Informational Event: How is Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting Moderated?

The Brattleboro RTM Steering Committee wants to understand how the annual town meeting is moderator by our Town Moderator, because this information will help committee’s work on suggesting improvements for our town meeting process. We think that this event may be
interesting for anyone who is a member of RTM, or who may be interested in becoming a member, or who is interested in how our town meeting works.


Brattleboro Budget Process – A Look Back 20 Years

The Brattleboro Selectboard has begun budget season. It’s the time of year when citizens should speak up if they want something funded or defunded. 

It’s also the time of year Representative Town Meeting Reps should be paying close attention, attending meetings, asking questions, and sharing information they learn with those they represent.

It’s quite easy to do nowadays, but wasn’t always this way. The current board likes to mention that they have traditions and that things are done a certain way, but that’s only been the last few years.


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee Applications Available

 The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee is accepting applications for FY23 Human Services Funding. The Application, as well as Instructions and Guidelines, are posted on the Brattleboro Town website – www.brattleboro.org. The deadline to submit applications to the Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office via e-mail is Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at 5:00pm. 


Representative Town Meeting Steering Committee Agenda

Agenda (start time / minutes)

• Call to order (6:00 / 2)

• Agenda review (6:02 / 5)

• Approve last meeting minutes (6:07 / 3)

• Announcements (6:10 / 5)

• Topic: Officer elections (6:15 / 20)

• Topic: Committee policy to discuss or not discuss charter change items – vote, from John Kennedy (6:35 / 5)

• Topic: Sub-committee on finance – vote, from Rikki Risatti (6:40 / 5)


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Agenda Subcommittee Meeting Agenda

The members of the Agenda Subcommittee are hereby notified and warned to meet in the Hannah Cosman Room of the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 8:00 AM to consider the articles listed below.   

approval of minutes from August 25 (5 minutes)
amendment to our terms of reference  re: PURPOSE of the subcommittee  (5 minutes)
remarks of the chair  (5 minutes)
law and bylaw re handling and control of agenda and scheduling (60 minutes) reducing restrictions on people’s initiatives Article III  


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Agenda Subcommittee Meeting Agenda

The members of the Agenda Subcommittee are hereby notified and warned to meet in the Hannah Cosman Room of the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 8:00 AM to consider the articles listed below.   

Approval of minutes from August 11  (5 minutes)
Amendments to terms of reference    (5 minutes)
Initial discussion: a joint committee of townspeople, TMM and selectperson re RTM agenda  (10 minutes)
Comments on Spoon’s resignation (15 minutes)


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Survey Report Summary

You might enjoy reading this:

“…A survey titled ‘Brattleboro Town Meeting: Your Opinion’ was conducted starting July 9, in order to get feedback on what annual representative town meeting (RTM) attendees and participants think about their experience with the Brattleboro RTM. 

The objective of this survey is to hear opinions about what people want changed or want preserved in our town meeting process, so that the RTM Steering committee can be better informed and can take this opinion into account, in our work.

The RTM proposal that was adopted for the Steering committee states: “…to review the rules, procedures and structure of Representative Town Meeting for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the body…”