Selectboard Meeting Notes – Rental Ordinance Fizzles

selectboard in brattleboro

The Brattleboro Selectboard held a first reading of a proposed ordinance to limit upfront rental costs, but decided not to move ahead with a second reading. Instead, more research, new ideas, and data will be explored.

Groundworks got a big grant which enables the completion of their project on South Main Street, and the marketing initiative to promote Brattleboro was discussed.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Tenants Union Proposal Passes 3-2

The Brattleboro Selectboard spent the bulk of their primetime evening discussing a proposal from the Tenants Union of Brattleboro. They heard from tenants and landlords about a wide range of issues, realized the problem was bigger than what Brattleboro can solve by itself, but pressed on to work on an ordinance limiting what landlords collect and how that money is used. A new board will be created to hear rental housing security deposit disputes.


Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – Committee Interviews and Human Services Increases

Brattleboro Selectboard sept 22 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting to accept the recommendation of Representative Town Meeting and increase the Human Services budget, giving every applying organization extra money.

They spent the bulk of the meeting interviewing prospective candidates for the Community Safety Review Committee, then voting on them. The Committee is now formed.


Selectboard Meeting Notes: Community Safety Review Facilitators Chosen, Committee Stipends Set

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a proposal for a Community Safety Review facilitation team. They chose a local proposal, created a committee, and decided on how much to pay for stipends.

Other issues before the board involved the Department of Public Works, some grants, and gathering data on housing to aid town planning.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro Renters Request Landlord Limits

selectboard september 1, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed affordable housing at length Tuesday evening. A new affordable housing project downtown on Flat Street, a town-wide zoning change to create more rentable units, and a discussion of an ordinance to limit what landlords can collect up front from tenants all indicated difficulties for the 60% of residents who rent in Brattleboro.

The DPW also shared a bit of the spotlight, with road grants and a new mower attachment.


Selectboard Meeting Notes: Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pornography, and Nazi Symbols Interrupt Zoom Meeting

Warning: Offensive Descriptions Below!

Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard was unusual in multiple respects. The remnants of a hurricane passed overhead, causing power outages and damage across the region, it was the first time the board tried a meeting using Zoom rather than GoToMeeting, and the meeting was hijacked by someone.

The weather event the board was ready for. They met on Zoom as scheduled, using a phone version of the Zoom app because power was lost as the wind and rain picked up.

About 16 minutes into the meeting an unidentified male joined and “zoom bombed” the meeting. 


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Collaborative Proposal for Police Reform Presented To Board, RTM Remains On Hold

selectboard july 7, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard didn’t get to new business until after 11 pm. Old business of Representative Town Meeting scheduling, second thoughts on an already-approved budget, and competing proposals for police reforms filled the lengthy meeting.

In the end, no new RTM was set, the board was told the budget cannot be changed but can be ignored selectively, and competing proposals for police reforms will fill a new meeting schedule for July 21.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Defund the Police, and Other Matters

selectboard june 16 2020

There were many big issues at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard but the biggest of them all was an extended discussion about dismantling a racist system by defunding the Brattleboro Police.  Citizens were rather clear and consistent in asking that the General Fund budget be voted down, and that funding for the police be reassigned to social services.

The system moves slowly, they were told, and their attention should be placed on next year’s budget process. The board committed to making a re-evaluation of community safety a priority in the near future, but passed the budget by a 3-2 split vote.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Water and Sewer Rate Increases, and Face Mask Review

Brattleboro Selectboard Virtual Meeting

The Brattleboro Selectboard had a long discussion about their long discussion last week about face coverings. Is it too strict? Not stick enough? What about the children? They then moved on to a discussion of raising water and sewer rates to help pay for the new water filtration plant. Is 6% a year too much? Is 2% too low?

The final discussion was of the parking system, and how with no income and continued expenses, the budget doesn’t look so good. Should the Parking Fund remain an enterprise fund or be rolled back into the General Fund? And who has the best ceiling?