sbmn

Selectboard Meeting Notes – More Parking System Changes; Old Hinsdale Bridges Uncertain Future

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard May 6 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard had a regular meeting and approved of more changes to the recently-changed parking system. Zones will get new names, there will be new signs and stickers, rates and times will change, and more. This will make it easier for everyone, the Town assures us.

There are big beautiful plans by locals in Brattleboro for the old Hinsdale bridges, but they are owned primarily by New Hampshire and that side of the river isn’t too keen on maintaining them in the long term. It will take might private efforts to make something happen at this juncture, but a “balanced” letter will be sent to the NH DOT, with or without support from Hinsdale.

And Kate O’Connor is again director of the Chamber of Commerce.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Chair Encourages Civility For Herself; Loses It Over Rescue Comment; Budget Passes

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard may 1 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard held a May Day meeting to discuss and pass their new budget, which takes the overall municipal tax increase down from 12.1% to 10.8%, shaving 1.3% from the budget rejected by Representative Town Meeting.

The public, those allowed to speak, weren’t very impressed.

Chair McLoughlin began by apologizing for being rude to young people at the previous board meeting. Later on, she shut down the meeting with gavel banging and demands for an adult to stop speaking about something she said could not be tolerated-  a discussion of Rescue Inc correcting the record. 

Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – Board Reacts To Revised FY26 Budget Up By $420,000

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard solid waste april 24 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard held another in their month of many meetings to focus on decisions around solid waste and to hear the results of their budget decisions thus far.  Those results were not good. They also warned a special Representative Town meeting to vote on the revised FY26 budget, which will face further revision.

As with last week, I’m watching this second meeting of the week but not typing up every word. I’ll summarize again. 

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.  

Thanks to everyone who has sent a donation to support coverage!

Selectboard Meeting Notes – FY26 Revenues and Reductions

by cgrotke | Town News

I won’t be doing the usual transcription-style tonight. It’s too many meetings to type that much. But I will watch and give you highlights. And I’ll make a rare pitch – if you’d like to make a donation to help underwrite all of this, it does help. On to the show.

….

First off, they instituted a new sign up per topic list for those in the room, adding another level of confusion/intimidation for members of the public who must now anticipate what will be said and if they might like to respond.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Long Term Planning To Return, EMS Numbers Reported

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 15 2025

The Brattleboro Selectboard, meeting for some regular business and a discussion of the evolving FY26 budget, were able to agree on a few structural budget issues – to have a long term financial plan once again and to have a capital equipment and a capital infrastructure plans as well. 

The new fire chief praised his amazing staff, and all town departments. He also gave the first accounting of what EMS services were costing the taxpayers. Solid waste and mural discussions were postponed. And the 12% tax increase was really just 6% if you average it with some other numbers.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Library Listening Session for FY26 Captures Community Complexity

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard held a rare listening session Tuesday evening. It was held at the Library and the topic the FY26 budget.

The board was quiet; some took notes as they heard from many community members responding to three pre-set questions which enabled a wide-ranging discussion and quite a few passionate, eloquent arguments for various desired outcomes.

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.

Brattleboro Selectboard Elects Liz McLoughlin Chair

by cgrotke | Town News

New Brattleboro Selectboard members Oscar Heller, Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Isaac Evans Franz were sworn in by Town Clerk Hilary Francis to begin the organizational meeting.

Peter Case nominated a slate of candidates:  Elizabeth McLoughlin as Chair, Oscar Heller as Vice Chair, and Isaac Evans-Frantz as Clerk.  The board voted 5-0 to approve the slate.

Returning Chair Liz then took comments from the board and public participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Delayed Western Ave Bridge Project Much Better; Won’t Happen For Years

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard feb 18 2025

VTrans came back to the Brattleboro Selectboard, granting their wish to pay less for the bridge on Western Avenue. The board was happy, but wouldn’t sign the documentation quite yet. And there is also the matter of VTrans not being able to build the bridge or even put the bridge project on their construction schedule yet. Maybe by 2027 or 2030? No one knew what the future might bring. It will be a great bridge someday, though.

There was some debate over the Town Manager’s interpretation of the audit findings. He saw proof of a solid financial situation going forward; others weren’t so sure since the document didn’t make such a characterization and hadn’t taken into account decisions made last fall, after the audit was finished.

Brooks Memorial Library gets a new roof and a new rooftop solar system, and taxpayers get a video about reducing property taxes. 

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.

Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – Human Services Advisory Poll On Ballot

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard title card

Chair Daniel Quipp was under the weather, so the remaining four members of the Brattleboro Selectboard boldy went forth approving the warnings for the Annual Town Meeting and the Representative Town Meeting.

The biggest news is that there will be an advisory poll on the ballot when voters go to elect representatives and weigh in on articles, asking what percentage of future town budgets should be spent on human services. There will be five options, ranging from zero to over 2%.

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.”

Selectboard Meeting Notes Redux- Board Approves 12% Property Tax Increase; Won’t Tax Cats

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved their revised FY26 budget with a 12% property tax increase without further changes, ignoring a great deal of feedback from the Finance Committee and members of the public that there were other items to consider and concerns that root problems were being put off for future years.

The board agreed that no cuts to staff will be considered. Staff positions in Brattleboro are seemingly guaranteed forever.

The board also asked that the community be more respectful when taking about municipal affairs, and laughed at Liz’s serious suggestion to tax cats.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Deep Budget Cuts To Everything Except Personnel, Roads, Police…etc.

by cgrotke | Town News
FY26 General Fund Budget / Possible Reductions

T’was the week before Christmas and all through the town, not a creature was stirring except for the Brattleboro Selectboard discussing FY26.

The board used Town staff suggestions and assumptions as a starting point. They boldy saved items from being cut but also agreed on cuts worth close to $2 million.  Police will get new uniforms, for example, but snow cleanup, arts, and human services will see cuts.  Members of the public cautioned that these were superficial, one-time, unsustainable cuts and told the board they pushing taxpayers over a cliff in years to come.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Contract With Casella Adds Costs- Staff Told To Cut Costs

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard nov 17 2024

After much discussion, the Brattleboro Selectboard chose the only serious solid waste option presented to them: to have a 5 year contract with Casella to haul trash, recycling and compost for the Town. This decision added a significant amount to the budget and to Brattleboro property taxes.

The board told Town staff that the budget was too large now that the costs of their decisions this year have been factored in and asked to see a version reduced by 10%. This punted any significant FY26 decision-making away from the board until mid December.

Just about everyone had complaints for the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust and their planned “Chalet” development of affordable housing units.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – What Services Would You Like To Cut?

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard nov 5 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed the “base budget” – a budget with no changes to services from current levels – at Tuesday’s Election Night meeting. As is, they said, it would be a 22% increase. Board members agreed it was a difficult budget, but none had any big ideas for getting the increase to a more manageable level.

Citizens attending had ideas – eliminate raises, cut Municipal Center hours to 32 hours a week for most employees, cut positions, and throw it all out and build up from what is truly necessary were suggested.  Personnel costs, they noted, were the big numbers.

In a flashback to the era of Barb Sondag we heard the Town Manager ask the board to simply tell him what services they’d like to cut from the people of Brattleboro…

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.