A possibly short meeting with potentially interesting topics ahead was actually not so short due to technical difficulties, but it certainly was interesting. A respite from budgets, for sure.
Sustainability, food security, downtown safety, bridge fixing, and more were all discussed. Some with slide presentations!
Flood Plain Restoration is more expensive than originally thought. By hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s part of what the Brattleboro Selectboard will hear at the first regular meeting of February 2024.
The board will also create a new road for the Town to take care of, hear updates on town safety, sustainability, food, farms, and vacant buildings. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair allows.
Everyone in Brattleboro was on the public radio station that is in Vermont today. Well, maybe not everyone, but lots of people. More than usual!
Everyone in Brattleboro was on the public radio station that is in Vermont today. Well, maybe not everyone, but lots of people. More than usual!
The discussion was about the hiring of security firms to help patrol parts of downtown. The Town Manager, Police Chief, Librarian and others asked and answered questions during Vermont Edition on VP(R). Town officials seemed optimistic; members of public not so sure.
At their first regular June meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hire two outside security firms to patrol parts of downtown.
They will also discuss utility budgets, financial software, traffic safety, and committee vacancies. You might be able to bring up other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows.
Let’s get concrete. One aspect. Food security. There was a suggestion, a well worn mantra but nonetheless very true, to buy local. We’ll keep that narrowed to food. The presumption is that the more local food we buy the more local growers will be inclined to raise. Each additional pound of food gets us one pound closer to security. But there is another factor. The food has to be affordable.
Small farms, especially the organic farms and it would be ideal if all were organic, can’t get food to the market at the same price as agribiz. Agribiz doesn’t care about or thus factor in the external costs of pollution (and resulting health issues) from chemicals or gmo’s or any such thing. On top of that they get huge subsidies. The subsidies are added to everyone else’s tax bill.
