattleboro Selectboard had their first regular meeting, and it was quite something. Chair Liz McLoughlin kept things under control but things weren’t going her way most of the evening. The public was riled, the new members had “ideas,” and her suggestions weren’t always easily agreed upon by others. It was a long meeting.

The primary focus of the night was what to do about the rejected FY26 budget and how to go about doing it. It’s not 100% determined, but generally there will be lots of meetings in April (most Tuesdays and Thursdays), including a listing session to hear why the budget was rejected, a meeting to discuss what was heard at the listening session, and more meetings to discuss whatever then needs to be discussed. There will also be one or two special Representative Town Meetings to vote on whatever gets presented.

And, our new Fire Chief was sworn-in. There was much rejoicing.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Quarterly Reports Highlight Successes and Vulnerabilities

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard feb 4 2025

The first regular meeting of February for the Brattleboro Selectboard was mostly a series of quarterly reports, punctuated by questions about EMS billing and budgets. The board learned that the bad-sounding audit will not really be as bad-sounding as it sounds. Just wait. You’ll see.

Notable – parking revenues are down,  the downtown safety plan is beginning to take shape, Golden Cross is having problems collecting revenue for us, and a few candidates came to use public participation to show that they are involved.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – February 4, 2025

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will begin the process of changing utility rates by having consultants come to explain the Utility Rate Study they are about to undertake.

The board will also hear quarterly updates from the police department, fire department, and finance office.  You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – People Are Mad At Us For A Lot Of Different Reasons

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard jan 21 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard decided that a 12.1% increase is the best that they can do, ignoring  members of the public and the Finance Committee who said it wasn’t enough but agreeing with the Town Manager who said the increase was necessary to avoid chaos.

One theme throughout the evening was that of continual eroding trust in the selectboard and their decision-making. “People are mad at us for a lot of different reasons,” noticed Chair Daniel Quipp. “We should think about it.  Do we always have to make them a little more mad?”

A sub-theme was extreme agitation about representation at all levels of town government.

Weird meeting. If I were a Magic 8 ball I’d suggest “outlook not good.”

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 12, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

As the budget process gets going, Town staff will ask the Brattleboro Selectboard to approve a $700,000 police substation at a special meeting on November 12.  The board will also be asked to put the Esteyville Gazebo project out to bid, and will tinker with the Parking Ordinance.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Solid Waste and Substations: A Million Here, A Million There

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard oct 15 2024

It is the second Selectboard meeting of October, and more potential tax increases were considered. The cost of trash, recycling and compost will be going up substantially to cover the costs of the new automated robot arm collection system.  The Town says it isn’t that the new system is expensive, it is that the old system was way too cheap. Hints that the costs will skyrocket more after signing on were given.

The board discussed a million dollar plus plan to put a police substation, four public bathrooms, a community room, and new parking system offices at the Transportation Center.  They also heard from members of the public saying these costs were too much.

The board’s “Review of Debt Management Guidelines” was postponed to another meeting.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – October 15, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will decide on a plan for trash, compost, and recycling at their next meeting. Two options will be presented. They will also be discussing a new downtown police station, the quarterly fire department report, human services and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Rejects Downtown Protections (re Homeless)

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

BCS started a low-cost semi-private community-based true emergency shelter in RVs In Brattleboro in 2022. “Community-based” is not a buzzword here. This shelter model relieves downtown of hosting many homeless and provides a healing space away from crowding and drugs and away from downtown. “True emergency” means it is a cheap — not pretty — solution for the poorest victims of the housing crisis.

We asked town officials several times to start a permitting process to fit the new kind of shelter, and after one told us to go ahead without a permit, the planning board sued to evict us for zoning (parking) violations, and the local health board (selectboard) sued to evict us for violations of rental safety codes. In April, 2023 a Superior Court Injunction said the shelter was safe and could continue under easy conditions. In almost all trials the Town has relied on rumor and technicalities and excluded much of our evidence. The Town wanted fines of $72,000, and the court decided on only $9828, but the court approved the notion that individuals can be sued for actions of corporations that they work for ! We thought we had a plea-bargain to remove the RVs and drop all the charges, but the Town is still threatening to take our home and fine us $4M.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Big Sticks and Ass Kicking Approved As Motel Program Winds Up

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard sept 17 2024

A divided Brattleboro Selectboard voted in favor of expanding an ordinance of acceptable behavior that criminalizes aspects of life for those who may be unhoused.  The decision came despite pleas to have professionals review the changes.

The board then added hundreds of thousands of dollars to this year’s budget to fund additional downtown policing. They estimate $200 a year increases for most taxpayers to cover this expense. It was cheered on by a pro-policing faction that wanted big sticks and ass kicking, and criticized by those who were watching all their work for alternative community safety options go down the drain.

Finally, the board praised Turning Point for exceptional work with addiction and recovery, on a budget less than the annual cost of the new police expansion.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – September 17, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will learn at their next meeting that their downtown safety decisions come with a substantial price tag – the starting cost is close to $800,000 per year for additional downtown policing. 

The board will get an update on programs and news from Turning Point, and would like to again spend from the Community Safety Fund – this time to help pay for an “acceptable community conduct” campaign.  You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro To Expand Police and Surveillance

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard aug 20 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard voted in favor of many suggestions by Police Chief Norma Hardy at their regular Tuesday meeting: using community safety funds to purchase surveillance cameras, plus authorizing a move forward on un-budgeted hiring of three more officers, hiring two unarmed police staff, and one police data technician. They also will move ahead with locating a police satellite office downtown.

This came after a presentation on police data that showed that the majority of police calls in town were not for crimes, and many incidents with police involve a handful of known actors.

Will Jail Time Be A Deterrent?

by RDavis | Activism

A lot of people in Brattleboro are agonizing over how to make our downtown safer. There has been no lack of suggestions. I have done a little bit of research into how other communities deal with similar problems and, once again, there are no simple solutions.

Yet, I am beginning to think that we need to use a tool that has been rejected by most communities as being too cruel. That is having police and the court system lock people up who are breaking the law, no matter what level they are operating on.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – August 20, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

 Safety has a price and the Brattleboro Selectboard will begin to hear some of the new costs for downtown safety at their next regular meeting. Brattleboro Police will request hiring of additional staff and officers plus the creation of a parking garage satellite office for police use. It is part of their downtown safety action plan. They will also discuss their HEAT mapping and how this impacts deploying resources to problem areas.

Esteyville bandstand plans will be discussed. The result of the public input is that people want the bandstand, but not way up in the air as it currently sits.  The selectboard will also set a plan for this year’s budget process. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting – Agenda and Notes July 23, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

Community Safety will be one of the major topics at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeting. The Town will give an update on current and future community safety initiatives, including a Brattleboro Police data project and convening a “Brattleboro Collaborative.”

EMS billing policies will change.  The Town will buy a new sand and salt shed, HVAC system, improvements at Living Memorial Park, a new Fire Bucket Truck replacement, and more! You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.